Joe Budden’s ‘Crime in America’ Episode 4 explores betrayal by loved ones

CrimeJoe Budden hosts "Crime in America"Andrew MohrerBy Keydra Manns | Headline GroupEpisode four of Crime in America is here, and this week, Joe Budden examines the dynamics of our most intimate relationships. He opens with a story highlighting just how far some people will go to belong. Next, he explores what happens when a friend is secretly a foe, then ends with the tragic story of a lover accused of murder. Because sometimes, the people closest to us are the ones we should actually fear.First Budden takes listeners to Penn State’s frat row where over a dozen students are facing charges in relation to smuggling cocaine. One of the men accused is a father to a student also involved. “Now let’s go inside the Delta Upsilon house and picture this: a digital scale on a desk,pledges cutting up cocaine – bagging it, getting it ready to be sold,” says Budden. “And not because they are desperate criminals but because a brother told them to...” Budden also points out that the brothers over at Sigma Chi, the other fraternity named in the investigation, are no strangers to controversy. The fraternity has a history and has been called out for hazing. In past years, images and videos were released showing students placed in dog kennels while unknown substances were poured on them.“If you’ll put yourself through this hell to fit in … maybe cutting up cocaine feels easy,” Budden adds. “Maybe it’s just me, but this kind of do-anything loyalty is just what the drug ring ordered.”Next, he heads to the suburbs of Portland, where Anwar Osman, an Uber driver and father of six, is gunned down. While driving one evening, prosecutors say a man approached Osman’s driver-side window and fired nine shots. At first, it may seem like a robbery or a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Budden reveals that the gunman is allegedly Osman’s close friend, Mahmoud Said Ali. But the story doesn’t end there. Budden tells listeners about the shocking confession that helped investigators solve the case.“To a person, everyone says Ali and Osman are tight, longtime friends, very close,” explains Budden. “Something happened that we just don’t know…but what we do know is Osman’s wife will raise six children on her own, understanding the person who allegedly killed her husband was a friend of the family.” The case of Sandra Birchmore, the 23-year Massachusetts pregnant woman who was found dead in her apartment back in 2021 is Budden’s main story this week. Birchmore’s case is especially shocking because her death was initially ruled a suicide but after further investigation authorities alleged the scene was only staged to look like a suicide. Birchmore had been strangled and prosecutors believe her boyfriend, a Massachusetts police officer who had been having an affair with her since she was a minor is the alleged murderer. Police corruption, grooming, and betrayal are just a few of the themes surrounding this case, so Budden checked in with MassLive reporter Charlie McKenna, who has been covering the story and he offered up his opinions on the cultural impact of the case. Budden also landed exclusive interviews with Sandra’s cousin, Barbara Wright, and content creator Mizzy Berry, founder of Justice for Sandra Birchmore – two women determined to make sure the public understood who Birchmore really was.“Nothing can undo the horrible tragedy of her death. Hopefully the upcoming trial willfinally mean justice for Sandra Birchmore,” says Budden. “Though towards the end of her short life, Sandra seemed to be after her own kind of justice. It’s not hard to imagine Sandra’s excitement at becoming a mom. Given her desire for family, she was finally getting a chance to create her own.”Keydra Manns is a story producer for the Crime in America podcast. She earned a bachelor's degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a master's degree in journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate...