422: State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith - True Crime Obsessed

Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: True Crime Obsessed – Episode 422: State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith

Release Date: April 15, 2025

Introduction

In episode 422 of True Crime Obsessed, hosts Julian Benzavalli and Patrick Hines delve into the harrowing case of Brittany Smith, a woman from Stevenson, Alabama, who finds herself at the center of a legal battle after fatally shooting a man who had assaulted her. This episode meticulously examines the intricate details of the case, the implications of Alabama’s "Stand Your Ground" law, and the broader societal issues surrounding self-defense, gender biases in the legal system, and victim advocacy.

Background of Brittany Smith

Brittany Smith, a single mother of four, had recently turned her life around after overcoming significant personal struggles, including the tragic loss of her child, Baby Will, due to Potter's syndrome. Her resilience and determination to regain custody of her children led her to participate in Alabama's rehabilitation programs, culminating in a successful home evaluation that granted her the return of her children. Julian remarks, "[00:49] Brittany is a very, very smart person," highlighting her intelligence and strategic mindset throughout her ordeal.

The Assault and Legal Battle

The episode recounts the night of January 10, 2018, when Brittany was violently assaulted by Todd Smith, a man with an extensive criminal history, including 71 prior arrests for offenses such as domestic violence, theft, and aggravated assault. Under the influence of over 800 milligrams of methamphetamine, Todd attacked Brittany while she was attempting to protect her brother, Chris. During the assault, Todd threatened Brittany and posed an imminent threat to Chris's life.

Brittany, invoking the "Stand Your Ground" law, decided to take action to defend herself and her brother. Despite firing warning shots that initially had no effect, she ultimately shot Todd, resulting in his death. Brittany later called emergency services, falsely identifying Chris as the shooter to protect her actions and her family's well-being.

As Julian states, "[07:05] It's just gonna come down to that initial lie is what the judge is gonna hang the hat on saying that we can't trust you for anything."

Stand Your Ground Law and Gender Bias

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Alabama's "Stand Your Ground" law, which allows individuals to use deadly force in self-defense without the obligation to retreat. The hosts emphasize that while the law is theoretically gender-neutral, in practice, it disproportionately favors men, particularly white men, and often fails to offer the same protections to women or minorities.

Ashley, a journalist for Alabama Media Group, points out, "[04:00] In Brittany's case, she was charged with killing a man who she accused of raping her."

The hosts argue that systemic biases within the legal system undermine the effectiveness of such laws for women like Brittany. They highlight that despite clear evidence of assault and imminent danger, Brittany's credibility is severely undermined by her initial dishonesty regarding the shooter.

Community and Familial Support

Brittany's mother, Ramona, serves as a pillar of support throughout the episode. She endeavors to assist Brittany by financially supporting her legal battle through a GoFundMe campaign, pledging personal assets to secure Brittany’s release from jail. Ramona asserts, "[37:17] I taught her to fight. Fight back with everything you've got. And she did."

The community rallies around Brittany, with testimonies from neighbors and friends emphasizing the pervasive misogyny and lack of faith in law enforcement's ability to protect and believe female victims.

Legal Proceedings and Outcome

Despite a compelling case bolstered by medical testimonies of Brittany’s injuries consistent with rape and strangulation, Judge Jennifer Holt denies Brittany's claim of legal justification under the "Stand Your Ground" law. The judge's 19-page order critiques Brittany's honesty, stating, "[58:27] she just said she had to lie because she knew that a woman would not get a fair shake here."

Faced with an untenable situation, Brittany accepts a plea deal, pleading guilty to murder to avoid a potentially harsher sentence if found guilty at trial. This decision results in her facing up to 18 months of house arrest and a permanent murder conviction, significantly impacting her life and future.

Julian laments, "[58:03] And I think the judge, based on the deal that Brittany gets, I think the judge even knows that also."

Systemic Failures and Advocacy

The episode underscores the systemic failures that exacerbate victims' struggles within the legal system. Sandra Goodman, a victim advocate, highlights the broader issues of mistrust and marginalization faced by women seeking justice. The hosts advocate for comprehensive reforms, including better training for law enforcement on handling trauma and a more equitable application of self-defense laws.

Patrick passionately states, "[43:53] The majority of women who kill their abusers end up taking plea deals rather than going to trial."

Conclusion and Reflection

True Crime Obsessed wraps up the episode by reflecting on the profound injustices Brittany faced, despite her rightful actions to protect herself and her family. The hosts call for greater awareness and change within the legal system to ensure that victims like Brittany receive the support and justice they deserve.

As Julian aptly summarizes, "[57:00] Let the women do the work."

This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggles women encounter in seeking justice and the urgent need for systemic reforms to address these deeply ingrained biases.

Notable Quotes

Julian Benzavalli [00:57]: "If you want to sign up for the book club, all you got to do is go into the Facebook group, look at the pinned posts. There's a Google form to fill out. It takes literally 10 seconds and then you are in."
Ashley [05:58]: "Police may go to a scene, you know, find that someone's been killed, and then they'll just say it was justified. And they often dismiss cases."
Chris [32:05]: "I want to get my children back. I want them to know that Mommy's not a murderer, that Mommy defended herself and that you should always defend yourself."
Ramona [55:13]: "Ramona says, we're just little nobodies over here. That's the way we're viewed. But when you get a ton of little nobodies together, especially pissed off women, they become somebody big."

Final Thoughts

Episode 422 of True Crime Obsessed not only recounts a distressing true crime story but also serves as a critical examination of the intersection between self-defense laws, gender biases, and the systemic challenges faced by women in the legal arena. Through engaging narratives and insightful discussions, the hosts illuminate the pressing need for societal and legal reforms to ensure justice and equity for all victims.

