When Jerri Williams was sworn in as an FBI agent in 1982, she was one of just 23 Black female agents out of 7000 total. To say she is a trailblazer is an understatement. For more than two decades she uncovered corruption and investigated major crimes. She went on to be the spokesperson for the FBI in the Philadelphia area. In her fifties, Jerri blazed another trail. She became a podcaster at a time when most people didn't even know what a podcast was. Today, her show, FBI Retired Case File Review, has posted more than 400 episodes and has millions of downloads. She features the stories of retired FBI agents as they share the details of their most compelling cases. Jerri is also a successful author and a doting grandmother, not to mention an amazing person. In this bonus episode, we delve into Jerri's unique career path and some of her most compelling cases.

CRIME CAPSULE PODCAST ON FACEBOOK

CRIME.POD ON INSTAGRAM

CRIME CAPSULE ON YOUTUBE

TO HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW: BUY US A CUP OF COFFEE!

He was an Eagle Scout and a high school student in a small North Carolina town who volunteered at his church. But people who loved Matthew Silliman said he fell in with the wrong crowd, outcasts who partied hard and spun wild stories about being stalked by the mafia. One fateful night he went to an unoccupied home with four other teens who dabbled in Tarot cards and put horse tranquilizers in his wine. They tied his legs together, covered his mouth with duct tape, hit him in the head with a hammer, and then covered his head with a plastic bag. Several days later Matthew was found dead, zipped up in a sleeping bag. And for what? That's the question years later that people involved in this case are still asking. The assistant district attorney at the time, Jason Waller, was prosecuting his very first high-profile murder case. The defense attorney for the ringleader, Robert Padavano, was assigned what seemed like and impossible case to defend. We speak with both of them for this episode as we unpack the details of this senseless crime.

CRIME CAPSULE PODCAST ON FACEBOOK

CRIME.POD ON INSTAGRAM

CRIME CAPSULE ON YOUTUBE

TO HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW: BUY US A CUP OF COFFEE!

It was supposed to be a celebration. Lights. Music. Families lining the streets. A holiday tradition in Raleigh where nothing bad was supposed to happen. But on November 19th, 2022—that changed in an instant. The Raleigh Christmas Parade was underway. Floats rolled down the street. Performers smiled and waved. And then—something went wrong. A vehicle towing a float lost control. In seconds, the celebration turned into chaos. People screamed. Spectators ran. A young dancer was struck and killed. Her name was Hailey Brooks. She was just 11 years old. In this interview with Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, we go through the complexities of holding someone responsible in a case like this and talk about ways to prevent it in the future.

CRIME CAPSULE PODCAST ON FACEBOOK

CRIME.POD ON INSTAGRAM

CRIME CAPSULE ON YOUTUBE

TO HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW: BUY US A CUP OF COFFEE!

It was like something out of a horror movie. A young woman fresh out of college beginning her professional life is dragged from her bed, sexually assaulted and killed in her own apartment while her roommates are out of town. Stephanie Bennett is found by an apartment manager after her friends and family can't reach her. The scene is brutal, but the killer's DNA is everywhere. Investigators believe this will likely help them solve the case quickly. But suddenly, everyone in the area, which is home to hundreds of apartment dwellers, is a suspect. Finding the killer will be like finding a needle in a haystack. Two years after Stephanie's death, the case goes cold despite hundreds of interviews and DNA tests that were performed on men in the neighborhood. That's when a pair of new detectives, Ken Copeland and Jackie Soles, are assigned the case and go back to square one. They read every single document in the file from the investigation. They quickly zero in on a man who neighbors suspect was a peeping Tom. This begins a cat and mouse game between Drew Planten and police to get his DNA. Eventually, their efforts pay off. But the case comes to an abrupt end, an end nobody wanted because it deprived everyone close to the case with the one thing they were seeking—answers. In this episode, Jackie and Ken share their memories of the case that changed both of their lives. They share their behind-the-scenes efforts to find justice for Stephanie and what it felt like to look a killer in the eyes.

CRIME CAPSULE PODCAST ON FACEBOOK

CRIME.POD ON INSTAGRAM

CRIME CAPSULE ON YOUTUBE

TO HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW: BUY US A CUP OF COFFEE!

