00:00 Welcome to The Sleuth Podcast

00:55 Meet Our Guest: Micah

01:22 Micah's Baking Journey

03:35 Networking and BNI Insights

10:31 The Robbery at Reed's Jewelers

22:49 Starting a Bakery During COVID

25:53 The Famous Carolina Bliss Cookie

27:13 Mardi Gras and King Cakes

33:26 Entrepreneurial Advice and Multiple Income Streams

35:31 Podcasting and Favorite Shows

40:05 A Disturbing Dream

40:39 Recounting the Susan Smith Case

42:35 Micah's Sweets and Treats

43:16 Networking and Charcuterie Boards

43:57 Trader Joe's Garlic Dip?

46:20 Ophelia and Bertrand's Custody Battle

49:42 The Struggles of the Legal System

58:17 Temporary Custody and Violations

01:12:25 Seeking Legal Help for Bertrand

01:16:06 Closing Remarks and Future Guests

00:00 Welcome to the Sleuth Podcast

00:57 Podcasting Expertise and Studio Plug

01:33 New Year Resolutions and Dry January

04:22 Financial Goals and Dave Ramsey

10:05 Work-Life Balance and Reality TV

16:16 Chat GPT and Personal Assistants

19:36 Private Investigations in 2025

24:34 The Entrepreneur's Dilemma: Work vs. Leisure

25:28 AI in the Workplace: Friend or Foe?

26:26 The Reality of Remote Work and Fraud

33:10 Background Checks: Protecting Your Business

35:09 Elder Abuse and Online Dating Scams

41:55 Uncovering the Truth: Crazy Cases and Investigations

45:09 A Personal Mission: The Case of Bertran and Ophelia

55:27 Conclusion: Stay Curious, Stay Safe

00:00 Welcome to the Sleuth Podcast

00:54 Meet the Co-Host: Stacey B.

02:11 Morning Coffee and Banter

03:37 Stacey's Role at Blackman Detective Services

04:05 The Life of a Case Manager

05:09 Challenges and Rewards of PI Work

09:54 Networking and Community Building

11:59 Jamie’s New Venture: Join Jamie

12:30 The Importance of Accurate Information

15:59 Personal Stories and Reflections

18:36 Shoutout to Pick 'em Pros

21:04 Case Story: Stealing Time

26:35 Marriage Troubles and Red Flags

27:25 Following the Suspicious Husband

28:48 Confrontation at Home

33:30 The Aftermath and Moving On

37:00 Sweet Treats and Business Ventures

38:02 Introducing Dirty Soda

45:14 CPR Training and Community Care

48:43 Podcast Wrap-Up and Future Plans

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

01:06 Meet the Hosts and Guest Introduction

01:36 Current Events and Personal Updates

03:40 Networking Event Announcement

05:39 Casual Conversations and Pets

09:58 Peter Marin's Art Journey

29:35 Understanding Still Life in Art

29:44 Challenges of Drawing from Observation

30:59 The Role of Ego in Art

32:14 Grading and Objectivity in Art Education

34:25 Art as a Form of Expression

35:44 Private Investigation and Art: Finding Common Ground

38:22 Human Nature and Art: Patterns and Idiosyncrasies

42:59 The Intersection of Art and Private Investigation

46:19 Ethics and Confidentiality in Private Investigation

57:09 Fun and Games: This or That

01:00:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

00:00 Welcome to the Sleuth Podcast

01:42 Meet the Team: Introducing Devan

02:06 Coffee Talk: Our Favorite Starbucks Drinks

05:25 Hot Topics: Romance Readers and Social Media

08:49 Private Investigator Stories: Cheater Cases

13:38 Devan's Journey: From Retail to PI

18:12 Challenges and Strategies in PI Work

27:57 Fun and Fitness: Devin's Personal Life

32:23 What Would Devin Do?

32:47 Handling Aggressive Custody Exchanges

33:34 Recording and Testifying in Custody Cases

36:01 Challenges of Being a PI

38:42 Surveillance Techniques and Tools

40:35 Dealing with Stalking Cases

47:42 Rapid Fire Questions

53:58 Using AI for Breakups

58:22 Closing Remarks and Announcements

00:00 Morning Greetings and Disney Talk

01:06 Introducing the Show and Co-Hosts

01:31 Cat and Dog Conversations

02:17 Guest Introduction: Derrick Thompson Founder/CEO of T&T Creative Group

03:55 Starbucks Moment and Drinks Discussion

06:03 Voting and Current Events

09:34 Networking and Community Events

18:20 Guest Spotlight: Derrick Thompson

28:27 Bowling for Autism: A Community Initiative

29:28 Golfing for Good: Annual Charity Event

31:36 Creating a Positive Work Environment

32:46 Personal Achievements and Lifestyle Changes

38:49 The Pick 'Em Pros Sports Show

49:40 Scams and How to Avoid Them

53:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

01:16 Meet the Hosts

01:42 Podcast Format and Content

02:22 Spotlight on Brooke

02:52 Seasonal Drinks and Starbucks Talk

07:41 Election Season and Political Commentary

14:21 AI Music and Fun Challenges

20:35 NFL and Flag Football

24:30 Pet Stories and Cat Adventures

29:24 A Journey from New York to Georgia

29:56 Life in Florida: Cybersecurity and Law Enforcement

32:49 Transition to North Carolina

33:26 Teaching Middle School and Higher Education

34:50 Gen Z's Approach to Work-Life Balance

40:14 Memorable Investigative Cases

43:16 The Kelly Bordeaux Case

54:23 The Role and Limits of Private Investigators

01:01:25 Conclusion and Contact Information

00:00 Welcome Back to Sleuth Podcast!

01:00 Meet the New Co-Host: Brooke

02:22 Introducing Joe and Special Guest Faith

02:52 Faith's Background and Friendship with Brooke

03:09 Valentine's Day Brunch Story

03:37 Diving into the Casey Anthony Case

04:45 Casey Anthony's Behavior and Lies

07:10 Law Enforcement and Investigation Challenges

11:55 Casey's Parents and Family Dynamics

13:40 Sexual Abuse Allegations and Psychological Analysis

22:12 Casey's Terrible Interview and Lies

22:28 The Imaginary Nanny: Zani the Nanny

23:50 Discovery of Baby Kaylee's Body

27:28 The Trial and Verdict

29:02 Public Reaction and Family Impact

32:31 Mental Health and Parenting

35:44 Faith's Work and Therapy Insights

38:41 Casey's PI Aspirations

40:05 Private Investigations: Ethics and Challenges

43:33 Conclusion and Contact Information

Raven talks about how she became the owner of 4C cleaning, and how her background has made her the perfect owner for her business today.

Her team can handle decontamination due to blood, decomposition, and all other bodily fluids.  Our technique also removes foul odors. 4C certified for removing mold and we handle Coronavirus cleaning according to CDC regulations. Her team removes debris from a hoarder/cluttered homes, construction sites, and post-cleaning. We contract with local businesses for repairs and site rehabilitation, if desired.

She has also launched Final Passage, which is a compassionate end-of-life transportation company. We are located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and serve all the surrounding counties and more. We will travel across the state or across the country to get your loved one safely to their final destination. 

Many people don't know that their insurance policies normally cover the services of a company like 4C Cleaning. Biohazard issues especially are eligible to be covered by insurance. Things like blood spatter, deaths in hotels, etc. 

Raven shares some pretty crazy stories of situations where 4C Cleaning was called. 

Once the contaminated items are removed the smell starts to dissipate, but sometimes it lingers in the air and special air cleaning can be necessary. 

We talk about her hoarding services and what they offer. Raven also shares what she has learned as an entrepreneur and business owner. The importance of hiring great people and how they go about identifying them.

We share a true crime story related to body cleanup and ask Raven's opinion on some of the facts of the story.

Find out more about 4C Cleaning on their website, Facebook, and Instagram

One night Jeff called 911 to report that there had been a stabbing. His wife had been stabbed 21 times in the chest and 16 times in the neck. His children had also been brutally murdered. Jeff sustained a few injuries but reported that after finishing washing the dishes, his daughter had wet the bed, so he went and slept on the couch. He said men broke into the house with a woman who was holding a candle and chanting "Acid is groovy, kill the pigs."

Police thought the story was a bit fishy, but they didn't have more to go on. 

He was formerly charged in 1970 of the deaths at an army hearing. He was dishonorably discharged and move to California for a successful career. His civilian trial began in 1979. 

He was convicted of the murders, it was found out that he found his daughter in bed after wetting the bed and killed her. After that, he killed his other daughter and wife to cover it up.

Story number two is another family of four. In a small town which people call "Little Washington". The husband and wife were attacked in their bedroom by intruders, while the daughters slept through the attacks.  Police couldn't find any evidence of the involvement of the kids so turned their attention to the husband. 

He was very much into Dungeons and Dragons. Our own social media coordinator is very into role-playing games and explained it to the Sleuths. The husband had made friends at his college around the game D&D. They decided to murder his family in exchange for a part of the inheritance. 

The connection between these two stories will surprise you.

The Sleuth highlight three stories about cheaters.  

Story One: California High

A stay at home mom was married for over five years to her high school sweetheart. The subject picked up the bad habit of vaping. She was vaping THC. Those are not legal in North Carolina. Her husband would ask her where she got the vape pens. He noticed an Instagram post on her phone she left open. He took a screenshot and sent it to Blackman Detective Services. After some digging, they were able to identify the man and his address.  

We discuss alienation of affection. 

Women are more likely to cheat on men when the women are younger, and men are more likely to cheat on women when the men are older. 

We discussed "breadcrumbing" for dating on social media sites. 

Story two: Monetary Motives

Marty and Dan had been married for years when, unfortunately, the husband became suspicious that his wife was having an affair. We tracked the wife as she told the husband she was going out of town. The private investigators were caught with video evidence. 

Story three: Mr. Cumbuckets

That's right, we keep it classy at the Sleuth. A husband and wife had been married for 18 years. They looked like a typical happily married couple. After COVID hit the wife started working more than normal. The client enlisted Blackman Detective Services to find out what she was up to when she would visit an unknown male's house at least two or three times a week. The client got a small audio recorder and placed it in the wife's car. After hearing an x-rated conversation with her Paramore the husband brought her pants into Blackman Detective Services for testing. Testing confirmed male and female DNA on the pants. 

