Rebecca Reisner is a writer and editor who spends too much time watching Forensic Files and rereading In Cold Blood. Her book, Forensic Files Now: Inside 40 Unforgettable True Crime Cases, consists of blog posts along with new content.
Follow posts on Instagram or Facebook or Threads
Contact: ForensicFilesNow@gmail.com
Why are you so anxious to find dirt on Greg Davis?
Public moralizers like him tend to be covering up hypocrisy in their own lives.
*That* is so true.
And what evidence have you found of this regarding Greg Davis?
The way he’s condemned her because of the memorial for her sons. I don’t think anyone has the right to tell anyone else how to grieve properly. And the way the prosecution called her self-centered. We’re all self-centered at times. It doesn’t mean we’re capable of murder.
Don’t mind Pamela…poor thing is obsessed with all things Darlie. Perhaps if she gave it a rest once in a while, she’d have more time for silly things such as getting her pets inoculated (she has at least 3 citations for failure to do so) and for safely buckling her grandchild in a proper child restraint (she was cited for this as recently as August, 2017). Put down the stones, Pammy…you can’t even take care of your pets.
Hahaha
Sounds like you are obsessing over Pamela! Keeping tabs on her grandchildren and pets, you sound very creepy.
I wonder if Mr. Greg-The-Good-Christian-Davis would have any criticism for a mother who raised a homosexual child?
Easy enough to defend him when it’s not your life under scrutiny, eh?
What does this have to do with anything? Very weird.
Rebecca, I would love to talk to you about your article on David Draheim.
U ve got a new fan
Thanks, Carol — so glad you’re enjoying the blog!
I just read your story on Vicky Lyons (forensic files treading not so lightly). It makes me very happy to know she’s still being remembered even though your story is from 2016, it still makes me happy when I see or read another story keeping her memory alive. Vicky was my 3rd cousin (her dad Bill was my mother’s 1st cousin). Our entire family is very close, one of my earliest memories of Vicky, Crystal and Bill was when they drove from Alaska and picked up me and my brother in Mississippi and we all went to Disney World. I miss Vicky and Bill. I’ve since lost contact w/ Crystal. I’d love to see her again some time.
Many thanks for writing in. The blog posts about your cousin Vicky have gotten tens of thousands of page views. Her story has touched a great number of readers and viewers, and it’s one of the reasons I created this blog.
I was touched by Vicky on Forensics Files and saddened to see that she died at such a young age after all she went through as a result of being hit in that parking lot. My condolences to you and your family. I’ve seen the YouTube of her winning her debut wrestling match against Daffney, and heard the post made by her friend Conley; both of which seem to indicate that she was at least happy and doing what she wanted right before she passed away.
I hope you can reestablish contact with her mother.
P.S.: If Vicky’s father was your mother’s 1st cousin, then Vicky is your 2nd (not 3rd) cousin; her father Bill was your 1st cousin once removed. Just fyi…
Forensic files still puts me to sleep! R.I.P. PETER THOMAS
Every night!!! It’s playing in the background now… I grew up on this show…what’s everyone’s thoughts on FF2?
Thank you for creating this blog. I started watching Forensic Files about a year ago and can’t stop, even though I’ve seen every episode at least twice. Great Job Rebecca!
Thanks so much for the kind words! I always had faith that there were other FF fans like me out there…
“Sherry Moses” who commented about Greg Davis is Darlie’s aunt lol. Of course she doesn’t like him, but anyone with any brains at all knows that Darlie killed her kids. You can retry the case over and over and the evidence is still the same. I’ve been to the house, I have reviewed every ounce of evidence and I desperately wanted her to innocent but the facts remain the same she murdered her kids. Put your feelings aside for her and think about those boys. Her personality in court and otherwise is that of a very narcissistic and disturbed individual.
Rebecca-
Your website is amazing. Forensic Files is the granddaddy of true crime shows. The enthusiastic participation in the comments section surely indicates an enthusiastic fan base. Well done Rebecca. You have a large family. Thank you. Chris.
That’s so nice of you to say — many thanks for the moral support!
Your post on Brian Vaughn is a joke. He killed him for a childish reason??? Wow really. I’ve been mad at my parents but never killed them or even thought about it. Brian was and probably still is selfish and entitled. He should have served his entire sentence. No doubt he’ll be back behind bars. Keep rallying for spoiled kids that have no qualms about killing a parent. Smh.
