Could Diddy Get a Trump Pardon, Remains of Beauty Queen Found, Halloween Prank Pushes the Limits

Summary

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MK True Crime Podcast – Episode Summary

Title: Could Diddy Get a Trump Pardon, Remains of Beauty Queen Found, Halloween Prank Pushes the Limits
Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Matt Murphy (B)
Contributors: Dave Aronberg (D), Mark Geragos (C)

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Overview

This episode of MK True Crime delves into three major cases:

1. The controversial possibility of a Trump pardon or commutation for Sean “Diddy” Combs.
2. The disturbing developments in the murder of beauty queen Kada Scott in Philadelphia.
3. New evidence and legal maneuvering in the Celeste Rivas Hernandez case (body in a Tesla).
   The panel, composed of former prosecutors and prominent defense lawyers, provides inside legal, political, and procedural insights, with spirited debate on prosecutorial strategy, public safety, and criminal justice reform.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Could Diddy Get a Trump Pardon or Commutation?

[01:34 – 12:59]

• Case Status & Context:
  • Diddy’s lawyers have notified the court they plan to file an appeal.
  • Rumors (via TMZ) that President Trump may commute Diddy’s sentence soon.
  • Diddy was acquitted of major charges but convicted under the Mann Act, facing a lengthy sentence, considered unusually harsh for this charge.
• Insider Connections:
  • Mark Geragos’s daughter was part of Diddy’s defense team; Geragos is also friends with key people at TMZ.
• Legal & Political Analysis:
  • Trump isn’t running for reelection, but has previously shown leniency—especially toward celebrities (“Trump has a soft spot in his heart for celebrities or people with money. That’s Diddy.” – Dave, 04:42).
  • Panelists agree Diddy’s sentence is unusually long for the Mann Act, suggesting prosecutorial overreach and weaponization (“…anybody who was an objective observer of Diddy’s prosecution would say it was weaponized.” – Mark, 06:03).
  • The leaking of hotel video footage of Diddy, which influenced public opinion and the outcome, is seen as pivotal.
• Possible Motives for Trump:
  • Personal animosity towards James Comey and his daughter (one of the prosecutors).
  • A move to undermine Comey’s “win” could influence Trump’s decision (“…he wants to bury Comey’s daughter. He got her fired. And he also notices that she was one of the lead prosecutors here on the Diddy case. So it definitely helps Diddy’s cause.” – Dave, 10:32).
• Notable Moment:
  • Debate on whether Diddy should parallel his case with Trump’s own legal troubles, making appeals to the idea of “weaponized prosecution.”
  • “All Diddy should or could say is, look, I’ve seen now what happens when you’re in New York and they…want to take you out. I’ve seen how they weaponize the criminal justice system. By the way, who else has been the victim of weaponization at the hands of New York prosecutors but Donald Trump?” – Mark, 11:31

Memorable Quotes

• “Trump has a soft spot in his heart for celebrities or people with money. That’s Diddy.” – Dave (04:42)
• “Anybody who was an objective observer of Diddy’s prosecution would say it was weaponized.” – Mark (06:03)
• “If you talk about a constituency, who is Santos’s constituency?...I don’t think there’s any love, loss for Santos, but I think Trump feels for people when they get jobbed…” – Mark (06:03)
• “The leaking of that video…was front and center in the prosecution. That video is what turned the public against him.” – Mark (08:41)

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2. The Remains of Beauty Queen Kada Scott Found; Prosecutorial Decisions Under Fire

[13:47 – 25:46]

• Case Recap:
  • Remains of missing beauty queen Kada Scott were found in Philadelphia.
  • A suspect with a history of violence against women was arrested.
  • The same DA’s office had previously dropped charges after a key victim failed to appear in court.
• Breakdown of Systemic Failures:
  • Dave points out the consequences of criminal justice reform: the accused was released on bail, which likely frightened victims from cooperating (“Because he was out, that…is the reason why the first victim refused to cooperate because she was so scared.” – Dave, 13:57).
• Prosecutorial Perspective:
  • The panel discusses how, with independent evidence (a telling video), prosecutors should move forward regardless of victim cooperation.
  • Mark voices skepticism about prosecutors’ tendency to “cloak themselves” in victim advocacy, arguing such claims are sometimes used to justify personal or political goals (18:16).
• Public Policy Debate:
  • The discussion morphs into a critique of “Soros-backed” (progressive) DAs, particularly Larry Krasner (Philadelphia) and George Gascon (Los Angeles), and their perceived focus on defendant’s rights at the expense of public safety (“These progressive prosecutors are essentially advocating for the bad guys…the system becomes rigged.” – Matt, 49:34).
• Notable Quotes:
  • “When you have somebody who’s obviously dangerous, as this guy was, you’ve got to do what you can. They failed and a young woman died.” – Matt (19:31)
  • “When you wrap yourself up in the mantel of the vict—literally, this year have, I think, shown that that is nothing more than a proxy for whatever the prosecutor wants.” – Mark (18:16)
• Memorable, Tense Exchange:
  • Mark challenges the other panelists’ emotional reactions, calling Matt a “snowflake”—then both dig into the difficulties and failures of criminal justice reform in high-stakes cases.

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3. Celeste Rivas Hernandez – Remains in a Tesla, New Evidence & Investigative Ethics

[27:12 – 38:34]

• Case Details:
  • Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s decomposed remains were found in the trunk of singer David’s Tesla, months after she disappeared.
  • The private investigator claims new evidence—potentially about who last parked the Tesla—has emerged.
  • Allegations of possible sadistic or ritualistic intent, unverified and speculative.
• Legal Insight:
  • No direct smoking gun against David yet; he has “lawyered up,” canceled public appearances, and moved assets to his mother.
  • Discussion on legal distinctions: “principal” vs. “accessory after the fact,” with a focus on the vastly different penalties in California (up to 18 months) vs. Florida (up to 30 years).
• Media & Investigative Conduct:
  • Dave criticizes investigators who speak to media mid-investigation, recalling the Dalia Dippolito case, where public exposure complicated prosecution (33:57).
  • “Never benefits the prosecution to have people speaking out while an investigation is pending.” – Dave (33:57)
• Notable Moment:
  • SOT from a private investigator alluding to “scary, sadistic stuff” (28:42)—participants critique the vagueness and potential prejudice such leaks have on possible prosecutions.