This guy had a bad dating life and they call him the Santa-Gunman. 

We discuss what are red flags in dating? What should you look for and is it okay to get a background check on someone you've started dating.

• Significant age gaps
• Excessive drinking or drug use
• An imbalance in power 
• If you have to pay for everything
• They do a lot of lying about trivial things
• How they interact with their family
• An excessively dirty house

We talk about how it would be much easier to have a conversation about getting a background check at the beginning of a promising relationship than as a three-year anniversary present...   

In your background checks, you can get civil criminal records, judgments, bankruptcies, social media searching. And then of course you can always throw that surveillance detail in there and collect information the old school way. A lot of, I don't want to say older people, but some like persons, they usually don't do a lot of social media searching.

It's important to listen to your gut.

We start off by talking about who is not a serial killer. Often time mass murderers are mistaken for serial killers. The FBI defines mass murder as murdering four or more people during an even with no "cooling off period" between the murders. They typically happen at a single location where one or more people kill several people. An example would be a school shooter.

There is also a spree murder. Usually defined as killings that take place at two or more locations with almost no break between the murders.

What is a serial killer? A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more people usually in service of abnormal, psychological gratification with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them.

What makes someone a serial killer? Short answer: we don't know, but there are some tools that people use to identify serial killers. Some have been disproved, but others remain useful tools to this day.

We discussed the lead crime hypothesis: the hypothesis is the proposed link between elevated blood lead levels in children and increased rates of crime, delinquency, and recidivism later in life. Check out the article by Kevin Drum "Lead: America's real criminal element." 

We unpack the real-life stories and details of actual serials. Andrei Chikatilo's story is shared by Jamie. He was from Ukraine. His upbringing was rough. 

And Candice unpacks the story of Amelia Dyer the notorious baby farmer and serial killer. 

Candice has prepared 10 questions scattered throughout the tale of a family going trick or treating, a sick child, a sudden death, and more.

Our story takes place in Deer Park Texas, a family was out collecting candy during Halloween. After stopping at a house with the lights off and not getting a response from the door the group went ahead. One dad stayed back and brought back six giant Pixie Sticks from the house with the lights off to the excited kids. Since there were only five in their group the extra stick was gifted to a lucky passerby.

After returning home the parents told the children they could each pick one piece of candy. Timothy chooses the giant Pixie Stick. Within an hour he was gravely ill and died shortly after. 

Upon further investigation, they found that his breath smelt like almonds which was a sign that he was poisoned.  The parents quickly contacted the other children and made sure no one else ate the contaminated sugar sticks.

Timothy's father tried to collect the insurance money the morning after and other evidence came in to narrow down who the culprit was, but when questioned, Ronald did not plead guilty.

At trial, the jury only deliberated for 46 minutes before finding Ronald O'Brien guilty and punishing him to death by execution.

Timothy was the only child on record to have passed away from deliberately tainted Halloween candy. 

Switching back to the election we talk about voter suppression in North Carolina. What does it look like and what to do if you witness voter intimidation at the polls?

If you are mailing in your vote there is a website that you can visit to confirm that your vote was received. https://northcarolina.ballottrax.net/voter/

North Carolina is one of the few states that has signature validation so if something goes wrong with your ballot they will let you know by mail.

Candice and Jamie discuss the way a mail-in ballot may affect the election this year as many people who may vote by mail are more likely to vote "blue."

Candice discusses a site that will ask you a series of questions on the issues and help you understand which candidate lines up the best with your values. https://www.isidewith.com

Jamie and Candice talk about their cases and upcoming "murder weapon party" where they are planning to have guests bring what they believe the murder weapon is in a pro bono case they are working and they will press the possible murder weapons into playdough, let it harden, and compare to the wound patterns.

Much of the information shared by Candice on this episode is from Pod Save America. They have a website called VoteSaveAmerica.com 

Many businesses, although they might not understand it fully, is in the peace of mind business. Private investigators and employee benefits share this business.

We talk about the issues surrounding workman compensation fraud that affects both employees and small businesses. The most common types of workman's comp fraud are:

• Injuries that didn't occur at work
• False injury claims
• Exaggerated injury claims
• Old injury claims
• Malingering

Chris shares stories from his experiences selling insurance of employers who could really have benefited from coverage and some funny stories of some absurd situations that they've run into.

The average workman compensation payout is $40,000. So it is imperative to take care of your employees, and many small business owners would not be able to survive the average worker's comp payout.

We shared the "Peanut payday" story from Blackman's newsletter about Mr. Brown slip and fall injury that he claimed prevented him from lifting. The employer called Blackman to investigate. 

The firm she applied to decided to close their practice, and he forwarded her information to Blackman and has recently joined the team!

A week after Candice began at Blackman, we received a request to do some work on a cold case. They are working on the cold case for a UNC student who was killed in 2012 whose murder had gone unsolved. We are excited to share more about the investigation in the future. 

