The Unlovely Truth

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, every 68 seconds another American is sexually assaulted. That’s nearly one every minute. Nearly 60 every hour. More than 1,270 new victims Every. Single. Day. I’d say somebody needs to do something about it, and there’s no reason it can’t be you and me.

Our book this week is You Are Not Alone by Jyssica Schwartz, a compilation of true stories of abuse, sexual assault, and harassment.

God’s Word is so clear about helping those in need and in vulnerable situations.

So this week our practical action step is to find an organization near you that helps victims of sexual assault. Maybe that’s a rape crisis center, or a group on a local college campus. Maybe a local church has an outreach or support group for survivors of sexual assault. Does your local law enforcement have a squad dedicated to crimes? Pick one of these groups and just thank them. Send them a card, or flowers, or gift cards at your favorite coffee shop. Let them know how much you appreciate what they do. You might even find yourself wanting to volunteer with them.

If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests who gave me fantastic information you won’t want to miss. You can also help someone else begin their journey as a different kind of PI - a person of impact, when you share the episode, and when you subscribe, give me a five-star rating and a nice review.

Don’t forget to access the Expand Your Impact Summit here.

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website

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If you’re a parent, I’ll bet at one time or another you’ve worried about what your child will be like as an adult. We hope that they will be kind, generous, happy, and so much more. One thing you definitely DON’T want is for them to become a criminal. Let’s talk about one mom whose son became a serial rapist, and in her increasingly crazy attempts to keep him out of trouble, she became a criminal herself.

As terrible as all of Fred’s criminal behavior was, today I’m coming after Ruth for enabling him. There’s so much more to their twisted relationship than I had time to share today, but to give false testimony is beyond the pale.

The Pharisees and the scribes criticized Jesus for having followers who didn’t strictly adhere to Jewish customs, especially on the point of what types of things defiled a person. Jesus called them out for the hypocrites that they were and explained that what truly defiles us is what comes out of our mouths. In the 15th chapter of Matthew, verses 19 and 20, Jesus says. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

False witness. That’s exactly what Ruth Coe was. She knew she was lying, and she did it anyway for her own selfish reasons. No one ever seemed to tell Fred Coe “no,” least of all his mother.

Buy the book here

Read this recent news article about Fred Coe

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Do you ever feel like true crime stories border on or even totally cross over into exploitation? It’s a fine line sometimes, and I try to always focus my telling of these stories as service. I want everyone listening to learn things they didn’t know so they can be safer, they can keep their loved ones safer, and they can then pay it forward by serving others to help survivors heal with justice and keep our communities safer.

Today I want to share with you a case that’s been cold for over 25 years now. Jack Robinson was murdered in broad daylight on August 17th, 1996, in Columbia, South Carolina. I’m truly privileged to be joined today by Jack’s only child, Tammy Downs. Let’s see if we can get someone to come forward with information about Jack’s death to help Tammy see some justice for her dad.

I know I’ve spoken about this verse before, but it is so relevant to today’s case that I want to go over it again. It’s Leviticus 5:1, and I like the way The Message translation phrases it:

“If you sin by not stepping up and offering yourself as a witness to something you’ve heard or seen in cases of wrongdoing, you’ll be held responsible."

That’s clear and to the point. If we know something, we are supposed to tell it to people in authority. If you’re scared, there are anonymous tip lines. Or send me a message and I’ll pass your information on. But the absolute best thing to do is to go to the police in person so they can ask you some follow up questions. You may know important information you didn’t realize was important!

So for those of us who don’t know anything - about unsolved crimes that is - our practical action step today is super easy. Just share this episode with your friends and encourage them to do the same. The more people who hear this, the greater chance we will reach someone who holds the key to solve Jack’s murder and give him and Tammy some measure of justice.

If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests who gave me fantastic information you won’t want to miss. You can also help someone else begin their journey as a different kind of PI - a person of impact, when you share the episode, and when you subscribe, give me a five-star rating and a nice review.

