Origin Stories: The Accidental Investigator

The Multimillion-Dollar Collection Plate: Is It Fraud?

The “prosperity gospel:" It’s a controversial movement among some charismatic Christians who believe that if people have faith, God will reward them with health and riches. In the middle of the last century, some prosperity gospel preachers discovered the power of television to help them reach more believers — and more donors. Televangelists like Kenneth Copeland became multimillionaires, while many of their donors live well below the poverty line. Is it fraud if people believe wholeheartedly and donate willingly? Let's ask our guest, Pete Evans. He leads the Trinity Foundation [https://trinityfi.org/why-we-investigate/], an organization that has spent decades investigating televangelists who spend their congregations’ donations on lavish mansions and private jets.  Since its founding in the 1970s, the Trinity Foundation has been part faith community, part homeless shelter, part televangelism watchdog and investigative firm. In this episode, you'll find out how Evans and the Trinity Foundation expose religious fraud and excess, using investigative techniques like real estate public records research, aircraft tracking, and trash pulls. The Trinity Foundation website: https://trinityfi.org/ Host: Hal Humphreys [http://www.findinvestigations.com/]  Guest: Pete Evans Sponsored by: TLOxp® [http://tlo.com/?utm_source=pursuitmagazine&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=promotion] Music provided by Jason White [http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonwhitemusic], who composed our theme. Special thanks to Kim Green [https://aviatrixkim.com/], who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjNsV2FDemg4ZDJnNnVjbHl1c2l5MmNTYlVqUXxBQ3Jtc0tuZkZtRzhoVHRzS0FuMk9VbHN4bGxFUDJNT05WNktPa082UE8zRjNjeFRhdE50aU1QaVpKaS1lSVNUVzM5OWZ6TG1tQTFaS2NmWnVISnczZFN0OFVfNE9GQUNBLTNfNEExWGlvRVFqT1lhMXZmZVA0TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpursuitmag.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjJsTTBXb2V6NmFGUnhZWWdWUG9OYWdTemV4QXxBQ3Jtc0tuekNjV2szSHlvRlZmbWt2SklXcXVIbTZtWWc4TTNoSDdSeDBUMFBKNG5OeTVFTG8zMHJrLWRfTlRXVjdVaHBYNUM2dHFyN214eWdKUkhfeW1YMkNUdUp3eWU0MW5SQ0FhaUwzSVdGUTlGSE42LUxkOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpieducation.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation [https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation%E2%80%8B]

The Internet of Things: An Overlooked Tool for Digital Forensics Investigators

Your smart TV is watching you. Your fitness tracker knows your heart rate. Your doorbell has a camera. Your car logs everywhere you go. IoT, the Internet of Things, is everywhere. And those connected devices are priceless sources of digital evidence for investigators. The question is: Do you know how to get to the data those devices collect? Our guest Amber Schroader [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberschroader/] is a proud Trekkie and a self-taught, self-styled "computer nerd" who's been doing digital forensics for over 30 years. She's founder of Paraben Corporation [https://paraben.com/], a software company specializing in digital forensics. And she's one of the people pushing this field to think bigger about what devices can tell investigators in all kinds of cases — and how to legally capture that information. Paraben's website: https://paraben.com/ FInd Amber Schroader on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberschroader/].  Host: Hal Humphreys [http://www.findinvestigations.com/]  Guest: Amber Schroader [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberschroader/] Sponsored by: TLOxp® [http://tlo.com/?utm_source=pursuitmagazine&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=promotion] Music provided by Jason White [http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonwhitemusic], who composed our theme. Special thanks to Kim Green [https://aviatrixkim.com/] and Stephanie Mitchell, who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjNsV2FDemg4ZDJnNnVjbHl1c2l5MmNTYlVqUXxBQ3Jtc0tuZkZtRzhoVHRzS0FuMk9VbHN4bGxFUDJNT05WNktPa082UE8zRjNjeFRhdE50aU1QaVpKaS1lSVNUVzM5OWZ6TG1tQTFaS2NmWnVISnczZFN0OFVfNE9GQUNBLTNfNEExWGlvRVFqT1lhMXZmZVA0TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpursuitmag.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjJsTTBXb2V6NmFGUnhZWWdWUG9OYWdTemV4QXxBQ3Jtc0tuekNjV2szSHlvRlZmbWt2SklXcXVIbTZtWWc4TTNoSDdSeDBUMFBKNG5OeTVFTG8zMHJrLWRfTlRXVjdVaHBYNUM2dHFyN214eWdKUkhfeW1YMkNUdUp3eWU0MW5SQ0FhaUwzSVdGUTlGSE42LUxkOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpieducation.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation [https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation%E2%80%8B]

