Gulf Coast Confidential with Mollye Barrows

Send us a Text Message. Sandra Birchmore had nothing but respect and admiration for the police. So much so, that at 13-years-old she joined a police explorer’s program in her hometown in Stoughton, Massachusetts. She had lost members of her own family, including her mother, and the close-knit department helped fill a void in her life. However, several officers in the program did more than just take the teenager under their wing. According to a lawsuit, brothers Matthew and William Farwell and another officer, Robert Devine, groomed Sandra for years before having sex with the girl and passing her around, beginning when she was just15. The behavior and illicit relationships continued for years and might have gone unnoticed until Sandra’s untimely death in 2021. She was found dead in her apartment, and authorities said it was suicide. That didn’t make sense to Sandra’s friends who said not only was she pregnant, she was excited about having a baby and the child was Matthew Farwell’s, a married father and detective. New information has come to light since Sandra Birchmore’s death, not only about the scandalous accusations of statutory rape but a new investigation determined her death was a homicide and Matthew Farwell was the last one to see her alive. Join us for a closer look at this case in New England where protestors are calling for justice, in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Groomed by the Blue Line: The mysterious death of Sandra Birchmore.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Avery Pickle was a young man who looked out for others. The 17-year-old Elberta High School student was a valued member of the football team, as well as a competitive wrestler, and super likable. He was kind and the kind of guy everybody wanted to be around, thanks to his quick wit, and charm, and easy-going personality. He made friends easily and with everyone from his fellow students to his co-workers at Pirates Cove in the small Gulf Coast city of Elberta, Alabama. This past 4th of July, Avery was leaning toward staying at home, but friends called him to come out and enjoy the holiday. And why not? The soon-to-be-senior had a bright future and his whole life ahead of him. He was excited about his last year in high school and planning to double major in college. But those dreams drowned in a curious incident that cost the strong and strapping teenager his life on the 4th of July. A tragedy that touched a nerve in the small community and we’ve ended up with more questions than answers. Join us for another homegrown episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast: “Drowning on the Fourth of July: What happened to Avery Pickle?” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Aubreigh Wyatt loved making tik toks, four-wheeling, and her family. The 13-year-old Ocean Springs, Mississippi middle schooler was a lot like any all American-girl her age, she liked to laugh, have fun, and still get good grades and make it to Sunday school. Sadly, like a lot of other children her age, finding the right friend group was also hard. Aubreigh’s mother, Heather Wyatt, thought her daughter was too forgiving and tolerant of the insults, cruelty, and bullying Aubreigh endured for years with her own friend group. Wyatt said she repeatedly asked the school district for help, but felt ignored and minimized. It’s exactly how she feels now in the wake of her daughter’s sudden death at her own hand. In Heather’s grief and outrage, the young mother poured out her hurt and frustration on social media and although she didn’t name names, the families of the girls Heather Wyatt believe bullied her child sued her to keep quiet because they too were now being targeted and harassed. While a court order may have partially silenced Heather, for now, the response to the handling of the case has been deafening with millions on social media watching, following, and supporting her cause because like Heather and Aubreigh Wyatt, families around the country and the world are dealing with bullies. Join us for another homegrown episode of Gulf Coast Confidential podcast “Bully-cide: the case of Aubreigh Wyatt.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. After being an absent father, Christopher Gregor waltzed into his 6-year-old son’s life expecting everyone to fall in line. He ran little Corey Micciollo and the boy’s mother like a drill sergeant. Corey was the result of an unfortunate tryst between his parents, and he never knew his father until his mom applied for financial assistance and a paternity test was required. Reluctantly and at the pleading of his own parents, Gregor stepped in as Corey’s dad for the first time in their lives. Gregor pranced his son around to his family like an adorable little puppy, but behind closed doors he ran the first grader like a racetrack greyhound. He would force him to run so hard on a treadmill in his condo complex that the boy stumbled and fell repeatedly, and Gregor always shoved him back on, at one point even grabbing Corey in frustration and biting his head. The abuse was caught on video and it's hard to watch, but it’s also the evidence that helped put Gregor in prison when he brought his son’s all but lifeless body to the emergency room. Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Treadmill dad runs 6-year-old child to death: the Christopher Gregor case.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. 