Cup of Coffee and Crime

A high school teacher in Massachusetts. A first-grade teacher in Virginia. Two educators who dedicated their lives to their students, and two acts of violence that shattered the sense of safety inside the classroom. In this episode of Cup of Coffee and Crime, we look at the murder of 24-year-old Colleen Ritzer in 2013, and the 2023 shooting of 25-year old teacher Abby Zwerner.Through both cases, I explore the growing risks faced by teachers, the warning signs that were missed, and what real accountability looks like when those responsible for protecting staff fail to act. These aren’t just stories about school violence, they’re lessons about responsibility, prevention, and the cost of ignoring what’s right in front of us.★ Read my article on Medium: A Right? Or a Privilege?

In 1993, two-year-old James Bulger was abducted from a Liverpool shopping centre by Robert Thompson and Jon Venables; a crime that horrified Britain and remains one of the most infamous true crime cases in UK history. But few remember James Riley, the fourteen-year-old local boy who discovered James Bulger’s body on the railway line in Walton.Decades later, his name resurfaced, closing a tragic circle that began thirty years earlier. This episode of Cup of Coffee and Crime is a think piece looks beyond the headlines, at trauma, silence, and the hidden lives of those caught in the aftermath of tragedy. Because remembering people like James Riley is often as important as remembering the victims themselves.** SEASON 6 WILL RETURN IN JANUARY 2026. UNTIL THEN BONUS EPISODES WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPLOADED FORTIGHTLY **

In this bitesize episode, I’m sharing the victim stories of Nichole Bradshaw and Serenity McKinney — two young girls whose lives were taken by their mothers. Their cases are heartbreaking reminders of how trust can turn to tragedy, and why some stories stay with you long after you’ve told them. A short but important episode in this season’s break, honouring two lives that should never be forgotten.

I'm back with a season break, bonus bitesize episode. Two stories, both beginning with a single word: no. In Sydney, Australia, Jessica Camilleri was a young woman battling her own struggles, but when her mother Rita refused her demands, Jessica’s rage spiraled into unimaginable violence. And in Wales, 18-year-old Lily Sullivan was out with friends, full of life, when she encountered a man who refused to accept rejection as the final word. Two women, two different worlds, both taken because no wasn’t enough.★ Completing this survey will help the show so much - Thank you!★ To see todays case photos head over to the Cup of Coffee and Crime Facebook Discussion Group★ To support the show and keep me caffeinated, you are now able to Buy Me a Coffee :)Music from #Uppbeat :https://uppbeat.io/t/ak/midnight-strollLicense code: OCHNSIEQIVR5SLQ7

"I want Jana killed by Tuesday”.Six words allegedly caught on tape.Six words that saw a man sentenced to life for attempted murder.Six words, though, that a jury never actually heard.So how, and why, was Dimitri Rozenman found guilty? He says he’s innocent, but the courts disagree. In this week’s exclusive episode, and the season 5 finale, I’ll tell his story, and you’ll hear directly from him.Groups across the country are working to reform the US system of justice. You can contact any of the groups below for more information and ways to get involved.Institute for Justice Project on Immunity and Accountability: Our mission is to end widespread abuses of government power and secure the constitutional rights that allow all Americans to pursue their dreams.National Police Accountability Project (by National Lawyers Guild): To promote the accountability of law enforcement officers and their employers for violations of the Constitution and the laws of the United States.Equal Justice Initiative: The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States.The Campaign to End Qualified Immunity: Partnering with groups across the country to end qualified immunity.Death Penalty Action: Death Penalty Action works to stop executions and abolish the death penalty through advocacy, education, and action.National Coalition to End Death Penalty: The only fully staffed organization exclusively devoted to abolishing capital punishment in the United States.The Moratorium Campaign: The Moratorium Campaign, founded by Sister Helen Prejean, is working to see every state declare a moratorium on executions.★ To contact Dimitri head to his Instagram account

This weeks season 5 finale is not to be missed!

Four babies. Four unexplained deaths. To the outside world, Kathleen Folbigg looked like a mother cursed with unbearable tragedy. But suspicion crept in, and her private diaries, filled with grief, guilt, and frustration, were read as confessions. Labeled Australia’s worst female serial killer, she spent two decades behind bars.Then science revealed a different story. Genetic mutations in her children offered natural explanations, strong enough to dismantle the case against her. What began as whispers of suspicion became Australia’s most shocking wrongful conviction.★ Completing this survey will help the show so much - Thank you!★ To see todays case photos head over to the Cup of Coffee and Crime Facebook Discussion Group★ To support the show and keep me caffeinated, you are now able to Buy Me a Coffee :)Music from #Uppbeat :https://uppbeat.io/t/ak/midnight-strollLicense code: OCHNSIEQIVR5SLQ7

Tom and Jackie Hawks had built the life they’d always wanted, trading land for sea, and a house for the open waters. Their boat was more than a vessel; it was freedom, a reward after years of hard work and raising a family. But when they decided it was time to let go of that dream, they never imagined the buyers would come with more than buying a boat in mind. What began as the sale of their beloved yacht spiraled into betrayal, terror, and a crime designed to make them vanish without a trace. Some secrets stay at the bottom of the ocean deep. But not forever.★ Completing this survey will help the show so much - Thank you!★ To see todays case photos head over to the Cup of Coffee and Crime Facebook Discussion Group★ To support the show and keep me caffeinated, you are now able to Buy Me a Coffee :)Music from #Uppbeat :https://uppbeat.io/t/ak/midnight-strollLicense code: OCHNSIEQIVR5SLQ7