Mind Behind The Crime | The Psychology Of Killers

About Mind Behind The Crime | The Psychology Of Killers

Welcome to Mind Behind The Crime, the authoritative podcast that grants you exclusive access to the profound insights of respected psychologists, psychotherapists, and mental health experts as they delve into the most captivating true crime stories of our time. Hosted by Tony Brueski, this enthralling series takes you on an intellectual journey through the intricate workings of the human mind and its connection to the darkest realms of criminal behavior. In each episode, the vaulted doors of the criminal psyche are unlocked, as these esteemed professionals analyze and unravel the complexities that underlie heinous acts, shedding light on the most chilling cases that have gripped the world. Prepare to be captivated, enlightened, and challenged as you venture into the realm where true crime meets the expertise of mental health professionals. Mind Behind The Crime offers a unique opportunity to understand the intricate web of the criminal mind and the essential role mental health plays in comprehending and preventing such acts. Join us on this intellectual odyssey, where true crime stories are not merely recounted, but dissected and analyzed by the sharpest minds in the field of psychology. Tune in to Mind Behind The Crime and embark on a journey of exploration and discovery, where the complexities of the human psyche are unveiled, and the enigmatic world of true crime finds its intersection with psychological expertise.

Publisher

True Crime Today

Category

news · news · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 Jul 2023

Latest episode

4 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

1,152 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Jan 2026

   Kevin Franke: Manipulated Victim or Willing Bystander? The Psychology Behind ‘Devil in the Family’ | 2025 True Crime

   Was Kevin Franke a victim of psychological manipulation — or a bystander who found it easier not to look too closely? In this gripping Hidden Killers deep dive, Tony Brueski and psychotherapist Shavaun Scott analyze one of the most troubling dynamics explored in Hulu’s Devil in the Family: a father who insists he never recognized the abuse happening under his own roof. The episode begins with the psychology of Kevin’s denial. How does a spouse convince themselves that extreme parenting is “discipline” rather than danger? Shavaun Scott breaks down the mechanisms of thought-reform, coercive influence, and the slow erosion of intuition. And then the most haunting question of all: what makes a father step away from his own children for an entire year because an outside “guru” told him to? But the story doesn’t end with the collapse of the Franke family. Kevin recently announced his engagement, just six months after finalizing his divorce from Ruby — who is now serving a possible 30-year prison sentence for aggravated child abuse. The public reaction has been split: is this healing, deflection, or strategic rebranding? Tony and Shavaun examine the psychology of rapid re-partnering after trauma, the desire to rewrite personal identity, and the fine line between moving forward and bypassing accountability. We also explore Kevin’s recent support of Utah’s new “child influencer” law — a step toward protecting children exploited in monetized online content. His testimony was powerful, but does it reconcile the years he stood behind a camera while harmful parenting was broadcast to millions? This episode asks the hardest questions: Was Kevin controlled — or complicit? Is he rebuilding — or rebranding? And what does accountability look like for the children who had no choice? #KevinFranke #RubyFranke #8Passengers #HiddenKillers #PsychologicalAbuse #DevilInTheFamily #ParentalAccountability #TrueCrimeAnalysis #TonyBrueski #ShavaunScott Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod (https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ (https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ (https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/) Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod (https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod) X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod (https://x.com/tonybpod) Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872)

2. 

   2 Jan 2026

   Wendi Freezes, Robert Speaks: The Adelson Kids Break Silence | 2025 True Crime

   In today’s explosive Hidden Killers breakdown, we examine the testimony that has completely reshaped the Donna Adelson trial — testimony not from police, not from experts, but from Donna’s own children, whose words now carry some of the greatest weight in the courtroom. First, we turn to Wendi Adelson, whose strategy has the courtroom buzzing. While her brother Robert delivered blunt, precise answers, Wendi leaned heavily on one phrase: “I don’t remember.” Again. And again. And again. But is this selective memory a trauma response from years of family pressure, manipulation, and emotional control? Or is it a carefully crafted shield — a strategic fog meant to protect herself, the family, and possibly Donna? Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins Tony Brueski to dissect Wendi’s demeanor in real time, explaining how adult children of dominant or narcissistic parents often split — one breaking free and telling the truth, the other staying entangled in loyalty, denial, or fear. Jurors watch every pause. Every hesitation. Every dodge. And Shavaun breaks down exactly what those signals mean. Then we shift to Robert Adelson, whose testimony landed like a hammer. Clinical. Direct. Brutally honest. He described Donna’s controlling tendencies, her intrusion into major life decisions, and her eerie lack of concern after Dan Markel’s murder. His words were not defensive. They were revelatory. Defense Attorney Eric Faddis joins Tony to analyze how jurors absorb testimony when it comes straight from a defendant’s own children — one distancing herself through “I don’t remember,” the other stepping into the sunlight with uncomfortable truth. Is this character evidence — or is it motive crystallized? Are we watching a family fracture, or a family finally telling the truth about its own internal gravity? This isn’t just testimony. This is the Adelson family dynamic cracked open in front of a jury — loyalty, fear, denial, resentment, and survival all colliding in real time. #DonnaAdelson #WendiAdelson #DanMarkel #AdelsonTrial #TrueCrime #CourtroomDrama #ShavaunScott #EricFaddis #FamilyDynamics #HiddenKillers Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod (https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ (https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ (https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/) Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod (https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod) X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod (https://x.com/tonybpod) Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872)

3. 

   30 Dec 2025

   Kohberger's Sham Remorse Exposed: Was His Guilty Plea Just Twisted Pride? Experts Spill All! | 2025 True Crime

   🔍 Unmask the chilling void inside Bryan Kohberger as psychotherapist Shavaun Scott and retired FBI behavior chief Robin Dreeke dissect his narcissistic psyche and "proud" courtroom confession – in this explosive recap from Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review – a look back at the biggest cases of the year. Locked in four life sentences after his July 2025 guilty plea, Kohberger's dead-eyed stare and fidgety eagerness screamed anything but regret: Experts call it grandiosity-fueled basking, a psychopath's crave for spotlight over the #Idaho4 graves he dug. From criminology obsessions morphing into vengeful stabs to lifelong isolation breeding zero empathy, we probe the wiring—childhood bullying, heroin haze, and a god-complex that botched his "perfect" escape with sheath DNA and Amazon slips. This Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski: True Crime Today fusion rips open the plea facade: No tears of sorrow, just calculated dodges from the firing squad, echoing BTK's fame chase. Scott flags red flags like violent fantasies and social shutdowns ignored at WSU; Dreeke warns of his prison power plays, where he'll manipulate for eternal infamy. Tie it to November 2025 shocks—the Goncalves' WSU lawsuit slamming overlooked creeps, plus restitution drags over $30K funds and urn costs post-November 5 hearing, fueling cries for campus safeguards. True crime fiends, this is the gut-punch autopsy: A killer's empty shell craving study sessions over soul-searching. Did his "I did it" thrill him more than terrify? Essential rewind on arrogance's deadly cost and dodged executions in the Idaho nightmare. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #PsychBreakdown #GuiltyPleaPride #TrueCrime #KohbergerPsyche #Idaho4 #HiddenKillers2025 #CrimeYearInReview #WSULawsuit #TrueCrimePodcast #NarcissistKiller Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod (https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ (https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ (https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/) Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod (https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod) X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod (https://x.com/tonybpod) Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

5,685,874

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.3 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 82 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

99

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

71

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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