Getting Away with Murder: Learning from Dateline and Other True Crime Shows

Getting Away with Murder: Learning from Dateline and Other True Crime Shows

Author: Robert Riggs October 8, 2024 Duration: 24:27

Mike Cox’s name is synonymous with Texas crime reporting. 

Cox spent decades covering grisly crimes, working as a police beat reporter and later as the Chief of Media Relations for the Texas Department of Public Safety and authoring books about the Texas Rangers. 

His latest book, Getting Away with Murder: Learning from Dateline and Other True Crime Shows, blends his sharp wit with his vast experience in law enforcement, offering readers a tongue-in-cheek take on crime and the often bizarre ways criminals get caught. 

As an enterprising police beat reporter for the Austin American Statesman, Mike broke the story about serial killer Henry Lee Lucas’ courtroom confession to 100 murders. Mike extensively interviewed Lucas in jail and wrote the definitive book about the case, The Confessions of Henry Lee Lucas.

During our interview, Cox reflects on his lifelong immersion in storytelling, his family’s deep connection to journalism, and how true crime shows like Dateline rekindled his passion for the subject.


FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast 

SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter

THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps.

TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about


Robert Riggs has spent decades as an investigative reporter, and in True Crime Reporter, he applies that relentless, document-driven approach to the stories that haunt us. This isn't just a retelling of grim headlines; it's a meticulous walk through active case files, historical injustices, and the societal undercurrents that allow crime to flourish. Each episode feels like you're sitting across from Riggs as he lays out his notes, connecting dots between evidence, witness accounts, and the often-overlooked details that change a narrative. You'll hear the tension in the pursuit of truth, the weight of unresolved questions, and the quiet impact on communities and families left in the wake of violence. The podcast moves beyond the sensational to examine the cultural and systemic factors at play, offering a sober, deeply researched perspective. Listen for long-form narratives that build like a detective's board, where every piece of audio, every interview, and every document serves a purpose. It’s for those who want to understand the 'why' and the 'how' as much as the 'who,' presented with the clarity and authority of a seasoned journalist who knows the terrain. This is a journey into real stories, handled with the care they demand, and it naturally becomes an essential listen for anyone fascinated by the intersection of human behavior, justice, and the news.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

True Crime Reporter
Podcast Episodes
How A Single Hair Caught A Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:31
The previous episode showed how homicide detectives solved 50-year-old cold cases. They analyzed old evidence using new DNA extraction technology pioneered by Othram, a forensic genealogy lab in Texas. Othram provided ne…
Heat2: The Hollywood Shootout In Which Life Imitates Art [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:53
As I stood in the LA office of the FBI’s bank robbery coordinator, veteran FBI Agent Bill Rehder pointed to a wall plastered with bank surveillance photos. 33-year veteran FBI Agent Bill Rehder Ran The FBI Bank Robbery S…
This Bank Gets Robbed Every Day – Former FBI Agent Don Bentley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:33
There’s a bank in Quantico, Virginia, that gets robbed every day. And I am going to take you there. Hello. I’m Robert Riggs. In this episode of True Crime Reporter®, former FBI Agent Don Bentley takes us inside the FBI A…
When First Responders Need Help This Is Why They Call SWAT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:29
In the previous episode, Inside Story Of The Deadliest Attack On Police Officers Since 9/11, the negotiator for the Dallas SWAT team revealed the inside story about the mass killer who ambushed Dallas officers during a B…
Inside Story Of The Deadliest Attack On Police Officers Since 9/11 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:21
On the evening of July 7, 2016, Black Lives Matter protesters marched in downtown Dallas and other cities nationwide. They peacefully gathered in response to the police shootings of two black men, Philando Castile and Al…
Tales of Murder and Mayhem from Former Prosecutor Bill Johnston. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:53
The True Crime Reporter® Podcast features stories and interviews from the respective careers of investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston. Listeners have asked how both of them got invo…