The Unlovely Truth

Piper Kerman could have been any one of us. I had no idea that the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black was based on the true crime memoir that detailed her experiences and what she learned from spending a year in federal custody.

 

My guest today is James Early, a fellow podcaster and volunteer in prison ministry. James actually serves at the same prison that is the setting for most of the action in this week’s book. You’ll be fascinated by how his work there changed his life.

 

Check out these great resources:

 

Buy the book

 

James' website

 

James' podcast

 

Visit my website and join my email list

Our book this week is “Pathological” by Henry J. Cordes and Todd Cooper, and my guest is Katherine Mayer, founder of Mayer Consulting in Austin Texas, where she and her colleagues offer civil and criminal defense investigations as well as Death Penalty Mitigation and Sentencing Advocacy.

 

We had a fascinating talk about the death penalty and more that you won’t want to miss. I hope you’ll share your thoughts with me on social media, or email me at [email protected] so we can have a discussion!

 

Check out these great resources:

 

Buy "Pathological" on Amazon

 

Shane Claiborne's website

 

Buy "Executing Grace" on Amazon

 

Visit my website and join my email list

On August 31, 1986, Doug Suns was shot in the head during an apparent robbery at the Kocolene gas station on Jonathon Moore Pike. He was working alone on the late night shift. The 22 year old died the next day at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Local police say this is the only unsolved homicide in Columbus, Indiana. Every victim deserves to have their story told, but not every story gets made into a book. Maybe if this one had been, the victim’s family would have the answers they’ve searched for for so long.

I hope that someone who listens to this episode knows who is responsible for Doug’s death. If that person is you, please contact authorities and tell them what you know.

You can call Columbus Police at 812-376-2600, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Tips can remain anonymous. Crime Stoppers won’t ask your name, and they don’t use caller ID.

 

Local news article about the search for Doug's killer

 

Crime Stoppers USA website

 

Visit my website and join my email list

This week we are taking another look at “Hell in the Heartland” by Jax Miller. My guest today is Linda Davis, executive director and co-founder of Families Against Narcotics. If you were with us last week, you’ll remember that “Hell in the Heartland” tells the almost unbelievable story of murders, missing girls, marijuana, meth, and one amazing mom. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode you will definitely want to catch it ASAP!

As the time that Ashely Freeman and Lauria Bible had been missing went from days, to weeks, to months, and then to years, Lauria’s mother Lorene kept searching for answers. She was always pushing herself to do the next thing that needed done in order to find her child.

Eventually, her investigation led her to believe that Danny Freeman’s connections to drug dealers set everything in motion.

 

One of the things that is most important to the folks at Families Against Narcotics is their belief that all people are worthy and deserving of being treated respectfully. I believe that Jesus teaches this in Mark chapter 12 verse 31 when he says, “...You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Think about how you felt when you were at the lowest point in your life. I know I would be more accepting of help if I felt that I was still seen as having value. If I was treated as someone would want me to treat them if our positions were reversed. Is this where you need to get out of the audience and into the action? When we all work together, we can be unstoppable!

 

Check out these great resources:

 

Hope Not Handcuffs by Families Against Narcotics

 

Buy Hell in the Heartland: Murder, Meth, and the Case of Two Missing Girls

 

New search underway in Picher for remains of Ashley Freeman, Lauria Bible

 

Visit my website and join my email list

This is Season 2, Episode 20 and our book this week is “Hell in the Heartland” by Jax Miller. My guest today is private investigator Sheila Wysocki. She’s also a tremendous advocate for families and especially moms, who often spend years trying to find the truth about what happened to their missing or murdered child.  “Hell in the Heartland” tells the almost unbelievable story of murders, missing girls, marijuana, meth, and one amazing mom.

I love the name of the non-profit that I get to share with you this week: Mothers in Charge. This amazing organization works to prevent violence and supports youth, young adults, families, and communities affected by violence. They have chapters in several different states, but if there isn’t one near you maybe you need to talk to them about starting one! I’ve put a link to their website below, so check that out and see how you can support Mothers in Charge with the incredible work they do.

 

Mothers In Charge website

 

Buy "Hell in the Heartland"

 

Update on the search for Ashley and Lauria

 

Join my email list - scroll to the bottom of the homepage!

 

https://sheilawysocki.com/

Being with family should be the safest place in the world. For many, tragically, it isn’t. Mark Sowersby survived childhood sexual abuse by someone he should have been able to trust. I’ve chatted before with Mark and the first thing I noticed about him was that he just radiates joy. I’ve asked him to share his incredibly compelling story with us, and to also talk a bit about some related issues from this week’s book. The author of “Murder By Family”, Kent Whitaker, is a victim himself. We usually hear about parents who are the abusers, but in this case it was the child abusing the parents' trust in him, which eventually led to murder.