Pursuing Justice as Director of Nashville’s Conviction Review Unit

On a spring day in 1999, Russell Maze called 911, frantic: his son Alex, just five weeks old, had stopped breathing. At the hospital, doctors noticed bruises on Alex’s head and abdomen. They quickly deduced that his injuries could only have been caused by “shaken baby syndrome.”  Over a year later, Alex died. Russell Maze was convicted of killing his son.  More than two decades later, the Nashville District Attorney’s office took the extraordinary step of asking the court to vacate Maze’s conviction. The medical examiner who helped convict him now believes Alex’s injuries were caused by an illness, not abuse.  In her closing arguments, an attorney with the DA’s office said, “The state got this wrong.”  Our guest today is that attorney. Sunny Eaton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnyeatonlaw/] is senior director of the Conviction Review Unit [https://da.nashville.gov/conviction-review-unit/] and an assistant district attorney in the Nashville DA’s office. In this episode, Sunny talks about how a conviction review unit works and why her office chose the Russell Maze case to review. And she speaks candidly about the life-and-death stakes of her work and why pursuing actual innocence cases matters so much to her. Read Pam Colloff's ProPublica/NYTimes feature on Russell Maze's case and Sunny Eaton's work to prove his innocence:  HE WAS SENT TO PRISON FOR KILLING HIS BABY. WHAT IF HE DIDN’T DO IT? [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/magazine/russell-lee-maze-murder-conviction-dna.html] Host: Hal Humphreys [http://www.findinvestigations.com/]  Guest: Sunny Eaton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnyeatonlaw/] Sponsored by: TLOxp® [http://tlo.com/?utm_source=pursuitmagazine&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=promotion] Music provided by Jason White [http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonwhitemusic], who composed our theme. Special thanks to Kim Green [https://aviatrixkim.com/], who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjNsV2FDemg4ZDJnNnVjbHl1c2l5MmNTYlVqUXxBQ3Jtc0tuZkZtRzhoVHRzS0FuMk9VbHN4bGxFUDJNT05WNktPa082UE8zRjNjeFRhdE50aU1QaVpKaS1lSVNUVzM5OWZ6TG1tQTFaS2NmWnVISnczZFN0OFVfNE9GQUNBLTNfNEExWGlvRVFqT1lhMXZmZVA0TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpursuitmag.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjJsTTBXb2V6NmFGUnhZWWdWUG9OYWdTemV4QXxBQ3Jtc0tuekNjV2szSHlvRlZmbWt2SklXcXVIbTZtWWc4TTNoSDdSeDBUMFBKNG5OeTVFTG8zMHJrLWRfTlRXVjdVaHBYNUM2dHFyN214eWdKUkhfeW1YMkNUdUp3eWU0MW5SQ0FhaUwzSVdGUTlGSE42LUxkOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpieducation.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation [https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation%E2%80%8B]

