Real Life Real Crime | #JusticeForBradley, Episode 23
Date: November 9, 2025
Host: Woody Overton
Featured:
- Morgan Baggott (Bradley’s advocate)
- Justin (frequent suspect mentioned in the Bradley case)
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode of Real Life Real Crime continues the intense, ongoing investigation into the disappearance and presumed homicide of Bradley Strassinger and the related case of Austin O’Banion. Host Woody Overton underscores escalating tensions, community action, and his unyielding commitment to seeking #JusticeForBradley. The episode features a candid, emotional conversation between Morgan Baggott and Justin—a man whose name has been frequently connected to the case, who maintains he is being wrongfully accused.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Update on the Case & Woody’s Position
Timestamp: 03:56 – 10:22
- Woody is physically distant from the studio, but emphatic that investigative activity continues non-stop.
- He addresses online critics, dispels rumors about profiting from the case (“I don’t make money off of Bradley’s case and Austin’s case. ... I make money from my national sponsors. It has nothing to do with the content of the case.” – Woody, 04:19).
- Talks about direct threats against him for his investigation. He responds firmly, standing his ground and stating he will defend himself if necessary (“You go to put hands on me, and I'm gonna pump you full of lead. That's not a threat. That's a promise.” – 05:24).
- Notes increased urgency among law enforcement as public scrutiny mounts: “All the people were calling in. The good, bad and indifferent. Holy smokes.” (06:05)
- Calls for focus on results, not credit: “Let's bring Bradley home. I don't care who does it.” (06:20)
- Criticizes law enforcement’s historic lack of action, emphasizing the time he has had the case vs. official agencies (“They've had it for six years. ... I’m light years ahead…” – 06:49).
- Promises future content presenting both sides (from Justice Sharbonneau and the opposing “aisle”), highlighting transparency and a search for truth.
2. The Call: Morgan Baggott & Justin
Timestamp: 10:22 – 57:50 A raw, unfiltered conversation—a rare long-form, real-time defense and questioning of a suspect. Provides a window into both the intensity and the confusion of long-cold cases.
a. Justin’s Account & Defense
- Clarifies timelines: Justin recounts where he was during the time Bradley went missing, stating he believed he was incarcerated but later corrected himself—he was in Lake Charles, then incarcerated, then back in Leesville. (11:15)
- Affirms he only met Bradley once, in prison; met Jason McDaniels later (Nov 2020), after Bradley’s disappearance (14:20 – 14:36).
- Explains why his name surfaced: because he recorded music at Vet Vic Studios with people under law enforcement scrutiny, especially Jason (14:29 – 15:02).
- Expresses empathy and stress: “It's bothering me that it's getting looked at me at the wrong way and it's not a theronic people, because nobody deserves that.” (13:13)
- Says he voluntarily would take a polygraph and has no knowledge of what happened to Bradley or Austin; denies knowing several other people of interest.
- Justin reiterates: his proximity was circumstantial, related to music and shared community, not involvement in the disappearance.
b. Morgan’s Challenge & Reflections
- Morgan is transparent about her skepticism: “I'm going to be honest with you, Justin, and I'm not. I'm not. I'm not trying to call you a liar. I'm just telling you what I have and what I know.” (28:03)
- Outlines what law enforcement told her; recounts Detective Vance’s assertions and suspicions about Justin (21:21 – 25:18).
- Details the emotional and life-consuming toll of pursuing Bradley’s case for six years, including relationship with local law enforcement.
