Episodes

  • Sandra Birchmore Thought It Was Love, Then Life Ended

    Sandra Birchmore Thought It Was Love, Then Life Ended
    Jul 2 2025
    Sandra Birchmore Thought It Was Love, Then Life Ended

    Description:
    Sandra Birchmore was just 23 and pregnant when she was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts apartment in 2021. The initial ruling? Suicide. But according to federal prosecutors, this was no mental health crisis—it was a murder designed to silence years of grooming and abuse at the hands of a police officer she trusted. In this episode, we speak with psychotherapist Shavaun Scott to unpack the psychology behind coercive control, trauma bonding, and why so many victims of abuse believe they’re in love with their predator. What happens when the only affection you’ve ever known is transactional? And what happens when it ends in death?

    This isn’t just a cautionary tale—it’s a gut punch reminder of how abuse hides in plain sight. If you think you understand consent, grooming, or survivor psychology, this conversation will challenge everything.

    #SandraBirchmore #TrueCrime #TraumaBonding #PoliceAbuse #ShavaunScott #CoerciveControl #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TrueCrimeTherapy #VictimPsychology

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    25 mins
  • Weaponized Intimacy: How Barry Morphew Allegedly Controlled Suzanne to Death

    Weaponized Intimacy: How Barry Morphew Allegedly Controlled Suzanne to Death
    Jun 30 2025
    Weaponized Intimacy: How Barry Morphew Allegedly Controlled Suzanne to Death

    Description:
    Behind every filtered family photo, there’s a story you don’t see—and sometimes, that story is deadly. In this episode, we explore how intimacy can become a weapon, and how psychological abuse hides in plain sight.

    Barry Morphew appeared to be the ideal husband: churchgoing, outdoorsy, a father of two. But beneath the surface, prosecutors allege he used subtle, psychological control to dominate his wife, Suzanne—until the day she tried to leave him. Three days after sending Barry a text saying “I’m done,” Suzanne vanished.

    Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott helps us unpack the dynamic of weaponized love—how affection, attention, and manipulation can work together to trap a person emotionally long before any physical violence occurs. From financial monitoring to gaslighting and digital surveillance, we explore how Barry may have used intimacy not as connection—but as control.

    This is the uncomfortable truth of many abusive relationships: the abuse doesn’t always look like rage. Sometimes it looks like affection. And when that control is threatened, it can turn deadly. If you want to understand how coercive control operates behind closed doors, this episode lays it bare.

    Hashtags:
    #WeaponizedIntimacy #BarryMorphew #SuzanneMorphew #CoerciveControl #EmotionalAbuse #TrueCrimePsychology #HiddenKillers #TraumaBonding #ForensicPsychology #NarcissisticRelationships

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    20 mins
  • "He's My Hero" - Gilgo Beach Killer's Wife Defends Rex Heuermann Despite DNA on Bodies | Psychologist Reacts

    "He's My Hero" - Gilgo Beach Killer's Wife Defends Rex Heuermann Despite DNA on Bodies | Psychologist Reacts
    Jun 27 2025
    "He's My Hero" - Gilgo Beach Killer's Wife Defends Rex Heuermann Despite DNA on Bodies | Psychologist Reacts

    In this deeply disturbing analysis of the Peacock documentary, psychotherapist Shavaun Scott and I decode the most baffling true crime mystery: How did Rex Heuermann's family NOT KNOW he was allegedly the Long Island Serial Killer?
    We examine Asa Ellerup's shocking devotion to her husband despite DNA evidence linking him to seven murders. From her declaration that "he's my hero" to her bizarre claim that saying "I love you" would hurt him, we explore the psychological phenomenon of "negative hallucination" - not seeing what's right in front of you.

    Key revelations include:

    • The secret room with a steel door that even his wife couldn't enter
    • Why Rex was present 90% of the time but killed during the 10% when family was away
    • How he chose a vulnerable, submissive partner who wouldn't question him
    • Victoria Heuermann's evolution from defender to believing he's "most likely" guilty
    • The disturbing prison phone calls where Asa still lights up hearing his voice
    • Why trauma bonding can survive even murder charges
    This isn't just about the Gilgo Beach murders - it's about how predators select and manipulate their own families, creating expanding circles of trauma. We explore cognitive dissonance, compartmentalization, and the psychology of denial in one of the most complex true crime cases of our time.

