Dubious

Four indigenous children survived a plane crash in the Colombian Amazon and spent 40 days alone in the jungle. Wilson, the hero dog who found them, is now missing.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/DUBIOUS today to get 10% off your first month of therapy.

The children’s ages range from 11 months old to 12 years old. After their plane crashed in the Colombian jungle, causing the instant death of the pilot and of another passenger, the siblings tried to save their mother who was still alive. She passed away after four days. If you like our content, please become a patron to get all our episodes ad-free.

The eldest child, Lesly, is credited with keeping her siblings alive through her knowledge of the jungle. The children survived for 40 days in the Amazon by eating fruit and using large leaves to protect themselves from the rain. 2

The children were discovered in a forest clearing by rescuers, who were guided to their location by Wilson, a Belgian Shepherd and four-legged hero. The military released drawings made by the children, depicting Wilson in the jungle, highlighting his role in their survival.

After the rescue of the children, the search for Wilson began as he was separated from the kids, had a “weird reaction” when seeing his handler, and then disappeared. There are reports of a drug-fueled search and rescue operation, suggesting that the military and various groups – including the dog handlers - had been using ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic tea, as a ritual to help them locate the children. Wilson, the 6-year-old hero dog, is still missing in the jungle.

1. By Ed Cumming and Mathew Charles, A hero dog, a drug-fuelled hunt, The Telegraph, June 2023. ⇤

2. By John Otis, How Indigenous kids survived 40 days in Colombia's jungle after a plane crash, NPR, June 2023. ⇤

Mary Bell was only 10 years old when she killed two toddlers in Newcastle, England, in 1968. Her first victim was 4-year-old Martin Brown. Mary and her friend Norma then murdered and mutilated the body and genitalia of 3-year-old Brian Howe.

In this episode we discuss the disturbing story of Mary Flora Bell, who tried to kill several children and eventually succeeded in killing two young boys by strangulation. Her friend Norma bell – no relation, just a name coincidence – helped Mary murder her second victim.

Mary Bell was sentenced to be imprisoned “at Her Majesty’s pleasure,” a British legal term that denotes an indeterminate sentence. After 12 years, in 1980, she was released on license (probation) and now lioves a quiet, anonymous life with her daughter. 3

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/DUBIOUS today to get 10% off your first month of therapy. If you like our content, please become a patron to get all our episodes ad-free.

1. Leah Silverman The Chilling Story Of Mary Bell, The 10-Year-Old Murderer Who Strangled Two Boys All That's Intersting, September 2023 ⇤

2. Linda Caroll A Judge Called Mary Bell A Monster When She Was Just 10 Years Old Independent, September 2022 ⇤

3. MICHAEL SEAMARK & PAUL SIMS Child killer Mary Bell becomes a grandmother at 51: But all I have left is grief, says victim's mother Daily Mail, July 2023 ⇤

A 25 year old Alabama nursing student disappeared after calling 911 and claiming she was stopping to help a toddler in diapers who was walking alone on Interstate 459.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/DUBIOUS today to get 10% off your first month of therapy. If you like our content, please become a patron to get all our episodes ad-free.

Carlee Russel returned home two days later and claimed she had been kidnapped and had barely managed to escape. She said the toddler was used as bait. If you like our content, please become a patron to get all our episodes ad-free.

Carlee described how a man with “orange hair” emerged from the woods and picked her up and forced her into a vehicle. No, it wasn’t Donald Trump. 1

She said the man then put her into the trailer of a tractor and drove her to an unknown location where he forced her to undress and took photos of her. Carlee also mentioned that the man had a female accomplice who fed her cheese crackers. 2

Police soon realized her story didn’t add up. Carlee admitted she faked her own abduction. Her motives are unclear, but we suspect she was “inspired” by the kidnapping social media craze, a new “Satanic Panic” type of phenomenon which has been spreading like wildfire online, especially on Tik Tok. 3

This new trend, started by right-wing evangelicals, aims to terrify women, and convince them they can be abducted at any moment and sex trafficked. The scope is to distract from real social issues like overturning Roe v Wade, the gun violence epidemic, voting rights etc.

Statistically, a woman in the US is more likely to get hit by lightning than get kidnapped and sex trafficked.