- Reveals possession of backdoor recordings of police interviews referencing Justin as a suspect early on, treating Bradley’s case as a homicide behind closed doors (24:25).
c. The Interpersonal Toll & Life Contexts
- Justin shares struggles with mental health, the loss of his ex-wife, proximity to addiction, and detachment from his old circles; “I'm not that type of person...I am a licensed minister, and I'm not here to lie to you.” (29:45)
- Morgan opens about her chaotic, criminal-adjacent upbringing, her late father’s involvement in meth trade, mistrust of authorities, and her motivations (“People want to ask me, well, how do you know this and how do you know that? Because I've seen it with my own eyes. I've heard it with my own ears my whole life.” – 45:17)
- Both describe deep post-traumatic stress, therapy, and the often-overlooked impact on families and secondary victims.
d. The Law Enforcement Critique & Systemic Corruption
- Both recount secondhand and firsthand experiences of corruption in the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement (“…the same reason why I quit the sheriff's department is because of the crookedness that's going on…” – Justin, 44:17)
- Exchange stories about “paying taxes” to authorities—i.e., criminal proceeds funneled to police to avoid trouble.
- Discuss the difficulty in trusting any part of the system to bring real closure.
e. Faith and Perseverance
- Both Justin and Morgan reflect on faith and destiny. (“...what's in the darkness, Morgan, is going to come to light, period. Whether it takes tomorrow or whatever, it's going to come.” – Justin, 51:37)
- Discuss the concept of “faith without works is dead” and their shared resolve to keep searching for answers. (52:52)
- Express mutual hope that Justin’s innocence can be proven if that proves to be true, and a desire to meet in person after resolution (54:18).
f. Community and Pain
- Morgan recounts her connections to local families involved or affected by the case, her time lost, and the burden of advocacy. (55:06 – 56:56)
- Ends on mutual gratitude and respect despite unresolved suspicion.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- On threats to Woody: “Let me tell you this. I'm a man of my word. You go to put hands on me, and I'm gonna pump you full of lead. That's not a threat. That's a promise.” – Woody Overton (05:24)
- On law enforcement's failures: "Don't be mad at me because I'm doing the investigating that should have been done for six years." – Woody Overton (06:37)
- On personal toll: “I can't even begin to fully describe what I have been through for six years, especially this last year, especially this last six months, you know.” – Morgan Baggott (21:22)
- On community suspicion: “If I'm such a big suspect in all this, then tell me one reason why the police had never come and talked to me.” – Justin (49:22)
- On faith and perseverance: “What's in the darkness, Morgan, is going to come to light, period. ... if you have faith in God like you say you do, and I have faith in God like I say I do, then you're putting your faith in motion and I'm putting mine in motion.” – Justin (51:37)
Timestamps of Key Segments
- 03:56 – 10:22: Woody’s update, threats, law enforcement critique, and intro to Morgan & Justin’s call
- 10:22 – 14:36: Justin explains his timeline, connection to key people, and why he’s under suspicion
- 21:21 – 25:18: Morgan recounts being briefed by Detective Vance, early homicide theory
- 28:03 – 32:22: Exploring associates, testimony and speculation on other suspects
- 35:24 – 36:37: Shared trauma—Justin’s wife’s death, Morgan’s investigation toll
- 41:23 – 44:19: Confessions of family criminal histories and direct stories of police corruption
- 45:36 – 47:12: Discussion on courage, faith, and continuing the search for justice
- 49:22 – 50:15: Why the police have never interviewed Justin
- 51:23 – 54:18: Closing: hope for proof, mutual respect, toll of the case
- 55:06 – 57:12: Reflections on community pain, personal ties, and a hint of possible closure
Tone and Style
The tone is gritty, raw, and honest—sometimes sharp and profane, often deeply emotional. Woody’s method is unvarnished advocacy, fired by frustration at official inaction. Morgan and Justin’s conversation is frank; both voices are heavy with fatigue and distress, but also animated by a hope rooted in faith and a desperate search for truth.
Summary
Episode 23 of #JusticeForBradley brings listeners deep into the fractured, frequently painful world of a cold case still boiling at the surface of a small Louisiana community. Through Woody Overton’s updates and especially the long, searching phone call between Morgan Baggott and Justin, listeners hear from those touched and implicated, willingly or not, by the tragedy. The episode underscores persistent police inaction, complicated truths about small-town relationships, the corrosive effects of long suspicion, and the resilience of those demanding answers.
For next week: Woody promises to present the other side, potentially including information that could further challenge or confirm the statements made in this episode. The case—and the search for justice—continues.