Safety for Homicide Survivors After The Death
Safety is important. Although we know that, we often forget about it in the depths of our grief. There is good reason to be vigilant.
Safety is important. Although we know that, we often forget about it in the depths of our grief. There is good reason to be vigilant.
Cyndee Garrett is a remarkable woman who has sustained all that life has thrown at her. Despite the tragic murder of her twenty-year-old daughter, Alexandria, Cyndee makes it her mission to attend to her other children, function as a caregiver for her spouse and keep her spirits as a guiding light. This interview invites you into her heartache as well as her wisdom. Please join us. For more information on my blog and books please see my website at: www.jancantyphd.com
In court there is the defense and the prosecution. The defense attorney is representing the defendant while the Prosecutor is representing the State. So, who is looking out for our best interest? No one. Until now. Rachel Robinson is a part of a small but growing number of attorneys specializing in Crime Victims Rights Law to ensure all the rights afforded us are being honored. Listen in to better understand our day in court.
When trauma hits we face the choice: sink or swim. For more information on my books and my blog please click here: www.jancantyphd.com
Terrie Noble never had the wind at her back. From an early age she was confronted with one obstacle after another and never knew a permanent home in her formative years. But, as rough as she had it growing up, nothing could have prepared her for the senseless murder of her beloved son, Levi. He was a young man with a bright future, gentle demeanor and quiet determination. Please join us as we hear how Terrie persisted in using her tragedies to advocate for others.
Many of us think about AI as assisting with schoolwork, reports, improving writing or finding obscure information on the world wide web quickly. But did you know it has applications in homicide investigations as well? Indeed it does! Listen in to find out the pros and cons as wel as the hurdles and successes this new technolog is bringing to murder investigations. For more information on my blog and books, please click here: jancantyphd.com
Nakesa Sineath wasn't even an adult, by legal standards when she faced the ugliest act imaginable - the deliberate taking of her child's life by the very person charged with caring for him - his biological father. He robbed their son, Amari, of a future. He robbed Nakesa of peace of mind. To compound this tragedy Nakesa had few resources and had just given birth to her daughter. Join us on an episode that explores "filicide" - one of the ugliest words in the English language. Learn how this admi...
Sgt. Patrick O'Donnell (ret.) was a 25 year veteran of the mean streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has delivered his fair share of death notifications. His specialty was officer-involved shootings. In this episode we learn about the law enforcement side of homicide and what motivates some to risk their lives to keep the rest of us safe. Sgt. 0'Donnell is an author of several crime-related novels inspired by his work and is the host of the podcast Cops and Writers . He interviews guests as well ...
Detective Jason Moran is a relentless detective best known for his dedication to establishing the names of all victims of John Wayne Gacey - the so-called "Killer Clown." Detective Moran is so dedicated to his mission that he has even personally delivered the cremated remains to families who wait. In this episode, we will learn more about the workings of unsolved homicide investigations and a great idea for what families and communities can do to breathe new life into an old case.
Tessie Mandeville, from the low country of South Carolina, was just coming into her own when her beloved younger brother was senselessly murdered by so-called "friends." He was within days of moving west to join Tessie in San Francisco, but their dream of reuniting was stolen. They were both in their twenties. The loss of a sibling, represents the loss of the person who shares the most DNA with us on the planet. It leaves a scar that is forever visible. For more information on my blog and books,...
Rhonda adopted D'Angelo Antwon Toney as a teenager. It was an open adoption and things went well. D'Angelo graduated high school and went straight to work after graduation. Little did he know he would pay with his life.
The gunshot death of Lori Ann Johnson , age 34, in Tacoma, Washington on September 12, 1994 has sat idle for over three decades. I have come to know her family well. The mother of the homicide victim is elderly now. It is her fondest wish to know who killed her child. Lori's lifeless body was found in the 1200 Block of South 11th St. in Tacoma (the Hilltop area) in the morning by a physician on his way into his office. No witnesses came forward. There was no CCTV camera footage, no useful prints...
This episode reviews three matters. First, it reviews how the podcast originated. Second, it will cover the gains and losses for homicide survivors this year (as I see it). Last, it will convey the surprise twist that the episodes have taken recently pertaining to after death communication. Please join us, won't you?
Homicide survivors know that "closure" is a myth. (Closure literally means "to conclude.") Lack of closure is demonstrated in many ways, like attending the parole hearing. Here we will learn from Jeanne Dotts Brykalski as she describes her fight to keep the offender who killed her parents behind bars. Each time she participates she knows it will open old wounds. This episode sheds light on the experience of facing a parole board, offers tips, and extends an invitation to read and sign a petition...
This multifaceted, energetic still-young woman has worn many hats since the day her brother was murdered. She was only 16. The assailant was a life-long friend and only 21. Her search to find where she belongs, and what her true calling is, has taken her around the world for years. Her two loves have always been being near (or on) the water, and music. Please join this uplifting and articulate discussion about life after the murder of a sibling. For more information on my blog and books please c...