    ⚠️ Content Warning: Discussion of serial murder, psychological manipulation, and family trauma

    #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LongIslandSerialKiller #TrueCrime #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #SerialKiller #CriminalPsychology #TraumaBonding #TrueCrimeCommunity

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    44 mins
  • "I Can Love AND Hate My Dad" - Rex Heuermann's Daughter's HEARTBREAKING Journey to Accepting Truth

    "I Can Love AND Hate My Dad" - Rex Heuermann's Daughter's HEARTBREAKING Journey to Accepting Truth
    Jun 26 2025
    "I Can Love AND Hate My Dad" - Rex Heuermann's Daughter's HEARTBREAKING Journey to Accepting Truth

    This is the most psychologically complex footage from any true crime documentary - a daughter processing in REAL TIME that her father might be a serial killer. Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott helps us understand Victoria Heuermann's impossible journey.

    Victoria was Rex Heuermann's protégé, working at his architecture firm when he was arrested. In an instant, she lost:

    • Her father, mentor, and employer
    • Her entire professional identity
    • Her privacy (every Google search links her to murder)
    • Her ability to form new relationships without explaining
    Most haunting: She was 10-13 years old during the Gilgo Four murders. Doing homework while dad allegedly hunted. At school while he allegedly disposed of bodies.

    Key psychological insights: 🧠 The 90/10 split - Rex was present 90% of the time, absent during every murder 🎨 Victoria now creates "disturbing artwork" processing trauma 💔 "Ambiguous loss" - grieving someone still alive but not who you thought 🔍 Why she needs evidence strong enough to override 20+ years of memories 😢 Secondary victimization - becoming a "laughingstock" for crimes she didn't commit

    Most powerful moment: Victoria explains how love and hate can coexist. You can despise someone's actions while carrying love for who they were to you.

    While mom Asa remains in complete denial, Victoria shows the painful path toward acceptance - from "I looked up to him" (past tense) to believing he's "most likely guilty."

    This isn't just about one family's tragedy. It's about recognizing that evil doesn't announce itself. Sometimes it looks like a father who's present 90% of the time.

    #RexHeuermann #VictoriaHeuermann #GilgoBeachKiller #TrueCrime #TraumaRecovery #AmbiguousLoss #SerialKillerFamily #PsychologicalAnalysis #SecondaryVictims #LongIslandSerialKiller

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    21 mins
  • Body Language Expert: Why Rex Heuermann's Wife CLOSES HER EYES When Confronted With Evidence

    Body Language Expert: Why Rex Heuermann's Wife CLOSES HER EYES When Confronted With Evidence
    Jun 25 2025
    Body Language Expert: Why Rex Heuermann's Wife CLOSES HER EYES When Confronted With Evidence

    WARNING: This footage contains the actual voice of accused serial killer Rex Heuermann calling his wife from jail. What's more disturbing than his words is what ISN'T said - and what his wife reveals about their twisted dynamic.

    Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott analyzes the most psychologically complex footage from the Peacock documentary, including:

    🔊 THE PRISON CALL: Listen as Rex discusses dinner while charged with 7 murders

    • Why he NEVER proclaims innocence (prosecutors are listening)
    • Asa's physical deterioration: missing teeth, unkempt appearance
    • How she "lights up" hearing his voice despite everything
    💔 THE BIZARRE REVELATION: "Telling him I love you would HURT him"

    • What this means psychologically
    • Why she pays $3/minute for calls while battling cancer without insurance
    • The "strategic" divorce that wasn't really a divorce
    👨‍👩‍👧 FAMILY DYNAMICS:

    • Victoria: "I LOOKED up to him" (past tense = psychological progress)
    • How throwing plates became normalized
    • Rex the "open book" who had locked rooms
    • Hunting seasons that coincided with murders
    🧠 EXPERT ANALYSIS:

    • "Consciousness of guilt" - why silence speaks volumes
    • Trauma bonding at its endpoint
    • How compartmentalization allows killers to live double lives
    • Why some family members can't see what's obvious to others
    Most chilling: Every murder occurred during family vacations. Asa took those trips. She enabled his alone time. Yet she still can't connect the dots.