What would you do if you found out that a family member wore a mask that made it seem like everything was alright, then you found out that behind the mask was someone committing horrifically evil acts? Both Mark and Kent had a choice to make. They knew God would give them the strength to forgive if they wanted it. But did they really want it?

 

Check out these links for great resources related to today’s episode:

Learn more about the My Stuff Bags Foundation

Advice on how to forgive an abuser

Buy "Murder By Family"

Mark's website

Join my email list - scroll to the bottom of the homepage!

Every year for the last 30 years in the U.S, between half a million and a million people have gone missing. The vast majority return or are found, or their remains are recovered. A few seem to vanish into thin air. Heather Teague from Kentucky is someone who was suddenly just gone and has never been located. Let’s try to change that. Heather's disappearance remains unsolved, and she is still missing. If you have any information, I’ve provided a number below where you can give any information you have to authorities. You can also read news articles about Heather’s case, and look up cases from where you live. Maybe you can help solve that mystery.

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Kentucky State Police

Detective Tim Rascoe

270-826-3312

 

Agency Case Number:

MP-96-02

 

NCIC Number: M-859716833

Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

 

The Charley Project - A cold case missing persons website

 

News article about Heather's case

 

News article about the original 911 call in Heather's case

 

The Doe Network - International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons

 

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

It’s hard to get good statistics on sexual assault. Some women don’t want to come forward to report an assault, and others – because they may have been intoxicated or otherwise incapacitated – may not even know that they were assaulted. This week’s book looks at cases of sexual assault at the University of Montana and how police handled rape cases there from 2010 to 2012. And I want to be very clear from the beginning of today’s episode: victims of sexual assault are never to blame for what happened to them. It’s not because of what they wore, the fact that they were drinking, or where they decided to go. It’s because a man decided that he did not need their consent to do what he wanted to do. Of course, it’s not only athletes that often seem to get preferential treatment. Anyone who we hold up as a role model can too easily be given a pass if an accusation is made against them. Even leaders in the church.

It’s an unlovely truth that often, action isn’t taken until media attention forces us to really look at situations closely, knowing that others are evaluating how things are being handled. My guest this week, Yvette Babs Walker, is a former reporter, editor, and news director, current dean of students at a large university, speaker, and host of the Positively Joy podcast. You’ll want to hear her perspective on violent crime, preferential treatment of some types of offenders, and how any one of us can step up to make a difference.

 

Check out these amazing resources:

Positively Joy podcast

Article on Jon Krakauer writing the book

Buy the book

Article on campus rape

Volunteer opportunity

 

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) or visit their website to receive confidential support.

In this week’s book “Confident Women: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion” the author wrote about many different types of scams, from false Russian royalty to shady spiritualists to straight up grifters. We don’t like to admit it, but any one of us could fall for the lies of a good scammer, especially when they are telling us something we are desperate to hear.

This book isn’t the story of one scam, or even one scam artist. But we are going to focus on just one of these scammers and what she took (besides just money) from her very rich, very famous victim - New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux.

I’m joined by certified fraud investigator Ed Stolle, whose real passion is to keep the youth in his church from falling for the biggest scam of all – that the object of their faith isn’t real.

Check out these resources for more information about today’s topics:

 

Protect yourself against investment fraud

 

Buy "The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time" by Maria Konnikova

 

Email Ed at [email protected]

This week’s book is The Leftovers: Basketball, Baylor, Betrayal, and Beyond by former Baylor basketball player Matt Sayman. With Baylor winning the men’s NCAA Division 1 Basketball Championship just days ago, I felt like this was a great opportunity to look at some of the mistakes made 20 years ago that took the program to the lowest point that they - or arguably any major college basketball program - had ever sunk, and talk about how we can work to avoid making those same mistakes in our own lives. Our story is told by a man who was on the team when it all came crashing down and was a big part, along with current Baylor Coach Scott Drew, of setting it back on the right track.  Former coach and athletic director Brian Williams joins me to talk about what happens when winning becomes your god, why we excuse bad behavior in successful people, and the importance of consistently putting others first.

 

To find Brian’s resources, check these links:

https://coachingtoolbox.net

https://www.personaldevelopmenttoolbox.net

 

Click here to buy "The Leftovers"

Article on Coach Bliss

Article on Coach Scott Drew

 

We focused on the downside of competitive athletics, but there’s no doubt that when done right, youth sports offers many positives. Kids can learn teamwork, discipline, and how to respond to good leadership – all while they stay physically fit! Sports can also offer a great alternative to hanging out with the wrong people and possibly getting involved in activities that lead nowhere good. If you want to help a kid who may not have the resources to play sports, visit goodsports.org.