1 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:09,239 Speaker 1: It's that time, time, time, time, luck and load. 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 2: So Michael very Show is on the air. 3 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 3: Shut to my fact, take this job and shove it. 4 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 2: Joy. You like movies about gladiators. 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 3: He's down on the phone. No, my yankee, my winky. Well, 6 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 3: sometimes I give the minstrel krags for your hard. 7 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: This time you pop on Tupac. 8 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 4: Indy conn is our guest. He's a victim's ad because 9 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 4: he's with crime Stoppers today, but he has been serving 10 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 4: you know, I see these people. You'll see a story 11 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 4: where a family Jocelyn Nungerai, for instance, her mother and 12 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 4: her daughter's been murdered. And then the mother is there 13 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 4: and you know, they're sticking microphones into her face and 14 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 4: they're following them around. She's having to go through this 15 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 4: and she's she doesn't know what the answer to the 16 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 4: questions are or why people are asking it. And Andy 17 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 4: Kahn is always there beside them as a victim's advocate. 18 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 4: And it was time we sit down and talk to 19 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 4: Andy Kahn about his career. So you serve through the 20 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 4: Linear administration ninety two to ninety eight and then the 21 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 4: Leapy Brown administration ninety eight through four. I come in 22 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 4: January of two, and I believe you were there all 23 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 4: the way through Bill White and then we get to 24 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 4: Anise Parker or get to that moment. But talk a 25 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 4: little more about the job you did as a victim's 26 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 4: advocate and whether you think you were successful. I know 27 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 4: the Coral Eugene Wats case is a very very important 28 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 4: one that you kind of changed the law out of. 29 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 3: But talk a little bit about that. 30 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, So, I, like I said, I learned very early 31 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: on that if there's a collection of system, rather than 32 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: yell and scream about the injustices of the world, I 33 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: would much prefer to find a solution and or a 34 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: remedy in. One of the ways I began doing that 35 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: was to craft laws and bills to enhance victims rights 36 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: and publics they So I started going up to the 37 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: legislative sessions in nineteen ninety three and have been added since. 38 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: I'm basically accredited with over thirty pieces of legislation on 39 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: that very same subject. Coral Watts was probably the nation's 40 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: most prolific serial killer in this country that Melan has 41 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 1: ever heard of. He killed thirteen Houston area women nineteen 42 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: eighty one nineteen eighty two. It was suspect in over 43 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: forty homicides nationally, primarily Michigan, Indiana, and of course he 44 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: went across the border in Canada as well. What happened was, 45 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty two, the District attorney's office cut a deal. 46 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: They gave him a sentence of sixty years. In return, 47 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: Watts led authorities to where he buried three of the bodies, 48 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: and everybody thought, sixty years, that's the end of it. 49 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 1: Nolan's gonna bother. You're not going to hear from him again. 50 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: What the families were never told was sixty years didn't 51 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: mean sixty years, because there was a law called the 52 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: Mandate for a Release Law that was enacted in Texas 53 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy seven that basically said, anybody who is 54 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: serving time in prison, as long as they maintain good behavior, 55 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: can accrue good time credits which will be added to 56 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 1: their day by day calendar time. And when those two 57 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: categories equal their sentence, then out the door you go. 58 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: Nobody told them so. In nineteen ninety two, when I 59 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: started in my position, one of the mothers, Harriet Samander, 60 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: whose daughter Elena was murdered by Watts, reached out to 61 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: me and said, you know, I know wats is coming 62 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: up for parole. Can you check on it for me? 63 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: And I did, and I asked a failed question that 64 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: no one knew to ask, does he have an automatic 65 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: release date? 66 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 2: Yes? When is it? 67 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: Two thousand and six? 68 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 2: Thank you? 69 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: I call Harriet up and say, Harriet, I hate to 70 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: be the one to tell you this, but parole is 71 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: the least of your problems. Under Texas law, he must 72 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: be released. And none of the families knew that. And 73 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: from that on that became our quest. Well, and go ahead. 74 00:03:58,840 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 3: I saw. 75 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 4: On the Evidence room documentary doing research on you that 76 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 4: this would have been the first serial killer ever released 77 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 4: in America. 