WILDCIDE

Y'all! Today is a special interview because Bailey gets to sit down with her professional crush Dr. Elizabeth Loftus. Dr. Loftus shares about her extensive research in the field of memory particularly around the misinformation effect, false memory and criticism of recovered memory therapies. Dr. Loftus is an instrumental figure in cognitive psychology. Her work has made a huge contribution to psychology and opened a unique and controversial aspect of psychology and memory. She has been an expert witness or consultant in hundreds of cases, including the McMartin preschool molestation case, the trial of Oliver North, the trial of the officers accused in the Rodney King beating, litigation involving Michael Jackson, Martha Stewart, Scooter Libby, and the Duke University Lacrosse players; as well as Ghislaine Maxwell, Harvey Weinstein, Ted Bundy, O.J. Simpson, Angelo Buono and Robert Durst. This is one interview that you absolutely do not want to miss. 

About Dr. Loftus:

Dr. Elizabeth Loftus is a professor of psychology and expert researcher on the malleability and reliability of repressed memories, is one of the nation's leading experts on memory. Dr. Loftus discovered psychology at UCLA where she received her BA in 1966 in math and psychology. In 1968, she applied to graduate school at Stanford where she became interested in long term memory. Dr. Loftus went on to receive her M.A. in 1967 and her Ph.D in 1970, from Stanford. In 1973, Dr. Loftus was offered a position as assistant professor at the University of Washington in Seattle and began her research with investigations of how the mind classifies and remembers information. In the 1970's, she began to reevaluate the direction of her research where she began her research on traumatically repressed memories and eyewitness accounts. Dr. Loftus suddenly found herself in the midst of sexual abuse stories and defending accused offenders. In 1974, her research thrust her into the courtroom to testify in over 200 trials as an expert witness on the unreliability of eyewitness testimonies based on false memories, which she believed to be triggered, suggested, implanted, or created in the mind. She testifies with the hope of preventing an innocent victim from going to prison and protecting a family's unity.

Dr. Elizabeth Loftus has appeared on countless talk shows including the Oprah Winfrey Show. She has published 19 books and nearly 200 articles. She remains one of the most sought after psychology speakers and is an important spokesperson for the False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF). Dr. Loftus is an avid member of several psychological associations and has received numerous grants, fellowships, and awards. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Western Psychological Association, and the Psychonomic Society. Her most recent award was in 1995 when she received the Distinguished Contribution Award from the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. She attains the highest respect from her colleagues and remains an important figure in this unfolding drama of memories and crime.

Dr. Loftus' Publications:

https://www.law.uci.edu/faculty/full-time/loftus/

The Myth of Repressed Memory: False Memories & Allegations of Sexual Abuse

Witness for the Defense

In the heart of Nebraska, the serene town of Beatrice is shattered when Helen Wilson, a local woman wholly loved by her community, is brutally murdered in her own home, leaving the community in a state of terror. The suspect pool was very small and early leads lead to a promising arrest. However, DNA would prove the Beatrice Police Department had the wrong guy. Following Helen's murder, and the gruesome nature of the crime sets off a frenzy of suspicion and paranoia, eventually culminating in the arrest and conviction of six locals- Joseph White, Thomas Winslow, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Debra Shelden, James Dean and Kathy Gonzalez- each claiming innocence. As the years drag on, the eerie realization dawns that the true horror lies not just in the murders themselves but in the sinister forces within the justice system that condemned the wrong people. Dark secrets surface, revealing a web of corruption, coercion, and manipulation. This case highlights the malleability of the mind, specifically a person's memories of events and the hope that technology such as DNA testing can bring to criminal cases.

Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, you can follow/subscribe to “WILDCIDE” on your favorite podcast listening app. While you’re there, please rate and leave us a review – we would really appreciate it! You can also visit our website at www.wildcidepodcast.com (merch now available!) 

​​Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff ([email protected]).

