Juicy Crimes with Heather McDonald

Episode: Murder in Palm Springs with Shannon McDonald Goldstein, Criminal Defense Attorney

Release Date: October 29, 2025

Brief Overview

In this episode of Juicy Crimes, Heather McDonald and her sister, criminal defense attorney Shannon McDonald Goldstein, dig into the 2008 murder of Clifford Lambert, an art collector and flamboyant Palm Springs socialite. The case unravels an elaborate web of scammers, “princes,” gay porn stars, and con artists, culminating in Lambert’s disappearance and the gripping courtroom saga that followed. The sisters, with Shannon’s personal connections to the players and prosecutors in the case, break down the twists, betrayals, and the ultimate unmasking of everyone involved—including more than one grifter. The episode strikes a balance between true crime intrigue and the signature lighthearted, gossippy tone of the show.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background on Palm Springs & Clifford Lambert

• Context: Palm Springs as a historic enclave for Hollywood celebrities, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community. (03:02)
• Clifford “Cliff” Lambert:
  • 74-year-old, gay, art collector, “lived this lavish lifestyle,” had connections to old Hollywood (03:02).
  • Made his fortune selling high-quality art prints of famous works—“He had the genius idea of taking very, very famous pieces of art that’s in museums and printing them... And that is really where he made all his money.” – Heather (04:03)
• Palm Springs Setting: Offers a unique blend of old Hollywood glamour and modern LGBTQ+ culture; home to quirky traditions, like the Christmas parade.

2. Cliff’s Romantic & Social Circle

• Long-Term Relationship:
  • Cliff’s ex-boyfriend, Travis Hobbs, was much younger (19 when they met), relationship ended under mysterious “drowning in a Jacuzzi or...” circumstances (06:50).
• Eddie Mulligan (Gay Porn Star):
  • Befriended Cliff after a go-go dancing encounter at Hunter’s nightclub; describes their relationship as nonsexual but lavish.
  • “I kept putting dollars in my G-string. And he said, ‘We’re going to be fast friends. And I just knew we were.’” – Heather recounting Mulligan (08:43)

3. The Entrée of the Grifters

• Online Dating & “Danny the Freckled Gay”:
  • Cliff meets Danny Garcia, who presents as a wealthy young party boy.
    “He finds this guy named Danny Garcia, who is, you know, certainly presents himself as somebody who has lots of money...” – Shannon (09:29)
• The Fake Prince (Kashal Neroli):
  • Danny’s friend; claims to be an exiled Nepalese prince, furthering the illusion of money and prestige.
  • Both ingratiate themselves into Cliff’s glamorous life.

4. The Disappearance

• Missed Parade and Suspicious Communications:
  • Cliff vanishes before an expected appearance at Palm Springs’ Christmas parade.
  • Eddie receives a suspicious email from Cliff supposedly vacationing in Hawaii—“He never really wrote me emails before. Like, that’s weird, right?” – Heather (12:46)
• Missing Person Report:
  • Police involvement escalates after a realtor contacts authorities about a too-good-to-be-true property deal regarding Cliff’s house (13:44–14:39).

5. The Fraud and Investigation Deepen

• Realtor’s Suspicion:
  • “She does a little digging and realizes, lo and behold, that this house... belongs still to this guy, Cliff Lambert, who apparently is missing.” – Shannon (13:25)
• Bartender (Miguel Bustamante) and The Motel Room:
  • Bartender is caught cleaning out Cliff’s house, tries to deflect blame onto Danny and the Prince, claiming Cliff was kidnapped to Mexico for art theft.
  • Cops find evidence in a Motel 6, including Cliff’s ID and possessions (16:07–17:18).

6. The Juicy Tape & Operation 'CL'

• Phone Conversations in Jail:
  • Prosecutor Lisa Di Maria uncovers taped jail calls outlining “Operation CL (Cliff Lambert),” the con to extract millions from Cliff.
    “They think he’s worth, like, $68 million. And now I’m dating him. Here’s our next grifter plan…” – Shannon (20:43)
• Boasting and Luring:
  • Discussion of how Cliff’s ego and boastfulness attracted the wrong kind of people, setting him up as a target (21:53).

7. History of Scamming: Danny’s Legal Past

• Puerto Vallarta Lawsuit:
  • Danny previously staged a bogus child sexual abuse suit in which he paid young men to lie, netting a large wrongful lawsuit payout (28:36–29:48).
• Victimization of Friends:
  • Pattern of identity theft and credit card fraud, as shown with friend Tyson during an extended trip to Brazil (30:59–33:07).

8. Unraveling the Murder Plot

• Fake Art Inheritance:
  • Convoluted scheme where the Prince, posing as an attorney, convinces Cliff he’s inheriting art from a deceased heiress, luring him back to his home (34:18–35:47).
• The Murder:
  • Bartender and his Marine roommate are let into Cliff’s house, where Cliff is ambushed and killed. (37:25–38:00)
  • Discrepancies discussed about who knew what—was it a plot to scare, kidnap, or kill Cliff?
• Body Disposal:
  • Bartender later confides to a jailhouse informant, drawing a crude map to where Clifford’s body was buried (41:46–42:21).