Clark Fredericks turned himself in following the brutal murder of Sheriff Dennis Pegg in Sussex County, New Jersey. Considering Clark's long history of drug abuse, motorcycle gang membership, and periodic unemployment, Clark assumed the worst. But much to his shock and bewilderment, each law enforcement officer and guard that came into his holding cell, praised him for his actions. This is a man who pivoted a nightmare into a mission.
Doug Fifer is a 25-year veteran of the Anchorage P.D. He's seen his share of homicides, suicides, financial scams, and sexual deviants. In this episode, we learn about the unique challenges of working in law enforcement within a large, sparsely populated, rugged environment such as Alaska. Few jurisdictions have to deal with 1600-pound grizzlies, towns inaccessible by road, near-perpetual darkness in winter, snowfall measured in feet, and a pandemic of alcoholism. Doug Fifer will take us along w...
Anniversary reactions are unavoidable. They are represent the way our brain keeps us safe.
Listen as Billi-J Heavyshields unravels the "missing-but-found-murdered" story of her brother's unprovoked homicide on the Blackfoot Kainai Blood Tribe Reserve of Southern Alberta, Canada. Billie-J speaks not only about her grief for her brother, Lane Tailfeathers, but also how it hastened her spiritual development. As a White Bear Woman and intuitive healer, she weaves a story of spiritual transformation, sweat lodge ceremonies, law enforcement involvement, the unexpected role of an Elder, and ...
Seldom do we hear about the financial repercussions of murder on surviving family members. Instead, the focus has always been on societal expenses. This episode focuses on the usual expenses homicide survivors face. Knowledge is power.
As a homicide survivor, the legal process is frightening, confusing, and foreign for the majority of us. And that goes double for testifying in a murder trial. The D.A. may prep us for our questioning. But that's more for content. How do we manage our anxiety and keep our peace? How do we tell our truth and have it understood without being overwhelmed emotionally or physically before, during, or after the trial? The stakes are high. The facts are complicated. Our next guest is a seasoned persuas...
Natalie Bedard (affectionately known as Nat Nat) is an experienced, gracious, and empathetic homicide survivor, advocate, and podcast host for Lift Oneself https://www.liftoneself.com/ Nat Nat was a second mother to her friend's son. Everyone who knew Sheldon was going somewhere in life. He excelled at sports, friendship, academics, and compassion. Even in high school, he stood out head and shoulders. He was known as "the peacemaker." But even with all that going for him, he was the target of ho...
Wrongful convictions for the murder of a loved one are rare but not unheard of (think Michael Morton, Kathleen Folbigg, Jeff Deskovick, Kristina Kurlis, Patricia Stallings, Debra Milke, Sally Clark, Nichole Harris, Hanna Overton and others). They come from all walks of life. Men and women who faced injustice on top of grief. Can this nightmare be avoided? Listen in and know what to do. This episode is dedicated to Melissa Lucio in Texas who is on death row awaiting execution for the wrongful con...
Homicide survivors are usually forced to make irreversible funeral and burial arrangements in haste without much sleep, information, or money set aside for this expense. This episode will address important "inside" information on funerals, burials, and cremation from a death care professional, Heather Leigh - General Manager of Greenhaven Memorial Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina. But she brings even more expertise from her background as an academic where she taught a course on death and dyin...
Most crime victims know they have the right to give a victim impact statement (VIS) before sentencing and at parole board hearings. But most people do not realize that judges seldom use our input. That's because we don't stick to our task: giving a rationale for our sentence recommendation. It's a relatively recent privilege to have our say in court. It took federal legislation to make it a reality (the Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982). Not everyone is on board. The ACLU has consistent...
The extended family of Barbara With endured two independent homicides just a few years apart. Both killers were known to their targets. Both victims were single parents of young children. Both of their attackers were convicted. In this discussion, we discuss the impact of these murders on our guest Barbara With and her family. But, we also learn more about her background as an intuitive, creative performer and writer.
Jeanne Dotts Brykalski lost her parents to murder in a quiet neighborhood in East Tennessee when they interrupted a burglary in progress by three assailants in their own home. Jeanne is a veteran of the homicide survivor experience. She's been through the death notification, funerals, trial and faced the parole board before. She's served as a victim advocate for others. Jeanne has insights only an experienced "insider" could have. This is the second time we've heard from Jeanne. We first met her...
Lynette Duncan was just a happy teenager living life in southern California when the unimaginable came to her family's door at 4:00 a.m. Two serial murderers took the lives of her father and sister and seriously wounded her mother. She became the de-facto head of the household. She is still fighting parole for the one convict who remains.
..Reporter, author and executive producer Aphrodite Jones speaks about her career reporting true crime - the good, the bad and the ugly.