Former North Berrien Fire Rescue Chief Bob Ruff has built a steady crowd for his investigative podcast called Truth & Justice which he records at his NBI Studios in Bridgman. Until last night he averaged about 150,000 listeners per episode of his podcast which is now in its 6th season. Depending on how many folks tuned in to ABC Television’s 20/20 Extra last night, Bob’s numbers will likely soar into the stratosphere.
Ruff, a lifetime arson investigator by trade, has always been methodical at any investigation and his attention to detail and the amazing following of others who share that passion drew the eye and ear of ABC’s Matt Gutman who sat down with Ruff recently to tell his story, specifically his story of re-examining the evidence in the case of an accused murderer.
His Truth & Justice “Army,” as his website refers to avid podcast listeners, have shown what is possible when people come together in search of answers. That search was the focus Friday night, November 30th, of the 20/20 Extra segment that brought Gutman and his ABC cameras to Bridgman and Ruff’s NBI Studios to delve into Bob’s crowd-sourced investigation.
As explained at Ruff’s website, “The Truth & Justice Podcast is a listener driven show, devoted to the pursuit of truth and justice. Host, Bob Ruff, investigates potential wrongful conviction and cold cases using a unique crowdsourcing approach. Bob invites listeners to participate in the investigations, as he breaks down a new case in each season in real time.”
Truth & Justice is currently in Season 6, where Bob is asking for the help of the Truth & Justice Army to get to the bottom of the murder of Jaime Melgar. Jaime was murdered in his home in Houston, Texas in 2012. His wife, Sandy, was convicted for the crime. Bob believes the real killer is still out there. That’s where ABC’s telecast last night picks up the story, too. You can see the segment by clicking the link below:
Bob’s prolific podcasting is now approaching some 300 episodes. You can find them all and listen in by subscribing on iTunes and by clicking this link:
https://www.truthandjusticepod.com/home
Ruff’s success is becoming legendary, and it got a huge boost from ABC on Friday night. Check it out.
