This week we’re talking scams. Hannah shares the story of a man whose photo was used to con thousands of women, and Patia takes us inside an unsettling case of identity theft. 

Alex Couros’ Website: https://educationaltechnology.ca/information-for-romance-scam-victims/ 

Recommendations:  

The Binge Cases: Catch Me If You Ken 

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beth Denton has always wondered what really happened to her cousin Patricia, who was murdered in 1970 in her home in Oklahoma City.  Decades later, she decided to find out. This week, we speak with Beth as she unravels this family tragedy and tells the story of Patricia's life and untimely death. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Patia and Hannah dig into listener emails, covering a rental scam, a case of digital dating abuse (yes, it’s real), and a cold case: the 2013 disappearance of Brookelyn Farthing. 

Recommendations: 

Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer (Wolf Entertainment + CBC)  

Against All Odds (Wondery) 

Alone (History Channel)  

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Patia and Hannah speak with Cassie, who attended a Halloween party at an Oregon State University fraternity in 2008. The night started with costumes, loud music and a crowded basement full of college students. 

By the end of the night, Cassie was in the ER, holding a bag that contained her bloodstained costume. She soon found herself in a police interview recounting what happened. The state brought charges, and the case went to trial. 

Cassie’s story is a personal account of navigating the legal system after reporting a rape. She did everything “right" but still faced a long, painful process. Her experience echoes the questions we’ve wrestled with in high-profile campus sexual assault cases: What does justice actually look like?  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we bring you two crime stories in collaboration with Mandy and Melissa from Moms and Mysteries. Hannah and Patia discuss the killing of Richard Challen by his wife, Sally Challen. Then, Mandy and Melissa share the wild true story of the teenage serial thief known as the “Barefoot Bandit.” Plus, Patia and Hannah have recommendations.   

Links:  

Moms and Mysteries podcast: https://www.momsandmysteries.com/ 

David Challen’s book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93021229-the-unthinkable 

Recommendations:  

There’s Something Wrong with Aunt Diane 

Love Has Won 

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Bob Innes never set out to stop murders. But when his satirical website, RentAHitman.com, started attracting real requests for contract killings, he found himself in an unusual predicament. What, if anything, should he do about it? Now, he spends most of his spare time trying to intercept murder-for-hire plots, including an entire family wanted dead over an inheritance. But it turns out trying to stop a murder before it happens is tricky, especially when you aren’t in law enforcement. 

www.rentahitman.com 

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Hannah and Patia sit down with Anna Sinfield, the producer and writer behind the first two hit seasons of The Girlfriends, to talk about why the world needs more stories of women winning. Stepping into the host seat for The Girlfriends: Spotlight, Anna shares what it’s like to dive headfirst into a story, the emotional toll of true crime, and what to expect from the highly anticipated new season, The Girlfriends: Jailhouse Lawyer. Also, Hannah shares an update on the Brenda Andrew case, including a U.S. Supreme Court opinion issued in Jan 2025. 

Recommendations  

Netflix Documentary: The Twister: Caught in the Storm  

Podcast: Big Time (Apple/Campside Media) 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-girlfriends-spotlight/id1695875823 

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Only Woman on Oklahoma Death Row: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-only-woman-on-oklahoma-death-row-confirming-admission-of-prejudicial-gendered-evidence-can-violate-due-process-rights 

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Tennyson and Kyle felt safe in their quiet, rural community—until their lives were shaken by not one, but two violent home invasions. It wasn’t random. The attacks were targeted, and Tennyson was the focus. Even more chilling: it all happened on her very first Mother’s Day as a new mom. We speak with Tennyson about the events of that day and the long road of healing that followed. 

The Mother of All Days: https://www.amazon.com/Mother-All-Days-Break-Unexpected/dp/0997692375?ref_=ast_author_mpb 

Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/north-bend-intruder-may-have-planned-sexual-assault-deputies-say/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patia shares a conversation she had with Shileshia and Eric Milligan, a couple who became victims of adoption fraud in 2019 after self-matching through a Facebook group. What began with hope quickly turned to fear when the teen birth mother claimed she was in danger. Then, Hannah unpacks the story of Tara Lee, the woman behind a multi-million dollar adoption scam that operated out of Michigan. 

National Council for Adoption: How to Avoid Adoption Scams: https://adoptioncouncil.org/article/howtoavoidadoptionscams/ 

Recommendations: “Couples Therapy” documentary series  

Adoption Scam Artist Sentenced to Federal Prison: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2020/02/26/macomb-co-adoption-scam-artist-tara-lee-sentenced-federal-prison/4879858002/ 

Couples Therapy Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmmIoCQ40hs 

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On November 23, 1985, Jackie Pflug took her seat aboard EgyptAir Flight 648. When the plane reached flying altitude, several men forcefully took control of the plane. Jackie’s flight was being hijacked. Jackie miraculously survived, but many others did not. Decades later, she tells a story of bravery, profound loss and hope. 

Sydney Morning Herald – 

https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/from-the-archives-1985-massacre-on-hijacked-egyptair-flight-648-20191122-p53d4w.html 

Miles to Go Before I Sleep, by Jackie Pflug – 

https://www.amazon.com/Miles-Before-Sleep-Survivors-Terrorist/dp/1568388373 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.