logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2020
1h 5m

Episode 158

Sword and Scale
About this episode
Citizens of Bakersfield California were in for a crazy day on December 10, 2016. The public events of this day would result in a police chase, and two deaths, eventually a third.Manuel Vela was no stranger to dealing with the law, and resisting arrest almost every single time. Beating on his woman was not an unknown pastime for him. He spent his entire life in and out of juvenile homes and eventually prison, but his final crimes against his fiance would be beyond any act of violence he had committed before.

Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com
Up next
Nov 17
Episode 328
In a quiet Ohio town shaped by coal and tradition, Brad McGarry is found dead in his basement. At first, it looks like a break-in. But as detectives dig deeper, they uncover a complex friendship, a hidden relationship, and a web of lies that unravels in the interrogation room. Th ... Show More
1h 8m
Nov 6
Episode 327
When Kajavia Globe disappeared, her family’s worst fears came true in a city hardened by loss. As frustration with police mounted, the community - neighbors, a sanitation worker, a mother who refused to give up - kept pushing forward. In the end, justice came not from the system, ... Show More
58m 1s
Nov 2
Episode 326
A night of celebration at a remote cabin takes a horrifying turn when a fight breaks out and a young father steps in to calm things down. Within moments, the party descends into chaos, and a single act of violence changes lives forever.Get instant access to all episodes, includin ... Show More
1h 16m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
Such Drama
When a promising young actress is raped and murdered in her childhood bedroom, her family and the police department are stunned as to who could have done this. Two linking crimes eventually lead to the same unassuming suspect. 
29m 36s
Jul 2023
Peeping David
When Kent law enforcement arrived at 67-year-old David Fuller’s home on December 3rd, 2020, they expected to put an end to a 33-year-old murder investigation. They never expected that closing this case would shatter the lives of over 100 additional families in the process. 
29m 43s
Feb 2024
A Pathetic Man: Episode 377
The episode this week comes from the north-east of England. <br><br>Like almost all of us, Nicola Morrin just wanted to enjoy life and when she met her partner he seemed a lovely man. But he wasn't. <br><br>He was a weak, violent bully and Nicola was desperate to get away from hi ... Show More
24m 11s
Nov 2023
Check out Josh on True Crime Story: Citizen Detective
In March and April of 2023, Josh, most of the research team, Dr. Kunkle, Bobby Chacon, and others involved in True Crime Bullsh** filmed for several weeks for Sundance TV's True Crime Story: Citizen Detective. That episode, the season finale of the series, airs this Thursday on S ... Show More
1m 3s
Jan 2021
The Night Stalker: Episode 218
It was 2009 in Walthamstow, when he first struck. In the early hours of the morning he attacked and raped a stranger. This was followed by two more terrifying attacks of increasing ferocity. <br><br>The next time this man attacked, he raped and murdered his 35 year old victim, Mi ... Show More
25m 52s
Mar 2024
The Secret Affair (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
<p>On March 25, 2009, Sergeant Jimmy Edmunds responded to a robbery call at a house in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Georgia. Edmunds thought he was going to investigate a routine break-in, but inside that house, he discovered the most violent crime scene he’d ever witnessed i ... Show More
42m 37s
Nov 2022
Neighborhood Crime Watch (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
<p>One night in the spring of 1984, a woman living in Florida, was suddenly startled awake by a blood curdling scream. She sat there wondering what to do, but after hearing silence outside, she told herself it was probably nothing, and she went back to sleep. However, this woman ... Show More
46m 51s