HAVE YOU HEARD?

Defense Diaries: A serialized true crime podcast

Published on April 27, 2022

Have You Heard? is where the Pod Bible team meet the people behind the podcasts you may not have heard of yet. While the Oh. My. Pod. section in the magazine gives a quick shout out to shows of that ilk, Have You Heard? aims to go deeper in an effort to spread awareness for shows that deserve more exposure! If you’re after a serialized true crime podcast, Bob Motta tells us more about Defense Diaries…

Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

I’m Bob Motta, a recovering criminal defense attorney. I host Defense Diaries, a serialized true crime podcast. Our pod takes the deepest dives in the industry into the cases we cover. Season One is the John Wayne Gacy Case…my father was his trial attorney and he gave me all of his taped, never before heard interviews with Gacy. We intertwine those into the narrative. We focus on the victims, the investigation, arrest and trial. Season 2 is the Dr. Anthony Garcia case out of Omaha, NE. I was lead counsel for Garcia. The case was absolutely fascinating for true crime lovers out there.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

I had been contemplating doing a podcast with the tapes for a couple of years, when in 2019 I reached out to Joe Berlinger after his Bundy Tapes doc dropped on Netflix to pitch an idea with my tapes. He loved the concept and we tried to put a deal together for the next nine months. I ended up killing the deal and decided that the tapes would best be used in the pod. Berlinger decided to run with my pitch, without my tapes and it’s dropping on Netflix in April of 22. One problem with his doc is that we uncovered a massive secret about how the police actually got Gacy under arrest… it’s truly mind blowing, I informed his team of the development, they ignored us and decided to put out the fiction narrative as opposed to the truth behind the arrest.

What’s the first podcast you ever listened to?

Serial was the first pod that I ever listened to…that’s when I fell in love with the medium.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

I’m a fan of serialized pods that follow one case over a season. My current favorite is True Crime Bullshi**, which is hosted by my friend Josh Hallmark. It’s a super deep dive into Israel Keyes.

Who’s your dream interviewee for the podcast?

For season one… it would have to be Kim Byers, who is an intricate part of the ruse that law enforcement pulled off in order to get Gacy off the streets. She refused to interview with us, and now we know why.

Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

It’s serialized, so Episode 1 is the best place to start. It gives a nice overview of what to expect from the pod.

Where can your audience find out more about you?

Defense Diaries is available on all platforms. The website is defensediaries.com. You can also follow on Facebook and IG @defensediaries on Twitter @defense_diaries and on Tik Tok @defensediariespodcast. We also have started our YouTube channel for Defense Diaries. Check it out… we think you’ll like it!