The Consult: Real FBI Profilers

Tad DiBiase, a former federal prosecutor who specialized in “no-body” homicide cases joins the show. Tad walks through the reality behind these investigations and prosecutions, and why the idea that “no body means no case” simply isn’t true. We discuss what it takes to move forward without a body, from building circumstantial evidence to identifying behavioral patterns that demonstrate a homicide...

In part 4 of our series on the disappearance of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, we bring our analysis to a close. Drawing from the timeline, Sam McDonald’s account, and Ashley’s victimology, we assess what the known facts—and the gaps—may suggest about what happened to Ashley in June 2017. Part 4 of 4. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook Join our Facebook fan page (...

In Part 3 of our series on the disappearance of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, we conclude our analysis of Sam McDonald’s account. From there, we shift our focus to Ashley’s victimology, looking at her lifestyle, relationships, and behavioral patterns to better understand her risk level and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Part 3 of 4. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twit...

We continue working through the timeline of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner's disappearance in June 2017, with a focus on the account provided by the individual who claimed to be the last person to see her. Joined again by journalist and podcast host Jayson Blair, we examine that narrative in detail, assess its credibility, and consider how it fits within the broader timeline of Ashley’s disappearance....

In this multi-part series, we examine the disappearance of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, a 20-year-old woman from the Blackfeet Nation who vanished in June of 2017. Joined by journalist and podcast host Jayson Blair, we walk through the timeline of Ashley’s disappearance. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook Join our Facebook fan page (created by fans for fans):&nb...

In Part 3 of our case study on Jeffrey Dahmer, we turn to his psychological evaluation. Forensic psychologist Dr. Paige Wilcoxson joins us again. Part 3 of 3. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook Join our Facebook fan page (created by fans for fans):  UNSUBS Get  The Consult Merch For additional information and resources, please visit our episode websi...

In Part 2 of our case study on Jeffrey Dahmer, we move beyond the timeline of the crimes and examine his developmental background. We look at his childhood, family dynamics, early behaviors, and periods of isolation to understand how his trajectory developed. From both a behavioral and psychological perspective, we assess what these factors may—and may not—tell us. Part 2 of 3. You can follow The...

We begin our analysis of Jeffrey Dahmer by reviewing the timeline of his crimes and the circumstances surrounding each victim. As we walk through the series of murders, we examine the investigative context at the time and discuss several missed opportunities that might have allowed law enforcement to identify Dahmer earlier. Throughout this series, we will examine the case through both behavioral...

We conduct a behavioral linkage analysis to examine the question of whether two of the most infamous unsolved cases in American criminal history—the murder of Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia, and the Zodiac killings—could have been committed by the same offender. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook Join our Facebook fan page (created by fans for fans...

In this special episode of The Consult, I’m joined by retired FBI agent Jerri Williams, host of FBI Retired Case File Review, to revisit my favorite film of all time, The Silence of the Lambs. Inspired by The Rewatchables podcast, we break down the movie through the lens of real FBI policies and protocols—what it gets right, what it gets wrong, and how Hollywood’s version of the Behavioral Analysi...

In Part 2, we move away from the basic facts and discuss the characteristics of the offender, based on the actions taken inside the store and the sequence of events. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook Join our Facebook fan page (created by fans for fans):  UNSUBS Get  The Consult Merch For additional information and resources, please visit our episod...

In this episode, we examine the unsolved Lane Bryant mass murder that occurred on February 2, 2008, in Tinley Park, Illinois. A gunman entered the Lane Bryant store at the Brookside Marketplace under the pretense of making a delivery. Once inside, he ultimately shot six women, killing five. We walk through what is known about the crime and share our initial impressions. You can follow The Consult...

Retired FBI agent Geoffrey Kelly, the longtime case agent on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist—the largest art theft in history—joins the show. Geoff spent more than two decades investigating the case and is the author of Thirteen Perfect Fugitives, which examines the FBI’s investigation into the heist and is scheduled for release on March 10, 2026. We walk through the known facts of the c...