References:

Aviv, R. (2017, June 12). Remembering the murder you didn’t commit. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/19/remembering-the-murder-you-didnt-commit 

Duggan, J. (2009, May 4). Part One: Murder in Apartment 4. Lincoln Journal Star. https://journalstar.com/special-section/presumed-guilty/part-one-murder-in-apartment-4/article_e748ddcd-00a2-54af-aeb0-1a7184814445.html

Ferak, J. (2016, July 20). Investigator Tina Vath unraveled Beatrice’s FAILURE OF JUSTICE homicide case • WildBlue Press true crime website. WildBlue Press True Crime Website. https://wildbluepress.com/investigator-vath-unraveled-beatrices-failure-justice/

GovInfo. (n.d.). https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca8-14-01773

Feb 07, 1985, page 1 - Beatrice Daily Sun at Newspapers.com. (n.d.). Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/507648361/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20Wilson%22

In the heart of Nebraska, the serene town of Beatrice is shattered when Helen Wilson, a local wholly loved by her community, is brutally murdered in her own home, leaving the community in a state of terror. The suspect pool was very small and early leads lead to a promising arrest. However, DNA would prove the Beatrice Police Department had the wrong guy. Following Helen's murder, and the gruesome nature of the crime sets off a frenzy of suspicion and paranoia, eventually culminating in the arrest and conviction of six locals- Joseph White, Thomas Winslow, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Debra Shelden, James Dean and Kathy Gonzalez- each claiming innocence. As the years drag on, the eerie realization dawns that the true horror lies not just in the murders themselves but in the sinister forces within the justice system that condemned the wrong people. Dark secrets surface, revealing a web of corruption, coercion, and manipulation. This case highlights the malleability of the mind, specifically a person's memories of events and the hope that technology such as DNA testing can bring to criminal cases.

Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, you can follow/subscribe to “WILDCIDE” on your favorite podcast listening app. While you’re there, please rate and leave us a review – we would really appreciate it! You can also visit our website at www.wildcidepodcast.com (merch now available!) 

​​Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff ([email protected]).

References:

Aviv, R. (2017, June 12). Remembering the murder you didn’t commit. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/19/remembering-the-murder-you-didnt-commit 

Duggan, J. (2009, May 4). Part One: Murder in Apartment 4. Lincoln Journal Star. https://journalstar.com/special-section/presumed-guilty/part-one-murder-in-apartment-4/article_e748ddcd-00a2-54af-aeb0-1a7184814445.html

Ferak, J. (2016, July 20). Investigator Tina Vath unraveled Beatrice’s FAILURE OF JUSTICE homicide case • WildBlue Press true crime website. WildBlue Press True Crime Website. https://wildbluepress.com/investigator-vath-unraveled-beatrices-failure-justice/

GovInfo. (n.d.). https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca8-14-01773

Feb 07, 1985, page 1 - Beatrice Daily Sun at Newspapers.com. (n.d.). Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/507648361/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20Wilson%22

The sterilization of Leilani Muir is a stark example of the human rights violations that can occur when governments adopt policies based on discriminatory ideologies. Muir's successful legal battle against the Alberta government not only brought her personal justice but also exposed the broader injustices of the eugenics movement in Canada. Her case serves as a powerful reminder of the need to protect individual rights, ensure informed consent, and confront the legacy of eugenics in modern society. The story of Leilani Muir continues to resonate as a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing prejudice and pseudoscience to dictate public policy.

Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, you can follow/subscribe to “WILDCIDE” on your favorite podcast listening app. While you’re there, please rate and leave us a review – we would really appreciate it! You can also visit our website at www.wildcidepodcast.com (merch now available!) 

​​Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff ([email protected]).

References:

Muir, L. (2014). A whisper past: Childless after eugenic sterilization in Alberta: A memoir. FriesenPress.

The Sterilization of Leilani Muir - NFB Collection

CBS News. (2016, March 16). Advocate for Alberta’s sterilization victims dies | CBC News. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/leilani-muir-advocate-for-alberta-s-sterilization-victims-dies-1.3492829

Dyck, E. (2014). Review of A whisper past: childless after eugenic  sterilization in alberta, a memoir by leilani  muir. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 63.3, Fall 2017, 321-324, 63.3(Fall 2017), 321–324. Retrieved August 18, 2024, from file:///C:/Users/baile/Downloads/admin,+AJER+2001BR+Galley.pdf.

Kowalchuk, K., & Scott, S. (2023, March 14). Leilani Muir and eugenics in Alberta. Edmonton City as Museum Project ECAMP. https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2023/03/14/leilani-muir-and-eugenics-in-alberta/#muir1

Wikipedia. (2024, June 3). Leilani Muir. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leilani_Muir

High school sweethearts Agneta and Ingemar Westlund decided to retire to a life of retirement piddling around the house, walking down to the lakes, and enjoying their dog Yocke in the town of Loftahammar, Sweden. Their two daughters were grown and living in Stockholm and the two were anticipating many more years together on their little farm. However, on September 8, 2008 life would come crashing down for the Westlunds. Join Chelsea with special guests Lucas and Zach, aka “The Husbands” and we theorize how Agneta would end up in a pool of her own blood brutally beaten beside a serene lake in eastern Sweden. The truth is stranger than fiction on this one. 