It's the kind of place you go to clear your head. Tree-lined. Quiet. Safe. But on October 13th, 2022, that illusion was shattered along a stretch of greenway in Raleigh. At the center of it all— a 15-year-old boy: Austin Thompson. The first calls came in just after 5 p.m. Gunshots. Multiple victims. Chaos. What unfolded next would become one of the deadliest mass shootings in Raleigh's history. Five people were killed. Two more were injured. Among the victims—an off-duty police officer… shot in his own neighborhood. There was no clear motive. For hours the city didn't know where the shooter was. As the sun set fear took over. Entire neighborhoods were locked down. Residents were told: stay inside, lock your doors, don't move. Parents waited in panic as schools that were delayed in releasing students. Helicopters circled overhead because somewhere out there the suspect was still moving. Eventually, law enforcement tracked him to a home nearby. A standoff followed. Austin Thompson was taken into custody after shooting himself in the head. He survived. And that's when the real questions began. How does a teenager carry out something like this? And more importantly—could it have been stopped? In this interview with Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman we break down the details of this tragic event in Raleigh's history.

CRIME CAPSULE PODCAST ON FACEBOOK

CRIME.POD ON INSTAGRAM

CRIME CAPSULE ON YOUTUBE

TO HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW: BUY US A CUP OF COFFEE!

It was like something out of a horror movie. A mother from North Carolina goes missing and ends up dismembered in an alligator infested swamp in Texas. Laura Ackerson and the father of her children, Grant Hayes, were embroiled in a heated custody battle over their two young sons. Grant's new wife, Amanda, who had a baby daughter of her own with Grant, was also at odds with Laura about the ongoing custody dispute. Prosecutors say Grant and Amanda lured Laura to their apartment in Raleigh, killed her, and then dismembered her body with an electric saw. They then carried her remains in coolers in the back of a rental truck to Texas where they dumped them in a swamp near Amanda's sister's home. In this episode, the prosecutor walks us through the complex case investigators were able to build against the killer couple. We also hear from the forensic scientist who was able to all but guarantee their conviction with a single saw mark on a her bone.

CRIME CAPSULE PODCAST ON FACEBOOK

CRIME.POD ON INSTAGRAM

CRIME CAPSULE ON YOUTUBE

TO HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW: BUY US A CUP OF COFFEE!

It's been three months...three months since Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have seen their mother, Nancy Guthrie. Investigators believe the 84-year-old was kidnapped from her Tucson, Arizona home in the middle of the night from her bed. Despite a massive search, surveillance video of the suspect, a one million dollar reward, and unprecedented national media attention, no one has been able to find Nancy. Up until now, we've only heard from Savannah Guthrie on short social media clips. This past week she sat down with her dear friend and colleague, retired veteran anchor Hoda Kotb who has been filling in for Savannah in her absence. In this episode, we break down the extended version of this interview-what Savannah reveals about the investigation, her unbreakable bond with her siblings, how her mother is a shinining example of strength and faith for her children. She also asks once again for anyone who knows anything to come forward. At times heartbreaking, but also hopeful, Savannah is poised and resolute vowing not to allow the kidnappers to steal her joy or that of her family. She is set to return to the Today Show on April 6. She shares with Hoda that she doesn't know how she will do it because she has been forever changed by the tragedy, but she is willing to try.

22-year-old Cole Thomas disappeared in Benson, North Carolina on November 25, 2016. It was like he simply vanished without a trace. He was an electrical contractor and the crew members he was traveling with all had different stories about what may have happened to Cole. One consistent thread was that there was a drug deal that went bad and Cole left the car never to be seen again. A massive search of wooded areas and swamplands in the area turned up no clues. Cole's parents immediately drove from Florida to North Carolina to help with the search, but nothing was found. Cole's father, Chris Thomas, believes his son is dead. He had hoped that one of the men Cole was with would at least tell them where Cole's body is. In this episode, we unpack the details of this decade long cold case with Chris who has been conducting his own investigation. We also check in with Benson's police chief who handled the case back when he was on the street. Our goal is that by keeping the case in the public eye someone will come forward with information that could lead to justice for Cole and much needed answers for his family.

CRIME CAPSULE PODCAST ON FACEBOOK

CRIME.POD ON INSTAGRAM

CRIME CAPSULE ON YOUTUBE

TO HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW: BUY US A CUP OF COFFEE!