We talk about Candice's murder board. We learn about her previous employment and love of true crime podcasts. We discuss the "Undisclosed" podcast. It has three hosts who are all lawyers. The first season is them going through the "Serial" Podcast with personal insights from the case. The following seasons have been helping with wrongful convictions. 

Today the Sleuth's discuss the case of Ronnie Long. There are four episodes, between the seasons of two and three in the "Undisclosed" podcast. Ronnie long was living the average 20-year-old life in Concord, NC. Concord is a company town. A woman in the town was raped and through a strange happenstance, they come to find Ronnie Long as a suspect. There was a lot of shadiness that came through the investigation in 1973. Ronnie was a black man in a mostly black town. 

You're not going to believe some of the details and the process that Ronnie Long went through in this case despite him not matching the original description at all. The jury selection seemed highly skewed against Ronnie Long as they didn't allow black people in the jury pool.

If you're interested in other wrongful convictions cases check out the podcast "Wrongful Conviction." 
If you're looking for comedy true crime podcasts check out "Let's go to court"

He spent over 13 years in the homicide unit. We get into the details of the life of a homicide detective.

He shares a lot of stories of the tricks of the trade learned from his time on the force. Including a story about a crime committed at a convenience store where they tested some empty cans in the back, got a fingerprint hit, and picked up a local suspect who promptly confessed to the crime. 

Lindsey shared about her experience watching crime scene investigators do their job while she was working security at the scene of a shooting where an investigator noticed a bullet hole that was 7 feet in the air and drove to the Lowe's across the street to buy a saw and a ladder and removed the bullet hole to take it in for testing.

Today we are talking about the "State Versus Taylor" case. 

On September 26, 1991, RPD discovered a body of our victim on a cold morning. 
 
The woman had been brutally murdered with both blunt force trauma and cutting trauma injuries into her head and neck.

A vehicle belonging to, our defendant was located approximately 150 yards away and out of view, stuck in the mud on gravel and a dirt service road.

The victim was known to trade sex for drugs.

We talked about the reliability of witnesses when it comes to things like clothing and times.

The police dog placed a crucial role in this case. It was trained to smell blood. The victim's injuries were brutal.

The detectives had not told the victim anything about the crime scene and he seemed to know more than he should have known.

After his conviction. This guy sits in jail for 17 years. He speaks with the innocence commission and they decide to take a look at his case. He feels as if he has had ineffective counsel.

We share our feelings respectfully. Truth can sometimes be hurtful, change is painful at times, but it makes us better.

Topics covered in this episode

• 1619 Africans were taken and sold to the Europeans  in America
• African’s worked as slaves in the south, controlled by whites
• Civil War- 1861 to 1865
• 1863 Emancipation Proclamation- 
• 1865 Union soldiers traveled to Texas to inform black that they had been set free
• June 19th, 1865- many freed blacks escaped to the north and west as refugees
• Reconstruction and Repression from 1865 until 1900
• Black Codes
• Plessy V. Ferguson
• Jim Crow
• 1940’s and World War II
• Civil Rights Movement
• Daughters of the confederacy
• Black Panther Movement
• Mass Incarceration 
• #BLACKLIVESMATTER
• ·2020 murder of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks
• ·Acts of hatred that we are seeing currently

We also share stories from our personal experiences. Our thoughts on what justice looks like and what it will take to move forward.

We highlight and discuss some of our favorite civil rights leaders.

This is an important conversation and we invite you to share it with people you know in hopes that it, and conversations like it, will lead to social change.

A special thank you to all our listeners for tuning in and helping the show grow even during this time.

Lindsey and Jamie share about what it's like spending so much time at home. From organizing easter egg hunts to running out of things to clean.

The Sleuths discuss the Social Distancing Project. A website designed to collect stories of all the drama happening during the stay at home order. Users write in short stories of funny, sad, or drama-filled occurrences.

Lindsey shares her own social distance project story of a creepy neighbor who likes to watch her and her family. 

Jamie joins the HOA of her neighborhood and tries to bring some light into her community. 

We also spend some time discussing what the "new normal" could look like after the stay at home order is lited. What could happen to commercial real estate with all the companies realizing that their employees could effectively work from home. Is it possible that the stay at home order could do to commercial real estate what online shopping did to shopping malls?

Also mentioned in this episode

• The Social Distance Project

Jamie explains Zoombombing, where hackers are taking over Zoom calls to put offensive, sexual, or racist stuff up on the screen during the virtual meeting and what you can do to prevent this kind of activity on your next Zoom meeting. Zoom went from 10 million to 200 million users in a couple of months.

Here are some best practices for Zoom:

• Add two-factor authentification
• Learn how to remove people from meetings
• Don't use your personal zoom meeting ID
• Have people wait in the waiting room instead of joining automatically

Our show producer shares a real-life story of a zoom call that his wife was on that was hacked.

The Sleuths discuss many of the stories in the national and local news about COVID-19. Online schooling in Wake County.

The Sleuths are considered an essential business and are still doing background checks and surveillance. They work criminal and state cases and they have clients who are in jail. Right now the US federal prison system is on a heightened state of lockdown due to the Coronavirus.