    #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachKiller #PrisonCalls #TrueCrime #AsaEllerup #TraumaBonding #SerialKillerPsychology #ConsciousnessOfGuilt #LongIslandSerialKiller #PeacockDocumentary

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    24 mins
  • Rex Heuermann's Wife SHOWS OFF Secret Rooms She Was BANNED From Entering | "Nothing Was Off Limits"

    Rex Heuermann's Wife SHOWS OFF Secret Rooms She Was BANNED From Entering | "Nothing Was Off Limits"
    Jun 24 2025
    Rex Heuermann's Wife SHOWS OFF Secret Rooms She Was BANNED From Entering | "Nothing Was Off Limits"

    This footage will make you question everything about denial and control. Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott analyzes the most contradictory statements ever captured as Rex Heuermann's wife gives a tour of rooms she was BANNED from entering while claiming "nothing was off limits."

    Watch as Asa Ellerup shows us:

    • The gun room with a STEEL DOOR and combination lock
    • The "secret room" under the stairs she couldn't access for 27 YEARS
    • The basement where prosecutors believe women were murdered
    • Her dismissal of murder planning documents as "Dexter style" fiction
    Most disturbing: She demonstrates these locked spaces while insisting Rex kept no secrets. This is "doublethink" - holding two contradictory beliefs simultaneously.

    Key psychological insights:

    • Why Asa closes her eyes when confronted with evidence
    • How she was the "4th person in 30 years" to enter the gun room
    • Her claim investigators are "picking, picking, picking" to create a narrative
    • The childhood bedroom where murders allegedly occurred
    • How denial can override physical locked doors in your own home
    This isn't just about one woman's denial - it's about recognizing control patterns: ✓ Locked rooms you can't enter ✓ No access to finances ✓ Complete isolation from support ✓ Normalized abnormal behavior

    Victoria Heuermann now believes her father is "most likely" guilty. Asa continues visiting him weekly, maintaining his innocence despite DNA evidence linking him to seven murders.

    #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachKiller #AsaEllerup #TrueCrime #LockedRooms #SerialKiller #PsychologicalAnalysis #BodyLanguage #Denial #LongIslandSerialKiller

    Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?

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    19 mins
  • "I Finally Got Him, He's Mine" - Rex Heuermann's Wife STILL Worships Accused Gilgo Beach Killer

    "I Finally Got Him, He's Mine" - Rex Heuermann's Wife STILL Worships Accused Gilgo Beach Killer
    Jun 23 2025
    "I Finally Got Him, He's Mine" - Rex Heuermann's Wife STILL Worships Accused Gilgo Beach Killer

    This might be the most disturbing analysis of denial ever captured on film. Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins me to decode footage from the Peacock documentary that reveals how Rex Heuermann didn't just hunt his victims - he carefully selected and groomed his own wife as the perfect enabler.

    We examine Asa Ellerup's transformation from vulnerable 18-year-old to devoted wife who STILL calls Rex her "hero" despite overwhelming evidence linking him to seven murders. This goes beyond simple denial - we're witnessing a trauma bond so powerful it's created an alternate reality.

    Shocking revelations include:

    • How Rex allegedly killed Sandra Costilla BEFORE marrying Asa in 1996
    • Every murder occurred when Asa took the family to Iceland
    • Rex monitored all devices and controlled every penny for 27 years
    • Asa had NO access to bank accounts when he was arrested
    • She took $1 MILLION for the documentary while victims' families struggle
    • Daughter Victoria now creates "disturbing artwork" processing trauma
    • The basement where women allegedly died is where Asa "still feels Rex"
    Most chilling: Prosecutors found Rex's murder planning document from 2000 with notes about "maintaining normal appearance." Was marrying Asa part of the plan? Was she chosen specifically because she'd never question, never suspect, never see?

    This isn't just one woman's denial - it's a masterclass in how predators identify vulnerability and create enablers who'll defend them even against DNA evidence.

    Content Warning: Detailed discussion of serial murder, psychological manipulation, and extreme denial

    #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachKiller #AsaEllerup #TrueCrime #LongIslandSerialKiller #TraumaBonding #PeacockDocumentary #SerialKillerPsychology #TrueCrimeCommunity #CriminalMinds

    Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?

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    Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here:     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
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    20 mins