The Brighter Side of Blue Podcast

Featured interview (46:02) Before Ferguson changed protest policing across the country, major demonstrations in St. Louis were handled very differently. Retired SLMPD Officer Rick Rea spent 13 years in the department’s Intelligence Division, where part of his job was learning who was coming to town, what they were planning, and how police could prepare before a protest ever began. Rick takes us in...

Featured Interview...(28:10) Before Ronnie Robinson became a retired SLMPD Lieutenant Colonel, he helped build and lead one of the most influential gang intelligence units in St. Louis history. In this episode, Ronnie shares his remarkable journey from growing up in a changing North St. Louis neighborhood to leading the department's Gang Unit during one of the city's most violent eras. Rat...

Veteran investigators Joe Somoyge, JD Gaddy, and Leo Rice join The Brighter Side of Blue to tell the story of the massive Guy Goolsby investigation. What began as intelligence on a courier traveling from Houston quickly grew into a multi-state drug trafficking case involving wiretaps, hidden surveillance, cartel connections, millions of dollars in seizures, multiple murders, and some of the most d...

The badge came off, the stories came out, and the real conversations began. This week, we look back at the St. Louis police bar scene and why it became such an important part of life on the job. These weren't just places to have a drink. They were where young officers learned from veterans, where friendships were forged, where supervisors became mentors, and where cops processed the stress, tr...

A rare prison interview. A survivor's story. Two very different versions of the truth. In this episode of  The Brighter Side of Blue , we examine one of the most notorious predators in St. Louis history, Dennis Rabbitt, the South Side Rapist. You'll hear excerpts from a rare 2003 prison interview recorded inside a Missouri prison, where Rabbitt discusses his crimes, his methods, and his cl...

This week on The Brighter Side of Blue, we sit down with Brentwood Police Chief Joe Spiess and St. Louis Police Department employee Laurie Erson to discuss the 40th Annual St. Louis Police Memorial Breakfast and the powerful stories behind this year's event. Laurie, whose father, Officer Greg Erson, was killed in the line of duty in 1980, shares why she selected Chief Spiess as this year's...

Coming to you from our brand-new studio inside Colombo’s Cafe & Tavern in Dogtown, this episode marks a major moment for The Brighter Side of Blue Podcast as we officially announce our partnership with the St. Louis Police Officers Association. Joining us in studio are SLPOA President Marty Garcia and Business Manager Joe Steiger as we discuss the mission behind this collaboration: telling the...

(27:53) Featured interview...Former Glendale Police Chief Jeff Beaton joins us to discuss one of the most heartbreaking and nationally covered cases in St. Louis area history — the 2012 Murch family murder-suicide in Glendale, Missouri. Chief Beaton walks us through the 911 call, arriving on scene, the uncertainty surrounding the investigation, the role of the Major Case Squad, and the emotional t...

(28:43) On a freezing January morning in 2010, gunfire erupted inside the ABB plant in north St. Louis. What began as confusion quickly turned into one of the region’s first true active shooter incidents. Retired and active St. Louis police officers Lt. Adam Duke and Lt. Jim Joyner give a firsthand account of responding to the chaotic scene as shots were still being fired, victims were trapped ins...

Our featured interview (38:52) ... Most people in the St. Louis area know the case of Christopher Coleman. In 2009, the murders of Sheri Coleman and her two young sons in Columbia shocked the region and quickly became one of the most talked-about family annihilation cases in recent memory. The case has been covered countless times—but what doesn’t get talked about is what it looked like from insid...

In December 1982, Gary and Donna Decker left their young son with family and went out Christmas shopping in North St. Louis County—something they had done countless times before. They never made it home. What started as a witness reporting a possible abduction quickly turned into a multi-jurisdiction investigation spanning Missouri and Illinois. Within hours, the Deckers were found murdered in Eas...

To conclude our series, we sit down with Alex Wurman, the composer behind the score of DTF St. Louis , to break down the series from a completely new perspective. We dive into the origins of the story , including the real-life inspiration behind the show and how it evolved into something much deeper. From there, we explore the characters, themes, and emotional layers that make the series more than...

(45:03) In our featured interview on the The Brighter Side of Blue, we sit down with St. Louis Post Dispatch crime reporter Katie Kull to break down a disturbing murder-for-hire case in St. Louis… the trial of Michael Grady. What starts as financial trouble quickly turns into a calculated plan involving a secret life insurance policy, a targeted victim, and a killing that took place in 2011… but w...

