The In Between Podcast with Mel Barrett

The In Between Podcast with Mel Barrett
  • 4.6 (148)
  • TRUE CRIME

There’s the official story. And then there’s the truth. The In Between is an investigative narrative podcast that digs into cases where the facts got buried, distorted, or deliberately ignored. Hosted by journalist and screenwriter Mel Barrett, each season unpacks one story that was never fully told, blending deep reporting, legal analysis, and raw personal narrative. Mel doesn’t just rehash headlines—she goes digging. She’s spent over a decade uncovering new evidence in the Pamela Smart case, work that helped form the basis of a new habeas petition. In Season One, she revisits the trial that made Smart a national villain—and questions everything we thought we knew. Season Two, From Victim to Accused: The Veronika Rodriguez Story, pulls back the curtain on a case where a 26-year-old Air National Guard member reported a sexual assault—and ended up the one in handcuffs. What happened next is more than a miscarriage of justice. It’s a warning. This is the space between the crime and the courtroom, the headlines and the hidden truth. This is The In Between. Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Follow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod TikTok: @jackofalltradesdc Web: inbetweenpod.com

  1. Tara Baker and the Cost of Cold Case Justice in GA v. Faust

    10H AGO

    Tara Baker and the Cost of Cold Case Justice in GA v. Faust

    In January 2001, Tara Louise Baker, a 23-year-old University of Georgia law student, was found dead in her Athens apartment after a fire that investigators quickly determined was no accident. Tara had been sexually assaulted, beaten, strangled, and stabbed. The fire came after — an apparent attempt to erase what happened inside that apartment. For more than twenty years, her case lived in silence. Then, in 2023, new funding for Georgia cold cases reopened old evidence. Modern DNA testing produced a profile that led investigators to Edrick Lamont Faust. In 2024, Faust was arrested. In 2026, after a trial built largely on forensic science, he was convicted on all twelve counts. But this episode isn’t just about a verdict. It’s about what DNA can — and can’t — tell us.It’s about how cold cases move from evidence lockers to courtrooms decades later.It’s about reasonable doubt, secondary transfer, chain of custody, tunnel vision, and the quiet power of probability when everything else has faded. We walk through Tara’s life, the crime scene, the stalled investigation, the CODIS hit, the courtroom battles, and the defense’s unanswered questions — including the absence of eyewitnesses, fingerprints, surveillance, phone data, and any documented relationship between Tara and Faust. We also talk honestly about race, forensic certainty, and what it means for a Black defendant to stand trial for the murder of a young white woman in the South — especially when a case rests almost entirely on DNA. Faust was found guilty. But did the jury get it right? Or are we watching a justice system still learning how to handle science that arrives decades late? This is a story about grief and proof.About science and certainty.About what justice looks like when it finally shows up — and what it leaves behind. Because cold cases don’t just reopen files. They reopen wounds. And they force us to sit in the in between. If you like Mel's work, please support her by tipping:  venmo: @melbarrettwrites  You can now join the Something's Off YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

    31 min
  2. NEW SHOW - NewsLIGHT with Mel Barrett Let's Talk about the Epstein Files and the Save Act!

    19H AGO

    NEW SHOW - NewsLIGHT with Mel Barrett Let's Talk about the Epstein Files and the Save Act!

    WATCH NewsLIGHT on Youtube or listen ad free at The In Between Investigator ClubIf you like Mel's work, please tip:Venmo: @melbarrettwrites (put NewsLIGHT in the description)CashApp: cash.app/$NewsLight Join host Mel Barrett with special guests, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and producer, Maggie Freleng (Wrongful Convictions, Bone Valley Graves County, The Disappearance of Maura Murray), Broadway superstar and Podcast host, Ellyn Marsh (I Think Not!, STFU Nick Lachey), and Thomas, the guy who looks like he might vote a certain way, but surprise, he doesn't as they break down the Epstein Files and what's going on with the Save Act, which just passed the House and is on its' way to the Senate.  What does the Save Act mean for YOUR voting rights? We'll discuss/debate it all and Mel's guest will share their wildest news stories of the week!

    1h 58m
  3. Did Michael Lank have John O'Keefe's cell phone?

    1D AGO

    Did Michael Lank have John O'Keefe's cell phone?

    Mel is solo while Rebecca's still recovering, but don't pass up this big debate about Lana Oriani's (Truth and Transparency on YT) video positing that Michael Lank may have shown up to the scene at 34 Fairview with John O'Keefe's phone on his person. Let's discuss! Also, the Lucy Letby case, and Corri Hopkins' latest document drop.  If you like us, please tip us:  venmo: @melbarrettwrites  cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTips  You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.  Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