78 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 3: Is that's right? 79 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: That is correct? He would have been the first legally released. 80 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 3: Okay. 81 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 4: And so before we get deeper into that case, I 82 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 4: want to put into perspective Coral Eugene Watts had HPD 83 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 4: had a sheet of all the crimes they suspected him of, 84 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 4: and he was brutalizing women. He was doing the most 85 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 4: awful things. And here was a guy that they thought 86 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 4: was locked away in a cage and we'll never get 87 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 4: out because he's a savage. Everyone knows he's just going 88 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 4: to get out. And just murder women practically every day. 89 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 4: And then it's around two thousand and one, two thousand 90 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 4: and two, and I think he's going to get out 91 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 4: in two thousand and six. Can you drill down on that, 92 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,359 Speaker 4: because I started researching you and I came across that 93 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 4: story and I was just blown away. 94 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 1: Heyjak Michael is the most amazing story I've ever been 95 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: a part of. His parting words when he left the 96 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: courtroom was you know they ever released me, I'm going 97 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: to kill again. That's what he was. He was a 98 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,679 Speaker 1: killing machine. He never sexually assaulted anyone, he never robbed anyone. 99 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: He killed by three forms drowning, stabbing, and strangulation. And 100 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 1: he was coming out. So in two thousand and two, 101 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: we decided we needed to let the world know a 102 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: serial killer is going to be legally released. We did 103 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: this big ceremony at the Greek Orthodox Church over on 104 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: Yocum and we did a call to action. We had 105 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: all the families came in from all over the country 106 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: and we basically just put it out there. Michigan, where 107 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: he originally came from, formed the Cold Case Task Force 108 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: trying to find something anything. They couldn't find anything. We 109 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 1: did every possible media in the world. I remember I 110 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: was on Fox News one night on the O'Reilly Factor, 111 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: and O'Reilly goes, you guys execute everybody in Texas, but 112 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: you're going to release a serial killer. And I said, yeah, Billiam, 113 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: never stereotype us again. He goes, that's nuts. I said, yeah, 114 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: that's why we're trying to prevent it. Two thousand and four, 115 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: we did a segment for The Today Show and they 116 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 1: re rant it that evening on MSNBC and a guy 117 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: comes home from a suburb of Detroit and he's flipping 118 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: channels and he sees the Michigan Attorney General pleading for 119 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: the public health in an unsolved nineteen seventy nine murder. 120 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: They had a sketch of the suspect. He screams to 121 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: his wife, that's the guy saw killed the girl in 122 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: the alley twenty five years ago. 123 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 2: That was the case. 124 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: They ultimately subsequently ended up charging him and convicting him 125 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: of all because this guy was at home. But if 126 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: we don't mount a campaign, none of this happens. 127 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 2: He would have been released. 128 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: So never doubt what. 129 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 2: A small group of people. 130 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: Can do when they put their mind to it. 131 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 3: Well and because you come across as a guy. 132 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 4: You know, you're not a snazzy dresser, usually in a 133 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 4: crime stopper shirt or some sort of kind of raggedy 134 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 4: polo shirt and jeans and shoes, and you never you're 135 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 4: never very expressive, and yet there you are, just plodding 136 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 4: along on behalf of the general public, in the families 137 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 4: in the most disconcerting, disarming way. It's I'm in deep admiration. 138 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 4: Has taken me twenty five years to appreciate the work 139 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 4: you do and how you do it. 140 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 3: But anyway, go ahead. 141 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,679 Speaker 1: So Watts ended up getting convicted in Michigan of another murder. 142 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: He gets accept back there and then twenty seventy died 143 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: of prostate cancer. So that was pretty much. 144 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 4: That ended up being a major case. Laws were changed, 145 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 4: it didn't happen again. Two states worked together to keep 146 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 4: this bad guy. You know that somebody out there went 147 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 4: on to have children and lead a very productive life. 148 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 4: Who wouldn't be here today if Cral Eugene Watson gott. 149 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 4: Now we just don't know who she is, you know, 150 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 4: we don't know the crimes that don't happen, so you 151 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 4: continue to do. 152 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: There are women walking around today that are alive because 153 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: as our efforts, they. 154 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 3: Remained scared to death of you, and they remain scared 155 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 3: to death of Trump. 