Episode 319: Brandon Hilton

On January 8, 1995, a 34-year-old man and his 33-year-old girlfriend are walking to their cars parked along the side of State Highway 295 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, near a fast food restaurant. Suddenly, another vehicle pulls up, driven by the woman’s 49-year-old ex-husband. He pulls out a revolver and begins shooting through the rear window of the other man’s Chevy station wagon, striking the victim multiple times. The mortally wounded man flees on foot but is chased by his attacker into the parking lot of the restaurant and collapses, later dying in hospital. The killer initially takes responsibility but years later appeals, throwing the lives of everyone involved in the ordeal into further turmoil. In episode 319, Jac and Alexis detail the devastating death of Timothy Roach, and how the ripple effects of childhood trauma can come to define not only who we are, but spur us on to achieve success despite the darkest of circumstances.

Om Podcasten

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new perspective to the already fascinating true crime landscape. And who knows... you may be our next guest. (Plus, join them every Thursday for Killing Time, the light-hearted, true crime-adjacent aftershow!)