EPISODE · Mar 17, 2026 · 44 MIN
Implicit Bias - Lester Young and Steven Buggs
from True Crimecast · host Stove Leg Media
In 2012, Lester Young, a 34-year-old church handyman, was gunned down in his East Oakland home in front of his teenage nephew. The only eyewitness identified a specific shooter—but the lead detective, Phong Tran, had other plans. Ignoring the witness, Tran pivoted to Steven Buggs, a truck driver who had grown up with the victim. What followed was a 15-hour interrogation filled with racial threats, a decade behind bars, and an 82-year-to-life sentence based on "investigative work" that was rotting from the inside out. --For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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In 2012, Lester Young, a 34-year-old church handyman, was gunned down in his East Oakland home in front of his teenage nephew. The only eyewitness identified a specific shooter—but the lead detective, Phong Tran, had other plans. Ignoring the witness, Tran pivoted to Steven Buggs, a truck driver who had grown up with the victim. What followed was a 15-hour interrogation filled with racial threats, a decade behind bars, and an 82-year-to-life sentence based on "investigative work" that was rotting from the inside out.
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Implicit Bias - Lester Young and Steven Buggs
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