1. Ariana Baio & Andrea Blanco Carlee Russell smiles in mug shot as she’s charged with false police report in kidnap hoax Independent, July 2023 ⇤

2. Tiffanie Drayton ‘We will not be dismayed’: What Carlee Russell’s lie means for other missing Black women Daily Dot, July 2023 ⇤

3. UNODC UNODC report on human trafficking exposes modern form of slavery UNODC, February 2009 ⇤

Anneliese Michel started exhibiting “strange symptoms” like eating spiders and coal when she was 16. Her devout family believed she’s possessed by Lucifer and Hitler. Anneliese died after she underwent 67 exorcisms at the hands of two Catholic priests.

In this episode we discuss the infuriating murder of Anneliese Michel by her parents and two catholic priests, in Bavaria, Germany, in 1976. Anneliese was suffering from Grand Mal Epilepsy and Psychosis. Her story inspired the 2005 film "The Exorcism of Emily Rose". 1

Anneliese underwent 67 exorcisms over a period of about 10 months between 1975 and 1976. She eventually died from starvation and dehydration during the process. Her parents and priest were convicted of negligent homicide. Her parents do not regret what they’ve done, claiming “god told us to do it”. 2

1. Michael Getle Cries of a Woman Possessed The Washington Post, April 1978 ⇤

2. Elizabeth Day 'God told us to exorcise my daughter's demons. I don't regret her death' The Telegraph, November 2005 ⇤

3. Alison Mutler Nun Dies After Convent Exorcism CBS News, June 2005 ⇤

A respected Russian professor dug up and mummified deceased children – only girls and young women - made them into “living dolls” and posed them in his apartment. The bodies of 29 girls between the ages of 3 and 25 were found in his home.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/DUBIOUS today to get 10% off your first month of therapy. If you like our content, please become a patron to get all our episodes ad-free.

Anatoly Moskvin is a former Russian university professor, cemetery expert / self-proclaimed “necropolyst”, researcher and necromancer. He was held in very high esteem in academic circles in his native city of Nizhny Novgorod. He taught himself 13 languages and is well-traveled.

Despite living with him, his parents claim they never suspected a thing. What caused this macabre behavior and his love of cemeteries? Are his parents lying? We discuss it all in this episode of Dubious. 2

1. William DeLon Anatoly Moskvin, The Genius Russian Historian Who Collected Dead Girls Like Dolls All That's Interesting, March 2023 ⇤

2. Anna Nemtsova Russian Historian Anatoly Moskvin Collected Dead Girls at Home Daily Beast, July 2017 ⇤

Bridget Ziegler is embroiled in a sex scandal that exposes the hypocrisy of the “don’t say gay” extremist education movement she co-founded: she was caught on tape having sex with another woman during a threesome encounter with her husband.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/DUBIOUS today to get 10% off your first month of therapy. If you like our content, please become a patron to get all our episodes ad-free.

Moms for Liberty is a Florida-based organization, with more than 300 chapters in 48 states. It claims to advocate for “parental rights at all levels of government.” 1

In reality, they push for banning children’s books and literature, fight against diversity, inclusivity, LGBTQ children, and rail against sex education and the teaching of Black history. The Moms for Liberty cult-like following believes there’s a widespread conspiracy in American schools to expose children to “woke “concepts about sexual orientation and gender identity that don’t conform to their idea of traditional family values. Of course, they joined the Ron DeSantis’ “Don’t say gay” campaign. 2

But as it turned out, Moms for Liberty is right-wing education movement with a huge hypocrisy problem. Co-founder Bridget Ziegler, who’s also a member of the Sarasota County School Board in Florida, and her husband Christian Ziegler have been caught in a sex scandal that threatens to end the organization. Moreover, Christian Ziegler who is also the chair of the Republican Party of Florida and a big Trump fan, was accused of rape. 3

1. Mary Ellen Klas Moms for Liberty Flunks Its Own Morality Test Bloomberg, December 2023 ⇤

2. Chris Baynes Most Americans say ‘Arabic numerals’ should not be taught in school, finds survey Independent, May 2019 ⇤

3. Will Carless, Chris Ullery, & Alia Wong What's behind the national surge in book bans? A low-tech website tied to Moms for Liberty USA Today, October 2023 ⇤

Musk embodies the perfect hero turned villain story. We discuss his 180° political flip-flopping over time, how X will affect the 2024 presidential election, the simulation theory he adheres to, Cybertruck, and much more. Brace yourselves for big drama!