156 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 2: That Michael Barry shows. 157 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 3: You're not going anywhere even if Trump does. You're not. 158 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 4: Imy conn is our guest. He's a victims advocates, were 159 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 4: crime starers. You continue to work as a victims advocate 160 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 4: at city Hall, which is how you came across my desk. 161 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 4: And then in twenty ten, then mayor a niece Parker 162 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 4: did something that I think people need to know because 163 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 4: she's running to be county judge today. I think it's 164 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 4: very important to understand what she did and where her 165 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 4: allegiance appears to lie. 166 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: So very early on in her tenure, I would stay. 167 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: Within the first six months, I was brought into my 168 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: director and he looked at me instead, you're being transferred, 169 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: and I said, transferred to where he goes HPD, And 170 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: I went, why am I going over to HPD? They 171 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: already have a victim assistance program and they said, well, 172 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: that's the mayor's call. And of course I find out 173 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: later on that you know, and I'll do be frank 174 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: because that's how I am in lieu of terminating me, 175 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 1: which you couldn't do because I was actually a civilian 176 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,319 Speaker 1: employee of the Houston Police Department assigned to the Mayor's office, 177 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: which is where I was for eighteen years. They punted 178 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: me over there, and I'll never forget. I'm in a 179 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: meeting room with the Chief of Police at that time, 180 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: and every single chief is in this meeting and they're 181 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: looking at little old me, going, what are we going 182 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: to do with you? We have no idea what to 183 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: do with you. But that it took me a long 184 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: time to adjust to working there. 185 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 2: At first. 186 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: They were very hesitant about allowing me to speak out 187 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: on the issues, and a lot of victims groups were 188 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: very angry about it. They were threatening to go down 189 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: the city all so there was a lot of give 190 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: and take between that. Yet strangely enough, I they kept 191 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: me on the Mayor's staff. If you went back and 192 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: looked under the Mayor's staff under directors, my shiny picture 193 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,079 Speaker 1: not smiling, of course I was there. So it was 194 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: a way that you could put me off. Yet at 195 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,559 Speaker 1: the same time you could say, well, he's still. 196 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 4: There, and anyone looking at the org chart, any enterprising reporter, 197 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 4: or you're intrepid citizen journalists who were just coming around 198 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 4: at this point would simply see you as being a 199 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:29,959 Speaker 4: staffer and think, well, you just. 200 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 3: Don't show up much. Little did they know that behind 201 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 3: the scenes in. 202 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 4: East Parker was doing what she often does, which is 203 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 4: gut people like that. And I can tell you from 204 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 4: when I was on Houston City Council, you were beloved 205 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 4: as an asset to the families, the victims' families when 206 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 4: people got murdered, in navigating how to tell their story, 207 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 4: what they could say no to with regard to interviews. 208 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 4: There was a lot that went into what you were 209 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:01,440 Speaker 4: doing that that was not able. 210 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 3: To be replaced easily. 211 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 4: And the fact that she would feel some I guess 212 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 4: she didn't want victims families to be represented. I guess 213 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 4: maybe she had cut a deal with with with the 214 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 4: with the folks that would end up wanting reform of 215 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,959 Speaker 4: our criminal justice system on behalf of criminals. I don't 216 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 4: know why you're not a real outspoken guy. I don't 217 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 4: know why, per se, other than fighting for victims. I 218 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 4: don't understand why she would remove you from that office 219 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 4: because you were very popular in that office. 220 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, like I said, I got caught totally off guard. 221 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: There were several media reports. I was told don't say anything, 222 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: and it was a It was a very apprehensive moment 223 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: for me in my career, and a lot a lot 224 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: of the victims, particularly members of parents and merged children, 225 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: were extremely upset over the move over the access that 226 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: I was no longer going to be having with them. 227 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: So it was it was a very interesting pre day. 228 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 1: I've been at City All for eighteen years. I served under. 