Erika Mahoney spent years reporting on other people's stories. She never imagined she would become one herself.

In this episode, we sit down with Erika to talk about the day everything changed. While working as a journalist, she learned that an active shooter had opened fire at the grocery store where her father was shopping. 

She shares what it was like to navigate those agonizing hours as both a reporter and a daughter, why it's so important to remember victims for the lives they lived instead of the way they died, and how she's using storytelling to ensure her father's legacy lives on. We also discuss the realities of grief after the headlines fade, the healing that can come from sharing your story, and why there is no timeline for moving forward.

Resources:

Tune in to Erika’s podcast: https://www.erikamahoney.com/podcast

Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

Some of the most devastating crimes begin with trust. In this episode, we’re joined by Charles "Chip" Wallace, author of The Caregiver's Game, to explore the quiet and often overlooked reality of financial elder abuse.

After the death of his mother, Chip uncovered a trail of suspicious financial decisions, a rewritten will, and a pattern of manipulation that forced him into a years-long investigation. 

We discuss how caregiving can slowly shift into control, why these cases are so difficult to recognize, and how predators exploit both emotional dependence and systemic blind spots before families even realize something is wrong.

Chip shares the warning signs he wishes he had recognized sooner, the painful lessons he learned while fighting for answers, and why so many safeguards fail the very people they are supposed to protect. 

Resources:

Connect with Chip: https://thecaregiversgame.com/ 

Buy The Caregiver’s Game on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G322349C 

Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

Some families are left grieving. Others are left investigating. In this episode of I Want You To Know, we sit down with Madison McGhee, creator and host of the investigative podcast Ice Cold, to talk about her father's unsolved murder and the years she has spent searching for answers. 

After believing for the first ten years of her life that her father had died of a heart attack, Madison learned he had actually been murdered. She shares how that revelation changed everything, the loss of trust that followed, and what it has been like to become the driving force behind her own father's case.

We also explore what happens when homicide investigations grow cold, the emotional toll of becoming your own advocate, and how Madison's podcast has helped uncover new leads while keeping her father's story alive.

Resources:

Check out Madison's podcast Ice Cold at: https://www.icecoldcase.com/

Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

One young woman's dream of performing on stage became a fight to reclaim her voice. In this episode of I Want You To Know, Jayden Harris and her mother, Shannon, share the story behind Jayden's allegations of grooming and sexual exploitation while working as a teenage performer in Branson. 

They open up about the warning signs that were easy to miss, the impact of manipulation and abuse, and the emotional toll that continued long after everything became public. This is about the realities of power imbalances, survivor silencing, and why healing looks different for every person.

Jayden also shares how finding her voice transformed her pain into purpose. Rather than accepting a settlement that would have required her to remain silent, she made the courageous decision to refuse signing a non-disclosure agreement because, as she explains, healing could never come at the cost of losing her voice. Every conversation helps break the silence, raise awareness, and remind survivors that they are not alone.

Resources:

Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

What if human trafficking often looks very different than you've imagined? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Teresa Merriweather, a survivor, educator, and nationally recognized advocate who challenges the stereotypes that keep trafficking hidden in plain sight. 

Teresa shares how she was groomed by someone she trusted deeply, a respected leader in her church, and how emotional manipulation, betrayal, and coercion slowly led to her exploitation. Her story is a sobering reminder that trafficking does not always begin with force, and that victims come from every background, profession, age, and walk of life.

She also shares how she now trains law enforcement, healthcare professionals, foster parents, schools, and communities to recognize the warning signs that so often go unnoticed.

Resources:

Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

For nearly twenty years, Joseph Cleveland carried a secret he had never fully understood himself. What began as a trusted mentorship during a difficult season of his childhood eventually revealed itself to be years of grooming and sexual abuse at the hands of a respected church leader.

Joseph shares his story in his own words, taking us through the loneliness and vulnerability that made him a target, the manipulation that kept him silent, and the moment everything finally came into focus decades later. He speaks candidly about the realities many survivors face after coming forward, including self-doubt, shame, broken trust, and the painful responses from institutions that were supposed to protect children. This episode provides a powerful look at what survival, advocacy, and reclaiming your voice can truly mean.

If you or someone you love has been impacted by abuse, we hope this conversation reminds you that you are not alone. Thank you for listening, for supporting survivor stories, and for helping us create space for these difficult but necessary conversations.

