Kelly Siegler Talks ‘Prosecuting Evil’ Season 3 & Gives Take on Nancy Guthrie Case

Oxygen’s number one original series Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler is back for Season 3. The true-crime network show sees the veteran prosecutor look into some of the most high-profile investigations and trials from the Lone Star State. Whether it’s one of her own past cases or another that made headlines, each of the nine new episodes brings the experienced legal perspective from the Cold Justice host. Other lawyers, investors and victims’ family help add unique insight alongside courtroom footage to provide further context. 

The October 3 two-hour premiere centered on the infamous case of the Texas Seven, who staged the largest prison break in the state’s history. These inmates shockingly escaped the high-security prison in 2000 and launched a violent crime spree, culminating in the ambush and killing of the Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins on Christmas Eve. 

Another installment to come includes a teenager who fled during a traffic stop to lead a deadly confrontation that left a deputy dead. Then there is a case reviewed about police arriving at a Houston high-rise where they found a professor dead with his girlfriend claiming self defense using a stiletto. Another episode will also be about a serial murder investigation that launched following a 21-year-old’s strangulation. Later in the season, a custody dispute turns deadly when a father and stepfather of five are gunned down in broad daylight on church steps, putting a small town on edge. 

Siegler brings an impressive track record over her two decades prosecuting major felony and murder cases, trying 200 jury trials, including 68 murder cases and 20 capital murder cases. Here the 63-year-old talks about Prosecuting Evil’s success. She also gives her take on Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance and Lindsay Clancy’s mistrial. 

Why do you think Prosecuting Evil has resonated so much with audiences? 

Kelly Siegler: I think what we do might be a little different from all the other shows. We talk about the kind of behind-the-scenes, inside information that happened from the lawyers’ points of view. Showing what really happened, that’s what people like and makes it a little different…Our goal is to keep it very real. This way when people watch, they know how it all really works. We’re genuine. We tell them cool things about how the criminal justice system really works. 

What have you taken from the experience looking back on these cases?

It’s really funny that a lot of the people that we interview, I know them, or I know of them. Then I think I know about the cases. But it seems like every time I watch an interview, and I see a lot of them early on or in the final edit, there’s always something that you thought you knew, and you were wrong. Or you learned something new, or something different or unusual happened. It’s just funny how you think you know and you just never do. 

What stood out for you about the Texas Seven premiere? 

Well, first of all, Toby Shook, the prosecutor that handled all those trials from the Dallas County DA’s office, is a friend of mine. I really consider him maybe the best former prosecutor in the whole country. So, I was super excited to hear how he dealt with it. These cases went on for three years of his life. Trial after trial after trial. I also wanted to know, how did they escape? I mean I’ve lived in the world of TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) my whole career, and that just doesn’t happen. So what the heck went so wrong to let seven guys escape from a maximum security prison? Hopefully, people learned some new stuff about what really happened and what all that was really like. It’s crazy, and I think also, the prison personnel are being pretty honest about it. Now a lot of it is fixed, but I think people may have gone, “My God, all that happened at a prison unit, we thought we were safe and secure, and these things go on, I just can’t believe that it happened.”

What’s been the reaction from you colleagues about the show because there are times where viewers may have new appreciation for the work done. However, like in the Texas Seven case, the show also can shine a light on some things that needed to have been worked out. 

What helps is that it’s been 20 or more years. I think if we were trying to do this one year or two years after the fact, people would be more hesitant [about being on camera speaking about these cases], but most of the guys that know what happened, that were involved, have retired. So, they’re more open to talk about what all was going on. And I think that’s the super interesting part, to hear them talk about how they used to do it. Hopefully things have been really changed and fixed, so it’s easier to talk about when it’s not still going on. 

Any future episodes you’re particularly excited for viewers to check out? 

Well, there’s one with Dan Cogdell, who’s a defense lawyer down here, who’s very well known. I’m excited for people to see how he’s just so different and blunt and very, very effective. And then there are some prosecutors, some that I know and some that I don’t, where when I watched their interviews and was just so impressed with how good they looked. There were a couple of episodes that I didn’t know anything about, but then when I got to see it all play out, I thought, “Oh my God, what a great case, what a great story, I’m so glad we’re doing this one.” I really do think every episode is super cool, and I hope everybody’s excited to see it and learn even something new about them. 

What makes Texas stand out in terms of the cases tried there? 

I think that we have just such a volume of cases, because we have 254 counties, so that means there’s that many different DA’s offices. I think that we’re just very efficient down here. We used to have one. kind of an unwritten rule that we could try a murder case in a week, and I think there are places where a murder case can take weeks or months, or look, O.J. [Simpson’s case] took a year. That just doesn’t happen here. When things move that quickly, there are just that many more cases. and stories we can talk about down here. 

Speaking of high-profile investigations, Nancy Guthrie is still missing. Are you surprised we don’t have answers yet?  

I followed that story obsessively since the beginning. I feel like there’s got to be something that we’re all missing because it just doesn’t make any sense, right? What we know, there’s got to be something missing. And what I will say about all that from experience, when different law enforcement agencies have to work with each other, especially when the feds come in…to the local agency, a lot of times that just gets off to a bad start and things aren’t done because an ego gets in the middle of it. I just feel like the interagency cooperation a lot of times ends up being a problem in an investigation when sadly it really shouldn’t be, but it is.

It’s very frustrating that in such a nice neighborhood, somebody else’s Ring Doorbell camera didn’t pick up on anything. I get the driveway issues and the intersections and the trees. All that, I understand, but it’s crazy to think that in that kind of a neighborhood no camera picked up anything. They weren’t able to recover the footage through the private companies to try and get all that sooner, because I guess somebody dropped the ball earlier on the investigation with recovering all that. That’s just really sad. It has to be so frustrating for her family.

What are your thoughts on the Lindsay Clancy mistrial?  

Well, first of all, I can’t believe anyone would even seriously ask the question, do you think there’ll be another trial? Of course, there will be. Unless they think the DA’s going to just walk away from three babies being murdered, so there’s going to be another trial. And I think the other takeaway I have is, as someone who’s from that world, you have a juror who holds out. That doesn’t happen too often. Jurors typically end up agreeing, and this juror held out for whatever his reasons were. And he’s getting vilified. I mean, do you know what that does to people being called down for jury duty? How this man is being portrayed and picked on and insulted. He had to hire a lawyer. He’s having to hide out. Why would anybody want to go down for jury duty if they see that could happen to a normal guy? That’s crazy. The judge needs to do something about that.

Any update on a possible new season of Cold Justice?

I think things are looking very positive.

I know people may ask why there has been so much time in between seasons, but I’m sure a lot of it is that there’s a lot of care and effort that goes into these investigations.

Exactly, thank you so much for getting that. Yes, it takes us weeks to read and prepare, and then to actually work the case is another week or two. As long as they think it takes us, look how long we’re still waiting on the DAs to file the charges and go to trial…that’s even slower. 

What do your daughters think of your celebrity from doing these shows?

I think they just think it’s kind of funny. It’s usually women my age that are aware because that’s the kind of women that watch true-crime shows. So, it’s just super entertaining and funny to us. It’s all middle-aged women that seem obsessed with all these true-crime shows. I think that’s wonderful.

What are you most proud of from all your time doing these TV shows? 

Knowing that you can help people when the most horrible thing in the world has happened to them. To know that you can do something about it and walk away feeling like you actually helped. That’s a really good feeling.

Any shows you like to watch that may surprise people?

I watch a lot of spy shows, which isn’t too far removed. I don’t watch that many crime shows because so many of them are wrong, and they drive me crazy. I watch all the singing competition shows, I like watching all those because they are light. I read a lot. I read a lot. But I used to watch that dancing show….So You Think You Can Dance. 

I thought you were thinking of Dancing with the Stars. That would be interesting to see you on that. 

Some people have no rhythm, and I would be one of those.

Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler Season 3, Saturdays, 9/8c, Oxygen