8 is enough - lawyers that is! A judge finally put his foot down and has had it with Sarah Boone, the Orlando area woman who is accused of killing her boyfriend by zipping him up in a suitcase during a drunken game of hide-and-seek. Boone was charged with second degree murder for the homicide of Jorge Torres Jr. whose suffocation death in a suitcase she said was his own fault. Boone even took video of his weak pleas for her to let him out, while she laughed and enjoyed his torture. After calling her court appointed attorneys derogatory names and running them off with repeatedly rude and uncooperative behavior, the judge finally said Boone can represent herself. Will the ruling finally bring this four-year-old homicide to trial? Grab your popcorn and join us courtside for this true crime spectacle on the latest Gulf Coast Confidential podcast episode “Zipped to death: the Sarah Boone ‘suit’ case.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Dr. Ben Brown or someone claiming to be him had a lot to say on the doctor’s Facebook page. Restore Plastic Surgery, this week. The Gulf Breeze plastic surgeon is charged with negligent homicide in the death of his wife Hillary, who died after her heart stopped during procedures he was performing on her in his office. He has denied any wrongdoing. While out on bond, this bizarre, petulant rant appeared not only describing Hillary’s death as simply an “unexplainable tragedy,” he immediately started slinging accusations that I was spreading “falsities” in my coverage of him and a patient who shared her story with the media of gaping wounds and an unauthorized Brazilian Butt Lift was making “false allegations” about his work. As if that wasn’t enough, he posted pictures of her near naked body and personal information for all the world to see. He added that he could go on and on and on in his own defense and used a red marker to make his points like a teacher correcting a paper. The invitation still stands for Brown to go “on and on and on” about what happened to his wife and the patients who claim he botched their surgeries on Gulf Coast Confidential, the originator of the Beauty Buyer Beware podcast series. In this latest episode, hear from the patient Brown exposed and what she has to say about this shocking and unprofessional betrayal of her trust with a medical doctor and her dignity, which some patients say seems to be standard operating procedure, no pun intended. Join us for “Beauty Buyer Beware VI.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Have you been catfished? Lawd, I’m not even sure what that means, but when I think of a catfish, I see a big, ugly, opportunistic bottom dweller with spiky whiskers. It’s not much different with people who use “catfishing” to lure and deceive someone. It’s ugly enough when a stranger puts on a false persona, but what if it’s your own mother?! That’s what happened to a 15-year-old girl in Michigan who was bullied so badly online and on her phone that her school and the FBI got involved. Instead of discovering that a character crushing stranger was tormenting the teen, the investigation hooked her momma on the other end of the line. Dive in with us into the murky waters of duping others, in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Kendra Licari: the Motha of all Catfish!” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Florida plastic surgeon, Dr. Ben Brown, has been arrested for the untimely death of his young wife, Hillary Brown. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office charged Brown with Second Degree Felony Homicide: Manslaughter by Culpable Negligence. Investigators say he not only failed to immediately call for help when 33-year-old Hillary went into cardiac arrest in his office surgical chair while he was performing several cosmetic surgeries on her, he allowed her to mix and take her own meds and anesthetic solution, failed to stop when she showed signs of lidocaine toxicity, and did not have life-saving equipment on hand when her heart stopped. Investigators say it's a pattern of "unsafe" behavior that ultimately led to Hillary Brown's death and her husband's arrest. In the meantime, patients who say Brown botched their surgeries are still coming forward, while the Florida Department of Health calls for penalties against the plastic surgeon. Brown denies all allegations of wrongdoing. Join us for the latest episode of "Beauty Buyer Beware V: Dr. Ben Brown" on Gulf Coast Confidential. Listen to "Beauty Buyer Beware" episodes I - IV to catch up on how this case unfolded since we broke the story seven months ago and have been following it closely. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Alabama politician Stephen Nodine seemed to have it all and then some. The Mobile County Commissioner was well-known for his charm and charisma which served him well in his successful political career, but became a stumbling block in his personal life. The middle-aged married man and father met the young and beautiful Angel Downs in 2004, at the Flora-Bama Lounge Mullet Toss, a beach party on Florida’s Gulf Coast. They both loved the beach and each other, but for years Nodine refused to give up his wife or his mistress no matter who it hurt. Until the night in 2010 when Angel died from a gunshot wound to the head in the driveway of her Gulf Shores, Alabama home. Her death launched an investigation that cost Nodine everything including his freedom and made him the focus of true crime shows across the country. Some folks might shy away from that kind of publicity, but not Stephen Nodine. He seeks the limelight like he does the sunlight that attracted him to the beaches of Pensacola, the Gulf Coast city he now calls home. Join us for more on the case and an update on what Nodine’s been up to since the tragedy in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “No Time for Nodine - the Angel Down’s case: Suicide or Homicide?” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. The bomb that killed millionaire real estate developer Gary Triano caused an explosion so big, it sent pieces of his car crashing around the country club where it happened. In the mid-1990s, Triano was a well-known businessman who rubbed elbows with the likes of Donald Trump and his then wife Marla Maples. He lost big on some failed business investments, but who hated him enough to pay for a professional hit? Someone who stood to gain $2 million at his death and escaped justice for nearly twenty years before the court caught up with her. Join us for the latest Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “The Bitter Ex, Big Bucks, and the Bomb: the Gary Triano story.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Conrad Roy was no quitter. If anything, the 18-year-old marine salvage captain with an endearing smile put a lot of pressure on himself to work hard and succeed. Maybe a little too much pressure. Sometimes his depression took a dark turn and he wanted to follow through on ending his pain, permanently. Most of the time he didn’t give in, until attention-seeking Michelle Carter entered the “chat.” She was a summer vacation crush who took anti-depressants, too. That’s why it was so shocking when Conrad climbed out of his fume filled truck during a suicide attempt that she urged him not to quit one last time and get back in. No one ever saw this coming. Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Suicide by Text: the Conrad Roy case.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Frances Hall’s husband and business partner of more than 30 years was cheating, and he didn’t bother to hide it. Adding insult to injury, the trucking tycoon’s girlfriend flaunted their affair in France’s face. The scorned wife couldn’t put the brakes on her fury when she saw her husband’s mistress driving the Hall’s Range Rover and chased her down the highway, repeatedly ramming the car. Unfortunately for unfaithful husband Bill Hall, Jr., he was caught in the middle on his motorcycle and had a deadly collision with his wife’s Cadillac Escalade. There was no question the crash killed him, but was it calculated or out of Frances’ control? Join us for more on this deadly love triangle in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Sudden Passion: defense or excuse? The case of Frances Hall.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. A relaxing day on the river turned into a deadly moment of terror and horror for a group of young people and a middle-aged man they had surrounded. Video of the deadly encounter shows 54-year-old Nicolae Miu looking for a friend’s lost cell phone when a group of intoxicated teens and young adults began taunting and teasing him over unfounded suspicions he was preying on children. Miu, who is originally from Romania, tried to avoid them, but the group kept pushing closer until he pulled a pocket-knife he had brought to cut rope and began knifing them instead. One teen died and other people with him were injured. Miu was charged with reckless homicide, endangering others, and battery. He claimed self-defense, but the jury convicted him. Why? Because despite the video evidence, when there was blood in the water Miu walked away and initially lied about being involved. Join us for more on the controversial case in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Deadly Apple River Stabbing: Don’t Go Pinocchio.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Urban legends are nothing new, but tweenagers attempting to murder a friend at a sleepover in order to appease an ominous one certainly is. In 2014, two 12-year-old girls, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, lured their friend Payton Leutner into the woods and stabbed her 19 times in sacrifice to the fictional character Slender Man. The girls’ shared madness nearly cost Payton her life, but the girl managed to stumble, walk, and crawl to the side of a road for help. Like many parents who allow their kids to go to sleepovers, her parents never imagined her night at a friend’s house would end in terror. Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Slender Man has no face, these tweenagers have no heart.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. The Florida Department of Health has issued an emergency order immediately restricting the medical license of Dr. Ben Brown, the Gulf Breeze plastic surgeon whose wife, Hillary Brown, died after he performed several procedures on her after hours in his office last November. State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo said Brown’s “inability or unwillingness” to follow basic medical procedure presents an “immediate serious danger to the health, welfare, and safety of the public” and to the citizens of the state of Florida. Allegations include performing unauthorized Brazilian butt lifts on patients, leaving an unlocked medicine cabinet open in his Restore Plastic Surgery office so employees could help themselves to meds that would "take the edge off," and allowing his wife, an unlicensed medical professional, to perform procedures on patients including herself the day she went into cardiac arrest. Brown responded to the allegations through his crisis management public relations team. "This is an ongoing investigation, and therefore we cannot comment on specific details," Red Banyan wrote in an email. "However, this public order was issued without Dr. Brown having any opportunity to dispute the allegations against him through any hearing process. These accusations are inaccurate and misleading, and Dr. Brown looks forward to the opportunity to defend himself and present the actual facts through a hearing process in the future. Dr. Brown continues to live an endless nightmare without his wife Hillary by his side, and these inaccurate allegations only further deepen his immense pain.” However, some of Brown's former patients, employees, and the father of his deceased wife say the state's order doesn't go far enough. Join us for details on the state's order and heartbreaking accounts from patients in "Beauty Buyer Beware IV: Dr. Ben Brown." Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Alex King, one of two brothers who made headlines worldwide in 2001 when they confessed to beating their unsuspecting father to death with a baseball bat in Pensacola, Florida, when they were just 12 and 13 years old, has died. Now 35, Alex died of a drug overdose according to family. It's a demon he has been battling for years and his family says he lost the fight against addiction in Missoula, Montana where he was living when he overdosed. His family is now planning a memorial service later this summer that they say will be open to everyone. I covered this case from the beginning and wrote a book on it, "A Perversion of Justice." This is not the ending myself and many others were hoping for when the boys made headlines as young murderers more than twenty years ago, but it is the end of a painful journey for a young man who has suffered for a long time. Join us for an update on the King Brothers in "Alex King rest in peace, finally." Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Eric Smith was only 13 years old when he murdered a child. Smith, a red-headed, freckle-faced boy with thick glasses, was something of a loner and said he was often targeted by bullies. When he saw four-year-old Derrick Robie walking alone to a summer day camp at the park, in 1993, he became the bully. Smith lured the happy, blonde headed boy neighbors nicknamed “the mayor” into the woods where he strangled him and dropped a large rock on his head, among other atrocities. Smith spent nearly thirty years in prison for the boy’s murder, but now at 44-years-old he is out on parole, despite pleas from Derrick’s family to keep him locked up for good. Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Freckle Face Killer.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. A popular Florida teacher happily opened the door of her home to her son when he came to visit, but her gladness turned to fear and horror when the young man pulled a knife and started stabbing his mother until she lay dead on the floor. Sound familiar? This is not the case of popular middle school teacher Sharon Aydelott who was stabbed to death by her son, Brandon Aydelott, in the doorway of her Gulf Breeze home on Christmas Eve 2013, but the murder of 46-year-old Elvia Espinoza, a teacher in South Florida, is eerily similar. Espinoza’s son was a pre-med student at the University of Florida who police say drove to his mother’s home in Frostproof and waited with a knife behind his back for her to open the door. Like Sharon Aydelott, she was expecting him, but not the vicious attack. Investigators say she had called him at school with plans to visit, but instead Emmanuel Espinoza said he’d come to see her and save her the trip. They say he stabbed her more than 70 times because “she got on his nerves.” Will he, like Brandon Aydelott, also claim voices told him to do it? Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Mom Killer Two-Point-OHHH! Florida pre-med student stabs mom to death.” Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Cheesecake, poison, and a Russian dominatrix – what a recipe! A Russian born woman is now serving time in prison for trying to steal the identify of her look-a-like aesthetician by killing her with a piece of poisoned cheesecake. It turns out it was just the latest act in an international crime spree. Join us for this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential: “Murder, it’s as easy as pie…um, or cheesecake - Russian dominatrix poisons look-a-like." Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Jealousy can kill a friendship in a heartbeat. Just ask Annette Harvey. Harvey’s best friend since childhood, Robin Leonard, took in the struggling mother’s children after Harvey had a mental breakdown in 2021. Leonard, a college professor and mother herself, was glad to help her friend while she recovered and got back on her feet. However, Harvey grew to resent Leonard’s generous gesture and the stable life she gave her kids. In a brutal and calculated attack, Harvey stabbed her childhood friend 15 times in Leonard’s own home. She lived long enough to name her killer, but at trial Harvey claimed she was insane at the time of the crime and deep down truly cared for her friend. What did the jury believe? Join us for more on the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Amicide: With friends like Annette Harvey, who needs enemies?” Support the Show.