For approximately a decade, Amy Newell has tried to protect her children from their father, James Bradley “Brad” Robinson.
For nearly that long, both their kids disclosed abuse.
Introduction
In 2019, she defied a court order and fled to North Carolina, from their native Rutherford County, Tennessee.
She was arrested, humiliated in the news, and spent a month in jail in 2019.
A 6-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy reported missing out of Rutherford County were found safe Saturday in North Carolina and returned home.
{Amy’s daughter}, 6, and {Amy’s son}, 4, were reported missing in late August from Eagleville after their mother did not bring them to their father who shared custody, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said. Just a month earlier, 6-year-old Jocelyn took part in a “pinky promise” with her grandmother to ask her to find her if she was ever lost.
After the children were found safe in Moorehead City, N.C. and reunited with family, {Amy’s daughter} told her grandmother, “You kept your pinky promise. I knew you’d find me.”
Amy is currently facing another custodial interference charge, despite Brad telling me she hasn’t had any contact with the kids since 2019.
I reached out to the Rutherford County District Attorney’s Office, but I received no response.
The Rutherford County District Attorney is Jennings H. Jones.
Abuse ignored
Amy said she left an abusive marriage and filed for divorce in 2017.
She said that Brad showed little interest at first in taking care of their kids but then he asked for custody.
She said a judge initially granted a temporary 50/50 custody schedule.
She said that throughout the process both she and Brad faced numerous Department of Child Safety (DCS) complaints.
None went anywhere, however, approximately a year after she filed for divorce, she told me that her daughter disclosed sexual abuse against Brad.
Her daughter disclosed again in a forensic interview, however, DCS still came back with an unsubstantiated finding.
Facing the prospect of returning her daughter to a molester, Amy told me she fled the state and stayed in North Caroline for a month. The story received overwhelming local news, with none detailing the history and the allegations. Amy explained more below.
She was charged, Amy told me, initially with kidnapping and then custodial interference. The charges were dismissed after she went through several hoops.
Amy gets her kids
Remarkably, Amy said that in 2020, Brad showed up at her residence, dropped the kids off, and for approximately the next four years, they lived almost exclusively with her.
Brad denied this, when I spoke with him.
She said that in 2024, another DCS caseworker called her, stating that Brad was being investigated again.
Amy told me that she warned the caseworker that unless this investigation went somewhere, Brad would retaliate against her.
Initially, DCS was aggressive in its investigation. In an August 2024 filing, DCS concluded that Brad was abusing his children.
“He {Brad} picks her brother up by the arm and slams him onto the ground.” The filing stated. “{Amy’s daughter} has seen dad with a black plate, some green weed and rolling papers. Dad calls them worthless, stupid, retarded, and stupid mother fuckers.”
Amy told me that her car broke down on the way to the next court hearing, but her attorney told her not to worry about it.
The hearing was about Brad, not her.
“I knew something was wrong when the kids didn’t get off the bus,” Amy told me.
Somehow, Brad made the charges go away and got custody.
Brad told me that DCS apologized to him and the kids admitted their mom coached them.
Amy loses her kids
Amy said she saw the kids intermittently until August 2025, when Brad took out custodial interference charges.
She told me that she hasn’t been served, arrested, or attended any hearings.
I found no evidence of any activity besides charges being taken out.
She hasn’t seen her kids since the summer 2025.
Brad’s response
Below is the conversation with Brad, along with the times of each response. The conversation occurred on August 4, 2026.
Me: 2:43 PM CT
Mr. Robinson. My name is Michael Volpe. I’m an investigative journalist and I run this site, michaelvolpe.substack.com I am working on a story about your divorce/custody case from Amy Newell. I would like to speak with you about it. Please reach me here, my cell XXX-XXX-XXXX or my email (left blank)
Brad Robinson 6:52 CT
Mr Volpe as strange as it is getting this message I’ll just start by saying if you’ve been talking with Amy Newell and she’s got you thinking there’s a story here, id highly recommend distancing yourself from her as quickly as possible to avoid completely destroying any/all credibility you may or may not have within your profession... I’m not saying this to you in a threatening manner whatsoever, I assure you.. I don’t know you but I’m still willing to offer this advice as a friendly head up... Nothing good EVER , NEVER, EVER comes from dealing with Amy, even if you try to approach whatever drama(’ s) she’s caught up in at that with good or helpful intentions, it won’t matter.. you can’t deal with the devil and expect not to get burned..if you insist on finding out what I mean, just keep on dealing with her and you’ll most certainly find out for yourself..