Loading summary

Transcript874 lines

[00:00]
Julian Benzavalli
I mean, I'm officially tired. That's tracks. That's okay. Yeah.
[00:04]
Patrick Hines
I don't subscribe to, like, the tired Olympics. Everyone's allowed to be tired. Yeah, you're allowed.
[00:08]
Julian Benzavalli
I was dead asleep about 20 minutes ago before you walked in. Yeah, let's sleep.
[00:12]
Patrick Hines
We're not competing about tiredness. We don't do that. Hi.
[00:21]
Julian Benzavalli
Julian Benzavalli.
[00:22]
Patrick Hines
Hi. Patrick Hines.
[00:23]
Julian Benzavalli
Fam. We have a book club. And not only do we have a book club, we have, like over 500 people in it. We were at Drag Bingo last night. Not last night. After the day. Just last night. Last night from the recording.
[00:33]
Patrick Hines
Yes.
[00:34]
Julian Benzavalli
And we were talking about the book club and there was like hundreds of people at the Drag Bingo talking about the book club. It is an amazing thing.
[00:39]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. You want book club merch? I don't know how we're going to do that, but we might do something about it because that was happening in the chat.
[00:46]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah, totally. Sasha's moderating the whole thing. The books are amazing. If you want to sign up for the book club, all you got to do is go into the Facebook group, look at the pinned posts. There's a Google form to fill out. It takes literally 10 seconds and then you are in.
[00:58]
Patrick Hines
That information is also in the discord.
[00:59]
Julian Benzavalli
And in the discord, of course. Now we also have a YouTube channel. We have video, full video episodes up on our YouTube channel. Our YouTube channel is just True Crime Obsessed. Just go into the YouTube and find true Crime Obsessed. It's all there. The last, like 10 episodes are where we started with video. Before that, the entire catalog is on YouTube as audio. But going forward, every episode, you're getting a full video episode. And they're really good.
[01:21]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. Our editors are amazing. And so it's a whole new avenue that we're going down.
[01:26]
Julian Benzavalli
So I was just going through it today and I was enjoying watching us do our thing. It looks really good. We're fun, we're engaging. Oh. So anyway, that's all the news.
[01:37]
Patrick Hines
Okay, great girl.
[01:38]
Julian Benzavalli
What are we talking about today?
[01:39]
Patrick Hines
Okay, this is the state of Alabama versus Brittany Smith. It is on Netflix.
[01:47]
Brittany Smith
She's been raped and beaten by him and almost killed. And now she's been raped and beaten by the system.
[01:55]
Ashley
Stand your ground is a self defense law in Alabama.
[01:58]
Brittany Smith
She had every right. She was in her own home.
[02:05]
Ashley
Are women able to use the system to defend themselves in the way that men are?
[02:12]
Chris
I did what I thought I had to do. As if I wouldn't have my brother and I would both be dead.
[02:17]
Todd Smith
I thought If I don't take the blame, she's never gonna get her kids back.
[02:21]
Chris
Say, hi, Chris.
[02:23]
Brittany Smith
She never should have been took to jail. I taught her to fight. Fight back with everything you've got. And she did. I love you.
[02:32]
Chris
I want to get my children back. I want them to know that Mommy's not a murderer, that Mommy defended herself and that you should always defend yourself. It shouldn't just be a law for men, period.
[02:49]
Julian Benzavalli
So we're in Stevenson, Alabama. We meet Brittany Smith. She says there's absolutely nothing to do around where she lives. So what does she do? She goes into the forest looking for fossils and crystals with healing powers.
[03:01]
Patrick Hines
I love this so much. I found some really cool fossils, except for that one that turned out to be dog poo. And I'm like, sometimes dog poo can really harden. Okay. Are we.
[03:10]
Julian Benzavalli
Brittany, I think, real, like, fossils in the woods?
[03:12]
Patrick Hines
Sure. You can find crystals in the woods. Yeah, exactly.
[03:14]
Julian Benzavalli
A fossil. Like, what makes it. What qualifies it as a fossil? Does it have to be, like, 200 million years old?
[03:19]
Patrick Hines
I don't think it had. I think you could find, like, oh, this is a fossil from 40 years ago. Maybe it's a fossil. As a fossil. As a fossil, the coolest ones are, like, the oldest ones. You can.
[03:29]
Julian Benzavalli
The people in Montana who find, like, dinosaur bones. Like, that's a real thing.
[03:32]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[03:33]
Julian Benzavalli
Did we talk about this? The dinosaurs live for 200 million years.
[03:36]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[03:37]
Julian Benzavalli
That is a very long time.
[03:39]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. They're awesome.
[03:39]
Julian Benzavalli
And they're gone now.
[03:40]
Patrick Hines
They're fascinating. I love dinosaurs. Always have them as well. Dinosaur gal.
[03:45]
Julian Benzavalli
Anyway, back to Britney.
[03:46]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[03:46]
Julian Benzavalli
We learn that she's been arrested for murder for killing a man who was in her home. And she says, I did what I had to do to protect my brother and myself. Quote, I'm ready for my stand your ground hearing. If they let me tell my story, I believe I will win.
[04:01]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. I want to slow down on what she said. She said, I did what I thought I had to do. No, what I did have to do.
[04:07]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[04:07]
Patrick Hines
Not what she thought, what she actually had to do.
[04:10]
Julian Benzavalli
Wait till she gets on the stand. She. This woman is whip smart.
[04:13]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[04:14]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[04:15]
Patrick Hines
And so we meet Ashley. She's a journalist for Alabama Media Group, and she's covered a lot of stand your ground cases. And they were all men, meaning all men were standing their ground.
[04:25]
Julian Benzavalli
And she says, like, in those cases, stand your ground. In case you don't know what it is, it means somebody comes into your home, they make you feel like your life is in Imminent danger. And you are allowed to kill them.
[04:35]
Patrick Hines
And it doesn't even need to be in your home. Like, George Zimmerman hid behind it when he murdered Trayvon Martin. Even though, like, Trayvon wasn't carrying a weapon and the cops were like, please don't shoot that kid, and he did anyway. But stand your ground is kind of like if someone. I looked it up. There are a lot of instances where you could use this.
[04:50]
Julian Benzavalli
Wow.
[04:50]
Patrick Hines
Like, a lot more than just because I thought it was like someone kicks your door in and tries to get home invasion. No, it's like if someone is committing or about to commit kidnapping, assault, burglary, robbery, forcible rape. All rape is forcible. Yeah, but like about. Like committing or about to commit. So it really becomes your word against their situation.
[05:11]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah, well, exactly. And this reporter is saying that in these situations where it's men who have done this, who have killed, she says.
[05:18]
Ashley
Police may go to a scene, you know, find that someone's been killed, and then they'll just say it was justified. And they often dismiss cases. In Brittany's case, she was charged with killing a man who she accused of raping her. And if she is convicted, she could face it to life in prison.
[05:40]
Patrick Hines
Brittany was charged with killing a man who raped Britney.
[05:43]
Ramona
Yeah.
[05:43]
Patrick Hines
And so looking at the law on the books in the state of Alabama, it says you can use deadly force against another person. Paragraph 3 section says forcible rape. So, like, again, it's all forcible. But according to the state of Alabama, Britney is well within her rights to do what she did.
[05:58]
Julian Benzavalli
Now, listen, I am on Britney's side here. We are going to learn that she. Now, this is. The nuance of. This is going to be so enraging when it comes out of my mouth. So everyone just bear with me for what you're about to hear. She did kill the man who raped her, but it was not during the act of the rape. Something else was happening later, which was when she killed him. I mean, something where her brother's life was in imminent danger.
[06:20]
Patrick Hines
But also according, according to the black and white laws in writing, she's still totally within her rights to kill him.
[06:25]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah, that's. But it's that. That's where the judge, I think, is going to find nuance in this. It's enraging. Like, you should be able to kill that guy 20 years later, you know what I mean? To find new for the woman judge to find new ones. You know what I mean?
[06:37]
Patrick Hines
And once you learn about this guy, this rapist, please he's the fudgeing worst.
[06:41]
Julian Benzavalli
It's wild how this podcast has changed my opinion on like the death penalty where it's like, I want that person to fry in the electric chair. And I know you've made me understand, and I understand that we can never have the death penalty because if one innocent person is kill, then we can't have it.
[06:53]
Patrick Hines
It's got to be 100% right 100%.
[06:55]
Julian Benzavalli
Of the time, which is impossible for it to be. And I'm not like pro death penalty now, but I'm never mad that like the bad guy that we know is the bad guy is going to fry.
[07:01]
Patrick Hines
You're, you're happy to have people not on this planet anymore.
[07:04]
Ramona
Yeah.
[07:05]
Patrick Hines
Which I think is valid.
[07:05]
Julian Benzavalli
And I'm glad it hurt on the way out.
[07:06]
Patrick Hines
I don't think anyone misses this guy. She had every right to fucking kill him.
[07:11]
Julian Benzavalli
His family who like the apologist for him.
[07:13]
Patrick Hines
No, please. So if Britney is found guilty of murder, she can face life in prison. And if the but, but, but, but. If the stand your ground hearing is successful, she'll walk away a free woman.
[07:22]
Paige
Right?
[07:24]
Patrick Hines
Travel down the road.
[07:26]
Julian Benzavalli
Back again, girl. Miracle made his back. Look, it's getting to be that warm weather. It's time for that. The sheets that can really handle that.
[07:33]
Patrick Hines
Yeah, because I'm a big temperature snob. To be honest with you, when I'm sleeping, I can't be too hot at all. And during the summer, I used to dread sleeping until Miracle made well, because.
[07:41]
Julian Benzavalli
Not only do they keep you cool, they're self cleaning, which can be important in the hot weather. These sheets are infused with silver that Prevent up to 99.7% of bacterial growth, leaving them to stay cleaner and fresh three times longer than the other sheets.
[07:54]
Patrick Hines
Yeah, I actually want to go back to the temperature regulating properties for better quality.
[07:59]
Julian Benzavalli
I can't believe I tried to get away from that.
[08:00]
Patrick Hines
I know. I got to get into it because they use silver infused fabrics. Inspired by NASA.
[08:04]
Julian Benzavalli
By NASA.
[08:05]
Patrick Hines
I know. It's legit.
[08:05]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[08:06]
Patrick Hines
Miracle made sheets are thermoregulating and designed to keep you at the perfect temperature all night long, no matter the weather. This I cannot tell you. I hate the summer and I don't want to be cranky and not sleeping during the summer. So that's why I love mirror.
[08:16]
Julian Benzavalli
They are also designed for your skin. Stop sleeping on bacteria. Bacteria can clog your pores, causing breakouts and acne. Sleep clean with mirrors, Miracle.
[08:24]
Patrick Hines
Yeah, they're super comfortable. It feels like you're sleeping in A hotel, which is my second favorite thing.
[08:29]
Julian Benzavalli
We do love them. We love them so much. I know. So fam Upgrade your sleep as the weather heats up. Go to try Miracle.com TCO to try Miracle made sheets today.
[08:38]
Patrick Hines
And whether you're buying them for yourself or as a gift for a loved one, if you order today, you can save over 40%.
[08:43]
Julian Benzavalli
And if you use our promo code TCO at checkout, you'll get a free three piece towel set and save an extra 20%. They're giving away the house.
[08:50]
Patrick Hines
I mean, the hits just keep on coming. Miracle is so confident in their products, it's back with a 30 day money back guarantee. So if you are and 100% satisfied, you'll get a full refund.
[08:58]
Julian Benzavalli
Upgrade your sleep with Miracle made. Go to trymiracle.com TCO and use code TCO to claim your free three piece towel set and save over 40% off.
[09:07]
Patrick Hines
Again, that's trymiracle.com TCO to treat yourself.
[09:10]
Julian Benzavalli
Thanks Miracle made for sponsoring this episode.
[09:13]
Patrick Hines
And my summer sleep. So journalist Ashley asks a really good question.
[09:21]
Ashley
The most compelling thing to me was, are women able to use the system to defend themselves in the way that men are?
[09:31]
Patrick Hines
Are women allowed to use the system to defend themselves in the same way that men are? I'm going to guess no, actually.
[09:36]
Julian Benzavalli
What a silly question, girl.
[09:38]
Patrick Hines
Especially when it comes to rape.
[09:39]
Julian Benzavalli
100%.
[09:41]
Patrick Hines
It's like definitely not a rape. For sure.
[09:44]
Ramona
Yeah.
[09:44]
Patrick Hines
Like, oh, cool.
[09:46]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. And so now we meet Ramona, who's Britney's mother, who looks about one day older than Britney.
[09:51]
Patrick Hines
I know.
[09:52]
Julian Benzavalli
I mean, it is unbelievable.
[09:53]
Patrick Hines
She got divorced when her kids were 4 and 8 years old. So her kids are Brittany and Chris. They're major players in this. And Ramon was a single mom. She said it was really hard. She didn't have a lot of financial assistance. She was working 12 to 16 hours a day, sometimes more. And she says that is like, if I get an extra shift. I was taking that shift.
[10:09]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. This was my story. Like, she lived in the housing projects. Her mom worked all the time. Like, I know this growing up. This was my growing up.
