Unheard: True Crime in Their Own Words

Justin Shepherd
  • 4.2 (170)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Unheard: True Crime in Their Own Words is a podcast that strips away the sensational headlines and lets the people at the heart of true crime stories speak for themselves. From survivors and families to investigators, journalists, and insiders, these are raw, unfiltered conversations that rarely make it into mainstream coverage.Hosted by Justin Shepherd, a creator and advocate with millions of followers across platforms, Unheard brings a new dimension to true crime by centering voices that are often overlooked. Each episode offers an intimate, human perspective on cases that shocked communities, shaped public opinion, or exposed flaws in our justice system. This isn’t about sensationalism. It’s about listening. It’s about giving people the chance to reclaim their narrative, share their truth, and be truly heard.

  1. 4d ago

    His Fraternity Put a Backpack on Him Instead of Calling for Help | Gary DeVercelly Jr.

    Gary DeVercelly Jr. was 18 years old with his entire future mapped out. He was smart, driven, an athlete, and the kind of kid his parents trusted to make good decisions. When fraternities at Rider University began recruiting him, Gary saw something that could help his future: leadership, connections, and a network that might open doors after college. His parents asked him about hazing, Gary told them not to worry, that he researched it. Then came Big Little Night. Pledges were taken into a basement and given bottles of alcohol. They had one hour to finish them. Roughly 15 pledges participated. Two would end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning. Gary would never come home. As his condition deteriorated, fraternity members put him on a stage with a backpack behind him to keep him positioned on his side. People noticed something was wrong. Eventually, his lips turned blue. He stopped breathing. By the time help came, his brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long. But Gary's death is only part of this story. In this episode of UNHEARD: True Crime in Their Own Words, Gary's parents, Julie and Gary DeVercelly, take us inside what happened before, during, and after the night their 18-year-old son was killed by hazing. They talk about the warning signs they didn't recognize until afterward, the way hazing slowly escalates, what happened inside the fraternity house, the media's attempt to portray their son as a reckless college kid, the university and fraternity response, and the legal battle that followed. They also explain what nearly two decades of fighting hazing has taught them about a system they believe continues to protect institutions while families continue to bury their children. Gary died in 2007. His parents are still fighting to make sure another family doesn't get the same phone call they did. https://www.clerycenter.org/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  2. Sep 30

    The Death of Jason Abarca Doesn’t Make Sense

    Jason Abarca was 19 years old when he disappeared in December 2023 after a series of events that ended with him running into the woods near Winchester, Virginia. Months later, his remains were found. But for Jason’s parents, Jennifer and Benito Soto, finding their son did not bring the answers they had desperately been searching for. Instead, it left them with even more questions about what happened to Jason after he disappeared and whether his death was properly investigated. Jennifer and Benito believe their son was murdered. In this episode of Unheard, they tell Jason’s story in their own words, from the devastating loss their family had already endured, to Jason’s disappearance, the discovery of his remains, and the evidence and circumstances that led them to question the investigation into his death. This is the story of a family that found their son but is still fighting to find out what happened to him. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  3. Sep 29 ·  Bonus

    BONUS EPISODE: Seven Men Accused. No Criminal Charges. The Cornell Case and Fraternity Culture | Dan Catullo

    Seven men have been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually assaulting a young woman at Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Nearly two years later, questions remain about what happened that night and how the university responded. For this bonus episode of Unheard, I’m sharing a conversation from my YouTube live with my friend Dan Catullo, an Emmy Award winning filmmaker whose work includes 4000 Days, Protect the House, Breathe, Nolan, Breathe, and Death of a Pledge. We walk through the Cornell allegations and the latest developments, then talk about the fraternity culture surrounding them: secrecy, loyalty, and the fight for accountability when students and families speak up. This Cornell case is not a hazing case. But Dan and I were both in fraternities, and we’ve both spent time with families who lost children to hazing. Those conversations have shown us how much can stay hidden inside these organizations, and why people outside them so rarely hear about it. The accusations made in the case we're talking about, point to a bigger issue surrounding toxic fraternity culture. If this is your first time hearing about the Cornell case, I’ll point you toward my full breakdown as well. And if you’d like more bonus conversations when major stories break, let me know. Follow Unheard wherever you listen, and leave a five-star rating if the show has earned it. Our regular Wednesday episode is still coming tomorrow. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  4. Sep 23

    Beatrice Keul: Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein & The Story She Waited 30 Years to Tell

    Content warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault and other potentially disturbing subjects. Former Miss Switzerland and international model Beatrice Keul sits down with Unheard: True Crime in Their Own Words for an extensive conversation about events she says began more than three decades ago and ultimately connected her story to Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Keul recounts her experience in New York in the early 1990s, including her allegation that Donald Trump sexually assaulted her at the Plaza Hotel, and discusses Jeffrey Epstein's connection to her story. But this conversation goes far beyond a single encounter. Beatrice discusses the documentation she has preserved, the threats she says she received after coming forward, the other women who have spoken publicly, the legal avenues now being explored, and why she sees what happened as part of a much larger story involving power, influence and international ramifications. Beatrice has never lived in the United States and has never been an American citizen. Her story began decades before today's political environment, and in this interview, we're giving her the time and space to tell it from the beginning, in her own words. This is not a sound bite. This is her story. Unheard: True Crime in Their Own Words features long-form conversations with the people who lived the stories behind the headlines. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  5. Sep 16