If you have any information on the murder of Jack Robinson, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC (274-6372), or

Lt. Kevin Eisenhower at 1-803-576-3073. Tell them you have information on RSCD Case # 018-796-3023

Justice for Jack L. Robinson Facebook page

WACH news article

Article from unresolved.me

Google maps location for boat ramp

Project Cold Case spotlight

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Would you believe me if I told you that violence against the elderly is tremendously under reported? That might be because, according to the AARP, many victims know or are related to their abusers. That makes me angry, frustrated, and I want to cry - all at the same time. But I’m glad you joined me so we can learn how to keep the seniors in our own lives safe from the garbage people who would abuse and take advantage of them.

Our book this week is Stealing Joy: A True Story of Alzheimer’s, Elder Abuse, and Fraud by Dr. Glynnis Walker Anderson. Our guest is Shannon Dion. She helped found the non-profit organization Secure Our Seniors’ Safety after a serial killer murdered her mother along with at least eighteen other victims, most of whom were senior citizens. We’ll chat with her after we investigate our book which details the death of Rosalind Walker.

Today I want to focus on the story from John chapter 12 where Mary anoints Jesus at Bethany. Remember how she poured expensive oil on his feet and then wiped them with her hair? May seem a little odd to us, and it certainly upset Judas. He asked why the expensive oil hadn’t been sold and the money given to the poor. That sounds reasonable, until you read verse 6, which says “He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.” Wow, can we get a lot from that one verse!

We all have loved ones that are going to need care someday. I know it’s hard to think about and plan for, but today’s case shows us exactly how important it is that we do! It is well worth the investment to have a trustworthy professional set up wills, powers of attorney, advanced directives, long term care plans, and anything else that your elderly loved ones need to be taken care of and to have their assets go to the people they want them to go to. And it’s critical to do it sooner rather than later because you never know when a medical issue could render them unable to set things up themselves.

If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests who gave me fantastic information you won’t want to miss. You can also help someone else begin their journey as a different kind of PI - a person of impact, when you share the episode, and when you subscribe, give me a five-star rating and a nice review.

Get your own copy of “Stealing Joy”

Visit Secure Our Senior's Safety website

Tips on how to talk about money and scams with your parents

People Magazine article about accused serial killer of seniors

Inside Edition video

Fox 4 KDFW story about legislation aimed at senior safety

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Can you remember going off on your own for the first time? Whether you were getting your first apartment, joining the military, or going off to college, it was probably exciting but also a bit scary. Today we are going to talk about how we can look out for signs that someone is struggling with a big change in their life - maybe even a change they are so poorly equipped to handle that they explode in violence.

Our book this week is The Events of October and our guest is pastor, writer, speaker, and resident counselor David Brannock. He’s going to talk about specific steps we can take to look out for each other when we experience big changes after we dive into today’s case.

I’ve got a couple of different passages I want us to think about today. The first is Proverbs 22:24-25, from The Amplified Bible: “Do not even associate with a man given to angry outbursts; Or go [along] with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his [undisciplined] ways And get yourself trapped [in a situation from which it is hard to escape].”

I also want to share Titus 3:10-11 with you from the New Living Translation: “If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.” This passage is dealing with people trying to cause divisions in the church, but I think the principle of the lesson certainly applies to relationships as well.

I want to challenge everyone - even myself - to find someone who needs to be encouraged to distance themselves from an unhealthy relationship. They may not see the red flags that you can, or even if they do they may just need that nudge that will move them to action. Even if they get mad at you like Maggie did with her friend who wouldn’t room with her if she stayed with Neenef, we need to plant those seeds that just might blossom in time to prevent another tragedy like Maggie’s. There are links below to other episodes about violence in relationships, as well as links to other helpful resources. I hope you’ll share them with anyone who needs to see that they are not alone and that there is hope.

Listen to Season 2, Episode 37: Why Do Abuse Victims Stay: "Every Breath You Take" by Ann Rule

Listen to Season 1, Episode 2: A Twisted Faith

Buy the book here

Connect with David Brannock here

Send me YOUR feedback on the podcast here