Andrea Tudhope

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

With a grant from the Dart Center — one of eight journalists awarded — Andrea spent 2017 working on an investigative radio and web series called ‘The Argument.’ Each story began with the single argument that led to a homicide, then unraveled to reveal a history of abuse, mental illness, trauma and distrust in law enforcement.

Maddie Waldeck was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. It was her dream to work for the city. She got the job, but after two years, she says she couldn't take her boss's behavior anymore. Now, he's charged with battery against her.

First installment of the investigative series ‘The Argument.’

Mary Tate remembers the July morning the police came to her home with the news. “I said, ‘I already know. I know it's my granddaughter. Before this even happened, I said it's either going to be jail, prison or a bullet. Nobody listened to me.”

As the two of them were catching up in the living room, Nicki’s 38-year-old son, Patrick Alexopoulos, barged in with a 9mm gun and a demand. “Give me $25,000 or I’ll kill you and I’ll kill myself.”

With a bullet to the back, Brannae was soon dead. The alleged shooter was the 15-year-old son of the woman killed three days earlier. “I knew the boy was hurt. A few days later for him to turn around and take her life … it was nonsense.”

Murder Motives In Kansas City? Let's Start With The Argument - KCUR

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'Superhuman Strength:' When Drugs Shorten The Fuse, An Argument Can Turn Deadly - KCUR

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Domestic Abuse, An Argument And A Gun Lead To Murder In Brookside - KCUR

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Beyond The Argument: Five Dead — And Counting — In Kansas City, Kansas - KCUR

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She Left Her Dream Job Because Of Her Boss — Now He's Charged With Battery - KCUR

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Series: The Argument

This exclusive story came out the day the criminal trial began. The next day, a jury found her boss guilty of misdemeanor battery. Then, he resigned. The Unified Government told KCUR if he hadn't, they would have fired him. About a week later, Maddie Waldeck sued the Unified Government for gender discrimination, harassment and retaliation. All of these stories can be found at kcur.org.

'We’re Killing Off Our Youth' — Kansas City, Kansas, Mourns The Sixth In A String Of Killings - KCUR

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From ‘Crime-Dotte’ To Wyandotte — Kansas City, Kansas, Teens Are Fed Up With The Violence - KCUR

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I've spent a lot of time with teens in Wyandotte County. What I heard again and again? The media only comes around when there's violence. They think that’s partly why their community is known as ‘Crime-Dotte.’ So, when I decided to report on a homicide that took the life of a teen last winter, I decided to pair that story with a story of resilience. I would shine light on the work those teens are doing to stop the violence.

Mini-series: Violence and resilience

MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING