I was like, Oh, wow, this was kind of a better story than I thought., Had I known how legally complicated this story was at the beginning, I probably would have never tried to report it. One of the suspects accusers, whose case was previously dismissed, said she wanted to testify anyway. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Instead, Jones removed the district attorneys office from the case and ordered it be turned over to the California attorney generals office. And then a bunch of people listen to the story, they take notes, and they walk away. Prosecutors from the attorney generals office said there is not enough evidence without a reasonable doubt in connection to Jane Does case and other victims cases. You might find yourself feeling a certain way after you hear about it, is what Ill say.. Dr. Grant Robicheaux, 40, and Cerissa Riley, 34, will now face sexual assault charges involving two of the alleged victims. This sparkling image came to a dark end in October 2016, when horrified screams rang out from his home in the middle of the night. Could he have committed those murders as well? The D.As office held a press conference asking for other possible victims to come forward in Santa Ana on Tuesday, September 18, 2018. Orange County Dist. Armored truck robberies are supposed to be among the most difficult and dangerous crimes to get away with, so, how is it that they happen so often? - In April 2014, he appeared on an episode of the short-lived Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American. Harman didnt know it at the time, but as she started work on the podcast she was stepping into the case at its messiest point. Advertisement Advertisement SPONSORED CONTENT. One of the alleged victims called the duo the Bonnie and Clyde of rapists. Definitely felt like I was just keyholing into this thing as a voyeur, which all of us kind of were either, consciously or subconsciously, during COVID.. Journalist Justine Harman walks listeners through this complicated case, bringing in reporters, forensic experts, and witnesses, as well as burrowing through police testimony to make sense of the story beyond its shocking headlines. (Images courtesy of Justine Harman and the podcast), Grant Robicheaux, left, and Cerissa Riley, the Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping multiple women, arrive at the Orange County Superior Court Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach on Feb. 7, 2020. Prince Harry Once Again Faces a Uniform Debacle, This Time for the Coronation, How Prince William Realized Kate Middleton Was Perfect to One Day Be Queen, The Ultimate Guide to Stylish PJs for Moms: Heres What to Buy and Gift This Mothers Day, The 56 Best Musical Movies of All Time: Iconic Movie Musicals, 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2: Everything We Know, The Cast of 'The Crown' Season 5: Your Guide. When the charges against Newport Beach orthopedic surgeon and former Bravo reality star Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, substitute teacher Cerissa Riley, were revealed back in September of 2018, the world gawked at the unlikely criminals. Instead, she found her sisters body. According to Norton, The Fall Line team did more interviews for Geraldines case than they have for any other, talking with her large family about who she was, and their lives as children and adolescents in South Georgia. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. As Harman was planning a move from New York City to Los Angeles early in 2020, she decided to take a deeper look at the case. Its a weird experience and one that I was able to capture with audio. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. "Were Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley the 'Bonnie and Clyde of drugging girls' as one victim told detectives or were they sexually liberated swingers framed by a conviction-hungry prosecutor?" Former reality TV show doctor Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley speak out about the charges that were dropped after an investigation by the n. Robicheauxs appearance on a Bravo dating show. Orange County Dist. As the case moved through the legal system, Harmans focus which had initially been on the couple still awaiting trial moved to the women who had accused the couple and whose lives also remained in limbo years later. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), In O.C. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Spitzer said at the time that he had obtained a copy of the warrant before it was sealed. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG). The storytelling is straightforward and free of rabbit holes so the cases stay suspenseful and are easy to follow. Grant Robicheaux, left, and Cerissa Riley, the Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping multiple women, listen during a hearing in Orange County Superior Court on. And then a bunch of people listen to the story, they take notes, and they walk away. CounterClock Season 4 is investigating the 2003 death of 17-year-old John Welles in Arcadia, Florida. May 14, 2021 / 5:43 PM [Feature Photo: Grant Robicheaux & Cerissa Riley/Police Handout], Rasheem Carter: More Remains Discovered of Man Found Decapitated With Severed Genitals in Mouth, Crime Stories with Nancy Grace: Handsome Tech Star Staggers Begging for Help, STABBED DEAD, Letecia Stauch Murder Trial: Expert Tracks Accused Killer Stepmoms Phone During, After Gannon Stauch Disappearance, Orange County Dist. None of the victims have recanted, no alibi witnesses have appeared, and all six women represented by Marsys Law counsel are still desirous of prosecution, he added. Kearns, who has spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement, began looking into Robicheaux and Riley, a former schoolteacher, in late 2017 after learning of several reports taken by Newport Beach police describing sexual assault allegations against the couple. The Orange County District Attorney's Office said in a statement that an exhaustive, monthslong review determined there was "no provable evidence" that the former doctor, Grant Robicheaux . Your IP: (CBSLA), who have been accused of drugging and raping. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Most of these Halloween costumes double as stylish additions to your closet. Because courts were closed to the public and proceedings moved online, Harman says she was able to watch the back and forth of the case online from wherever she was at the moment. This Week in True-Crime Podcasts: From Maine to the O.C. "That's our position, that's the victims' position.". And then other people come and they ask you to tell it again. On this episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, Josh and Chuck Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - Of course, were reading between the lines but thats the fun of the podcast. What that process is like to retell your story over and over again and not have a resolution, and not know which way its going to go.. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, This password will be used to sign into all. More than a year later, in February 2020, Spitzer announced he would seek to drop all charges for lack of evidence, claiming Rackauckus had mishandled the case in an effort to use its publicity to aid his campaign. However, there are a . Kearns continued to try to pursue leads in the investigation, but her superiors directed her not to follow up, according to the lawsuit. Thank you for helping to keep the podcast database up to date. but there is a subgroup within these seemingly nonviolent offenders who are never discussed in mainstream media the white-collar criminals whokill. Edgar Allen Poe is known as the original king of spook. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG), Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley listen during their arraignment at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, CA on Wednesday, October 17, 2018. Industry professionals are tweeting their support of guild members. Grant Robicheaux is an American surgeon who appeared on an episode of the 2014 Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Swingers, premieres with two episodes on Monday, March 29, and then will arrive in weekly installments thereafter. The law is clear, lawyer Philip Cohen, who represents Robicheaux, said Thursday. The secrets hidden in the victims rural community prove to be the toughest and most dangerous case the team has pursued so far and forces Delia to go toe-to-toe with some of the highest government entities in the Sunshine state. Jenni Miller, The Fall Line, The Murder of Geraldine DeLoach, Part One: Whoodie, On Tuesday, May 28, 1991, Geraldine DeLoachs sister, Ava, stopped by her apartment in Register, Georgia, to pick up a bag of hair accessories. In that same press conference, an attorney for one of the accusers asked Spitzer, How is my client getting justice? Spitzers reply aimed to discredit the victims accusation, as he told the womans attorney during the press conference that he knew things about her veracity being completely besmirched.. Todd Spitzer announces his plans to drop multiple sexual assault charges against Newport Beach surgeon Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley. The judge will review the request and is expected to make his ruling next month. "Obviously, the victims are not in favor of this," said Mike Fell "They object to this. It debuts on Monday, March 29, 2021. And I was like, What a crazy thing. Somewhere, as the case and story moved through the legal system, a counterargument arose in which Robicheaux and Riley were described as modern-day swingers, whose sexual encounters and drug use were consensual. Atty. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. Trusted by 5,700 companies and developers. What If a Whole Stand-up Special Were About Peanut Butter? The district attorney said events and places the pair may have traveled to since 2015 include the Burning Man festival in Nevada, the Dirtybird Campout festival in Silverado, California, the Splash House festival in Palm Springs, and landmarks near Page, Arizona. Spitzer accused his predecessor, Rackauckas, of possible prosecutorial misconduct: sensationalizing the case and driving it forward as a publicity stunt to further his own re-election efforts. In this 10-part series, host Jake Brennan, is diving deep into the most notorious armored truck robbery cases in North America and beyond to figure out what fuels these perpetrators and the investigators whose job it is to catch them. Robicheauxs appearance on a Bravo dating show. The unusual move came after one prosecutor pointed out serious proof problems with the case, Spitzer said at the time. The following month, Spitzer's office was removed from the case and replaced by the California AG. Have you ever thought about whose job it is to track international fugitives, hunt child abductors, conduct espionage, or pull human remains from concealed mass graves? The Mountbatten-Windsors have been recastagain. The victim, known as Jane Doe #1, told the court that the defendants lawyers began digging into her past after the allegations, Los Angeles Times reports, including bringing up her past sexual experiences. The attorney for the alleged victim also spoke. More than anything, the thing I wanted to explore or shine a light on is what happens if youre a woman who comes forward and says, Something terrible happened to me, Harman says. The lawsuit alleges the prosecution teams review of evidence in the case was merely window dressing.. Swingers" is a new podcast by Justine Harman and Audiochuck, the story of a Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend who are charged with drugging and sexually assaulting women they met in bars around town. Reporting the podcast during the pandemic did come with a sliver of a silver lining. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. As the police investigated, more accusers came forward with similar accounts. Robicheaux was charged with sexually assaulting seven women and Riley was charged with assaulting five. Who Is Hasnat Khan, Princess Dianas Boyfriend on Season 5 of The Crown? Newport Beach surgeon Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley, accused in 2018 of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women, say a weight has been lifted knowing the charges. But it isnt merely an entertainment thing, she says. Well, gather roundand listen close. A California judge heard from witnesses on Thursday at the Orange County Superior Court, including a woman who had her case dismissed against a doctor and girlfriend accused of raping people. Its been really interesting finding out who they were before because it isnt necessarily what youd expect, she says. Ever miss those spooky campfire stories you heard growing up? Ashley Flowers tells you the story of the Burger Chef Murders and what happened to Ruth Shelton, Danny Davis, Mark Flemmonds, and Jayne Friedt in hopes that someone, somewhere, listening to this podcast, might hold the single piece of information needed to reinvigorate this case. Prosecutors at the timesaid (opens in new tab)there were over 1,000 videos to support the charges, though in February 2020, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer moved to dismiss all charges, saying "not a single piece of evidence or video or photo that shows an unconscious or incapacitated woman being sexually assaulted." Visit our corporate site. He was licensed to practice medicine in California on May 30, 2009. An Orange County Superior Court judge refused to let the district attorney drop the charges, and the prosecution was eventually transferred to the California Attorney Generals Office. Rackauckas claimed investigators had about 1,000 of these videos on the suspects' phones. Fry most recently covered breaking news for The Times and was part of the team that was a 2020 Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. Though Darlenes body would be found a day later, just six miles from her home, her killer has evaded law enforcement for almost four decades and the investigation has remained colduntil now. More than anything, the thing I wanted to explore or shine a light on is what happens if youre a woman who comes forward and says, Something terrible happened to me, Harman says. It's a case that could get Robicheaux and Riley at least 10 years in prison," said Martinez Friday. According to prosecutors, Robicheaux and Riley met a 32-year-old woman at a Newport Beach restaurant on April 10, 2016, invited her to a party and then escorted her to Robicheauxs apartment when she was intoxicated. The best Podcast API to search all podcasts and episodes. Its a Wonderful Lie is a short-form comedy podcast that imagines the hilarious truth hidden in your holiday newsletters. This case is a complete travesty, she said. For every story that runs, countless others are killed before anyone gets the chance to read them.