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4. Halloween Prank Pushes the Limits of Homeowner Rights

[39:30 – 41:05]

• Incident Overview:
  • Viral video: Individuals in disguise bang on a family’s door, acting out “your worst nightmare.”
  • The hosts discuss the severe, almost tragic implications if this occurred in a “stand your ground” state (“If this had happened in Florida, they would have likely been shot. My goodness…” – Dave, 40:05).
• Legal Commentary:
  • Entry and threatening behavior could legally count as a burglary, thus justifying self-defense or even lethal force.
• Key Takeaway:
  • The panel underscores the real danger and recklessness of such “pranks,” warning potential copycats.

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5. Nature vs. Nurture: Are Criminals Born?

[43:54 – 47:02]

• Listener Question:
  • Are criminals “born” or “made”?
• Panel Response:
  • Dave references cultural works (“Natural Born Killers,” “Clockwork Orange,” “Silence of the Lambs”) and sides with the need for rehabilitation, especially in juvenile justice.
  • Matt agrees, but draws a hard line: “You reach a point where I don’t care what their motivation is…Some people need to go to prison and not get out…” (45:24)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Politics and prosecutorial power are always a toxic cocktail.” – Judge Greg Jones, quoted by Matt (49:34)
• “There are certain people who need to be in prison and not get out, because as long as they continue to draw breath, they pose a danger.” – Matt (45:24)
• “Never benefits the prosecution to have people speaking out while an investigation is pending.” – Dave (33:57)
• “If this had happened in Florida, they would have likely been shot. My goodness…” – Dave (40:05)
• “Beautiful young woman should be alive today, and she’s not because of the policies of the far left Philadelphia District Attorney.” – Matt (49:34)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------| | 01:34 | Introduction, Diddy’s case overview | | 03:02 | Mark Geragos on Trump’s possible pardon | | 04:09 | Dave Aronberg: Trump’s motivations | | 06:03 | Discussion on political and legal repercussions | | 08:41 | Leaked video, public perception | | 13:47 | Kada Scott murder case recap | | 16:04 | Discussion of incriminating video evidence | | 18:16 | Debate on prosecutorial “victim advocacy” | | 27:12 | Celeste Rivas Hernandez/Tesla case opens | | 28:42 | PI’s vague, sensational interview | | 33:57 | Risks of investigators/media exposure | | 39:30 | Halloween prank video, homeowner rights | | 43:54 | Listener Q: Criminal nature vs. nurture | | 47:02 | Closing arguments / Rants | | 49:34 | Toxic mix of politics and prosecution |

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Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, sometimes combative, but always rooted in deep experience and legal insight. The hosts use dark humor, anecdotal wisdom, and plain language to dissect complex justice issues, often relating debates to personal cases and well-known failures or controversies in the field.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode of MK True Crime highlights the enduring tension between criminal justice reform and public safety, the complexities of high-profile prosecutions, and the unpredictable influence of politics and media on the American justice system. Whether debating a theoretical Trump pardon for Diddy, dissecting DA failures in Philadelphia, or decrying reckless Halloween pranks, the panel’s inside-baseball style and legal backstories provide an absorbing window into the world of real-life crime and punishment.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, everyone, it's Nicki and Bri. And we're here to let you know that we have a podcast, the Nicki and Bri Show. Yes, and we've got new episodes every Monday and Thursday. We're serving up real deal conversations that go beyond the cameras. Think Motherhood confessions, Sisterhood vibes, boss business energy and TV Live tea. Need a laugh? We got you craving inspo. We got inspiration and affirmations on Deck. Want a little cry or a big? Heck yes. Then that's our jam. Whether we're breaking down pop culture, sharing, parenting wins or fails, unpacking personal growth, or just riffing on everyday chaos, nothing is off limits. Plus, we welcome incredible guests, play our favorite games, and do what only sisters can. Keep it 100 while raising a glass together. So pop a bottle, hit play, and come hang with us. Listen to the Nicki and Bree Show. Wherever you get your podcast, OnDeck is built to back small businesses like yours. Whether you're buying equipment, expanding your team, or bridging cash flow gaps on Deck's loans up to $250,000 help make it happen fast. Rated A by the Better Business Bureau and earning thousands of five star Trustpilot reviews, OnDeck delivers funding you can count on. Apply in [e-mail] depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by Ondeck or Celtic Bank. Ondeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans an amount subject to LE approval.

[B]

Welcome to MK True Crime. I'm Matt Murphy, former homicide prosecutor and author of the Book of Murder. Here's what is on the docket today. Diddy and his lawyers have officially notified the court they plan to file an appeal, but will they need to? TMZ is standing by their reporting that the president could commute Diddy's sentence by the end of this week. Will bring you the details. The remains of a missing beauty queen in Philadelphia were found over the weekend and a man was arrested in her disappearance. We'll give you the details of that very disturbing story. And a private investigator is bringing new evidence to light in the case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the teen found dead in singer David's Tesla. I'm joined today with fellow MK True Crime contributors Dave Aronberg, the Florida lawman, former state attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida, and managing partner at Dave Aronberg Law. And my old friend, Mark Garagos, criminal defense attorney to the stars and just attorney extraordinaire. We will start with Diddy. Okay, well, let's jump right into Diddy here. We've Got a man who is uniquely positioned to hopefully give us a little info, if you're willing. Mark. For those who don't know, Mark's daughter was one of Diddy's key defense lawyers. And for my part, I got to say I think she did a fantastic job. And Mark is also personal friends with Harvey Levin, with tmz, and there was some news. Mark, why don't you walk us through it?