Editor: Zach the Husband in place of Bailey.

92-The-Script. (n.d.). True Crime Cases. https://truecrimecases.com/P04/90-to-99-Miscellaneous/91-Script/92-The-Script/

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes content around the kidnapping and murder of a child. Listener discretion is advised.

Brooklyn, 2011. Eight year old Yehudah “Leiby” Kletzky had begged his mother to let him walk the few city blocks to his Hasidic Jewish summer camp. He didn’t want to ride the bus and his mother agreed but only after they both practiced the simple route too and from his summer camp. Leiby’s mother waited at their predetermined spot to hear about her little boy’s first day at camp but unfortunately that first day of camp, July 11, 2011 would be the last day that his family saw sweet Leiby. A missing boy in the Borough Park community of Brooklyn, NY would not be tolerated by the community. Every day men and women took to the streets in hopes to bring a neighbor home. One member would go as far as playing the role of private investigator. It was in this unfamiliar role of P.I. that Yaakov German would discover the truth of what happen to that little boy by viewing grainy surveillance videos. How could this happen to a boy in a guarded, close knit, Hasidic Jewish community. Time was running out and every effort was made to bring justice for Leiby Kletzky.

Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, you can follow/subscribe to “WILDCIDE” on your favorite podcast listening app. While you’re there, please rate and leave us a review – we would really appreciate it! You can also visit our website at www.wildcidepodcast.com (merch now available!) 

​​Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff ([email protected]).

References:

Blanco, J. I. (n.d.-b). Levi Aron | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. https://murderpedia.org/male.A/a/aron-levi.htm

Admin. (2011, July 15). BrOOklyN, NY - Amateur Sleuth Yaakov German helps cops catch Levi Aron and solve murder of Leiby Kletzky -. VINnews. https://vinnews.com/2011/07/15/brooklyn-ny-amateur-sleuth-yaakov-german-helps-cops-catch-levi-aron-and-solve-murder-of-leiby-kletzky/

Forward. (2017, June 6). Mystery Death Of Killer’s Brother Dredges Up Leiby Kletzky Horror In Hasidic Brooklyn. The Forward. https://forward.com/news/373832/mystery-death-leiby-kletzky-killer-hasidic/

Shaer, M. (2011, December 2). The story behind the murder of Leiby Kletzky and the trial of Levi Aron -- New York Magazine - NYMaG. New York Magazine. https://nymag.com/news/features/levi-aron-2011-12/

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, June 21). List of Hasidic dynasties and groups. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hasidic_dynasties_and_groups

Mixson, C. (2017, July 3). Murder mystery: Medical examiner can not determine how killer’s brother died, concludes. Brooklyn Paper. https://www.brooklynpaper.com/murder-mystery-medical-examiner-can-not-determine-how-killers-brother-died-concludes-investigation/

Gardiner, S. (2011, July 14). After Abduction, Suspect Says He Took Boy to Wedding. Wall Street Jounral. Retrieved July 28, 2024, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-METROB-13564

What a Wildcide Special today! I guess the stars finally aligned for Bailey (one half of the magical Wildcide sister duo) to be in the hot seat today! We also have our wonderful OG Wildcide fangirl, future Wildcide Mascot and dear friend Melanie as our guest co-host today to interview Bailey. Talk about a special, am I right? We have a listener on our show and we get to peek inside Bailey’s therapist brain. You will not want to miss this super fun and informative interview about all things therapy; answering questions that our wonderful listeners provided for us to ask. This interview takes the cake!

A little about Bailey:

Bailey is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), MRAS (Masters Level Registered Addiction Specialist) and an EMDR provider. She has worked in the mental health and addiction fields for twelve years and has spent most of her time and experience working with trauma, substance abuse and sex addiction. She has worked in many settings including inpatient psychiatric facilities, to inpatient substance abuse facilities, outpatient treatment programs, private practice and as a contractor for the federal government.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes content around child abuse, child endangerment and negligent homicide of a child. Listener discretion is advised.

