The Sound of Pursuit

Hosted by Hal Humphreys

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Nov 2026

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About the show

This is the official podcast of Pursuit Magazine, an online community of private investigators, journalists, and truth-seekers of all stripes. In the podcast, we explore information sources, share tradecraft tips, and discuss ways to integrate new technology with old-school gumshoe know-how. We dig into myths about PI work and hear hard-won lessons from the field. And for the spy-curious outsider, we offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of real spies and PIs. We CAN handle the truth.

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November 10, 202628 min

Former FBI Special Agent, New Private Investigator

You don’t have to work in law enforcement to become an expert private investigator, but it’s certainly one way to pick up some serious skills. Erika Jensen served more than two decades as a Special Agent with the FBI, where she pursued big public corruption and organized crime cases with multiple defendants. Her investigation of racketeering and fraud in the Baltimore PD led to eight officers being convicted. And her work on that case was featured in “ We Own This City ,” an HBO series by David Simon (creator of “The Wire”). Recently, she left law enforcement and joined Investigative Group International (IGI), a Washington, D.C. private investigations firm, as a managing director. In this episode, we’ll hear how her FBI background prepared her to head up internal investigations, fraud reviews, and high-stakes due diligence cases in the private sector. See IGI' s company site here . See Erika Jensen's LinkedIn profile . Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Erika Jensen Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation

October 27, 202645 min

The Investigator Who Tracked the Creator of Bitcoin

Someone created Bitcoin. We know what they wrote in the famous white paper . We know their pseudonym: "Satoshi Nakamoto." We know what they built and what motivated them. We know roughly when they appeared in the public sphere, and we know when they vanished. What we don't know is who they are. For four years, Tyler Maroney helped chase that question through the strange world of cryptographers, cypherpunks, accidental billionaires, true believers, and people who would prefer to stay out of the limelight. The result is the excellent documentary, " Finding Satoshi ." Tyler is also a friend of Pursuit, an author, a fellow investigator, and the co-founder of the investigations firm, Quest Research & Investigations (QRI). In this episode, we talk with Tyler about how he and his team tracked Bitcoin's creator for this documentary. How do you find someone when they have evaporated into mist and myth? And more importantly, how will you know if you've found them? Watch " Finding Satoshi " here . See Tyler's company site: QRI Buy Tyler's book, The Modern Detective . See our previous interview with him. Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Tyler Maroney Sponsored by: TLOxp® Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation

October 13, 202646 min

Telling Stories That Make Juries (and Readers) Care

As a criminal defense investigator and the author of five acclaimed literary mysteries, it's Rene Denfeld's job to make juries — and readers — feel invested in the stories she's telling and the humans involved. In this episode, we'll hear about Denfeld's fact and mitigation investigative work, her fiction writing, and the secret to telling stories that make people care. Buy Rene Denfeld's new book: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-talking-bone-rene-denfeld?variant=44413756178466 See her author site: https://www.renedenfeld.com/ Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Rene Denfeld Sponsored by: TLOxp® Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation

September 29, 202643 min

The Ag Scammers Who Stole the Rain

How do you manufacture a bogus drought? Rainfall is a measurable fact: it rains or it doesn’t. Ten inches fall, or twenty. It’s not open to debate. Or so I thought. Full disclosure: agriculture fraud is a category that was not really on our radar — until we spotted this fantastic headline in Farm Journal : RAIN ROBBERS: How Four Farmers Faked a Drought and Stole Millions in Crop Insurance . The tagline gets even better: “Dust became dollars in one of the wildest agriculture crimes on record.” Our guest Chris Bennett wrote that headline — and this buck-wild story, worthy of a full Coen Brothers treatment. His bio says, "Writing from the level land of the Delta just outside of Clarksdale, Mississippi, Bennett has blogged for several years on agriculture, surrounded by cotton and plenty of cottonmouths." We can't do better than that, so we won't try. Listen in to hear an incredible scam story from high-plains farm country, told by a guy who's been called "the best storyteller in agriculture." " Rain Robbers" in Farm Journal : https://www.agweb.com/news/business/rain-robbers-how-four-farmers-faked-drought-and-stole-millions-crop-insurance Chris Bennett's archive: https://www.agweb.com/authors/chris-bennett Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Chris Bennett Sponsored by: TLOxp® Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation

September 16, 20261 hr 4 min

The Deserving: What the Lives of the Condemned Reveal About American Justice

Capital cases are criminal prosecutions where a defendant may face the death penalty. These trials have two phases: In the guilt phase, a jury decides whether a defendant is guilty or innocent. In the penalty phase, the jury hears arguments about aggravating or mitigating factors and decides on a sentence. Elizabeth Vartkessian plays a huge but little-known role on defense teams in capital cases: As a mitigation specialist, it’s her job to spend hundreds of hours visiting with defendants and their families, teachers, neighbors, and friends — to get a fuller picture of the person’s life, including past abuse, trauma, and mental illness. The stories she collects might save her clients’ lives. Vartkessian is also founder and director of Advancing Real Change , a national nonprofit dedicated to conducting life history investigations in criminal cases. And she’s the author of THE DESERVING: WHAT THE LIVES OF THE CONDEMNED REVEAL ABOUT AMERICAN JUSTICE, which came out in January. In this episode, we talk about how she does her work, why she wrote this book, and her abiding belief in the law. Elizabeth Vartkessian's author site: https://www.elizabethvartkessian.com/ Buy the book: https://geni.us/thedeserving Advancing Real Change: https://advancechange.org/ Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Elizabeth Vartkessian Sponsored by: TLOxp® Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation

September 2, 202639 min

Finding Heirs, Shaping Laws, and Mentoring the Next Generation of PIs

Somewhere out there is an heir who has no idea they're about to inherit something. Or a family that's been looking for a lost relative for decades. Finding them takes a lot more than a Google search. It's deep detective work into family trees and DNA databases. Harvey Morse has spent 60 years doing exactly that. He’s President of Locaters International and Chairman of Morse Genealogical Services, the family business his grandfather started back in 1939. And he's had a huge role in shaping this profession. He served ten consecutive terms as Chair of Florida's Division of Licensing Advisory Board, a record nobody can touch. And he founded the Florida Association of Private Investigators. In our conversation, we'll get into forensic genealogy. We’ll talk about what's changed over the past half century — and what hasn't changed — about how we do this work. And we’ll consider what the industry’s future might look like — and how to mentor the next generation of investigators. Locaters International, Inc: https://www.bestpi.com/harveyemorse Morse Genealogical Services: https://www.findanheir.com/ Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Harvey Morse Sponsored by: TLOxp® Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation

August 18, 202632 min

Reading the Room: Jury Research

Twelve strangers walk into a courtroom. By the end of the trial, they decide whether someone walks free or loses everything. The lawyers spend months building a case. But who's been studying the twelve people who decide the verdict? That’s jury research. It’s one of the more interesting specialties a private investigator can get into, and the work can shape how a trial turns out. Our guest, Vicki Maran, does this for a living. She's a co-founder of IntelliSeek Investigations, an Atlanta firm focused on open-source digging in background investigations. In this episode, we'll hear about her work helping attorneys pick juries in cases with very high stakes. IntelliSeek Investigations: https://www.intelliseekinvestigations.com/ Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Vicki Maran Sponsored by: TLOxp® Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation

August 4, 202631 min

In "Night in West Texas," an Attorney Fights to Exonerate Her Client

How did a 40-year-old wrongful conviction go from a lost cause to a feature documentary watched by millions? This is the story of a closeted priest brutally murdered in Odessa, Texas and a young Apache man found guilty of a crime he did not commit. It’s about racism. It’s about homophobia. Shame. And false confessions. James Reyos spent years in prison for something he didn’t do. Couldn’t have done. And our guest, Allison Clayton is a post-conviction attorney who fought to prove his innocence. They’re both featured in a new documentary called “ Night in West Texas , as part of Texas Monthly 's Reel South series. (For now, you can watch the film on PBS .) Hear about Clayton's strategy — which in cases like these is often as much about PR and politics as it is about facts, evidence, or the law. "Night in West Texas" site: https://www.nightinwesttexas.com/ Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Allison Clayton Sponsored by: TLOxp® Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation

July 21, 202645 min

The Multimillion-Dollar Collection Plate: Is It Fraud?

The “prosperity gospel:" It’s a controversial movement among some charismatic Christians who believe that if people have faith, God will reward them with health and riches. In the middle of the last century, some prosperity gospel preachers discovered the power of television to help them reach more believers — and more donors. Televangelists like Kenneth Copeland became multimillionaires, while many of their donors live well below the poverty line. Is it fraud if people believe wholeheartedly and donate willingly? Let's ask our guest, Pete Evans. He leads the Trinity Foundation , an organization that has spent decades investigating televangelists who spend their congregations’ donations on lavish mansions and private jets. Since its founding in the 1970s, the Trinity Foundation has been part faith community, part homeless shelter, part televangelism watchdog and investigative firm. In this episode, you'll find out how Evans and the Trinity Foundation expose religious fraud and excess, using investigative techniques like real estate public records research, aircraft tracking, and trash pulls. The Trinity Foundation website: https://trinityfi.org/ Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Pete Evans Sponsored by: TLOxp® Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation

July 7, 202626 min

The Internet of Things: An Overlooked Tool for Digital Forensics Investigators

Your smart TV is watching you. Your fitness tracker knows your heart rate. Your doorbell has a camera. Your car logs everywhere you go. IoT, the Internet of Things , is everywhere. And those connected devices are priceless sources of digital evidence for investigators. The question is: Do you know how to get to the data those devices collect? Our guest Amber Schroader is a proud Trekkie and a self-taught, self-styled "computer nerd" who's been doing digital forensics for over 30 years. She's founder of Paraben Corporation , a software company specializing in digital forensics. And she's one of the people pushing this field to think bigger about what devices can tell investigators in all kinds of cases — and how to legally capture that information. Paraben's website: https://paraben.com/ FInd Amber Schroader on LinkedIn . Host: Hal Humphreys Guest: Amber Schroader Sponsored by: TLOxp® Music provided by Jason White , who composed our theme . Special thanks to Kim Green and Stephanie Mitchell , who produced this episode. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer. In this podcast, you'll find episodes that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. And at PI Education's YouTube channel, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with regular briefings and webinars. Subscribe to stay up to date! Pursuit Magazine: https://pursuitmag.com/ PI Education: https://pieducation.com/ Our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PIEducation