229 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 2: I'm gone time. 230 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 5: I'm not good. 231 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 3: You're cutting in and out on me a little. 232 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 2: I know, I know he's driving to twenty eighteen. 233 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, can you repeat that? Because you were cutting in 234 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 4: and out. I know you're on your way to Austin. 235 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 4: But did you did you go straight to crime stoppers 236 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 4: after that? 237 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: No? 238 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 2: I went. 239 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: I was at HPD until twenty eighteen. And then another strange, 240 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: interesting twist which my careers have many. You know, I've 241 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: been I've been marked for extiction by many, and somehow, 242 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: kind of like the Great Maximus and Gladiator, I just 243 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:49,479 Speaker 1: won't die. Somehow, somehow I keep surviving all these attacks. 244 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: In April two thousand and eighteen, all of a sudden, 245 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 1: I was told my job was going to change at 246 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: HPD and I was no longer you're going to be 247 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: doing what I was doing. They sent letters out to 248 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: all the victims organizations basically stating don't contact me anymore. 249 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: I was actually assigned it to a sergeant who was 250 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: teaching me how to input employees hours. 251 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:18,559 Speaker 2: Into a database under my new job. 252 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: Title administrative coordinator. It it was really surreal. 253 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 2: And I'm going, yeah, this really isn't going to work out. 254 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:32,079 Speaker 1: So again I had to pivot and figure out how 255 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: am I going to keep this going again. I was 256 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: brought into at that time ABD Chief Art outs of 257 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: Veto's office and basically told we're before shutting you down. 258 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: And again, trying to keep all the victims groups that 259 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: I was in touch with from storming city Hall was 260 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: not a very. 261 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 2: Easy task, and I somehow. 262 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: Was led over to crime stop ors that actually a 263 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: former city council member. 264 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 2: You might recall Mike Knox quite un Yeah. 265 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, Mike knew what was going on, and he asked 266 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: me if you ever considered working for crime Stoppers, and 267 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: he goes, let me make a call, and all of 268 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: a sudden, I'm talking to crime Stoppers and working out 269 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: some sort, you know, working out an arrangement to come 270 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 1: over there. And it was interesting because there was an 271 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: anti con day at City Hall in the NY of 272 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, celebrating my twenty five years and at that time, 273 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: nobody knew that in two weeks I was resigning and 274 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: going to Crime Stoppers. So I'm sitting there with the mayor, 275 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: getting all these pictures taken, sitting there with the police 276 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: chieve and I'm going, this is not as surreal as 277 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: you can get. 278 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 2: Basically mark for extinction, and. 279 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: You're giving me a proclamation. And then I submitted my 280 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: resignation and went over to Crime Stoppers. And that was 281 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: the best thing that's ever happened to me in my life. 282 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: Little did they know, and I like to day it 283 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: became a marriage made in heaven. I didn't have to duck, 284 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: dodge and die that I didn't have to look over 285 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: my shoulder anymore, and I just felt like I was. 286 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: I died and it was Mareen Walter. 287 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 4: We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf 288 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 4: of Mexico to the Gulf. 289 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: Of Michael Barry's church has a beautiful room. 290 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 4: Our guest is Andy Kahn of Crime Stoppers. He is 291 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 4: a victim's advocate. For people who don't know much about 292 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 4: crime Stoppers, I knew Dave Ward did a wonderful job, 293 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 4: and this is part of his legacy, was bringing a 294 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 4: lot of attention to crime Stoppers, which he was a 295 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 4: believer in. For people who don't know what crime Stoppers does, 296 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 4: how it's funded, what it does, how it works, talk 297 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 4: about that because it's a very very important organization that 298 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 4: does good work. 299 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: First of all, Michael, we're the largest crime stoppers in 300 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: the country. We're the only crime stoppers with his own 301 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 1: standing building. Most other crime stoppers basically have an office 302 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: and passed to a law enforcement entity. We're the only 303 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: crime Stoppers in the country that has a program like 304 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: mine that works with victims of violent crime. We are 305 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: a five O one C three nonprofit and so we 306 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: get our funding from brants and we do two big 307 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: gala fundraisers throughout the year, and that's how we basically exist. 