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/DUBIOUS today to get 10% off your first month of therapy. If you like our content, please become a patron to get all our episodes ad-free.

We discuss the FCC’s denial of $900 M subsidies for Starlink, Maye Musk’s “furious” reaction on X (Twitter) to the FCC’s ruling and why Elon’s mother, Maye Musk, had to get involved in her son’s feud with the government. 1

Elon Musk’s affinity for right-wing extremist figures like Alex Jones, Andrew Tate, Tucker Carlson, Jack Psobiec, Laura Loomer and Vivek Ramaswamy has been a worrying trend. Moreover, his erratic behavior at the New York DealBook conference where he told his advertisers to “go f*ck themselves” and indicated that he won’t vote for Joe Biden but voting for Trump is “a hard choice” left many wondering if Musk is only acting based on profit optimization goals or he thinks of himself as a player character, while the rest of us are non-player characters - NPCs. 2 3

We also take a look at Musk’s involvement on the geopolitical scene, especially his ties with Saudi Arabia: Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the richest Middle East players, is the second-largest investor in X (Twitter) after Musk’s takeover of the social media platform. Elon also suggested that Ukraine should cede Crimea and parts of its territory to Putin, and that tensions between China and Taiwan could be resolved by handing over some control of Taiwan to Beijing.

In Nov 2022, President Biden was asked by journalists whether Musk was a threat to national security. Biden responded: “I think that Elon Musk’s cooperation and/or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at. Whether he is doing anything inappropriate, I’m not suggesting that. I’m suggesting they’re worth being looked at.” 4

1. MIRANDA NAZZARO Elon Musk’s mom ‘furious’ at Biden after FCC denies Starlink subsidy The Hill, December 2023 ⇤

2. Charlie Warzel Elon Musk Is a Far-Right Activist The Atlantic, December 2022 ⇤

3. FOUAD KHAN Confirmed! We Live in a Simulation Scientific American, April 2021 ⇤

4. Staff and agencies Elon Musk’s mom ‘furious’ at Biden after FCC denies Starlink subsidy The Guardian, November 2022 ⇤

François Duvalier claimed to be immortal, the reincarnation of a dark spirit: Baron Samedi. He built a torture room in the Presidential Palace, talked to the decapitated heads of his enemies, and used the Tonton Macoute to terrorize Haiti.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/DUBIOUS today to get 10% off your first month of therapy. If you like our content, please become a patron to get all our episodes ad-free.

Papa Doc Duvalier was one of the most ruthless dictators in history, ruling Haiti with an iron fist from 1957 to 1971. He was a medical doctor educated in Michigan, in the United States who then used voudou and his own Wagner type militia called the Tonton Macoute to spread terror and unimaginable violence to consolidate power.1

But he had a secret: he had diabetes. After a diabetic coma, he woke up even more ruthless than before. He changed the Constitution twice, won rigged elections with the help of voodoo priests and the lwas, and had absolute power. Papa Doc killed more than 60,000 Haitians.

Haiti was France’s richest colony in the 18th century, one of the most prosperous nations in the Caribbean. It was so fertile that it was was known as “the pearl of the Antilles.” Revolting against the French masters, Haiti became the first slave colony to overthrow its oppressors, the first free black republic in the world in 1803. Then the French asked for monetary reparations which Haitians had to pay to avoid invasion, and the U.S. occupied and robbed Haiti of its riches. Events like the Bay of Pigs, Fidel Castro’s rise to power in Cuba and the assassination of John F. Kennedy played a role in Haiti’s history as well.

After Papa Doc Duvalier’s death, his “fat playboy” son, Jean-Claude Duvalier aka Baby Doc, came to power and managed to continue his father's kleptocracy for 15 more years before finally being overthrown.

Now, Port-au-Prince as well as the rest of the country are in complete chaos, ruled by gangs and with virtually no government, no state officials left: Haiti is a failed state.

Evolution Of Evil E01: Papa Doc Duvalier | Full Documentary

1. Albin Krebs Papa Doc, a Ruthless Dictator, Kept the Haitians in Illiteracy and Dire Poverty The New York Times, April 1971 ⇤

A harrowing firsthand account of daily life in a dictatorship from our host Sandra, tragic family stories, and the many shocking but clear similarities between Ceausescu’s tyrannical regime and Donald Trump’s ambitions for a second presidency.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/DUBIOUS today to get 10% off your first month of therapy. If you like our content, please become a patron to get all our episodes ad-free.

