Character Analysis: True Crime

Today, I want to talk about not just your garden variety toxic friend, but your persuasive, charismatic liar that can demolish your life and sense of reality brick by brick. In this episode, I’m breaking down the dangerous type of liar. The kind who can look you dead in the face, stay perfectly calm, and convince an entire room that what you know happened… didn’t. In this episode, we unpack the Na...

This is a teaser of a major subscriber only video I just posted. In the full episode, I break down the Idaho 4 case in a way I haven’t before. We’re getting into the crime scene details, Bryan Kohberger's movements in the house, the timeline, and the physical evidence that doesn’t fully line up with the narrative we’ve been given. Because once you start connecting the dots, some of the inconsi...

In this teaser episode, I revisit the Danielle Walter engagement discourse and the pattern of shutting down any questioning with “you’re jealous” or “just be happy for her.” I break down why that reaction is so strong and why it’s not really about one relationship. It’s about what that relationship represents. Then we get into the difference between anxiety and intuition, and why women are often t...

How about we stop normalizing quickie engagements? Yesterday,  People  magazine announced the engagement of influencer Danielle Walter and her boyfriend, Lucas Alcantara. True to form, any woman who expressed skepticism about the upcoming nuptials was labeled a Bitter Betty. Because when a relationship is built in public, God forbid people analyze what they see. And what many see is a big, bright...

If every straight man on your dating apps says Good Will Hunting is his favorite movie, that’s not taste. That’s a red flag with a screenplay. In this episode, I break down why men relate to Will, how avoidant attachment shows up in straight single men on dating apps, and why emotional unavailability keeps getting mistaken for depth. We’re talking fear of vulnerability, mixed signals, and what hap...

Carrie Bradshaw gave us a lot of ideas. Not all of them were good. Enjoy a preview of this week's subscriber-only episode. If you'd like to listen to the full episode and get behind-the-scenes tea on internet drama, personal posts, weekly bonus episodes and sub-only live stream events, you can subscribe to my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/mycharacteranalysis A creator recently sh...

In this episode of Character Analysis , I’m kicking off my Then & Now series by revisiting one of the most iconic arguments in pop-culture history: the Carrie vs. Miranda fight from Sex and the City . Back then, I sided with Carrie Bradshaw — the hopeless romantic caught in the emotional chaos of Mr. Big. Watching it now, with a lot more life experience and a lot less tolerance for breadcrumbs...

Some people sabotage relationships by pushing people away. Others sabotage relationships by turning their love lives into content. In this episode of Character Analysis , I take a deep dive into dating influencer Danielle Walter and why her smug 21-part relationship docu-series made her a viral punch line. 💅WHAT I'M WEARING Red off-the-shoulder blouse ⁠https://amzn.to/4pGvkTq⁠ Dopamine necklace ⁠...

Narcissist. Psychopath. Sadist. These labels explode every time a case like Bryan Kohberger’s hits the headlines — but do any of them actually mean something in a courtroom? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ziv E. Cohen, a forensic psychiatrist, to unpack how mental-health defenses really work, including what Luigi Mangione’s potential mental-health defenses might look like — and where they fa...

A year after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in Midtown, I’m digging into the question everyone keeps circling: was Luigi Mangione trying to take down a broken system… or was he just a toxic narcissist chasing attention? I’m joined by Jack Fox of Never A Truer Word as we dissect Luigi’s “manifesto,” his jailhouse letters, and his journal entries—along with his love of intensifi...

This week on Character Analysis , the band is back together—Sara joins me to break down Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair , a show that feels like Sex and the City ’s chaotic cousin. We get into the camp, the casting, the questionable “lawyering,” the Kim Kardashian of it all, and why this series hits such a nerve. If you missed hearing us yell about TV together, this is your episode. MIND MATTERS I’ve bee...

In this episode, I break down the case against Bryan Kohberger what the forensic evidence and behavioral patterns actually tell us: the 911 delay, adrenaline and fear, the sheath DNA, and why people still refuse to believe the facts. MIND MATTERS I’ve been testing out various products, journals, and self-care habits that I plan on sharing with listeners (and readers.) ⁠My Amazon Storefront ⁠ highl...