308 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: And so we solve more crimes in Houston than any 309 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 1: other crime stoppers in the country. So our primary focus, 310 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: of course is the legendary tip line, but we've grown 311 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: ex financially into doing preventive things and of course my 312 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: program as well. We go into schools. We have an 313 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: entire school safety team. We deal with human trafficking. We 314 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: have a research center right now that is amazing that 315 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: can pull up data that I'm constantly using for legislative 316 00:16:55,880 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: hearings or television in appearances. And so that's pretty much 317 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: were crime Stoppers is. So I'm basically I run their 318 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: victim services program. I also serve on the board of 319 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: Parents and Emerged Children Surviving family Members as well as 320 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:15,360 Speaker 1: Texas Equa serving parents emerged Children. I've been with them 321 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 1: for thirty years. We need the second Tuesday of every 322 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: month at crime Stoppers, and it's a place for families 323 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,119 Speaker 1: to come and as we like to say, it's the 324 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: only organization in this country in which someone else writes 325 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:29,680 Speaker 1: out your membership for you. So I've been at crime 326 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: Stoppers now for going on eight years. 327 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 4: And you know, we've had some charismatic leaders. Some it's 328 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 4: been women as far as I can remember, who are 329 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 4: really sharp at both navigating kind of the media landscape, 330 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 4: but also, as you have to do in a job 331 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,439 Speaker 4: like this, managing the big donors and the events that 332 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 4: bring them in and keeping them happy and engaged. Where 333 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 4: University president does. But how does the public play into 334 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,159 Speaker 4: crime Stoppers? How can people get involved? They would like 335 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:06,239 Speaker 4: to get involved with Crime Stars, either financially or as 336 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 4: a volunteer. 337 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, if you go to our website. We send out 338 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: bulletins almost every day on our website, on our social 339 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: media page both Facebook, Instagram and x as well, and 340 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: we have a series of events that we're constantly doing 341 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: in which anybody who wants to help us volunteer, they're 342 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 1: welcome to. I put on several big events throughout the year. 343 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: One of them is the National Day of Remembrance, in 344 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: which we pay homage to all surviving family members of homicide. 345 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: And then in December we do a holiday Memorial Tree 346 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 1: ceremony in which family members who lost love with SA 347 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: homicide place pictures and personalized ornaments on trees that remain 348 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: up throughout the year. But anybody if they want to donate, 349 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: they can do so. We have a Luncheons of gala 350 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 1: coming up in April, and then our big gala is 351 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: in October as well. The public is I like to say, 352 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,439 Speaker 1: there are best ice and ears out there. So I 353 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: work with the public religiously, of course, trying to get 354 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: all these cases solved for families, because grief is intensified 355 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: when justice is lacking, and sadly, for so many families, 356 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: justice is lacking. And that's what we try to do 357 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: when we do our press conferences, when we do our 358 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: reward releases, is hopefully get somebody to call in with 359 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: that tip and it's totally anonymous. Somebody will never know 360 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: who you are. And that's the beauty of crime stoctors. 361 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's amazing because so many people have left the 362 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 4: city of Houston, as they've left the major cities across 363 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 4: the country and the once great cities, you know, Detroit, 364 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 4: in Chicago and Philly and New York and Baltimore, and 365 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 4: you know San Francisco. I never would have believed it 366 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 4: becoming the smash and grab capital and the violent crime there, 367 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 4: La Portland, Philly, Seattle. I just never would have believed 368 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,199 Speaker 4: it in New Orleans and what it degenerated into one 369 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,640 Speaker 4: of my favorite cities as when I was growing up. 370 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 3: But when you look at what you've. 371 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 4: Witnessed and now over thirty years of doing this, how 372 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,880 Speaker 4: has crime changed that you've witnessed, How has the public's 373 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 4: attitude change toward it? 374 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 3: How has policing changed. 375 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 4: You have an eyewitness, you know, in the front seat 376 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 4: of what's happened in this community particularly, and I know 377 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 4: you're in touch people across the country, but in this 378 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 4: community particularly, how has that changed for better and for worse? 379 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: You know, it's been kind of a roller coaster. 380 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:30,719 Speaker 2: You know. 381 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: Back in the early nineties, you know, we were dealing 382 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: with a prison overcrowding situation which had. 383 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:37,640 Speaker 2: Let so many people being released back. 384 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: Here who went on to reoffend, often in spectacular fashion. 385 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:44,360 Speaker 1: And then we started seeing what we called the revolving 386 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,920 Speaker 1: door at the courthouse particularly, and started around twenty and nineteen, 387 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 1: and there was stuff that I've never seen in thirty years. 388 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,399 Speaker 1: I've never seen people getting charged with capital murder getting 389 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: out on a fifty thousand dollars bond. I never saw 390 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 1: violent offenders getting out on a personal recognitian to get 391 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: out of jail free car. There was things that were 392 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:08,119 Speaker 1: blowing me away. And we started noticing this disturbing trend 393 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: of people who are being released time and time, multiple times, 394 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: and usually for violent crimes or for at least felonies, 395 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:19,280 Speaker 1: and a lot of them were getting out on personal 396 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 1: recogniz bond who were then being charged with murder, and 397 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: I started documenting these cases. And at this I started 398 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: documenting everyone who was being murdered by an offender who 399 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 1: was out on more than one felony bond or was 400 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: out on a PR bond, and we started getting a 401 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 1: lot of attentionion crime Stoppers asked if I would be 402 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: the point person on this issue, and I basically told 403 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 1: our staff, our CEO, and a board, look, if I 404 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:53,360 Speaker 1: do this, I'm going to step on toes and as 405 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 1: long as you're comfortable with that, I will take this on. 406 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 1: And that's really the only way I would take this 407 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,159 Speaker 1: on is I'm going to full steam and I'm going 408 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,919 Speaker 1: to let everybody's the public know what was going on 409 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 1: because they were not aware of it. 410 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 5: And of course it. 411 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: Started getting a lot of attention, and a lot of 412 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: times it also got a lot of negative attention, you know, claiming, 413 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: you know that we're ruining the quote so called criminal 414 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: justice reform movement and so forth. But we just kept 415 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 1: hammering at this issue, and then of course we ended 416 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: up getting a lot of legislation passed, primarily where you 417 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 1: couldn't get a PR bond if you were charged with 418 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 1: a violent crime. I will never forget Michael. In twenty 419 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: twenty one, I'm testifying at a committee and I saw 420 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 1: a representative from Aristantic Commissioner's Court and I thought they 421 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: were up to support legislation. And then right after I testified, 422 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: they came and were actually against allowing. They were actually 423 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: testifying against the bill that would have stopped and I 424 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: remember going, you're opposing this bill? How are you going 425 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:02,120 Speaker 1: to be kidding me? I was stunned. So a Commissioner's 426 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: Court made it no bones about it. They were opposed 427 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,920 Speaker 1: to everything we were doing at crime Stoppers, and then 428 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:13,200 Speaker 1: I was asked to appear at Commissioner's Court by at 429 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: that time Commissioner Cable and Commissioner Ramsey kind of let 430 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 1: the county County commissioners know what we were finding it 431 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: throughout in the criminal justice system. And I will never 432 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: forget the county judge, who's still the county judge giving 433 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,359 Speaker 1: me at that time. I guess they thought this was 434 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: a nickname I wouldn't appreciate, but she called me an 435 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: axe grinding fear amonger, which we've actually readily embraced. So 436 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 1: thank you for People asked me what am I going 437 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 1: to miss about the county judge. I'm gonna I'm gonna 438 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:49,119 Speaker 1: miss being called an act ranking mockers, but I was 439 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 1: stunned that they were actually against it. It was interesting 440 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,439 Speaker 1: because the District Attorney's office at that time was testifying 441 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 1: in favor of it. 442 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:05,359 Speaker 3: It was off the night, so that smart. Michael Berry. 443 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 4: I've watched the career of Andy Khn for decades now. 444 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 3: He's a victim's advocate. 