[10:16]
Patrick Hines
And Britney was super smart. She was a straight A student without even really having to try. She was on the honor roll.
[10:22]
Julian Benzavalli
You see it sprinkled throughout this documentary. She is a very, very smart person.
[10:26]
Patrick Hines
Yeah, she's absolutely playing chess.
[10:28]
Julian Benzavalli
Like, I mean, I tell Daisy every single day that I was an average student at best. That like, I, you know, I did all the work and I did all my homework and I worked really Hard. And I still got solid B's.
[10:37]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[10:38]
Julian Benzavalli
Like the people that I knew in high school who were just effortlessly smart. It's enriching.
[10:42]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. Now, in addition to.
[10:43]
Julian Benzavalli
I also wanted to marry one of those people.
[10:45]
Patrick Hines
In addition to this, like, not taking anything away from Brittany, like, a total separate part of the conversation is that, like, I also don't think doing well in school is what makes someone really smart.
[10:54]
Julian Benzavalli
Totally.
[10:54]
Patrick Hines
Because I think people learn.
[10:56]
Ramona
Yes.
[10:57]
Patrick Hines
And do things in totally different ways. So there's a part of me that's like, I don't.
[11:00]
Ramona
Yeah, fudge.
[11:01]
Patrick Hines
Those bees are great. But at the same time, I'm like, but we've evolved so much now as a society, I think, to realize, like, how people learn and digest things, but.
[11:09]
Julian Benzavalli
Also how people work. Like the thing people say to me all the time, if you could go back and tell your younger self what's one thing that you, like, you wish you knew then that you know now, I would tell myself, you're going to be fine.
[11:18]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[11:18]
Julian Benzavalli
You are a hard worker. You like to work. You are generally a pretty happy person.
[11:23]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[11:23]
Julian Benzavalli
Don't sweat. You're going to be okay. And then back then, me would have been like, I'm not sweating that.
[11:28]
Patrick Hines
I'm completely fine.
[11:29]
Julian Benzavalli
I'm totally okay.
[11:31]
Patrick Hines
How about you? Don't worry about it. My business future me.
[11:35]
Julian Benzavalli
Because back then, me is going to the Lilith Fair. He should be worried about the future me who doesn't have Lilith Fair anymore.
[11:40]
Patrick Hines
He doesn't care.
[11:41]
Julian Benzavalli
You know what I mean?
[11:41]
Patrick Hines
Like, girl, yeah, we're all going to be fine.
[11:44]
Julian Benzavalli
I know, but it really is true that, like, school does not measure work ethic. And work ethic is, like, I think the defining way people end up, like, being successful.
[11:51]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. And that has nothing to do with Britney. Sorry, Brittany. We got off the story for a minute. But Brittany got married at 19 years old. And she and her husband were constantly breaking up and getting back together.
[11:59]
Ramona
Yes.
[11:59]
Patrick Hines
People couldn't keep up. Her mom, Ramona says that she used to say, just let me know how many plates to set. I don't even know if you're together or not. Like, what's going on.
[12:06]
Ramona
Yeah.
[12:06]
Patrick Hines
But today, like, at the time of this documentary, Brittany is a single mom and she has four kids.
[12:11]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. And she. We get this really sad story. She actually lost one of her kids.
[12:15]
Brittany Smith
Baby Will had Potter's syndrome. It's a genetic disorder. He just lived 45 minutes. When she lost a full born child, Brittany went out in left field and found peace somewhere else with addiction.
[12:34]
Julian Benzavalli
We don't get that much into it, but I mean, obviously a loss like that is so devastating. And, you know, that stays with you.
[12:41]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. And so, like, this destroyed Britney, obviously. And her mom says that she turned to substances to escape.
[12:47]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[12:47]
Patrick Hines
Which, you know, no one can really blame her, honestly.
[12:49]
Julian Benzavalli
Real quick, we're with the mom at the McDonald's drive thru where she wants to buy McGriddles for everybody in the car.
[12:55]
Patrick Hines
You know what I always think of when this happens?
[12:57]
Julian Benzavalli
What?
[12:58]
Patrick Hines
The one person who really wanted to say yes and then everyone else said no. And you're like, yeah, I'll take an egg. What?
[13:04]
Julian Benzavalli
No, no, I'm full. I am full.
[13:07]
Patrick Hines
I'm super fine. Oh, my God, you're so sweet. Thank you for asking. And now meanwhile, your stomach is growling and your day is ruined until you get yourself an egg McMuffin. But now it's 10:05 and they're closed for breakfast.
[13:17]
Julian Benzavalli
You're not going to like what I have to say here. I'm not really a McGriddle supporter. The McGriddle is.
[13:21]
Patrick Hines
Oh, did you hear how I said Egg McMuffin?
[13:23]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah, well, see, that's exactly right. The Egg McMuffin comes on a. On a English muffin. The McGriddle comes between like two pancakes or whatever.
[13:30]
Patrick Hines
It's a little. It's dry, I'm sweet and savory thing.
[13:33]
Julian Benzavalli
I'm not that into it. But I will tell you what I will up is a bacon, egg and cheese bagel sandwich from Dunkin. I could have one every day. I could have like three a day.
[13:41]
Patrick Hines
Oh, man.
[13:41]
Ramona
Yeah.
[13:42]
Julian Benzavalli
Sometimes these fast food chains really have the breakfast sandwich thing down.
[13:44]
Patrick Hines
The New York City bodegas have them down more than 100%. Egg and cheese, salt, pepper.
[13:48]
Julian Benzavalli
You're right. I forgot who I was talking to. A real New Yorker.
[13:50]
Patrick Hines
It's fine. I'm just saying, if you really want a good breakfast sandwich, go to your local bodega or your friend's local bodega.
[13:55]
Julian Benzavalli
And you know, because you pronounce it sandwich, which is my favorite part, as.
[14:01]
Patrick Hines
Opposed to like sandwich, sand. Sandwich. Sandwich. No, no, girl.
[14:09]
Julian Benzavalli
You know, I grew up on Cape Cod and there's a town called Sandwich.
[14:12]
Patrick Hines
Spelled like sandwich or spelled like fucking spelled like sandwich. I know, Saskatchewan.
[14:16]
Julian Benzavalli
Every now and then it'll pop up on Buzzfeed because there'll be like a cop car that says Sandwich Police.
[14:20]
Patrick Hines
Right. Just rife for memes. It's like a sandwich. Please give me a break.
[14:28]
Julian Benzavalli
But it really says that on the cop Cars.
[14:30]
Patrick Hines
But I do think about the. You know, there's someone. Someone on the crew who's like, I really could have gone for breakfast.
[14:34]
Julian Benzavalli
Joel was starving. Joel got in the car, was like, we're going to McDonald's.
[14:38]
Patrick Hines
You said, I've been there, too. Where it's like, do you guys want anything? And everyone else you're with is like, no, I'm good. And then you. You're like, well, now I can't be the dick. Being like, I actually would love one. Oh, dude. And then I'm thinking about it the rest of the day, and then I'm mad at everyone else. Like, do you know what I gave up for you?
[14:54]
Julian Benzavalli
Totally. Cause by the time the shoot' they're not serving them with griddles anymore, it's less.
[14:58]
Patrick Hines
Can I get, like, a fry? Like, a small fry? At least I know it's in the little paper bag.
[15:03]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, God. With all the salt. I know.
[15:05]
Patrick Hines
It's so good, man. So we learned that because Brittany is, of course, devastated about baby Will, and she's turned to substances. She starts using meth.
[15:14]
Brittany Smith
When she lost child custody, she hit rock bottom. We did support and help her as much as we could, and she struggled. She relapsed a couple of times.
[15:28]
Patrick Hines
That was her rock bottom. And she loses her kids because of this.
[15:31]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. And, like, her mom is really supportive, and her mom is there for her. Her mom says she was doing well. She's getting sober. She's really working to get her kids back.
[15:40]
Patrick Hines
She's like, but I'm watching this. I'm like, hell, yeah, Britney. Like, she works super hard. It's not easy. Brittany, she had a job. She had a house. She was doing really, really well.
[15:49]
Ramona
Yeah.
[15:49]
Patrick Hines
So it's January 10, 2018, and there was a home evaluation just to make sure that everything was safe for the kids.
[15:54]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. The lady, she says, who did the home evaluation was like, you're. You pass with flying colors that she's proud of. Britney.
[16:00]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. Brittany, honestly, like, she. She hit her rock bottom. And she said, absolutely not. And she really did everything to get on the right track. She worked super, super hard. So this is a really big day. Totally, really exciting. Everyone's super happy. Brittany's kids are back at home to celebrate. She wants to get them a puppy.
[16:16]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. So now we learn about this piece of shit, Todd Smith, who's a pit bull breeder.
[16:21]
Patrick Hines
No relation, by the way. Their last names are both Smith, but.
[16:23]
Paige
Right.
[16:24]
Ramona
Yeah.
[16:24]
Patrick Hines
Can I just say something, please?
[16:25]
Julian Benzavalli
I know what you're going to say.
[16:26]
Patrick Hines
But you said Pit bulls are not a breed, okay? It's an umbrella term for certain kinds of mixed breed terriers.
[16:31]
Julian Benzavalli
Is that right?
[16:32]
Patrick Hines
Yeah, they're kind and amazing and we have to stop making them monsters.
[16:35]
Julian Benzavalli
I've never had a bad experience with a pit bull.
[16:36]
Patrick Hines
My parents currently have two dogs. They're both mixes of a lot of breeds. And, like, they're what people could potentially call, like, pit bulls. Pit bull.
[16:44]
Julian Benzavalli
Cute as hell.
[16:45]
Patrick Hines
They're so sweet. But they're amazing dogs. Like, just. I don't like how the word pit bull has been, like, demonized. They're just like, it's not like a real breed. Also, I'm not really happy that we're talking about an unethical breeder. But I also don't expect everyone to know every fact about world. So Britney didn't know she wanted to do something nice for our kids. Yeah, I'm not mad at Brittany for that. But, like, I know it's a rough few minutes. This is a rough documentary all told. It's only 40 minutes long, but every minute is like, God, by the way, I'm coming.
[17:11]
Julian Benzavalli
This was made by Ryan White, the same guy who made into the Fire.
[17:14]
Patrick Hines
And the keepers.
[17:15]
Julian Benzavalli
And the keepers. He's really. I mean, like, he's really good.
[17:17]
Ramona
Yeah.
[17:18]
Patrick Hines
So Brittany buys this puppy from Todd, and the shooting and Todd's killing happened a few days later, right?
[17:25]
Julian Benzavalli
Brittany knew this guy from high school, right? And so.
[17:27]
Paige
Right.
[17:28]
Julian Benzavalli
She arranges to buy the pit bull from him. So it's 2018. She gets a call from Todd, I guess, like they. Maybe they were friends in high school. She bought a dog from him, knew each other, and now he's just calling her.
[17:39]
Patrick Hines
Well, also, I just want to say it's five days after the home evaluation.
[17:42]
Ramona
Yes.
[17:42]
Patrick Hines
Britney's on top of the world. Everything was going well. She got the dog, she's getting the kid. Like, it couldn't have gone better, right? And like, Todd enters her life and the whole thing blows up.
[17:50]
Julian Benzavalli
Right?
[17:51]
Patrick Hines
So Todd texts Britney and he wants her to pick him up from the park and let him crash for the night because the friend who was supposed to do that won't come get him, which is a bad sign.
[18:00]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. Or is he just lying to get into house?
[18:02]
Patrick Hines
Or that too. But I'm like, excuse me, you recently had a business transaction. That transaction has ended. She doesn't owe you shit. She should. She is not like owing you a favor to pick you up from the. What is wrong with you?
[18:14]
Julian Benzavalli
And she's just a nice person who would do something she's nice, he's manipulative.
[18:18]
Ramona
Yes.
[18:18]
Patrick Hines
So she goes to pick him up because she's a nice person.
[18:20]
Julian Benzavalli
And not only does she pick him.
[18:22]
Chris
Up, she says, all right, we'll come and get you. You can stay on my couch for one night. But tomorrow you have got to leave. You know, you can't just pile up at my house. It's not a crash house. I'm about to get my kids home.
[18:33]
Julian Benzavalli
This isn't a crash house. I'm about to get my kids back again.
[18:37]
Patrick Hines
She's on top of the world. She's doing everything right. Everyone's proud of her, she's on the right track. She's moments away from getting her life exactly where she wants it to be. And she's saying, not on my watch. Are you gonna fuck this up for me, Todd? No way.
[18:48]
Julian Benzavalli
No. And so they're hanging out at her house and she says they're talking and she's just filling him in on how great everything is going for her. I think that's the trigger for him.
[18:56]
Patrick Hines
I 100% agree.
[18:57]
Julian Benzavalli
She's like, I'm getting my kids back. I'm working. Everything's going great. And then she says something. Something snapped in him. She said, he started screaming at me. He headbutted me. I ran to my bedroom, locked the door. He broke down the door, tackled me on the bed, started choking me. Then she says everything went black. And she thought, please God, don't let me die. She's about to get her kids back.
[19:21]
Patrick Hines
After working so hard. So Britney blacks out.
[19:26]
Ramona
Yeah.
[19:26]
Patrick Hines
Because he's choking her. She wakes up to Todd raping her. Her pants are off. Todd is still choking her, threatens her, and he says, if you say one fudgeing word, I will kill you. If you breathe wrong, I will kill you.
[19:39]
Julian Benzavalli
Like this was his plan the whole time. That, that whole like calling her from the campsite or whatever was a ruse just to get into her house.
