Its uncomfortable that its gone completely unacknowledged in The First Degree FB group (though Im pretty sure they have post approval on and Im sure they wouldnt allow posts). Take that for what it is. I was not acting in tandem or collaboration with anyone else, Haynes tells, . Tisdale, however, denies this. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. This was no coordinated smear campaign., Jensen further claims that Tisdale only made allegations against him because he rejected her advances (this is what BJ already shared on his website so I am not going to summarize it again), Tisdale, however, denies this. With the man she was dating on the way, she alleges Jensen once again began making advances on her. For me, the importance of it is kind of layered because I mean, I went to high school with Chris Loeb, and I had no idea there were any issues with corruption, especially police corruption, when I was growing up there. OBrien says Newell told her about the conversation and the kiss when Newell came to her house later that night. I had never seen anything like this before. SEATTLE For seventeen years, true crime journalist Billy Jensen wrote about unsolved murders and missing persons, before turning his focus to trying to actually solve these mysteries himself. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. But after seventeen years of writing hundreds of stories with no endings, he was fed up-and decided to try to solve the murders and find the missing himself. According to five sources who spoke with Rolling Stone, Jensen has a history of touching women inappropriately. So what did you find when you started digging around? He is well known for his role in the Golden State Killer case; in which a serial killer had committed more than 50 rapes, at least 13 murders, and more than 100 burglaries in California. However, when these moments are presented inaccurately, all together, and without context, the result is to not only mischaracterize each of the individual events, but also fundamentally misrepresent who I am and have been as a person., Jensen alleges that Jenn Tisdale, the podcaster who claimed he slapped her, has enlisted her friends including Haynes, who Jensen claims harbors a professional grudge as part of an organized effort. We felt that the victims families and the public at large needs to know why this case hasnt been solved, and its because the people that were initially in charge of the investigation were setting up a lot of roadblocks. OBrien, watching the alleged touching, asked her friend if she was OK, then excused herself. In 2016, he joined a vast community of web detectives who have been increasingly lauded for contributing to the resolution of major cases. Billy Jensen and Alexis Linkletter's new investigative podcast 'Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer' looks at the case of disgraced police chief James Burke and asks what the S The project is really a study of power, Linkletter says. Terra Newell claims to Rolling Stone that Jensen acted inappropriately toward her on more than one occasion after she was a guest on a June 5, 2019 episode of The First Degree. No, I did not. It was almost a different person when I saw him at the bar., - Jensen stood behind her, when she felt him touch her head. The show ran for three seasons, after all, and both hosts had new books on the horizon and tens of thousands of fans on social media commenting on and liking every photo and tweet. I have incredible respect for [Newell] as a person, Jensen says. And of course theres the end of the. He was banned from a big true crime FB group after sending many women creepy and unwanted messages. Everyone [in the news, following her death] kept referring to her as Patton Oswalts wife and I was like, no, she was her own person, Jensen reflected to Oxygen.comin an interview. at least one cold case so it was a shock when the podcast was unceremoniously discontinued. Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen is a fascinating real-life journey of Bill Jensen; from being a crime reporter to helping authorities in solving real-life cold cases. Since the popularity of true crime podcasts began to soar, families of victims have begun putting their trust in amateur investigators and podcasters who they believe can help reinvigorate cases that may have languished in obscurity. Every time we learned of a sexual encounter, there was violence involved. Order "Killers Amidst Killers: Hunting Serial Killers Operating Under the Cloak of America's Opioid Epidemic". I never had romantic feelings for Billy. Tisdale says that she decided to speak about the alleged slap on her podcast after she heard about allegations following a 2021 party that ultimately led to Jensens removal from his podcast. These women all had hopes and dreams. http://themurdersquad.com/contact/ Find the Podcast: So, regarding Billy, there have been whispers for a long time, but he was just a drunk guy that hit on your friends.. Two podcasters tell Rolling Stone Jensen made inappropriate physical contact with them, including touching or grabbing them without consent. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Jensen: From talking to them, I dont think theyre close. For Billy Jensen, using targeted social media posts is not a way to influence your political beliefshe's trying to solve murders. In response to Jensens allegations of a smear campaign, Tisdale insists that she and others are coming together to find solace and comfort which is not a coordinated effort to spread negative information about him., , Jensen has a history of touching women inappropriately. Did Police Corruption Derail the Long Island Serial Killer Investigation? Why were they holding it back in the beginning? The true crime podcasts Subreddit exploded with a so-called mega thread to discuss Jensen. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL AND FOLLOW ALL RULES SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO USE THIS AS A PLACE TO PUT DEVELOPMENTS. Stellar Podcasts Hosted by Celadon Authors, KILLING TIME WITH PAYNE LINDSEY on Apple Podcasts, I'll Be Gone in the Dark 1x02 "Reign of Terror", How Crime Writer Billy Jensen Started Solving Murders, Update: Mysterious serial killer linked to 'Allenstown 4'; identities sought, Thread by @Billyjensen: "As we all binge The Bundy Tapes on @Netflix and share the trailer for the Zac Efron movie, please remember the victims. This alleged behavior seems to have come to light after an Exactly Right Halloween party in 2021, which led to a workplace investigation and the eventual end of the, In response to a detailed list of questions from, , Jensen apologized for some of his alleged behavior, denied other parts of it, and told the magazine he has a drinking problem, coupled with mental health issues, and has entered rehab to address them both. A former friend of Jensens, who says she had a falling out with him over reporting decisions he made in one of his podcasts, says that Jensen has long been known as a missing stair as in, something you warn newcomers about so they dont trip. Calderon-Olsen, the podcaster who bonded with Jensen over the Bundy documentary, hasnt seen him since the alleged hair-touching incident in November 2019, but says they communicated a few times since then: once in December of that year, he let her know hed mentioned a Bundy project she was working on in an interview he did. Tennessee Ex-Cop Sues After Becoming Porn Meme, Claims She Was 'Groomed' for Sex With Coworkers. OBrien confirmed Newells account to. A recent article talks about modern-day sleuthing and mentions BJ with no apparent knowledge of all this happening. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time The true crime podcasts Subreddit exploded with a so-called mega thread to discuss Jensen. is going off the air. The tweet set off dismayed speculation among the, , that detailed the hunt for the serial killer, after author Michelle McNamara died in 2016. So again, to have somebody who is supposed to be well-versed in survivors and victim sensitivity, those boundaries were crossed. Jensen, for his part, claims Calderon-Olsen is part of the organized effort to spread negative stories about him, a claim she denies and calls irresponsible, saying she only came out in support of his accuser at Exactly Right. Crime Solving & Story Telling. Together, Jensen and Haynes wrote part three of McNamara's book. Michelle McNamara died from a sudden accidental overdose in 2016, her friend and fellow true crime enthusiast Billy Jensen was devastated. In the past two months, the community appears to be distancing itself from Jensen. This article has been updated to clarify an interaction between Newell and Jensen. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. It was this weird moment, almost being sandwiched between the two [men]., Former police officer and criminal behaviorist Sarah Cailean, a friend of Calderon-Olsens who was also in attendance, recalls seeing Jensen touching Calderon-Olsens hair. He also said something about how he would go down on [his co-worker], she says. The woman in question did not respond to Rolling Stones requests for an interview and her attorney, reached for comment, declined to discuss the matter. Nicholas Karlin; Getty Images. They just dont have the information because the police havent released it. Billy Jensen Journalist NYT bestseller "Chase Darkness with Me: How One True Crime Writer Started Solving Murders," Discovery+"Unraveled," "Killers Amidst Killers coming '23 Taken by themselves, some of these allegations show embarrassing behavior in my private life, Jensen tells, . The show ran for three seasons, after all, and both hosts had new books on the horizon and tens of thousands of fans on social media commenting on and liking every photo and tweet. Theres a lot of different things