The Miami Chronicles

A scoutmaster trained to construct booby traps in Vietnam sets one up in his home. A Boy Scout is killed. Then a quiet 1970s Miami neighborhood starts to spill all its secrets.Welcome to Season One of The Miami Chronicles: Booby Trap.

James and Mike discuss the murder of 14-year-old Richard “Richie” Brush, as it was originally investigated and reported by the authorities. Episode One also provides a macro description of South Florida in the late 1970s, adding a sense of historicity to the narrative.

Mike revisits the night Richie was shot from a peripheral point of view. Mike then explains how he met and befriended Tony Simmons.

Mike talks about how he reconnected with Tony Simmons in 2009. Then he tells James about a series of bizarre encounters he experienced with Tony back in 1979.

Mike and James talk about the depositions that Tony and Gerry gave back in 1979. Mike shares a shocking revelation about Richie and Chuck’s scouting troop.

Mike and James welcome Leanna Echeverri to the discussion. The three of them discuss the ramifications of the booby trap shooting within the local community. Leanna describes some of her own personal trauma, resulting from the shooting.

Mike continues his narrative into the 1980s, primarily following the actions of Chuck Falco. Mike and James review the police reports and surviving evidence, looking for inconsistencies with the official version of the shooting.

James asks Mike to speculate on what really happened in Chuck's house on July 18, 1979. Was Richie's death the result of a simple miscalculation? This episode relies almost entirely on hunches, guesses, and speculation.