I totally agree with that post on Brian Vaugh’s sentence age. When I read that, I thought, wasn’t planned, what program did you watch? How did the huge rock get on the balcony? That sure was planned. How about knowing to take his brother over to a neighbor’s, come back, then, let’s see, what should I do next? I guess I should shoot him first. Then what do I do? Think think. These things don’t come that natural in such a flow as these did, without planning. He already did something pretty aggressive because his older “yet not so old” car was cramping his style. I would have died to have even a “beater” car in high school, rather than walking. I didn’t own a car until I got out of the Armed Forces, 4/yr. He wanted to be man of the house. In most states, when a “child”, as you call him, committed such a heinous crime & they are above teenager age, get consideration as to whether they get charged as an adult. Most know that, these days. If you’re above a teenager, you know what you’re doing, unless you are disabled or have severe learning disabilities, in which case, the court will have them tested & deem them as such. That comment about him was totally wrong. It really upset me, after I heard, even the “forensic” version which is shorter than an hour long movie about it.
Rebecca: As of today Colvin ‘Butch’ Hinton is incarcerated, thankfully, per your reference to a then-forthcoming parole hearing, if you care to update:
http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/GDC/OffenderQuery/jsp/OffQryRedirector.jsp
https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/tag/butch-hinton/
I can’t find a site or media reference to parole denial, but it must have been. Confusingly, he’s down as ‘life’ yet there are many web references to parole hearing, inc representations from the family of his victim… I thought life was shorthand for life without parole… Maybe clemency was, instead, in issue? But how he’d stand the remotest chance of that is beyond me!
Hopefully he’ll never be released, as a particularly egregious character.
Best wishes,
M
Hallelujah and thanks for writing in! I just updated accordingly.
Thanks, R. I hope the apparent refusal provides a small measure or relief to Shannon’s loved ones. Hinton’s only 58, therefore physically capable of years of potential threat (I tend to think that it’s only the 75-pluses one can assume one’s reasonably safe from. There must be stats for the proportion of violent crimes committed by people of a given age. Plenty will be for the 55-60 age-group, though it’ll be tailing-off by then. Actually, it’d be of some interest to collate the sex and age of FF’s perps!)
I think 75 as a cutoff age is just wishful thinking. Check this out … this molester is in his 90s!
https://truecrimedaily.com/2023/01/26/otis-leroy-allen-pleaded-guilty-sentenced-child-sex-crimes-bossier-county-sheriff-deputy-louisiana/
Wow, amazing and horrible at the same time! It just might be an argument against compassionate release. Thanks for sending this in!
Why are you so judgmental and rude?
Why do you ask passive aggressive questions?
What evidence did you find on Richard Lyons? I know the background to Nancy’s family and where her daughters are now and who they have been adopted to reach out!
How interesting! My intelligence comes from internet research of news sources and some TV. If you have any information to share on the Lyonses, please feel free to email me at forensicfilesnow@gmail.com
Please marry me.
Yeah. Okay. Who wants to marry a Sy Ko? Anyone?
I’ve been reading your blog for ages now, respectfully and appreciatively. I have always considered your posts balanced, fair, and non-discriminatory. Thus it is with considerable expense of spirit that I found that you censored a perfectly reasonable rejoinder I posted, offering a far more diplomatic response to the small group of bigots insistent on misgendering Brandon Teena in the absence of any credible evidence than they deserved. What they are posting is hate speech, and as someone who has been subjected to that myself, I never thought I would have seen it championed on here.
Hi, Steve! I sent you an email a few days ago, but just in case it didn’t arrive… can you refresh my memory on how your message was censored? Just recently, I’ve tried to get a little stricter on readers calling each other names, but leave the more substantive part of the opinion untouched.
Something about a married couple who ended up getting a divorce… the wife hires two men to protect her from husband… eventually husband disappears and wife is found murdered?
A bit fuzzy… but does an episode of forensic files with these details exist?
I have spent way too much time on FF too, but it’s a hard habit to break!
My husband says I would do forensic science if I had to redo my career and start from scratch. He’s probably right!
I just found your website, and I looked for an episode that I have seen many times and doesn’t appear to be listed based on criminal name. Three brothers (two who had been in law enforcement) robbed banks in the Carolinas. Claude Bellamy, I believe Larry was a brother and there was another. Just wanted to mention this episode in case you want to add it to your list.
I’m dealing with an FF dependence too, lol! I actually did a recap on the bank-robbing brothers a while back. Here’s a link, https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/2019/03/07/the-bellamy-brothers-bank-robbing-lawmen/
Thanks for this blog, just discovered it. For 20 years, I haven’t had a TV, but once annually over Xmas I would visit my parents and binge watch FF on their TV. But I always found the too frequent commercial interruptions too annoying — almost as bad as the NFL — and gave up watching FF even though I have access to TV now. But I just discovered FF on Youtube — the ads are far less frequent, making it watchable now. Now I’m addicted again. An observation:
A majority of FF episodes, it seems to me, involve staging. In the not too distant past, before all the advances in modern forensics, I’m sure that many more staged murders were successful; the investigators may have suspected the spouse (or colleague) staged the murder, but just didn’t have the evidence to make a case in court. Now, with the popularity of FF unabated, I wonder if might have produced a deterrent effect, at least in the more intelligent and aware malefactors; i.e, they realize how difficult it is now to get away with a staged murder and abandon their plans.