North Carolina at the time of this recording has had four staffers in prisons test positive. There is talk about releasing non-violent offenders if it continues to spread.

Lindsey is obsessed with a show Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace. Joe is watching Ozark. Jamie is watching Tiger King. We talk about all the great shows to binge while you are stuck at home.

What are the effects that the quarantine and business closing having on marriages? While we hope that many relationships are strengthened the Sleuths let us know that the cheaters are still on the loose.

We discuss the state of things in our neck of the woods, what is running low at the groceries, what the news is saying about Coronavirus in our area and stories of things we've seen in the past week.

There are some courthouse closings that are beginning to affect some cases and slow down some processes. At the time of this recording, cases were being postponed for 30 days.

If you are suspecting your spouse is cheating now is a good time to start paying attention, take some notes, and call a PI start doing some investigation.

Lindsey shares another story for the news for the Sleuths to discuss that begins, it takes a certain mentality to want to be an adult actor. It takes something else altogether to make a half-assed audition tape with a hooker and a GoPro camera and all behind your wife's back. 

Does the recent closure of bars and restaurants make it harder for private investigators? In many cases, it is making it easier for the Sleuths and they discuss why.

Lindsey also shared a story called "Tiny cups of coffee" where a man had taken advantage of his working from home. We discussed the productivity of the average worker and what will the influx of people who are learning to work at home, many for the first time on employee productivity.

Lindsey mentioned a case where they used DNA from a rape kit, from a murder victim from the 90s and they took the DNA of the assailant from the rape kit from the 90s and used it today, and they were able to generate a police sketch.
So they, they were able to say, you know, clearly, they can tell you how old the person was when the DNA was taken, and they can tell you their ancestry now. Right. And then they can give you a ballpark of what their hair color or eye color was and provide an actionable police sketch from DNA.

Can the government listen to our smart speakers or listening devices in our homes? The answer may surprise you. We also discussed how Target predicted a teen girl was pregnant before anyone in the family knew with their predictive marketing algorithm. 

Lindsey shares a story about a family member who was in the FBI and how he would tell other family members if they saw him in public and he was not wearing a suit to never talk with him. She also shared a story of how he apprehended some mafia members in a pretty unique situation.

The Sleuths also discuss the Coronavirus and how there was a case documented less a mile from where they record their show. There are ways to help prevent the spread of this virus. Wash your hands' people. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. 

100,000 people have been confirmed to have contracted this new Coronavirus. As of this morning, I'm a little more than two months since the outbreak began in China, Johns Hopkins University, which has been tracking the instances of the viruses, says. A hundred thousand 330 people have been affected, and 80,000 were in the mainland of China.

Listen to the Sleuths and Patrick discuss their thoughts and concerns about the virus spreading in our area.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Dexter
• Police sketch from DNA

He also served as a British Royal Marine Commando and has had extensive training in weapons and various fighting styles and now he spends his time primarily as a speaker and author. 

"I taught combative for a bunch of years after getting out of the military But I always maintain an element of what I was teaching this advice, stay away from it if you can. Because most people are not going to put in this the training necessary to be proficient, to guarantee that you can actually fight your way out of something. Use your cunning. Use your observation skills. Be aware. Look for certain things from the people in the environment that will tell you, something's out of place" Terry

Terry teaches how an understanding of human behavior and body language can provide a set of skills to recognize threats and in some cases prevent dangerous situations from happening.

Tips from Terry when going into an interaction with people. If we think about 

• What do I expect to see?
• What do I not expect to see? 
• And what's missing? 

You can clue into so much that just that stands out that you might otherwise miss.

One tip that Terry often teaches women is how to recognize when someone gets inside of your personal space. This is a comfort level for each individual but when someone gets danger close it is time to take action.

The Sleuths and Terry talk a bit about some of their past cases.

Rapid blinking may be a sign of lying, but it may not be as well. It is a signal of cognitive load. That doesn't necessarily mean lying.

What often happens with police officers that are trained to some degree to have that command presence, what is that command presence? What is it about their behavior that makes us feel like they're in control and we're not, even if their hands are shaking, what is it that they do? They move less. They get still and they get still because stillness says calm and "calm" says control.

Terry and the sleuths discuss his book Not with My Daughter!: A Dad's Guide to Screening Dates and Boyfriends in a candid conversation about parenting kids who are dating.

In 2010, he began pursuing a career in public safety. The ability to protect and serve weighs heavily on one’s fitness level and was required of him from day 1. I am a proud former EMT, Law Enforcement, Tactical Experience, & Current US Army Reservist.

When he got my fitness life together, his real-life got together. As he started to see success within his fitness journey, he started to see that discipline, consistency, mental health and all the other principles of fitness were the same as all the principles of success.  Coaching others to maneuver through their fitness journey is his PASSION.

Melvin also worked in the jail and on the SWAT team. So he shared some pretty intense stories from his time working in prison. Including how being spit on by an inmate who was mentally unstable.

