Join our True Crime Book Club and dive into the chilling world of real-life mysteries! Every two months, we tackle a gripping true crime book, sparking lively discussions and deep insights into the minds behind the criminals.
DISCLAIMER: Discussions and book titles may include graphic details and mature content NOT suitable for individuals under 18. Participation is intended for adults only. Registration is required. Please complete form below. Limited supply of free copies of the book.
- Cruel Deception by Gregg Olsen
Thursday, June 26, 2025 | 6:00 – 7:00 pm
In and out of hospitals since birth, angelic nine-month-old Morgan Reid finally succumbed to what appeared to be Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Morgan’s Texas-born mother Tanya, a nurse and devoted wife, pulled up stakes with her grieving husband Jim, and moved on. It was the best way to put the past behind them. Until their son Michael, a boy who by all accounts was terrified of his mother, began showing signs of the same affliction that stole the life of his baby sister…
First, the suspicion: Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Then, Tanya was charged and convicted with felony child abuse of her son. She was later tried and ultimately convicted for first degree murder of Morgan. It would become a landmark trial that unfolded in a series of reversals and bizarre twists of fate as it gradually revealed another side of Tanya Reid—of her own troubling childhood and the dark secrets that drove a woman to the cruelest deception of all…
- Church Pastor, Child Trafficker: The Crimes of Elsa Cuellar in a Border Town by Roger Rodriguez
CONTENT WARNING: Includes themes of child abuse, trafficking, murder, and other mature content.
Thursday, August 28, 2025
Since the early 90’s, Cuellar was able to operate in a way that left no trail. She would pose as a pastor, doctor, or lawyer to win the trust of her young victims. With the promise of a better life, citizenship, and an education, these young girls were lured into the clutches of Cuellar’s claws where they became the source of her wealth. Her numerous family photos were just one of the pieces of evidence authorities found that showed Cuellar’s true intention was to advertise her young victims to older men. This in itself made her money, but the true motive was to ensure these young girls got pregnant. By posing as a doctor or mid-wife, Cuellar would convince the young girls that having the baby at her home was the most sanitary natural way to give birth. Unknown to the girls, the objective was to have a delivery that would not be on record at a hospital. This made her underground baby selling enterprise easier. After all, who would look for a baby no one knows exists? Once Cuellar delivered the sad news to the young girls that the baby died during birth, her mission was complete. The research for this project goes back to 2013. For almost nine years, I have looked for victims, people who know Elsa, interviewed law enforcement, and gained possession of documents that not any ordinary citizen has access to. Hundreds of hours have gone into the scholarly research and hunting down the truth of how Elsa Cuellar never saw a day of prison. Today, the extent of Cuellar’s damage cannot be ascertained. There could be hundreds of men and women who are in their thirties by now who were raised believing their guardians are their true biological parents. Photos, documents, interviews, and stories from sources close to Cuellar will assist in putting together the pieces of this amazing puzzle that for years had law enforcement wondering how they could gather enough to put Elsa Cuellar behind bars. In the end, Cuellar never sees a day in a prison cell and after the mysterious re-assigning of the lead prosecutor, she is found guilty of only one count of tampering with document officials meaning twenty-three other counts were dropped. Nothing regarding the children was ever presented in court and before this project, the public had no idea what happened to Cuellar. It had been rumored she had stage 4 terminal cancer and had months to live. It had been reported that government deported her because they did not want to pay her medical bills, but six years later Cuellar re-appears in Laredo, Texas preaching at a church. What happens to Elsa Cuellar? This collection of nine years’ worth of work will deliver the story many have been waiting to hear. The victims of Elsa Cuellar deserve a voice and this project provides it.
True Crime Book Club