[C]

But I will tell you this. I reread the article that was posted, and I'm perplexed as to why the White House felt compelled to weigh in. Because basically what was reported is that President Trump is vacillating, which I've seen personally several interviews where he is vacillated, number one or number two. And second of all, I have seen. I think one of the other things that was reported is that he is that he basically makes the final call or does. Makes the final decision. I mean, that's hardly, to me, breaking news. I mean, that's absolutely the truth based on everything I know. I mean, he's the one who makes the decision. Look, I saw an interview with George Santos on Friday. Santos said he was sitting in his prison cell, had no idea it was coming until he watched it on tv. So I think the reporting looks accurate. I think the president has said before that he's been asked, and I think that, yes, indeed, he's going to be the one who makes the decision.

[B]

So, Dave, you. I mean, you've been politically elected. You did the whole politics thing. I just don't see the vig in this for President Trump to pardon Diddy. I mean, he got Mark Zahr, did a great job. They just found him guilty of the man act. He's only looking at Mark and I talked about this before. My calculations are he's gonna be in a halfway house in 18 months, thereabouts. What's in it for Trump to weigh into something this controversial?

[D]

Trump is not running for reelection again, Matt. And Trump has a soft spot in his heart for celebrities or people with money. That's Diddy. And also for people who have been convicted of crimes where Trump thinks it's a bit unfair. And here you have Diddy, who was acquitted for all the major counts and was convicted on the lesser counts of man act and is getting more time than a regular man act defendant would get. And although I would disagree with President Trump's decision to pardon him, I would think that, to me, would outrage a lot of people. Like, hey, the jury spoke. He should serve his time, and it would be the heights of privilege to give a fellow wealthy celebrity a special get out of jail free card. Literally. So I think that politically, yeah, it won't help him, but I can understand what goes through President Trump's mind. He not just have a soft spot for people who are in privilege and money and wealth and celebrity, but also for people who have been in his eyes, wronged by the criminal justice system.

[B]

System. So what do you think, Mark? I mean, I don't want to get you in trouble. I don't want to get you in trouble with your daughter, but walk us through it, man. What is I, I was shocked to hear that. What's, what's going to happen? Give us your, your predictions without any inside info.

[C]

I think that Dave was, Dave was about 80% to where I am. I think that not only does Trump have. Is there something that resonates, I think the fact that frankly, anybody who was an objective observer of Diddy's prosecution would say it was weaponized. I mean, remember that case was brought by the prior Southern District U.S. attorney, a guy who was basically auditioning a month before the election to be Attorney general. And he actually put it on his website. He indicted Diddy, he indicted Eric Adams. I think if you're going to second guess anybody, you second guess Diddy. And I told the, I won't say that I've told this to him, but I've said this publicly. He should have compared himself when he allocated at the sentencing and he should have said, I now understand what Trump was talking about. I've seen firsthand how they can weaponize the justice system. By the way, when you talk about a constituency, who is Santos's constituency, I mean, I saw Sean Hannity last night cross examining him. I was going to text Sean Hannity and tell him, wow, I don't want to be on the receiving end of that because he was laying into Santos. I don't think there's any love, loss for Santos, but I think Trump feels for people when they get jobbed and frankly, did he in this case, to Dave's point. And I think you might agree, Matt, nobody that I've ever seen and they did a complete survey of it, nobody's getting 60 months, 52 months, whatever the hell he got four years, two months, five. Oh, for the main act, it's just not there. It doesn't happen in the whole idea of the sentencing guidelines is to eliminate disparity. And there is a disparity here.

[B]

Yeah. You know, from my perspective, I just, the Santos thing is that also Shocked me. But, you know, the problem is we've got all that other stuff that happened in L. A. And Mark, you and I have agreed on this all along. RICO was a huge stretch. The sex trafficking because of the consent elements, that was real. That was genuinely problematic. But boy, oh, boy, Diddy came off looking terrible in that video in that hotel and also the arson and all of that were predicates for the rico. But, you know, everybody saw that. It's visceral. And I just, man, I would be, I would be. I would still be surprised if Trump did it. But, but hey, I've never run for office. I think Dave's right.

[C]

Yeah, but don't you think, you know, what's interesting to me is I don't think. I really don't think that. But for that video having been leaked, I don't think he ever would have been indicted. I mean, that video was front and center in the prosecution. That video was what turned the public against him. That video is what got Cassie, if you believe what's reported, an extra $10 million on top of whatever the multiple Deca millionaire she already was from the Diddy settlement. You had him in there. He's been in there for 14 months. Why in the heck are you then giving him on top of that, a tax tip and service charge? I mean, I told you, Matt, my opinion on these sentencing guidelines is if you get an extra three levels because you didn't accept responsibility and take a plea, then the prosecution should be subtracted from five levels from when you win and beat the overcharging. That's the only way you're going to solve prosecutorial overcharging.

[B]

You know, there's another aspect of this I wanted to, I wanted to throw out to both of you. Comey's daughter was, was really a huge part of this prosecution. Right. And let's not forget Comey is a, is a blood enemy of Donald Trump. And look on that one, I'm no fan of Comey, guys. Full, full disclosure, I think that guy was a disgrace to the FBI and I think he did us all a huge disservice. Just Americans, My personal view there. But how much could that play a role? Because he would essentially be taking away what amounts to at least a statistical win for Comey's daughter. She's already been fired from the U.S. attorney's office. What do you think? Is that the type of thing that could play in, in the mind of Donald Trump on this, Matt?

[D]

Absolutely. I mean, James Comey is one of Trump's most hated political opponents. Which is crazy, because why, considering James Comey helped him become president. I mean, he shouldn't be indicting James Comey. He should be sending Comey a gift basket after what he did at the end of the campaign with Hillary's emails. And so now he's not only going after Comey, he wants to bury Comey's daughter. He got her fired. And he also notices that she was one of the lead prosecutors here on the Diddy case. So it definitely helps Diddy's cause. And as far as George Santos, keep in mind, George Santos was a fellow Republican who praised Trump and who, who gave sent him a heartfelt note from prison, who wrote as an op ed while he's behind bars about his solitary confinement. So he was playing to an audience of one. And Trump responded. So I'm not surprised by any of these things.