[19:45]
Patrick Hines
100% travel down, girl.
[19:50]
Julian Benzavalli
The Zbiotics pre alcohol probiotic is back at just in time for the summer. Happy hours on my roof.
[19:56]
Patrick Hines
Yeah, because here's what we're not doing, like calling out of work because we were drinking or calling out of appointments or missing classes or whatever. We're not doing that.
[20:03]
Julian Benzavalli
Sleeping through your kids soccer game, you know what I mean?
[20:05]
Patrick Hines
We're all busy. We have stuff to do. We want to have a couple cocktails and then wake up fresh as a daisy the next day.
[20:10]
Paige
Exactly.
[20:10]
Julian Benzavalli
So Zebiotics pre alcohol Probiotic drink is the world's first Genetically engineered probiotic.
[20:16]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Here's how it works. When you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut.
[20:25]
Julian Benzavalli
It's the buildup of this byproduct, not dehydration, that's to blame for your rough days after drinking.
[20:29]
Patrick Hines
Drinking pre alcohol produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down.
[20:32]
Julian Benzavalli
Just remember to make pre alcohol your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly and you'll feel your best tomorrow. We have it in our bar. We literally like crack one open. It's like a little shot. It tastes great, it's really good, and.
[20:43]
Patrick Hines
It'S easy to do. And so you just like, Mike and I will have them before we go out for like a date night. Michael, like leave it on the counter. Yeah, but you still, you know, have your water, eat food. Like you still be responsible. But this definitely helps.
[20:54]
Julian Benzavalli
The next day we hand them out at our happy hours. Everyone's grateful at brunch the next morning. Cuz they all show up for brunch.
[20:59]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. It's your first drink of the night and just keep drinking water. Just be smart.
[21:02]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly. So, fam, Spring is here, which means more opportunities to celebrate warmer weather before.
[21:07]
Patrick Hines
Drake's on the patio, the tropical vacation, or your best friend's wedding. Don't forget your Zebiotics pre alcohol.
[21:12]
Julian Benzavalli
Drink one before drinking and wake up feeling great the next day.
[21:15]
Patrick Hines
Go to zebiotics.com tco to learn more and get 15% off your first order. When you use TCO at checkout, Zebiotics.
[21:22]
Julian Benzavalli
Is backed with a 100% money back guarantee. So if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money. No. No questions asked.
[21:28]
Patrick Hines
Remember to head to zebiotics.com tco and use code tco at checkout for 15% off.
[21:33]
Julian Benzavalli
Thank you, Zbiotics, for sponsoring this episode and for our good times.
[21:40]
Patrick Hines
So it's 12:40am Brittany calls her mother asking for cigarettes.
[21:44]
Julian Benzavalli
Now this is a bit. It's a little bit of a left turn. You have to understand, Todd is still there.
[21:48]
Patrick Hines
Yes. And now this is code to get her mother over to her house. Now, her mother doesn't know that.
[21:53]
Paige
Right.
[21:54]
Patrick Hines
But it's a way for Brittany to get someone over to the house. And it is so smart.
[21:57]
Ramona
Yeah.
[21:57]
Patrick Hines
Do you and Steve have a code?
[21:58]
Julian Benzavalli
No.
[21:59]
Patrick Hines
Mike and I have a cod.
[21:59]
Julian Benzavalli
You do? For like a home invasion?
[22:01]
Patrick Hines
No, for like, if I'm not going to mention it, what it is on the show, obviously. But, like, in case, like, one of us needs to secretly signal that something's wrong. Oh, yeah.
[22:10]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, my God. Have you ever had to use it?
[22:11]
Patrick Hines
No.
[22:12]
Paige
Wow.
[22:13]
Patrick Hines
No.
[22:13]
Julian Benzavalli
What was the moment that you guys were like, we need a code?
[22:15]
Patrick Hines
I think I honestly came home from a recording, and I was like, we have to have a plan.
[22:18]
Ramona
Yeah.
[22:19]
Patrick Hines
There have been things that have gone on, I guess, in my life, not just learning about things or being exposed to things on this show, whatever mental health toll that's taken over the years, but also just things that have happened in my life where I think I had a moment where I. I was like, should have one of. We should be able to communicate if I ever need that.
[22:34]
Ramona
Yeah.
[22:34]
Patrick Hines
I don't know. You know, it might sound insane and paranoid.
[22:37]
Julian Benzavalli
No.
[22:38]
Patrick Hines
Like, out of context.
[22:39]
Julian Benzavalli
No, no, no. I mean, look, we think about true crime most days of the week. You know what I mean? I'm really. I apply it to Daisy and, like, how. You know what I mean? Like, what. What do I need to do to keep her safe based on the things that I've learned? No, but I'm gonna go home. But we're gonna have a code tonight.
[22:52]
Patrick Hines
Yeah, it's.
[22:53]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah, it's definitely not gonna be Ryan Philippe.
[22:55]
Patrick Hines
No, no.
[22:56]
Julian Benzavalli
That's like, Ryan Philippe, Steve.
[22:59]
Patrick Hines
No, we're not talking about super fun time. We' like, drop a pin, come get me.
[23:05]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, God. So anyway, the world is a terrifying.
[23:08]
Patrick Hines
Place, a horrifying place. So Brittany's mother, Ramona, doesn't know this is a code.
[23:11]
Brittany Smith
I was so tired. I had worked that day. It was freezing cold and snowing. My hair was wet, and I was like, chris, can you just go take your sister to the store to get some cigarettes?
[23:24]
Patrick Hines
It's late. It's freezing. It's snowing. Ramona had worked all day. She's exhausted. Her hair's still wet from her nighttime shower. She's ready to call it a night. She's done.
[23:32]
Julian Benzavalli
I didn't know it got this cold in Alabama. Like, that is disappointing in January. You know what I mean? Like, is there anywhere in the world that is warm? One place, the equator. Okay, then I'm going there. We'll have to record remotely from the equipment. Be standing on it. I am so cold. All that when she was explaining, like, the wet hair and the cold and it's snowing out, I was like, I needed a blanket.
[23:53]
Patrick Hines
I know. We had a very long winter.
[23:55]
Julian Benzavalli
We really.
[23:56]
Patrick Hines
If we were talking about this in August, it probably wouldn't feel so personal.
[24:00]
Julian Benzavalli
I made the decision today when I was walking golden at 4:04am that I will not walk one time complaint about the heat this summer. You will not hear it come out of my mouth.
[24:08]
Patrick Hines
Okay, great.
[24:09]
Julian Benzavalli
I won't do it.
[24:10]
Patrick Hines
I'll do it.
[24:10]
Julian Benzavalli
I know. I'll do it for both of us. And the cockroach is in your mouth.
[24:13]
Patrick Hines
I'll do it for both of us. I don't know why you throw that at me. Like it's not gonna. Like it's not gonna stick with me for the rest of the evening. You know what that does that. It opens up the memory of it.
[24:23]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, wait, that never actually happened to you?
[24:25]
Patrick Hines
No.
[24:26]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, my God.
[24:26]
Patrick Hines
But it feels like a memory. I imagine death so much. It feels more like a memory. That's Hamilton, everyone. That's how it feels. It feels like. Of course it's happened to me.
[24:34]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah, yeah.
[24:34]
Patrick Hines
What do you mean? It's a Hamilton?
[24:35]
Julian Benzavalli
The very first time you ever said it. I mean, if Yorker has.
[24:38]
Patrick Hines
We were in the subway in the summer. Yeah, I remember where we were.
[24:40]
Julian Benzavalli
You can 100% imagine it happening. Yeah, yeah, sure.
[24:44]
Patrick Hines
Oh, my God. Fly. Doesn't matter. So Ramona is like, I'm done for the night. Shitty weather. My hair is wet. So Ramona asks Chris, Britney's brother, to take Brittany to the store.
[24:53]
Julian Benzavalli
I do love that she's like, it's not that you're not going to get the cigarettes. They're just not going to be for me. We're setting Chris.
[24:59]
Patrick Hines
Chris is tired, also a little irritated. And who wouldn't be, you know, one in the morning, you know what's going on. You're just like, for cigarettes, girl. Like, whatever. But this is how great their family is. 100, like, going. So he gets up, heads out into the bad weather. He's going over there expecting to take his sister to the store. And he's not expecting anyone else at the house. She didn't say anything. Like, that's just what he thinks. But Todd is there because this piece of shit sticks around.
[25:21]
Ramona
Yeah.
[25:21]
Julian Benzavalli
And I also love that Chris also isn't bothered by it. Like, they come out, he gets in the backseat, Brittany gets in the front seat. They drive down the store to, like, the open, you know, convenience store.
[25:30]
Patrick Hines
And like, looking back, Chris is like, yeah, Britney was quiet, but, like, everyone's quiet. It's late, the weather sucks, it's dark. I'm not expecting everyone to be chipper.
[25:37]
Julian Benzavalli
Everyone's freezing.
[25:38]
Patrick Hines
We're all running an errand. That's a pain in the.
[25:41]
Julian Benzavalli
But one in the morning.
[25:42]
Patrick Hines
No one wants to really do it.
[25:44]
Julian Benzavalli
But anyway, it sounds awful because again.
[25:46]
Patrick Hines
No one knows what Britney is playing.
[25:48]
Ramona
Yeah, yeah.
[25:48]
Patrick Hines
So Britney goes into the store. Chris and Todd stay in the car. They're kind of chatting. Paige is the clerk at the convenience store. And she's here.
[25:55]
Julian Benzavalli
She's here. I want to just give it up to Chris one more time. What an awesome brother. Like at one in the morning, you need your cigs. I'm going to come down and get you. Take it. What a good guy. Like, what a good brother.
[26:04]
Patrick Hines
I think that's also when you all agree to share a car. It's like we're all going to be inconvenienced.
[26:09]
Julian Benzavalli
So yeah, yeah, yeah.
[26:10]
Patrick Hines
We all have to own that. And that's what we're going to do. Some of are going to need a car at 1:00 in the morning.
[26:15]
Julian Benzavalli
And then we just got to bring them and that's it. That's how.
[26:17]
Patrick Hines
It's a handshake deal.
[26:18]
Ramona
Yeah.
[26:18]
Patrick Hines
So Paige is here. She's the clerk at the store. And she tells us Britney was a mess when she came in. She looked like she'd been in a fight. And those real. I just kept thinking about the bright fluorescent lights of a convenience store. Paige can see everything. Chris can't.
[26:30]
Julian Benzavalli
Yes.
[26:31]
Patrick Hines
Right. It's dark in the car. She has a hood on. Probably it's snowing.
[26:34]
Julian Benzavalli
Yep. I'm also shocked that we're going to find out that Todd let her go into the store by herself.
[26:39]
Patrick Hines
Stay fucking stupid, you asshole.
[26:40]
Julian Benzavalli
Stay stupid.
[26:41]
Patrick Hines
So Paige is like, girl, what happened? And Brittany's like, don't say any.
[26:45]
Ashley
Like she was like, shh, you know.
[26:46]
Patrick Hines
Don'T draw any attention. And then that's when she started telling me what happened to her, that she was being held hostage, that she had been raped, beaten by Todd Smith. I was like, just stay here. Like, get in this room. And she said, I can't, my brother's in the car.
[27:05]
Chris
If I don't go back out there.
[27:06]
Patrick Hines
He'S gonna hurt my brother. My brother is out in the car with Todd. If I don't go back there, he's gonna hurt my brother.
[27:11]
Paige
Right.
[27:11]
Patrick Hines
So I can't stay here. I'm just telling you, like, this is what's going on. I. But I gotta go back.
[27:18]
Julian Benzavalli
Why didn't Paige call the cops?
[27:20]
Patrick Hines
I don't know.
[27:21]
Julian Benzavalli
Because we're gonna learn that, like, we will learn later that there's a little bit more to this interaction that Brittany's gonna say to Paige if Anything happens to me, Todd did it. Here's my mother's phone number. Call her. It's. It's weird that Paige doesn't call the police.
[27:34]
Patrick Hines
Well, it's not based on what we know how. How the. How the county treats women. Like, we hear from Paige herself when. When my mom was being beat up by her boyfriends and my dad. Dad, like, my mom would get arrested. So the women here are not calling the cops.
[27:49]
Julian Benzavalli
Gabby Petito, obviously the perpetrator in that.
[27:52]
Patrick Hines
In that altercation, like, so there's about a million reasons why these women aren't calling the cops.
[27:58]
Ramona
Yeah.
[27:58]
Patrick Hines
So Britney leaves the store, gets in the car. Chris drives them home. Todd, once again, leaves Brittany alone with someone. Todd gets out of the car first and goes back into the house. And Brittany sort of hangs behind for a minute. And before she gets out of the car, she says to her brother, Chris, go. I can't say anything else. Go to the store and talk to Paige. Go back to where we just were and talk to Paige right now.
[28:16]
Ramona
Yes.
[28:16]
Patrick Hines
Chris does it.
[28:17]
Ramona
Yes.
[28:18]
Patrick Hines
Now Paige says. He walks in. Chris is like, hey, my sister said to talk to you. He's got no idea. I'm telling you, she's wearing a hood.
[28:24]
Ramona
Yes.
[28:24]
Patrick Hines
She's not. And it's dark out again in that fluorescent lighting.
[28:27]
Paige
Right.
[28:27]
Julian Benzavalli
It's one in the morning.
[28:29]
Patrick Hines
Saw something totally different than what Chris did.
[28:31]
Ramona
Yes.
[28:31]
Patrick Hines
Chris learns about what happened and heads right back to Brittney's house to take care of business.
[28:36]
Julian Benzavalli
He says this thing that made me, like, cringe. I hated it. Except for in this instance. It's good. He says, I always have my pistol right here by my side.
[28:43]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[28:44]
Julian Benzavalli
I don't love it, but I like it in this instance.
[28:46]
Patrick Hines
I mean, he will tell you, well, this is why I have it all.
[28:48]
Julian Benzavalli
That's what they will all tell you.
[28:50]
Patrick Hines
Know what I'm saying?