Travis, so glad that you’re enjoying the blog! My (untested) theory is that criminals who watch Forensic Files think that they can do a better job than the ones who get caught.
To the writer of this article: It’s Medea. That’s M to the A to the Damn E A. Madea never killed anyone so watch what you say. Madea has nothing to do with burning houses down with children inside them.
I hate to disappoint all the haters & naysayers trying to pull dirt on Greg Davis. I’ve know Greg all my life and what you see is what you get. He’s a honest and hard worker all his life. I went to school at Garland with him and we should all have such a clean lifestyle. Those who throw stones have more skeletons in their own closets. JS
You’re the first friend of Greg to write in–thanks for doing so. It’s always good to get an opinion from someone who knows the person in question.
Breeze knoll built 1896.
I’m sure you know this already but in case you didn’t.
Thanks for writing in — info on Breeze Knoll has been hard to find.
Love this site. End up coming here a lot. As a fellow obsessed FF watcher, I truly appreciate what you’re doing here.
I’ve been watching Forensic Files for years. How have I never seen your site until now. Your writing style and analysis of Bruce Moilanan had me howling. You’ve got a huge new fan! I can’t wait to read up in your takes of other FF episodes. Kudos!
Thanks a million — so glad you’re enjoying the site!
Booker t. Hillery Jr. now dead.
Thanks for writing in with the tip. I just went in and checked the California’s prison authority and it no longer lists him as an inmate.
I can’t believe I’m just finding this site now — this is incredible. I would probably attend a Forensic Files convention if one existed if Skip Palenak and Amy Michaud were there. My favorite episodes are usually the ones with the Texas Ranger interviews for obvious reasons.
My comment involves the recent award winners. I can’t remember the name of the episode, but this is definitely award-worthy for something. The guy coming home from work (guy #1) picked up a random guy (guy #2) to give him a ride, they ending up getting into a fight with each other and guy #1 drives off … then guy #2 with subsequently wanders quite a distance and goes into the house of guy #1 completely by coincidence and killing his mother. Guy #1 is the suspect forever …. still blows my mind everytime I see it.
That was one crazy case! It needs to go on my list for blog post.
Hi, I was positive you did an update on Josiah Ward. But I can’t find it now. Did you do one? BTW to anyone that hasn’t went out and purchased the book I highly recommend it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t wait for book number 2. You need to do 12 books a year. That is one for every month lol.
Gold Rush — such a sad story.
I need help!!! My sister was murder back in October 1999, and at this point it is the perfect murder. The remains of her skull, lower jaw, and 20 bones were found in some wooded area outside of my town. My mom passed not knowing what had happened to her, and the police don’t have the recourse or the care to want to figure out what happen or who did it. She left behind four children that deserved to know what happen to their mom. Can you please reply back.
Thank you for reading this 🙁
Tiffany, I’m so sorry for what happened to your sister and that her children were left without a mother. If you’re looking for an investigation and the police don’t have the capacity to start one, your next step should probably reaching out to crime reporters at local newspapers. Most true-crime shows portray crimes that have already been solved. (That’s how Forensic Files worked). I think ‘In Pursuit’ starring John Walsh might do some investigations for their episodes, so that’s another door you might want to knock on.
I feel your overview of the Barton case is unsatisfactory because you leave unmentioned significant information that cast suspicions on him in the opinion of those who knew him in the police department. His comments in the first moments of being on the scene were incriminating in ways his colleagues could not easily dismiss. Of course, if he did try to scare his wife into moving into town, he wasn’t trying to harm her. His motives were not malicious.
Thanks for writing in with this — and as you indicated, even if he was guilty of arranging the crime, he never expected such a horrible result.
RR,
Great reporting on Tracey Frame. You mentioned that she put up $80k of her own money for the house. One unknown or unreported fact in your story, she was embezzling money from her employer. That employer discovered the theft and took action to fire her immediately. They then began proceedings to file suit against her to recover the funds. They dropped all proceedings when they found out she was arrested for the murder of Mr. Nixon. How do I know this? I was the employee that notified Internal Audit of a possible issue at the Dallas plant. Internal Audit discovered that Tracey had recently stolen $84k from the company. It is my belief that our action set the dominos falling that pushed her to the edge. Why now? I read that she was up for parole review in Sept of 2024. I thought about the case and where it may have blown up on Tracey.
KR
Thanks for writing in with this — what an amoral person she was and probably still is. She needs to stay in prison. No person or business would be safe around her.