Resources:

Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

Some losses never end, and for the families of missing loved ones, the absence becomes something they carry every single day. In this powerful conversation, we sit down with Julie Murray, sister of Maura Murray, whose disappearance in 2004 became one of the most discussed missing persons cases in America. But beyond the headlines, theories, and online speculation is a family that has spent more than two decades navigating uncertainty, grief, hope, and the impossible reality of not knowing what happened to someone they love.

Julie shares who Maura was before she became a case file, the lasting impact of ambiguous loss, and what people often misunderstand about families living through unresolved tragedies. We discuss the rise of true crime culture, the responsibility that comes with telling these stories, and why empathy must remain at the center of every conversation.

This episode is a deeply personal look at resilience, remembrance, and what it means to keep searching for answers while refusing to let a loved one's story be reduced to a mystery.

Resources:

Support Julie's campaign #engagewithempathy

Find Julie on Instagram: @mysistermauramurray 

Connect with Julie: https://www.mauramurraymissing.org/

Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

In this episode, a sister's grief becomes a powerful reminder of what is left behind long after the headlines fade. Whitney Bartell, whose brother Seth was killed following the 2003 Rocori High School shooting in Minnesota, shares about who Seth was beyond the tragedy, the dreams he never had the chance to pursue, and the lasting impact his loss has had on Whitney, her family, and an entire community. Whitney shares what it was like to grow up in the shadow of such a public tragedy, why siblings of victims are often overlooked in conversations about grief, and how trauma continues to resurface decades later in unexpected ways.

Whitney speaks candidly about losing not only her brother, but also the childhood and future she imagined, while reflecting on the resilience, healing, and purpose she has found in becoming a voice for Seth.

Resources:

Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

In this episode of I Want You To Know, we step into one of the most haunting and complex cases in recent memory, exploring the intertwined stories of Kathleen Savio and Stacey Peterson and the man at the center of it all. From a suspicious death initially ruled an accident to a disappearance that still has no answers, we unpack how control, manipulation, and public perception shaped the narrative and the investigation. We also examine the legal twists that made this case so significant, including the rare use of hearsay evidence and how it ultimately led to a conviction without ever finding one of the victims.

But this episode goes far beyond headlines and courtroom drama. We sit down with Norma Peterson, who offers a deeply personal and rarely heard perspective as a member of the accused’s family. She shares what it was like to live in the shadow of suspicion, navigate the media frenzy, and grapple with the reality of what happened to the women she knew and loved. Through her story, we explore the lasting impact of domestic violence, the power of intuition, and the responsibility we all carry as consumers of true crime. This conversation challenges what we think we know and asks us to look closer at the human cost behind every case.

You can help amplify the voices that deserve to be heard by continuing the conversation, supporting advocacy efforts, and staying informed. Be sure to follow I Want You To Know, leave a review, and join us in the next episode as we continue uncovering the stories that matter most.

Resources:

More information on Norma and Document the Abuse is available on their site: https://documenttheabuse.org/ 

Free, confidential help is available to individuals impacted by crime at http://victimconnect.org

For more information about the National Center for Victims of Crime, visit our home page. 

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

In this powerful episode of I Want You To Know, we examine the Colonial Parkway Murders through the eyes of someone who has lived the devastation for nearly four decades. Bill Thomas, brother of victim Kathy Thomas, shares not only the deeply personal story of Kathy and Rebecca Dowski, but also the painful questions that still remain about bias, investigative failures, media misrepresentation, and what justice looks like when a suspect dies before facing trial. This conversation explores how the legal and cultural realities of the 1980s may have shaped the case, how Kathy and Rebecca’s relationship was minimized in ways that may have impacted the investigation, and why the handling of victims’ stories matters as much as the pursuit of answers.

We also dig into the broader crisis of unsolved murders in America, the ripple effects cold cases have on families for generations, and the responsibility of law enforcement, media, and even true crime creators to do better. Bill offers his perspective on advocacy, accountability, and why victims must remain at the center of these conversations. This is an episode that asks difficult questions, challenges assumptions, and invites listeners to think differently about justice, memory, and the stories we choose to tell. If you care about cold cases, victim advocacy, or the human side of true crime, this is a conversation you will not want to miss.

To learn more about the National Center for Victims of Crime, head to victimsofcrime.org. Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org. Hear more of Bill's story and check out his podcast Mind Over Murder.

Resources:

Listen to Mind Over Murder: https://mindovermurderpodcast.com

National Center for Victims of Crime: victimsofcrime.org 

Free confidential help is always available at victimconnect.org

If you have been a victim of a crime and would like to share your story, please contact us at [email protected] 

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This podcast discusses real crimes and may include sensitive topics that could be difficult for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.