E472 Milkshake Tears and a Lego Hair Wig

Summary

And That's Why We Drink – Episode 472 "Milkshake Tears and a Lego Hair Wig"

Release Date: March 1, 2026
Hosts: Christine Schiefer, Em Schulz (with frequent guest co-host Allison)

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Episode Overview

In Episode 472, Christine and Allison weave together emotional highs and chilling lows in classic "And That's Why We Drink" fashion. The first half brings laughs, cravings, and heart via Allison's impassioned love affair with a Shake Shack milkshake and Christine's sticker shop saga. Then, Allison shares the remarkable legend of Scrim, New Orleans' most ungovernable and beloved runaway dog. The second half plunges into a heavy, updated look at the true crime case of the Turpin family, focusing on their 2018 rescue, the aftermath, and fresh insights from new interviews as of 2026. Expect plenty of tangents, deadpan humor, and empathy—plus a running joke about one of the most unforgettable haircuts in true crime.

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Notable Moments & Quotes

• Allison’s milkshake meltdown (03:16):
  "[This Shake Shack Valentine's milkshake] has rocked my... And I'm so mad. I was introduced to her because she's gonna leave. She's fleeting."
  The team jokes about Allison's tearful yearning for a limited-edition milkshake. Christine quips about feeling inadequate compared to the love Allison has for the drink.
  [03:16–04:32]

• Christine’s sticker shipping disaster (08:07):
  "All the zip codes and cities are different, but the street address—somehow I had copy and pasted into 400 address labels, but not the city and state and zip. So... I'm just so glad those didn’t get mailed out and then 400 of them came back to my PO Box."
  The pair riff on the perils of productivity and "lucky girl syndrome."
  [08:07–10:37]

• On the Scrim saga’s community impact:
  Allison: "They made literal search parties. Strangers were crawling under abandoned houses... They tried luring him out with Popeye’s, which would have worked on me. Did not work... They even started online forums called Scrim Spottings."
  [27:42–28:33]

• Christine on Scrim’s mythic status:
  "New York Times actually called him a mythical creature. And so I’m like, well, I’m using it. I’m running with it."
  [14:47–14:54]

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Episode Breakdown

1. Opening Banter & Drinks of the Week [02:34–13:17]

• Milkshake Emotions (02:34–07:47)
  • Allison launches into a semi-tearful ode about a Shake Shack Valentine’s Day special milkshake (the “True Love Milkshake”)—chocolate shell, strawberry flavor, ephemeral and coveted.
  • Dramatic responses: mock tears, Christine joking about feeling inadequate, reflection on what foods they’d “yearn for” on death row.
    • Allison: “There's no one who yearns for this milkshake, though. Like, I want to be yearned the way I yearn for this milkshake.” [06:12]
  • Milkshake talk segues into a humorous, “non-existent sponsorship offer” and imagined mafioso-style secret password: “ATWWD sent you.”
• Christine’s Sticker Snafu (07:47–10:37)
  • Christine celebrates selling out “Abolish ICE” stickers benefiting the National Immigrant Justice Center—then admits to a major labeling mishap nearly causing mass shipping chaos.
  • Discussion on productivity collapses, “delusional optimism,” and being betrayed by organization.
• Mini Ads & Tangents (10:37–13:17)
  • Interstitial discussion about Rocket Money, Bilt, and other sponsors (skipped in this summary except for organic tangents).

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2. Story #1 - Scrim, the Urban Legend Dog of New Orleans [13:17–55:38]

Introduction & Context [13:17–15:00]

• Allison asks for patience: “We’re bending the rules today... This is not paranormal. However, we found a way to stretch the truth last week when you called it an urban legend.”
• Christine: “This dog will live in the lore for centuries. I feel like this will be a local legend.” [14:38–14:47]

The Legend of Scrim [15:00–36:00]

• Scrim’s Origin Story

  • Found as a stray near New Orleans in 2023, picked up by a kill shelter, named “Michael.”
  • Rescued at the last minute by Michelle of Zeus’s Rescue (no-kill), renamed “Scrim” after a local rapper.
  • Notable moment: “Not a dollar sign to be found with Michael.” [23:12]

• First Escape & Mythos Building [23:41–29:52]

  • Scrim bolts from his trial placement family on his first night.
  • Flyers are posted—response is massive and citywide.
  • Scrim sightings become viral. Residents hold search parties, crawl under houses, and even try to lure him out with Popeye’s chicken.
  • “Scrim Spottings” forums and memes proliferate—locals root for the “free Scrim” movement.

• The Chases, the Traps, and the Fame

  • Multiple failed capture attempts: blow darts (tranquilizer gun, which Scrim somehow powers through), a net gun, civilian pursuit.
  • Christine wonders, “Can’t he be free? Are we just not letting him be free?” [32:35]
  • Some locals root for Scrim’s freedom: “Free Scrim” becomes a hashtag as he evades even the pros.

• Vision of Scrim as Urban Myth

  • Christine: “It sounds like a Disney movie.” [30:21]
  • Video evidence—lots of “almost” captures, social media blitz, daily Scrim tracking.
  • Scrim is New Orleans’ own Houdini.

• Capture and Aftermath [34:55–41:02]

  • After 177 days, Scrim is caught in a fenced lot thanks to a tranquilizer (finally effective).
  • Found with “several abrasions, lost and broken teeth, chunk of ear missing, 108-degree fever, and two air pellet bullets lodged inside.”
  • Christine: “If he wasn’t already a legend, now he’s an outlaw.” [37:08]

• The Sequel: Scrim Escapes Again [41:02–47:28]

  • During post-capture rest, Scrim jumps off a 13 ft roof, escapes again. Security footage exists (which Allison gleefully sends to Christine).
  • “He just, like, runs off… takes off…” The myth only grows.
  • City, media, and nation join new search—GPS tracker dies after two hours, Scrim is on the loose for three more months, including through blizzards.

• Final Recapture & Custody Drama [47:28–53:32]

  • February 11th: Scrim is caught in a feral cat trap after traveling 60 square miles, surviving heat, hurricanes, cars, trains, blizzards, and fireworks.
  • Custody Battle:
    • Michelle (the shelter) decides to keep Scrim, sparking outrage from the couple who tried to adopt him and from the broader NOLA community.
    • Death threats, public disputes, and eventually a visitation agreement set up—amicable but controversial.
    • Christine and Allison discuss the local drama, referencing their own visit to New Orleans and the palpable Scrim fever.

• Scrim’s Cultural Impact & Legacy [53:32–55:38]

  • Celebrated by the New Orleans City Council, Mardi Gras float, Barkus dog parade, murals, tattoos, limited edition bobblehead, a book (“Scrim on the Run”), and his name becoming slang for leaving without looking back.
    • “If he wasn’t already a legend, now he’s an outlaw.” [37:08]
  • Christine: “Now I'm gonna scrim to the bathroom real quick.” [54:43]

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3. Story #2 - The Turpin Family Update (True Crime) [57:46–118:56]

Intro & Discovery [57:46–65:32]

• Christine launches a "wild one"—the Turpin family case. Realizes mid-story that she actually covered the case once before (episode 57; 2018), but returns now with updated information from Diane Sawyer's interviews (2022, 2026).
• Allison: "You're going to see how your research has changed throughout the years."
• The narrative: On Jan 14, 2018, 17-year-old Jordan Turpin escapes her family’s house of horror. She calls 911; she's never spoken to anyone on the phone, doesn’t know the word “medication,” has never been outside.

Rescue & Initial Aftermath [65:32–85:01]

• Police arrive at the Turpin home, find Jordan’s 12 siblings (ages 2–29) emaciated, some chained to beds.
• Jordan: “We live in filth. Sometimes I wake up and I can’t breathe because of how dirty the house is.” [65:33]
• Christine describes the utter squalor: feces on the walls, bunk beds in tiny rooms; recalls bodycam and Barbie camera footage.
• Jennifer (oldest) recalls dancing to music in the hospital and thinking: “How could heaven be better than this?” [84:33]

Deep Dive: Family Background & Abuse [85:01–101:09]

• Parents David and Louise Turpin:
  • Married when Louise was 16, David was 22. Both from abusive backgrounds, fundamentalist Pentecostal, telling family “God wanted them to have as many kids as possible.”
  • Louise’s sister reports sexual abuse in their childhood home.
• Children are taken out of school, isolated, forced to survive in appalling conditions, and regularly starved.
• Attest to the depth of Louise’s mental illness, possible hoarding and shopping addiction, and delusional hold on her family.
• Notable: Surreal family outings (Disney parks, vow renewals in Vegas), with kids always in matching outfits—a macabre public charade.
• Photos: Christine shares real and trial images (Bob haircut noted throughout with disbelief and horror).

Control, Escape, and Pop Culture [101:09–109:17]

• Methods of control: Threats of separation, psychological abuse, and chains.
• Christine: “Nobody wants you. This is the only place anybody would ever want you…” [99:03]
• Jordan finds forbidden escape by sneaking a sibling’s basic smartphone, connects to the outside world via Justin Bieber music videos and High School Musical.
• “Never underestimate the power and reach of a teenage heartthrob.” [104:07]
• Jordan gets caught watching Bieber, is choked unconscious by her mother. Decides to escape during a threatened move to Oklahoma. Plots with sisters, collecting evidence and preparing for the breakout.

Escape & Rescue Aftermath [109:17–118:02]

• Jordan successfully escapes; police rescue the siblings.
• Both parents arrested—Louise gives interviews stating, “When I get them back, I’ll never use chains on them again,” demonstrating disconnection from reality.
• Foster system post-rescue was often traumatic—some siblings were further abused, poorly supported, and denied access to donated funds.
• By 2026: Most siblings are thriving, very close, living as adults at varying levels of independence and happiness. Jennifer’s gothic wedding and Jordan’s influencer career highlighted.
• Christine, on the siblings’ resilience: “They seem a lot healthier than I think I could be… wow.” [118:01]
• The section ends with the hosts doubling down on their disgust for David Turpin’s infamous “Lego hair.”

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Timestamps – Key Segments

• [03:16] – Allison mourns the Shake Shack “True Love” milkshake
• [08:07] – Christine’s sticker shipping saga
• [13:17] – Scrim’s story introduction
• [27:42] – New Orleans’ citywide search party, Scrim mania
• [34:55] – Scrim’s 177-day marathon, capture, and veterinary assessment
• [41:02] – Scrim jumps off a roof, escapes again (includes viral video)
• [47:28] – Scrim’s final recapture; legacy review
• [57:46] – Turpin family story introduction
• [65:32] – Escape/recovery: police rescue and conditions in the Turpin home
• [85:01] – Family background, abuse patterns, and the “public mask”
• [104:07] – Jordan learns of escape via Justin Bieber/interweb
• [118:02] – Updates: where the Turpin survivors are now

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Memorable Quotes

• Allison, on yearning:
  "There's no one who yearns for this milkshake, though. Like, I want to be yearned the way I yearn for this milkshake." [06:12]

• Christine, on Scrim’s mythic status:
  "New York Times actually called him a mythical creature. And so I’m like, well, I’m using it. I’m running with it." [14:47]

• Allison, tying paranormal with true crime fun:
  "This is the search party everybody wants on their case. Like, this is the one you want." [26:22]

• On the Turpin parents' bizarre appearance:
  "He looks like he put a wig on to look stupid, but he just is... It’s literally a LEGO head.” [73:16–93:08]

• Christine, on the resilience of the Turpin siblings:
  "They still admire the sky, they still love to sit in the grass…" [84:58]
  "They seem a lot healthier than I think I could be… wow." [118:01]

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Episode Takeaways

• Lighthearted Start, Serious Finish:
  The episode delivers cathartic joy (cravings and dog heroics) before bracing for the tragic but hope-filled update on one of America’s most infamous child abuse cases.
• Recurring Themes:
  • Community: The Scrim story is a testament to the power of collective action.
  • Survival and Resilience: Both Scrim and the Turpin kids survive against unthinkable odds.
  • Humor as Coping: Through darkness, Christine and Allison use wit, incredulity, and side-bar laughter to provide relief (notably recurring references to “ass bob” haircuts).
• Cultural Impact:
  Scrim becomes an urban legend and a civic symbol; the Turpin siblings, after fresh interviews, become advocates for foster reform and survivors’ healing.

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For First-Time Listeners

This episode is rich with inside jokes (e.g., the “ass-bob” wig), delicately handled heavy content, and moments of absurd comic relief. The detailed telling of Scrim’s doggy mythos will endear you to New Orleans, and the Turpin revisit is essential listening for anyone interested in true crime, trauma, and the redemptive possibilities of survival.

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End of summary.

Transcript

[Christine]

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[Allison]

That's a very fun thing that happened yesterday. What happened to me is I had a nine hour sleep. Ten out of ten. Yeah, it is because of our Helix Sleep mattresses. It has been truly a dream. My back is very thankful for it. Hank is very thankful for it. He naps there every single second he's there. Right now you have to take the Helix Sleep quiz. You know, we love a quiz which matches you the perfect mattress based on your personal preferences and sleep needs. Makes buying a mattress easy. What did, what did you tell your friend yesterday?

[Christine]

Oh, the Helix Dusk. Yeah, that's my mattress. I had a very smooth elevator pitch and I said, well, funny you ask.

[Allison]

I bet you also said something about how it delivers straight to your house. Because I've always seen those mattress stores. I live right next to one of those mattress stores. I'm like, I can't imagine a nightmare of bringing that home myself.

[Christine]

What, in a grocery cart? Like, what are you doing?

[Allison]

Not going to happen. So with Helix you don't have to worry about that. That's just another fun little Perk.

[Christine]

Go to helixsleep.com drink for 27% off site wide exclusive for listeners of ATWD. That's helixsleep.com drink for27% off site wide exclusive for listeners Of ATWD.

[Allison]

Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know that we sent you. It's helixsleep.com drink. Oh God, I love this drink.

[Christine]

Welcome to and that's why we drink. I Guess what is. What is the drink?

[Allison]

I'm still on my. My straw. 99 straws. I'm telling you, I can't get enough of this. Like Shake Shack, whoever you are. Oh, wait a minute. Actually, I have the most. And that's why we drink. Reason why I drink. And Shake Shack is involved. And this is not a sponsor by

[Christine]

the way, but I'm settling in.

[Allison]

Shake Shack, if you're listening, if someone works at Shake Shack, I need you to bring this at the top. I don't know what the fuck they thought they were doing recently, but they decided to put their whole chest into their goddamn menu because I don't. The. Well, I'm about to ruin our sponsorship here. The food I don't totally care for, but the drinks. The drinks really get me going.

[Christine]

They are non existent partnership we invented for two seconds and then immediately squashed.

[Allison]

They were listening, like ready to sign the check and then they throw it in the trash. They went. Never mind.

[Christine]

I don't think I've ever even eaten at Shake Shack. Like I'm totally out of the loop this.

