This is a Rogue Media Network podcast.

Do you ever have a story that you just can't get out of your head?

One that you play the details of over and over with your friends.

Well, you've come to the right place.

I'm Claire.

And I'm Susan.

And this is justice pending. A weekly true crime

podcast where we discuss tantalizing crimes with more questions and answers.

Hey, Justice Pending listeners. I have a special episode for you this week.

I'm heading to Austin for the Texas Book Festival, and I wanted to share an exclusive excerpt from my memoir, Killer Story, The Truth Behind True Crime Television.

Every time you watch an episode of True Crime TV, there's a separate drama going on behind the scenes.

And that story is often just as twisted and bizarre as the murder case itself.

Here is my first chapter, hiding in plain sight.

I'm standing in front of a judge in a courtroom deep in the bowels of the Harris County Jail in Houston. My head is down and my feet are absolutely motionless, which is a runner I always find to be a

challenge. I force myself to stare a hole in my shoes rather than look up where the action is

unfolding. I'm not the one on trial, but it feels like that could be the next logical step,

given the current predicament. Although I've never been charged with a crime, I've gotten

swept up in investigations a time or two.

This is one of those times.

Usually, I'm excellent at this tightrope walk.

I've nearly perfected the balancing act of staying just close enough to a case to understand it intimately,

but far enough away not to fall headfirst into

...