Cyberwarfare, Hunting Threats, and Why Companies Are Breached

How do you identify online threats before they turn into disasters? Our guest Chris Nyhuis specializes in shielding clients from cyberattacks. As co-founder and CEO of Vigilant, a cybersecurity company in Cincinnati, he’s developed defenses for the food supply chain and telecom — protecting the kind of infrastructure that, when it gets hit, makes national news. Nyhuis teaches about cyberwarfare and holds multiple patents in threat analysis. And perhaps most impressive of all: The company gives 25% of their profit to organizations fighting child trafficking and supporting orphans around the world. It's built into their business model. Listen to find out what's going on in the world of cybersecurity, who's getting hit, and how to take practical steps to keep yourself and your business safer. Viligant's website: https://vigilantnow.com/ FInd Chris Nyhuis on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-nyhuis-34427550/].  Host: Hal Humphreys [http://www.findinvestigations.com/]  Guest: Chris Nyhuis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-nyhuis-34427550/] "Blood Will Tell" podcast: On Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blood-will-tell/id1848382288] | On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6idy6Kz7jWIXd9tPX2N1Pu] | On Audible [https://www.audible.com/podcast/Blood-Will-Tell/B0GGCJCWYJ?srsltid=AfmBOorE0c-vQr_VWFjxieFnBkKXJhg9bnRHgNFbAYgoHkqZbTxYxNgs] Sponsored by: TLOxp® [http://tlo.com/?utm_source=pursuitmagazine&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=promotion] Music provided by Jason White [http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonwhitemusic], who composed our theme. Special thanks to Kim Green [https://aviatrixkim.com/] and Stephanie Mitchell, who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjNsV2FDemg4ZDJnNnVjbHl1c2l5MmNTYlVqUXxBQ3Jtc0tuZkZtRzhoVHRzS0FuMk9VbHN4bGxFUDJNT05WNktPa082UE8zRjNjeFRhdE50aU1QaVpKaS1lSVNUVzM5OWZ6TG1tQTFaS2NmWnVISnczZFN0OFVfNE9GQUNBLTNfNEExWGlvRVFqT1lhMXZmZVA0TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpursuitmag.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjJsTTBXb2V6NmFGUnhZWWdWUG9OYWdTemV4QXxBQ3Jtc0tuekNjV2szSHlvRlZmbWt2SklXcXVIbTZtWWc4TTNoSDdSeDBUMFBKNG5OeTVFTG8zMHJrLWRfTlRXVjdVaHBYNUM2dHFyN214eWdKUkhfeW1YMkNUdUp3eWU0MW5SQ0FhaUwzSVdGUTlGSE42LUxkOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpieducation.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation [https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation%E2%80%8B]

The "Blood Will Tell" Podcast

Twin brothers, 18 years old, go to a party in San Jose, California. A fight ensues. Somebody gets stabbed — and dies. The brothers are arrested, and one twin is charged with murder. The wrong twin. And he stays in jail for nearly two years before the guilty twin finally comes clean.  My guest, author and journalist Jennifer Miller, met one of the brothers, Trung, while reporting a story for the Washington Post. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2021/05/24/moral-outrage-american-parole/] Trung had joined a group that was performing Othello, in a program that uses Shakespeare’s plays to help rehabilitate people serving prison terms. Miller says the story Trung told her was so extraordinary that it “felt like Shakespeare himself could have written it.”  She spent years getting to know the twins and earning their trust. She then shared their story in a podcast called “Blood Will Tell [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blood-will-tell/id1848382288]." It's not a true crime podcast in the strictest sense — Miller's burning question wasn't who did what. To her, this story was all about the why: Why did one brother take the blame for nearly two years? Why did the other one let him?  Listen to this episode to find out how Jennifer Miller knew this was the story of a lifetime. And then, download and listen to "Blood Will Tell [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blood-will-tell/id1848382288]" to learn the answers to the deeper why questions asked above. Host: Hal Humphreys [http://www.findinvestigations.com/]  Guest: Jennifer Miller [https://www.byjennifermiller.com/] "Blood Will Tell" podcast: On Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blood-will-tell/id1848382288] | On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6idy6Kz7jWIXd9tPX2N1Pu] | On Audible [https://www.audible.com/podcast/Blood-Will-Tell/B0GGCJCWYJ?srsltid=AfmBOorE0c-vQr_VWFjxieFnBkKXJhg9bnRHgNFbAYgoHkqZbTxYxNgs] Sponsored by: TLOxp® [http://tlo.com/?utm_source=pursuitmagazine&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=promotion] Music provided by Jason White [http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonwhitemusic], who composed our theme. Special thanks to Kim Green [https://aviatrixkim.com/], who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjNsV2FDemg4ZDJnNnVjbHl1c2l5MmNTYlVqUXxBQ3Jtc0tuZkZtRzhoVHRzS0FuMk9VbHN4bGxFUDJNT05WNktPa082UE8zRjNjeFRhdE50aU1QaVpKaS1lSVNUVzM5OWZ6TG1tQTFaS2NmWnVISnczZFN0OFVfNE9GQUNBLTNfNEExWGlvRVFqT1lhMXZmZVA0TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpursuitmag.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjJsTTBXb2V6NmFGUnhZWWdWUG9OYWdTemV4QXxBQ3Jtc0tuekNjV2szSHlvRlZmbWt2SklXcXVIbTZtWWc4TTNoSDdSeDBUMFBKNG5OeTVFTG8zMHJrLWRfTlRXVjdVaHBYNUM2dHFyN214eWdKUkhfeW1YMkNUdUp3eWU0MW5SQ0FhaUwzSVdGUTlGSE42LUxkOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpieducation.com%2F%E2%80%8B&v=A2Kdpa4HBvY] Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation [https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation%E2%80%8B]