[28:51]
Julian Benzavalli
That's what they will all tell you.
[28:52]
Patrick Hines
They will all say that. So Chris goes into the house. Todd, the piece of shit, is fixing himself a drink, making himself right at home. Yeah, I'm glad he's done.
[28:59]
Julian Benzavalli
We all know. Me, too. We all now know that, like, he's not welcome there. He's. He's holding his sister hostage.
[29:05]
Patrick Hines
Right. Todd is holding Chris's sister hostage.
[29:07]
Julian Benzavalli
Correct.
[29:08]
Patrick Hines
So Chris tells Todd he needs to leave. Get yourself. Get the hell out of my sister's house. Todd refuses.
[29:13]
Todd Smith
He' not moving. I just wanted Todd gone.
[29:19]
Julian Benzavalli
I put my gun on the counter and tried to physically remove him from the house.
[29:22]
Patrick Hines
And then that's when the fight started. I don't want to have to use this on you. Todd, get the fuck out of the house.
[29:28]
Julian Benzavalli
He says he put his gun down so he could try to physically remove Todd from the house. We're going to find out later that Todd has over 800 milligrams of meth in his system. It will be described as like one of those like.
[29:40]
Patrick Hines
Like a nearly impossible.
[29:41]
Julian Benzavalli
That like five cops couldn't have taken this guy down. So when. When Chris goes in to try to Todd, then Todd turns on Chris and it becomes very scary.
[29:51]
Patrick Hines
And so now these two men are fighting in the kitchen. And it's instantly terrifying and horrible. Britney comes out and tries to stop the fight. And she tells us that. She says, todd, I don't want to have to shoot anyone. Let my brother go.
[30:03]
Julian Benzavalli
Because he's. Todd is choking her brother, like, around.
[30:06]
Patrick Hines
Her, like he was choking Britney.
[30:08]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly. Like Chris very easily could be killed in this movie.
[30:11]
Patrick Hines
And Chris is a big guy.
[30:12]
Ramona
Yeah.
[30:13]
Patrick Hines
So Chris can hold his own.
[30:14]
Ramona
Yes.
[30:14]
Patrick Hines
And Todd is on that much meth that he's like superhuman.
[30:18]
Ramona
Yes.
[30:18]
Patrick Hines
Now to listen to Britney. Britney fires the gun twice and nothing happens.
[30:23]
Paige
Right.
[30:23]
Patrick Hines
The fight doesn't stop. She doesn't hit them. The warning shot doesn't matter. Whatever. The third time she shoots the gun, Todd and Chris both fall to the ground.
[30:32]
Ramona
Yeah.
[30:32]
Patrick Hines
Brittany calls 91 1.
[30:34]
Julian Benzavalli
We hear the call.
[30:35]
Patrick Hines
She reports the shooting. Hi, I need an ambulance. Someone just got shot. Where is the person that shot him? He's right here with me. He's my brother. He's not going to jail. Like, he. Like he was trying to protect me. She tells the dispatcher that Chris was the shooter. And she goes, he wasn't going to jail. He was trying to protect me. Meaning, like he was standing his ground. Don't worry about it.
[30:57]
Ramona
Yeah.
[30:58]
Patrick Hines
Now Brittany is crying and she's doing what the dispatcher says, like, pumping Todd's chest. Whatever. I would have been like, girl, let him die.
[31:04]
Julian Benzavalli
Let him die.
[31:05]
Patrick Hines
I won't say a word.
[31:06]
Julian Benzavalli
Two.
[31:06]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. What?
[31:07]
Julian Benzavalli
Three.
[31:07]
Patrick Hines
I don't know.
[31:09]
Julian Benzavalli
But then the cops show up and we see the body cam from the cops. Like, body cam. And it is chaos because they don't. All they know is that somebody's been shot. They don't know who did the shooting. The shoot is still in the house. The cop is totally panicking. Like, it's got to be pretty scary to be a cop in that moment.
[31:25]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. But Britney, like, they say, who's the shooter? And Brittany lies again and she says, it's my brother.
[31:30]
Ramona
Yes.
[31:30]
Patrick Hines
And I'm not. I understand completely why she lied. I'm just letting you know that she lied because it'll come back.
[31:35]
Julian Benzavalli
And they decided this together. Britney and her brother decided to say that he was the shooter.
[31:40]
Patrick Hines
Right now Britney is pleading with the cops because she's like, don't hurt my brother. Don't shoot my brother. He was protecting me. And you hear her say it. Oh, my God, her voice, it's so heartbreaking. Todd raped me.
[31:49]
Ramona
Yes.
[31:49]
Patrick Hines
Todd choked me. My brother was sa. Don't hurt him. He didn't do anything wrong.
[31:54]
Ramona
Yes.
[31:54]
Julian Benzavalli
And Chris says to us now, like, the reason I was going to take the blame for this is because in Jackson county, where they live, women do not get treated fairly. And he says if I didn't take the blame, she's never going to get her kids back.
[32:05]
Patrick Hines
I mean, they went to the house and approved her house five days ago.
[32:08]
Ramona
Yes.
[32:08]
Patrick Hines
Everything was about to change. And so Chris says, like, I didn't want to do anything to stand in the way of that. Let me just say that I shot him.
[32:16]
Julian Benzavalli
Right?
[32:16]
Patrick Hines
That's it. And honestly, he was protecting her. So. So it's like, where's the lie, right, girl?
[32:25]
Julian Benzavalli
Branch Basics is back. This is all about changing your cleaning routine at home.
[32:30]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. So Branch Basics has the premium starter kit. It's going to replace dozens of toxic cleaners, which is one powerful plant and mineral based concentrate. That's the thing. It's all about the concentrate.
[32:39]
Julian Benzavalli
And get this, there's no synthetic fragrances. Those are the worst. There's no harsh chemicals. Just real effective clean cleaning that's safe for babies, pets and the planet.
[32:47]
Patrick Hines
And you use it everywhere like, like kitchen counters, bathrooms, laundry, makeup brushes. You should be cleaning your makeup brushes on a regular basis. You can even wash your produce. It's just one simple fragrance free formula that actually works.
[32:59]
Julian Benzavalli
Steve is like a monster with it. He takes it from room to room on Saturday mornings. Yeah.
[33:03]
Patrick Hines
It's the concentrate. And everything has a different bottle. And then you have a different amount of water for each place you want to clean or each thing you want to clean. It's so simple.
[33:10]
Julian Benzavalli
And get this, toss out all that other expensive stuff you've been using forever. On average, each bottle costs just $2.13. That's less than most conventional cleaners, but with safe, high quality ingredients.
[33:21]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. That means you're getting a premium, truly human, safe cleaning system at a fraction of the cost.
[33:26]
Julian Benzavalli
I mean, my God, that stuff is so expensive and it's so easy.
[33:28]
Patrick Hines
Like it's the concentrate and you're not like, oh, I need one thing for this one thing. No, it's the same thing.
[33:32]
Julian Benzavalli
Go room to room like my husband at 7am on a Saturday.
[33:35]
Chris
Oh, God.
[33:35]
Julian Benzavalli
Make this.
[33:36]
Patrick Hines
Sleep in for once in your life.
[33:39]
Julian Benzavalli
Make this year the year you say goodbye to toxic products.
[33:42]
Patrick Hines
Right now our listeners get 15% off the premium starter kit by using code.
[33:45]
Julian Benzavalli
Tco@Branchbasics.Com that's 15% off your new Branch Basics premium starter kit at branchbasics.com with promo code tco.
[33:54]
Patrick Hines
Make 2025 your cleanest, healthiest year yet with Branch Basics.
[33:57]
Julian Benzavalli
Go at. All right, girl. Pretty Litter is back. Give us the macaroni update.
[34:02]
Patrick Hines
He's fine and he's healthy. And I know that because of Pretty Litter.
[34:04]
Julian Benzavalli
Well, that's the whole thing. The whole thing about Pretty Litter in addition to all the other things they do, they've got the health indicator. So if, if macaroni or any other kitty uses the litter box and there's a problem, the litter is going to turn a different color and you'll know to take the kitty to the vet.
[34:17]
Patrick Hines
And here's the thing, visiting Ashley, my best friend who is the mother of macaroni. Her apartment doesn't stink. Normally it would stink. So Pretty Litter's non clumping formula traps odor and moisture. It's ultra absorbent. It's super lightweight, low dust.
[34:30]
Ramona
Yeah.
[34:30]
Patrick Hines
And so I'm sorry, cat, cat owners, like your house is going to smell of kitty litter. Not with Pretty Litter.
[34:36]
Julian Benzavalli
You were the one who taught me about the concept of nose blindness. Yes, you get, you just, you don't smell it.
[34:41]
Patrick Hines
Right. Not any like the person who lives there. But I promise you, your guests do. But Ashley, if I didn't know and love macaroni, I would not know she had a cat.
[34:47]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh my God. That is the absolute best place to deliver it right to your door. The thing that I hated the most about having cats was carrying those like enormously heavy bags from the grocery store. None of that anymore. They deliver it right to your house for you.
[34:57]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. And it's like a six pound bag. It's like not even a huge tub that you have to hide.
[35:02]
Julian Benzavalli
So. So fam. Pretty Litter helps keep our house safe and smelling fresh and clean. Try it and you'll love it.
[35:08]
Patrick Hines
Go to PrettyLitter.com TCO to save 20% on your first order and get a free cat toy.
[35:14]
Julian Benzavalli
That's PrettyLittleitter.com TCO to save twenty percent on your first order and get A free cat toy.
[35:20]
Patrick Hines
So cute. Prettylittleitter.com TCO terms and conditions apply.
[35:23]
Julian Benzavalli
Site for details I found four of Golden's balls under the couch today.
[35:27]
Patrick Hines
Fiona has them in every room in the house just in case.
[35:34]
Julian Benzavalli
The next morning, Britney, she wakes up and she turns herself in. She can't.
[35:38]
Patrick Hines
She can't live with it.
[35:38]
Julian Benzavalli
She can't live with it.
[35:39]
Patrick Hines
She's sick over it. And we see the video of the confession and my heart just like, shatters a million pieces. Because Britney was just brutally attacked. She was beaten, she was raped. And now she's sitting with this cop crying, saying, I should have just told the truth from the beginning.
[35:54]
Julian Benzavalli
Right. Because that actually happened to her gets overshadowed by this lie.
[35:58]
Patrick Hines
And what happens in an instant is that the trauma of her rape is not being handled properly because the cops don't see her as a survivor. They see her as a liar.
[36:06]
Paige
Right.
[36:07]
Patrick Hines
And now everything changes.
[36:09]
Julian Benzavalli
And what they'll say is, well, if you lied about who shot him, then you lied about what he did to you.
[36:13]
Patrick Hines
But it's like, can we.
[36:14]
Julian Benzavalli
Which I want to point out is like, horrific. Nobody should be told that. But that's what the cops are thinking.
[36:19]
Patrick Hines
Like, consider the source and context matters. She didn't lie about if she stole a wallet or not. She lied hours after a brutal attack and rape.
[36:28]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah, but it's also. Even though the judge in this case is a woman, I think what everyone is trying to make so clear here, and I know that I knew this, but it's really highlighted here. Men are going to look out for each other. You know what I mean? Like, these male cops are always going to err on the side of, like.
[36:43]
Patrick Hines
She'S lying about law enforcement most of the time is going to look out for each other. So, like, come on.
[36:48]
Julian Benzavalli
So Britney is charged with murder and she spends 10 months detained in jail.
[36:52]
Patrick Hines
And her mother pawns her mother's wedding ring, Britney's grandmother's wedding ring, and bonds the title to her car to cover the six. So Brittany can live at home until her murder trial.
[37:02]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. And Ramona, the mom, is saying she.
[37:05]
Brittany Smith
Never should have been took to jail. None of that is fair. I taught her to fight. Fight back with everything you've got. And she did. And I'm proud of her for it.
[37:17]
Julian Benzavalli
I'm proud of her for it.
[37:19]
Patrick Hines
So Britney's home. She can't get a job. She can't be with her kids. She's fighting this legal battle. She's also dealing with the trauma of her mother, rape and assault and having to kill someone to protect her brother.
[37:29]
Julian Benzavalli
We see her playing with this little girl. Girl. And we think it's her own daughter, but it's not. She's like playing with the neighbor's kid to get some time. Playing with a kid because she misses her kids so much. And I want to know about, like, is she getting supervised visitation? Is she seeing them at all? We don't get any, any information on that.
[37:45]
Patrick Hines
But we do get on screen. Like the Alabama code, title 13A comes up, which is in writing, stand your ground. A person is justified in using physical force in order to defend him or herself. Unlawful physical force is highlighted.
[37:58]
Paige
Right?
[37:58]
Patrick Hines
This is Britney's case. Exactly.
[38:00]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[38:00]
Patrick Hines
It 100% applies to what happened. And no one is saying that to her.
[38:03]
Paige
Right.
[38:03]
Patrick Hines
They're just like, he got 10 months. Oh, you got bond. But not a cop. Not. No one is saying, wait a second. Yeah, like there's a stand your ground law here that maybe you can be thinking about. Like, what does she need to do? Declare it. Like, Michael Scott declared bankruptcy.
[38:15]
Julian Benzavalli
Right.
[38:16]
Patrick Hines
Like, what does she need to do?
[38:17]
Julian Benzavalli
Well, right, because we learned that the process for this, there's a, like, you get a stand your ground trial.
[38:22]
Patrick Hines
Because her mother looked into it.
[38:24]
Paige
Right?
[38:24]
Patrick Hines
Her mother researched it and was like, girl, wait a second, we have to do the stand your ground thing. Nobody told Britney that that resource was not given to her. Her mother looked into it and figured it out. That's what I'm saying. What does she need to do? She was raped and assaulted and this guy was attacking her brother.