The finale is here… and the DTF St. Louis mystery finally comes full circle. In this Episode 7 wrap-up, Danny, Tommy, Maggie, and Producer John break down the shocking conclusion, revisit their theories, and discuss what they got right… and what completely caught them off guard. From the truth behind Floyd’s death to the motivations, clues, and red herrings scattered throughout the series, the cre...

Featured Inerview (27:30) ...Former police officers turned attorneys Brian Millikan and Mike Nolan join us for a fascinating conversation about life after policing… and what happens when officers find themselves under investigation. Both guests started their careers on the streets of St. Louis before transitioning into law. Brian Millikan now represents police officers facing internal affairs inve...

Episode 6 of the DTF St. Louis Breakdown brings more twists, theories, and unanswered questions as the crew at The Brighter Side of Blue digs deeper into what may have happened to Floyd. Danny, Tommy, Maggie, and Producer John break down the uncomfortable opening scenes, Clark’s interrogation, the mysterious “Tiger Tiger” connection, and the strange clues surrounding the bike, Modern Love, and the...

Featured Interview (28:00) Retired DEA Supervisor Tim Brunholtz joins The Brighter Side of Blue to share stories from a remarkable career that included locking up a mayor, a judge, and a sheriff. From undercover buys and violent encounters to major corruption investigations, Tim walks us through the cases that defined his career. He also shares how the St. Louis airport interdiction program was bu...

Episode 5 of DTF St. Louis takes a unique turn as the crew at The Brighter Side of Blue is joined by a special guest… the composer of the series, Alex Wurman. Danny, Tommy, Maggie, and Producer John break down the latest twists, theories, and suspects... while trying to read between the lines with someone who helped shape the tone and emotion of the show itself. From new clues and shifting suspici...

Before the featured interview, the crew kicks things off from Colombo’s Café and Tavern in Dogtown with their usual mix of humor and current events. This episode includes a wild breakdown of the Afroman vs. Adams County Sheriff’s Office situation, a discussion on juvenile crime and policing strategies, updates on the new Brighter Side of Blue studio, and more of the banter listeners have come to e...

Episode 4 of DTF St. Louis throws the entire investigation into chaos… and the crew at The Brighter Side of Blue is trying to make sense of it all. Danny, Tommy, Maggie, and Producer John break down the biggest twists in Episode 4 ... from Clark’s intense police interview and the mystery of the bike, to Carol’s manipulation, Floyd’s financial troubles, and the strange appearance of “Modern Love.”...

In this episode, we’re joined by true legends of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and Special Olympics Missouri… men who have dedicated years, some nearly three decades each...to raising money, building relationships, and changing lives. Together, this group represents over 200 years of combined service to this mission. From the early days of the Torch Run in Missouri—when fundraising was just gettin...

In this episode, Raphael Jackson calls into The Brighter Side of Blue from prison and speaks, Detectives Stone and Carroll, the same detectives who took his original confession years ago, were on set when Rafael calls in. What starts like a strange family reunion turns into a raw, uncomfortable, and at times surreal conversation about his viral confession, prison life, time spent in the hole, remo...

Episode 3 of DTF St. Louis throws the entire investigation into chaos… and the crew at The Brighter Side of Blue is trying to make sense of it all. Danny, Tommy, Maggie, and Producer John break down the biggest twists in Episode 3 — from Clark’s intense police interview and the mystery of the bike, to Carol’s manipulation, Floyd’s financial troubles, and the strange appearance of “Modern Love.” Th...

Featured interview (20:50) Retired SLMPD Sgt. Steve Sorocko joins The Brighter Side of Blue to break down one of the darkest and most violent chapters in St. Louis labor history ... the 1970s violence surrounding Pipefitters Local 562. From the unsolved murder of union boss Eddie Steska to the bombings of Lou Shoulders, Tommy Callanan, Harriet Callanan, and others, Sorocko walks us through the peo...

Episode 2 of DTF St. Louis had the crew at Colombo’s buzzing. From the “Bang Master” to the strange lies, suspicious timelines, and a growing list of suspects… Danny, Tommy, Maggie, and Producer John break down everything they caught in the latest episode. Is Clark a pawn? Is Carol manipulating everyone? Or is the real killer someone we haven’t even met yet? The theories are starting to fly. #TheB...