[Allison]

Oh, okay. So one of the reasons that I do love them, they are open until like one in the morning. And you know I need my fix when I'm doing my notes late at night. But this strawberry lemonade really has such a chokehold on me. It's insane. And then they have milkshakes, which. They actually have one of my favorite milkshakes, which is the they. It's confusing because they have a black and white milkshake and they have a chocolate and vanilla milkshake. Oh, get the chocolate and vanilla milkshake. That's the one, by the way. However, the reason I drink, I've never had a more since like episode one Milkshake. Reason why I drink is because they came out with a Valentine's Day milkshake that has rocked my. And I'm so mad. I was. I was introduced to her because she's gonna leave. She's fleeting.

[Christine]

Oh, isn't that the best though? What is it?

[Allison]

Like water? Like, I'm like teary. Oh, I love watch so much.

[Christine]

We're not around here anymore, people.

[Allison]

I don't know what's wrong with me. Actually, I. It wasn't even about. I don't know what it was. I think the light hit my eye. But that was perfect acting, wasn't it?

[Christine]

You were just like overcome.

[Allison]

Really came at the right moment. Thanks sunlight.

[Christine]

But no, I'm going to cry because I cry when other people cry. What's Happening.

[Allison]

Oh, I don't know what's going on. I love her. They. I. Let me go. Hang on. I got to go find what this.

[Christine]

No one's ever reacted this way about loving me. I'm starting inadequate,

[Allison]

so it's okay. It's their true love milkshake. It's called true love. Oh, no wonder you're crying.

[Christine]

You're really in. You're really in it.

[Allison]

She's fine, and she's not gonna be here forever. Whoever is working for Shake Shack and is listening to this, you need to bring this to the top immediately because they need to keep this as a permanent staple. They literally. You know what magic shell is that, like, it, like, hardens.

[Christine]

Yes. I love it.

[Allison]

They literally not like how like a coffee shop will, like, drizzle a little caramel. Like, they literally coat the whole thing so the cup looks brown. And then they put a milkshake in it so it stays hard. And then as you drink the milkshake, it slowly falls into the milkshake and so you can, like, eat chunks of the hard chocolate.

[Christine]

So good.

[Allison]

And it's. And it's a strawberry kind of, so it's like chocolate covered strawberries for, like.

[Christine]

Okay. I actually have currently a chocolate covered strawberry iced coffee because Blaze bought chocolate covered strawberry coffee creamer, and I put it in some, like, cold brew, and it's so good. And I was going to say it made me think of you, and now I know you have the same. Oh, my gosh. What a. What a season of life.

[Allison]

I. I can't. And everybody, anybody who knows me knows that chocolate covered strawberries, they're not even romantic to me. That's just. That's the. That's the end game. That's the end game food right there. That's a death row food for me.

[Christine]

And you really didn't think it was romantic, but, like, you're literally crying over it, so maybe it was more than you thought.

[Allison]

There's. There's no one who yearns for this milkshake, though. Like, I want to be yearned the way I yearn for this milkshake. I get it.

[Christine]

Seriously, like, after seeing your face, I'm like, damn, I feel inadequate compared to

[Allison]

literally never cried over me. And I'm Here I am in the morning about a milkshake.

[Christine]

Wow.

[Allison]

Oh, Christine, if you. I'm not. I'm literally not. If you're ever going to have a milkshake, you have to have this one. It's so good.

[Christine]

Okay. I do love a milkshake. Like, Every few months, I'm like, I need a milkshake today, so maybe that'll be my next one. I'm sure there's one around here somewhere.

[Allison]

We also need a paycheck because I just really gave Shake Shack the deal of it off. Like the deal of a lifetime. That was incredible.

[Christine]

That was deal of a lifetime. Oh, oh, oh. On the show, you mean?

[Allison]

Yeah, yeah. I was like, we. No one. No one even. No one paid us. But like, wow, you oughta. Because I'll never speak so highly about a milkshake in my entire life. They really knew what they were doing. It was so good.

[Christine]

And that's why we drink. Sent you. And they're gonna be like, what the. Does that mean we don't care?

[Allison]

Like, we're a mafioso. And we're like, they'll know what it means.

[Christine]

Yes.

[Allison]

I can't wait to drink it again. And by the way, I think I'm the only person on earth who ever says this, but one of my other favorite foods is chocolate pudding. They have a chocolate pudding right now. What is going on over there? It's like they heard my. It's like they read my diary and went, okay, we got it.

[Christine]

We're on it. They kind of did, I think, because you know what I say? Perception creates reality. You want to live in a world with pudding milkshakes? Here you go.

[Allison]

It's like lucky girl syndrome. It's like I'm so lucky that they're. Could be one of those out there. And then all of them showed up at one in the morning when I needed it most.

[Christine]

That's what happens, man.

[Allison]

It's beautiful. The end. That's why I drink.

[Christine]

I'm really impressed. I'm happy for you. I'm happy for you. Why do I drink? Well. Oh, I know I drink. Cause I sold out twice. I was so honored and thrilled. I sold out twice of the abolish ice little devil stickers. And because I wasn't on camera last time, I can just show it here. I think I have one on here.

[Allison]

Oh, yeah. We weren't on camera, right?

[Christine]

We were not on camera. Oops. And I was so impressed because, like, I. Or surprised. Like, pleasantly surprised because I sold out. And then I sold out again. And I was like, I gotta close this damn store before because I'm. I don't have enough. And so. Oh, here's a little sticky guy if you're watching and you haven't seen it yet. But I. So I. I sold, like. I think, like, 400 of them. And all the proceeds are going to the National Immigrant Justice Center. And I'm really excited and I'm like, wow. I feel very thankful for everybody who bought a sticker. And maybe I will restock them. I'm not sure yet, but it's. Oh, this is why I drink. This is why I drink. Because I went to ship them all out and I was like, this time I'm gonna be on top of it and I'm gonna do it. And I printed them all out and they're getting labeled. And all of a sudden I realized something odd. All the streets, all the, all the zip codes and cities are different, but the street address, somehow I had copy and pasted into 400 address labels, but not the like city and state and zip. So I didn't notice it. So it was just kind of. It was like 124 Highway Ave. Or something. But that was for all of them. And I'm just so glad those didn't get mailed out. And then 400 of them came back to my P.O. box. Like I would have been.

[Allison]

I bet you differ. 1, 2, 3, 4. Highway Ave. Would have had so many

[Christine]

stickers in every different city in America just like dropped off at the highway. Yeah. Anyway, that was extremely cringy behavior on my part. But that all that to say, I'm gonna try again later. I ordered new shipping labels, so I gotta try that again. But I'm working on it. So if you have not received your degree, I promise I'm working on it. But they should go out any day now. So that's why I drink. Because I looked at it and went, are you gonna be like, I saw Powers doing that.

[Allison]

There's nothing more frustrating than thinking, oh, I'm actually gonna, I can feel it in my bones. I can be productive today. And then it ends up back frying. And you're like, well, I should have never even tried.

[Christine]

It was so organized. Everything had like rubber band and a folder and like was organized in a container. And then I'm like your first problem. The did I do. I got ahead of myself.

[Allison]

See, sometimes lucky girl syndrome works. And then other times, like, it's the optimism I feel like is actually the poison where I'm like, oh, I, I, I, this is gonna be great.

[Christine]

This is gonna be great. That's the delusion you have to kind of suffer through as part of it, you know, that's just kind of part. It's like collateral damage sort of. You just a little delusional.

[Allison]

I, you know what?

[Christine]

Yes, yes.

[Allison]

Yeah. What do you drink? Oh, you have your little chalk.

[Christine]

I know. Look at that. That's like a nice little. I got a straw. 99 straw blums. Yep.

[Allison]

I'm telling you, I love. I love her. I don't know what she. Every time I take a sip of her, I literally have to contain myself from going, oh, you know.

[Christine]

Now are we talking the lemonade or the milkshake?

[Allison]

Now, that's a good question.

[Christine]

Is it both? Okay.

[Allison]

Okay. Bing bong. I love money. And luckily, I have more of it now because Rocket Money has saved me in so many different ways. See it never again. Cincinnati Inquirer.com or whatever it's called. Too bad there are just way too many things I was putting my money towards and I didn't even know it. That was the worst part. I'm just. I'm just handing out money. I don't like that.

[Christine]

That's what, like, really hurts, is when they're like, hey, do you know that you have 6 of subscriptions? And you're like, what? I was just, like, shelling out dough left and right.

[Allison]

What am I made of money?

[Christine]

What am I made of money? Look out. Rocket Money coming through. Okay. Because I also got an email the other day from Rocket Money being like, hey, we saved you 200 and some dollars. You didn't ask us to, but we just, like, went and checked and we got. And I was on, like, a newspaper subscription. I was like, I didn't even ask you to do that. But they just did it. So it's really just an excellent program. In my humble opinion. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings.

[Allison]

Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. [e-mail] Drink. That's RocketMoney.com Drink RocketMoney.com Drink.

[Christine]

You know how I've always thought there should be a reward system just for existing? Wow.

[Allison]

Yeah, I mean, I could use a couple points here and there on just about anything.

[Christine]

Yeah, I think Bilt kind of took my idea and ran with it, which is fine. They're probably doing a much better job than I would. If you're still paying rent without Bilt, it is time for a change. BILT is a loyalty program for renters that rewards you for your biggest monthly expense. Rent. With Bilt, every rent payment earns you points that can be used towards things like flights, hotels, Lyft rides, Amazon purchases so much more.

[Allison]

You know, when we first found out we would be partnering with bilt, I was like, oh, it's just for rent. Really wish I was paying rent all of a sudden. But guess what? Here's something that we're super excited about. Now BILT members can ear points on mortgage payments for the first time. So we're still involved. Yay. Soon you'll be able to get rewarded wherever you live and unlock exclusive benefits with more than 45, 000 restaurants, fitness studios, pharmacies and other neighborhood partners.

[Christine]

Join the loyalty program for [e-mail] drink

[Allison]

that's J-O-I-N-B-I-L-T.com drink make sure to use our URL so they know that we sent you. I have a story for you. And I really did think that this was going to be. It was going to not take as long. I thought I was going to read like one newspaper article. We were going to be out of here. That's what I kind of thought was going on. I was wrong. So. Oh no, I. It's not. It's not like this. Me telling it will be probably of average length, but I really thought I was going to have to anyway. Thought I was going to have to force the narrative and I don't have to. So I'm scared to do this story because it is a. We're. We're bending the rules today. However, I did get your permission last time.

[Christine]

Oh, yes. And I already forget what it is, but I remember being like, hell yeah.

[Allison]

So everyone just be kind to me and you'll like it anyway. So, like, back up, okay? Actually back the up. Everybody here, this is. This is a story of a little puppy dog. See, everyone's already happy and he doesn't die and he doesn't become a ghost. So that's kind of the problem though, is that he's not. This is not paranormal. However, we found a way to stretch the truth last week when you called it an urban legend.

[Christine]

It's not even a. A stretch of truth. I think this dog will live in the, in the lore for, for centuries. Like, I feel like this will be a local legend.

[Allison]

You know, he is a local legend already. And the New York Times actually called him a mythical creature. And so I'm like, well, I'm using it. I'm running with it.

[Christine]

Gotta. You gotta.

[Allison]

So this is Scrim, the dog of New Orleans.

[Christine]

So excited.

[Allison]

And again, this is probably the, the happiest story we ever will tell because nobody dies in either of our stories. It's incredible. So, scrim. Let's see. Take me back. Take me back. Christine. 2023. We know it well.

[Christine]

2023. It's all a blur.

[Allison]

It sure is. So now imagine a little white terrier. That is the picture I sent you earlier that I told you not to look at. This is scrim for your eyes.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. I forgot how cute he is. Oh, my. And he looks like the dog from Annie.

[Allison]

Yes, yes.

[Christine]

You know. Oh, my God,

[Allison]

right? Sandy. No, he does not look like Sandy.

[Christine]

I've never seen it.

[Allison]

Sandy colored.

[Christine]

Wait, what?

[Allison]

You just shouted out. He just hopes that you'd be right.

[Christine]

Okay. I feel like I'm right.

[Allison]

Well, okay, you find out.

[Christine]

You.

[Allison]

I see a good one. I think you're a liar. Hang on. Sandy, Dog, Annie, Maybe. And maybe. Maybe we watch different versions of Sandy.

[Christine]

Have not watched any versions. I told you that already.

[Allison]

Okay, and that one, that's not. That's not the right one. Okay, everybody, in case anyone's wondering, Christina's working off of the most recent Disney Channel.

[Christine]

I don't know what that is. It just appeared.

[Allison]

No.

[Christine]

Okay, fine. Yeah, that dog's bigger. You're right. Okay, fine. It's a little bigger. It reminds me of a dog from something, though. Is it Toto? Maybe. But Toto's white, Right, girl?

[Allison]

First of all, this dog's white, which would make them identical.

[Christine]

No, it's not.

[Allison]

Is it Toto's black. Have you ever met a dog? What are you talking about? But you're totally right. He looks like. He looks like a dog I've seen before.

[Christine]

He looks just like Jude Law. I can't unsee it. I'm like, so. Talk about delusional. Man, I really have lost the plot today.

[Allison]

There is something about him that seems so similar. I mean, he. For people wondering, he looks kind of like a Westie. Yeah, but he looks like a little darker. I don't know if that's the lighting of the picture or not, but he, you know, he reminds me of. Which is funny. It sounds like Scrimp. Scamp from the sequel of lady and the Tramp.

[Christine]

That's what I meant.

[Allison]

Yep, I thought so.

[Christine]

Not that I've seen that either.

[Allison]

Helping you out left and right. Here, look up, Scamp. I feel like you have a better shot at agreeing with me there, Scamp

[Christine]

from Lady and the Tramp.

[Allison]

It's like Tramp, son.

[Christine]

No, it was nothing like him.

[Allison]

Okay, we're both bad at this.

[Christine]

Okay. No, I think I just am, like, really off the deep end. I think, like, probably More people will agree with you.

[Allison]

No, I think actually I googled scam too and I think he was wrong in my eyes. Whatever everybody, he's a fucking westie, okay? So. Or we don't even know that. They keep calling him a wiry haired terrier mix, but he looks like a Westie. And so 20, 23, this little puppy shows up on the scene. Hot trot. He's found in a trailer park an hour outside of New Orleans. We do not know if he was a stray that happened to be going through this trailer park or if he was like someone's free roam dog, you know what I mean? Either way, regardless of his origin story, he was captured and taken in by an animal shelter. And it seemed that when they took him in, they assumed he was a stray and not someone's dog because he seemed like he had a checkered past. He seemed like he had a rough life. So I don't know. Hopefully they did not kidnap him from someone's yard. But I don't think that's the case either because nobody ever looked for him. You know what I mean? The irony, because you'll find out. So this animal shelter took him in however, it was a kill shelter.

[Christine]

Oh no.

[Allison]

They named him Michael. Why would you name something.

[Christine]

I was about to go, ah, wait, Big Mike. Big Mike. I was literally ready to say on to whatever the you said. And then Michael came through and I went, actually that's a hard no from me. Yeah, not even like Mikey, you know, like, what are you doing?

[Allison]

Yeah. And he doesn't look like a Michael.

[Christine]

No. What dog looks like a Michael?