[38:40]
Julian Benzavalli
No matter how you being held hostage.
[38:42]
Patrick Hines
No matter how you slice it, stand your ground applies 100. She was left to her own devices to fudgeing. Figure it out.
[38:48]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah, yeah, that's awful.
[38:50]
Patrick Hines
I bet if a man. You know what I'm saying?
[38:52]
Julian Benzavalli
Of course. Yes, of course.
[38:54]
Patrick Hines
Come on.
[38:55]
Julian Benzavalli
So we learned that she gets a court appointed defense attorney. His name is Ron Smith. I kind of love this.
[39:00]
Patrick Hines
No, he's good.
[39:01]
Julian Benzavalli
He's good. And you know, I've talked to people in the. I've mentioned this on the podcast in the past that they. I've met public defenders who say, like, that's kind of the best case scenario for anybody, no matter if you can afford it or not. Because public defenders have each other. So they're like, if we get stuck on something, we can go to another public defender and say, how would you handle this? You got a bunch of minds all working together. Plus, like the one that's dedicated to your case.
[39:22]
Patrick Hines
That's cool.
[39:23]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. And this guy Ron is saying that the law in this instance was very much on her side.
[39:27]
Todd Smith
He says she's not engaged in unlawful activity. She's not the initial. She's basically at the house. The brother is being choked out by Todd. Chokehold is deadly force. She was justified in that. I think we had a strong stand your ground case.
[39:46]
Julian Benzavalli
A chokehold is deadly force.
[39:49]
Patrick Hines
It shouldn't even be a conversation. The law is on her side. This is what stand your ground is for. This is what the defenders of stand your ground would say.
[39:55]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, of course. It doesn't just apply to yourself. It applies to a person doing this to somebody else in your presence and especially in your.
[40:04]
Patrick Hines
Yes, that's Britney's home.
[40:05]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly. Where not only was he about to kill her brother, she's a prisoner by him in her own house.
[40:11]
Patrick Hines
Yes. Like I cannot stress it enough. Google it and read it. No matter what happened, Britney lied about who she. It doesn't matter.
[40:18]
Ramona
Yeah.
[40:18]
Patrick Hines
Like understand your grant. Britney had every right to do what she did.
[40:21]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[40:21]
Patrick Hines
And her brother would have had every right to do what he did.
[40:23]
Julian Benzavalli
It's just gonna come down to that initial lie is what. The judge is gonna hang the hat on saying that we can't trust you for anything.
[40:28]
Patrick Hines
But the DA comes to Britney and is acting like stand your ground doesn't even exist. Stand your what? They have no idea. Cuz they offer her a 25 year and she's like, I'm sorry, what right? Like have you stand your ground is a thing. It applies to me. Shut up.
[40:41]
Julian Benzavalli
And like this all comes from Todd's family. Like we see it's Todd's family who says they are fine to give her a deal as long as she pleads guilty and gets 25 years in prison. His family knows what a piece of shit he is. There's no way that we never meet them, we never hear from them. But this piece of shit has been piece of shitting his entire life.
[40:59]
Patrick Hines
I'll. We'll get to it in a minute. He's been arrested 71 times.
[41:02]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh my God.
[41:03]
Patrick Hines
So we'll get there.
[41:03]
Julian Benzavalli
Okay. So that's a lot of times.
[41:05]
Patrick Hines
It's a lot.
[41:06]
Julian Benzavalli
That is ex. 71 more times than I've been arrested.
[41:09]
Patrick Hines
And we speak to another woman.
[41:10]
Ramona
Yes.
[41:11]
Patrick Hines
Who he abused. So please.
[41:12]
Ramona
Yeah.
[41:13]
Patrick Hines
But first of all, we meet Dawn Hendricks. She's a private eye.
[41:15]
Julian Benzavalli
I love her.
[41:16]
Patrick Hines
Listen to this. And I'm former law enforcement. Got out of law enforcement several years ago because I thought that there was a need also for cases on the defense side, there's people that live in low income areas. They don't have an investigator for their son. So that's where that need is filled. She could help more people if she wasn't a cop.
[41:38]
Julian Benzavalli
She's very. Not only that, she wants to help the people the cops are arrested. Like, she wants to be on the defense side of things because she's been.
[41:45]
Patrick Hines
On both sides of it.
[41:46]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[41:46]
Patrick Hines
And she's like, I could do better work. Not in law enforcement. Totally let that sink in.
[41:50]
Julian Benzavalli
Something tells me that she and Loretta from the Gabby Petito case go to the same bar. They might be friends. I could see them being in a network of friends.
[41:58]
Patrick Hines
But we now we get like the breakdown of how stand your ground in the south is all about white men. Because she says, you know, standing up and protecting their life, liberty, property and whatever else. And white men get praised for it and everyone else, like, not so much now.
[42:10]
Julian Benzavalli
I wanted to slow down on that because although it's kind of obvious white men get praised for it. That is absolutely true.
[42:15]
Patrick Hines
Yes.
[42:16]
Julian Benzavalli
They get.
[42:16]
Patrick Hines
They're brave, they're heroic. They protected themselves and their family.
[42:19]
Ramona
Yes.
[42:20]
Patrick Hines
And Britney did what?
[42:21]
Paige
Right.
[42:21]
Patrick Hines
She did exactly that.
[42:22]
Julian Benzavalli
She fought off a man. You know what I mean? Like that.
[42:25]
Patrick Hines
And protected herself and her family from a man.
[42:27]
Julian Benzavalli
Right.
[42:27]
Patrick Hines
Not only her brother, but her kids who are coming home.
[42:29]
Paige
Right, Right.
[42:30]
Patrick Hines
Like she did everything on paper. If this case, if someone was reading this case right, we took all the gender of it. We didn't say her name. They would say 100%. That judge would have said 100%. This applies.
[42:43]
Julian Benzavalli
And like, I know we're not there yet, but the whole thing about what they're going to say that this doesn't apply to her is because of the lie. But she said she had to lie because she knew that a woman would not get a fair shake here. So it's like a perpetuating cycle. Do you see what I'm saying?
[42:56]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. But I, and I totally disagree that the lie matters.
[42:59]
Julian Benzavalli
I couldn't, I could not agree with you more.
[43:01]
Patrick Hines
I think it's ridiculous.
[43:02]
Ramona
Yes.
[43:02]
Julian Benzavalli
Yes.
[43:02]
Patrick Hines
So January 14, 2020. This is Britney's stand your ground hearing. Team Britney is excited and is just praying that, like, the nightmare will be over because it's so black and white, it shouldn't even be a conversation. The law as it's read is like, oh, that applies to Britney.
[43:15]
Ramona
Yeah.
[43:16]
Patrick Hines
So Britney testifies about everything. And there's also a sexual assault nurse who testified about Britney's 33 injuries.
[43:24]
Julian Benzavalli
I mean, the Injuries that we see some pictures, but just hearing about them, it is. It's brutal.
[43:29]
Ashley
There were two abrasions on the left side of the chin, and they were consistent with a bite mark. There were wounds to the chest, to the breast, legs, arms, feet. And then she had a contusion that was consistent with a handprint. And then she had contusions to the back of the neck. I would say my findings were consistent with a strangulation.
[43:53]
Julian Benzavalli
The nurse testifies that the injuries on Brittany's neck are consistent with strangulation.
[43:58]
Patrick Hines
Right. That alone is all I need to hear. Now, the nurse also says on the stand, like, she's just. Like, she can't say with 100% certainty that Brittany was sexually assaulted. But that's not unusual. That actually happens all the time.
[44:09]
Julian Benzavalli
Think about that. There's no. Unless you're in the room. How could anybody prove that? Like, that's a ridiculous standard. That should not even be a question.
[44:16]
Patrick Hines
But let's. Like, we don't have to be colombo to put two and two together. 33 injuries, strangulation. Can we just, like.
[44:23]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly.
[44:24]
Patrick Hines
I mean, it's not a fucking flying leap to go from A to B here.
[44:27]
Julian Benzavalli
But that's why I'm saying we need to define in a much better way, proof of rape, if that's what we're calling it. Because there is no way to prove it unless you're there. You know what I mean? It's not like murder where we can get fingerprints. You know what I mean? Like this, really. I got really stuck on this. Because if the idea is we have to prove that she's not lying about the fact that he forced her to have sex with him, then we can't do anything. Like, there's no way to prove that.
[44:54]
Patrick Hines
Yeah, Yeah. I mean, I. You know this, but I was in a situation where I told a venue that I was assaulted, and they said, great, we just gotta check the video.
[45:04]
Ramona
Yeah.
[45:05]
Patrick Hines
And I was like, okay. Right. No, sure, I guess. But, like, you know this. I was like, there were people around who could have helped and didn't. People in the venue who could have helped and did not.
[45:15]
Ramona
Yeah.
[45:16]
Patrick Hines
So then I was like. Or you could just ask the employees who didn't do anything. But, sure, let's. Let's go to the video. Yeah, yeah, let's check the video and the surveillance to see. But everyone is always looking for, like, a corroboration. There's part of me, like, in crime, you need that. But I'm just so sick and tired of women like the default is like, well, it's like, why is everyone else innocent until proven guilty? But it's the opposite for us when it comes to assault. The issue is in the systemic situation in this county specifically. Because that's all we hear from everyone, that this county really sucks about this. Back on the 911 call, the dispatcher says specifically to Brittany, did he rape you? Brittany said, no, he did not rape me. He was trying to.
[45:55]
Julian Benzavalli
But the thing is that I. You highlighted 30 minutes ago is that five minutes later, on the police's body cam, she says, he raped me.
[46:03]
Patrick Hines
Yes.
[46:03]
Julian Benzavalli
So I didn't catch that. So I was kind of like, this is another. I believe you. That he raped you. But this is another instance of like, God, this is going to work against you. But like, Nobody is saying 10 seconds later when the cops arrived, she says, he raped me.
[46:14]
Patrick Hines
And we saw it, and it's as clear as day.
[46:16]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly.
[46:16]
Patrick Hines
And. But also, like, it's not that out of the question. Soon after this horrifying assault.
[46:22]
Ramona
Yeah.
[46:22]
Patrick Hines
That she wouldn't. She'd be like, what? No.
[46:24]
Ramona
Yeah.
[46:25]
Patrick Hines
To a stranger. She already feels like she's in trouble. She doesn't trust the cops. And someone says, do you want to.
[46:30]
Todd Smith
Just fill your guts to a stranger and tell them, okay, I just got sexually assaulted and raped? A lot of rape victims don't disclose immediately. It might be years.
[46:43]
Patrick Hines
Rape victims don't disclose immediately.
[46:45]
Julian Benzavalli
Or how.
[46:46]
Paige
Right.
[46:47]
Patrick Hines
I didn't. People don't.
[46:49]
Julian Benzavalli
People don't.
[46:50]
Patrick Hines
And if somebody asked me in the moment, I promise you, I would have been like, no.
[46:53]
Paige
Right, of course.
[46:54]
Julian Benzavalli
Because. And also, in Britney's mind, that isn't even what she was like. To stand her ground in that moment was actually killing him. To not kill her brother.
[47:02]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[47:02]
Julian Benzavalli
You know what I mean?
[47:03]
Patrick Hines
I gotta tell you, I don't even think Britney remembers that conversation. I don't even think she was fully present in that conversation. Think about everything she'd just gone through, and she. And the men and the exhaustion she must have felt to be so aware to call her mother for the cigarettes. That cigarette plan really took a lot out of her, like, mentally.
[47:21]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[47:22]
Patrick Hines
To really, like, her brain was focused on that. And I think she.
[47:25]
Julian Benzavalli
She'd probably be dead if she hadn't done that.
[47:27]
Patrick Hines
Right. So she was in fight or flight. I don't even think she remembers that phone call. I don't think she was fully there. Why would she be?
[47:32]
Julian Benzavalli
How she be like. It just boggles my mind that it's 2025 and this is. We have not Gotten any better about treating victims, how we handle victims, you.
[47:41]
Patrick Hines
Know, A little bit.
[47:42]
Julian Benzavalli
It's unbelievable.
[47:43]
Patrick Hines
So, of course, because this train is never late, the prosecution is all about discrediting Brittany, of course, and talking shit about Brittany. So. But because she's awesome. She does really, really well.
[47:51]
Julian Benzavalli
She does so well here. This is so good.
[47:54]
Patrick Hines
Because the prosecutor is just like, so you didn't see any weapons that night? And Britney's like, oh, girl, I saw several. His hands, his mouth, his penis. Like, I can go on.
[48:02]
Julian Benzavalli
So well said Britney. And nobody prepped her for that. She just in the moment knew because she's speaking the truth from her heart. Those were the deadly weapons.
[48:10]
Patrick Hines
Of course.
[48:10]
Ramona
Yeah.
[48:11]
Patrick Hines
She said in that moment, this is how I die. This is what I was thinking. In that moment. Before she saw black, she goes, this is it. This is my. My last breaths. So it turns out, like you were saying earlier, Todd was on an almost impossible amount of meth.
[48:23]
Ramona
Yeah.
[48:23]
Patrick Hines
Extremely high levels. They tell us that average DUI meth levels are like 200.
[48:27]
Ramona
Yeah.
[48:28]
Patrick Hines
Todd's level was over 800.
[48:30]
Paige
Right.
[48:30]
Patrick Hines
So it's a level of meth that would produce, like, a superhuman, incredibly violent person.