The sleuths discuss the case of Faye Swetlik and the information known from the story of the 6-year-old who was found dead in the woods by her house. They discuss the details of the case form the reports, the topic of amber alerts (What are the legal requirements for issuing an amber alert?) The details surrounding the case leave a lot to be questioned and it brought up the topic of letting our kids play outside today versus what our parents were comfortable with when we were children. 

Is this a growing epidemic or do we just know more about it thanks to 24 hours news and social media? 

In either case, cases like this are very sad and our hearts go out to the family members and those affected by it.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Last Child in the Woods
• Melvin Moore Fitness | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube

Mary shares stories, counsel, and a few laughs with the Sleuths as they talk about cases they've worked and give practical advice to our listeners about all things family law and divorce.

Why family law?

"My parents divorced. I went through it as a child and I know how it feels. I know how it feels when one person in your family doesn't have enough money to live. I know what it feels like when your dad doesn't get to see you enough. So that's my why." - Mary

For somebody to either go through a divorce situation or custody situation, what is the average amount of time?

Even if they don't hire a lawyer, what I tell them is it's not even just going through the legal process. When you got married, you rented a limo you reserved your space for your marriage. You know, people are taking a year and a half to get married. You're scheduling your caterer and all that stuff. It's gonna take about that same amount to try to figure out how to be this new person that's an individual. Now you were this couple and this family, what's the new normal now that you're divided. So I tell people it's going to take about that same amount to recreate and be the new you as the amount of time it took to plan your life together.

The Sleuths unpack the "lights out rule" when it comes to proving an affair. Mary speaks about proving an affair from the aspect of a divorce lawyer.

They share a hilarious story that took place at a stadium that Triangle Divorce Lawyers employed the services of Blackman Detective Services to follow a man suspected of cheating on behalf of his spouse.

The Sleuths try to find the truth for a case that was brought up by askthesleuth@gmail.com of a messy custody case and ask for Mary's legal expertise on the issues of the case.

You can find out more about Triangle Divorce Lawyers on their website or call 919 752-8832 for a case review.
 

The 16th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge was held on February 1st, 2020 and raised $175,000 for UNC Children’s Hospital.

Lindsey invited Jamie to her special birthday party that is funeral themed to celebrate the death of her youth. Complete with coffins and a funeral. Everyone is instructed to dress in black and have a good time.

The Blackman Detective Services had their first meeting in their new building just before the bad weather and tornado hit the Raleigh area.

Be sure to follow the Sleuth Podcast on social media to see Jamie's Black History Month posts celebrating Black History.

The Sleuths read several news stories about how men are catfishing young women on Snapchat and using the app's social media features to track and assault them. It's important, as a parent, to understand and educate your children in order to make sure they are being safe online.

Jamie and Lindsey break down another episode of ABC's Stumptown called The Dex Factor. Dex goes undercover as a potential buyer to help Hoffman and Grey with the next phase of their drug case. Meanwhile, Dex unexpectedly becomes close to a fellow veteran support group member and soon discovers they have more in common than they thought. After being left in charge of the Bad Alibi, Ansel struggles to maintain order and enlists Tookie's help.

This led to a fascinating and hilarious conversation about a private investigator's going undercover. The Sleuths share some real-life stories and updates from past cases. Including a happy ending for a domestic case that has been going on for over a year. One of the cases involved a bad Yelp review. We spent some time talking about funny Yelp reviews.

The sleuths discuss an article about a shooting in a Kansas City night club. A man had gotten into a verbal altercation inside the club and then went outside and opened fire on the people waiting in the line outside the club. The club's security guard killed the assailant. Jamie shared a story about from her life when there was shooting when she was at the Raleigh Night Club called Black Ties.

Lindsey talked about her time as an armed security guard with Encompass Southeast Security. And the challenges facing security guards at night clubs. In North Carolina, there are rules about searching people that may prohibit a night club from searching guests if especially if the guard is not licensed by the state and only subject to the training given at their place of work.

Jamie highlighted that night club cases are something people often hire a private investigator for. They will interview the staff, check the video, past 911 calls, and help the lawyer build a case for their client. The Sleuths worked a case where a woman was involved in a fight in a night club parking lot that ended in a stabbing and how they went about gathering information to help with that case. 

The Sleuth's talk about episode The Past and the Furious where Dex helps a veteran find his birth parents. And they talk about how the "Hollywood" version of a private investigator matches up with real-life PI work. 

Lindsey shares about a case where she worked where she learned the challenges private investigators face when working across state lines with different jurisdictions. 

Jamie shared about a case where a client of their found himself in a crazy situation one morning, waking up drunk, covered in bruises, his house was ransacked, and the cops were at his door. He called Blackman PI right away and they were able to help him make sense of the situation and prove that he was the victim of someone who had done this before.

Also mentioned in this episode

• The Fire Within Podcast where the Sleuths were guests

They also talk about their new office space in North Raleigh.

The Sleuths discuss a recent case where a real estate agent in Minneapolis, MN was abducted and later murdered while showing a house. This was a tragic case. Private Investigators can be and often are hired by real estate agents and banks to be present to documented witnesses. Lindsey discussed a case where a family had been asked to vacate their estate and the bank had hired them to be present during the time they picked up their belongings.

