Hello PRETENDERS! I'm excited to announce that the new season of my other podcast, Criminal Conduct Season, is here! To listen to the rest of the story, search for Criminal Conduct and subscribe.

____________________

Buffalo Jim Barrier was a wrestling promoter, mechanic, and Las Vegas icon. He faced off against Rick Rizzolo, a powerful strip club owner with alleged mob ties. Their feud lasted decades. Days after Rizzolo’s release from house release, Buffalo Jim was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a motel room. Evidence is missing, and there are anonymous threats. Questions remain unanswered. Criminal Conduct Season 5 unravels a story of corruption, crime, and one man’s fight for justice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on PRETEND, we’re featuring the season 5 premiere of Nobody Should Believe Me, a compelling podcast hosted by author Andrea Dunlop that explores Munchausen by proxy abuse. Dunlop’s investigative storytelling sheds light on a complex and deeply troubling form of abuse, offering listeners both empathy and insight.

Season 5 kicks off with an in-depth look at Sophie Hartman’s 2016 memoir, Crowns of Beauty, where Hartman recounts her experiences in Zambia and her journey to becoming the adoptive mother of two Zambian girls. This episode unravels the layers of Hartman’s narrative, revealing her evangelical Christian roots and the persona she crafted as both a martyr and savior.

Andrea Dunlop is joined by Chad Goller-Sojourner, a performance artist and transracial adoption coach, who provides nuanced perspectives on the challenges and intricacies of transracial adoption. Together, they explore themes of identity, privilege, and the ways in which personal narratives can obscure uncomfortable truths.

Whether you’re a fan of Nobody Should Believe Me or new to the series, this episode promises a gripping and thought-provoking listen. Tune in to hear Andrea Dunlop and her team continue their important work of exposing the hidden dynamics of Munchausen by proxy abuse.

Where to Listen: Nobody Should Believe Me is available wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss the season 5 premiere, streaming now!

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tU5rLsNkx7LeI2GhLlQ4X?si=1e02ca94e6ac4066

Apple Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nobody-should-believe-me/id1615637188

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DNA evidence is often seen as the gold standard in criminal investigations—a scientific fingerprint that can definitively prove guilt or innocence. But what happens when the science behind it is mishandled or manipulated? In this episode of PRETEND, we explore two shocking cases: the Garrett Coughlin triple homicide and the wrongful conviction of Josiah Sutton. Both cases reveal how sloppy forensic work and unethical practices can set guilty criminals free and, worse, imprison innocent people. Through interviews with victims' families, experts, and journalists, we unravel the myth of DNA as infallible evidence and expose the devastating consequences of a broken system.

Featuring insights from Kathy Eppler and a special contribution from Celisia Stanton of the Truer Crime Podcast, this episode serves as a sobering reminder: DNA is only as reliable as the people interpreting it.

Credits:

Pitch to Truer Crime Podcast:

If you're intrigued by the case of Josiah Sutton and want to dive deeper, check out Truer Crime Podcast hosted by Celisia Stanton, where she explores the complexities of DNA evidence, justice, and wrongful convictions with a sharp and compassionate lens.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People panicked when a swarm of mysterious drones appeared in New Jersey’s night skies. Were they military? Foreign spies? Aliens? But buried under all the hysteria was one theory that refused to die: Birds Aren't Real. Yeah, that old internet conspiracy claiming birds are actually government surveillance drones. But here’s the thing—what if the joke isn’t as silly as it seems?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a holiday treat, Amanda of Wine & Crime, Javier of PRETEND, and Whitney of Navigating Advocacy sit down to chat true crime, being in the podcasting industry, cases that haunt us, dream collaborations, and more! Enjoy this bonus conversation and check out all of these amazing shows wherever you get your podcasts! 

Javier Leiva - PRETEND, Criminal Conduct, Ponzi Playbook

Amanda Jacobson - Wine & Crime 

https://open.spotify.com/show/5OeKXVPomhbejM9v7CDqxJ?si=4451247ce3704a0a

Whitney - Navigating Advocacy

https://open.spotify.com/show/6I09OWnoDtibLjE7rfQqrH?si=9265b522586d4727

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's Christmas episode, we delve into the story of David Ellisor, a man whose grand Christmas scheme left the city of Miami in disbelief. Ellisor, a real-life Grinch, planned to host "Christmas From Around the World," a supposed once-in-a-lifetime event promising the presence of ambassadors, live reindeer, and a spectacle of global traditions. But the event never happened. He collected the cash and made a run for it. This is a Christmas caper for the ages.

Plus, listeners tell their own Christmas con stories.

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! And I wish all of you a Happy New Year!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The true crime podcasting community has come together for the holiday season to discuss all things true crime podcasting. Over the next two weeks, ten shows will be dropping bonus episodes sharing these conversations. In this episode, I'm joined by Alvin Williams (Affirmative Murder) and Josh Hallmark (True Crime Bullsh**) to discuss how we started our shows, true crime as an industry, how we've grown and lessons we've learned, cases we've covered, monetizing true crime, television, the future of our shows, and more.

Check out Josh's and Alvin's shows:

Affirmative Murder

True Crime Bullsh**

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the IRS knocked on John Coutu's door, demanding $80,000, his girlfriend, Jennifer Mitchell, offered to help with his taxes. It seemed like a simple gesture of support.

But John would soon find himself caught in a troubling situation. Unbeknownst to him, his taxes were never filed, and a series of lies began to unravel. As John speaks out, his story reveals a strange and complicated web that extends beyond his own experience.

Today, we explore what happens when trust, love, and taxes collide.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, I've got to tell you about this crazy rabbit hole I slipped into. It's about that bizarre olive lady from the Maury show. Remember her? Olives freaked out Sally because they reminded her of, get this, dead people's eyes. Wild, right?

I always wondered... Was Sally for real or just putting on a show for the cameras? This question led me to Anthony Freire, a guy who used to produce for Maury Povich.

Man, the stuff I learned while putting together this episode! It’s like peeling back the curtain on daytime TV and finding a whole other world. Turns out, there are many mind games and behind-the-scenes tricks that go into making these shows. Anthony spilled the beans on how they get people to react a certain way or amp up their emotions for the audience.

It's not just about Sally and her olive phobia. This episode digs into the bigger picture of how these TV shows mess with people's heads, both the guests and us viewers.

If you're into the psychology used in reality TV shows or love a good behind-the-scenes story, you must check this out. It's not your average episode of PRETEND.

I can't wait to hear what you all think. Tune in, and let's get our minds blown together!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A con artist with a long history of scams almost pulled off her biggest scheme yet—stealing Elvis Presley’s iconic home, Graceland. Using fake documents and fabricated identities, Lisa Findley tried to claim ownership of the historic estate.

In this episode, NBC News reporter Brandy Zadrozny takes us down a rabbit hole and shows us how she unraveled Findley’s web of lies, linking her to years of fraud and harassment.

This is one of the boldest property scams in recent history, and Findley came dangerously close to succeeding/ We'll also talk about the loopholes that make these crimes possible.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices