April 20 will mark the one year anniversary since ACJ’s launch, which definitely has been one hell of a roller coaster ride. The first drop was pretty intense with a lot of highs and lows along the way. I’m certainly not sure what the destination is, but the journey has been amazing one none-the-less. Spoke to and met a lot of amazing people. Despite covering such dark material, losing lots of sleep and trying to find the right balance, because you can’t make everyone happy, you learn a lot about yourself too. You learn to appreciate life more, the art of patience, humility and find out that your first instinct no matter how many times you thought you were always right on the money- in this world when it comes to this subject matter, no matter how obvious something may be, just might mean absolutely nothing at all.

That may be why the site evolved away from what it was originally supposed to be, to something else entirely. I guess I’m okay with it. For the most part, we had a small base here and I was courting a couple more writers for the future as I always wanted to cover more subjects for better content but wanted folks that specialize in their main areas of interest— for example like mainstream cases that require constant updates and in depth coverage or perhaps wrongful convictions or whatever it may be. Then I had a few requests… folks wanted me to help with podcast writing and research for their sites, so it limited my time for material here. While we always had a steady flow of readers and with two of us always able to answer questions and help others out when asked. Honestly, I liked this design as it gave me more time to practice and hone my craft and writing here, that is until a wide launch. While I have written for years, mostly private for my consumption- the little I did publicly, well, that was under nom de plume mostly because I was afraid. So this gave me the public launch, with a smaller base readership with spikes here and there. Always though, I was able to respond to each mail or comment personally and then hopefully one day ACJ would be ready for a wider launch… unexpectedly two weeks ago.

ACJ Featured on the Dr. Phil Show

On March 25 & 26, American Crime Journal was featured on Dr. Phil’s two day special about the disappearance of Karlie Gusé. Specifically, I had written an article about her disappearance on October 30, 2018, and producers contacted me about featuring the headline and article in several graphics over the course of the two episodes. Honestly, I’ve not been able to watch both episodes in their entirety to tell folks where to look, however, several good folks have sent us numerous pictures and were able to provide some details on what exactly the episodes covered. Thanks to all of you who took the time to send in your thoughts, words of encouragement and support. Also, welcome to those you saw the show and decided to look into the case a little deeper and came across American Crime Journal to get as much information possible. The most important thing here is, a young woman is missing and a family is distraught and torn apart, it is a very sad and bizarre case that I only hope can end on the best possible note possible.

That brought us a lot more attention than I figured and I didn’t think much of it. The way it was explained, the site’s headline would be featured during a monologue with a series of others, which I expected it just to flash before the screen briefly, only those looking for it would see it. Except, it was there a bit longer over a two day special and in the credits, so of course, people get interested and want more information on the case.

The Lindsay Fairley Gang’s Vendetta Ride… Enough

Now I’d like to take a moment to address an issue since you have to take the negative with the positive. It seems that fans of a certain podcast that is notorious for pushing false narratives and interested in getting involved in the drama of things in order to gain views or whatever, made mention of something and numerous folks opted to send in hate mail, attacking me for not jumping on team “Lindsay Fairley”, Karlie Gusé’s biological mother. I was specifically being questioned as to why when I wrote the article that I didn’t attack Zac and Melissa Gusé, telling the “facts according to Lindsay Fairley”. Yes, that I am “soft”, that I was a pussy, not putting it on the line or drawing the line in the sand and outing “proven” murderers. Journalism is confrontational and it was featured on a national show, and I blew it by going soft. Oddly enough, majority of these folks hide and post under handles and screen names aren’t putting it on the line. God forbid your real name get attached to some ignorant and profane drivel you posted for the world to see. No, obviously, I was getting schooled left and right by anonymous entities who were channeling their inner Walter Cronkite and Truman Capote on K2/Spice.

Now, I’ll say this upfront. Family members of victims often get a free pass when it comes to what they say and do (within reason) and rightfully so. They have a right to be critical of police, certain individuals, the media, personalities and politics. They have a right to be angry and confrontational. We should give them the benefit of the doubt, always and they should continue to get that benefit— until they use and abuse that trust solely to get attention and settle old scores. To repeatedly lie to get some more air time just so they can punish their ex some more. When the case becomes all about them and how bad their ex and their spouse is, it is no longer about finding a missing person, a killer or justice. It is about the drama and personal gain.

