The children of Milford Christian never had it easy. But after everything else – after isolation from the outside world and the insistence on conformity, after the humiliation, the beatings, the terror – the strict, draconian rules on appearance, relationships and sex took the largest toll. Learn about a different kind of abuse to which they were subjected, and the shame and scars it caused.

Surprised by what just popped up in your feed where Sticky Beak should be? Listen to a special announcement from Jessica Fritz Aguiar about a whole new phase to finding Justice for Doreen Vincent and the escapees of Milford Christian. Make sure you subscribe to my Patreon and leave a review wherever you find your podcasts! https://www.patreon.com/stickybeak

While Connecticut banned corporal punishment in public schools in 1989, it’s alive and well at Milford Christian Academy. Under Pastor Jim Loomer and headmistress Susan Martin – who has her own personalized paddle – the school sought to impose paideia, or nurture from strike or sting, on its students to keep them in line, just like when Mark Vincent paddled Doreen on the day she disappeared. Get the latest update on Mark’s gun charge and learn another secret about Susan that binds her to Doreen’s father. Content warning – this episode contains descriptions of the physical abuse of children.

Learn more about not only Susan Martin’s culture of fear and cruelty at Milford Christian Academy, but also the shocking secrets of what makes the woman herself tick. Hear how parents and teachers felt powerless to stand up in the face of Susan’s methods – especially with Pastor Jim Loomer in her corner. Learn a bit about what Mark Vincent has been up to all these years, and how Milford Christian escapees bear the scars of the church they left behind. Discover the first of many disturbing skeletons in Milford Christian’s closet. Trigger warning: this episode features graphic depictions of child abuse and references to suicide.

Dividing Milford Christian children from their parents was only the first part of Susan Martin’s plan. Next came a personality that ruled with fear, didn’t take no for an answer, was not afraid to lie to your face with a sweet smile. Come deep into the dark culture of Berean Academy and Church, a place where Jim Loomer felt free to not only allow, but foster, a man like Mark Vincent in his lair. Learn about a culture that - on top of the Wallingford Police Department, the Meriden Wallingford Record Journal, and Teen Challenge - has held up Justice for Doreen Vincent for decades.

Continue your journey into the dark heart of Susan Martin, Pastor James Loomer’s right hand woman. Learn how, as Milford Christian Academy’s headmaster and head disciplinarian, Susan used spying, emotional humiliation, and the power of Matthew 18:15 – a Bible verse meant to help Christians lead their brothers away from sin – to weaponize children against each other.

Mark Vincent isn’t the only friend of Pastor James Loomer’s who’s got a questionable past. Get to know Milford Christian Academy’s headmaster and head disciplinarian, Mrs. Susan Martin. Listen to audio from students who survived Berean on how Mrs. Martin cultivated and perpetuated her power over the children with the fear of hell.

Learn the history of Milford Christian Church, formerly known as Berean Assembly of God, its Pastor, James Loomer, and their connections to Mark Vincent. Explore the academics offered by Milford Christian Academy, or Berean Academy, as offered by Pastor Loomer and his team of teachers, including his right-hand woman Susan Martin, according to the Principle Approach. Hear the voices of former Berean students and begin to understand how their present might echo Doreen Vincent’s past, in a reflection of what Dateline’s Josh Mankiewicz calls The Ripple Effect of Murder.

Join Jessica Fritz Aguiar and Joe Aguiar for an update session on the status of Mark Vincent’s gun charge, including news from his last hearing and what we can expect from the next, information on his attorney Michael Boynton, news on how Mark’s wife Kathy feels about recent events, and some good old-fashioned letters from Brad Vincent to his brother. Plus some spoilers for upcoming new episodes, dropping soon.

Follow Jessica Fritz Aguiar as she details Mark Vincent’s February 16, 2022 arrest at Milford Christian Church, the events surrounding it, and its potential implications for Doreen Vincent’s case.