445 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 4: He's done it in multiple capacities with different paychecks. He's 446 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,120 Speaker 4: never made much money off the deal, but he sure 447 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 4: is good and I'm glad that he does it. I'm 448 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 4: glad there are people who do what he does. Andy 449 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 4: conn is our guests. 450 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 3: You know, it's it's really crazy. 451 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:35,439 Speaker 4: How crime became a partisan issue, and I think the 452 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:40,280 Speaker 4: Democrats will have will regret this issue. Somewhere along the way. 453 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:44,919 Speaker 4: They decided to demonize the police in order to mobilize 454 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 4: black voters, and that was the calculation done, and a 455 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 4: lot of people didn't see it, and in the process 456 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,919 Speaker 4: you had crime victims. And the stats will show that 457 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 4: that crime victims, that that folks who commit violent crime, 458 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 4: Blacks are over represent in that number, although not exclusive, 459 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 4: and a lot of those victims are black, but somehow 460 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 4: along the way it became white people who are racist 461 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 4: against black criminals, and I think that's going to end 462 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 4: up being a failure. But I think that part of 463 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 4: what you've done is to keep families and victims families 464 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 4: out of the politics and keep the court system and 465 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,360 Speaker 4: the law enforcement system and the media and the public 466 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 4: focused on Hey, y'all can pass new laws and all that, 467 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 4: but we've got a family member here whose loved one 468 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 4: was raped and murdered, and we need that person prosecuted 469 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 4: and taken off the street. And I think that's a 470 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 4: very critical role you have played. 471 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: We also decided I could talk about the two hundred 472 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,359 Speaker 1: people that hit the criteria that I was talking about earlier, 473 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: that were murdered by offenders on more. 474 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 2: Than one felony bondera. 475 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,959 Speaker 1: We made poster wards with their names and pictures on it, 476 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 1: and I took that everywhere I could go, so you 477 00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: could actually see the faces. When I talk about a 478 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: Martha Medina, a seventy two year old grandmother who's simply 479 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 1: trying to walk out of McDonald's with their breakfast. 480 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:09,360 Speaker 2: She was actually followed. 481 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 1: From a bank and she's accosted and carjacked by an 482 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: individual who had been to prison three times for violent offenses, 483 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: and after he got out of prison, while he was 484 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 1: on while out of prison, he gets charged with a 485 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 1: capital of murder and they allow him back out on bond. 486 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 1: I'm going the guy's been to prison multiple times. How 487 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,120 Speaker 1: do you give him a bond for capital of murder? 488 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: Now he's charged with the murder of seventy one year 489 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: old Martha Medina and I talk about their stories, and 490 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:41,159 Speaker 1: I bring the families with me because, as I like 491 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 1: to say, they were victims of what I called the 492 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 1: bond pandemic, and that rubbed people the wrong way when 493 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: I kept saying the bond pandemic has cost so many 494 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: people their lives. But it's all factual, and it's all true, 495 00:26:55,800 --> 00:27:01,400 Speaker 1: And yeah, we took hits. We were actually quote featured 496 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: in the front page of the New York Times claiming 497 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 1: that we were conducting quote partisan attacks on the judiciary 498 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: in Harris County. 499 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 5: The New York. 500 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 1: And this reporter had the gall to show up at 501 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: a parent's and murdered children meeting. He introduced himself to me, 502 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: David Farrenholt, and he said, you know you said on 503 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,880 Speaker 1: your social media. Everyone's welcome, and so here I am. 504 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: And I was going, I know exactly what you're up to, dude, 505 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: so don't play these little games with me. And so 506 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: I asked him, I said, so he's taking notes at 507 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,679 Speaker 1: the meeting like he's pretending he's actually good. He actually said, well, 508 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 1: I'm going to be incorporating, you know, the parents and 509 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: Children meeting and in my story. And I just said, yeah, 510 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: sure you are, Bud, give me a break. 511 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 2: Sure enough. 512 00:27:57,119 --> 00:28:00,400 Speaker 5: It was just based down and I was I said, 513 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 5: I cannot. 514 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:05,720 Speaker 1: Believe that you came into this meeting under false pretenses, 515 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,400 Speaker 1: claiming you were actually going to be doing a story 516 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,200 Speaker 1: on parents and Murdered Children, when you had no intention. 