Alternative Interests

17 year old Natasha Ryan disappeared one day without a trace after leaving for school one morning. Despite a history of running away in the past, her family felt this time was different and spent years searching for her. When other young women in the small Australian town of Rockhampton also went missing a man was brought to trial for their murders along with Natasha's. In a baffling turn of events, criminal proceedings brought to light the surprising truth of Natasha's disappearance.

This poor excuse for a human is truly one of the worst we have covered on this podcast and so we must give a warning now that this episode discusses murder and sexual abuse of young children, please listen at your own discretion.

Tsutomu Miyazaki held zero remorse or regret for his actions, and actually blamed a minor developmental deformity as well as an unsubstantiated alter-ego for what he did to the sweet young girls he victimized. We had nothing positive to say about him at the end of this episode and  you may find that you agree.

Many of us know what it is like to hit a rough patch with our mental health and are familiar with the struggles that can overwhelm someone in the midst of a mental health crisis. In this episode we discuss the tragic and senseless death of Lacey Fletcher, whose mental health struggles went far beyond anything imaginable and leaves us questioning where the line is between family support and enabling behavior. We don't have answers, but we know this went far beyond that line.

Reality television has been popular for decades, with some shows taking more risks than others in the chase for viewers; in the late 90s in Japan, one game show network pushed boundaries to extremes. One season of the show featured 22 year old Tamoaki Hamatsu, following his journey living in a small apartment for months. Tamoaki's months in this show illustrate the very worst of what network producers will do to someone for the sake of entertainment. 

This week's episode discusses the recent case resulting in the loss of the potential of three vibrant young lives after a car crash. The driver, dubbed "Hell on Wheels" by the judge, changed the trajectory of not only the people in the car, but countless other lives touched by them.

The Samaritan Foundation was a short lived organization of individuals that shared the beliefs of their leader, Linda Greene. We discuss how Allen Ross became involved with the Samaritans, and ultimately how that connection resulted in his murder, as well as the George family's dissolution at the influence of the Foundation. 

Hannah Clarke and Rowan Baxter had what appeared to be the picture perfect marriage, cultivating a public image of a family of fitness enthusiasts in love with each other and their three beautiful children. We must remember, however, that social media is only one small look into someone's life, and the secrets hiding in this family came to a devastating and horrific end no one could have seen coming. 

Part 2 of 2

After Jo, Michelle, and Christe Rogers' bodies were found in Tampa bay, investigators searched for leads to find their killer. After one woman's tips repeatedly went overlooked, they finally found a lead suspect in Oba Chandler. In this episode we discuss Oba's background, the trial, and the aftermath for Hal Rogers and a postmortem discovery involving Oba.

Part 1 of 2

Jo and Hal Rogers raised their daughters Michelle and Christy on their dairy farm, working hard together to keep things running. In 1989, after a year dealing with lawyers, police, and the legal system, Jo decided to take the girls on a cross country road trip to get away from the small town rumor mill. Unfortunately, they would never return home. 

Link to "Angels and Demons" by Thomas French: https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/classics/angels-and-demons/chapter-1-sunset/ 

In this episode we explore one of the most inexplicably horrible crimes that can be committed, and the two women involved. We discuss Lisa's troubled and traumatic upbringing, the circumstances that led Bobbie Jo to cross paths with her, and ultimately Bobbie Jo's murder.