Candace Elizabeth Newmaker was born Candace Tiara Elmore on November 19, 1989 in rural North Carolina. She was born into poverty and her mother was a second-generation foster child. The same fate unfortunately came for Candace herself when she was removed from her mother’s custody at the age of 5. After two years in foster care, Candace was formally adopted by a stable and successful single woman, Jeane Newmaker, who christened Candace with her new name and tried to give her the world. However, the transition was rough for both Candace and Jeane. Candace was struggling being away from her biological mother, she acted out, and did not seem able to bond with Jeane. After seeing specialist after specialist and years of therapy and medications, in an effort to treat Candace’s believed attachment disorder, Jeane brought her to a highly-recommended therapy center in Colorado. It was there where, at just 10 years old, Candace Newmaker met a tragic end during an experimental “rebirthing” treatment. The boundaries between healing and harm blurred, leaving a community in shock and a family shattered. This horrific incident exposed the dangers of unregulated and unproven therapeutic practices. This one's a whole lot y'all. Listen in as Bailey gives her perspective as a therapist and provides clinical insights into this heartbreaking case.

**Don’t miss the interview with one-half of your favorite Wildcide hosts, Bailey, as she answers listener’s questions regarding all things trauma, therapy, addiction and mental health. Interview drops Friday 8/2/24.

Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, you can follow/subscribe to “WILDCIDE” on your favorite podcast listening app. While you’re there, please rate and leave us a review – we would really appreciate it! You can also visit our website at www.wildcidepodcast.com (merch now available!) 

​​Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff ([email protected]).

References:

https://culteducation.com/group/1115-rebirthing/17893-her-name-was-candace.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1174742/

SESSION TRANSCRIPT: https://www.parkaman.com/transcript-candace-newmakers-tape/

http://www.childrenintherapy.org/proponents/cline.html

https://allthatsinteresting.com/candace-newmaker

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537155/

https://culteducation.com/group/1115-rebirthing/17893-her-name-was-candace.html

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1111%2Fcpsp.12379

BOOK: Mercer, J., Sarner, L., & Rosa, L. (2003). Attachment therapy on trial: The torture and death of Candace Newmaker. Praeger.

https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=124076&page=1

https://www.bmj.com/content/322/7293/1014.6.short

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/05/us/national-briefing-rockies-colorado-probation-in-suffocation-death.html

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-21-mn-53812-story.html

https://poundpuplegacy.org/document/130002

https://web.archive.org/web/20080907130015/http://www.kidscomefirst.info/msoAB8FC.pdf

http://www.childrenintherapy.org/victims/newmaker.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20080806161320/http://cbs4denver.com/local/denver.rebirthing.watkins.2.786701.html

https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=93074&page=1

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2001/10/12/No-prison-for-mother-in-rebirthing-death/16191002897732/

https://www.cnn.com/2001/LAW/04/17/rebirthing.ban/

By 2006, Gailen Eugene “Gene” Thurnau II was an accomplished man who had a successful stint in the Air Force and was in the midst of a successful career as an air traffic controller. He had just moved from Nebraska to St. Petersburg, FL to be closer to family. He was in a new, loving relationship with his co-worker Juanita “Jaye Jaye” Formoso, and was in a good place in life. Gene was extroverted, friendly, and gregarious so he naturally struck up a friendship with his colleague Robert “Bob” Peterson. After years of working together and a friendship built amongst Gene, Jaye Jaye and Bob, tragedy would strike. On November 1, 2006, Jaye Jaye returned home to an empty house finding Gene’s bloody clothes, a bullet on the ground and an envelope addressed to Gene with a letter enclosed: a letter that detailed unrequited love, sexual desires, and demands for erotic exploration. This case is unfathomable and tragic for everyone involved. It really challenges the preconceived notions of social norms, boundaries and the emotional turmoil of hindsight being 20/20.

Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, you can follow/subscribe to “WILDCIDE” on your favorite podcast listening app. While you’re there, please rate and leave us a review – we would really appreciate it! You can also visit our website at www.wildcidepodcast.com (merch now available!) 

​​Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff ([email protected]).

References:

Beyond Crime. (2017, December 9). Stranger in my home | S2E1 | star-crossed murder. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPz1qPdRzBc

Pace, G. (2019a, December 9). Bob kept his love for gene secret until tragic end. Tampa Bay Times. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2007/03/16/bob-kept-his-love-for-gene-secret-until-tragic-end/

Pace, G. (2019b, December 9). Mystery grows as bodies found. Tampa Bay Times. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2006/11/04/mystery-grows-as-bodies-found/

Robson, M. (2022, October 12). The most stressful job in the world? what it’s really like to be an air traffic controller. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelerobson/2020/05/29/the-most-stressful-job-in-the-world-what-its-really-like-to-be-an-air-traffic-controller/

Hillsborough Obituaries. (2006, November 8). Galen (gene) Thurnau, II obit. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/article/tampa-bay-times-galen-gene-thurnau-ii/21766294/

Makara-Studzińska M, Załuski M, Jagielski P, Wójcik-Małek D, Szelepajło M. An Exploration of Perceived Stress, Burnout Syndrome, and Self-Efficacy in a Group of Polish Air Traffic Controllers and Maritime Navigators: Similarities and Differences. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 23;18(1):53. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010053. PMID: 33374735; PMCID: PMC7793528.

Meet the oz behind the curtains. Today, Bailey and Chelsea interview Mark Safarik Supervisory Special Agent, F.B.I. (Ret.). Not only is he awesome in every way, he’s also the GOAT when it comes to behavioral analysis. Listen in as Mark walks us through what criminal profiling actually is and his approach to getting inside criminal minds and catching killers. To access Mark’s Website, click here.  To purchase Mark's book, click here. 

About Mark:

Mark E. Safarik M.S., V.S.M.

Supervisory Special Agent, Behavioral Analysis Unit - Federal Bureau of Investigation (Ret.)

Director - Forensic Behavioral Services International

Mark Safarik was a senior Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavioral Analysis Unit member. During that time, he established himself as an internationally recognized expert in analyzing and interpreting violent criminal behavior. His law enforcement career spans over 31 years, during which time he worked in all levels of policework, from patrol as a beat cop to a detective working homicides. He served 23 years with the FBI – 12 of those as a criminal profiler. He led the consultation efforts on high-profile national and international violent crime cases. He lectured at numerous foreign police forces worldwide, sharing his expertise in analyzing homicide and complex crime scene behavior.  

Mr. Safarik has a graduate degree from Boston University and is an adjunct faculty member at Boston College. He is a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, a former Armed Forces Institute of Pathology faculty member, and an advisory board member at the Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law. He has conducted internationally renowned research on the sexual assault and homicide of elderly females and received the prestigious Jefferson Medal from the University of Virginia for this groundbreaking work. He was awarded the Silver Medal from The Spanish Society of Criminology and Forensic Science, the first non-European to receive this honor. He is a member of the highly respected Vidocq Society, a criminological group that donates its investigative resources to solving cold case homicides. He is well-published in international journals, including the Journal of Forensic Sciences, the International Journal of Homicide Studies, and the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. He has authored numerous book chapters on homicide, including the newest text on sexual homicide, the Routledge International Handbook of Sexual Homicide Studies. His book Spree Killers: Practical Classifications for Law Enforcement and Criminology is hailed as the definitive textbook on this type of multicide.

Mr. Safarik has reviewed and consulted on thousands of national and international crimes of violence, including all types of homicide: serial, mass, spree, and multiple murders, serial sexual assault, and equivocal death analysis. Attorneys in both criminal and civil courts have utilized his expert testimony. He has lent his expert casework to understand many of the world’s most infamous people, including Robert Lee Yates, the Spokane Serial Killer, the Bakersfield mass murderer, the Dating Game Killer Rodney Alcala, serial killer Derrick Todd Lee, female serial killer Sheila LaBarre, family mass murderer Christopher Coleman, Scotland’s World’s End serial killer Angus Sinclair, and high profile staged homicides of police officers.

He has appeared on Dateline, Court TV, Forensic Files, New Detectives, A&E, the History Channel, Oxygen, Discovery ID, and numerous news networks to discuss his cases and analyses. His television series, Killer Instinct, premiered in 2011. He was a longtime consultant for the popular television series CSI: Las Vegas, Bones, and The Blacklist. He has two seasons of Cold Case Homicide television shows in Sweden and Denmark.

Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, you can follow/subscribe to “WILDCIDE” on your favorite podcast listening app. While you’re there, please rate and leave us a review – we would really appreciate it! You can also visit our website at www.wildcidepodcast.com (merch now available!) 

Make sure to get updates by following us on Instagram (@wildcidepodcast) and Facebook (Wildcide Podcast). Don’t forget Wildcide Wednesdays- new episodes drop every Wednesday at 6am EST. Interviews will drop every other Friday at 6am EST.

​​Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff ([email protected]).