In the final episode of our three-part series on the murder of Elizabeth “Liz” Barraza, we analyze Liz’s victimology. Mike Morford of Criminology and The Murder in My Family joins us again as we close out our coverage with final observations and unresolved questions surrounding the case. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook Join our Facebook fan page (created by...

LOVE MURDER: A marriage that begins with a chance encounter in the 1960s spans two decades of ambition, volatility, and mounting strain, before a sudden death in a hotel room during a work trip is ruled an accident and quietly put to rest—until inconsistencies, private fears, and unresolved conflicts begin to surface, forcing a reckoning with what was really happening inside a relationship that lo...

We continue our examination of the 2019 murder of Elizabeth “Liz” Barraza, who was shot and killed in her driveway in Tomball, Texas while setting up for a garage sale. Mike Morford of the Criminology podcast joins us again as we discuss our impressions from the Ring camera footage that captured the murder. Part 2 of 3. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook For a...

We examine the 2019 murder of Elizabeth “Liz” Barraza, who was shot and killed in her driveway in Tomball, Texas, while setting up for a garage sale. Mike Morford of the Criminology podcast joins us for this three-part series. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook For additional information and resources, please visit our episode website: https://www.truecrimecon...

We examine the concept of targeted violence (e.g., mass attacks, school shootings, lone-actor attacks, assassinations) and how it differs from spontaneous or impulsive acts of violence. We discuss the warning signs, motivations, and pathways that may precede these crimes. The focus is on understanding behavior with the goal of improving prevention, threat assessment, and investigative insight. You...

Part 2 of our discussion of the independent review of Philadelphia MEO case 11-0420, involving the death of Ellen Greenberg. Part 2 of 2. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook For additional information and resources, please visit our episode website: https://www.truecrimeconsult.com/118-ellen-greenberg-review-of-the-meo-report-part-2/ Music “Light in the Basemen...

In this episode, we examine the independent review of Philadelphia MEO case 11-0420, involving the death of Ellen Greenberg. We share our initial thoughts on the report and its conclusions. This review was commissioned as part of a settlement between Ellen’s parents and the City of Philadelphia. For years, Ellen’s parents have been advocating to have the official manner of death changed from Suici...

In Part 2 of our analysis of The Murders of Dr. and Mrs. Littlefield in South Paris, Maine, we turn to Paul Dwyer’s final confession in which he directly implicated Deputy Sheriff Francis Carroll in the murders. This statement dramatically reframes the case and forces a re-evaluation of Dwyer’s role in these crimes. Part 2 of 2. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Faceb...

In part 1 of our analysis of The Murders of Dr. and Mrs. Littlefield, we examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Dr. James Littlefield and his wife, Lydia, in 1937. Their bodies were discovered in their car in North Arlington, New Jersey, far from their home in South Paris, Maine, with 18-year-old Paul Dwyer at the wheel. The discovery launched an investigation that raised questions wh...

In our third and final part on the missing and murdered women of Grand Rapids, Investigative Reporter Susan Samples from WOOD TV8 joins us again as we take a closer look at long-haul trucker Garry Artman. Artman was convicted of one of the Grand Rapids murders—the 1996 murder of Sharon Hammack—and linked by DNA to the killing of Dusty Schuck, who was from Maryland. You can follow The Consult on so...

In this bonus episode, Tiffany Link, Collections Curator for the Maine Historical Society and co-curator of the exhibition “Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye, 1690–1940” joins the show. Tiffany discusses how the exhibition was developed and why the cases were chosen. We explore how crime reporting evolved from broadsides to newspapers to early photojournalism, and how the public’s relations...

In Part 2 of our 3-part series on the missing and murdered women connected to the Division Avenue area of Grand Rapids, Michigan, we continue our discussion with Investigative Reporter Susan Samples from WOOD TV8. You can follow The Consult on social media: X/Twitter Instagram Facebook For additional information and resources, please visit our episode website: https://www.truecrimeconsult.com/113-...