[B]

What do you think?

[C]

I don't disagree that if you're going to ask for commutation or a pardon, and I think that what, you know, just from my view, it looks like it's a commutation. If it was a commutation. I think that's where you have to appeal to your audience of one. You have to, you know, you had an opportunity, you've still got an opportunity. But I don't know why you would expect that he's going to do something if you don't reach out direct and if you don't praise him. And by the way, there's only two things in the criminal law that, that you can't appeal. Two things, not guilty and a commutation or pardon. That's it. So what does Trump care? He's going to do what he's going to do. And by the way, I still think there are all of that. You've got a better argument for Diddy to get commuted than you do for George Santos. Like I'll say again, George Santos, other than saying he's a Republican who's always voted that way, all Diddy should or could say is, look, I've seen now what happens when you're in New York and they dec. They want to take you out. I've seen how they weaponize the criminal justice system. By the way, who else has been the victim of weaponization at the hands of New York prosecutors but Donald Trump?

[B]

Yep. Well, this is going to be really interesting. And to the audience out there, you just heard from the man who's better connected than anybody. He's good buddies with Harvey Levin. And of course, Mark's daughter was Integral to the defense.

[A]

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[B]

Let's move on now to the Kada Scott case. Dave, why don't you take our viewers through this very briefly. What's going on there?

[D]

Well, the latest is that they've got this suspect and they've made an arrest. And this happened in Philadelphia, where the DA there has reputation of being a criminal justice reformer. He's someone who is sorrows back and he has not filed murder charges yet against the defendant who allegedly killed Keda. And just in a horrifying set of circumstances where it looks like this defendant had previous encounters with women where he attempted to kidnap them and he was in fact prosecuted by the same DA's office before, but the victim did not show up for multiple hearings. And so the prosecutor's office dropped the case. And had this defendant been locked up because of that previous case, Kata would still be alive. Now, with that said, as a former prosecutor, if a victim in a case does not cooperate, doesn't show up to hearings or meetings, then most prosecutors would drop these matters. On the other hand, if you have independent evidence against this defendant and he has clearly a past, then you can go forward with the evidence in the case without the cooperation of the victim. And then one more thing. In Philadelphia, apparently they have bond rules that allowed this defendant in his previous case to get a $200,000 bond, which he was able to fulfill by putting up $20,000 to from a bond bail bondsman, 10%. And he was out. And because he was out, that, we suspect, is the reason why the first victim refused to cooperate because she was so scared that this guy was out, it could harm her. So when we all do all the criminal justice reform stuff, so let's all remember that there are victims Here at stake. And there are real lives at stake. And perhaps Kata should still be alive.

[B]

Okay, let me play this sot. And I gotta confess here guys. This disturbs me. So for the viewers, take a look at this. And then I'm gonna. I want to get your reaction to this. Mark, please, please. Salt one. Go away.

[D]

Don't come over here.

[B]

Karen, call the cops. Is all these kids in here? Call the. Copy them.

[D]

He coming around the window. Go that way.

[A]

Cameron.

[B]

Yeah. Go away. Bye.

[A]

Go away.

[C]

Bye.

[B]

Yep, bye. So Mark, Dave just talked about independent evidence. We get a videotape of that guy's face in the window and you notice how he stops there and says what? Because you called him a. As if. As if she's somehow out of line. What are your thoughts on this one?

[C]

I don't know. My thoughts are. Since when did you become such a snowflake that. That shocked you? I mean you've seen much worse than that. I remember a case you and I had with a lot worse stuff than that. Right. So. Yeah, I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, let me wait. As far as the snowflake thing goes, it's.

[D]

It's.

[B]

That's a video. But we know what he went and did after that. And with Larry Krasner, I'm going to jump on this guy. It's like that friggin guy, he sorrows back, he's a hug him and let him go type. This is one of the consequences. You get a video. And I've been. I was a prosecutor for 26 years. Dave was to. You get a friggin video of a guy like that. To a large extent you do not care what the victim wants or doesn't want. And what it turned out is that these women were afraid to go into court because he was out of custody. Which is again prosecutorial failure, endless. And this is just the latest in a Larry Krasner thing. And he admitted we could have done better. That's a fancy way of him saying we got this young woman killed. So when you're talking about that video, it makes me cringe because as the DA and I know Dave's done the same thing. When you have a reluctant victim, you press forward. And in this case that, that video disturbs me because the prosecutorial incompetence led to the death of a beautiful young woman. So forgive my snowflakeness. And yeah, I've seen way, way bigger videos, but that's, that's why that one disturbed me.

[C]

I'm gonna push back here. You know what the, the I, I understand as the two ex prosecutors that you guys are, your perspective and the hug me prosecutor and this or that. But you know, when you wrap yourself up in the mantles of the vict, literally this year have I think shown that that is nothing more than a proxy for whatever the prosecutor wants. And I, and I refer to the Menendez case, we had uniformly over 20 family members, 20 victims, uniformly saying this is what we want you to do. And what did our prosecutor, our tough law and order prosecutor who beat the previous hug them tight prosecutor and DA do? He ignored them totally. He basically shock and awed them into submission and basically violated the constitution. So I'm a little, I'm old enough, I'm older than you two and I remember when all of the victims rights started and all of this stuff, it's a lot, in many cases it's nothing more than just a way for the prosecutors to wrap themselves up in the cloak or the white hat. And I kind of push back against. I push. Okay, well I appreciate that.