The Idaho Four case has haunted us for nearly three years — not just because of what happened inside that house, but because of what it revealed outside of it. In this episode, I explore The Mirror Effect : how we don’t just analyze tragedies — we project ourselves into them. From the early silence of the investigation to the moral judgment aimed at survivors Dylan and Bethany, this case reflects...

In today’s episode, I’m diving into a new kind of psychological warfare — one that doesn’t play out on a battlefield, but behind our screens. When Francesca started getting strange messages — one from a woman she didn’t even know, another from a fake Facebook account using her nude photo — she had no idea how deep this was about to go. This is the story of how a woman who wasn’t “chronically onlin...

In this episode of Character Analysis , I dive into the spectrum of narcissism — from everyday traits we all carry to the darker world of full-blown Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Why do some narcissists charm and dazzle while others manipulate and destroy? And why are we so often drawn to them, even when it’s toxic? Using pop culture examples like Blair Waldorf, Patrick Bateman, Regina George...

In this episode, we dive into the controversy surrounding a viral letter from Luigi Mangione to one of his supporters and its connection to the high-profile United Healthcare CEO shooting case. After raising concerns about inconsistencies in the letter, I found myself at the center of a social media storm, with journalist Ashley accusing me of dishonesty and clout-chasing. But is skepticism really...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit characteranalysis.substack.com Imagine you meet someone who shows you the care and attention you crave. He sends you good morning texts and checks in to see how your day went. He calls you pet names. You talk about your goals and aspirations. Finally, you think you've found Your Person. Then, after making romantic getaway plans that inc...

In Part 2 of this series, I review the King Road crime scene and determine which aspects stand out to a criminal profiler and why. Leaving survivors— There are several possible reasons why the suspect left the survivors at the scene. Given the lack of forced entry, it could point to a connection between the suspect and one or both of the roommates left alive. If that were the case, you would think...

Yesterday, dozens of relatives of Erik and Lyle Menendez gathered in front of an LA courthouse to advocate for the brother's release. In their speeches, they all addressed the lack of understanding of trauma and abuse that was prevalent in the early nineties when their case was first tried. Family members (as well as the brother's lawyer) also commented that had it been The Menendez Sisters charge...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit characteranalysis.substack.com To listen to the full episode, subscribe to this Substack or become an exclusive member of my Youtube channel In this episode, I revisit the 4 Chan posts and reveal new clues that might point to the post having been written by The King Road Killer. While researching the Fratanon posts, I came across severa...

Become a subscriber and receive weekly true crime, pop culture & human behavior-related content. In this free episode, my friend Sarah and I discuss the “suicide” of Ellen Greenberg. On January 26th, 2011, her husband found her in their kitchen in a pool of blood. She had 20 stab wounds, some to the back of her neck and head. Two inflicted post-mortem. They still say it was a suicide. You know how...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit characteranalysis.substack.com Become a subscriber to listen to the full episode. For $5 a month, you’ll receive weekly true crime and pop culture content directly to your inbox. Listen to the full episode at https://CharacterAnalysis. Substack.com In this episode: * Clinical psychologist Dr. Gary Brucato explains how guilt can play a r...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit characteranalysis.substack.com Become a subscriber to listen to the full episode. The minute news of the King Road Killings hit the media, people started creating narratives based on minimal information. Once the PCA was released, things only got worse. A latent footprint morphed into speculation that the crime scene had been cleaned in...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit characteranalysis.substack.com Become a subscriber to listen to the full episode. Air Mail article mentioned in the episode. When the investigation into the murder of four University of Idaho students began, it didn’t take long for law enforcement to clear the surviving roommates of 1122 King Road. Also not considered a suspect were Jac...

We talked with Instagram influencer and former Sex and The City tour guide Selena Coppock. Selena curates the IG page The Fake Grey Lady, a satirical take on the Vows section of The New York Times. Follow Selena on Instagram at @nytvows. You can become a subscriber to listen to weekly full-length episodes. Subscribers receive weekly podcast episodes as well as pop culture/true crime related articl...