First let me establish, that when the article was written, it was solely an awareness piece to get the information out there. It was recent, and few details were available— other than what was provided by the family and the Mono County Sheriff’s Office. To this day, there is little to go on. Now in the beginning, Karlie’s biological mother Lindsay Fairley began posting and appearing on shows (televison, podcasts, radio) telling folks all these “facts behind the scenes” about Zac and Melissa, and of course most of society jumps on the bandwagon and want swift and harsh retribution under the ruse of justice for their own gratification & entertainment. Look, I’ve done this a long time. I’ve read into true crime, watched many shows and even did some investigating of my own, for years. Went to school for it. One thing I know for a fact, cases like these especially with a lot of baggage between exes often result in a lot of finger-pointing and blaming out of raw emotion. Not just from the circumstances at hand, but the hurt and need to punish their former significant other for the wrongs of the past, both real and perceived. There is a lot of pain, hurt and anger. I think everyone can understand that sometimes we let these emotions get the best of us, but once we have a moment to get ourselves together and settle down, we realize we gotta do the right thing. If that was the case in this instance, just an outburst; Fairley would have went on a apology tour. She lied about things that would subsequently be disproven, only to continue to peddle the same fabrications and fantasy. When confronted with the truth, she pulls the conspiracy card and acts as if you’re crazy and out of line for suggesting the truth.

Second, Lindsay Fairley while given the benefit of doubt has done nothing but continue to make false allegations against Zac and Melissa saying whatever she can to rally the troops and create a false narrative solely to hurt them. I can assure you, any case which the person requires the police, FBI and half the community to be involved in the disappearance and murder of their child is nothing but pure fantasy. Two lifelong career criminals in the mafia cannot keep a secret. What makes you think numerous agents of the FBI and Sheriff’s Department are willing to risk spending the rest of their lives in prison, just to help a stranger dispose of their child’s body? Look, I don’t like a lot of people and I also like a lot of people, but I wouldn’t spend ten minutes in jail for them- let alone years or decades, which if these accusations were true… would bring.

Not long after Karlie disappeared, Fairley hired a Private Investigator that has credibility and integrity issues. Then, Lindsay Fairley ‘lawyered up’ because she couldn’t deal with who she called “the jargon people”, yet when it comes to attacking Zac and Melissa and anyone that didn’t show her attention, its okay. She and her enablers have no problem going on record.

Lindsey Fairley continues to claim that Ingrid Braun and Melissa Gusé were classmates and good friends in school, which “creates a conflict of interest” and the FBI should of taken over the investigation due to that conflict of interest.

Ingrid Braun was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1967 and is a lifelong resident of the LA area. She graduated Crescenta Valley High School in 1985 and joined the LAPD in 1989. She retired after 21 years. She recently became Mono County Sheriff and the Chalfant Valley is nearly 5 hours from LA.

Melissa Gusé is 35 years-old, putting seventeen years between Sheriff Braun and Melissa Gusé. Melissa was just over a year-old when Braun graduated from high school.

In interviews and Facebook posts, Lindsay Fairley claims that the “patrol officer” who is investigating Karlie’s disappearance also went to school with Melissa Gusé, further creating a “conflict of interest”. Fairley has yet to provide the name and school of the “patrol officer”.

Conflict of interest is a very loose term and most often is just an allegation that varies by legal definition and interpretation from state to state & jurisdiction to jurisdiction, if it has any legal traction at all to begin with. Attending a school with someone or even being friends with them years earlier doesn’t mean it is a “conflict of interest”. Alleging that a lifelong law enforcement officer with no history of misconduct is willing to assist in the disposal or cover-up of a murder is a serious allegation that would require a lot more substance just being high school buddies to be a conflict of interest.

Lindsay Fairley also went on to tell millions of viewers on the Dr. Phil show that she and her private investigator acquired the Melissa Gusé recording (the Gusés claim to have recorded due to Karlie’s erratic behavior believed to be caused by her admitted drug use) and Karlie begged and pleaded for Zac and Melissa to call 911 repeatedly. Dr. Phil then listened to the recording, claims that Karlie said no such thing and despite the FBI and Mono County Sheriff’s Office having copies of the recording, they also have stated no such thing was said on the recording nor have they named the
Gusés suspects.

Lindsay Fairley claims in numerous interviews and on Dr. Phil that Zac and Melissa “made up” the witnesses who saw Karlie walking on the highway after Melissa claims to have went to sleep. These witnesses corroborate Melissa’s timeline of events, as she states she was asleep until 7:15 a.m. Karlie was seen around 6:30 a.m. and then 7 a.m. by the witnesses. Fairley claims that the police never spoke to the witnesses and took the Gusé’s word for it. Both the Mono County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI have spoke the witnesses and have given statements as indicated by their reports to the media.