[B]

Well, Menendez is a story for another day. But your job as a prosecutor at the end of the day, not to step on you, Dave, you're an agent of public safety. That's the job. That guy that we just watched in that video, you do not get a clearer expression of danger. And if you can't predict that that guy is going to do something bad in the future, you suck at your job and you should quit. And look, certain things with Marcy's law, we have some points of agreement on that. That guy went after that video, went and slaughtered a beautiful young woman. And by the way, how come no homicide has been charged yet? Krasner is slow on the trigger on that F that guy like dude pull the trigger and friggin file murder because the guy, he burned her car. This was a bad one. This isn't about victims rights, Mark, this is about public safety. And they didn't have the backbone or the competence to take care of business. And that's a hard thing for prosecutors to do, guys. And we know, we know it, it's like you've got to balance fairness to the defendant, victims rights. But the paramount thing is when you have somebody who's obviously dangerous, as this guy was, you've got to do what you can. They failed and a young woman died. That's, that's my view. But we can talk about Menendez on another day. Dave, I didn't mean to step on you. What are your thoughts?

[D]

Yes, when you're a prosecutor, when you're the D.A. as I was, you have to make the decision whether you're going to move ahead with a case when the victim does not cooperate. And in a majority of domestic violence cases, in my experience, a majority in our office, the victim does not want to cooperate. Here you have independent evidence. That's the difference. You had that video and that video is telling. Plus you had other accusations against this very guy. This guy was a clear and present danger of the community. And for him to walk because you had some victim issues about not showing up in part because his bond was lower than it perhaps should have been. So he was sprung out to be a free person. I share my your concerns, Matt. Also share your concerns with the DA there, Larry Krasner, who is a reform minded prosecutor. And as much as I've opposed his style of criminal justice reform, I must say he has been reelected by the people of Philadelphia. Now it's a Democratic primary, closed primary election, but reelected nonetheless.

[C]

By the way, how do I sign up for prosecutors? Anonymous the with you guys. With you guys and the and the kind of high or the old Texas style where we'll give them a fair trial and then take them out back and hang him. But remember if they are slow to pull the trigger, give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there is a problem of proof. You ever thought that there's a potential here that maybe they they real problems of proof?

[B]

Nope, not on this one, Mark. And that can be a real a lot of times that can be a real problem. And look I did homicides exclusively for 17 years. I look at this when I'm reading online, I would have pulled the trigger and so would anybody in my unit. And if we didn't and somebody got killed that's that that is probably a righteous career ender. If you didn't have the if you didn't have the fortitude to go forward. And that's the problem we talk about. You know, that's Nathan Hockman getting George Gascon out. And that that really is something that you and I should talk about one day. Mark. I think people would find it very informative. You and I agree on a lot of things and that's one that we don't. George Gascon was a blight on public safety in Los Angeles. I live here now. I watched it happen. That guy sucked. He was the former DA of San Francisco. He was the worst thing that happened to public safety in Los Angeles. And he is exactly what Dave said. He was a Soros backed hard left. Hug him and let him Go, no cash, bail, all that bullshit. And people died as a result in L. A and people have died as a result in Philadelphia. And this beautiful young woman was one of those people. And I just got, I got no stomach for it. So, you know, I would have filed it already. And that guy, it's just every benefit he can possibly give to the bad guy so far, over and above what the Constitution of the United States requires. And what happens is you forget about the innocent victims, not the ones on a case like you're talking about on Menendez and the family. I'm talking about the future ones whose death can be prevented by that kind of, by that kind of stuff. And sorry for the anonymous, the prosecutor's anonymous. But Mark, you're tough. You can handle it. And I think that's why you put it, they put you on with me and Dave.

[C]

So it's exactly, it's exactly right. But I will just push back that. The, the, all I've seen is that all of the people who voted in LA county and we go back to that and thought, oh, my God, by the boy. He's going to come in, he's going to clean it up. They have. Nobody has seen evidence of that so far. So I'll tell you, I understand and I've said it publicly. The 90s are calling and they want their DA's office back, and that's where we're at. But the Neanderthal 90s is not the SOL. I will tell you that.

[B]

But this is actually interesting. I'll plug this right now. On November 21st, Mark, you and I are going to appear in Anaheim to introduce Megan. And I think they're giving you and I a conversation. So we should, we should address. We should talk about that. I've got a bunch of stuff that I'll share with you off the air regarding Nathan Hockman. And we, it might be good to talk about when we do the introduction.

[C]

You know what would be fascinating? Anaheim, for those who don't know, is in Orange county. We'll talk about the current D A in Orange county who's not known as a Soros backed progressive. But boy, there is going to. I'll put you on the hot seat then.

[B]

Now you're going to get me in trouble.

[C]

Exactly. Exactly. Sorry, Dave. That's kind of inside California baseball. Sorry.

[D]

Well, I'm going to be there on stage in Florida, but in Florida, there really is no dispute or debate. You know, we just hang them high.

[C]

Exactly. Fair trial and take them out back and hang them. I Got you.

[B]

Yeah. So you know what, Mark, I'm going to give you a call when we're off the. I want to actually really get your input on a case I got right now where that I'm actually defending in LA county. And I'd love to get your two cents and let's figure that out because it might really be interesting for the audience.

[C]

I would love that.

[B]

Topical.

[C]

I would love that. It is topical and I apologize. Guys, I'm here. I just pulled up to the courthouse and I got a bail hearing and I don't. I've got to put a tie on at this point. Sorry for that.

[B]

Timing's perfect.

[C]

Okay, bye guys.

[B]

Coming up next, we are going to talk about David updates and a Halloween prank gone wrong.

[A]

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[B]

In September, the decomposed remains of Celeste Rivas Hernandez were found in the trunk of singer David's Tesla. The private investigator is now claiming he has new evidence, including the identity of the last person to park the Tesla. Dave, what do we know about this one?

[D]

Well, this is big news because it involves this rap singer, RB singer, who I've never heard of before. David. I've never spelled my name like that, but I'll go with it. And apparently the allegation is that the body was in the car perhaps months before it was discovered and it was subject to perhaps some satanic ritual. That there's a allegation that they were going to somehow Mutilate the body or do something. It just, it gets weirder and it's awful. And you have David, who has lawyered up and has canceled his tour and has transferred his assets, apparently to his mother. So that shows you that he's expecting something to come down. But still there's no additional evidence against him that we've learned, other than just these weird, gory details of a dead body in a trunk of a Tesla that he owns for perhaps a long, long time to be subject to some weird ritual. So it gets weirder and more disgusting. But yet, from an evidentiary standpoint, I don't yet see any smoking gun against him.

[B]

Let's play Saw 2, and I want to get your reaction to this, Dave. We'll say this.

[C]

There are some things that, and I'm talking physical evidence that was at that house that is, there could have been greater plans as far as getting rid of her. And it's scary, sadistic stuff. And that's why we're trying to learn more about that. I wish I could say more, but for obvious reasons, I can't. But, but it doesn't have to do with how she died, but maybe how they were planning on ultimately getting rid of her and how maybe that Tesla was just a holding spot of time and things just, you know, their timing was just off as far as getting this done. But there's some, there's a few things that were just like, will blow your mind.

[B]

So, Dave, I know you've, you've dealt with many high profile cases. Don't you love it when you got a private investigator snooping around and giving interviews? And I say that obviously sarcastically for the, for the viewers. What are your thoughts on that?

[D]

Yeah, he was very vague about it. You know, it's like, what does he mean by scary, sadistic stuff? I mean, it's tantalizing and weird, but is that something that, that matters to prosecutors? I mean, it is a crime to mutilate a dead body, but we want to know who did it. Who's the one who killed this poor victim? Not necessarily who's trying to engage in some sadistic stuff after the fact, Unless that person is the killer. That's what I want to know. And so, you know, they're raising a lot of questions about, you know, potential accomplices. That's interesting, because if there are accomplices here, they could be charged with a principal in this murder. So, you know, I. It's like these. They're teasing us with this stuff and going on podcasts without giving out names and details. That doesn't seem to be fair. Although I do love Jesse Weber's podcast and I know he watches this, so it's nice to give him a plug.

[B]

Yeah. And Jesse Weber, guys, for those of you who haven't watched him, he's among the very best. And he's a really, really good guy, too. So good for Jesse for getting that guy to talk. Some of the, some of the additional details he shared in that interview that we don't have a sod for was that it doesn't appear there was any evidence that she was murdered in David's house. Again, this is all totally uncorroborated and as Dave said correctly, very vague. But when it comes to accomplices, here's an interesting legal angle and I'm really glad you're here with us, Dave. When you have a principal to a crime, so what that means is a principal is somebody that is involved in a killing before the killing happens. If you have an accessory, which is different than a principal, accessory after the fact is a crime in the state of California, as it is in Florida. And I learned from my friend Dave here that in Florida, that can carry a sense of up to 30 years just being an accessory after the fact to murder. In California, an accessory after the fact for murder is 36 months and you serve it at 50% good time, work time, which means the max you spend. In California, if you're an accessory after the fact of murder is 18 months. It's the max. We can get it in every other state except for my crazy state of California, it is. It's based on the crime. So if you steal a bike, you're an accessory after the fact. And typically it's like half of the crime, you're subject to half the penalty for stealing a bike. If you rob a bank, it's half the penalty for robbing a bank. In Florida, 30 years is quite a hit. Somebody's determined that's half of a life sentence, I guess. California it is if somebody's in custody. And a lot of times, as Dave knows, in homicide cases, you can prove somebody is up to their eyeballs in a murder after the fact, even though you know they were involved before. But you can only ding them up to 18 months. And if and by the time a case comes to trial anywhere in Southern California, they've already got what's known as CTs or credit time served, and they are out. So you can probably tell, based on my rant with my friend Mark Ergos this morning, I would Much rather California laws reflect in Florida, as far as accessory after the fact. And as far as David goes, apparently one of the things this investigator said is they do have video, which is one of the questions that Dave and I have been talking about in previous episodes. Like, did that Tesla capture the identity with all the cameras on Teslas of the person who parked the car there? And according to this guy, the answer is yes, that one of those cameras picked up the driver. We don't know who that is yet. But when whoever drove that car and parked it there with this poor young woman's body, and I shouldn't even say a woman, she's a girl. She wasn't even 15 yet. So this poor girl's body in the trunk, that person in Florida would be on the hook for 30 years. Which as far as solving this, assuming it's not David driving the car, that's a heck of an incentive for somebody to cooperate with law enforcement in California. That person's gonna sit down with their lawyer and they're gonna go, hey, man, Max, you could do is 18 months in custody. So maybe you don't wanna rat out your buddy who killed her. And it's gonna be interesting to see. It's far. It's a. It's a wasted opportunity as a tool for law enforcement to get people involved in conspiracies, to kill, to cooperate. So, Dave, have you had a case like that where an investigator has been running around giving interviews? Have you done one of those in your office or have you had that happen to you before?

[D]

Well, remember the Dalia Dippolito case? The case, of course, yeah. The stripper, yeah. Married a guy she just met at the strip club or from an escort service. That's it. And we had a prosecutor three times because there were some issues with the jury. One was a hung jury, another one was overturned on appeal. Right. But when it came to prosecuting them or her, we eventually got her a lengthy prison sentence. But as far as was an accessory after the fact, you know that that charge in itself would be more on a Gabby Petito case. The Gabby Petito situation. Remember that one in. Where Brian Laundrie's parents supposedly were involved or weren't involved, and they were never charged with that. So that's on that. But as far as the Dipolito case, the issue we had was that you had law enforcement participating with Cops, the TV show, and they were there on the scene. And that was used by the defense as saying, you see, this was all a set up for reality show. She Thought she was on a reality show. So the cameras, the speaking out, the investigators that are out there, and the public can do damage to a case. It never benefits the prosecution to have people speaking out while an investigation is pending. And so we experienced that with the Dipledo case and with the accessory after the fact. We had Brian Laundrie, whose parents were not charged because it's more than just knowing that your son committed a crime allegedly. It's also actively doing something to cover it up to prevent him from being caught. And his parents have still not been charged to this day. So although the penalty is steep for accessory after the fact, you still have to have the goods. It's more than just knowing something happened. It has to be active involvement.