[Allison]

Okay, not Scamp or the one from Annie or any of them.

[Christine]

None of them. They all look exactly the same, but none of them look like a mic.

[Allison]

Well, so they named him Michael just to then like threaten euthanasia on him because nobody was adopting him.

[Christine]

Well, maybe they name him Michael because then they get less attached.

[Allison]

That's true. They're like, it's just a random guy,

[Christine]

you know, it's just Mike.

[Allison]

Just Mike. You know, he won't be miss be true.

[Christine]

I don't know.

[Allison]

I don't know either. I don't. I don't understand the concept of naming a dog. I guess just to put something on the paperwork.

[Christine]

But yeah.

[Allison]

Anyway, unfortunately this kill shelter was considering slating Michael for euthanasia, which is super crazy. If they quote, rescued him from a trailer park where he like might have just been at home. And now they're going to like.

[Christine]

Now they're like, okay, yeah, well, so My cat was one of our childhood cats, was picked up on it. He's an outdoor cat or indoor outdoor cat. And he's older, and he got picked up by animal control, like, right near, like, right on our property, but on the, like, driveway area. And they brought him in and cut off the tip of his ear. And then when we finally got a hold of him, my mom. They tried to charge my mom for. For, like. Because they said, oh, we cut off the ear tips if the dog. If the cat is not neutered. And my mom's like, well, the cat is neutered. And they're like, yeah, but we didn't know that. And my mom. What the. Well, that's not my problem. And so they tried to charge her because they had already given him anesthesia to do the operation. Then they were like, oh, he's already neutered. So they cut off his ear and then build us, like, 300 bucks. And we were like, he's already neutered. You can't do that anyway. They can do that.

[Allison]

And that man works for the Trump administration now. Because that sounds just evil and stupid and completely.

[Christine]

It's just a lot. Yeah, I. It's like, I know there's an adultery,

[Allison]

chaos for nobody, and pain. Like, why can you imagine someone just coming. I'm just cutting your ear off, and then going, whoops. I guess I wasn't supposed to.

[Christine]

He's like the scraggliest, funniest cat now. He's like, talk about been through it, you know?

[Allison]

Yeah. What's his name?

[Christine]

Marco. Michael. What if I said I was literally

[Allison]

about to say Mark and Mike? Really?

[Christine]

Marco, Not Mark.

[Allison]

Sorry. That makes a difference. Yeah.

[Christine]

Okay. Mark would be wild somehow. Just like the absence of the O makes it crazy.

[Allison]

It just. Because it just sounds like a straight white man now.

[Christine]

Exactly.

[Allison]

I mean, I've told you about Joshua at the dog park. I can't even get into it today. That's right.

[Christine]

So sorry. I don't know how to sneeze quietly. I've never learned the skill.

[Allison]

That's okay. I think Josh would just do that open face in front of him sometimes.

[Christine]

Wait, what's with Joshua again?

[Allison]

That dog I hate.

[Christine]

Oh, right, your mortal enemy.

[Allison]

I hate that dog. And then one of my friends was very nice and. And took hang to the park the other day, and I did not think Joshua would be there, so I didn't warn her. And we came home and she was like, who the is that dog, Joshua? And I went, I know. I hate that goddamn started. I'M pretty sure that's what I said. I was like, I can't even with that right now. Okay, so Michael's about to get euthanized and in the 11th hour, I'm assuming for the cinematic effect, of course, all of a sudden, Michelle Sheremi. Sharami. I'm not totally sure of how to pronounce her name, but Michelle, she runs Zeus's Rescue, a non kill shelter. And I guess part of her job is going to actual kill shelters and rescuing those dogs and putting them in her rescue.

[Christine]

Hey, that's a really tough job, dude.

[Allison]

Love that. She scooped up Michael real quick. She renamed him Scrim, which somehow better than Michael.

[Christine]

Definitely.

[Allison]

She, I guess it was after a local rapper.

[Christine]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Allison]

I did look him up in Scrim the rapper. His S is a dollar sign.

[Christine]

Oh, well, hell yeah.

[Allison]

So I like to imagine if we're going like real one for one naming him after the rapper, then this dog also has a dollar sign sign which

[Christine]

is so much more kickass than Michael. No offense.

[Allison]

Agreed. Not a dollar sign to be found with Michael. So he's named after a rapper. And the rescue tried their best to help him. They like tried to resocialize him for many months, but he was horribly timid. Michelle has worked in this industry for like over 20 years and she described him as catatonic, terrified. And whatever happened to him before this rescue quote, could have not been good.

[Christine]

No, honey.

[Allison]

After over 20 years of rescuing dogs, she said that he was one of the most shut down, scared dogs who needed lots of love. And they, they got to a point where they just couldn't do anything. He was just going to be forever categorized as a scared puppy. But a few months into helping him, they did find a couple interested in adopting Scrim. And the couple took Scrim home for essentially a test trial to see if they were compatible before signing papers. And that same day, Scrim bolted. Horrible. Imagine like you finally think you found the puppy gone, and then what do you tell the shelter? And you haven't even signed papers yet.

[Christine]

You were like, oh, that's gotta feel bad.

[Allison]

He basically found a way off his leash and he got under the fence and just.

[Christine]

Poor baby.

[Allison]

One article was quoted saying on the first night at his new home, Scrim became the fugitive he is known as today. That's where it all began, this origin story. So. And also like, realistically, I wonder if his actual origin story in the trailer park was he already bolted from someone

[Christine]

else, Like a fugitive on the run already he's on the lamb, you know,

[Allison]

Always on the lamb. Every single article used the phrase on the lamb with this.

[Christine]

No, see, they. It's like sometimes true crime reporting is fun to do when it's not about true crime and it's like, actually happy. The only happier story.

[Allison]

As the poltergeist. Whoa. Maybe paranormal in general. I meant as I. As the paranormal side of this. I never get to hear the like what? Jargon is pretty common in true crime. According.

[Christine]

You don't read these articles. Right.

[Allison]

The closest I've got is, like, Captain Craig in an SVU saying he wants another foot in someone's ass. You know, like, that's actually pretty accurate.

[Christine]

I would say. Most articles say something along this.

[Allison]

Or, you know, what's. What's the one the law and order always says, oh, a fishing expedition.

[Christine]

We don't want another fishing expedition.

[Allison]

They love to go fishing. I hate it, actually. So, okay, takes off. This couple, I'm sure, is fully panicked. Very quickly, they reach out to the rescue. The couple and the rescue are both putting out flyers all over town. And I don't know what marketing they have, but they should go into advertising because their flyers garnered so much attention that people all over New Orleans started looking for him in the way that if anyone lost their dog, you hope people get into that.

[Christine]

You would just wish you could get that word out to the point that everyone was. Yeah, that's such a good point.

[Allison]

It was a day where the spirit of community was right.

[Christine]

And it's so rare to see that, you know?

[Allison]

Yeah. I don't know. I don't know what they did. Maybe their. The reward money was, like, incredible or something.

[Christine]

An unlikely hero. No, Even when the reward money is high, like, even in true crime, for real, like, people don't organize like this, you know?

[Allison]

Yeah. This is. Ironically, this is the search party everybody wants on their.

[Christine]

Yeah, I think he, like, just touched that many people's hearts that they were, like, moved by this.

[Allison]

Yeah, I guess so. They didn't even know him, though, yet. They would. Like. It was just this rescue. Who knew a puppy and then he just bolted it at this couple's house.

[Christine]

What were the flyers that made it so successful?

[Allison]

I don't. I mean, I saw the flyers and they just looked like normal flyers.

[Christine]

It was just like, maybe there's something about. Is it. Is his picture on it?

[Allison]

I think so, yeah.

[Christine]

I wonder. Like, maybe he just scrim looks missing. Maybe he has like. Oh, yeah, the.

[Allison]

So the main one is lost. Don't chase white dog, brown Spots, text, scrims, location 2, and then the phone number. Wow.

[Christine]

I mean, you're right. It's very simple.

[Allison]

Yeah. So it was. I don't know what was going on that day. Just everyone was.

[Christine]

I think it's also the very clear call to action. Text his location to this number. Because, like, it's not like, oh, sure, missing dog. And then you don't know what to do. Or there's a phone number at the bottom. Are you supposed to call it? But just to say, like, if you see. Just say where he is via text. I feel like that is a clear. That's kind of a good note for.

[Allison]

Yeah.

[Christine]

I don't know, forgetting.

[Allison]

Because it's also, like, maybe you can't rescue him, but if you see him, let me know.

[Christine]

Right, Exactly. Like, at least then you can alert them as to what neighborhood he's in.

[Allison]

Well, so very, very quickly, they, you know, they put the flyers out, and all of New Orleans just decided this was the dog we all give a about. So they made literal search parties. I. I would love to know what was going on that day. That moved everybody. But, yeah, like, made search parties where, like, strangers were crawling under abandoned houses looking to see if he was hiding because they knew he was, like, scared. They tried luring him out with Popeyes, which would have worked on me. Did not work.

[Christine]

How many other dogs and or M's do you think they discovered along the way as they were, like, luring. Luring animals out with Popeyes from under abandoned houses?

[Allison]

Like, raccoons and mice should be just crawling out. Like the girl from the ring for

[Christine]

the M. Do you have that strawberry chocolate milkshake?

[Allison]

If I ever go missing, tell Shake Shack to put me on every milkshake cup.

[Christine]

I'm just gonna waft that smell around, you know, until you come running.

[Allison]

They even, like, started, like, online forums called scrim spottings, where they would just put in all of their updates if anyone had seen him. And basically what really sealed his stardom was the fact that this was not a missing dog. Every single person saw this dog somewhere through the town, and they just couldn't get to him fast enough. Yes. And so I think that was what, like, very quickly spurred the interest, because it's not like, oh, there's a dog flyer, and I'll probably never see that dog. And everybody saw this dog. And so it became almost like, like, you know, in high school and everyone started playing that one, like, murderer spoons game or something where everyone got weirdly involved. You know what I'm Talking about.

[Christine]

I mean, I made people play that at my birthday party in middle school. But I don't know if that's.

[Allison]

I don't know what. I don't. I don't remember. I don't remember the name of the game. I just remember in high school, for some reason it became a thing where it was just like this mass game where people were trying to like clip clothespins and shit to each other and stuff.

[Christine]

Oh, no, I did not participate in that. I don't know. That sounds like fun, but I didn't. I don't remember that.

[Allison]

It just became this weird mind hive where it was like, it's. It starts at 400 people and there's only gonna be one winner who is.

[Christine]

Well, and now, I mean, nowadays we have like tick tock and everybody will know about it within minutes. Yeah. Like, and every school will have the same. Yeah. So I feel like it's. It was primed to be a viral thing.

[Allison]

Yeah. Well, I feel like everybody was like, if everybody's seeing him, who's gonna be the one to catch him? And so it became almost like this like weird contest. It felt like for people to try to get Scrim because they wanted to be the one that made it into the paper.

[Christine]

Like, we got him, my lord.

[Allison]

But people, I mean, it's 2023, people had phones. And so just if you were in the algorithm of 2023, I suppose there was just video after video of people almost getting him. Like, we saw him again over here. We saw him here.

[Christine]

Also the fact that he's not just hiding, you know, like a lot of times an animal will go, they'll find a spot and like stay hide out where there might be food near a dumpster. But yeah, the fact that he's like all over town to the point they're mapping it out, you know, it's just remarkable. It sounds like a Disney movie.

[Allison]

Yeah. I just imagine like really like lovely flouncy pouncy music behind him and everyone else is actually just screaming, she's like running. Well, people were so excited to try to get him that when the videos would come out, it started churning more and more interest. And so people outside New Orleans also started following what Scrim was up to. People started knowing him as the Houdini dog. And some papers called him the dog who refused to be homed. And so many people were able to almost catch him. But when I say he was just too fast, there were people on like 15 mile an hour scooters trying to chase after him and he was just like, they were eating his dust. Like he was going at least 20 miles an hour when he ran. And so that's why on the flyers it says, do not chase. Because they're like, you're not. You're not gonna get them. It got to the point where Michelle and the rescue decided that the only way that they could catch this dog because they were just inundated with just texts non stop. Because if one person posted a video saying, he's right here. Then three blocks later, they'd get another text. He's right here. He's right here. Eventually they were like, the only way to get this dog is with a goddamn tranquilizer. And so they literally, like, I guess Michelle started practicing, like, blow darts or some.

[Christine]

What?

[Allison]

Or she. Our tranquilizer gun. She started practicing shooting with a tranquilizer gun at something that was scrim size in case she ever saw him, just to be able to, like, on site get him. And they even had to hire marksmen from Texas to come into town because they knew how to use tranquilizer blow darts for animals.

[Christine]

What the.

[Allison]

But get this. So then the Texas marksman, who is really good at blow darts, he literally found scrim, blew a blow dart at him full of tranquilizer, and this dog somehow just metabolized. It basically went and just kept on running.

[Christine]

Oh, my God.

[Allison]

He is.

[Christine]

Can't he be free? Or are we just, like, not letting him be free? Is it like he's. It just feels a little bit like, okay, we know. I. That's a little much. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong. My gut is just like, what are we tranquilizing the dog for? I guess you want him to be safe.

[Allison]

But, like, some locals embraced his passion for freedom and free scrim became a running hashtag.

[Christine]

Fair enough.

[Allison]

Okay.

[Christine]

Yeah, got it.

[Allison]

Another time, Michelle was able to corner him with a literal. I didn't know they made these. Thought it was in old cartoons. Net gun.

[Christine]

Oh, my gosh.

[Allison]

And it misfired, which gave Scrim the chance to run away again.

[Christine]

This is why terrified, like, they're just shooting things at him and, like, blowing blow darts at him and running down it with scooters. 15 mile per hour scooters. I mean, no wonder he's scared at this point.

[Allison]

I also thought the same thing where I was like, I get that we're treating this like it's a cute little, like, ah, he can't be. He can't be governed. But it's like he Was already, quote, the most scared dog you've ever seen. And now hordes of people are running

[Christine]

after him and, like, just constantly initiating his fight flight, you know, like, and

[Allison]

he's like, I know better than to go for that popeyes, you know. Right, right, right.

[Christine]

Like, I'm not stupid. I wasn't born yesterday. But like, yeah. And I, I don't want. I don't mean to put blame on any, any of the people trying to rescue him. I'm as far as not like the regular citizens, but like the, the rest, the shelter. Like, I can understand, like, the desperation of trying to find this dog, but. Yeah, it's just sad because, you know, he's so scared.

[Allison]

You know, he's so scared. But also, like, I, I think everybody's like, the fact that he became this Internet sensation, people were. It only probably made things worse for him. Imagine having social anxiety. Now everyone's running at you like, they're

[Christine]

like, no, we love you.

[Allison]

Yeah. So I think everyone was like, no, we're trying to like, bring you presents and take you home and love you.

[Christine]

And also, if you think about it, like, when he was first on the, on the lam in the early days, like, nobody knew about him. It's not like were chasing him every time he walked down the road. Before fame, right before fame. Now he's just got the paps.

