Crime Analyst

Sara Sharif’s killers, Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool, were sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday 17 December 2024. It was a Family Court Judge who delivered Sara into the hands of her torturers and killers, despite Sharif’s extensive history of abuse against three women and two children. Sara’s case is not an anomaly. Nearly every six days in the USA a child is killed amid a custody dispute or...

By the time 10-year-old Sara Sharif died, she had suffered more than 25 broken bones - 100 separate internal and external injuries - including a traumatic brain injury. Sara was failed by everyone. The risks were undoubtedly known to the senior judge who presided over all three family court cases and when Sara’s abusive father applied for her to live with him, the judge ultimately sanctioned the o...

Laura and Sharon unravel the warning signs of escalating risk, spotlight opportunities for intervention and prevention and deconstruct Marc Masterton’s serial pattern of abuse against young women. Chloe Holland called the police 15 times asking for help and gave a 2-hour video statement to police prior to her death.   For more in-depth conversations, extra episodes, and videos and to be a part a f...

22-year-old Chloe Holland began a relationship with Marc Masterton in early 2022. A year later she would be dead. Before her death, Chloe had reported Masterton for domestic abuse and gave a two-hour video statement to police that led to the 26-year-old's conviction for coercive and controlling behaviour. He was jailed for just 41 months.   Join Laura as she speaks with Chloe’s mum Sharon Holland...

To mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women Laura interviews actor, writer and survivor Molly Geddes about her own experience of coercive control, the behaviours and tactics abusers use to entrap victims and her new powerful short film, Where We Stop.   The compelling 6-minute film aims to raise awareness of coercive control behaviours and warning signs amongst young wo...

Laura continues her discussion with Matt Murphy about one of America’s most prolific serial killers Rodney Alcala, diving deeper into his horrific and brutal crimes, along with his background and psychopathology.   Laura asks Matt his opinion about the latest developments in Lyle and Erik Menendez’s case and Matt shares why he believes they should never be released from prison. Hold on to your hat...

Laura interviews former Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy about Rodney Alcala, a serial killer in California featured in Anna Kendrick’s Netflix movie, Woman of the Hour.   Laura and Matt forensically deconstruct Alcala’s behaviour and how and why he was given the benefit of the doubt allowing him to harm and kill more women.   For more in-depth conversations, extra episodes and videos a...

Laura and Hazel discuss District Attorney George Gascón’s October 24 press conference called where he recommended resentencing as well as the resentencing memo, Nathan Hochman’s appointment as the incoming District Attorney in Los Angeles and what it all means for Erik and Lyle and their family.   For more in-depth conversations, extra episodes about this case and others and to be an part a fast g...

Laura and Hazel discuss Ryan Murphy’s Monsters scripted show on Netflix including the portrayal of Leslie Abramson and whether a female juror from the first trial told Leslie that the men voted for murder because they didn’t like her.  Laura and Hazel also focus on what it meant to be a Menendez and why Erik and Lyle could not just leave, applying the lens of coercive control.   Whilst debating th...

Much has happened since Laura last spoke with juror number 9, Hazel Thornton, from the first trial. In this episode Laura and Hazel discuss all the latest updates including The Menendez Brothers documentary that aired on October 7 2024 and was referenced by DA George Gascón in the resentencing press conference on October 24 2024.   For more in-depth conversations, extra episodes and an opportunity...

On October 3 2024 District Attorney George Gascón called an odd, impromptu press conference about the Menendez Brothers case. This was followed by more than 24 members of the Menendez/Andersen families holding a press conference on October 16 outside the courthouse in downtown LA.   On the heels of that, on October 24, District Attorney George Gascón called another press conference and announced h...

Laura and Robert deep dive Dominick Dunn’s backstory and the Monster’s portrayal of Lyle and Erik, criminal defense attorney Leslie Abramson, prosecutor David Conn and Jose Menendez.   Laura and Robert discuss the significant differences between trial 1 and 2 and Robert and Nery Ynclan’s investigation into the boy band, Menudo, and discovery of Roy Roselló, who disclosed that he was raped by Jose...

In part 2 Laura and Michael discuss what male domestic abusers say about their abuse of women, why male role models don’t work and the 12 dialogues to use when speaking with boys and young men about being safe and being safe to be around to break the blueprint of misogyny, coercive control and abuse.   Michael set up Men At Work, an organisation which unravels the macho blueprint and all the ways...

Laura interviews Robert Rand, Emmy and duPont-Columbia Award winning journalist who began covering the Menendez brothers’ case for the Miami Herald the day after the killing of José and Kitty Menendez on August 20, 1989.   In this episode Laura and Robert separate the facts from fiction as depicted in Ryan Murphy’s 9-part show, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story which premiered on Netflix...

Laura interviews activist Michael Conroy about his transformative training with boys challenging sexism, rape, domestic abuse and coercive control, misogyny and porn use and his work with domestic abuse perpetrators.   Michael set up Men At Work, an organisation which unravels the macho blueprint and all the ways boys are brought up to devalue and disrespect women and girls, and in some cases, bec...

Have you ever wondered what life is like in Britain’s most infamous prisons? Vanessa was in the prison service for 27 years and worked her way up to Governor of Security and Operations at Wormwood Scrubs in London. Before that Vanessa worked for 16 years in high-security Holloway prison for women dealing with the likes of Rosemary (Rose) West and Myra Hindley.   Join Laura as she interviews to Van...

Laura interviews John Clough MBE, about the murder of his daughter, Jane Clough, by Jonathan Vass, survivor & author Zoe Dronfield, & Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, Chair of Refuge while they share their lived experiences, using their voices to create change and discuss why they’ve joined and helped lead this vital campaign to include serial stalkers on the same register as violent and sexual offenders a...

Laura continues to interview Nichole Schmidt, Gabby’s mum. In this episode Laura and Nichole discuss the lawsuits and why new coercive control laws and training are important.   To mark the three-year anniversary and in honour of Gabby, listen to the conversation and share the episodes with family and friends. It might just save a life. If you want more in-depth conversations and to join the Ringl...

On the three-year anniversary of 22-year-old Gabby Petito’s murder, Laura interviews Nichole Schmidt, Gabby’s mother.   In this episode, Nichole shares what Gabby was like growing up as well as details about Brian and Gabby’s relationship and what she now knows to be the red flags.   Gabby was reported missing on September 11 2021 after her 23-year-old fiancé, Brian Laundrie, returned from a cross...

Laura continues her interview with Dr Ann Burgess about her three-part docu-series Mastermind on Hulu. Laura explores the stand out cases across Dr Burgess’s almost six-decade career including her seemingly controversial decision to work for the Menendez defence team, her greatest achievements and golden rules to live by.   Listen to the episodes and join the conversation in the Crime Analyst Squa...

Laura interviews living legend Dr Ann Burgess about her three-part docu-series Mastermind on Hulu and her experience at the FBI’s Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU) developing new techniques to understand the victimology and offender psychology.   Laura and Dr Burgess discuss the links between domestic abuse, child abuse, coercive control and serial killers including an updated profile of John Jouber...

Laura and Bernie continue to unravel how Sarah, Bernie’s sister, was love bombed and manipulated by Ian Hope from the first direct message he sent her, leading to a pattern of abuse. On one occasion Hope assaulted Sarah with a rolling pin, hospitalizing her for four days. The night Hope murdered Sarah, the police were called but they failed to check Hope’s history or take proactive action directed...

With the deeply disturbing rising tide of misogyny, male violence targeting women and girls and femicides, it feels overwhelming and some might feel unfixable. The answer lies with men.  In this new series Laura speaks with male leaders who are taking action & doing something to stop it, starting with Andrew ‘Bernie’ Bernard who shares what happened to his sister Sarah Gosling.  Sarah was murdered...

Laura analyses Ronald Evan’s behaviour and Rob Murphy reveals something shared by Michelle Leonard, the undercover police officer who caught him and how his 2022 documentary about Ronald Evans helped catch 81-year-old Evans once more.   Police arrested Evans the day after the documentary was broadcast. As she jailed Evans for four years last November, the judge said: "The risk you pose to women is...

Laura and Rob discuss the harrowing and unbelievable details of the horrific 1963 rape/murder of 21-year-old Kathleen Heathcote. Despite Ronald Evans receiving a life sentence for this offence, Evans was moved to an open prison in Bristol after 10 years and released. Evans re-married and he began targeting and raping women.    Following an undercover operation codenamed Operation Argus, he was arr...