The First Degree

On June 6, 1986, a single mom of three awakes to find her 4-year-old daughter has been abducted from her bed near Lexington, South Carolina. The family is desperate to find her. The girl’s sister tells law enforcement she saw a man in a ‘magic hat’ carry her sister out the window. However, there is no sign of the youngster. The days, weeks, months, and years pass without answers as the missing girl’s mother battles racism, corruption, and a bungled police investigation that ignores key evidence. Finally, decades after the abduction, and with the involvement of a private investigator, an arrest is made. The young girl’s family is entirely unsurprised at the perpetrator’s identity - it was someone they suspected all along. In episode 360, Jac and Alexis detail the heartbreaking abduction and murder of Jessica Gutierrez at the hands of Thomas Eric McDowell, and the importance of law enforcement listening to families, instead of stonewalling them. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we’re diving into the absolute joke of the justice department declaring that “Jeffree Epstein DID in fact kill himself in prison and there is no ‘client list’”  Yeah, sure Jan.  We also chat about inmate immaculate conception, toothbrushes getting stuck in small intestines, fake Disneyland weddings, smuggling hundreds of tortillas on airplanes, and who the hell is Jacky Jhaj??? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In February 2025, a college freshman is reported missing from her dorm at CU Boulder. Days later, her body is discovered in a canyon miles from campus, an area her family says she never would have gone alone. She is bruised and battered, missing one shoe, and both her phone and purse are gone. When those belongings later turn up in the possession of strangers, Megan’s family braces for answers. But what they get instead is a ruling of suicide, leaving them reeling and desperate for answers. In episode 359, Jac and Alexis examine the mysterious death of Megan Trussell, and the relentless fight her parents are waging to get her case reopened. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been a terrible, horrible, no good very bad week, and we’re here to talk through all of the BS: Diddy being found not guilty of his most serious crimes (literally…HOW???), Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty to escape the death penalty, and we absolutely shit on the tacky and hypocritical mess that was Jeff Bezos & Lauren Sanchez’s wedding (and what’s realllyyy happening behind the scenes). 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a woman made the life-changing decision to anonymously donate her kidney, she did it out of pure compassion for a total stranger. But what happens when that stranger doesn’t stay anonymous? When the recipient of your organ begins threatening your safety, and turning your act of selflessness into a nightmare? In episode  358, Jac and Lex delve into the harrowing story of one woman’s gift, and how it came back to haunt her. In a legal system unprepared for a case like this, she found herself caught in a web of fear, confusion, and emotional devastation. What do you do when the lines between medical ethics, personal safety, and criminal law blur? When the very act that saved someone’s life puts your own in danger? And in the end… could she ever make it stop? 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’ve been asking us to deep dive The Yellow Deli (and the Twelve Tribes cult) for months now, and the day has finally come.  We’re diving into their “communal living” and “child discipline”, bizarre Sabbath gatherings, and disgusting beliefs.  Don’t be fooled by the friendly workers and delicious sandwiches…the Yellow Deli is a CULT.  Also, we touch on Shiloh Hill and the dark web blood cowboy boots and the latest headlines of the week. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On February 25, 1999, a 24-year-old environmental and Indigenous rights activist and two Native American advocates disappear from Arauca, Colombia, after meeting with local U’Wa people. The U’Wa’s lives and lands are under direct threat from multinational oil extraction, and the activists are there to help facilitate protection of the tribes’ indigenous sovereignty and environment. A week later, their bodies are found near a river, shot to death. And so the long and complicated battle begins for their loved ones to find answers and have the killers held accountable in the midst of political instability and armed conflict. In episode 357, Jac and Alexis detail the heartbreaking case of Terence Freitas, Ingrid Washinawatok, and Lahe’ena’e Gay, and Indigenous communities’ fight against the complex and nuanced geopolitical backdrop of the threat of extractive industries on both fragile ecosystems and their custodians’ very way of life. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone seems to be crashing out this week, and we are here to cover it all for you! R Kelly’s “alleged” murder attempt in jail, Kanye showing up at Diddy’s trial, Trace Cyrus’ wilddddd accusations against Brenda Song, Justin Bieber posting his personal conversations on IG, and of course the latest insanity with Blake vs Justin. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joshua Ritter, a former L.A. prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney, discusses the tragic case of Christy Giles and Hilda Cabrales-Arzola, two young women whose lives ended after a night out in Beverly Hills. They explore the chilling circumstances of their deaths, examining societal fears regarding women's safety and predator behavior. Ritter highlights the troubling history of the suspect, David Pearce, and the systemic failures that allowed his crimes to persist. The conversation calls for justice, collective action, and accountability in addressing violence against women.

A chilling examination of the Micah Miller case uncovers layers of psychological abuse and mysterious circumstances surrounding her tragic death. The dismissal of Justin Baldoni's lawsuit raises eyebrows, prompting a closer look at the media's role. Meanwhile, unsettling revelations suggest Ocean Gate's mission may have had darker intentions. The podcast also tackles celebrity culture, highlighting disturbing allegations against a renowned figure, contrasting public personas with hidden violence. Tune in for an exploration of legal dramas and ego-driven tragedies.