[Allison]

He's like a classic, a lister. He's like, I can't even go to the grocery store anymore.

[Christine]

Be seen. Oh, my God.

[Allison]

So this plus the videos of near sightings going viral. I mean, he's a full blown Internet sensation at this point. He cannot be caught until 177 days later.

[Christine]

Oh, my God.

[Allison]

It was a wild goose chase for like half a year.

[Christine]

Wow.

[Allison]

And eventually someone saw him in a fenced parking lot and he got himself in there in some way where he could not get out. He had trapped himself.

[Christine]

Poor baby.

[Allison]

They text Michelle, she runs over. They were able to actually get him with a tranquilizer. But also this dog. It sounds like he. There was no other way to get him.

[Christine]

He's. Yeah, he's going through it right now. Poor baby. They.

[Allison]

And. But even after they were able to like, tranquilize him, he still sprinted around for seven full minutes before even, like, falling asleep. Like, he. There was something about him which part of me is like, oh, my gosh. He just like, he's such a strong dog, but part of me is also like, his adrenaline must have been, oh,

[Christine]

I threw the fucking roof. Right?

[Allison]

I think he was just so Scared.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Allison]

So finally, back in the care of Michelle's rescue, they were able to take him to a hospital to be assessed because I think that's one of the main reasons that they wanted to check on the stock.

[Christine]

That makes sense.

[Allison]

I get them wanting to take care of him, but also it's like, yeah, some. Some animals are just meant to fly,

[Christine]

you know, he's like, let me be.

[Allison]

But so they took him to the hospital and thank God that they finally caught him because this is what the hospital found. Several abrasions across his entire body. Lost teeth, broken teeth. He had lost a toenail. He'd lost a chunk of his ear. Maybe he had not been neutered. Maybe that same guy from your town did that to him. He had 18 degree fever and he had two bullets in him.

[Christine]

What?

[Allison]

Air pellet bullets, to be fair. But he had still been shot. And then they. They stayed in him and his, like, he. The wound grew over it, which I bet is probably what came from like the very first family or what, his trailer park days, because it had grown over so much by that point.

[Christine]

So it could be an earlier injury.

[Allison]

And it wouldn't explain why he was so scared he'd been shot.

[Christine]

Well, and especially if they're shooting like blow darts at him, he doesn't know it's a blow D. Yeah, another gun. Another airsoft gun or whatever that is.

[Allison]

Yeah, yeah. But he was in a rough state. But then in one article, someone said if he wasn't already a legend, now he's an outlaw, because.

[Christine]

Yeah, I mean, he's a bad boy for sure.

[Allison]

Literally, he's been shot at and he's just.

[Christine]

Outlaw is the best word for it.

[Allison]

Yeah. So while scrim rested up for his travels from his travels, the whole town rejoiced that scrim was found. They were safe. So excited, like, ever. It was like.

[Christine]

And you know, New Orleans loves a reason to party. Okay, people.

[Allison]

Oh, my God. They literally. Like, you don't.

[Christine]

They're like, oh, let me dust these old carnival decorations off. They're only three days since we last used them. We need for another party here.

[Allison]

But just more beads and beads and beads.

[Christine]

Bring them on.

[Allison]

Drinking and. Yeah.

[Christine]

Oh, yeah.

[Allison]

So news out. News outlets reported on him being safe. And even New Orleans city council held a ceremony for him where they invited him to, like, city hall and they gave him a full blown event where they gifted him doggy treats for his resilience. The council members were apparently starstruck by scrim because they'd also been following Along.

[Christine]

I get it. I would be too.

[Allison]

One of them even stated that this was, like, the best day of her. Like the best day on the council of her life.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. She's like, I always knew this job would be worth something.

[Allison]

I just want to protect and serve.

[Christine]

Ah, Scream.

[Allison]

And two, by the way, there was one article. I think it was. I don't. I don't want to say the wrong one, but there was one article where they interviewed the council members. And the whole interview is just two different districts or two different council members representing different districts arguing with each other over which district Scrim is from because they wanted him to be, like, the mascot of their district.

[Christine]

Oh, my God.

[Allison]

One of them said, scrim's favorite district seems to be district B. So Scrim is now officially the mascot of district B. And then the next person said, I think we can establish that Scrim is a district a resident. And that's just really important to me. That's a quote. I all of a sudden am so into politics. You know what I'm saying?

[Christine]

You're like, oh, is this what it's like? Sure, I could get into that.

[Allison]

I have been missing out after all the hullabaloo. Oh, by the way, if you. I think I had a picture actually for you I was gonna send to you. Yes. Here is Scrim at his city council ceremony. He's at the podium and everything, as if he's about to give a thank you speech.

[Christine]

Oh, my God, he has a beautiful haircut.

[Allison]

He got his hair cut. He notice that GPS collar all of a sudden.

[Christine]

Did you see that gigantic tracker on his collar? It's like, humongous.

[Allison]

It's literally like a big ass battery on his neck. They're like, you're going nowhere.

[Christine]

My God. Oh, sweetheart.

[Allison]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Now I see that he's white. I couldn't even really tell in that first photo. He looked like kind of. That must have been to me after,

[Allison]

like, the six months of him on the lam. And he's a little dirty and disheveled, like an old western cowboy, you know,

[Christine]

about, like, all scraggly. But this one, he has, like, a fresh haircut. Oh, baby.

[Allison]

So he, after all this, ended up going back home to rest up since he wasn't, you know, he'd gone through a lot in the hospital, want him to rest. He went back to the family that was considering adopting him, which, like, wow, Round two would be horrifying.

[Christine]

Right?

[Allison]

And they ended up needing to go out of town for a week, so Michelle actually offered to take him in while they were gone. So Michelle is watching him and she actually reported saying that it was very cute watching Scrim get very comfortable with like the day to day life of being like a domestic dog. And he. She said, like, he would fall asleep. Like the classic dog thing where like he's totally splayed out with his stomach in the air and he's like snoring and wagging his tail. And he was bonding with her pets and like, he was very content. That was what she said. He was very content there. And so one day she decides to leave and she's going to go get an errand. I think she was actually getting a dog stroller for him. But when she came back, the neighbor was screaming at her from the. From the street, saying the dog jumped off the roof.

[Christine]

Oh, my God.

[Allison]

And while gone, she apparently he jumped off the 13ft out of the second story building.

[Christine]

What?

[Allison]

Onto concrete, somehow unharmed. And yep, he. He took off again. And so if you would like, I can send you the video of Scrim jumping from the building.

[Christine]

What video?

[Allison]

So basically she ended up being like, what the happened? And went and looked at her security cameras and true as day, he have got to be dove out of the second story window and directly onto concrete and somehow just took off.

[Christine]

Is this dog trying to go.

[Allison]

Here's the video for you.

[Christine]

Holy. Okay, I just pulled it up. Oh, my God. Sorry. It. He just like. Like a cannon slams down.

[Allison]

Yeah, I. I would imagine that's four broken ankles right there. But he. Holy. Seems unfazed.

[Christine]

Yeah, he does. And then he just like, runs off.

[Allison]

Yeah, just takes off. And so she posted it online to let everybody know what happened, setting off a second round of Scrim fame. Reports of Scrim's latest escape came out of the Washington Street Journal. Washington. Washington Street Journal. I'm not saying that. Right.

[Christine]

Washington.

[Allison]

Washington.

[Christine]

No.

[Allison]

Oh, it was okay. I was like, for some reason, street sounded wrong. He. Washington Street Journal reported about him. Washington Post, Associated Press, New York Times.

[Christine]

They all got a Wall Street Journal.

[Allison]

Wall Street Journal. I knew.

[Christine]

It's like, why do I feel like something's off?

[Allison]

Thank you.

[Christine]

I can't put my finger. He'. I.

[Allison]

It felt like a sneeze. That wasn't.

[Christine]

I kept thinking, w. W sj.

[Allison]

But I was like, wall Street Journal. Thank you. Okay, so, like, big outlets are now reporting on him. Like, and all their headlines, by the way, when I looked it up, not all of them. A lot of their headlines were like, scrim escaped, dot dot dot.

[Christine]

Again, I don't think I remember that. This happened again.

[Allison]

I don't remember any. I think I saw the video of a dog jumping out the window, but I thought that was like a. Like on Reddit. And I went, oh. And I scrolled right past. I don't think I was a this thing at all.

[Christine]

No.

[Allison]

But so anyway, now he's gone. Huge headlines about this. The whole town is like, where the fuck did this dog go? Like, we just spent six months, like rallying together as a unit to find this goddamn dog. And they went, all right, let's do it again. Now the papers are calling him New Orleans most ungovernable dog. And each sighting from. It's not just phones anymore. People are using their doorbell cameras because they're like, if he ran from here, then maybe my camera has it. May camera. So they're just like trying to track his entire trail, map it out. And I mean, it's spiking so much interest. At first when he took off, Michelle was like, well, this isn't even a problem because I put that big ass battery GPS tracker on him. So we're good now. It died within two hours. No. And immediately the search was on. New York Times said with each foiled capture or implausible escape, his fame grew and so did his reputation.

[Christine]

Wow.

[Allison]

And once again, scrim was spotted at several major landmarks. They're like, he's at autobahn zoo. He's at the superdome.

[Christine]

He just wants to see the world.

[Allison]

They should have just had him at that little beignet place. What cafe?

[Christine]

Cafe Dumont.

[Allison]

That have been crazy if people just

[Christine]

needed to stop there.

[Allison]

You have to if you're gonna tour New Orleans like he's doing. So he was seen all over. And a scrim hotline became available for tips. People were doing daily canvases of their neighborhoods and scrims. Scrim spottings were regularly now updated on this crowdsourced online map where it literally you could see tags of everywhere.

[Christine]

That is bananas.

[Allison]

Knowing he was out there, people started leaving food, water, and blankets out on their porches or outside of their businesses with a note on it that said for scrim. Oh, I think that was when people were like, defeated. They were like, whatever, take the blanket and the food. We're not even gonna try to catch you anymore.

[Christine]

We're probably gonna get a raccoon infestation anyway with food.

[Allison]

Well, so Scrim was missing this time for three more months. Jeez. And this happened in November. November. And so he survived the entire very intense winter of New Orleans. I think that year there was A record breaking blizzard. And he somehow people still saw him, this little white dog in the snow. They still saw him all the time. And nobody could get him.

[Christine]

My God.

[Allison]

So February 11th rolls, rolls by and Michelle gets a picture sent to her today. Oh, can you imagine?

[Christine]

Like, talk about synchronicity.

[Allison]

Totally on purpose. Totally, totally, totally on purpose. I'm so good. I'm so good. I actually, like, I planned this recording for, for this.

[Christine]

And you even acted like you didn't, which was so impressive.

[Allison]

I know. Oh, I really wanted you to, like, figure it out for yourself.

[Christine]

Thank you. It took me long enough.

[Allison]

It sure did. I just had to say the date and then like two seconds in, you got it.

[Christine]

So I figured it out.

[Allison]

So basically, February 11th. Welcome to Today. Happy anniversary to Scrim. Michelle got a picture sent to her of Scrim in a trap that a trap and rescue group put together for feral cats. They put all this food together for cats and I guess he was so hungry he just tried to sneak in there, baby. And they brought him back to the hospital and they were like, what the is has this dog probably done now? And apparently he was totally fine. No broken ankles from that concrete jump. He had like some God, like a tapeworm or parasite or something. But he ended up being fine. And news outlets again had to report that Scrim was captured. And I'm sure there was hesitancy and even putting that paper out, they were like, seriously to write about this again. They ended up figuring out through all the crowdsource online mappings that Scrim had probably sometimes up to at 20 miles an hour, had traveled 60 square miles in his travels.

[Christine]

Jesus.

[Allison]

And when combing through everyone's sightings of him by the end of his travels, because it had been pretty much an entire year at that point, Scrim survived the following. While he was missing, he had endured summer temperatures in New Orleans that humid, over 100 degree weather. He had survived Hurricane Francine. He'd survived being shot at, apparently multiple times. He survived dodging cars on highways. There were sightings of him dodging trains. He survived jumping out of a second story building onto concrete. He survived celebration fireworks, which it terrifies most dogs. He survived the packed streets of New Orleans while they were hosting a Super Bowl. Wow. He survived January's freezing winter, which involved a record breaking blizzard. And then all the other wounds that came with him, his broken teeth and all this. Well, so he was finally captured. However, now the real drama starts because after all their bonding over Scrim, Michelle and the interested adoptive parents are now having Some custody agreements.

[Christine]

Oh, no.

[Allison]

Basically, the adoptive couple, Tammy and I think her name's Freeba. Tammy and Freeba, they had been just as determined the entire time to find scrim and. But, you know, they did everything by the book to adopt him. They. They just hadn't signed papers because they didn't have the time because he just immediately went missing. But because Michelle got so attached to scrim through all this, backed out of the agreement last minute in a way where it was, like, certainly unprofessional. She announced the decision on Facebook, saying that she'd had a change of heart.

[Christine]

Wow.

[Allison]

Because scrim had bonded with her pets. And then she also said that the couple, quote, took it hard, which, duh. And the couple's own statement, Tammy wrote this is on also social media as, like, a response, I guess. Tammy said, no words, devastated and really speechless. Over 10 months of my life dedicated to bringing him home to safety. Even made it official and filled out an application and got approved only to be here. And he's not my dog.

[Christine]

Wow, that hurts.

[Allison]

She also said, the most important thing is scrim's happiness and what's good for him. I want to see him thriving. I want to see him happy. But I lost my dog and I lost my friend.

[Christine]

Wow, that's heartbreaking.

[Allison]

And this was after Michelle even publicly stated how involved the couple was in trying to get scrim home. Michelle had said, tammy was with me every step of the way. During scrim's time on the run, she spent countless sleepless nights driving around, moving traps, putting out feeding stations, assembling the scrim recovery team, and doing everything she could to try and capture him safely. Her dedication to him is unparalleled. She was not just a person who was interested in adopting scrim. She helped save him, him, and then said, I'm taking the dog, basically.

[Christine]

Yeah, that's bad. That's really rough.

[Allison]

So for obvious reasons, Michelle was given a lot of hate online from people who'd been following scrim story, which was everybody. She apparently even got death threats from some people. And many people said that I'll. Many people said that she decided to keep scrim purely because of his fame, and she thought that he was a, quote, viral meal ticket for like or, like, clout for her own rescue shelter. Basically, like, oh, we're the rescue shelter that has scrim, and we. So I think a lot of people thought it was a marketing move. And actually, we were in New Orleans on tour when this was going on because there was a bunch of scrim merch everywhere. And I remember asking a store person, like, oh, what. What's. Who's the Scrim character? And she was like, don't even get me started. And she.

[Christine]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Allison]

She ended up telling me the whole thing. And I guess it was in the thick of this, like, custody disagreement, as I'll call it, because she had pretty similar words for Michelle that. Like, that the whole. The whole town was apparently really not happy with her because they all wanted Scrim to finally be with his family, especially since they had worked for over 10 months to get him home. It sounded like a lot of people were not very happy with Michelle, but they allegedly did come to an agreement. I think because of the death threats. Tammy and Freba even decided, like, this was too much, and they. They reached out, saying on Michelle's behalf to stop the hate. And I think they even made a video with Michelle and Scrim.

[Christine]

Oh, wow.

[Allison]

And they publicly stated that they had come to an agreement for, like, a visitation, basically, where. Which I think is still a little messed up because basically Michelle ends up getting scram and the couple could have visitation. I'm like, shouldn't.

[Christine]

Well, I also feel like that's kind of a hard thing to consistently upkeep and. Or keep up and make sure that that's. That just feels like a recipe for disaster, like, logistically and stuff.

[Allison]

I think so, too. I. The only.

[Christine]

Especially with the dog that keeps trying to escape. It's like, now you're bringing him to two different houses or.

[Allison]

Well, Tammy said our focus is on scrim. I hope everyone can celebrate with us that this dog is just doing wonderful. And to this day, Scrim is still a beloved icon. Enola, as I wrote in my notes. And some sources even call him a mythical creature, which is very validating for why.

[Christine]

Including this source.

[Allison]

Including the source. And this source also calls him an urban legend, which is something I cover. That's right. He has had a statue made of him displayed at Barcus. Do you know about Barcas? It's this.

[Christine]

No.

[Allison]

So New Orleans also has, like, basically a dog, Mardi Gras every year.

[Christine]

Oh.

[Allison]

And so he had a statue at Barkis.

[Christine]

That's cute.

[Allison]

He was also literally a Mardi Gras parade float one year.

[Christine]

Awesome.

[Allison]

Again, he was honored by the New Orleans City Council, and he was the mascot for many projects throughout the city. He inspired many local murals. He inspired a lot of flash tattoos in town.

[Christine]

Oh, I bet.

[Allison]

And one article actually said that scrim is now like a. A. A phrase. Like a slang word out there. Which means, quote, hastily leaving without looking back.

[Christine]

M. That's so good.

[Allison]

He also has had a book written about him called Scrim on the Run.

[Christine]

Oh, my. Look how cute that is. Local author, Scrim on the Run.

[Allison]

And he's also had. So in New Orleans, there's the National Bobblehead hall of Fame.

[Christine]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Allison]

Which I have been to. And they made a limited edition bobblehead of Scrim.

[Christine]

You have it, too. Come on. Look at the Mardi Gras colors on the.

[Allison]

Yeah, they only made 20, 24 of them, and I got one.

[Christine]

Oh, wow.

[Allison]

You would love the bobblehead. Actually, Leona would love the bobblehead museum because they actually have, like, a. Like, a map, and you have to find all the. These certain ones. Find the one that has.

[Christine]

Oh, that's fun. I didn't even know that existed, honestly.

[Allison]

You know me in my weird spots,

[Christine]

but I sure do.

[Allison]

But anyway, I became obsessed with him. So now I've got his book and his bobblehead, and that is scrim.

[Christine]

Oh, my gosh. Now I'm gonna scrim to the bathroom real quick.

[Allison]

Okay.

[Christine]

That is so cool. He's so cute and sweet. I didn't know the drama about him jumping out of the window. That's fucking nuts.

[Allison]

I know, I know. I. I thought that was where it began, but apparently that was just the. The sequel.

[Christine]

I mean, it feels really like some sort of movie. Like, kids movie. Like, he's getting blow darts and, like, dodging trains and, like, jumping out of windows. I mean, it feels ridiculous, but, I

[Allison]

mean, the real children's movie of it all, which is so sad, is like, if the end goal was, like, he was trying to find his, like. Like a little girl who was.

[Christine]

So. That's what I was worried about. I'm like, is there somewhere he's trying to get to? You know what I mean? Like, it?

[Allison]

I hope not, because my heart can't take it.

[Christine]

No, I can't take that. No, sorry. That's.

[Allison]

I think he just loved the grass.

[Christine]

That's what I mean.

[Allison]

Clearly.

[Christine]

He just loved being on the run,

[Allison]

you know, he just likes spreading his wings.

[Christine]

Okay, I get it. I get it. It.

[Allison]

Oh, all right. I'm also going to scrim to the potty.

[Christine]

Okay. See you in a minute. There's nothing like coming home and seeing a package on the counter from Quince and going, what did I order for myself? I wonder. I don't even remember ordering anything and then realizing it says Leona Lamb on it.

[Allison]

I was about to Say there's nothing more exciting. And then realizing it's Allison's package, I'm like, well, that's not what I wanted. I was just about to say that because.

[Christine]

Devastated.

[Allison]

Both of us shop at Quint's and.

[Christine]

Yeah. And all of a sudden, Leona does too, apparently. I'm like, who's sending this? It was mother in law.

[Allison]

But anyway, you look so classy without having to pay that old price tag on it. Quint makes high quality wardrobe staples using premium fabrics like 100% European linen, 100% silk, and organic cotton poplin. There's lightweight cotton cashmere sweaters, which we've discussed before. I have a wonderful blazer from them. I love their linen collection. It's about to get really hot here. We're going through our little cold streak right now and then it's going to get warm for the next nine months. Loving the linen collection.

[Christine]

Breezy.

[Allison]

I bet in that package that's sitting on the counter right now, it says Allison's name on it. I bet there's linen in there. I bet.

[Christine]

I bet you anything. I bet you big bucks right now. Go to quince.com drink for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada too.

[Allison]

Don't keep settling. For clothes that don't last. Go to Q-U-I-N-C-E.com drink for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com drink like some people like to

[Christine]

do things the hard way. And I'm like, why do you choose this burden for yourself? Life is hard enough. You know what I mean?

[Allison]

I. Look, I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. I hate being inconvenienced. I hate it.

[Christine]

That's why we advise you, please, to switch to Mint Mobile.

[Allison]

Yeah, with. With Mint Mobile, you can stop paying way too much for wireless just because that's how it's always been. Mint exists purely to fix that. It has the same coverage, the same speed. It's just without the inflated price tag, which. Which I don't know why anyone would turn that down. And for a limited time, you get 50 off three, six or 12 month plans of unlimited premium wireless. It has saved us so many times when we are on the road. We are so lucky for it. Christine keeps calling. It meant mobile and I can't stop saying that in my head now. So hopefully it stays with you as well.

[Christine]

Ready to stop paying more than you have to. New customers can make the switch today and for a limited time get unlimited Premium Wireless for just 15 per month. Switch [e-mail] ATWD that's mintmobile.com ATWD upfront payment of 45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for 12 month plan required, 15amonth equivalent taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only. Over 50 gigabytes. May slow down when network is busy. Capable device required. Availability, speed and coverage varies. Additional terms apply. See mint mobile.com all right, I have a pretty wild one today because it's one of those again, that I have not heard of of but saw like a headline about recently. And it wasn't that recent. The original discovery of the crime was 2018. So I don't know how I missed all this, especially hosting a true crime show. Maybe I'm just more in the know now.

[Allison]

Sure.

[Christine]

But yeah, this is the story of the Turpin family.

[Allison]

And girl, we've covered this.

[Christine]

No, I don't think so. Have we?

[Allison]

Even I. Maybe not, but even I've heard the name.

[Christine]

Well, okay, hang on, I'm googling. Oh boy. Imagine. Oh, no.

[Allison]

It's okay. I don't remember. Oh, no. Louise Turpin. Oh, David and Louise Turpin.

[Christine]

Yep, that's them.

[Allison]

Well, hey, you know what, you said 2018 and it was episode 57. It was literally 2018.

[Christine]

Okay, but can I tell you something else?

[Allison]

So this is updated. This is gonna be.

[Christine]

Notes I have are based on information from 2022 and 2026.

[Allison]

This is gonna be fun. You finally get.

[Christine]

Okay, this is gonna be one of

[Allison]

those episodes where you get to see like how your research has changed throughout the years.

[Christine]

Oh, I knew these looked, looked familiar. And I was like, I must have just skated on by this one. Like, how did I not? Wow.

[Allison]

It was literally over 400 episodes ago.

[Christine]

I think we could all use that though.

[Allison]

Never in my life would I have ever been able to do it. I don't know what just did that to my head.

[Christine]

The holy spirit. Guys, something.

[Allison]

Something psychic happened just now.

[Christine]

It was probably like me falling asleep like in that one EP episode. And I like transported astral projected over here and just reminded you real quick.

[Allison]

Can someone in the comments, by the way, please tell me if you've listened to it recently, what is the episode where Christine fell asleep? Because I would love to listen to that. It's so hard because you never find it. We didn't record video back then, so like the only way anyone knows God, I would have killed. I would watch that every day. It'd be my screensaver.

[Christine]

You just going, we barely record this film, video this, these days with the way that I forget.

[Allison]

No, I. I would love to be able to go back and listen to that. And the only way anyone would know it happened is, like, we cut to, like, an ad, and then it goes, hello. It's the next day.

[Christine]

But the next day. Oh, my God, I was so embarrassed. Okay, okay, so this is clearly a repeat. However, I'm really shocked, actually, now that I did cover this in 2018, because that was, like, fairly breaking. I mean, you know, not breaking, but, like, a lot of the information had not come out yet, so I don't know what the hell I was talking about.

[Allison]

No, I think you were, like, probably trying to do something that was topical, but, like, wow. And you're good for me in your later years, though. I know that you like covering things where you have all the information, so you. I know a lot of people have asked, you know, why you haven't covered certain topics, and it sounds like it's often. They're, like, ongoing cases, and you want to be able to just give of

[Christine]

all the information, you know, I'm so also glad you said that, because I've thought about that recently because I've been following the Nancy Guthrie case. By the way, have you seen any more on that since we talked about it on.

[Allison]

This is a dead honest answer. I haven't watched any of it because I know eventually I'll cover it. Oh.

[Christine]

Oh, okay. That's really.

[Allison]

That's all I know is it's so, so sad. And I saw this camera footage.

[Christine]

Okay. Creepy. It's really creepy. So, yeah, they. They took someone in for questioning, then they released somebody for questioning. So it's all very confusing, but. And then, of course, everyone's, like, analyzing the body language of the videos the siblings have posted and the verbiage, because it's similar to Silence of the Lambs, but also, like, Silence of the Lambs is based on the way and the FBI, like, actually works. And so it's like. Of course, there's probably similar verbiage used in both. Anyway, the whole thing is kind of like a minefield right now, for sure.

[Allison]

It's just. It feels too. Too hot. We gotta let.

[Christine]

It's, like, volatile. Yeah. And I'm like. And I love to watch people cover that. I just don't know that I'm the one. I don't know that I'm, like, the one to be on Top of it, the way that a lot of these creators are. I'm thinking of Annie Elise specifically, because last night I was getting in bed, and I saw she posted an update in her pajamas. And she was like, there's just been an update in the case, like, my friend who's on the scene. And I'm like, whoa. Like, this is the kind of, like, content creator where I'm like, damn. Like, you are. You are serious. Like, you're putting in the work.

[Allison]

Good for her. No, I. I don't know anything except that it bums me the out. And I just can't imagine being in that position. And is she still, like, going to work and reporting the news while this is happening?

[Christine]

I don't think so.

[Allison]

Okay.

[Christine]

She was supposed to go to the. The Olympics, and then her entire. She and her entire team ended up staying back to, like, support her.

[Allison]

That's nice.

[Christine]

Yeah. Which was sweet, but. Yeah. Yeah, she's just kind of. They're going through it, man. But then she posted a video, and it was. She had, like, makeup on. And for something, for some reason that, like, struck me as odd. And I thought, like, is this somebody who's, like, obsessed with her or wants her? Like, I don't know. Something just was weird about it because suddenly she's wearing makeup and she did a solo video. And I don't know if that's just because she's like, kind of the. The main face of this family in the media or what, but it just struck me as really odd. So I don't know Know what information they have, but I don't think they've been given proof of life verifiably. And the weird thing is, too, the ransom letters are going to the media tmz, and it's like, it's at.

[Allison]

They absolutely want this clout.

[Christine]

Yeah. But they're not sending. They're not communicating directly with the FBI or with the family. And the family and the FBI are like, talk to us. And it's like, no, no.

[Allison]

They clearly. They want the attention. It's. It's so gross. That's so sick.

[Christine]

Yeah, it's really disturbing. So anyway, here I am, I guess, covering it now as it's happening, but I usually am not, you know, that. That kind of a reporter. So this one, I guess I did do some sort of overview in 2018. I'm curious to actually go back and hear it. But now we have so much more information thanks to good old Diane Sawyer, who did multiple interviews with the Turpin children beginning in 2022. So that's where a lot of this information comes from. So this should be pretty much similar and slightly totally brand new.

[Allison]

Cool.

[Christine]

Okay, so just as a refresh, on January 14, 2018, at 5:49am in Paris, California, 911 dispatchers received a call from a girl claiming to have run away from home. They asked what. What street she was on, and she didn't know because she'd, quote, never been out. She didn't even know what sidewalks were. So she was walking in the road,

[Allison]

didn't know what a sidewalk was. How old was she?

[Christine]

Yeah, she was 17.

[Allison]

Wow. So she was. Okay. Okay.

[Christine]

She'd actually never spoken to someone on the phone before. She was shaking. Her voice was clearly extremely nervous. She explained to the dispatcher that she was from a family of 15 and that she and her siblings had, quote, abusing parents. When asked for details, she explained that her two little sisters were at home chained up.

[Allison]

Oh, my God.

[Christine]

And, yeah, sounded absolutely beside herself. They connected her with the sheriff's department, who asked for her address. She actually had to pull out a piece of paper where she'd written the address because she didn't know the address. Oh. And at first, she actually read the zip code by accident instead of the. Instead of the street address, us. And when asked, are you on any medications? Because they're thinking, is this someone who's gotten, like, a teen who's gotten into something?

[Allison]

Sure.

[Christine]

She said, I don't know what medication is.

[Allison]

Oh, I know how. I know. They. They popped up on my TikTok recently.

[Christine]

Same with me.

[Allison]

Okay. That's how I know this. Okay.

[Christine]

It's because last week, Diane Sawyer released her second special since the one in 2022, with three of the siblings that have now now become adults and are now doing interviews. So there's been, like, quite a lot of buildup. So that's probably why we both saw it on our feeds. That makes sense.

[Allison]

Makes sense. Why, of course, why did I think. My first thought was, oh, I'm psychic. And that's how I remember episode 57.

[Christine]

But listen, I was. I was really ready to believe it. I still kind of do. So.

[Allison]

Wow. Okay. So I. I still don't know this story. I just saw a video of the. I don't know what medication is or what's medication.

[Christine]

Yes, what's medication? I don't know what medication is. And she did know what medicine. When. When they said medicine, she was like, sometimes I get Robitussin, but. But, you know, really was clearly out of touch in. In Many ways. So she finally got the address right. She was able to say it aloud. And they sent a deputy out to her location in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Paris, California. And that's P E R R I S. Her name was Jordan Turpin, and she was 17 years old. In the middle of the night, she had climbed out of a first story window with an old cell phone in an attempt to save her siblings. All the while, she was terrified that her parents would notice she was missing or look out a window and like maybe see her under a street light. She said, quote, I know how they are. They wouldn't care if police were coming. They would just kill me right there.

[Allison]

Oh, my God.

[Christine]

Yeah, that's what she told Diane SAWYER in that 2020 interview I mentioned. She told the dispatcher, we live in filth. Sometimes I wake up and I can't breathe because of how dirty the house is. Dispatch asked, when was the last time you had a bath? And Jordan said, almost a year ago. So one other scary note, like just to put this all into context, is that the dispatcher knows that if this call drops or Jordan hangs up, there is no way to contact her again. She's using like one of these obsolete cell phones that don't have any service, but you are able to call 91 1. And I have always wondered, like, if those work, work. You know where it says, like, call dial out to 911 is the only feature. But it looks like it really did work.

[Allison]

Okay.

[Christine]

I could only make an outgoing call to 91 1. So if this call drops or if Jordan hangs up, they would have no idea where she is, how to get contact with her.

[Allison]

Oh, my God. Okay.

[Christine]

So they're trying to keep her on the line and they send deputies out to a deputy out to, to check on her. When asked who her father is, she said, David Turpin. And said she didn't know much about her mother because, quote, she doesn't like us. Us.

[Allison]

My God, that's so sad.

[Christine]

It is. She lists off her 12 siblings and their ages. Okay, their ages range from two. Well, I'm just gonna read them. 2, 11, 12, 14, 16. She herself is 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 29.

[Allison]

Even the 29 year old is like, still there probably are in the house.

[Christine]

All in the house.

[Allison]

A 30 year old, like what? Chained to walls and pretty much, oh my God, like, how do you even keep a 29 year old in a house for 29 years?

[Christine]

And. Oh, you'll see. Yeah, it's not necessarily Chains. It's more. I mean, that does happen. I'm. So that's why I said sort of. But it's like more mind games, a lot of psychological. Right, exactly. Abuse and that kind of thing. And like, threats, you know, all that good stuff.

[Allison]

So.

[Christine]

6:11am, the deputy has arrived. And this is where it's like, much more jarring and real because you see the body cam footage. I'm gonna send you a picture of Jordan just because throughout this story, I just was really struck by how different over the years as she healed, as she escaped. This just how. How you can see her, you know, like, heal just by the way she, like, carries herself and stuff. And honestly, in this first picture I'm sending you. Hang on. It's just. It's hard to see, but it's her. It's her talking to the deputy who arrived. And I also want to add that, like, she hadn't. She said she had never had a conversation with someone before.

[Allison]

Oh, my God.

[Christine]

So she was basically, like, totally out of her element. They thought she was, like, young. You know, she was 17. She kind of behaved like she was much younger and, like, socially.

[Allison]

Sure. Talked to a person before. She didn't even know what her exact dress was or the word medication. Oh, my God.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Allison]

Oh, my God. And you said something earlier that sounded. Do you say like she had abusing parents or something?

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Allison]

It sounds like her English isn't all that.

[Christine]

She has quite a limited vocabulary. And they. And she uses strange, like, not anymore, but she used, like, strange kind of lilted, like, syntax and stuff, which ends up for sure being part of just growing up in this environment.

[Allison]

Sure, yeah. No, I imagine, like, not speaking to anybody. You're gonna almost create your own, like, dialect or something. Or your own.

[Christine]

With your own siblings. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Allison]

Okay.

[Christine]

So it was now an hour and a half after she climbed out the window. The sun had come up, and Jordan was safe in police custody. Deputies arrived at the house and they basically got them to open the door and they knocked for about, I think, four and a half minutes. And when the couple opened the door and were like, what's going on? They said, we're coming in and I need to send you this picture. It's like, okay, this is a picture of the body cam footage from the body cam footage of David and Louise Turpin at the door. I know, I know.

[Allison]

They look like, like character caricatures of, like, people.

[Christine]

Yes. Okay, good. I'm glad you say that because some of the photos that I'm gonna Show you. I'm like, this looks like.

[Allison]

He looks like. Is that her husband?

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Allison]

He looks like a doofus. Like, he can wait till you see the picture. He literally has the dumb and dumber hair haircut.

[Christine]

Okay. It gets so much worse. It gets so much worse.

[Allison]

You have a middle part and bangs on. On the same forehead.

[Christine]

And, you know. You know, we talked about this in 2018, and I just begged to know what the we said about this because his mug shot was definitely out.

[Allison]

I can't wait. His hair looks like buck teeth. It's like the dumbest hair I've ever seen.

[Christine]

My life literally sending you the scariest mug shots you've ever seen. Hold on a second.

[Allison]

She's also. Well, not. I'm not usually someone who's going to judge someone for their looks, but knowing who they are, I don't care. He literally. I've never seen, like, it's like an. It's. He's like, auditioning to be an idiot. That's what he looks like. Like, he looks like he put a wig on to look stupid, but. But he just is.

[Christine]

Looks like a dumb and dumber wig. Like, it really does.

[Allison]

Okay. And she's. She's no prize either, by the way.

[Christine]

She's scary like you. She's, like, smiling. And I want to put into perspective, like, at this point, while she was going through this rest process, she's like, I'm. I put it later in my notes, but I'll say it now. She basically told people, well, don't worry. When I get them back, I'll never use chains on them again. Like, that's how delusional this woman was.

[Allison]

I mean, you can see it in her eyes. She does she. There's something about her eyes that are.

[Christine]

Are totally psych.

[Allison]

I don't. You know, they. She's not all there.

[Christine]

Her eyes, not well. She's not well. And, like, you can see that clear, plain as day.

[Allison]

The soul is gone or something.

[Christine]

Yeah. It feels empty. And, like, the fact that she's smiling at the camera, like, saying things like, oh, I'll never use chains on them again. I promise. And thinking, like, she's gonna go home that afternoon, it's just all very sinister, you know?

[Allison]

Yeah, I understand.

[Christine]

I agree.

[Allison]

I fully agree. He's a. I'll never forget him. I mean, I apparently already did, but now I won't.

[Christine]

First of all, you totally didn't because you totally pulled that out of nowhere. You totally remembered that episode somehow. And also, yeah, he's never. He's Gonna haunt us for sure if.

[Allison]

If anyone has his haircut without ever having looked at you, I'm warning you now to please cut your hair, because if I ever see you on the street, I'm gon be like, what is going on here?

[Christine]

Thing is, when I saw the haircut in some of the.

[Allison]

Literally, a bob. It's like Dora the Explorer.

[Christine]

And I thought it was a wig

[Allison]

from Vominos the barbershop.

[Christine]

And then, like, later on in, literally at trial, he has this. Or not a trial. Like, in the courtroom, he has the same hair, but it's gray now. And I'm like, that wasn't a wig. Like, that was his real hair. And he still styles it that same way.

[Allison]

I. You know, if I. If someone dared me to say something nice about him, I'd be like, oh, I can't. I'm so impressed. You have all your hair, but you really need it to be gone now. Like, good for you. Like, show it off, I guess.

[Christine]

But that's what it is, right? Like, I don't know what else. Why else you would do this? It's such a strange way to do your hair. Like, it's not even. Like, it's easy to keep upkeep, you know, like that. Like, that's all like, what are you doing?

[Allison]

He looks like he's. He put on, like, his. He put on a wig to impersonate his. Like. Like a woman. Like, he looks like a Karen.

[Christine]

It looks like a wig. Yes, yes, totally. It looks like blonde lady wig.

[Allison]

She deserves the same amount of hatred. He's just this. His is easy, though. That's just an easy low blow.

[Christine]

He just really. He just really made a decision and stuck to it, is what I'll say.

[Allison]

You know, I hope nothing I said was cancelable. However he deserves it, I think.

[Christine]

Listen, I don't think any of us are gonna be rooting for this guy, so.

[Allison]

Okay.

[Christine]

All right. So they get to the house. They knock on the door. They're like, it's the police. And they're like, what? What's going on? And they tell the family, oh, there is a girl that was. I don't know how they phrased it. It's like a very careful way that they spoke to not let the parents know which child it was, because they

[Allison]

were like, thank God.

[Christine]

I know. It was, like, really tactful. And they said, you know, a girl said she's from here, and she's like, from where? From this house. And they were like, maybe. And she's like, which girl? And they're like, we don't know her name. And she's in the police car. Meanwhile, over here, like, full name, every.

[Allison]

She had to be sweating bullets.

[Christine]

She was terrified.

[Allison]

I can't imagine.

[Christine]

And one of the. The deputies who was with her was like, you don't have to look. You don't have to even think about it. Like, look away. Because she was just scared that, like, they would drag her back in. And she's like, I know they would kill me. They would kill me whether the police were looking or not. That didn't matter. And, like, that's how she was, really. Life or death.

[Allison]

Wow. Let's talk about his hair again. The ass bob.

[Christine]

I know, right?

[Allison]

All of a sudden, I feel really justified in everything I said.

[Christine]

What a piece of. And by the way, it is important in that picture to notice where that ass bob is standing because it's blocking a particular angle that was hiding two more. It wasn't hiding, but it was covering two more bedrooms, like, concealing two more bedrooms where they found the rest of the children. Because, remember, there are so many here, 13 of them. So as all this is going on, by the way, police walk in and you can hear this guy, you can hear David say, do you have a warrant? And they go, oh, we don't actually need one. Thanks. Or something like that.

[Allison]

Like, it's like this very often, dumbass.

[Christine]

Really, it's so dismissive. It's like, oh, actually, we don't need one. Thanks for checking. You know, like, it's so dismissive and, like, well said. And because children are. They have reason to believe children are in danger on this property. They can walk right in, you know, and so they're like, we don't actually need that. Like, thanks for your concern.

[Allison]

You know, it sounds like they. I mean, mean, it sounds like they don't know what a warrant is, right? Like, I mean, it doesn't sound like something they. That occurs to them to the. Like, the. He's the one who said this.

[Christine]

The.

[Allison]

The guy with the Bob, he said, no, we don't need a warrant.

[Christine]

Oh, no, no, no. Sorry. He told the police, do you have a warrant? You can hear him, like, trying this whole time.

[Allison]

Imagine it my way, though, because, oh, no, it sounded like the cops were saying, like, we have a warrant. And the guy going, we don't need that. Thanks. And just like, oh.

[Christine]

Oh, that's way better. No, I wish that's how it went.

[Allison]

Sorry. I'm so primed to just hate this man.

[Christine]

Okay, so he is still equally stupid and he's like, do you have a warrant? And he's like trying to stand up for himself somehow. And they're like, actually we don't have, we don't have that or need it. Thanks. Like, thanks for checking on me, bud. You know, like just dismissed. And they're like, well, we're packing. So it's really cramped in here right now. Now. And I gotta say that is an understatement. I want to add that as all this is happening, by the way, Jordan's older sister, who's the eldest, the 29 year old Jennifer, she knew about Jordan's escape plan. So she was basically like hearing a commotion and she didn't know like if the police were bringing her sister home, if like they had gotten help. Finally, you know, she didn't know what the outcome was. So she's terrified as well. She's in waiting in her bedroom, she hears knocking on the door. They say it's the police. Police. And finally this family, these kids realize that they're actually being taken out of

[Allison]

this house, which has to be also, on its own, scary because they've never been outside. Like, even if they know they're being terrible.

[Christine]

Terrifying.

[Allison]

Maybe not, because I'm sure they've been told the police are bad or something. So.

[Christine]

No, they just didn't even really understand. They didn't even really have an understanding of like, yeah, the outside world and. Yeah, I don't know, I don't know the right way to put it, because there was also a lot of trouble they faced because they weren't. Weren't familiar with the outside world, got taken advantage of, you know, troubles in foster care, that kind of thing, because they were not properly prepared for the real world, you know. Yeah, so there were. Yeah, yeah, there were both sides. So inside the house, deputies were horrified to discover that things were basically exactly as Jordan had described, but worse. They find 13, well now 12 emaciated children, some of whom are chained to their bunk beds. And by the way, like in the body cam footage you can see that the, the mom like had thrown. They're looking for the chains because she had taken them off. It took them like five minutes to open the door. And it's because she was undoing the chains and hiding them, but she didn't get to one of the kids. So one of the kids, the chains were still on and they couldn't find the keys. And this poor boy was like in chains this entire time. Police are looking everywhere for the key. They can't figure out how to get this poor kid out of this bed. I mean, it's just all very harrowing and like upsetting to watch just to give you a warning. But the house itself too is just absolutely filthy. I'm gonna send you. I mean, how could it not be, right? You have like 13 people trapped inside. Okay, so I'm gonna show you some pictures. This is like where. And they were all sleeping in bunk beds. But you know, this is like a. I think like a two bedroom house or maybe three bedroom house. And then just to add, we. There were recently released pictures of the house where the family lived in Texas, which these are not current pictures. The person who bought the house most recently posted the or took pictures of the inside. But this is what their house looked like when they lived in Texas. And it just gives you an idea.

[Allison]

Oh my God. Filth. Like filthy, Filthy.

[Christine]

Like it looks like someone upsetting.

[Allison]

It looks like bodily functions were just spread everywhere.

[Christine]

There was feces on the walls. It's just. I mean, you have a two year old living there, like under the care of a bunch of other children.

[Allison]

It's just so not justifying at all what they've done. This seems like a true mental health crisis as well. And they. Is that okay?

[Christine]

I believe on her part especially, I don't quite know what's going on with the guy, but she is struggling psychologically. Yes. Or was at least at the time.

[Allison]

I mean, if anyone else could see these pictures right now, it's. I mean, it's just fecal matter beyond compare.

[Christine]

There's all of the recording. Yeah, there's. There's a lot of troubling stuff. And of course it doesn't excuse it, like you said. It just explains like the con. It gives context to like the specific abuse they endured and like where that came from. So they arrest these two with those creepy mug shots. And like I said, she's just planning on when she's gonna get out. Please. It's like that other guy from last week, he's like, when I get out of here, I'm gonna sue every one of you. And it's like, dude, you killed your whole family. You're not coming out. Like, yeah, you're not. You're not leaving. Get used to it. These people are so delusional. Okay, so the kids are taken to the hospital and nurses and doctors multiple cried upon treating them because they were just so malnourished, so socially stunted. Some of them were so emaciated they had trouble walking. One of them had heart damage because of the Malnutrition. One of the preteen age girls had an upper arm circumference the size of, of a four month old. Babies, like how tiny they were. And it was just really horrific to see all this. And then as somebody kind of astutely put, like not just one child but 13 of them, you know, it's just really shocking. And on top of that, they'd clearly been in isolation their whole lives. They really had a lack of vocabulary, of socialization, of an understanding of the outside world. And Jennifer, the eldest, said that her first moment of freedom was dancing to music in the hospital. And that's sort of when she realize, like, I have my own life now. She says they went to a park and Jordan, the other sister, was ecstatic to smell fresh air and remembers thinking, how could heaven be better than this?

[Allison]

Oh my God.

[Christine]

They really, they really had no understanding of the outside world. I want to add to that in the Diane Swear in the newest one that came out as we record this like last week, she said they're still so filled with gratitude. They still like admire the sky, they still love to sit in the grass. Like, they're still just very content.