    When Prosecutors Break the Rules: Who Holds Them Accountable? | Iris Eytan

    Who holds the prosecutor accountable? Prosecutors are some of the most powerful people in our criminal justice system. They decide what charges to bring, what plea deals to offer and what evidence to put before a jury. But what happens when a prosecutor breaks the rules — or when the pursuit of a conviction comes at the expense of a defendant's constitutional rights? On this episode of UNHEARD, I sit down with Iris Eytan, a former Deputy State Public Defender and criminal defense attorney who spent nearly 30 years inside the criminal justice system. Iris has represented thousands of defendants and was part of Barry Morphew's defense team in a murder prosecution that became a national story and raised serious questions about prosecutorial conduct. Today, Iris is the Founder and CEO of Protect Ethical Prosecutors (PEP), a nonpartisan watchdog organization advocating for ethical prosecution and accountability when prosecutors engage in misconduct. We get into just how much power prosecutors actually have, why holding them accountable can be so difficult, prosecutorial immunity, wrongful convictions, the Morphew case, and what Iris believes needs to change. This isn't a conversation about being anti-prosecutor. It's a conversation about what accountability should look like when the people entrusted with enforcing the law are accused of breaking the rules themselves. 🎙️ UNHEARD: True Crime in Their Own Words Guest: Iris Eytan ABOUT PROTECT ETHICAL PROSECUTORS: PEP is working to document prosecutorial misconduct and advocate for greater accountability within the criminal justice system. Learn more, support their work, or find their social channels at: protectethicalprosecutors.org See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  6. Jun 22

    My Nonverbal Son Was Being Abused and Couldn't Tell Me | Jessica Vestal

    When Jessica Vestal's son Dax started coming home with bruises and injuries, she knew something wasn't right. The problem was that Dax is nonverbal. He couldn't tell her what was happening. What Jessica eventually uncovered led to criminal charges, national attention, and difficult questions about how vulnerable children are protected when they can't speak for themselves. In this episode of Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words, Jessica shares Dax's story, the warning signs she saw, the fight for answers, and what happened after the truth finally came to light. Follow Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words, for more conversations with the people at the center of the stories making headlines. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  7. Jun 15

    He Killed His Abuser and Went to Prison | David Garlock

    At 17 years old, David Garlock and his brother killed the man they say subjected them to years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. The crime led to murder convictions and decades-long prison sentences. David ultimately spent more than 13 years behind bars before being released on parole. Today, he is a criminal justice reform advocate, speaker, and survivor who openly discusses what he calls the "trauma-to-prison pipeline"—the connection between childhood trauma, violence, incarceration, and rehabilitation. His story has drawn comparisons to the Menendez brothers, raising many of the same questions that continue to divide the public: Can someone be both a victim and an offender? How should courts evaluate years of abuse when a victim eventually becomes a perpetrator? What does accountability look like after taking a life? And can redemption exist after prison? In this episode of Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words, David walks through the abuse he says he endured, the events that led to the killing, his years inside prison, and how he rebuilt his life after release. Whether you see his story as one of justice, tragedy, survival, or all three, it challenges many of the assumptions people hold about crime, punishment, and trauma. Listen now and decide for yourself. 🎙️ Subscribe to Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words on your favorite podcast platform. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  8. Jun 8

    The Missing Person Case That Makes No Sense: Bryan Vladek Hasel

    On November 6, 2021, 22-year-old Vladek Hasel walked away from a coffee shop near the University of Central Florida and seemingly vanished. More than four years later, his family is still searching for answers. In this episode, I sit down with Vladek's sister, Bethany Hasel, to discuss the day her brother disappeared, the investigation that followed, the theories surrounding his case, and why she refuses to give up hope. This is not just the story of a missing person. It's the story of a family living through every unanswered question imaginable. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Vladek Hasel, please contact law enforcement immediately. Make sure to follow and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Follow Find Vladek Hasel on IG, FB and TikTok #VladekHasel #MissingPerson #TrueCrime #UnsolvedMystery #Missing #BryanHasel #ColdCase #Justice #CrimePodcast #JustInTheNickOfCrime See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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4.2
out of 5
170 Ratings

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Unheard: True Crime in Their Own Words is a podcast that strips away the sensational headlines and lets the people at the heart of true crime stories speak for themselves. From survivors and families to investigators, journalists, and insiders, these are raw, unfiltered conversations that rarely make it into mainstream coverage.Hosted by Justin Shepherd, a creator and advocate with millions of followers across platforms, Unheard brings a new dimension to true crime by centering voices that are often overlooked. Each episode offers an intimate, human perspective on cases that shocked communities, shaped public opinion, or exposed flaws in our justice system. This isn’t about sensationalism. It’s about listening. It’s about giving people the chance to reclaim their narrative, share their truth, and be truly heard.

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