Michael Warren was journalist with the Washington Times until 1995. As a reporter he was involved in many high profile stories including John Hinckley's attempt to assassinate President Reagan. He quit the newspaper to work as a public relations officer with the Law Enforcement Foundation. In 1997 he was approached by Jack McEvoy who was seeking information on police suicides. Warren's boss, Dr. Nathan Ford, denied McEvoy's request, but Warren secretly assisted McEvoy. When this came to light, Warren was terminated.
Using information provided by McEvoy and Robert Backus Jr., Warren wrote a story on the Poet, which he sold to the L.A. Times. The Times then offered him a full-time position. By 2009, Warren was working as the deputy city editor with the Los Angeles Times.