there that citizen detectives could do crowdsourcing on. The series centers on the scandal-ridden former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke, who infamously kicked the FBI off the case soon after he stepped into the position in 2012. In his account entitled Michelle McNamara, True Crime Writer he wrote of McNamaras dogged nature, her apt ability to get grizzled investigators to open up, and her dedication to tracking down the serial killer responsible for 13 murders and close to 50 rapes. I did not smack or grab the back of her head. Saying that Calderon-Olsen never voiced any objection to him, Jensen says that he only found out about this allegation when he received a request for comment from Rolling Stone. After the two bonded online over their mutual disappointment in a Netflix Ted Bundy documentary, Jensen and Calderon-Olsen met up on Nov. 8, 2019, in Washington, D.C., at the Death Becomes Us true crime and pop culture festival. As the pandemic descended in 2020, they lost touch. Newell says the first alleged inappropriate incident followed a signing for Jensens book Chase Darkness With Me on Aug. 13, 2019, in Los Angeles. He was running Suffolk County Police Department like he was the prince of Suffolk County. The Idol: How HBOs Next Euphoria Became Twisted Torture Porn I remember walking in and Billy immediately grabbed me and started hugging me to the point where it was a little too long, she says. [He was] grabbing the back of my neck. Paul Haynes, who had also worked on McNamaras book, posted lengthy diatribes about Jensen that landed him a cease-and-desist from Jensens lawyers. He was grabbing me all over the place, Newell claims. Four, including a toddler and a person with male anatomy remain unidentified. [He was] grabbing the back of my neck. Newell says she used to drink heavily in social situations and has since stopped, following her experience with Jensen. So you have to keep their feet to the fire. This will help save on space and keep comments a little more streamlined. The 100 Best Albums of 2022, The series also probes Burkes close ties with former District Attorney Thomas Spota, who was convicted in 2019 for participating in the coverup of the Loeb assault. Because it has really been traumatic. Williams, the second podcaster to go public, first shared his account of that evenings events on his show, He recalls that Jensen appeared drunk and that, at one point during the party, his friend approached him and told him that Jensen had just grabbed her buttocks. Without running afoul of the police, of course. Its those kinds of things that you have to have to really jog peoples memories. Contact Billy, search articles and Tweets, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place. While I understand some might be cynical of my seeking treatment, I needed to not only address my alcohol use, but my mental health as well, he says. I never had romantic feelings for Billy.. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Gives him credit for solving cases (unconfirmed). Billy Jensen: When my parents finally let me stay home by myself with the cable and a couple of Stouffer's French Bread pizzas I watched a show on HBO called The Man Who Saw Tomorrow. Linkletter and Jensen interview people who knew Burke, including former cops who worked with him and a sex worker who says she had a disturbing encounter with him. Do you think theres a bigger role that citizen detectives could be playing in this case? The podcast feed that contained The Murder Squad has now been updated with a new Paul Holes podcast, Buried Bones. I felt [she] was hurt, and deeply affected by this incident., that he was indeed the subject of a workplace investigation regarding the party. At one point in the evening, Calderon-Olsen says she was talking with another man while Jensen stood behind her, when she felt him touch her head. The FBIs Persecution of Sidney Poitier This byline is mine, but I want my name removed. One person had said I hugged them for too long and talked too closely to them; one said I put my arm around them multiple times; and one said I touched their behind during an embrace., After the investigation was concluded, Jensen says he was told he had acted inappropriately and the podcast was then discontinued. In this engrossing memoir, Jensen takes the reader on his quest to hunt down killers using social media and crowdsourcing. I don't know what is going to happen to the book, but if asked, I would do my damnedest to help get it out there, he promised. As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work. Billy Jensen. Billy Bush thinks T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach should keep working together after their firing from ABC, and gives a few ways how they can bounce back. Billy Jensen is a true-crime journalist focused squarely on unsolved murders and missing persons. Then I will link them here with a brief summary. Theres