Picture this: A fight breaks out on the campus of Kentucky State University. One particular college student is in danger, so his father shows up to protect him. But what begins as protection quickly escalates into gunfire. By the end of the night, one student is dead, and another is critically injured.

Then, in a twist of fate that defies almost every expectation of justice, the man who pulled the trigger walks free – while the father of the deceased student is the one who ends up behind bars.

This is a case that forces us to ask uncomfortable questions about self-defense, accountability, and how the justice system decides who is allowed to claim fear – and who pays the ultimate price for it. Listen now to hear the full story.

This episode is rated a 4 (on my Serious Crime Scale).

On April 1, 2008, 21-year-old Skye Budnick — a junior at Central Connecticut State University — boarded a one-way flight to Japan. She traveled alone. She packed lightly. And after she landed, she seemingly vanished without a trace. Her family searched desperately. They made two separate trips across the world, navigating a country they didn’t know, chasing leads, holding onto the hope that someone, somewhere, had seen Skye. But years later, Skye has never been seen again. She never came home. She never returned to American soil. Listen now to hear the full story.

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale).

After Labor Day weekend in 2005, 17-year-old Taylor Behl returned to the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University eager to resume her freshman year. Away from home for the first time, Taylor was embracing the independence and excitement of college life. But when more than 24 hours passed without anyone hearing from her, concern quickly turned to alarm – and those closest to her knew something was terribly wrong.

Listen now to hear the full story.