Who I Am and What I Do: Writing for the Forgotten and Demanding Accountability in True Crime

True crime author, investigator, and advocate committed to truth, ethics, and the stories that refuse to disappear.

I’ve spent years working in the true crime space—as a writer, investigator, and advocate for victims and their families. My work has never been about headlines or quick stories. It has always been about the cases that linger, the ones that don’t get solved, the ones that don’t get the attention they deserve, and the families who are left waiting for answers that never seem to come.

If you’ve found your way here by searching my name, you’ve probably seen that my work centers on missing persons cases, unsolved murders, and the deeper issues surrounding how these stories are told. What you may not immediately see is how personal this work is to me. I don’t just write about cases—I stay with them. I work alongside families. I follow leads. I ask hard questions. And I don’t walk away when things get complicated.

One of the most defining parts of my work has been my long-term involvement in the Melissa Witt case. Through my books, The Girl I Never Knew: Who Killed Melissa Witt? and Connected by Fate, I’ve spent years documenting the investigation, the unanswered questions, and the reality of what it means when a case remains unresolved. That work reflects something bigger than a single case. It reflects my commitment to making sure victims are not forgotten and that their stories continue to be told with care, accuracy, and persistence.

Over time, my work in true crime led me to a growing concern—one that I could not ignore. True crime has become one of the most powerful forms of modern media, but the ethical standards that exist in traditional journalism are often missing. I began to see how quickly stories could be shaped, distorted, or even weaponized when there are no clear guardrails in place.

That realization pushed me to go deeper. I stepped beyond writing and into research, publishing work focused on ethics, accountability, and the real-world consequences of investigative storytelling. My SSRN papers examine issues like misinformation, reputational harm, lack of verification, and the risks that come with unregulated content in podcasts and digital media. More importantly, they propose standards—practical ways to protect victims, families, and the integrity of the work itself.

But my work doesn’t stop at writing or research. I also lead a transitional living program for women and children working to rebuild their lives after addiction and trauma. That experience has shaped how I see everything. It has shown me how vulnerability, addiction, and systemic failures often intersect with crime, and how easily people can be overlooked, dismissed, or misunderstood. It has reinforced my belief that accountability matters—in every space, including true crime.

I also use multiple platforms, including podcasts, long-form writing, and digital media, to talk about cases, highlight missing persons, and advocate for justice. Much of my focus is on cases that have not received the attention or resources they deserve, particularly in Arkansas and surrounding areas. I believe those stories matter just as much as the ones that make national headlines.

At the core of everything I do is a simple belief: true crime is not just content. These are real people, real families, and real consequences. How we tell these stories matters. Who tells them matters. And whether we approach them with care, accuracy, and responsibility matters more than anything.

I am not here just to tell stories. I am here to ask questions, to push for answers, and to make sure the people at the center of these cases are never reduced to background noise.

Because the truth matters. But how we handle it determines who it protects—and who it harms.