The Truth & Justice Podcast is listener driven show, devoted to the pursuit of truth and justice. Host, Bob Ruff, investigates potential wrongful conviction and cold cases using a unique crowdsourcing approach. Bob invites listeners to participate in the investigations, as he breaks down a new case in each season in real time. The podcast is currently in Season 18 "Justice Warriors". This season is in between long-form investigations. Season 18 features interviews with real people doing real work to affect real change in a broken criminal justice system. Every episode is designed to inform, educate and inspire.
This week Bob is assisted by listeners, who have transcribed and recorded an English speaking version of Herman Melgar's initial police statement given on December 23, 2012. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
In this episode, Bob invites listener and psychologist Kelly Dziedzic into the studio. They discuss trauma, its impact on memory, and how these topics relate to Sandy Melgar's case. To learn more about Kelly's work advocating for trauma survivors and teaching others to do trauma-informed forensic assessments well the first time (including the DASH - 2009), visit her on Twitter @RelativelyUn or email her at admin@relatively-unscathed.com . Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!...
Bob breaks down Harris County Homicide Detective, Shawn Carrizal's trial testimony. We find out what the lead investigator charged with finding Jim Melgar's killer did . . . and didn't do. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
Bob answers listener questions form social media and voicemails. Topics include: The woman that Sandy remembers seeing in the bathroom, and the similar home invasion in Kingwood. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week Bob attempts to find the investigative leads that convinced the Harris County DA's office to approve murder charges on Sandy Melgar. On December 23, 2012 the DA rejected Detective Carrizal's request for the charges. A year and a half later, Sandy was indicted for murder. What changed? Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
In this episode, Mike asks Bob questions from listeners on social media. Topics of discussion include the relationship between the prosecutor and the jury foreman and more importantly, the experiments conducted by jurors during Sandra Melgar's trial. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week Bob breaks down Point of Error Number 3, from Sandy Melgar's Appeal Brief. P.O.E. #3 alleges misconduct on the part of the jurors. We also hear about some new revelations, regarding the post trial behavior of the Prosecutor and the Foreman of Sandy's jury. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
In this episode, Bob answers listener questions from social media. Topics of discussion range from the prosecution's use of religion as a motive at Sandra Melgar's trial, to the confusion over the missing television set. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week, Bob breaks down Point of Error Number Two in Sandy's appellate brief. Error #2 cites alleged prosecutorial misconduct, in that the State injected the religious tenants of the Jehovah's Witnesses into trial in order to prejudice the jury against Sandy. We're still working on building the Jim Melgar reward fund. Please consider donating here: www.GoFundMe.com/JimMelgar Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!...
This week, Bob responds to a voicemail and questions from listeners. He also focuses on the GoFundMe launched to create a reward for information on Jim Melgar's killer. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week Bob begins the breakdown of Sandy Melgar's recently filed Appeal Brief. The focus of this episode is on the first of three "Points of Error" spelled out in the brief. Point of Error Number One states that Sandy's jury errantly convicted her, without legally sufficient evidence beyond the legal standard of reasonable doubt. The episode is concluded with Bob announcing a new funding campaign, to raise money for a reward fund. Listeners can donate to the fund at www.GoFundMe.com/JimMelgar...
In this episode, Bob and Mike address listener questions from social media after the last episode where we heard from linguistic forensics expert Jim Fitzgerald. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
After reviewing Sandy's police interrogation videos multiple times, Bob decides to bring in an expert. Jim Fitzgerald is a retired FBI profiler specializing in language. Fitz gained notoriety when his skills in forensic linguistics helped to find and capture the UNABOMer. In this episode Fitz gives his expert analysis of Sandy's police interrogations. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
In this episode, Bob and Mike bring Lizz Rose onto the show to help answer questions generated by listeners on social media. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
Bob investigates the Prosecution's claim that nothing was stolen from the Melgar's home on the night that Jim was killed. We here from Jim and Sandy's daughter, Lizz, who explains how she worked tirelessly to find her father's killer, while being ignored by the Harris County Sheriffs Department. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
In this episode, Bob and Mike cover questions ranging from Bob's take on the police interviews taken on the night of Jim Melgar's murder, to the social media interactions of Bob, Colleen Barnett, and renowned attorney Kathleen Zellner. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
After hearing from Harris County ADA Colleen Barnett that Jim and Sandy may have been having marriage problems and were in counseling, Bob investigates. In today's episode we hear from friends of Jim and Sandy's, and a member of Jim and Sandy's Kingdom Hall. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week, instead of answering listener's questions, Bob and Mike play four police interviews recorded on the night Jim Melgar's body was found. Interviews include Marissa and Monica Melgar, Gerson Campos, and the neighbor across the street who dialed 9-1-1. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
Bob breaks down the blood pattern analysis report generated by Celestina Rossi, as well as her trial testimony and recent interview on KHOU. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week Bob and Mike bring Lizz into the studio again, to help answer questions from listeners from social media. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
Bob continues his conversation with retired FBI Profiler, Jim Clemente. This week Jim gets down to brass tacks and weighs in on who he thinks killed Jaime Melgar. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week Bob and Mike call Lizz Rose into the studio to help answer questions from listeners regarding the Melgar case. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
Bob sits down with world renowned criminal behavior analyst, Jim Clemente. Jim served 5 years as a prosecutor in New York City, before moving on to the FBI where he spent 22 years as a profiler. Jim has prosecuted and investigated thousands of murder cases during his career, and today he begins his breakdown of the crime scene at The Melgar's home. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week Bob and Mike address listener questions from social media. They cover topics ranging from DNA found on the video game booklet, to an update on the white blouse found in the bathtub at the crime scene. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
Bob breaks down the testimony of DNA expert Matt Quartaro. The scales of justice tip in both directions during direct and cross examination. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week Bob and Mike tackle listener questions from social media. Bob also gives an update on his European tour coming in December. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
Harris County Crime Scene Investigator is called out on his deceptive CSU report on the Melgar murder scene investigation by defense attorney, Mac Secrest. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
This week Bob and Mike tackle a voicemail and questions from social media covering the Melgar case. As a bonus, included after the episode credits is a trailer for NBI Studios' new podcast "Made Us" by Zaq Weaver, where Bob was a guest. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
Bob begins his examination of the trial transcripts with Medical Examiner, Kathryn Pinerri. In this episode we finally hear what the jury heard at Sandra Melgar's trial. Pinerri's report is twisted into a narrative that helps shape the jury's verdict. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
In this episode, Bob, Mike and Lizz Rose answer questions from listeners after the most recent developments on the Melgar case. Listen ad-free by joining our Patreon!