Orange Jesus is a term coined not by democrats, but by Republicans themselves. In her new book entitled “Oath and Honor”, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) describes a scene in which a fellow House member called former President Trump “Orange Jesus.” Cheney says that while in the GOP cloakroom in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, members were encouraged to sign onto electoral vote objection sheets: “Among them was Republican Congressman Mark Green of Tennessee. As he moved down the line, signing his name to the pieces of paper, Green said sheepishly to no one in particular, ‘The things we do for the Orange Jesus.’” 1

“Trump is not only a danger to the United States and our democracy, but also a danger to the world. And because I was born in Romania and lived part of my life under a dictatorship, I think the best way to go about this subject is to tell some personal stories, things that happened to my family under Ceausescu’s regime in Socialist/Communist Romania, make some analogies and point out some striking similarities between what Nicolae Ceausescu did in my native country, the aftermath of his policies, what some other dictators did too, and what Trump has done and plans to do here in the United States. The 2024 Presidential Elections have the potential, if Trump wins, to impact and reshape the geopolitical order.” – Sandra, Dubious Creator and Co-Host.

Identified similarities: Refusal to relinquish power; Disdain for the free press; Censorship, propaganda and disinformation; Isolationism; Abortion bans; Criminalizing homosexuality and eroding LGBTQIA rights; Dehumanizing rhetoric like “vermin” (usually leads to genocide); Rampant corruption; Using religion to manipulate and radicalize people; Limited freedom of movement for certain demographics; The cult of personality; A love for grandiose military parades; Political repression; Turning truth on its head: Trump recently said that Joe Biden is a danger to democracy.

Donald Trump is the biggest danger to the world in 2024. A second Trump presidency would be more dangerous than the first to the United States and globally by orders of magnitude. 4

1. BESS LEVIN The Most Damning Details From Liz Cheney’s Book on the GOP, January 6, and “Orange Jesus” Vanity Fair, November 2023 ⇤

2. Ewan Palmer Donald Trump Says He Never Swore Oath 'to Support the Constitution' Newsweek, November 2023 ⇤

3. David Jackson Donald Trump says he will be a 'dictator' only on 'day one.' Then he'll focus on drilling. USA Today, November 2023 ⇤

4. The Economist Donald Trump poses the biggest danger to the world in 2024 The Economist, November 2023 ⇤

The day before he was fired, Sam Altman said “Is this a tool we built, or a creature?” We discuss the Q* mysterious letter that warned the OpenAI board of a powerful AI discovery that could threaten humanity. Did OpenAI achieve AGI?

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/DUBIOUS today to get 10% off your first month of therapy.

We discuss the five days of chaos and drama at OpenAI: an industry poster-child CEO double-crossed by his chief scientist, a cloak and dagger board coup, fears of killer AI, and a dead-of-the-night staff revolution that changed the balance of global tech power. Also: while Sam Altman is a billionaire, his younger sister Annie has supported herself doing sex work, “both in person and virtually”, on OnlyFans.

We also talk about Sam Altman’s history and his achievements: Y Combinator (Stripe, Airbnb), Worldcoin (which uses a silver orb to scan people's eyeballs in exchange for crypto tokens and might be a useful to discern humans from AI online in the future), and of course, his personal life - specifically his relationship with his sister Annie Altman. While Sam Altman is a billionaire, his younger sister Annie has supported herself doing sex work, “both in person and virtually”, on OnlyFans. 3

The recent changes at OpenAI will impact all of us, so it’s important to understand the implications of these recent developments within the hottest company in tech right now. It is essential to put things into context and look at the global picture: US and China are in a race for AI supremacy. 4

1. Charlie Warzel The Money Always Wins The Atlantic, November 2023 ⇤

2. Anna Tong, Jeffrey Dastin and Krystal Hu OpenAI researchers warned board of AI breakthrough ahead of CEO ouster, sources say Reuters, November 2023 ⇤

3. Elizabeth Weil Sam Altman Is the Oppenheimer of Our Age OpenAI’s CEO thinks he knows our future. What do we know about him? INTELLIGENCER, September 2023 ⇤

4. David Brooks The Fight for the Soul of AI The New York Times, November 2023 ⇤

5. Dave Lawler How the U.S. is trying to stay ahead of China in the AI race Axios, June 2023 ⇤