And if law enforcement would have been really clear about the days those people went missing and put that out there on the front page of the paper who was acting weird on those days? Its a tangible demonstration of what corruption can do. Taken by themselves, some of these allegations show embarrassing behavior in my private life, Jensen tells, . Her face was every bit as shocked and embarrassed as mine was.. The company limited replies to the tweet, but that didnt stop the networks fans from demanding answers. A recent article talks about modern-day sleuthing and mentions BJ with no apparent knowledge of all this happening. A former friend of Jensens, who says she had a falling out with him over reporting decisions he made in one of his podcasts, says that Jensen has long been known as a missing stair as in, something you warn newcomers about so they dont trip. After the rest of the party left, Newell says Jensen tried to talk her into getting a hotel room. 3. Newell claims Jensen kissed her right before she got into her Uber. for helping the case gain national attention. It wasnt like he brushed past her. Chase Darkness with Me: How One True-Crime Writer Start Yet every case he investigated reached the same conclusion: the missing stayed missing, the murderer got away. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time In his account entitled Michelle McNamara, True Crime Writer he wrote of McNamaras dogged nature, her apt ability to get grizzled investigators to open up, and her dedication to tracking down the serial killer responsible for 13 murders and close to 50 rapes. Billy Jensen and Paul Holes 'Murder Squad' Podcast: Q&A - Vulture To all of this, I want to make clear that I was unaware I had done anything untoward, and it certainly wasnt intentional I would never want to make others feel uncomfortable in any way, and I am deeply sorry.. Newell says she cut ties with Jensen at the beginning of June when Jensen was in the process of helping her with a book she was working on. This article has been updated to clarify an interaction between Newell and Jensen. Billie Eilish Explains Her Complicated Relationship With Social Media: 'I Don't Look at It Anymore' Each season features a deep dive investigation into a case or issue that true crime fans will be obsessed with, culminating in a special streaming on discovery+. McNamaras work on the case has been credited for helping to catch the killer, who pleaded guilty to the decade-spanningcriminal campaignlast month. The murders of sex workers have always been shuffled to the back of the pile. OBrien, watching the alleged touching, asked her friend if she was OK, then excused herself. Selena Gomez vs. Hailey Bieber: Why Everyone Thinks They Need to Pick a Side. I did not smack or grab the back of her head. Saying that Calderon-Olsen never voiced any objection to him, Jensen says that he only found out about this allegation when he received a request for comment from. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He was grabbing my thigh. spoke with say they have begun to re-examine their relationships with Jensen. We are behind the eight ball, being 10 years out, but this is definitely a solvable case. http://themurdersquad.com/contact/ Find the Podcast: Why True Crime? With Billy Jensen - BYT // Brightest Young Things The behavior described to me sounded obnoxious, with me making a spectacle of myself and being too familiar with people. at least one cold case so it was a shock when the podcast was unceremoniously discontinued. Tisdale, however, denies this. He was grabbing my thigh. It also helped him cope with his own feelings as well, in his view. Like I had a crush. He was grabbing my legs that night, grabbing my thighs, grabbing me by the back of the neck, she recalls. I felt [she] was hurt, and deeply affected by this incident., that he was indeed the subject of a workplace investigation regarding the party. Jensen confirmed to Rolling Stone that he was indeed the subject of a workplace investigation regarding the party. Exactly Rights Halloween party in mid-October 2021 as the plus-one of his friend, an employee of the network, whom he declined to name. I have incredible respect for [Newell] as a person, Jensen says. Its a tarnishing that needs to be fixed. He is well known for his role in the Golden State Killer case; in which a serial killer had committed more than 50 rapes, at least 13 murders, and more than 100 burglaries in California. I had never seen anything like this before. That was really when it clicked for me that this behavior is not OK, Newell says. Its those kinds of things that you have to have to really jog peoples memories. Again, all these signs pointing to, he was a good guy. She also says she reached out to him with a professional request on behalf of a production company she worked for, and acknowledges she tagged him in some social media posts. She says he then took hold of her head in his hand. After reading article after article which referred to McNamara as simply a liaison to her successful husband, Jensenwrote up his own tribute to