    2h 2m
  4. A Perfect Storm in a Broken Ward: The Lucy Letby Story

    FEB 11

    A Perfect Storm in a Broken Ward: The Lucy Letby Story

    In this episode of The In Between, Mel takes a deep, careful look at one of the most disturbing and contested criminal cases in modern British history: the conviction of neonatal nurse Lucy Letby. Between 2015 and 2016, a spike in infant deaths inside the neonatal unit at Countess of Chester Hospital led to a massive police investigation — and ultimately to Letby being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder others. She is now serving multiple whole-life sentences. But this story doesn’t end with a verdict. In this episode, Mel walks through the trial evidence, the medical theories presented to the jury, Lucy Letby’s handwritten notes and diaries, and the appeals that followed. We also examine new developments — including a controversial Netflix documentary and a detailed briefing paper from sixteen senior medical and scientific experts who now say Letby may be the victim of a miscarriage of justice. They argue the case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, flawed statistical reasoning, and disputed medical interpretations — and that alternative explanations rooted in systemic hospital failure were ignored. So what happens when fragile newborns die inside an under-resourced unit? What happens when doctors raise alarms and administrators worry about reputation? What happens when grief meets criminal prosecution — and certainty arrives faster than science? This is not an episode about defending the indefensible. It’s about sitting in the gray. About how medicine collides with the justice system. About institutional silence, whistleblowers, and what gets lost when we turn human collapse into narrative certainty. And about Baby A — and the tiny lives caught inside a system that may have already been breaking. Listener discretion advised: this episode discusses infant death, neonatal medical emergencies, and institutional trauma. If you like Mel's work please hit up the tip jar! venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTips You can now join the Something's Off YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

    27 min
  5. New candidate in the Norfolk County DA race, Bad Bunny, Kelsey Fitzsimmons motion to recuse, and Karen Read replies all

    FEB 10

    New candidate in the Norfolk County DA race, Bad Bunny, Kelsey Fitzsimmons motion to recuse, and Karen Read replies all

    Mel and Rebecca have A LOT to catch up on: Starting with the Norfolk County DA race, Karen Read's reply all, Kelsey Fitzsimmons motion to recuse the judge in her case, the super bowl, and a recap of Mel's bday celebrations, which were a little hindered because of a big New England blizzard! If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

    1h 52m
  6. MICHAEL PROCTOR LOST HIS PHONE? UPDATES ON WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT AGAINST KAREN READ

    FEB 5

    MICHAEL PROCTOR LOST HIS PHONE? UPDATES ON WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT AGAINST KAREN READ

    Mel and Rebecca break down Michael Proctor lost his phone (AYFKM?) Who Danny Dasilva from the Lowell PD is and wtf is he doing with a 17 year-old? And have you heard about JMail? You have now. You don't want to miss this one! If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTips You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

    1h 37m
  7. Farwell motion to dismiss + Cosgrove wants a sub to handle Lindsey Gaitani in Turtleboy trial?

    FEB 5

    Farwell motion to dismiss + Cosgrove wants a sub to handle Lindsey Gaitani in Turtleboy trial?

    Mel and Rebecca break down the explosive news of the week: Matthew Farwell asks the judge to change the venue AND dismiss the case against him and the judge in Aidan Kearney's witness intimidation case suggest Cosgrove sub in another prosecutor if Lindsey Gaitani takes the stand. WTAF? PLUS menopausal injuries, lotsa tangents, and what's up with the journalism debate between Turtleboy and Sue O'connell? Oh and there's also the Epstein Files, Don Lemon, and Mel teases a new show about politics. If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTips You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

    2 hr
  8. It's Groundhog Day! LIVE FREE OR DIE: Pamela Smart asks the state of NH for a new trial

    FEB 2

    It's Groundhog Day! LIVE FREE OR DIE: Pamela Smart asks the state of NH for a new trial

    We're doing a back episode this week since it's Groundhog Day! Pamela Smart has received a hearing date in late February 2026. We don't have news yet whether this will be an evidentiary hearing or just process, but Mel will keep you informed as the news comes out. Pam's attorneys feel confident that their arguments are solid and based in NH case law, so if the state of NH doesn't hear this case, it proves politics are at play once again when it comes to Pamela Smart. Stay tuned! It's going to be an interesting year! And if you like the work I do, please tip. TO LISTEN TO SEASON ONE, start here. Watch SOMETHING'S OFF Join the Investigator Club for early and ad-free episode, bonus content, lives, and so much more! Episode Description: It's been a long road, but we're finally here. Pamela Smart's attorneys have filed a petition of Habeus Corpus asking for a new trial or at the very least resentencing and they've given me access to the petition. I've been investigating Pam's case for going on a decade and some of the work I did on the first season of The In Between Podcast became the basis for this Habeus. I'm always so proud of the work I do on The In Between Podcast, but this case has been my white whale and I'm so honored to be apart of these arguments. I want to share what I can with you, so without further adieu, here are the five points Pam's case will hinge on. PLEASE PLEASE share her story.

    32 min
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4.6
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148 Ratings

About

There’s the official story. And then there’s the truth. The In Between is an investigative narrative podcast that digs into cases where the facts got buried, distorted, or deliberately ignored. Hosted by journalist and screenwriter Mel Barrett, each season unpacks one story that was never fully told, blending deep reporting, legal analysis, and raw personal narrative. Mel doesn’t just rehash headlines—she goes digging. She’s spent over a decade uncovering new evidence in the Pamela Smart case, work that helped form the basis of a new habeas petition. In Season One, she revisits the trial that made Smart a national villain—and questions everything we thought we knew. Season Two, From Victim to Accused: The Veronika Rodriguez Story, pulls back the curtain on a case where a 26-year-old Air National Guard member reported a sexual assault—and ended up the one in handcuffs. What happened next is more than a miscarriage of justice. It’s a warning. This is the space between the crime and the courtroom, the headlines and the hidden truth. This is The In Between. Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Follow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod TikTok: @jackofalltradesdc Web: inbetweenpod.com

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