Motherhood is often seen as a guarantee of safety. A bond that protects without question. But in rare and devastating cases, that "guarantee" falls apart completely.

This episode of a Cup of Coffee and Crime examines two troubling cases, both involving mothers, but unfolding in very different ways.

In Utah, a garage exposes years of secrecy, addiction, and violence at the hands of Megan Huntsman, whose crimes went undetected for over a decade, buried among everyday belongings, unnoticed by those closest to her.

In Ohio, five year old Darnell Taylor was already known to the system. Removed once for his own safety, he was placed into care, only to still be unsafe. His death has raised questions about oversight, warning signs, and how a child already flagged as vulnerable could still be failed.

★ To see todays case photos head over to the Cup of Coffee and Crime Facebook Discussion Group

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A high school teacher in Massachusetts. A first-grade teacher in Virginia. Two educators who dedicated their lives to their students, and two acts of violence that shattered the sense of safety inside the classroom. In this episode of Cup of Coffee and Crime, we look at the murder of 24-year-old Colleen Ritzer in 2013, and the 2023 shooting of 25-year old teacher Abby Zwerner.

Through both cases, I explore the growing risks faced by teachers, the warning signs that were missed, and what real accountability looks like when those responsible for protecting staff fail to act. These aren’t just stories about school violence, they’re lessons about responsibility, prevention, and the cost of ignoring what’s right in front of us.

★ Read my article on Medium: A Right? Or a Privilege?

★ To see todays case photos head over to the Cup of Coffee and Crime Facebook Discussion Group

★ To support the show and keep me caffeinated, you are now able to Buy Me a Coffee :)

★ Taking a few minutes to complete a quick survey is such a huge way to help http://bit.ly/cupofcoffeeandcrime-survey

Music from #Uppbeat :

https://uppbeat.io/t/ak/midnight-stroll

License code: OCHNSIEQIVR5SLQ7

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1993, two-year-old James Bulger was abducted from a Liverpool shopping centre by Robert Thompson and Jon Venables; a crime that horrified Britain and remains one of the most infamous true crime cases in UK history. But few remember James Riley, the fourteen-year-old local boy who discovered James Bulger’s body on the railway line in Walton.

Decades later, his name resurfaced, closing a tragic circle that began thirty years earlier. This episode of Cup of Coffee and Crime is a think piece looks beyond the headlines, at trauma, silence, and the hidden lives of those caught in the aftermath of tragedy. Because remembering people like James Riley is often as important as remembering the victims themselves.

** SEASON 6 WILL RETURN IN JANUARY 2026. UNTIL THEN BONUS EPISODES WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPLOADED FORTIGHTLY **

★ To see todays case photos head over to the Cup of Coffee and Crime Facebook Discussion Group

★ To support the show and keep me caffeinated, you are now able to Buy Me a Coffee :)

★ Taking a few minutes to complete a quick survey is such a huge way to help http://bit.ly/cupofcoffeeandcrime-survey

Music from #Uppbeat :

https://uppbeat.io/t/ak/midnight-stroll

License code: OCHNSIEQIVR5SLQ7

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.