A man viciously assaults his ex-girlfriend in a brutal, repeated act of violence. Determined to stop him for good, Prosecutor Kristin pours everything into building an airtight case. But once inside the courtroom, the proceedings take an unexpected turn, unraveling in ways she never could have predicted.
With years of experience, Kristin knows how to prepare for trial—but this case proves that even the most dedicated prosecutors are sometimes at the mercy of the very people they’re fighting to protect: the victims.
Kristin began her legal career in 1992 working as a deputy prosecuting attorney for King County, WA. In her ten years as a criminal prosecutor, Kristin conducted over 50 jury trials while working in several different divisions. Her caseload ranged from property crime to homicide, but she spent the majority of her time prosecuting domestic violence. Kristin attended the National Advocacy Center (NAC) in Columbia, SC and became a trial advocacy instructor at the NAC before leaving King County to take a position with the Vermont Department of Public Safety.
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57:41
Square One
When a 9-year-old girl vanishes without a trace in 1984, a rural Canadian town is left reeling. Law enforcement quickly zeroes in on a suspect—a quiet, socially awkward neighbor. But as the case unfolds, doubts about his guilt emerge again and again.
Decades later, Detective Sergeant Steve takes on the cold case. With the power of modern DNA technology, everything once thought to be fact is suddenly back in play. Will the truth finally come to light?
Detective Sergeant Steve is a seasoned investigator with 28 years of service in the Toronto Police Service, where he currently leads the Homicide Cold Case Unit—home to the largest caseload of unsolved cases in Canada. In addition to overseeing the Cold Case Unit, Steve also manages the Forensic Video Unit and played a key role in the establishment of the Missing Persons Unit, guiding its development from the ground up. Throughout his distinguished career, Steve has held various positions in specialized units, including the Drug Squad, Major Crime Unit, Major Projects, ROPE (Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement) Squad, and the Hold Up Squad. Notably, while in the Hold Up Squad, he was instrumental in solving the high-profile multi-national bank robbery series known as the "Vaulter Bandit." A graduate of Brock University, Steve holds a major in Political Science and a minor in Business Entrepreneurship. His early career interests in law enforcement were sparked by his work with the Canada Border Services Agency during his time at university.
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1:01:31
Cold Blooded
After years of adventure on their dream yacht, a retired couple decides to sell it and move closer to their grandchildren. The buyers—a charming young couple with a toddler—seem perfect. They don’t haggle on price; their only request is to take a trip on the yacht together so the sellers can show them the ropes. But after that outing, the retired couple vanishes without a trace.
Former Orange County DA Matt is called in to uncover the truth, and what he finds is both shocking and devastating. This twisted case is filled with loose ends, and it’s up to Matt to untangle the mystery before it’s too late.
Matt Murphy is a legal analyst for ABC News and an attorney in private practice in Southern California. He was a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Orange County California. Matt Murphy spent 21 years assigned to the sexual assault and homicide units where he prosecuted some of the most notorious murder cases in the state of California. He completed 132 jury trials in his career as a prosecutor, including 52 while he was assigned to the homicide unit. He worked as an adjunct professor of law for 7 years. In addition to his work for ABC news, Mr. Murphy is in
private practice representing victims of sexual abuse and some select criminal defense cases.
He has also been regularly appearing on NewsNation with Elizabeth Vargas, Chris Cuomo and Ashleigh Banfield providing analysis on Criminal cases in the news. Matt published his first book, The Book of Murder: A Prosecutor's Journey Through Love and Death, in 2024, which was an instant Best Seller, and is working on his next book proposal.
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53:21
Justice for Carla, Part 2
In the conclusion of this two-part case, Paul Holes turns to DNA evidence in the search for Carla Walker’s real killer. But decades-old lab errors and missing samples threaten to derail the investigation. Despite the obstacles, the case finally reaches a definitive conclusion—answering the question once and for all: Who killed Carla Walker?
Paul Holes is a bestselling author, podcaster, television host and retired cold-case investigator with the sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices in California’s Contra Costa County. During his 27 years as an investigator, Holes used his behavioral and forensic expertise in such notable cases as the Zodiac murders, Golden State Killer, and Jaycee Dugard kidnapping. In May 2022, Holes published Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases – which became an instant New York Times bestseller. Paul teamed with the FBI and Sacramento DA to help identify Joseph DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer, the most prolific serial predator in U.S. history. In 2019, he teamed up with Oxygen to host ”The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes” and in November he’s launching a new original series with HLN called, ”Real Life Nightmare with Paul Holes.”
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55:17
Justice for Carla, Part 1
In part one of this two-part case, our very own Paul Holes explains how a cold case from 1974 landed on his desk. Seventeen-year-old Carla Walker was brutally murdered on her way to a dance, and suspicion quickly fell on her boyfriend as his story kept changing. But when Paul conducts a revealing interview, the investigation takes a shocking turn. Could the real killer have been overlooked for decades? Who killed Carla Walker?
Paul Holes is a bestselling author, podcaster, television host and retired cold-case investigator with the sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices in California’s Contra Costa County. During his 27 years as an investigator, Holes used his behavioral and forensic expertise in such notable cases as the Zodiac murders, Golden State Killer, and Jaycee Dugard kidnapping. In May 2022, Holes published Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases – which became an instant New York Times bestseller. Paul teamed with the FBI and Sacramento DA to help identify Joseph DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer, the most prolific serial predator in U.S. history. In 2019, he teamed up with Oxygen to host ”The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes” and in November he’s launching a new original series with HLN called, ”Real Life Nightmare with Paul Holes.”
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Small Town Dicks takes you behind the scenes of small town crime cases with the real detectives who investigated them. Hosts Yeardley Smith, twin detectives Dan and Dave, and forensic expert Paul Holes ask the essential questions and offer their own insights so the stories always hit close to home. All seasons are available for streaming.
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