You won’t be able to say you weren’t warned ahead of time, and by someone who’s been forced to get dragged thru her absolute pure hell on earth.....It don’t matter if you try to approach whatever situation with her in a peaceful, compassionate, kindness, patient, etc... kinda manner.. it wont matter given every fiber of her existence is made up of nothing but pure evil.. She can convincingly hide it while she’s professionally manipulating whatever deceitful scheme she’s committed to, but at the end of the day one thing is certain whatever she’s doing is coming from a place of evil and she’ll make a fool of anyone who falls for it . Don’t believe be, ask the state of TN,.... Once you start going down this rabbit hole with Amy you’ll find out very quickly that she is living proof demons can in fact inhabit human beings.... That woman is methed up, psychotic,and evil as it gets.... She’s professional level deceiver and a professional level manipulator... What good ever comes from dealing with ppl like that? There’s legit great reasons..yes, reasons.. as in plural reasons why 3 different judges now have either issued or continued the still current 7yr old no contact no visitation court order against her regarding our kids.... I’m not just trying to run her name in the ground here, I’m legit saying all this LITERALLY!! And for the simple reason of explaining me not wanting any part of dealing with her bs drama or partaking in her evil ass bs games , so I’d truly rather not discuss anything with you... or anybody else that actually would willingly associate themselves with someone like Amy.. After all the hell she’s caused for not just me, but has cause for our 2kids we had together as well (and the hell she still currently tries to inflict on us).. Me saying not interested is an understatement.. Nobody wants to deal with her bs...It’s nonstop repeated HELL & hatred from her and for absolutely no reason ...other than she’s pure evil, like deep to her core... and fixated on straight up insane shit created in her own crazy ass head while tweaked out on dope.... As in meth really messed her up in the head , good luck with that...
I’m not trying to be rude here by not wanting to talk to you, I’m Respectfully saying I just don’t want anything to do with her newest drama scheme, this same ol typical kinda shit with her got old yrs ago and I will choose to keep as much distance from her as humanly possible... For reasons if safety and my own sanity... Life is hard enough as it is having to raise our kids by myself full-time as a single dad with no family or any other kind of support system whatsoever..(ask yourself ,who would choose to make life that hard on themselves for no good reason ..common sense should answer that for you.). I’m literally trying my hardest to raise my kids to strive to do their best and to have a heart for God, aka Jesus...I don’t need or want anything to do with her evil drama or her demonic intentions...Actually we don’t need it, as in me and/or my kids don’t need or want to deal with her evil ass bs.. She’s put us all thru enough hell and enough hard times already as it is... And many times over ..The reason she’s in the shape that she is in this world is 100% the results of her own choices and actions... Regardless how committed she is to refusing accountability... She’s been given multiple opportunities to be a mom and have a life with her kids(even after extremely evil choices she made and acted upon I still tried to give her every opportunity to get her shit together and show she’s capable of just being a mom .. but sadly she’s refused, every...single.. time.. it has never once been what she wanted, and that’s been very well proven and very well documented.. multiple times.. via court (s).. or state agencies like department of children services is one that she regularly used to play games and make life hard by making disturbing,evil, demented ,sick, and completely false claims to...(Which have been proven in court she’s lied about, EVERY. SINGLE. TIME... But nevertheless causes us (me& the kids)to have to go thru at steps and bs in an investigation at home and DCS going to their schools... And she literally pulls that nonsense 3-5 times a yr and has literally every single year for the past 10+yrs (again it’s all very well documented like I’ve said ),she’s only ever cared about trying to destroy my life for whatever reason.. I literally still to this day have absolutely no clue as to why she’s so hell bent on destroying me or what I’ve ever even done to her... Hand to God, no clue.. Which in itself is insane given how much bs I’ve had to go thru because of her...but to be honest at this point I absolutely couldn’t care less what her issue with me is anymore... I just stay as far the hell away from her crazy ass as I humanly possibly can... Which is the same advice I tried to give you at the beginning of this message ..Anyone who lets destroying somebody else’s life take priority over literally anything and everything including being able to legally see or even contact their kids is obviously off in the head, wouldn’t you think?... how psychotic does one have to be that they’d let their hate for someone else take priority over getting to even be a part of their own kids lives..... and to be honest anyone who isn’t capable of quickly realizing she’s bad news isn’t someone I care to associate with, or trust has any good intentions here... So it’s no offense to you personally, I just don’t want anything to do with her evil bs and I have zero appetite for inviting unnecessary hell into my life when I’m already having a hard enough time in life taking care of my responsibilities, ANNNND her part of responsibilities that I’m having to do by myself... No thank you, please keep her drama and evil bs farrrr plum away from me I have zero interest in inviting more hell from her in to my life...