[48:36]
Ramona
Yeah.
[48:37]
Patrick Hines
And they say that there are videos of, like, five cops trying to subdue someone on these levels of meth, and, like, they can't do it.
[48:43]
Julian Benzavalli
And, you know, Todd's cousin Jeff is here to say me and Todd was real close.
[48:46]
Todd Smith
He's like a brother to me. If you didn't really didn't know Todd, you weren't around him every day. You wouldn't understand him. I was a totally different person than me. If I had been for drugs.
[48:56]
Julian Benzavalli
Todd was great. I used to love the guy, but then he got on drugs.
[48:59]
Patrick Hines
Jeff, I don't want to hear. I only want to hear bad things about Todd. And I swear to God, if I see a picture of him opening in a fucking Halloween costume, I am going to lose it. Travel down the road back again, girl.
[49:12]
Julian Benzavalli
Rocket Money is back. We always go bananas when we have Rocket Money. Fam. You know this by now. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps you find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps you lower your bills so you can grow your savings.
[49:25]
Patrick Hines
Yeah, so you can see. My favorite thing is that you can see all your subscriptions in one place so you know exactly where your money's going. And then you. You can say like, oh, I actually use that. I should keep it, or I actually don't use that one that much. And then Rocket Money will help you cancel it.
[49:37]
Julian Benzavalli
Totally. This is my favorite part. Rocket Money will even try to negotiate to lower the bills for you. So they'll automatically scan the bills to find opportunities to save and then you can ask them to negotiate for you. They will deal with customer service so you don't have to like literally. Enough said.
[49:51]
Patrick Hines
It's the best.
[49:52]
Julian Benzavalli
Back to the episode.
[49:53]
Patrick Hines
It's the best. They also have this new feature, the goals feature. So it automatically saves money money for you and you don't have to think about it. So you can use it to pay off credit card debt or put away money for a house or just build savings, which is always very, very smart. Rocket Money makes it so easy.
[50:05]
Julian Benzavalli
Goals. They're giving you the goals. They're doing the goals for you.
[50:08]
Patrick Hines
So good.
[50:08]
Julian Benzavalli
Rocket Money, is there anything you can't do?
[50:10]
Patrick Hines
Rocket Money, actually.
[50:11]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, no.
[50:12]
Patrick Hines
The answer is no. But Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has saved a total of $500 million in canceled subscriptions, saving members up to 740 bucks a year when using all of the app's premium features.
[50:24]
Julian Benzavalli
So, fam, Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money.
[50:29]
Patrick Hines
Go to rocket money.com/obessed today.
[50:33]
Julian Benzavalli
That's rocket money.com/obessed.
[50:35]
Patrick Hines
Rocket money.com/obessed.
[50:37]
Julian Benzavalli
Goals. It's all about the goals.
[50:38]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. And just saving like you should be saving.
[50:40]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, God. I know.
[50:43]
Patrick Hines
Guess what? We see a 7 year old Todd by the Christmas tree. What did I just say? Ryan White.
[50:47]
Julian Benzavalli
I know. I could barely understand Jeff anyway, so I didn't really get much of what he said.
[50:52]
Patrick Hines
I see Todd opening Christmas presents. Tinsel. I only want to hear bad things about Todd, which is not hard.
[50:57]
Paige
Right?
[50:58]
Julian Benzavalli
Not hard at all.
[50:59]
Patrick Hines
Because we'll get to this. Because Jeff, the cousin is saying Todd was a great guy. Drugs ruined his life. That is absolutely tragic. I agree.
[51:06]
Ramona
Yes.
[51:06]
Patrick Hines
But Todd was always a bad person.
[51:08]
Julian Benzavalli
100.
[51:08]
Patrick Hines
Because his criminal history is extensive, to say the least. He's been arrested 71 times.
[51:12]
Ramona
Yes.
[51:13]
Patrick Hines
Many of these were for domestic violence charges, theft, bad checks, assault, aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, violating probation, public intoxication, evading arrest. And then we talked to his ex wife.
[51:22]
Ramona
Yes, exactly.
[51:24]
Patrick Hines
We don't get her name.
[51:24]
Julian Benzavalli
No.
[51:25]
Patrick Hines
But she did do a podcast interview. Yeah.
[51:26]
Julian Benzavalli
And she says, I was held captive numerous times by Todd and beaten over the years.
[51:31]
Patrick Hines
Held captive.
[51:32]
Julian Benzavalli
Held captive.
[51:32]
Patrick Hines
Which again corroborates what Britney was saying. I'm being held hostage by this guy.
[51:36]
Ramona
Yes.
[51:36]
Julian Benzavalli
And she says, she goes. The story that reminded me so much of what happened to Britney Was he had me duct taped to a chair and tied. I had been held captive by him for days. Beaten, raped, sodomized. Everything Britney had been through and more.
[51:51]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[51:51]
Julian Benzavalli
This man does this.
[51:53]
Patrick Hines
Yes.
[51:53]
Julian Benzavalli
You know what I mean?
[51:54]
Patrick Hines
The held captive thing was like, oh yeah. Because that's exactly what Britney was saying from the ju. I like, I didn't believe Britney. But it's like, now we have two women, right? Talking about very specific things that this guy did.
[52:03]
Julian Benzavalli
And he's a rapist.
[52:04]
Patrick Hines
And he's a rapist. And he's a bad fucking guy.
[52:06]
Ramona
Yeah.
[52:07]
Patrick Hines
I don't understand why his rap sheet, 71 pages long.
[52:10]
Paige
Right.
[52:10]
Patrick Hines
Is nothing compared to Britney's trauma response.
[52:14]
Julian Benzavalli
Right?
[52:14]
Patrick Hines
Like, make that make sense.
[52:16]
Julian Benzavalli
I mean, he was trying to kill her brother. He was on 800 milligrams of meth.
[52:20]
Patrick Hines
I don't understand why there is no, like, just like anyone could be a cop. I don't understand why there's no real training or real like, you have to be at least a little curious about the human condition in a way that'll make you better at your job.
[52:38]
Paige
Right?
[52:38]
Patrick Hines
Ask why. You have to learn about women.
[52:40]
Julian Benzavalli
Yes.
[52:40]
Patrick Hines
You have to learn about trauma. You have to learn about men's trauma. You have to learn about gay shit. You have to learn about trans people. You have to learn about how about the history of the world and victims and survivors.
[52:52]
Julian Benzavalli
I think it could be as simple.
[52:54]
Patrick Hines
As, like, I don't care how many fucking pull ups you can do, right?
[52:57]
Julian Benzavalli
Like, no, I, I think it could be as simple as starting from we believe you and working backwards. You know what I mean?
[53:04]
Patrick Hines
How come everyone else is innocent until proven guilty, right?
[53:06]
Julian Benzavalli
Why, why is it that the, that this woman Brittany comes in and in their eyes is a liar and then has to prove the improvable, you know, Right.
[53:15]
Patrick Hines
While she's going through a traumatic event?
[53:17]
Paige
Right.
[53:17]
Patrick Hines
Never, it'll. It will never make sense.
[53:19]
Julian Benzavalli
And it's also like you, you can't convince me that anything would have been different if she hadn't lied about who pulled the. Everything would have been the same.
[53:25]
Patrick Hines
Based on everything we hear about this county specifically, it was, it was a losing battle. No matter what she said, they would.
[53:31]
Julian Benzavalli
Have still said that she was lying and just making it all up.
[53:33]
Patrick Hines
And the thing is, we're here because of her conscience.
[53:35]
Ramona
Yes.
[53:36]
Patrick Hines
Her brother would have been fine, right? Chris would have been okay.
[53:39]
Julian Benzavalli
I do wonder, like, he would have, I don't know, I mean, would he have made it through prison for 10 months and not been like, wait, I actually didn't do this.
[53:46]
Patrick Hines
I don't know if he even would have been. I think he would have won the standard ground thing. Yeah, for sure. With all the levels of meth and Todd, I think Todd's history and the context would have all come a little bit differently if it were Chris and it was two men fighting and the boys got out of hand, and that's what happened. But Britney, her conscience got the best of her, and this is why we're here.
[54:06]
Ramona
Yeah.
[54:06]
Patrick Hines
Because she did, you know, whatever.
[54:07]
Julian Benzavalli
I mean, you know, once again, they're, you know, going to her credibility. The cops are bringing up, like, why didn't you call the police? Like, why did you call your mother and not the police?
[54:16]
Chris
Todd said, if you call the police, I will kill you.
[54:22]
Julian Benzavalli
That.
[54:22]
Chris
But I had to get some help somehow. So I said, let's go smoke a cigarette. I knew I didn't have cigarettes. I knew I was gonna have to call somebody because I didn't have a car at the time.
[54:33]
Patrick Hines
Todd said he'd kill her if she did, you dipshit.
[54:36]
Paige
Right.
[54:36]
Patrick Hines
Also, the prosecutor's name is Jason Pierce. P I, E R, C, E. But.
[54:41]
Julian Benzavalli
Brittany is saying, like, I knew that my mother would save me and the cops wouldn't have. You know.
[54:45]
Patrick Hines
Right. So we go back to Britney needing to get help somehow and coming up with her very smart plan of getting herself out of the house and talking to other women.
[54:53]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly. Fact that this guy is so stupid, he let her go into the store by herself. You know, like.
[54:58]
Patrick Hines
So Ramona, her mother, testified about the phone call for the cigarettes.
[55:01]
Ramona
Yeah.
[55:02]
Patrick Hines
Paige from the store testifies, and we learned something new and valuable.
[55:05]
Ramona
Yes.
[55:05]
Patrick Hines
Because Britney wrote down names and numbers of people for Paige to call, and she wrote Todd's information down. And she said, if something happens to me, Todd Smith did it.
[55:14]
Ramona
Yes.
[55:14]
Patrick Hines
And Brittany said to Paige, call my mom, tell her to come to my house and come get me. And remember, this is immediately after the rape. This is Brittany trying to get herself to safety.
[55:22]
Julian Benzavalli
And her brother, remember, like, that he's still in the. If Todd gets wind that she's doing anything, the brother's gone.
[55:29]
Patrick Hines
Right. Gone. So the prosecution wants to use this against her. Like, your mother was more helpful, like. Yeah. Since she's on trial for murder right now. Yes.
[55:37]
Julian Benzavalli
Right. Yes, 100%.
[55:39]
Patrick Hines
Because we have all these friends and neighbors and other women saying how much the cops in the county hate women, and they always side with the men.
[55:45]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. And, you know. And this is where we meet Sandra Goodman. She's a victim advocate and she's telling us that during Britney's trial there were all of these women marching for Britney in the streets around the courthouse, but also all of these other women coming forward and saying how they had go of the cops and they had not.
[55:59]
Patrick Hines
Been believed or they went to jail.
[56:00]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly, exactly. And this is why we end up where we are. Because these women don't feel like they can call the cops.
[56:06]
Patrick Hines
Right. She says they're never trying to figure out what actually happened.
[56:09]
Paige
Right.
[56:10]
Patrick Hines
It's just like numbers on the books and just because they're women throwing them in jail, like for also abusing the man.
[56:15]
Julian Benzavalli
Which is why you would think that she gets a woman judge and maybe that's going to work in her benefit in some way. No, no.
[56:21]
Patrick Hines
But everyone has fucking had it. And Britney says, stand your ground is for white men only.
[56:25]
Ramona
Yes.
[56:25]
Patrick Hines
It's not for non white people, it's not for women, it's not for trans people. It's not really for anyone else but the straight white guys.
[56:30]
Julian Benzavalli
And I gotta tell you, her mom.
[56:31]
Brittany Smith
Ramona says, we're just little nobodies over here. That's the way we're viewed. But when you get a ton of little nobodies together, especially pissed off women, they become somebody big.
[56:45]
Patrick Hines
I was crying. She goes, we are somebody. We have a voice and we're fixing to use it. And I just, all my notes are just letters because I was just hitting the keyboard.
[56:54]
Julian Benzavalli
Ramona's awesome. She's an awesome mom who told, who like raised her daughter to fucking beat ass if she has to.
[57:00]
Patrick Hines
And like every, everyone is in this town that's really, it's really fucking hard to be in this town.
[57:05]
Ramona
Yes.
[57:05]
Patrick Hines
As a woman and like, they're all just trying to do their best and like come together and figure this out.
[57:10]
Julian Benzavalli
And men know they can get away with this shit.
[57:12]
Patrick Hines
Right? So the stand your ground hearing has ended. Britney is waiting for the ruling. And Britney and her family, Britney and her supporters, everyone's like on the edge of their seat.
[57:20]
Julian Benzavalli
Britney's back in the woods looking for crystals.
[57:21]
Patrick Hines
Good for her. I wouldn't be right there with her. I know, like, I totally get it.
[57:25]
Julian Benzavalli
I used to go looking for leprechauns when I was a kid. My mom used to tell me to go looking for leprechauns. And I thought that I might, like, it was not until remember the moment when I found out that leprechauns weren't real. And I was devastated because I used to go looking for leprechauns.
[57:39]
Patrick Hines
Do you know, my great grandmother in Ireland had all these stories about the fairies. Really about like the fae in Ireland.
[57:45]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh my God.
[57:46]
Patrick Hines
So she used to like tell my mom about like all the stories about the fairies. You can't. Don't mess with the fairies.
[57:52]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, girl, we know that.
[57:53]
Patrick Hines
Don't do that.
[57:54]
Julian Benzavalli
We know. But also like I would walk really quietly in the woods, try not to like scare the leprechauns.
[57:59]
Patrick Hines
But apparently she had stories like really stories about the fairies in Ireland.
[58:02]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh my God.
[58:03]
Patrick Hines
Just saying.
[58:04]
Julian Benzavalli
I've got some stories about it. Some fairies in Ireland.
[58:06]
Patrick Hines
Happy pride. So guess what? The judge, this woman, Judge Jennifer.
[58:12]
Ashley
A few weeks after the stand your ground hearing, Judge Holt issued a 19 page order denying stand your ground immunity. And essentially the judge wrote that Brittany had not proven that she was legally justified in pulling the trigger.
[58:26]
Patrick Hines
Britney lost.
[58:27]
Julian Benzavalli
And basically she just says you lied on the 911 call, so we can't believe anyone. Anything else you said happened make that make sense.
[58:34]
Patrick Hines
It's so crazy because she says Britney did not prove that she was legally justified pulling the trigger. And I'm like, that's just wrong. That's not even my opinion.
[58:41]
Paige
Right.
[58:42]
Patrick Hines
Like based on the words she was.
[58:43]
Julian Benzavalli
Page in the prisoner in her own house.
[58:46]
Patrick Hines
Like I read that law on the books. It's not my opinion. Like this judge is wrong. It makes no sense. It shouldn't have even been a conversation.
[58:53]
Julian Benzavalli
No, I totally agree. And I think the judge, based on the deal that Brittany gets, I think the judge even knows that also.
[58:59]
Patrick Hines
Thank you, Ryan White for letting us know that Judge Jennifer Holt and DA Jason Pierce declined to comment.
[59:06]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[59:06]
Patrick Hines
Yeah. So after losing her stand your ground hearing, Britney faces trial and potentially life in prison.
[59:12]
Ramona
Yeah.
[59:12]
Julian Benzavalli
The public is totally on her side.
[59:14]
Patrick Hines
Even Todd's cousin.
[59:15]
Ramona
Yes.
[59:15]
Patrick Hines
Is siding with Britney.
[59:16]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. He's like that guy actually was a piece of shit. And I don't want her to go to jail for this. Right.
[59:20]
Patrick Hines
No one aside from the judge and the prosecutor actually wants to see Brittany go to prison. Nobody.
[59:24]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah. Yeah. And like ultimately like, and this is, it's not mind boggling, I think we all know what's going on here. But eventually she accepts a plea. She says she was either going to plea or face the judge that denied her the stand your ground.
[59:37]
Patrick Hines
Well, to avoid going to trial in front of the judge who wrote a 19 page document talking shit about Britney and how she's lying.
[59:44]
Ramona
Yes.
[59:45]
Patrick Hines
Like this is ridiculous.
[59:46]
Paige
Right.
[59:47]
Patrick Hines
This is the same. That should be illegal for the same judge to try her case.
[59:51]
Ramona
Yeah.
[59:52]
Patrick Hines
Like the West Memphis three movement had to get that Burnett asshole elected into office just to get him off the bench.
[59:58]
Julian Benzavalli
Is that what they did?
[59:59]
Patrick Hines
That makes sense. They were buying billboards. Vote Burnett to get him off that fucking bench.
[60:04]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh my God.
[60:05]
Patrick Hines
That should be illegal.
[60:06]
Julian Benzavalli
That should be.
[60:06]
Patrick Hines
The same judge who wrote a 19 page document talking shit about Britney is also going to be Right.
[60:11]
Julian Benzavalli
The one overseeing the trial.
[60:13]
Patrick Hines
How is that fair?
[60:15]
Julian Benzavalli
I couldn't agree more.
[60:16]
Patrick Hines
I can't believe that that is not a law on the books.
[60:18]
Julian Benzavalli
Well, but. And also this plea that they offer her.
[60:21]
Chris
It makes no sense at all to me that the plea deals that were offered to me were six months for murder and a lot more time for manslaughter. I do not understand how a murder charge is less than a manslaughter. Doesn't make sense to me. The court system here wanted me to take that murder charge just to say that I took that charge.
[60:44]
Julian Benzavalli
If she pleads guilty to murder, she will get credit for time served. So like a six month jail sentence that she won't have to actually serve any time for it because she was.
[60:52]
Patrick Hines
Waiting in jail for six months for her trial. So that would count towards it.
[60:56]
Julian Benzavalli
That's it. And then it's 18 months of house arrest. Arrest. But if she takes the guilty murder plea, then she's got this murder charge on her record for the rest of her life.
[61:04]
Patrick Hines
But what. So what happens is the state wrote it that the manslaughter charge would actually be more harsh than the murder charge.
[61:10]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly.
[61:11]
Patrick Hines
Because the state wants that murder charge on the book.
[61:14]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly.
[61:14]
Patrick Hines
I guess they got to balance out like the George Zimmerman's and the Brock Turner's of the world 100% with people like Brittany.
[61:20]
Ramona
Yes.
[61:20]
Patrick Hines
So it's absolutely disgusting.
[61:22]
Julian Benzavalli
And Brittany is saying like this doesn't make any sense. I would have gone to jail for years to take the manslaughter or I wouldn't, I wouldn't see another day inside prison. And if I accept murder. And she's saying exactly what you just said. They want me to be guilty of murder.
[61:35]
Patrick Hines
They want, they want that on the books.
[61:36]
Ramona
Yes.
[61:36]
Patrick Hines
Which is like.
[61:37]
Julian Benzavalli
That's crazy.
[61:38]
Patrick Hines
Crazy.
[61:39]
Julian Benzavalli
That is absolutely crazy.
[61:41]
Patrick Hines
And so when people hear people who like aren't in our world of like knowing about true crime cases or feeling passionate or being connected to a true crime case in some way. Like when, when people say things like the state is fucking out to get them. Yeah, that happens. Like Britney is. Why would you want a murder charge on the books?
[62:01]
Julian Benzavalli
I like this.
[62:02]
Patrick Hines
What's actually ruin her Life. Like she hasn't suffered enough. Exactly, asshole. Like, I don't understand. So when you say, like the state of Arkansas is out to get these three boys now, men who didn't kill. You know what I mean? Like, they're out, like Alabama's out to get Britney. Like, I know. If you're not in this world.
[62:19]
Julian Benzavalli
It sounds like it.
[62:20]
Patrick Hines
Then why did you make it this far into the episode? Welcome. I hope we've changed your mind a little way. Changing hearts and minds. But it's real.
[62:27]
Ramona
Yeah.
[62:28]
Patrick Hines
And also, so we get like a lot of horrifying on screen texts about how studies show that the majority of women who kill their abusers end up taking plea deals rather than going to trial.
[62:36]
Julian Benzavalli
It's. I mean, I just don't understand this. I mean, I just, I want to say we need more women in office or we need more women on the bench, but it didn't help in this case.
[62:45]
Patrick Hines
It didn't help Jennifer. You know, the most extensive study of stand your ground cases found that women were twice as likely to be convicted as men when claiming self defense in their homes. Again, it's all there. So like when people are like, why are the women so angry? It's all facts. We're not making anything up. We're not. Don't gaslight us. This is all very real. The numbers don't lie.
[63:05]
Julian Benzavalli
No. You know, ultimately thousands of women have been imprisoned in the US for killing their rapists or abusers.
[63:11]
Patrick Hines
And now I have some updates.
[63:12]
Julian Benzavalli
Okay.
[63:13]
Patrick Hines
For you. So. And I know this because Ramona has. Ramona was Britney's mom. Yeah, she has a GoFundMe page.
[63:19]
Julian Benzavalli
Okay.
[63:20]
Patrick Hines
And she has, she writes these really, really extensive updates. And the last update, we're recording this on like March, what, 20th?
[63:26]
Ramona
Yeah.
[63:26]
Patrick Hines
Her latest update was like a week or two ago.
[63:28]
Julian Benzavalli
My birthday's tomorrow.
[63:29]
Patrick Hines
Happy.
[63:30]
Julian Benzavalli
Almost.
[63:32]
Patrick Hines
But like this is the most recent update from like March 5th or something.
[63:35]
Julian Benzavalli
Okay. Okay.
[63:35]
Patrick Hines
On the GoFundMe. So Britney is currently back in prison. She violated her probation several times and they took her, they took her probation away. So she's eligible for parole in 2036 now. God, according to her mom on the GoFundMe page, the state, like we were just saying, has it out for Britney, making it really hard for her to get on her feet once she was out on probation because it's really hard to get back on your feet after what Brittany went through. And according to her mom, they just keep throwing the book at her. And apparently the new judge, this man judge.
[64:06]
Ramona
Yeah.
[64:06]
Patrick Hines
Was pissed about the documentary.
[64:08]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, good.
[64:08]
Patrick Hines
And was like. But was like taking it out on Britney. No, he was calling her like a quasi celebrity. Like really? It's like, can you take your fucking ego out of it? Also be the hero.
[64:18]
Julian Benzavalli
Exactly.
[64:18]
Patrick Hines
You weren't the judge in the documentary. Like, this is what I keep saying. Doesn't anyone want to be a hero in these stories? Like, why are they doubling down? But in March of this year, 2025, Britney was moved to something called ATEF, which is Alabama Therapeutic Education Facility, which is actually very cool because it says it provides treatment, educational opportunities and vocational training geared to meet the individual needs of offenders to prepare them for transitioning into the community. So not just like throwing them out there and being like, good luck. Can't wait for you to come back and screw up. Because we're waiting for you to screw up. All right, so apparently this is a facility that's much better than the women's prison she was in. So that move happened very, very recently, like in the last few weeks.
[64:57]
Julian Benzavalli
But she's now not eligible for parole until 2036.
[65:00]
Patrick Hines
So her mother is fighting super hard and the goal is to get Britney out of prison and out of Alabama entirely.
[65:07]
Ramona
Yeah.
[65:07]
Patrick Hines
Like Brittany, Brittany's mom is just like, we need to get her out of the state because the state is never going to stop coming for her. So that is the update on Britney. She has the GoFundMe. You can go check it out. Get these really long updates from her mom. They were trying to get her like a camper and just a place for her to like live. Because it's hard for a felon.
[65:24]
Julian Benzavalli
Yeah.
[65:24]
Patrick Hines
To get. So they were just like trying to do their best for Britney.
[65:26]
Julian Benzavalli
I just keep thinking about the kids. Where are the kids?
[65:29]
Patrick Hines
I know. And the mom is like updating on the kids and like, it's just a heartbreaking, heartbreaking thing. But like I did feel. I mean, I'm trying to reach for the silver lining here, but there were really amazing women in this story. Her mom Paige, the woman who wasn't law enforcement and now she's not. Cuz she could do better work if she's not. And all of these women who came together, like, yeah, we're really loud when we all come together and like make shit happen. So I have faith that Ramona's gonna do some good work for.
[65:57]
Julian Benzavalli
Let the women do the work.
[65:59]
Patrick Hines
Yep.
[66:03]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh my God, girl. We did. What's it called?
[66:05]
Patrick Hines
It's called the State of Alabama versus Britney Speaker.
[66:07]
Julian Benzavalli
I mean, it's a good. I mean It's a very good. It's very well done. It's only 40 minutes. Go watch it.
[66:12]
Patrick Hines
It's very long shot. Esque.
[66:13]
Ramona
Yeah.
[66:14]
Patrick Hines
You know, it's sadder.
[66:15]
Ramona
Yes.
[66:16]
Julian Benzavalli
Join the book club. Just get in the Facebook group or the Discord. Find the Google Doc. It's really simple. It takes two seconds to fill it out and then you're in.
[66:23]
Patrick Hines
Yeah.
[66:23]
Julian Benzavalli
What are we doing next? Girl?
[66:24]
Patrick Hines
We are doing Love youe to Death playbook for murder. This is one of those situations where the bad guy literally wrote it all out.
[66:32]
Julian Benzavalli
No.
[66:32]
Patrick Hines
So when we catch him, we have his whole plan.
[66:34]
Julian Benzavalli
It happens more often than. Than we think.
[66:36]
Patrick Hines
We're gonna get this son of a bitch. This. It's on Amazon and Apple tv, I believe.
[66:41]
Julian Benzavalli
Great. All right, well, stay tuned for the trailer for that fam. And we love you.
[66:44]
Patrick Hines
We love you.
[66:44]
Julian Benzavalli
Oh, we love. Go look for crystals in the woods and leprechauns and fairies.
[66:48]
Patrick Hines
But be careful of the fairies. Don't mess with them alone.
[66:50]
Julian Benzavalli
It depends on what fairies in what woods. If we're talking like Fire island or the Rambles.
[66:54]
Patrick Hines
Different. Go to the Ice Palace. It's more safer.
[66:58]
Julian Benzavalli
All right. We love you.
[66:59]
Patrick Hines
We love you.
[67:00]
Julian Benzavalli
Bye bye.
[67:03]
Patrick Hines
He was lying on the floor with.
[67:05]
Julian Benzavalli
A pool of blood.
[67:07]
Patrick Hines
And that image is never going to be erased from my head.
[67:12]
Julian Benzavalli
This was a planned out execution where somebody did not leave a lot of evidence behind. As police attempt to find the case.
[67:24]
Patrick Hines
Killer, a trio of potential suspects emerges.
[67:30]
Brittany Smith
The victim thinks she's in her perfect.
[67:33]
Patrick Hines
Relationship with her dream person and things are never as they appear.
[67:37]
Brittany Smith
There was a lot of things that she did not know about him.
[67:40]
Julian Benzavalli
You wouldn't look at him and think, this is the. The type of man that would murder somebody brutally, coldly.
[67:47]
Todd Smith
In my career over the 30 plus.
[67:49]
Patrick Hines
Years I've been in law enforcement enforcement.
[67:51]
Todd Smith
This is the first time I've ever experienced that.
[67:56]
Julian Benzavalli
This is one of those true crime cases where it can actually happen to.