[B]

So for those who don't know the two cases that, that Dave is talking about, I got to tell you, my very first, my very first gig when I went to work for ABC after I left the DA's office was the Dalia Dippolito case. And I got to tell you guys, this is why everybody loves Dave Aronberg. That, that case, first of all, entertaining as can be. You got to watch the 2020 on it, but you had really dogged prosecutorial efforts behind the scenes, making a lot of really good decisions, who refused to let go of this horrible woman who tried to murder her husband to collect. And it wasn't even a lot about. It wasn't even a lot of money. Dave. It was like she wanted to. She thought she was going to inherit some sort of condo if he died. Right? Like, with a, with a big mortgage on it and everything else. And it is a fascinating case. It's one of these stings where a woman tries to murder her husband and the, the hitman rolls on her and the police come in. And it's one of those. And it is just. It's fascinating, it's entertaining. It's one of the few with a happy ending where our victim actually lived. But he's. He was a cartoon character in his own right. So, I mean, very, very entertaining. But behind the scenes on that, guys, Dave Aronberg was making sure that the right thing happened on that. And I've admired him ever since. I, I did that case before I got to meet Dave, and I, from prosecutor to prosecutor, I've really, I've always respected him as a result of that. The other, of course, Gabby Petito is a horrific story. The young woman who was murdered and her, her boyfriend went and he killed her and he went home and his parents, you know, were allegedly Less than cooperative with law enforcement.

[C]

He.

[B]

And he killed himself in a. In a swamp, I think. Dave, right?

[D]

That's right. He died in a swamp. And his parents seemed to know his wife whereabouts, comings and goings, or maybe they didn't, but that was the accusation. They were helping him flee, and they were never charged. But, yes, that was the. The van life. Remember, they went on this van, they had this idyllic relationship, and they went all across the country and put it all on Instagram. And it turns out there was domestic violence there. It wasn't all that was portrayed to be. By the way, Matt, about the Dippolito case, this one where they had the stripper who tried to have her husband of a week murdered multiple times. He tried to poison him. And then she hired a hitman. And that's where police pretended that the hitman had accomplished his goal. The hitman was an undercover cop. And they said, your husband is dead. And she cried in front of the cameras. And they had it all on camera for cops, for reality tv. And that was used as their defense. So this just goes back to when you're speaking out as an investigator, a cop, when you're making a show out of it, it never helps the prosecution. It gives a lifeline to the defense.

[B]

Although, as I recall in that one. And you're absolutely right, of course, but I think that they said, ma', am, your husband. And she. She was so keyed up for her acting job that she began to cry before they even got to the is dead part. So it's like, ma', am, your husband. No, don't tell me. Is dead. And I think that helped you guys at the end because it was like, clearly she. She knew more than what she was learning right then and there. But it is. That's just a great story. There's a book written by Dave's former deputy that is very entertaining as well. And that's for those of you who haven't seen it. You can pull it up on 2020. You'll see my much younger mug helping to tell that story. But that is a. It's just. It's amazing. And Dave did a phenomenal job. So, Dave, we just saw that creepy video of the guy in Philadelphia walking up to the window. And we're coming up on Halloween here. Please play SOT3, and I want to get your reaction to this one.

[C]

Your worst nightmare. Your worst nightmare.

[B]

All right, so, Dave Aronberg, what are we looking at there? Are we looking at kids playing a prank, or is that something more Sinister. What's your gut?

[D]

We're looking at very lucky individuals because if this has happened in Florida, they would have likely been shot. I mean, my goodness, you go up to someone's home as a joke, a prank at first and the family inside is like, okay, we get the joke. And then you continue to bang on the door and say we're serious, you know, and really threaten to storm into the house. And yeah, that's when they call 911 and these guys took a prank too far and really they're lucky they left with their lives.

[B]

Yeah. And there's apparently a young, young woman that lived in that house. Her mom was in there. And that's, that's scary stuff. And yeah, in the state of Florida and pretty much any state, I think if that door hadn't been, hadn't been locked and that door opened up and you got that guy saying we were your worst nightmare. Even if that was a prank, a homeowner would probably be well within their rights to shoot out of fear. So that's scary, that's incredibly reckless, incredibly dumb, and hopefully it was just a prank gone wrong.

[D]

Yeah, the cops at the time even said that the homeowner would have been within their rights to, to protect their property. And shoot. This is a burglary under the law. When you're on the porch like that and banging on the door, that's a burglary. And so that's just, it's terrible all around. It's not funny. And they're lucky, like I said, that they didn't get shot themselves because in just about every state you could have shot that guy.

[B]

Next, your questions and our closing arguments. Stay tuned.

[A]

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[B]

We will get to our closing arguments and your mail, but first, Megyn Kelly is going to go on tour and we are going with her. Dave, you mentioned Florida. Tell us what's happening in Florida, Matt.

[D]

I'll be in the 305 where I'm originally from, but now it's about two hours away from me. But worth the drive to go see Megyn Kelly live and to see many of you who'll be down there at the James L. Knight Center November 7th. I'll be on stage at the beginning talking about true crime with Mark Eiglarsch. And then the main event will begin. So looking forward to it. And I hear you'll be in California, my friend.

[B]

I will. So on November 21, my longtime friend Mark Gerrigos and I are going to be on stage. And I don't know if that's either going to be a love fest between Mark and I or a spirited debate as Mark and I often get into, but we're going to do the intro. It's a huge honor for me to be able to introduce Megyn Kelly personally. And this is my it's basically my hometown crowd. This is going to be from the jury pool, Dave, that I prosecuted 250 cases over the years that I tried, and they're going to be my people. So I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

[D]

It will be best of luck to you over there. It's going to be a lot of fun.

[B]

Yeah, a lot of fun. Let me read the question here. This is from David and Dave. I want to get your thoughts on this. My question for my learned colleagues is this, Are criminals born that way? Boy, is that an interesting question. And something that I think police and prosecutors, we've kicked that around in defense lawyers, too, our entire careers. So, Dave, what do you think?

