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Trace Evidence · Steven Pacheco

Q&A Plus 2026 Preview

February 2, 2026·1 hr 3 min·5 clips
Trace Evidence host Steven Pacheco says the Diamond and Tionda Bradley case is the only one where a family member contacted him angry—not for inaccuracy, but for covering it at all.
Years of Q&A episodes sit behind this one, but Steven Pacheco does not treat the format like sacred ground. He explains that an earlier season-opening special landed well enough to become an annual Trace Evidence fixture, while also admitting that some listeners skip these episodes. Others like hearing him answer directly, so he moves ahead with care. The submitted questions, cut down from an unusually large pile to roughly twenty, give him room to talk through process, plans, and listener curiosity. The most useful stretch is about podcast creation. Pacheco pushes back on blanket advice and says the topic, audience, and purpose should guide the early decisions. Gear is not the main thing. Pick a subject that can hold your attention, do not spend heavily right away, and decide what success would even mean before chasing it. Hosting gets more specific. He uses Spreaker and likes its day-one monetization, but he warns that other services have their own limits and rules. Do the homework instead of copying another podcaster's setup. Contact platforms, compare requirements, and ask direct questions. He catches himself rambling, then admits the subject naturally pulls more out of him. On future casework, he keeps the answer open because too many cases are still on his mind. He closes by sending listeners to followtepod.com and trace-evidence.com, thanking them, and noting that ads stay at the end so the story is not interrupted.

As heard by us

A candid Q&A that resets the season and keeps the focus on process, purpose, and persistence.

Trace Evidence opens the season with a listener Q&A, which fits the pattern Steven Pacheco says has worked well enough to become a yearly habit. The episode moves through listener questions, podcasting advice, and a brief look ahead to 2026.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want Steven Pacheco answering listener questions, mixing case talk with podcast advice, and teeing up Trace Evidence's next stretch.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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