Another topic on today's show is the new panic button added to the Tinder dating app. This feature would allow users to call authorities when and if they find themselves in a dangerous situation.

Episode 10 of ABC's Stumptown, Reality Checks don't Bounce, was analyzed by the Sleuths. Mike Epps guest stars in this episode as a celebrity judge whose brother has allegedly been kidnapped and held for ransom. The case also involved a cat that would create a special kind of coffee bean by eating the bean and passing it. This reminded the Sleuths of a case where they were hired to do surveillance on a cat.

In this case, the cat was involved in a bad foster situation and when the cat's location became unknown the client hired the private investigators to stakeout the cat's last known location. It was during this case that they met an actual Pet Detective (yes, that's a real thing and not just a movie).

Also mentioned on this episode:

• The Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez | Netflix Official Site 
• The Sword and Scale Podcast
• Detective Trapp Podcast
• Any questions? Use askthesleuth@gmail.com

Brandon's Podcast The Fire Within Nutrition and Fitness is about his approach to a sustainable plan for fitness that is based on each individual he works with. His show is about the science behind nutrition and fitness and behavioral therapy to help us understand why we make the decisions we make.

Jamie talks about getting an Instapot and her first experience cooking with it. She then confessed to making fried chicken for breakfast! 

Brandon shares about his recent trip to Las Vegas and his experience on the strip this New Year's Eve.

Hear the answers to these questions in this week's game of True or False

• What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?
• A private investigator can tap your phone to listen to your conversations?
• A private investigator can access your social media accounts, whether or not all the privacy settings
  are activated?
• Evidence such as surveillance, video, or phone records can be used to assist attorneys with  proving alienation 
  of affection?
• A PI can help you find someone who owes you money?
• In situations where photos are needed and hard to reach places, PIs will fly a drone over a property to conduct aerial surveillance?
• Investigators can videotape a person inside a building by recording them through the window and being outside the building.
• All information on a subject like their criminal record driving history, phone number and old year pictures can be found on a single database at the same time?
• It doesn't matter how old or young a subject is. A licensed PI can look up personal information on that person? 

Private Investigators often deal with people when they are at a time of transition. Maybe they've been left by their spouse with their bank account cleaned out. That may be one of the best times to pursue a positive transformation in your life because exercise, focusing on getting better foods will help with depression, and to give you self-confidence.

Eating the wrong kind of foods can deplete the amount of serotonin produced in your gut. Eating the right kind of foods can help your body produce more serotonin and therefore help make you feel better.

Brandon shared tips on local stores to help you save money while still buying healthier options for those on a tight budget.

"And even if you can't afford organic, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 10 times out of 10, non-organic celery is a much better choice and fricking pop tarts."- Brandon Woolley

Exercise significantly changes brain chemistry. In fact, studies have found exercise to be more effective than most prescription medications for battling depression.

Brandon also talked about cognitive behavioral therapy which is reverse engineering bad habits. Brandon walked through an example of how cognitive behavioral therapy could help in a situation where someone ate poorly on Wednesday and decided they had already blown it that week and would start over again on Monday.

The Sleuth's also asked Brandon if in his experience a dramatic change in body weight or body transformation causes stress in the relationships of his clients. Brandon believes it does and it's best to try to go through dramatic changes together.

Also mentioned in this podcast

• Aldi grocery store
• Raleigh Road Runners Run Group
• F3 men's fitness groups
• FIA women's fitness groups
• The episode on "Sleep" on the Fire Within Podcast

Lindsey shared her 2020 goals to be manage 20 cases this year, learn to manage her time better, and have the experience to do a case all the way through without assistance from the team at Blackman Detective Services.

Jamie shared her goals of creating policies and a handbook for BDS, marketing and networking (with Gazelle Intensity and 10X), and finally organization and building better relationships.

Every two years Private Investigators need to renew their license. In order to renew one of the requirements is continuing education requirements. Courses are approved by the NC PPSB.

The Sleuths discuss an upcoming interview with Brandon Wooley from the Fire Within Podcast where they will be talking about a plan for health and fitness that is sustainable. Many clients from BDS are going through a time of transition and it's in times of transition where we can either get out habits or create new ones. 

Also mentioned in this episode

• The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone
• Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University
• The Blackman Detective Services Facebook Page
• Verbal Judo Course
• Instapots 

Dex eventually found out that she was framed and by an unlikely source.

The Sleuths talk about some of the challenges facing high-schoolers to make good decisions and stay out of trouble while society and the schools are giving them more freedom.

Jamie said that somewhere between 80-90% of their cases have to do with infidelity. But unlike many of the dramatized TV versions of shows like cheaters or Stumptown most PI's don't normally get to see the confrontation. The client is presented with the facts and then it is their decision on what to do with the information.

Jamie shared a sequence of cheater stories from the Blackman Detective Services archive of real-life cases and how private investigation worked for their clients. They share multiple stories of wives who hired P.I.'s to find out what was going on with their husbands' erratic behavior.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Lori Gottlieb: How changing your story can change your life - TED Talk

The Sleuths talked about the security vulnerabilities of Ring doorbells and the recent cases of some being hacked and used to mess with people in their homes. Pro tip from the Sleuths: make sure you create separate accounts for each user instead of everyone using the same account and turn on two-factor authentification and then you will minimize your risk.

