In October of 2002, a sniper terrorized the Washington, DC metro area, shooting over a dozen people with no apparent motive or pattern. This one is personal, as it happened in Chris's neck of the woods. And Tom was a trained sharpshooter for the Marines, so he has a lot of insight into how snipers operate. This is part 1 of 2 and will focus on the killing spree and the hunt for the snipers. Next week in part 2, we will talk about how the killers met, what made them start killing, and the criminal trials. If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Also, reviews on Apple podcasts would be greatly appreciated as it helps new listeners to find us! Find our show here. Resources:Deranged Killers: DC Sniper (2009)Wikipedia John Allen MuhammadWikipedia Lee Boyd MalvoWikipedia D.C. sniper attacks

R. Kelly sure could create an earworm. How else did a man who was repeatedly accused of sexual abuse of minors continue releasing chart-topping music for decades? In today's episode, Tom and Chris talk about what had to happen in order to get R. Kelly where he is today... that is, prison. And of course, what was his defense strategy?If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode!Resources:New York Times: A timeline of R. Kelly’s downfall, three decades in the makingVox: Jim DeRogatis broke the R. Kelly story in 2000. Now he’s compiled a damning case against Kelly.Wikipedia: R. KellyMusic By @freebeats.io

Jeffrey Dahmer's apartment smells bad. Really bad. Tom and Chris can't agree on whether it's the body parts in the refrigerator, the skeletons in the closet, or the 57-gallon drum next to the bed. All we know is, if he invites you over for a nude photo sesh, POLITELY DECLINE.Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email [email protected] you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! This helps us to pay expenses associated with recording, editing, and hosting the show. Resources:Murderpedia.org - Jeffrey Dahmer (you've been warned)Wikipedia – Jeffrey DahmerMusic By @freebeats.io

A cyclist sees a young girl crawling out of the woods, bloody and nearly dead. She's been stabbed. He asks the girl who did it, and she says "my best friend."Join Tom and Chris as we talk about juveniles committing crimes, trying juveniles as adults, and mental health concerns.  Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence.  Send feedback to [email protected]. <3If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Resources:Beware the Slenderman - HBO MaxAnissa Weier sentencing hearing - YouTubeWhat It's Like to Interrogate a Schizophrenic Child - YouTubeMusic By @freebeats.io

Jodi Arias needs an alibi. Her ex-boyfriend Travis is dead. But it couldn't have been her. She wan't even there! Okay, she was there, but he was killed by masked intruders! Okay, okay, fine, she did it, but it was self-defense. Join Tom and Chris as we navigate the Choose Your Own Adventure defense of Jodi Arias. No one said defense was easy. And having a client who lies so convincingly, and so often, makes it even more challenging. Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email [email protected] you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Resources:Murderpedia.org - Jodi Ann AriasSnapped – Jodi AriasMusic By @freebeats.io

Join us for part two of this series, trial of Elizabeth Holmes. Be sure you listen to Episode 7: Elizabeth Homes - The Rise and Fall of Theranos before this episode!Imagine a world where you could run 200 diagnostic tests on a single drop of blood. Testing would be affordable and accessible. Patients wouldn't have to give vials of blood from a needle in their arm. People could find out they were sick long before experiencing significant  symptoms, leading to early treatment and high survival rates. Elizabeth Holmes could imagine all of this, and she could make others believe in it, too. Only problem was, despite raising hundreds of millions of dollars, she couldn't make this dream a reality. Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email [email protected] you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Resources:Wall Street Journal trial coverage20/20 The DropoutMusic By @freebeats.io

Imagine a world where you could run 200 diagnostic tests on a single drop of blood. Testing would be affordable and accessible. Patients wouldn't have to give vials of blood from a needle in their arm. People could find out they were sick long before experiencing significant  symptoms, leading to early treatment and high survival rates. Elizabeth Holmes could imagine all of this, and she could make others believe in it, too. Only problem was, despite raising hundreds of millions of dollars, she couldn't make this dream a reality. Join us for part one of this series, the rise and fall of Theranos. Next week, we'll bring you part 2, Elizabeth Holmes's trial. Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email [email protected] you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, you can make an ad hoc donation at Buy Me a Coffee. If you REALLY like us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Leave us a written review on Apple Podcasts for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card!Resources:Wall Street Journal trial coverage20/20 The Dropout

How do you defend someone who may have hurt children? This week, Tom and Chris cover some tough topics. First, the victims in this case were children. Second, the accused was acquitted but recent DNA evidence shows that he may have actually been guilty. On June 13, 1977, the bodies of three Girl Scouts were found in their sleeping bags, 150 yards from their tent at Camp Scott in Oklahoma. A suspect was immediately identified -- Gene Leroy Hart. He was a convicted rapist and escaped convict, so it must have been him... right?Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email [email protected] you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, you can make an ad hoc donation at Buy Me a Coffee. If you REALLY like us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Leave us a written review on Apple Podcasts for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card!Resources:Someone Cry for the Children - find it on YouTubeKeeper of the Ashes -- HuluGirl Scout Murders website - http://www.girlscoutmurders.com/

In this episode,  Tom and Chris cover the trial of Brock Turner, who was charged with sexual assault after being found on top of a half-naked unconscious woman in 2015. They discuss the key facts of the case that the jury needed to decide and also how a defense attorney can represent someone when they disagree morally and ethically with that person's actions. Resources:Wikipedia - People v. TurnerKnow My Name: A Memoir - Chanel MillerChanel Miller's victim impact statement on BuzzfeedRAINN.org - Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network

This week, Tom and Chris discuss self-defense and the Justifiable Use of Deadly Force. On January 13, 2014, Curtis Reeves went to an afternoon showing of The Lone Survivor. Sitting in front of him, Chad Oulson was scrolling on his cell phone... during the previews. Within minutes, Chad was lying dead on the floor and Curtis, the shooter, was claiming self-defense. What happened? Did Curtis provoke this? Was Chad attacking Curtis? Was this all over a bag of popcorn? Sources and References:Court TV Podcast "Movie Popcorn Murder Trial"Surveillance video of the shootingCCW Safe Blog - look for popcorn murder posts dated Feb 2022Jocco Willink - wikipediaBang the Drum Slowly - Mark Harris