Behind the Investigation with Atlanta News First

What happens when planting tomatoes in your front yard turns into a $25-a-day fine and an all-out neighborhood war?

In this episode of Behind the Investigation, Atlanta News First investigative reporters Anastassia Olmos and Andy Pierrotti dig into the story of an Acworth, Georgia family who found themselves in the crosshairs of their homeowners association over a couple of trough gardens.

An innocent Florida woman jailed 13 days on triple vehicular homicide — all because of two Flock photos of her car. Chief Investigator Brendan Keefe joins Anastasia Olmos on Behind the Investigation to detail the wrongful arrest, life in max security, how the case fell apart, the new arrest, lawsuits against the troopers, and Florida's statewide Flock crackdown.

Reporter Andy Pierrotti joins Chief Investigator Brendan Keefe on Behind the Investigation to break down two Fayette County cases — a 13-year-old with autism charged and moved toward expulsion, and a 6-year-old suspended 14 times, once over a sandwich bitten into a gun — plus what data shows about discipline, training gaps, and 71% of kids in Georgia detention receiving special ed services.

Learn how many metro Atlanta school districts are spending taxpayer dollars to fight the parents of special needs children in the courtroom.

For years Chelsea Hutchings begged Gwinnett schools to use her son’s communication device — then waited in silence as her federal complaint sat in backlog. Now she’s taking a seat on the board to change the system from inside.

He told Douglasville officers to get off his property “or I’ll sue.” They heard “shoot” — and he spent 3 days in jail on felony charges. How Atlanta News First Investigates got the case dropped, and why he’s now suing.

When Tatiana Pimentel put her life savings into a condo, an undisclosed $8,000 HOA bill morphed into a $20,000 legal standoff. Atlanta News First investigative reporters Anastasia Olmos and Cierra Cummings take you behind the scenes of Whitehall Forest, exploring how unvetted boards, massive utility debts, and aggressive legal fees push homeowners to the brink of foreclosure.

Facing thousands of empty desks and rising operating costs, Atlanta Public Schools is weighing a plan to close up to 16 campuses—a proposal district officials argue could save up to $90 million over time.

In the latest episode of the Behind the Investigation podcast, Atlanta News First reporters Sara Cummings and Anastasia Olmos dig into the data behind the closures, revealing that the cuts disproportionately fall on lower-income communities south of Interstate 20 while raising questions about whether promised savings ever materialize.

When grieving widows across the country thought they were finding love online, they were actually being targeted by a sophisticated international fraud syndicate. In this episode of Behind the Investigation, host Anastasia Olmos sits down with Atlanta News First investigative reporter Ciara Cummings to examine the federal trial and conviction of Babajide Adio.

We explore how scammers used emotional manipulation to extract millions in cash and Bitcoin, how a Douglasville automotive business acted as a money-laundering clearinghouse for funds sent to Nigeria and China, and the warning signs every family needs to know to protect their loved ones from online financial exploitation.

An animal rescue pulled nearly 250 dogs from metro Atlanta shelters before two operators were arrested for animal cruelty. In this episode, Atlanta News First Investigates reveals what happened to those dogs, the four-figure unpaid boarding tabs left behind, and red flags uncovered in court and bankruptcy records. Plus: vital verification steps every animal lover should take before hitting "donate."

For generations, investigative reporter Kristin Crowley’s family called their tragic losses a "cancer curse." But when her aunts and mother were tested, they finally uncovered the truth: a deadly BRCA2 mutation quietly passed down through the family. In this candid, emotional episode, Kristin sits down to share her own decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy at age 40—and the stunning post-surgery pathology report that revealed cancer was already inside her.

The arrest of Kona's handler led to aggressive behavior and the decision to euthanize. Surveillance footage reveals the use of a Catchpole, raising questions about whether the K-9 was conscious.

Clayton County changes public records policy, withholding drug logs after advocates expose shelter statistics.

Despite a rescue group's plea to quarantine him, Barney the pit bull was euthanized less than 24 hours after biting a staff member. Surveillance footage reveals veterinarian decapitating Barney for rabies testing without proper protective equipment. Clayton County Police disabled recording functions on facility cameras after advocates used footage to expose widespread state violations.

For decades, the name Amanda Knox has been synonymous with one of the most high-profile cases of false confession in modern history. Arrested as a 20-year-old student studying abroad in Italy in 2007, Knox spent four years in prison for the murder of her roommate—a crime she did not commit—before she was finally exonerated.

While many associate her ordeal with a foreign legal system, experts say the tactics used by Italian authorities are identical to those employed by police departments across the United States every day.

Controversy continues to grow over the use of Flock cameras nationwide. Atlanta News First Chief Investigator Brendan Keefe takes you behind his investigation.

 As students return to class, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Atlanta field office is urging parents to examine what their children are sharing online and what that information may reveal to strangers.

The VA doesn’t track Agent Orange claims outside designated zones. Our investigation found more than 500.

Hundreds of Georgia families who rely on Medicaid to cover speech, occupational and physical therapy for their children are watching a policy change ripple through an already-stressed system—and some fear it could mean fewer appointments, longer drives, and longer waitlists.

Records show multiple complaints, code cases and state investigations linked to nine addresses over more than a decade.

Several new Georgia laws took effect July 1, 2026, targeting school literacy, contractor licensing, HOA oversight, elder financial exploitation, school zone speed cameras and signal jammers. Atlanta News First Chief Investigator Brendan Keefe and award-winning investigative reporter Anastassia Olmos discuss what the new laws mean to you.

Flock Safety’s license plate reader cameras help police solve serious crimes by creating a searchable, time-stamped database of vehicle movement—but that same power can be misused to track innocent people.

The episode highlights cases involving wrongful suspicion, alleged officer misuse, and disputes over transparency around audit logs, as the technology expands beyond stationary cameras into drones and person-tracking systems. The central question: how communities ensure oversight of the people using—and accessing—this surveillance data.

With the FIFA World Cup coming to the U.S. and Atlanta among 16 host cities, consumer advocates say the hype is also creating new opportunities for scammers. The Better Business Bureau of Greater Atlanta is warning people to be skeptical of viral social media posts advertising “free” World Cup tickets or giveaways.

“They don’t have to have people out there giving away free tickets in order to sell out the stadiums,” said Josh Hares, executive vice president of the BBB of Greater Atlanta, in a Behind the Investigation podcast interview with investigative reporter Anastassia Olmos.