They also discuss security cameras and smart speakers, proper placement, and best practices for home security.

This week's episode of Stumptown is called "The Other Woman"

Dex was hired by Sue Lynn Blackbird to find out who was threating to hurt her. She found the culprit and sat them down with her accuser. This rarely happens in the world of most real-world private investigation work when lawyers are involved but can happen in cases where no representation is present.

Liz and Dex also ended up making a mistake that could jeopardize her relationship with Gray. The Sleuths still believe that Liz is up to something sinister that has yet to be revealed.

Also mentioned on this episode:

• Ring Doorbells
• Two-factor authentification

Get more info about Blackman Detective Services

• Facebook
• Instagram

If you need the services of a private investigator to look into workman's compensation claims reach out to Blackman Detective Services today.

The Sleuths and B. Hill discuss episode seven of ABC's Stumptown called November Surprise.

Lindsey shared about a post she saw on Facebook of a dashcam capturing an accident and the Sleuths talk about dashcams. Should you own one? We talked about the NextBase 522gw Dash Cam 

The Sleuths and B. Hill play mad libs and get into the season.

Mentioned on this episode:

• WireCutter.com does cool reviews of tech gadgets 
• In the episode of Stumptown Dex used a Streamlight to distract the rival P.I. to defend herself against her ASP Baton
• The Stumptown Comic Book 
• Follow B. Hill on Instragram @Bhill_919 and Twitter @Bhillyaheardme

This week they discuss episode six of Stumptown called "Dex, Drugs and Rock & Roll." Each week they break down an episode of Stumptown to talk about how it compares to the day to lives of real Private Eyes. 

Nationally, 7.5 million people are stalked every year.

Approximately 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men have experienced stalking at some point in their lifetime. (CDC, 2015)

The Sleuths discuss the types of stalkers, their motives and what to do if you believe you are being stalked.

They also discussed holiday safety tips for Christmas shopping this season:

• Be aware of your surroundings
• Don't text and walk
• Don't leave your purse in your shopping cart
• Don't leave your purchases in the back seat where they are visible
• Don't use ATM's where you don't feel safe
• Don't carry a lot of case

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Stalking Resource Site
• The Legal definition of stalking in North Carolina
• Title IX resources

The Sleuths discuss how to notice the signs of sex trafficking and bring awareness to the issue so you can know what to look for and when to report. Jamie shared a story about going undercover as a Private Investigator to investigate a man who worked at a massage parlor who was thought to be giving more than just a traditional massage.

We shared startling statistics on sex trafficking crimes in the US.

In this episode, the sleuths talk about Stumptown episode five, called Bad Alibis. They look for real-life comparisons for private investigators from this television show starring Colby Smuthers. 

The Sleuths continue the case of the black widow where a truck driving husband who believed his wife was poisoning his daily mountain dews so she could move on with another man. He hired Blackman Detective Services to have the bottles tested. The client confronted his wife. The client suspected she was cheating. One day he didn't show up for work and his employer reported him missing. His vehicle had been pulled behind a workshop building. It's currently suspected that the wife and the boyfriend are to blame. He is still missing to this day. Three years after the client was reported missing the wife was found dead in a tributary leading to a large body of water. 

Also mentioned in this episode

• Project No Rest
• The Polaris project
• The SheWee reusable pee funnel

They also share a mystery of their case involving a missing person, strange sleep-inducing bottles that had the seals broken and talk about some of the darker sides of being a private investigator.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Robert Brown of the law offices of Bryant and Brown is a fantastic criminal attorney in the Triangle.
• The Sleuth Tshirts were made by the fine people at Big Frog Custom Tshirts
• The 100th follower on the Sleuth Instagram account will receive a free Tshirt @thesleuth_bds

Jamie recently purchased Blackman Detective Services and they are setting out to be real, not Hollywood stereotypes. Think less Pink Panther and more tattoos and dreadlocks. And looking forward to educating people about how the PI field works and how it can work for you. Blackman Detective Services (BDS) serves Raleigh and the surrounding areas.

"That is not your wife sir. You are not supposed to have your tongue in her mouth!" -Jamie

An entertaining segment of the podcast will be Jamie and Lindsey will be talking through the episodes of the new ABC show Stumptown that depicts a Private Investigator named Dex to compare and contrast what is accurate and what is Hollywood shenanigans. You're going to want to watch along and follow along in future episodes. 

Discussed in this episode:

• How to legally use a GPS tracker (Jamie shared a story of catching a cheater in a parking lot) when it is legal and when it is not legal to use a GPS tracker.
• Even though you can use the GPS information to confront someone, it may not be enough to hold up in court, unless you also have video surveillance.
• In order to qualify for a PI license, you must have three years of experience in private investigative work (the equivalent of 3,000 hours)
• Process service is when you need to locate and serve court papers.

Lindsey shared stories of creative ways they've served papers, including a story of serving papers to a mother in an Easter basket on baby's first Easter.