517 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:14,719 Speaker 1: All you were there for was to see if there 518 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 1: were politics being talked in the meeting, which is never 519 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:21,159 Speaker 1: done at Parents and Murdered Children meeting. But that showed 520 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,679 Speaker 1: me the extent that you were going to try to 521 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:27,640 Speaker 1: shut us up, and you failed miserably because we were 522 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,400 Speaker 1: right on every single thing that we were doing and 523 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:36,240 Speaker 1: you just didn't like the message, period. And it happened 524 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: at Commissioner's Court, when all of a sudden they decided, well, 525 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: we're going to audit Crime Stoppers. That was Commissioner Rodney Ellis' deal, 526 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: and of course nothing came of it, and of course 527 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 1: there was no follow up stories saying there's nothing there. 528 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: And one chronicle reporter who was eventually resigned when he 529 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:58,920 Speaker 1: was interviewing our CEO and actually ended up on your show, Michael, 530 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: because we leave the tape recording of the interview because 531 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: at this time we had enough of being targeted. And 532 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: when he asked our CEO, why do you need to 533 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: draw a salary? Your husband's a doctor. Yeah, And that 534 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 1: ended up getting leaked on your show. Donja Mantarius is 535 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 1: our CEO, and he had the said he actually and 536 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 1: he didn't know what we were recording it. And finally, 537 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: when he started doing more negative stories on US, I 538 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: finally said we we can't sit back anymore. We've got 539 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:37,959 Speaker 1: to release this. We got to put an end to this. 540 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 1: And then he ended up resigning and. 541 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 5: He's now reported the San Francisco Chronicle how about. 542 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 4: That, huh, So he's probably had whatever, he's probably had 543 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,480 Speaker 4: his PREUS back window smashed out in his backpack. Still 544 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 4: there is man personal on the back of there. That's 545 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 4: a good punishment for a guy like that going after her. 546 00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 4: I mean, look, she's a public servant. You're a public servant. 547 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 4: That's the way I look at what you do. You 548 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 4: might draw a salary, but I look at what y'all 549 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 4: do as true public service. 550 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 3: I really do, no, absolutely. 551 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 1: I've always had the adage when you advocate on behalf 552 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 1: of one faction, you will generally infuriate the other faction. 553 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: I referee high school basketball for twenty eight years, and 554 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: I use the same analogy referring a ballgame as I 555 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: do with my job. I blow the whistle, I make 556 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 1: the call. Half the crate agrees with it. The other 557 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: half disagrees no matter what I call. But I make 558 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: the call I think is right, and I sell it. 559 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 2: And I move on. 560 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 5: I Am not going to please everyone. You'll get a 561 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 5: kick out of this. 562 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: Michael early On and Bablonier when he was a mayor, 563 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: he had, you know, they had the mayor's press conference, right, 564 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 1: and a reporter asked Mayor Boblinier about something that I 565 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: might have done that might have offended someone, which I 566 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: really can't imagine me offending anyone, but and he asked 567 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 1: Lanier about that, and Bablonnier turned around to the reporter 568 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: and the said, look, I don't expect mister Kahn to 569 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: please the criminal element. 570 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 2: Great line. 571 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:09,280 Speaker 1: I use it thirty years later, still use that line. 572 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 3: I think you've done an amazing job of it. 573 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 4: I think you should be extraordinarily proud of the work 574 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 4: you've done. 575 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 3: I think it's made a difference. 576 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 4: It's kind of one of those things that you know 577 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 4: when somebody gets put into therapy, or if somebody gets 578 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 4: put into grief counseling, or somebody gets put into special 579 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 4: ad and there is somebody whose job it is to 580 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 4: be there to take care of people when they get 581 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 4: routed into this diversion. We don't ever think about that 582 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 4: until we find ourselves there for ourselves or a loved one. 583 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 4: And I'm just grateful that there are people like you 584 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 4: that are willing to do that, Andy Kon, I am 585 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 4: up against the break, we are out of time. 586 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,360 Speaker 3: I really appreciate the work you do. I appreciate the. 587 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 4: Work Crime Stoppers is done, and I just want to 588 00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:59,720 Speaker 4: take a moment to say, for what is it thirty 589 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:01,840 Speaker 4: something the years you've done this, and you deserve a 590 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:03,560 Speaker 4: pat on the back and the street named for you. 591 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 2: I appreciate it. Michael, thanks for having me on