True Crime Reporter® Podcast & TV Productions
Peabody Award-Winning investigative reporter Robert Riggs created the True Crime Reporter® podcast to tell stories about “real life” criminal cases. In 2022, former decorated U.S. prosecutor, Bill Johnston, joined the podcast as a cohost.
The duo has been up close and personal with serial killers, mass murderers, sexual predators, and terrorists. You name it, and they’ve seen it from the crime scene to the courtroom, to prison, and even the Texas’ death chamber.
Both are compelling storytellers. Riggs spent decades in front of the television news camera telling stories to millions of viewers. Federal juries returned guilty verdicts in every prosecution that Johnston undertook during his 14-year career with the U.S. Justice Department.
The Bubble Lounge Podcast in Dallas described Riggs as a “prolific storyteller in the spirit of fellow Texan Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone and 1883.
True Crime Reporter® takes listeners inside the yellow crime scene tape where most podcasters have never dared to go.
The first season of the podcast about serial killer Kenneth McDuff received a 2021 Webby Award. It was spun off into a hit television series titled Freed To Kill which premiered on Fox Nation Streaming in March 2022. It exposed how McDuff who had been sentenced to death row was released on parole in Texas under a cloud of corruption. The five-part series received a Telly Award for television documentary in May of 2022.
Big Media TV was Riggs’ coproduction partner for Freed To Kill and handles international distribution. Max Montoya a Senior Director at Big Media TV played a key role in developing the podcast for television.
Based on their podcast episodes titled, Texas Ranger Case Files – Untold Stories of Murders, Kidnappings, and Cold Cases, Riggs and Johnston are developing more television shows about the legendary law enforcement organization. The leadership of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers have pledged unprecedented support for their work.
Russell Molina, The Chairman of the 2023 Texas Ranger Bicentennial invited both Riggs and Johnston to serve on its host committee along with President George W. Bush and Ross Perot Jr. stating, “When it comes to the Texas Rangers, Riggs is the quintessential journalist to tell their story and Johnston has worked elbow to elbow with Rangers to solve crimes.”
Riggs and Johnston are graduates of Texas A&M University. Riggs feels at home saddled up on Bentsen, his favorite paint horse. When Johnston is not trying complex legal cases in court, you will find him relaxing beneath his Stetson and proudly wearing jeans with his rodeo belt buckle. Both of them trace their ancestry back to frontier Texas.
Their true crime stories are stranger than fiction.
True Crime Reporter™ publishes a variety of three types of episodes for its fans on a weekly basis.
- True Crime Reporter™ Extra – features narrative storytelling episodes about criminal cases. We produce a compelling story blending Robert Riggs’ writing/narration; interviews with investigators, crime victims, forensic experts, and convicted criminals; and music/sound effects.
- True Crime Reporter™ Confidential – Riggs and former decorated federal prosecutor Bill Johnston conduct a classic “police procedural” in each episode. Their true crime cases are stranger than fiction. Riggs and Johnston weave compelling stories during an interview-style/talk show. Think of them as the “Larry King” of True Crime. They interview investigators, crime victims, forensic experts, members of the judiciary, and even convicted criminals about criminal cases.
- True Crime Reporter™ Texas Ranger Files – delves into our unique access to the case files of one of the most legendary law enforcement organizations in the world. Riggs and Johnston conduct interviews in a unique style that unfolds stories. In some episodes, Riggs leads Johnston into a rendition of how the Texas Rangers worked for him to solve past criminal cases. Also, Riggs and Johnston interview Texas Rangers about their most unusual cases. These officers still work crimes in the wild frontier of Texas. We tell epic and heroic stories that most Texans and the world have never heard about.
Watch the True Crime Reporter™ YouTube Channel to view more than 200 of Riggs’ news reports and listen to the podcast.
Note: You can read more about the history of the legendary Texas Rangers and see vintage photos on our blog at True Crime Reporter™.
For official historical information visit the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum online or in person at the museum in Waco, Texas.
Please join us in supporting the 2023 Texas Ranger Bicentennial.