enough there. There are rumors swirling that he has been accused of being a creep. When I was informed of the complaints, I was shocked, embarrassed, and hated to hear that I had made others feel uncomfortable, Jensen tells Rolling Stone. The Suffolk County Police Department is a microcosm for what goes on larger scales.. OBrien, watching the alleged touching, asked her friend if she was OK, then excused herself. An event at Gramercy Books featuring true-crime podcast host and author Billy Jensen has been canceled after the publication of Jensen's latest . As proof that he, Calderon-Olsen and Cailean continued to be friends as normal after the alleged incident, Jensen points to tweets Calderon-Olsen and Cailean tagged him and others in after the Death Becomes Us event. As one social media user put it: Time to step up and be honest because the rumors going around are about to get ahead of this. And they did. I just cant help but think about the cases that didnt get solved underneath him, on top of the serial killer case, because he didnt want anybody poking around into his business. Tisdale says that she decided to speak about the alleged slap on her podcast after she heard about allegations following a 2021 party that ultimately led to Jensens removal from his podcast. I can help by getting this book out; its the one thing that I can do.. Each episodethey try to crack another cold case, evendivingintocases their friend McNamara had previously written about on her true crime blog. I really thought it was this idyllic, beautiful place. This is one of his photographs from his website. BJ sent Paul Haynes a cease and desist (OP note this is something I somehow missed in the back and forth but Paul actually shared pieces of it in this comment here). It was almost a different person when I saw him at the bar. Everyone was drinking that night, Calderon-Olsen says, including her, adding that Jensen seemed particularly intoxicated. In his interview BJ apologizes for some behaviour (they don't go into detail specifically), denies parts of it, and admits to a drinking problem, BJ has entered rehab to address his drinking problem and mental health issues, While I understand some might be cynical of my seeking treatment, I needed to not only address my alcohol use, but my mental health as well, he says. Investigative journalist Billy Jensen has heavily impacted the true crime world with his deep-dive articles, podcasts, (he's one half of the Murder Squad podcast with Paul Holes and a third of The First Degree podcast team with true crime producer Alexis Linkletter and LadyGang gal Jac Vanek), and now with his new book, Chase Darkness With Me . Hosted by crime podcast veterans Billy Jensen (The Murder Squad) and Alexis Linkletter (The First Degree), Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer and its accompanying TV special premiering March 9th on Discovery+ examines how corruption in the Suffolk County Police Department may have stymied the investigation of one of the biggest homicide cases in Long Island history and questions what police were trying to hide. Jensen: Also just explaining to listeners that the police dont always have the victims best interests at heart. BJ has stated via the article that he is now in rehab for drinking. The number of stories of which I was aware increased significantly as women I didnt know began reaching out to me to share their own experiences with [Jensen], and as other women posted their stories anonymously on Reddit and Facebook groups. Its a tarnishing that needs to be fixed. Combining the shoe-leather investigative tenacity and skills . So if youre a dude thats advocating for women, how about dont go after the most vulnerable?. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time She says he then took hold of her head in his hand. Billy Jensen An event at Gramercy Books featuring true-crime podcast host and author Billy Jensen has been canceled after the publication of Jensen's latest book has been indefinitely. Helping to complete the book allowed Jensento help McNamara's familyand her legacy. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Newell is perhaps the most well-known survivor in modern true crime. He has since returned to TV as an anchor on Extra. I did not smack or grab the back of her head. Saying that Calderon-Olsen never voiced any objection to him, Jensen says that he only found out about this allegation when he received a request for comment from Rolling Stone. I think its going to be solved with utilizing the public and putting those details out there. He recalls that Jensen appeared drunk and that, at one point during the party, his friend approached him and told him that Jensen had just grabbed her buttocks. There was no time to grieve because there was work to be done, Jensen told Oxygen.com. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time During this time a lot of people saw this and then it became a rumor that he may have had a relationship with me., To be honest, I was friends with Billy for a while until this stuff started coming out, she says. Its important to expose the corruption of past police regimes and help explain why this case hasnt been solved. I was not acting in tandem or collaboration with anyone else, Haynes tells Rolling Stone. Terra actually suggested to me in May that I go to rehab, which I am doing currently.. Tisdale, however, denies this. The TV host ultimately lost his gig on the Today show. He was grabbing my thigh. Tell me more about coming at this case from the angle of corruption in the Suffolk County Police Department. Jensen: If the chief of police treats a lot of women the way that he does, how are we supposed to think that he cares at all about solving this case? that Jensen acted inappropriately toward her on more than one occasion after she was a guest on a, . As soon as Burke went down and now that Spota, the D.A., is awaiting sentencing, a lot of people have become a lot more emboldened to speak their truth about what they experienced under that law enforcement regime, she says. 3. Jensen further claims that Tisdale made allegations against him because he rejected her advances; , he has shared flirtatious texts she sent before and after their alleged encounter. He was grabbing me all over the place, Newell claims. One of those podcasters claimed that Jensen had slapped her during an otherwise consensual encounter something Jensen has, . BJ has made his own statements via his website. If you are familiar with Billy Jensen's work, you will know he is a dogged investigative . Time is running out to solve this case. What a fantastic night, reads Caileans). Trending Linkletter: I actually didnt start by digging into the Long Island serial killer case; I set out really just to tell Chriss story. Hes well aware that Im a survivor, she says. The bag, Loeb said, contained sex toys and pornography, and what he claims appeared to be a snuff film. For the short time he lived in Lawrence . Jensen has written crime stories for Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Magazine, The New York Times, and the Long Island Press, which he co-founded . So, regarding Billy, there have been whispers for a long time, but he was just a drunk guy that hit on your friends.. Billy Bush, who was fired from the "Today" show over lewd Donald Trump video, believes T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach should start their own show after being ousted from ABC. He was also annoyed. And then I realized I was just another girl that got groped by Billy Jensen., Billy says Terra actually suggested he go to rehab back in May. Celene Beth Calderon-Olsen, a podcast host and victim advocate who has spoken openly about surviving rape, also alleges that Jensen acted inappropriately toward her in 2019. Newell says she was intoxicated so some of the details are hazy, but claims that, after his co-hosts left, Jensen began acting aggressively flirtatious with her and talking about his open marriage, an arrangement well known among his friends and acquaintances. The behavior described to me sounded obnoxious, with me making a spectacle of myself and being too familiar with people. But over time, he became more and more credible because his case ultimately went in front of a federal judge and Burke pled guilty. In 2016 Burke was sentenced to 46 months in prison for violating Loebs civil rights and for pressuring police witnesses to help him cover up the assault. "As we all binge The Bundy Tapes on @Netflix and share the trailer for the Zac Efron movie, please remember the victims. Photo: Linkletter: I just think accountability. Loeb got a three-year sentence for the theft of the duffel bag. The only thing I can do now is keep working the program to be and stay accountable, make direct amends where appropriate, and treat my underlying issues so that I stay on the forward path., The article summarizes the podcaster Alvin Right's recollection of things which was previously shared here so we won't re-do it. Related Stories The murders of sex workers have always been shuffled to the back of the pile. Linkletter: The Long Island serial killer case really does loom over Long Island. The company limited replies to the tweet, but that didnt stop the networks fans from demanding answers. These women all had []" #TedBundyTapes, Help solve the Chester, PA murder of Dino Dizdarevic, Father's Day nightmare: Daughter disappears, later found murdered, Surviving an active shooter: Videos produced by U.S. police departments and colleges, Losing Faith: The Hedgepeth murder mystery at UNC. And the police are being so tight-lipped with so much of the information. to collect negative stories and criticisms about me to share to the public wholesale., Both Haynes and Tisdale strongly dispute this characterization. "Often it's nothing,but with this I could do something..