[Allison]

And like, I mean, especially the 30 year old, like you've never known anything else, right?

[Christine]

And like finding beauty in things that most people just ignore, take for granted. So let's get into how this even happened, right? Because like, of course we're wondering about mental health and all that. So this all begins in a small town in West Virginia. There's this shy, nerdy guy named David Turpin. He graduated from Virginia Tech, got a job at Lockheed Martin in engineering. And then there was Louise Robinette. She in high school, was in the Bible club, in the choir. She was six years younger than him when they got married. She was 16 and he was 22. But Louise's sister recently told People magazine that he'd started making passes at her when she was as young as 10 years old old. So this girl was basically groomed by this man. Well, he was 16, she was 10. At this point they already knew each other. And it's been described as she was being taken out of what we'll discuss later as a very abusive, sexually abusive household into another abusive household is what her siblings describe. But you know, she left her home to be with David. And when she was 16 and he was 22, they were married. They'd grown up Pentecostal. And with that kind of rigidity, they really had this like strict understanding of faith and adherence to faith. They got Married and moved to, oh, Fort Worth, Texas. Hey, maybe I just subconsciously.

[Allison]

Geez. And by February 11th, we're very.

[Christine]

Oh, that's weird today. Yeah, weird. So they moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he worked at Lockheed Martin. And this is where things start to really fall apart because they tell family that God wanted them and you know about this, to have as many kids as possible, which I think is quiverful. Right? Yeah. Okay. So they tell their family this, and their family is like, what? But their family, remember, is A, abusive and B, like across the country. And. And you know, you're in like the 90s. It's just not. You're. They're not keeping track. And so they don't even realize, like, how bad things get. I do have a picture I'm gonna send you of the family, like, young. Because they do look relatively like the Duggars. Oh, do they really?

[Allison]

They look weirdly like the Duggar. And didn't you say. Are all the kids names starting with Jay?

[Christine]

Yes.

[Allison]

What the is going on here? Here, this is like.

[Christine]

Oh, I didn't even put that together until now.

[Allison]

Okay, well, that's just aside from everything else, but they literally look like video pictures I've seen of the Duggars when they were younger.

[Christine]

So. Yeah, I send this because I'm thinking this is the most normal picture I have of them. But the fact that it makes you think of the Duggers makes me so happy because there really is not a normal picture of these two. They're just like monsters.

[Allison]

Well, I mean, you've only shown me two pictures, but in both of them, she also just still has Death Jedis.

[Christine]

Like, it's like, vacant. Yeah, it's. It's sad because just the way she treats her own children and. And it's like God wants me to have all these children to lock up in their bedroom. I mean, it's so strange.

[Allison]

And like, I. I would love not to understand because I couldn't, but I would love to hear their understanding. Maybe you're going to tell me of, like, why God wanted them to have so many kids to torture.

[Christine]

Like, there's no rhyme or reason as far as I can.

[Allison]

I just didn't know if they even had their own, like, absolutely deranged opinion.

[Christine]

They just basically said God wants them to have these kids. And I think then over time, things just evolved.

[Allison]

Geez, I feel like they were like, God wants us to have kids. And then the Bible actually didn't say anything else. So, like, now what do we do with them?

[Christine]

And they're like, wait, now what? Yeah, it's so strange because it doesn't really track like that. That was the motivation, you know, but that's kind of all we've got. So Jennifer, the oldest girl, who was 29 at the time of escaping this place, she was born when her parents were 26 and 20, and she really struggled. She actually was the only child of the Turpin family to go to school, to go to any sort of schooling ever. She remembered it being extremely traumatic, kids calling her Skinny Bones. She, she looks back and she thinks, like she said, I know I smelled. You know, these kids didn't. I couldn't understand why kids didn't want to play with me. And, and, and after third grade, her parents pulled her out of school and no more Turpin children would ever go to school. So they moved to Paris, California, which was a small town 70 miles outside of LA. They begin to. Or they grow even more distant from family. At this point, they have 13 kids. You know, their family back home doesn't even really realize how bad things have gotten. They've fallen out of touch. They put the kids in a trailer behind a house, and then they just left them there to fend for themselves. They would go off and, like, live in their own apartment. And once a week they would drop off, like, very limited groceries. And this was when Jordan was 6 years old. So the younger sister, the one who escaped, she remembers eating ketchup, mustard, ice cubes, leaves, grass, just to try and survive out there while her parents were off, like, gallivanting and like, having date nights and living in their own apartment. The oldest, Jennifer, was forced to discipline the children. Her dad had these homemade cages he built that she was forced to either put her siblings in or then be punished much worse when they came home. So it was essentially like a lose, lose situation.

[Allison]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Deeply traumatic.

[Allison]

I can't imagine even her guilt in hindsight of, like, I mean, I know I'm actually, in hindsight, she's probably like, I didn't have a choice. I. We were just surviving. But the, the guilt of, like, not wanting to put your kids, your siblings and fucking cages and like, now you and that too.

[Christine]

And that impossible task of like, being the oldest, wanting to protect them, being forced into. Yeah, it's really sick because, like, that's part of the game, right? Like making them responsible for one another. I mean, it's just really dark. So they leave them there to survive, to attempt to survive. Meanwhile, David and Louise move into a motel. They begin going out to bars, drinking Having the time of their lives. His license plate is literally DL Forever, which is David and Louise forever. Like, it's so weird. I'm gonna send you a picture of them together. Like, now they're becoming more and more just, like, unhinged looking as well.

[Allison]

Oh, becoming. Okay, they're there, babe. I don't know what you just.

[Christine]

They are here.

[Allison]

Oh, my God, they're. And by the way, the picture that Christine just showed me is them at Disney. And, like, so they can clearly afford to, like, not make their kids eat leaves and mustard.

[Christine]

Correct. Correct. And, like, his shirt says, happiest Memories on Earth. Like, really gross. So gross.

[Allison]

He reminds me of someone, but it's probably, like, Pennywise. I don't know what it is. I hate this man.

[Christine]

Tim Curry. Sorry. Okay. You're gonna freak out about the next one. You're gonna freak out because I'm gonna have to punish you with something. I'm so sorry, but it. I couldn't. Not every time he scrolled past, I got upset. But I have to put it in here. So just as an example of the. They were pulling the stunts. They were pulling. They actually brought the kids with them to some of these outings.

[Allison]

Shut up.

[Christine]

Yes. There's a group photo of them all at Disney and matching outfits. They brought the kids to Las Vegas to get their vows renewed. Mood. And then they have the kids file in in matching dresses and, like, little suits to dance with the Elvis impersonator. And it's, like, on video. Like, home video. And the kids are, like, skin and bones and, like, are just happy to be outside. Like, it's just really dark. But here's a picture from their vow renewal in Vegas. And the hair, it's really challenging for.

[Allison]

It's like carpet that hasn't been, like, tufted yet. Like, it's, like. It's just a big strand of, like, it's like curtains.

[Christine]

It's like if your hair was one hair.

[Allison]

It's literally a LEGO head. Like, it's just, like, yuck.

[Christine]

It just keeps getting worse. And, like, her hair keeps getting cooler. Like, she has a silver streak.

[Allison]

But, like, she can't possibly look at him and think, that's my man. Like, she can't.

[Christine]

Can't.

[Allison]

She can't possibly. His hair. She simply doesn't have eyes. If she. Okay, sorry.

[Christine]

This is the one where I went, that's a wig. It has to be.

[Allison]

There's no way. Honestly. Honestly, I would believe that given how gross and narcissistic they are. He's bald as. And he is like, I actually have to put this on.

[Christine]

So I feel myself could really be a wig. I don't know, but it sure looks like one. I tell you what, it.

[Allison]

It's Flopsy Mopsy Cottontail over here. Like it's just, it's.

[Christine]

But put it in a tux, you know, and it's like what's happening?

[Allison]

Like if you're paying for a wig, buy a good one. Like that's anyway. And she. Again, no prize to her. She's just easy.

[Christine]

She's just easy to be into it. And maybe it's just her thing. Here's a picture of the whole family, of course, children's faces blurred out, but we've got.

[Allison]

Oh my God. God. Hey, guess what? I literally can't imagine anything more duggerific than this.

[Christine]

I mean really duggerific indeed. Because imagine in the background you hear like you're the devil in disguise. And it's like what is going on with these people? Like ain't nothing but. And they're like dancing. It's so uncomfortable because they're all off the beat and like it's just really cringe and like look how little. The one on the right is holding a little baby. Like the two year old old. This two year old lives in the house with them. And like look how skinny they are. You know these are like teenaged age kids or a preteen. It's just really.

[Allison]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And this is when the parents like wanted to put them on display. Right.

[Allison]

So which like I can't imagine being them and being like so terrified of like. Like they're in such. If they never get to leave the house and they're all of a sudden here like I know that they're petrified of like if I make any wrong move the second we get to the hotel room, I am so fucking like 100%. And because.

[Christine]

And that's what they not tell anybody.

[Allison]

Not getting to tell any like there people right there. You couldn't tell Elvis like 100%. Help me.

[Christine]

No. And. And the. There were a lot of reasons. So I showed you that last picture of them in the dresses because in the 2020 interview, Jordan explained like then they brought us home to wear our filthy pajamas like after this.

[Allison]

No.

[Christine]

And like here's just a picture. I just. It's. It's hard to look at but it's some of the clothes that they took out of the bedroom.

[Allison]

Like just so like beyond soiled.

[Christine]

Like soiled. Yeah. Really foul. And so they were like. It was just all this Creepy show, you know, where they would be taken out.

[Allison]

Oh, God. And, like, I can't imagine even. I wonder what that did for them psychologically about, like, being given a gift when it's like, I'm sure it's not this way anymore. Or maybe it was never this way, but I would. I would start associating, like, getting a gift with, like, oh, this is something we put on display publicly. But then as soon as we get home, throw it away. It was never yours.

[Christine]

Yeah. Well, you know, it's interesting you say that, because Louise actually suffered from what appears to me to not an expert, not a doctor, to be a hoarding disorder. She had this, like, manic shopping addiction. And it was all to children's toys, games, and clothes. And she would hoard them in the house, but not let the children touch them or get evil.

[Allison]

Yeah, evil. And also, by the way, in that picture where all of them are at, like, that vowel renewal. I just want to say it again for people. Dead eyes.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Allison]

There's just. I. There's something so soulless about her. And he looks like just like Justin Bieber, what we all thought he was gonna look like one day.

[Christine]

Yeah. Like the Photoshop versions of him as an old man. Yeah. It's so weird.

[Allison]

Just.

[Christine]

It's horrifying. And they weren't even allowed. They were putting these dirty clothes back on, and they were brand new with tags in the closets. Like, brand new kids clothes. Nice ones. There were toys still in the shrink wrap. Like, for example, they had about a hundred different collector versions of Monopoly, but the kids were not allowed to touch them. It was bad at one point. David Turpin files for bankruptcy. But are David and Louise gonna take a hit? Of course not. Their children can take the hit for them. Right. They start eating bread and peanut butter almost every day when they can get it. The parents are, of course, eating, like, fast food and whatever they want, but the kids have to just kind of get by on sandwich bread. They even made Jennifer often prepare their meals for them, like their frozen dinners and stuff, but she wasn't allowed to have any herself.

[Allison]

I can't imagine, like, smelling actual food and then just eating nothing or leaves or some.

[Christine]

And just like. Like moldy bread. So this Diane Sawyer review I mentioned, it's so good. It's really well done. I have a picture of that from that interview. Just of how, like. Like, happy and healthy they look like. I just. They're, like, glowing. The two sisters. That's Jennifer, the eldest on the left, and that's Jordan, who escaped.

[Allison]

Oh my God, look at that.

[Christine]

Aren't they.

[Allison]

Oh, they're so cute.

[Christine]

They're so sweet. Like they really are. And now three more siblings have kind of come forward into the spotlight a bit to tell their story. And they all just look like they're just like glowing. Like they're all just so beautiful people. I don't know, they just full. Yeah, they look very strong people too. You know, they just, there's something about them. They're just very self assured.

[Allison]

Good for them.

[Christine]

Yeah, yeah. So they do such a great job, like recounting this nightmare and I mean, even Jennifer being the oldest and saying like, I remember when it was just me, you know, like being the youngest, you know, think about that and like going to school.

[Allison]

And then also like imagine finding out that, that your parents, that your mom's pregnant again and knowing that like another kid's going to come just to like have to deal with this. Like, imagine how it's like your.

[Christine]

And it's probably on you, you know, the responsibility of caring for the kid. Yeah, it's. It's horrific. And they, of course, were not in school, but they were registered as Sand Castle Day School with teacher Louise Turpin, principal of the school, David Turpin. But in reality, they were just leaving the kids alone in the house and the parents went out and did their own thing. The kids would sneak out, like to talk to one another outside of their bedrooms, of course, unless they were chained up, which was also a regular occurrence. They would sneak bits of fresh air out of cracked windows just to kind of get some air. They began teaching each other what they knew. So like, Jordan learned the Alphabet from her sisters, you know, because they weren't in school. School. And they were just kind of left in this house of horrors while their parents went out and they had, you know, basic, like they had a TV with like channels on it. They had one or two of the older kids had like a basic smartphone. And so sometimes they could like, you know, look things up or Google things. But for the most part they were really kept under lock and key. And you know, people have wondered like, well, yeah, why didn't they just say something or why didn't they talk to somebody or get help? And it was always the threat of either. Nobody wants you. This is the only place that anybody would ever want you. You know, just like that verbal abuse of like, you're just worthless trash and like, you're lucky you even have this house, you know, so verbal abuse in that sense also the responsibility and, like, the connection with your siblings, you know, like, you don't want to risk. Oh, did my camera just go off?

[Allison]

Yep. Goodbye.

[Christine]

What happened?

[Allison]

I don't know.

[Christine]

Sorry, folks. My camera died, and then I forgot what I was saying. The. The reason we know a lot of this, I will add, too, is that Jordan had a Barbie doll that she had been allowed to play with. And it had a little pink button on the belt which controlled, as Jordan discovered, a toy camera, but, like, an actual camera inside the doll. So she would kind of wander around sometimes and make little movies just for fun and film stuff in the house. So we, like, can see some of that footage online, which is just crazy.

[Allison]

And her parents knew there was a camera in this thing?

[Christine]

No, they had no idea, which is why it was, like, such a damning piece of evidence, because, you know, you see David Turpin and his ass bob, like, waving, like, going off to Lockheed Martin to go to work and waving goodbye. And it's like, your son is chained up in that room. What are you doing? You know, like, you just see the filthy carpets and the fact that the kids had to, like, by the way, they had to wait till dark because they were on this, like, weird schedule where during the day they slept, and at night they were allowed to wake up and kind of roam around freely.