Me 6:54 PM CT
Did you abuse your kids?
Brad Robinson 7:01 PM CT
Did you not read what messaged??? I’ve literally been investigated for decade plus because of bs accusations... Literally been proven in court MULTIPLE TIMES that I do not abuse my kids in any way... And not only proven in court, confirmed I do not by my kids own mouths.... I’ve never abused my kids hence why I’ve repeatedly been given full custody... The only one who abused the kids and it even been proven in court that abused their kids is their mother ,Amy Newell.... What kind of investigator ask such a stupid question after I thoroughly stated there is documented proof that I do not, have not, and never would hurt my kids... Good day sir
Me 7:02PM CT
Actually, in 2024 DCS stated that tgey substantiated abuse by you of your kids. Why do you think DCS determined this if you don’t abuse them?
Me 7:04 PM CT
Brad Robinson 7:35 PM CT
Well they stated that only after Amy made up that bs story, in which we went to court about and it was proven that it was in fact a lie, the kids confirmed in court their mother coached then into confirming her story, and then guess once it was proven she made it up, she as in Amy Newell didn’t even come back to the court.... DCS has to apologize to me in the courtroom and given it was all a lie, the court (Marshall county court) continued the no contact no visitation court order that was already in place against Amy Newell, the one you clearly don’t have enough sense to see is full of shit.... Again everything is very well documented.... How about this, since you have that claim, ask her to show you all the other ones, like I said she pulls this very shit regularly... Every single time she’s been proven as a liar... She’s actually now considered “habitual”.... Go ahead with what you wanna believe but you’re gonna look like a complete fool... Just remember I tried to give you a friendly heads up! Oh and btw that’s not the most recent dude that was 2024, it’s now 2026, get caught up with reality if you really wanna do this, she’s made several different accusation with DCS since then... All similar maybe a different accusation or 2 but nevertheless about the same ol shit.... Like I said If you want to destroy your reputation have at it, but you’re def looking in to the wrong parent genius... Judges from 3 different counties, and DCS from 4-5 counties will quickly let you know she doesn’t have custody for a reason, and habitually at that... Pull your head outta your ass cause you’re def starting to make yourself seem too incompetent to call yourself an investigative journalist.... Trying to run with false stories that were proven many times to be fabricated is a good way to get sued and ruin your career.... If you want a real story maybe you should investigate what makes someone like Amy be the horrible kind of parent that 3 different judges in 3 different counties all agree she not only shouldn’t be allowed to see her kids, but not even contact them.
Brad Robinson 7:22 PM CT
I meant DCS HAD to apologize to me, not has
What kinda investigator are you lol, my answer is right there
right on front of your face
Me 7:23 PM CT
Actually, they state that your kids told them.
Isn’t it true that Amy took the kids primarily from 2020-2024
Brad Robinson 7:35 PM Ct
Dude , in court the kids like told them they were coached by their mother, Amy Newell what to say to DCS, once she realized she was busted she didn’t even come back to court... Hence why DCS HAD TO APOLOGIZE TO ME!!!
and no Amy has never had primary custody... She has 50/50 custody but lost even having that when kidnapped them and took off outta state with them... Dude no offense but you def seem too stupid to be an investigator journalist, hell a simple Google search would’ve shown you that... Given her picture and my kids picture was on every local news channel asking for the public help with finding the kids after she literally kidnapped them.... She’s had no contact no visitation court ordered custody since 2019 (emphasis mine).... Look I’m not gonna continue talking about this, if you want to look like a dumbass and run with bs lies knock yourself out, but you very well expect legal repercussions.... Everything I have said can literally be certified thru court papers.... And you def don’t seem qualified or competent enough so far to be any kind is investigator so this will be my last message... I won’t continue talking about this sensitive stuff with someone who’s clearly an idiot..
Also who cares how long it takes me to reply, wtf do you think you are... Like you even rate a response , period... I ain’t getting in no hurry for you dude I’m already being nice enough to even reply to this stupidity
Note:
It’s impossible for Amy to be charged with custodial interference in 2025 if she has had no contact with the kids since 2019. It’s also impossible for her to coach the kids in 2024, if she didn’t see them since 2019. Brad would have been better off ignoring my query. Amy and I discussed Brad’s answers below.