honor his friend's achievements and not just her marriage. He was grabbing me all over the place, Newell claims. Tell me more about coming at this case from the angle of corruption in the Suffolk County Police Department. When true crime writer and author Michelle McNamara died from a sudden accidental overdose in 2016, her friend and fellow true crime enthusiast Billy Jensen was devastated. Six of the victims have been identified as young women who were sex workers. David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78 In 1998, he moved on from roller hockey and began a . Billy Jensen is a true-crime journalist focused squarely on unsolved murders and missing persons. Billy Jensen - Investigative Storytelling, Crime Solving, Citizen I think thats what made me most disgusted by him, is that he knows shes a victim of trauma to the scariest degree. It was very awkward, she says. I never had romantic feelings for Billy. Tisdale says that she decided to speak about the alleged slap on her podcast after she heard about allegations following a 2021 party that ultimately led to Jensens removal from his podcast. While I understand some might be cynical of my seeking treatment, I needed to not only address my alcohol use, but my mental health as well, he says. Feb 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration neurosciences head Billy Dunn will retire from his role effective immediately, the health regulator told Reuters on Tuesday. Hes well aware that Im a survivor, she says. Two other sources allege that there had been whispers about Jensen in the true crime community well before Murder Squad was cancelled and allegations of Jensens inappropriate touching came to light. Celene Beth Calderon-Olsen, a podcast host and victim advocate who has spoken openly about surviving rape, also alleges that Jensen acted inappropriately toward her in 2019. Meet a gumshoe for the digital age: the Facebook detective. This week we're joined by investigative journalist Billy Jensen and retired cold case investigator Paul Holes to talk about why we're obsessed with true crime, their experiences solving cold cases like the Golden State Killer, and how to keep ourselves safe. Newell says she used to drink heavily in social situations and has since stopped, following her experience with Jensen. So what did you find when you started digging around? The 100 Best Albums of 2022, Taken by themselves, some of these allegations show embarrassing behavior in my private life, Jensen tells Rolling Stone. We were told when we were conducting the interviews, District Attorney Tim Sini is leaning pretty heavily on the cell phone data dumps that theyre doing, and theyre using this new technology to analyze various cell phone data from the area. In the story of Dirty John (the first crime saga to run the media gamut from newspaper series to podcast to documentary to scripted series), she was the unlikely hero who, in 2016, stabbed her mothers scam-artist husband to death in self-defense when he attacked her in a California parking garage. Everyone [in the news, following her death] kept referring to her as Patton Oswalts wife and I was like, no, she was her own person, Jensen reflected to Oxygen.comin an interview. Im actually dating someone at this time so any flirty behavior with him is absolutely not OK, Newell recalls. Linkletter: I do think geography plays a role, too. Fiercely dogged. The woman in question did not respond to. Billy Jensen - Investigative Storytelling, Crime Solving, Citizen This is one of his photographs from his website. Its important to expose the corruption of past police regimes and help explain why this case hasnt been solved. I think its going to be solved with utilizing the public and putting those details out there. This whole Billy thing coaxed me into one hundred percent not drinking anymore, she says. Billy Jensen had never visited the state before he accepted a scholarship at the University of Kansas to get his master's degree in religious studies. This byline is mine, but I want my name removed. As one social media user put it: Time to step up and be honest because the rumors going around are about to get ahead of this. And they did. But after 17 years of writing hundreds of stories with no endings, he was fed up--and decided to try and solve the murders himself using radical social media techniques. Unraveled - Listen to All Episodes | True Crime | TuneIn I did not smack or grab the back of her head. Saying that Calderon-Olsen never voiced any objection to him, Jensen says that he only found out about this allegation when he received a request for comment from Rolling Stone. Jensen says he has no recollection of this moment as [Calderon-Olsen] describes it, other than that it was a friendly hug. So, regarding Billy, there have been whispers for a long time, but he was just a drunk guy that hit on your friends.. Im actually dating someone at this time so any flirty behavior with him is absolutely not OK, Newell recalls. One of those podcasters claimed that Jensen had slapped her during an otherwise consensual encounter something Jensen has, . NYT bestseller Chase Darkness with Me: How One True Crime Writer Started Solving Murders, Discovery+: Unraveled, Killers Amidst Killers coming 2023. True-crime author Billy Jensen's Bexley event canceled as book They just dont have the information because the police havent released it. Where Is Billy Jensen Going After Leaving The First Degree Podcast Billy Jensen and Alexis Linkletter's new investigative podcast 'Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer' looks at the case of disgraced police chief James Burke and asks what the Suffolk County Police Department may have been hiding. Billy Jensen was a true crime journalist focused squarely on unsolved murders and missing persons. BJ has stated via the article that he is now in rehab for drinking. In 2016, he joined a vast community of web detectives who have been increasingly lauded for contributing to the resolution of major cases. It was just kind of jarring because I actually had [seen] him an hour or two prior to this, and he didnt have that same interaction. Billy Jensen The tattoo of Russian teen Olesya Krivtsova, who faces 7 years in prison over an Instagram story criticizing the war in Ukraine. by this publication. I was not acting in tandem or collaboration with anyone else, Haynes tells, . Photo: So again, to have somebody who is supposed to be well-versed in survivors and victim sensitivity, those boundaries were crossed.. Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes attend the Disney Upfront Presentation, May 2022. However, when these moments are presented inaccurately, all together, and without context, the result is to not only mischaracterize each of the individual events, but also fundamentally misrepresent who I am and have been as a person., that Jenn Tisdale, the podcaster who claimed he slapped her, has enlisted her friends including Haynes, who Jensen claims harbors a professional grudge as part of an organized effort. Combining the shoe-leather investigative tenacity and skills . So again, to have somebody who is supposed to be well-versed in survivors and victim sensitivity, those boundaries were crossed. Jensen, for his part, claims Calderon-Olsen is part of the organized effort to spread negative stories about him, a claim she denies and calls irresponsible, saying she only came out in support of his accuser at Exactly Right. Do you think theres a bigger role that citizen detectives could be playing in this case? Investigative journalist Billy Jensen has heavily impacted the true crime world with his deep-dive articles, podcasts, (he's one half of the Murder Squad podcast with Paul Holes and a third of The First Degree podcast team with true crime producer Alexis Linkletter and LadyGang gal Jac Vanek), and now with his new book, Chase Darkness With Me . But over time, he became more and more credible because his case ultimately went in front of a federal judge and Burke pled guilty. In 2016 Burke was sentenced to 46 months in prison for violating Loebs civil rights and for pressuring police witnesses to help him cover up the assault. Michelle McNamara died from a sudden accidental overdose in 2016, her friend and fellow true crime enthusiast Billy Jensen was devastated. to collect negative stories and criticisms about me to share to the public wholesale., Both Haynes and Tisdale strongly dispute this characterization. Stop listening until its addressed? Like, we know that [at least six of the victims] were all petite women that were sex workers, and all went missing during summer months. veryone [in the news, following her death] kept referring to her as Patton Oswalts wife and I was like, no, she was her own person, Jensen reflected to, Jensen and McNamara would meet every month for lunch, where she would update the true crime journaliston her hunt for the, How One True-Crime Writer Started Solving Murders. Jensen also came across a powerful document amongst the files in the hard drives: McNamara's ALetter to an Old Man" in which McNamara directly addressed the killer. True-crime journalist Billy Jensen gives us the rules and tools to People who a whisper network will warn you about, she says. he wrote of McNamaras dogged nature, her apt ability to get grizzled investigators to open up, and her dedication to tracking down the serial killer responsible for 13 murders and close to 50 rapes. I love Suffolk County. Billy Jensen is a true crime journalist focused squarely on unsolved murders and missing persons. He was grabbing me all over the place, Newell claims. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 1:29 An event at Gramercy Books featuring true-crime podcast host and author Billy Jensen has been canceled after the publication of Jensen's latest book has been indefinitely postponed.. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Why is he doing that? A suit was brought against Exactly Right that deposed several podcasters from their network, after a victim alleged then did not handle the harassment claims appropriately. During this time, he decided to pursue a career in professional roller hockey. This will help save on space and keep comments a little more streamlined. In his interview BJ apologizes for some behaviour (they don't go into detail specifically), denies parts of it, and admits to a drinking problem, BJ has entered rehab to address his drinking problem and mental health issues, While I understand some might be cynical of my seeking treatment, I needed to not only address my alcohol use, but my mental health as well, he says. In it, they includedgeo-profilingmaps andDNA evidence that McNamara was researching as well as her notes. But after seventeen years of writing hundreds of stories with no endings, he was fed upand decided to try to solve the murders and find the missing himself. Hes appeared on Discovery ID shows, co-hosted the true crime podcast The First Degree, written books, started the Murder Squad with Holes, and has been greeted by screaming fans at increasingly popular true-crime conventions. [She] told me Billy grabbed her after he came up behind her, and that she felt extremely violated by this, Williams said in the sworn statement. I felt [she] was hurt, and deeply affected by this incident., Jensen confirmed to Rolling Stone that he was indeed the subject of a workplace investigation regarding the party. There was no time to grieve because there was work to be done, Jensen told Oxygen.com. These claims have been supported by multiple witnesses and led to the network Exactly Right dismissing Jensen. Long Island Serial Killer: Did Police Corruption Derail Investigation Because it has really been traumatic., A True-Crime Star Lost His Podcast Over Misconduct Allegations. He was grabbing my legs that night, grabbing my thighs, grabbing me by the back of the neck, she recalls. OBrien says Newell told her about the conversation and the kiss when Newell came to her house later that night. After Michelle McNamara passed away, Billy Jensen did what he could to honor her. In June, two podcasters released episodes going public with allegations of sexual misconduct against Jensen. Last year, the family of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old who was murdered by her fianc on a cross-country van trip. You just have to. Newell is perhaps the most well-known survivor in modern true crime. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/billy-jensen-murder-squad-misconduct-allegation-investigation-1384950/. McNamara struck a match when she teamed up with armchair sleuths and real detectives to track down the killer, who turned out to be. Her face was every bit as shocked and embarrassed as mine was., - Hes well aware that Im a survivor, she says. The bag, Loeb said, contained sex toys and pornography, and what he claims appeared to be a snuff film. I felt [Jensens] hand just grab and smack, basically, the back of my head, Calderon-Olsen says. In the past two months, the community appears to be distancing itself from Jensen. And the release of his upcoming book, Killers Amidst Killers: Hunting Serial Killers Operating Under the Cloak of Americas Opioid Epidemic, which had been scheduled for publication this summer, has been indefinitely delayed. The only thing I can do now is keep working the program to be and stay accountable, make direct amends where appropriate, and treat my underlying issues so that I stay on the forward path., The article summarizes the podcaster Alvin Right's recollection of things which was previously shared here so we won't re-do it. Newell says she cut ties with Jensen at the beginning of June when Jensen was in the process of helping her with a book she was working on. OBrien confirmed Newells account to. This alleged behavior seems to have come to light after an Exactly Right Halloween party in 2021, which led to a workplace investigation and the eventual end of the, In response to a detailed list of questions from, , Jensen apologized for some of his alleged behavior, denied other parts of it, and told the magazine he has a drinking problem, coupled with mental health issues, and has entered rehab to address them both. And if it wasnt for podcasts like this and for people making movies about it, keeping this story in the mainstream, I dont think they would put the resources behind it. - the release of his upcoming book, Killers Amidst Killers: Hunting Serial Killers Operating Under the Cloak of Americas Opioid Epidemic, which had been scheduled for publication this summer, has been indefinitely delayed. It worked. Jensen has written crime stories for Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Magazine, The New York Times, and the Long Island Press, which he co-founded . Just curious how people are feeling. In response to Jensens allegations of a smear campaign, Tisdale insists that she and others are coming together to find solace and comfort which is not a coordinated effort to spread negative information about him.. (He has also posted publicly about it on his website in response to recent allegations.) As the new HBO docuseries Ill Be Gone in the Dark points out, McNamarawas using pills on a regular basis to help her complete the book and sleep.