Today on the show we are going to blend true crime and fiction with Ken Humphrey who was the jury foreman for the longest trial in Wisconsin history (lucky him) who eventually turned his experience into a novel, The Breakfast Jury, that blends fact and fiction during this extraordinary event.  Ken Humphrey is the author of nine novels, consisting of a middle grade trilogy, a pair of teen books, a thriller trilogy titled The Killing Arc and now The Breakfast Jury. This latest novel arose from a month-long trial in which the accused, Mark Jensen was charged with murdering his wife, Julie, b ..read more

Welcome back to the conclusion of my interview with Eric Reynolds.  Eric Reynolds, a former Boynton Beach Florida Police Officer turned health advocate, shares a story of transformation and resilience. He is the son of June Hawkins, a retired Miami-Dade Homicide Sgt. and step-son of Sgt Al Singleton who were both featured in the Netflix series Griselda. Eric's journey took an unexpected turn when he discovered through DNA his half-brother, Dave Stull a fellow police officer in Florida. Dave had been RVing full-time for ten years, inspiring Eric to sell his home, continue homeschooling, an ..read more

Today, we are speaking with Patrick O’Donnell. Patrick O’Donnell is a retired police sergeant with 25 years experience with the city of Milwaukee Police Department. During his police career he worked exclusively on the street in patrol, and he participated and supervised different special units (anti-gang unit, licensed premise unit, violent crime task force, and armed robbery unit). He is now the author of nine books, including the police procedurals Cops and Writers reference guides. His last four books in the Brew City Blues series are collaborations with Michael Anderle and is now working ..read more

Today on the show we are going on the road. Well, actually, we’re interviewing someone who is living on the road with his wife and children, Eric Reynolds.  Eric Reynolds, a former Boynton Beach Florida Police Officer turned health advocate, shares a story of transformation and resilience. He is the son of June Hawkins, a retired Miami-Dade Homicide Sgt. and step-son of Sgt Al Singleton who were both featured in the Netflix series Griselda. Eric's journey took an unexpected turn when he discovered through DNA his half-brother, Dave Stull a fellow police officer in Florida. Dave had been R ..read more

If you’re like me, you are a sucker for 80’s T.V. and pop culture. One of the biggest and most influential shows back then was Miami Vice. Not the God-awful movie, the T.V. show. Well, on the show today I have the real Miami Vice with a detective who was an undercover detective in the hay day of cocaine trafficking and violence in the Miami area, Michael Hearns!  Michael Hearns is a Miami native and a former 27-year veteran South Florida police officer and detective. He spent a decade of his career undercover, investigating large-scale cocaine trafficking and high-volume money laundering ..read more

Today’s show is for you crime writers, or those who are curious about how a good crime novel is crafted. On today’s show I will be chatting with the acclaimed crime-writing trio of Deborah Levison, T. M. Dunn, and Wendy Whitman, whose topics range from serial killers to domestic violence.  Deborah Levison is an author and publicist. Her first book, an acclaimed nonfiction called THE CRATE, is a true crime with echoes of the Holocaust, which reviewers called it “gorgeous and poetic,” “heart-wrenching,” and “a brilliant story.” The Jerusalem Post wrote: “exquisite.” The book won seven liter ..read more

Welcome back everyone to the conclusion of my interview with former Sheriff Deputy, now Attorney, Bridget Truxillo.  Life isn’t fair. We have all heard this and it is so true. But sometimes you come across a story that really pulls at your heart and you learn a new level of empathy for someone who was in a certain situation. Bridget’s story did that for me. This is a story of a person being treated unfairly and her resilience and eventually overcoming in her own way. This is the story of Bridget Truxillo.    Bridget Truxillo was a Deputy Sheriff in Florida where she excelled in ..read more

Thanks for joining me for this bonus episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast. I wanted to talk about something that has been bothering me for some time. I feel that we have lost our way in policing in America today and the victims of crime are paying the price. When was the last time you heard someone in pop culture talking about “Victim Rights?” You certainly hear them talking about police corruption or defunding the police. But never about the thousands of innocent people who are the victims of crime every day in this country.  The cops have been handcuffed and are not allowed to do the ..read more

Life isn’t fair. We have all heard this and it is so true. But sometimes you come across a story that really pulls at your heart and you learn a new level of empathy for someone who was in a certain situation. This episode did that for me. This is a story of a person being treated unfairly and her resilience and eventually overcoming in her own way. This is the story of Bridget Truxillo.    Bridget Truxillo was a Deputy Sheriff in Florida where she excelled in her job earning spots on the elite narcotics unit where she was primarily utilized in undercover operations and later joined ..read more

For today’s show, we are traveling to the West Coast and the home of Fisherman’s Warf, The Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and of course, Alcatraz. On today’s episode, we will be chatting with the City of San Francisco Police Sergeant and Bestselling Author, Adam Plantinga.  Adam Plantinga’s first book, 400 Things Cops Know, was nominated for an Agatha Award and won the 2015 Silver Falchion award for best nonfiction crime reference. It was hailed as “truly excellent” by author Lee Child and deemed “the new Bible for crime writers” by The Wall Street Journal. Adam’s debut novel, Ascent, is ..read more