Detective Exposes Her Alibi Story Over Phone Records, She Finally Admits The Truth

October 18, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On October 29, 2018, Charlene Childers sat in an interview room at the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in Lyons, New York, facing lead investigator Tom Burt and another officer. They were there to talk about the deaths of Joshua Niles and Amber Washburn, and about a rental car, a planned trip from Texas to New York, and the story Charlene had been telling. Burt made the stakes plain from the start: “If it’s you and Tim or just Tim, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll try both of you together.” He told her that if she lied, they would walk away. If she told the truth, there might be a deal. The conversation that followed—captured on recording—shows how investigators used phone records, text messages, and a cooperating witness to dismantle her alibi piece by piece, until she finally admitted what had really happened.

The story that didn’t hold up

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What you'll learn

1 (01:03) **Case Introduction & Interrogation Setup** - The episode introduces the double homicide of Joshua Niles and Amber Washburn, and the interrogation of Charlene Childers at the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
2 (03:57) **Charlene's Initial Account of the Rental Car** - Charlene begins to describe the events leading up to October 22nd, starting with the rental car.
3 (11:47) **Investigator Challenges the "Work" Story** - The lead investigator directly confronts Charlene's narrative, pointing out inconsistencies in the rental car story.
4 (13:32) **Attorney Intervenes and Reframes the Narrative** - Charlene's attorney steps in to de-escalate the situation and reorient the conversation.
5 (26:28) **Agreeing to a Question-and-Answer Format** - Charlene expresses that she prefers a direct question-and-answer style, which the investigators agree to.
6 (29:16) **The Use of Encrypted Communication** - The investigators probe into the methods used to plan the murder, focusing on their background in law enforcement.
7 (31:06) **Loading the Car and the Motive** - Charlene describes the preparations Tim made before leaving for New York.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Charlene Childers

Show Notes

Charlene Childers answers investigators’ questions about a rental car, a planned trip from Texas to New York, and preparations involving firearms and equipment. The interview took place in connection with the deaths of Joshua Niles and Amber Washburn.

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