When pressed on as to why the FBI and Mono County Sheriff’s Office has opted to perpetuate the fabrication and conspired with the Gusés’, Fairley claims the “FBI has a working relationship with Mono County Sheriff” and doesn’t want to step on their toes, and again, Melissa Gusé, Ingrid Braun and a “patrol officer” went to school together.

Now I’ve heard many folks claim that Zac and Melissa didn’t do themselves any favors on the Dr. Phil show. While I’ve not watched both episodes in their entirety, nothing out of the ordinary really popped out from what I’ve viewed. Sure, Dr. Phil tried to get them with a few “Ah Ha!” moments, but again, this is national TV, their daughter is missing, they’re standing in front of a live audience when Dr. Phil is trying to get to the bottom of things. Also, these people have been under attack by the “We Stand with Lindsay Fairley” crowd for a good amount of time now.

So what happened? Why is Lindsay Fairley lying her ass off and folks are buying into her bullshit again and again?

I certainly don’t have the answers, but truth be told, when the smoke clears and if you wade through enough bullshit to get to the bottom of things, Lindsay Fairley has not only a severe credibility problem, but desperately wants attention herself. More importantly when Karlie first disappeared, she was under fire herself. Not because of accusations from Zac and Melissa, but her own conduct by her own admission.

For those not in the know or simply refuse to research this case outside the Lindsay Fairley narrative, you’d know Fairley came under fire after throwing a little shade on Zac and Melissa. Right around the time I wrote my article, things between the Gusés and Fairley were heating up with jabs being exchanged on social media. While Lindsay Fairley was making Karlie’s disappearance all about her, somethings were said and Fairley was criticized for doing absolutely nothing while law enforcement, Zac and Melissa and complete strangers were looking for her daughter. Fairley would show up in Chalfant Valley for the first five days following Karlie’s disappearance and by her own admission— sat at Zac and Melissa’s house while everyone was out looking for her daughter. Now according to Fairley at the time (which I saw on Facebook and rolled my eyes), Fairley claimed she couldn’t deal with it, it was too much and she was medicated. While I’m sure some could sympathize and no doubt that mental illness can be crippling, the irony is in the fact that in all of Fairley’s appearances, she just can’t handle it until it is about her or it is about bashing Zac and Melissa. After that, it is just too much to deal with.

Now, I’m sure the same folks that came for blood earlier will now attack me for not being understanding that “she is a hurting mother”, well these same assholes need to understand that Zac and Melissa are “hurting too” and calling them murderers because Lindsay Fairley said so is not only irresponsible, but disgusting. Fairley has lied repeatedly, without flinching again and again, unapologetically and her camp doesn’t see this as a problem. She is a hurting mother, which gives her the right to do this! Right? Now, if you want to stick with that story, fine. As I’ve always said, situations like this one, are very emotional and trying times in which a lot of past issues and anger come to the surface, however, before someone takes side in family drama instead of looking for a missing girl or getting the word out, at least get your fucking facts straight. Especially if your source is a reputed liar who wants attention to bash her ex-husband and his wife. If the Gusé house was just “so evil” and they were bad people that didn’t care about Karlie, where the fuck was she before they killed her?

The responsible thing for folks to do before they condemn and accuse someone of killing their child would be at the very least to check multiple sources to make an informed opinion. Even if you have to read opinions and facts you don’t like because if those are true, then it doesn’t give you a free pass to be an asshole.

What Fairley fails to mention is that not only is Mono County investigating, but the FBI and Inyo County.

A child is missing. This isn’t Twilight redux where we have Team Gusé and Team Fairley. If you care, help get the information out, instead of taking what a reputed liar says just you can scold someone for not jumping on the bandwagon and calling some parents murderers.

Even worse, those who repeatedly come to Fairley’s defense for not looking for her daughter because “she couldn’t handle it” or “her medication”, or why she left after five days or why she continues to lie, don’t give Zac and Melissa the same courtesy. Not taking into account that they had custody of Karlie, cared for her and don’t have the credibility chasm of Fairley. It is equally hilarious when these same folks who call it ‘disgusting’ for calling out Lindsay Fairley for lying when she lies against her ex and his spouse, only because she is a victim’s parent.

While I do not doubt she hurts in all this too, one must now only question every statement she makes, but also wonder what her true motive and agenda is. Is this about hurting Zac and Melissa? Attention? Both?

Why is she lying? If she would do all that, could she have something to do with Karlie’s disappearance? There is no way to know for sure, nor should we accuse her of such without evidence of such— just like we should when it comes to Zac and Melissa.

I’m sorry but Lindsay Fairley doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt anymore and shouldn’t get air time until she cleans up her act and apologizes. Her child is missing and she is spending all her time and energy trying to hurt Zac and Melissa. Her motives are in question now.