[Allison]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Like caged animals. But, like, they had to keep all the blinds closed and they had to duck. They weren't allowed to stand up. They, you know, they were kind of restricted in that sense, but they got enough freedom that they were able to, like, bond, you know, bond very closely with each other and stick up for each other. And it was because of her little siblings being chained up and hearing. She said she couldn't hear them cry another night. She was like, I can't hear them cry another night. So. So even though it's life or death, like, I have to get out of here. And. Yeah, it was just really remarkable when they are instructed or when they are taken somewhere, like Disney or whatever, they are instructed never to speak to strangers. So that's kind of part. There was a lot of stranger danger kind of put in their minds, like you were saying earlier, like, not to trust people, that kind of thing. Nobody else wants you. Nobody would ever help you. So Jordan actually said that the threat they would get from her, the parents, was that if they ever talked out or ever, like, got the parents in trouble, that something called cps, Child Protective Services would come and separate all the kids. And Jordan basically believed that they'd end up in different countries and never see each other again. So, like, the fear, I mean, that was like her worst fear. Because it's like the only people you know, your siblings, and you're so close with them. Them. And the threat of, like, if you talk, everybody's going away, like, you're never gonna see them again. Just. It really was effective. So they played on the ground, in the filthy rugs, unless they were chained up. And always at night. And of course. This is so weird. M. This is actually where Justin Bieber comes into the story.

[Allison]

What?

[Christine]

I'm so serious right now.

[Allison]

Are you just calling about that?

[Christine]

I'm not, I'm not. I hadn't even put that together until you said it. But Jordan discovered. So Jordan had kind of snuck one of her siblings smartphones, unbeknownst to her parents, and she discovered Justin Bieber's music videos. She became obsessed. Like, she's such a girly girl. Even now in her, like, Instagram, it's all very, like, glam and like, you know, girly. She became obsessed with his music videos, according as Diane Sawyer said in the. The. In the kind of promo she said, never underestimate the power and reach of a teenage heartthrob.

[Allison]

Yeah, sure. Has Justin Bieber commented, by the way? Because I feel like.

[Christine]

I don't think so. They're owed to merch.

[Allison]

They're owed a video.

[Christine]

I know they're owed, like, a cameo or something, right? So Jordan was, like, totally fascinated by this outside world, and she began to realize there was, like, a whole world out there for girls like her. She watched all of his interviews and learned vocabulary and communication through Justin Bieber's interviews. And I know the more she watched, the more she realized she wanted to be a part of the outside world. She loved High School Musical and would watch that and would just imagine, like, the chance to be in a dance, you know, in a dress, dancing with friends. Like, it was just such a foreign concept. And here's a photo of. So they had side by side, the High School Musical scene, but then a picture of her after she made a dress out of discarded paper at the house. Trying to, like, look pretty. It's heartbreaking. And she looks so adorable. But she made herself a dress out of paper, which, like, go off, girl. Like, seriously.

[Allison]

So she's so sweet.

[Christine]

At the same time, you can tell she looks so. She feels so pretty.

[Allison]

She feels very beautiful.

[Christine]

And, like, it just really broke my heart. So she used a smartphone and was watching all these Justin Bieber videos. And when her parents would Leave. She'd make. Make singing videos in the bathroom and post them, like to. To tick tock or what have you. And one day she got a comment asking why she's always inside and always at night. And she was like, oh, I'm not allowed to eat or get out of bed.

[Allison]

Jackpot.

[Christine]

Yeah, yeah. And he's like, you need to call the police. And she was like, I knew it. I knew something was wrong at my house. Like she really was just. It was finally hitting her. Like, oh, this is not.

[Allison]

Not Question, question before we move on, because this feels like the end of chapter one and into chapter two. How did the parents not wonder why she knew songs?

[Christine]

So she didn't. No, she didn't sing any of this in front of them. It was only ever when they left. So. And the siblings kind of knew that they'd pass her on the phone and stuff. But the parents did not know that the kids were.

[Allison]

All the siblings were in on the phone.

[Christine]

Yes. Yeah. Okay.

[Allison]

And how, how, how you did we get the phone again? Like, what was the reason?

[Christine]

Two of the older siblings had access to a smartphone and somehow Jordan got her hands on it. And I don't. I think it was like, so that the parents could call them or attract them or like it was something very.

[Allison]

It feels so risky for people who are holding 13 people hostage for 30 years. You would.

[Christine]

But I think they get to the point where they're so comfortable, they're like, eh, sure, you know what I mean? Like, she's almost 30 and it's like, well, she's clearly.

[Allison]

We can trust that she's not gonna do anything.

[Christine]

Yeah, kind of. And it's like, honestly, we don't know if anything would have happened if Jordan hadn't like gotten this idea in her head to escape. Right. I mean, like, they could have kept him there longer. So this is horrid because pretty quickly I. She didn't get caught singing songs, but she did get caught watching a music video. A Justin Bieber music video.

[Allison]

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no. Know.

[Christine]

Yes. And her mother choked her in her bed until she was unconscious. She began to have serious nightmares about her mother killing her. And one day mother, as they called her mother and father, by the way, one day mother says they're moving to Oklahoma. Start packing up. And Jordan was like, it's now or never. I gotta get out of here. And one detective on the case, case, I believe he was either a detective or a doctor, but he very familiar with the case. And he said, I don't think all those kids would have survived the trek to Oklahoma. When we found them, they could barely walk. And, like, they're trying to shuttle these kids to Oklahoma. Who knows how and under what conditions? Like, it just. The timing was now or never. She told two of her sisters, including Jennifer. I'm gonna leave. And they help her plan. So she draws a basic map. Jennifer does. She doesn't quite know where everything is outside, but she tries to explain, like, the layout of the street in the neighborhood. Neighborhood. They make sure to get pictures of the abuse to. To show proof. They call a taxi to get a quote. And Jordan had seen the show Cops, and when the taxi cost way too much money, like, they didn't have hundreds of dollars for a taxi to come pick them up, Jordan was like, I've seen people call 911 on COPS. And that's where she had learned that. And so she took this, like, dilapidated old phone, this, like, defunct phone, and, you know, hit it. And the day before the move, she said, I gotta go. So she hid pillows under her blankets, climbed out onto the windowsill, and hopped out. Sounds like scrim. He's popping out of these windows. My God.

[Allison]

Not a blast.

[Christine]

Yeah, Seriously. Wow. So she hops out the window, and it's, like, really chilling. You see the footage, the ring footage from across. Or the doorbell footage from across the. Across the street. You can see, like, a kid hopping out and just, like, looking around and then just running. And that's when she made this call that we started with earlier in the episode.

[Allison]

Did the neighbors know what was going on?

[Christine]

So some of the kids have expressed frustration that the neighbors knew something was wrong and had to have known something was wrong but didn't say anything. Same with the school system. The fact that, like, nobody clocked that this daycare was a real thing, it was fake thing, and, like, they were never checked up on, you know? And it's hard because, like, most abuse allegations are or are made through schools or not allegations. Most, like, inquiries are made because school. Schools are mandatory reporters. And so, like, they're not in any schools. And so there just was nobody to advocate for them. And it.

[Allison]

It is wild, though, because I would imagine, like, the neighbors. You live across the street from a house of 15, and you only ever see two.

[Christine]

Like, I don't even know if you would know, though.

[Allison]

Yeah, maybe they didn't even know there were kids that lived there.

[Christine]

They knew how many at least. But, like, also, the blinds are always drawn. Like, I'm sure you'd think, like, something's bad, but I don't know that you'd ever even have any clue.

[Allison]

Sure.

[Christine]

Yeah. But I don't know, man. I guess o gives me the shivers. Yeah.

[Allison]

Yeah.

[Christine]

So she made that call, and we've kind of covered how the arrest happened, all that. So these two were charged with 12 counts of torture, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult, six counts child abuse, 12 counts false imprisonment. Louise's defense took the angle that she'd been diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder. And, like, they even use her saying, you know, when I get back, I promise I won't chain them up again as, like, evidence that she clearly didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

[Allison]

Clearly not with reality clearly out of touch.

[Christine]

They even have her sisters weigh in. And according to them, Louise may have ended up where she did because of a very, very dark family secret, which I think we can all see just these horrible patterns reappearing again. Ongoing sexual abuse from a very close friend or family member. We don't know. But they described him as very, very close and somebody that they were meant to trust. And that's kind of where that conversation about her leaving one abusive household into another has come up with the siblings. I do have a picture of them at trial because, like, now his hair is gray, but it's the exact same bob. What is with.

[Allison]

I can't even look at it.

[Christine]

Don't.

[Allison]

Please don't make me do this.

[Christine]

I'm gonna send you any more pictures of him.

[Allison]

And you know what? I have to give. Actually, I have to back up a little bit and give a little grace on that haircut, because that was the era of Justin Bieber and Zac Efron High School Musical. Maybe that was true in Vogue, but.

[Christine]

Yeah, but I think, like, a six year old man who's, like, kidnapping children, you know, maybe, like, read the room. Don't. You're not a hip teen.

[Allison]

Like, you're not 16. You're not even a good dad.

[Christine]

No, you're. No, no, you're not a good person.

[Allison]

Nothing about you is good. Shave your head.

[Christine]

Shave your head. Cut it out.

[Allison]

Give it up.

[Christine]

Okay, so David refused to talk to investigators basically the entire time. They both pled guilty. And perhaps the only thing sadder, which, like, I hate to say this, and I'm sure this was not something I was able to cover in 2018. The only thing sadder, I think, than all of the above is that, like, they were pretty much fa. A lot of them, at least, were failed by the foster care system after their rescue, which like, is just such a hard thing to hear after, like, like such a daring escape and like, finally being rescued. And a lot of things have slipped through the cracks. I mean, these kids had never been taught what a sidewalk was, let alone, like, right. How to handle a debit card. And it's like, you know, of course people took advantage. There was a sexual assault allegation of one of the foster fathers and one of the daughters, the younger Turpin girl said, like, oh, well, people can tell when you're vulnerable and have issues and are looking for a father figure and people. And she's like, I didn't know that. That was like, you know, and if

[Allison]

there were signs, you wouldn't have even known about that. You've never heard about it. But, like, after all the abuse you just went through, like, you're like, at least I'm not chained to a bed now. So, like, I mean, it's like comparing. It's replacing traumas with other traumas and not knowing how to react.

[Christine]

Yeah. They were often passed around. There were comments, too, on that note that, like, like, I. I know why your parent now. I know why your parents did this to you. They got a lot of, like, verbal. I know, like, a lot of verbal abuse from foster families. There was talk of, like, oh, look what your parents did to you. No, you know, nobody wants you to. Like, it's just really dark stuff. And like, Even in that 2020 updated episode, they. They said, diane, sorry was like, I just want to make it clear too, like, of course, don't. Or wonderful foster families and it's such an important job. But just to hear, like, when things go wrong and aren't and people aren't advocated for by, like, the people that are in the system that are supposed to take care of them, it's just really hard to hear. They were placed in dangerous environments. One of the daughters was assaulted. They. They were oftentimes couch surfing, as in didn't have a place to live. I mean, the youngest was two. Right. Like, think about this. Like, that's just so hard. One investigator said, like, they had no sixth sense about the world about who was safe, who wasn't safe. They were just kind of dumped out in the world. And so what happened? And like, the other thing is, like, they raised a lot of money through the public, but, like, the kids were not really given access to it. So it's like they don't really know whatever happened to it. And then this one woman, Vanessa, who was meant to be helping the kids transition into the Real world, she, like, didn't help. She would. Like, when they'd ask for help with, like, the bus system, she'd be like, google it. Like, she would just seem like she got fired. She actually got fired.

[Allison]

Good.

[Christine]

One of them needed help with getting dental benefits. And she. She was a whole. I mean, talk about man. Wow. Talk about neglectful. She allegedly, you know, didn't help them access dental benefits and just really was hands off. Yeah. Yeah. Really, really rough. And they did begin official inquiries in 2022 and reached a settlement with the Turpin siblings. But as part of that settlement, this is. The department said that they did not admit any wrongdoing, whatever, you know, foster system that was. But as far as I can tell now in 2026, from the updates, it appears that most of them, if not all of them, are thriving. Okay. They're all. All extremely close. Like, all 13 of them. Here is a picture of Jennifer's gothic wedding.

[Allison]

Shut up.

[Christine]

I know. It's just.

[Allison]

What a dream.

[Christine]

Sweet. And, like, they just look so happy. And then this is Jordan, who now does. I mean, she is successful. She has Instagram. She's so sweet and beautiful. She has an Instagram with 359,000 followers, and on her bio, not one of

[Allison]

them is Justin Bieber. I'm pissed off. I know.

[Christine]

And she hopes to be a motivational speaker someday. So that's.

[Allison]

That's incredible.

[Christine]

And then, like I said, there's that newest special where the. The youngest siblings decided to step forward and speak out. And it's just amazing to think, like, that there are 13 of them. And over the years, like, more and more might decide to, like, come forward, you know, and we probably hear more and more details as. As the kids become adults and share their stories.

[Allison]

Wow.

[Christine]

So that's the case.

[Allison]

Well done. And there's 13 of them. How do we know how old the oldest is now? She was 29 in 20.

[Christine]

2018. So my bath is not.

[Allison]

So eight years ago. So she's 37 now.

[Christine]

Something like that. Yeah, that sounds right.

[Allison]

Wow. Yeah. Good job, Christine.

[Christine]

That's just. I mean, it needed pictures.

[Allison]

Like, usually it did.

[Christine]

I feel like I can get by, but that man's hair.

[Allison]

I'm so.

[Christine]

People like, I don't know. And you know what really ticks me on, you know what teased me? Right? Oh, is that I can't even. Like, we can't even share these on Instagram because we're gonna get in trouble or whatever, and I want to share them on YouTube or somewhere. Like, I want you any picture you

[Allison]

find of that man. The hair will be asked.

[Christine]

Type in David Turpin, David and Louise Turpin, and you'll see all sorts of versions of the hair.

[Allison]

I'm so impressed with how they have all seemed to make, like, somewhat of a full recovery.

[Christine]

I know, they're.

[Allison]

It's so incredible.

[Christine]

A lot healthier than I think I could be. I mean, I don't know, obviously, but like, like, wow. They really seem like they've been adjusting very well.

[Allison]

Yeah. Oh my gosh.

[Christine]

Great news.

[Allison]

Well, good story. Pristine.

[Christine]

Wowza. Well, thanks. Happy Wednesday. M. Thanks, you too. What's your name again?

[Allison]

Yeah, it's just literally a letter. I. Yeah. Okay, well, is that it?

[Christine]

I just like, hit a brick wall of like, energy. I don't know what happened. I'm like, crashing. Oh my God, am I gonna fall asleep again?

[Allison]

There she goes, folks. All right, well, no, please, if you know that episode, please let me know in the comments. Cause I would love to listen.

[Christine]

I hate it. I hate it so much.

[Allison]

We'll see y' all next next week. And that's why we drink.

[Christine]

Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax. And let go of whatever. Whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry.

[Allison]

I almost couldn't breathe when I saw

[Christine]

the discount they gave me on my first order.

[Allison]

Oh, sorry.

[Christine]

Namaste.

[Allison]

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[Christine]

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[Christine]

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[Christine]

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[Allison]

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