9. Courtroom Circus and Grifter Tactics

• Pro Se Defense & Procedural Chaos:
  • Both Danny and the Prince represent themselves after going through nine public defenders, filing countless motions and even (unsuccessfully) suing the prosecutor for “prosecutorial misconduct.” “They come off as they’re being so rich and everything. Well, apparently there’s not… Because they qualified for a court-appointed attorney.” – Shannon (46:20)
  • Notable for acquiring a new MacBook in jail to access discovery, ironically leveraging their tech skills—“Part of his grifting talents is computers and technology...” – Shannon (50:39)
• Retrials Due to Judicial Bias:
  • Convictions were initially thrown out after the judge is caught on the illegal trial recording making homophobic remarks:
    “He said, ‘Doesn’t he have AIDS? Isn’t he HIV positive? That is disgusting. That’s gross.’” – Heather (54:16)

10. Appeal, Retrial, and Shocking Reveals

• Retrial:
  • New prosecutor, Rob Hightower, retries the case; a skull/jawbone consistent with Cliff is eventually found, removing all doubt of homicide (56:43).
• Further Tragedy and Tangents:
  • The fake Prince, who by 2022 identified as a transgender woman, is murdered by their cellmate in custody before retrial—“The cellmate said, I had to kill him, ‘cause he wouldn’t shut up.” – Heather (59:16)
  • Ongoing litigation against the sheriff’s department due to the cellmate killing, echoing high-profile prison negligence cases.

11. Aftermath & Irony: Who Was the Ultimate Grifter?

• Cliff’s Own Scams:
  • All of Cliff’s “priceless” art was fake—his entire collection consisted of prints, not originals.
    “All of his art… not one was an actual authentic original.” – Heather (64:46)
  • “Wow, he was a grifter too. Right. And Clifford was Cliff.” – Heather (62:55)
• Closing Reflections:
  • The story is ultimately a web of users—con artists exploiting a con artist: “They’re all users. None of them are completely truthful.” – Heather (63:16)
  • Sadness for Clifford’s fate, yet an acknowledgement of the gray morality at play.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cliff’s Persona:
  “There’s photos of him playing basketball… with Lucille Ball and all these people. Kind of like a Liberace type...” – Heather (03:02)

• On Gay Palm Springs Culture:
  “Palm Springs… became this place that gay Hollywood could go and be themselves and be safe and have friends.” – Heather (03:15)

• On the ‘Operation CL’ Tape:
  “Operation CL (Cliff Lambert) … Once you get out of jail, here’s our next grifter plan.” – Shannon (20:43)

• On the Ultimate Irony:
  “All of his art that he would tell Lucille Ball and everybody else… were all fakes. … He was a grifter too.” – Heather (62:55)

• On Grifters in Court:
  “They knew just enough to be dangerous... It really is the trait of a narcissist, I mean essentially a grifter is a narcissist, right?” – Shannon (48:58)

• On Judicial Misconduct:
  “He said, ‘Doesn’t he have AIDS? Isn’t he HIV positive? That is disgusting. That's gross.’” – Heather (54:16)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Palm Springs history and Cliff’s world: 03:00–06:00
• Eddie Mulligan and Cliff’s social scene: 07:00–09:00
• Danny and ‘the Prince’ introduced: 09:14–10:14
• Cliff goes missing, investigation begins: 11:07–12:59
• Realtor discovers fraud—house being sold: 13:44–14:39
• Bartender’s cover story and discovery of evidence: 15:03–17:18
• Phone tapes and “Operation CL”: 19:16–21:13
• Danny’s past legal scams: 28:36–30:19
• Stealing from friend, clue emerges in online comments: 30:59–33:18
• Art inheritance grift and the setup: 33:48–35:47
• The murder at Cliff’s house (details): 37:25–38:00
• Jailhouse map and search for the body: 41:46–42:21
• Danny and Prince defend themselves, court antics: 46:20–51:04
• Retrial after judge’s shocking bias is revealed: 54:13–56:00
• Prince killed in jail, Danny’s appeals and ADA complaint: 59:16–60:47
• Art collection revealed to be fake: 62:01–64:46

Tone, Style, and Speaker Dynamics

Heather and Shannon maintain a brisk, gossipy, slightly irreverent tone, peppered with Palm Springs local color and legal shop talk. They blend true crime intrigue with the perspective of insiders—Shannon as a criminal defense attorney who personally knows the prosecutor and court players, and Heather with her flair for vivid storytelling.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a wild ride: none of the players are quite as they seem, and the lines between victim and con artist blur in this Palm Springs true crime tale. The sisters expertly untangle a case featuring a social climber-victim, a conman-turned-courtroom self-defender, a fake prince, a porn star confidante, shady lawyers, and a series of brazen frauds that went all the way to the courtroom and back again—twice. The episode offers juicy details without getting too dark, perfect for crime fans who enjoy both substance and style.

Additional Resource

• Prosecutor Lisa Di Maria’s nuanced role and personal anecdotes highlight the unique intersection of Palm Springs law and local culture.

For more connections to the case or legal help, Shannon Goldstein can be found at michaelgoldstein.net or @ShannonGoldstein on Instagram. (66:21)