[D]

So many movies and shows have been built on that theory. Natural Born Killers. Remember that? Woody Harrelson, it's the people are inherently violent individuals. I remember Clockwork Orange. That was a pretty shocking film that, you know, you can try to get people out of it by training their brains otherwise, but they eventually revert back to their genetics. There's the Silence of the Lambs. The Hannibal Lecter was an inherently evil person who was resistant to just the moral development that we all experience in life. So, so this is a topic of whether it's nature versus nurture. And it's been covered by Hollywood. So I don't have an easy answer. There are a lot of studies out there. But I know there are things in my experience as state attorney that you can do to help people who are on the wrong path get move over into the right path. Because after all, that's why our juvenile justice system is based on rehabilitation and not punishment. If we didn't believe that we could steer people to a different path than it would all be about retribution and punishment instead of rehabilitation.

[B]

Yeah, I agree with you there. What's interesting in California at least, is the goal of juvenile law is to rehabilitate. It really is to try to get those kids on track. And there are a lot of programs available to adults. The philosophical idea is to punish adults so that they learn the lesson. But there are certainly rehab and diversion programs that really do try to get people on the right track. Where I kind of draw the line is I spent four years in sexual assault 17 and homicide. And when you come to the volitional violent crime, whether they have a compulsion to do it, that's genetic, whether they have some sort of screw loose in their head. But you reach a point when I don't care. I don't really care what their motivation is. They have an obligation to either control that impulse or they can't be out here with the rest of us, especially when it comes to kids, sexual abuse of children. And as you know, Dave, a lot of times those cases morph into murder. So when you reach a certain point in my mind where trying to understand the psychology, I kind of don't give a damn anymore. Some people need to go to prison and not get out because as long as they continue to draw breath, they pose a danger to innocent children and people in the community. But very, very interesting question. And as usual, Dave, I agree with your thoughts on that. Let's get into closing arguments. Dave, give us a 1 minute rant on topic of your choice.

[D]

Yeah, Matt. Matt, it's been great doing the show with you today. You're awesome. And I want to talk to you as two former prosecutors about payback, revenge and retribution. These are all natural feelings when someone feels wronged. And we saw this with President Trump. He campaigned on I will be your retribution, but it makes for bad policy in our criminal justice system. You and I are probably the same feelings about James Comey, you know, and I understand why so many people are down on him. And Letitia, James is someone who President Trump feels that wronged him. But when you Go ahead and fire an experienced US Attorney, Eric Siebert, and install someone who's never been a prosecutor before, Lindsey Halligan, who is a insurance lawyer, for the sole purpose of retribution, for the sole purpose of taking on your political enemy. That is a recipe for disaster. Now we see that Lindsey Halligan has sent all these signal messages to a reporter who published them. Don't do that if you're a prosecutor. That's Brady evidence. That's going to be evidence for all these defendants about vindictive prosecution. And I know what you're thinking. Well, at least you have John Bolton's case, which is a strong case, which was not built on flimsy evidence. And it's not a Lindsey Halligan case. It's a case filed by an experienced career prosecutor in the National Security division. But you will see that if you file weak charges over here, it seeps into the pot over here. And the thing with John Bolton is, is that you can't look at that case in a vacuum. It is a lifeline for the defense that even though the facts are strong against John Bolton, even though he may have committed a crime, now he can say vindictive prosecution. Just look at what they're doing elsewhere. And now when you have all these signal messages, it does seep over into his case. And so that's a lesson here, that by filing weak sauce cases against Comey and James and they are weak, it gives John Bolton's defense a chance to beat the career prosecutors. And that's why prosecutors and presidents should never put weak cases forward in an attempt to go after your opponents. It can end up turning a related strong case or even an unrelated strong case into a dismissal.

[B]

One of my favorite judges in Orange county is guy named Greg Jones. And I wound up in a case in front of him and he had just a great quote I've never forgotten. He said politics and prosecutorial power are always a toxic cocktail. And there are certainly many who agree with you and him on that one. Dave, my rant here. I got to switch topics. I wasn't going to talk about this, but Mark kind of fired me up. I want to talk about these Soros backed so called progressive district attorneys. We have a system that's based on adversarial justice. In other words, you've got a prosecutor fighting their hardest to achieve justice versus a defense lawyer fighting their hardest to defend their client. And when you have people that come in and run for district attorney whose job is essentially to advocate for the bad guys, the system gets screwed up and it becomes rigged. And this poor young woman in Philadelphia, guys, I gotta tell you, it. It drives me nuts. That beautiful young woman should be alive today, and she's not because of the policies of the far left Philadelphia district attorney. And Dave, I know as a Democrat, some of the best judges and district attorneys I've ever worked for or with have been registered Democrats. It's not about that. It's about this insane leftist philosophy where the bad guys are the victims and the victims are somehow in the wrong. The cops are all in the wrong, and it's a bankrupt philosophy. And look, when you put people in power who ascribe to that, like George Gascon in la, like this Krasner guy in Philadelphia, it's only a matter of time before beautiful, young, innocent people like that young woman in that Philadelphia case lose their lives. And the apoplectic, multi generational grief that that poor young woman's family is going through right now, it changes generations within that family. It's not fair, it's not right, and it is not the job of a prosecutor. And this was a tremendous failure. Disgusted by that thing. And I hope this prompts the people of Philadelphia to wake up and vote that guy out of office. That's my rant. Thank you very much for tuning in. Thanks to my fellow contributors, Dave Ehrenberg and Mark Garagos. And thank you so much, the viewers, for joining us today. MKTRUCrime, send us your story, suggestions, questions and comments to mktruecrimecaremedia.com Please, everybody, have an awesome week.

[D]

Hey, everyone, it's me, Andy Cohen. Buckle up, because I have a podcast called Daddy Diaries where I take my.

[B]

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[D]

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[C]

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