Betrayal Season 5, EP 5: Tornado | Saskia's Story

Release Date: February 26, 2026
Hosts: Andrea Gunning & Amanda Knox
Podcast: Betrayal (iHeartPodcasts & Glass Podcasts)

Episode Overview

This gripping episode centers on Saskia Inwood’s harrowing journey through the criminal justice system after discovering her husband, Mike Levengood, had been living a secret and deeply criminal life. The story covers the lead-up to Mike’s trial for rape and illegal surveillance, the tense plea deal negotiations, Saskia’s feelings about justice, and the dramatic sentencing hearing. It also tackles the broader societal myth of the “perfect victim” and the legal and emotional obstacles faced by survivors seeking accountability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Legal Case and the Plea Deal

• Charges and Evidence:

  • Mike was charged with rape after extensive evidence was gathered: “In the end, they gathered over 30 videos Mike had filmed without Saskia's consent. In many... she was completely unconscious and her husband was violating her.” (Andrea Gunning, 02:19)
  • “Under Maryland law, it was legal to rape your unconscious spouse, just so long as it was done without force.” (Andrea Gunning, 02:30)

• Saskia’s Hope for Justice:

  • Saskia wanted Mike in jail for life, equating her testimony to reclaiming her power:

    “I wanted him to be in jail, and I felt like testifying against him and holding him accountable would give me back some of my power.”
    (Amanda Knox as Saskia, 03:28)

• Prosecutors’ Dilemma:

  • Significant legal barriers and stigma around mental health and substance use history made conviction at trial precarious.
  • “They're going to be throwing out these things about this person to try to undermine their credibility, and that is a really hard thing for victims to deal with.”
    (Ashley Enderfirth, lead prosecutor, 08:38)
  • The risk of acquittal led prosecutors to accept a plea: “With a plea deal, they'd avoid the risk of a jury acquitting Mike. They'd get a guaranteed guilty.” (Andrea Gunning, 09:25)

• Saskia’s Disappointment:

  • Mike pled guilty to only one count of rape, which felt minimizing:

    “He only had to plead guilty for one count of rape. And it kind of felt like it discounted all of the times, all of the deceit, all of the manipulation.”
    (Amanda Knox as Saskia, 06:15)

2. The Sentencing Hearing: Telling Saskia’s Truth

• Courtroom Dynamics:

  • Saskia entered court with her support system, anticipating closure:

    “We were just all so excited for at least this piece of this terrible process to be behind me.”
    (Amanda Knox as Saskia, 10:28)

  • Mike’s demeanor stood out:

    “He looked gaunt... only because he knew he got caught. You would think... some level of remorse or shame, and he didn't. He looked straight at me and then looked straight ahead. It gave me chills.”
    (Amanda Knox, 11:26)

• Defense’s Strategy:

  • Emphasized Mike’s character, minimized the crime, cited “pornography addiction,” and referenced the marital rape exemption:

    “When you get in the mix of the tornado and whirlwind of pornography addiction... it kind of twirls you out of control…”
    (Mike’s attorney, 17:56) “Incapacitation is not a grounds of sexual assault with your spouse in Maryland. And the hours of footage... were largely of somebody incapacitated.”
    (Mike’s attorney, 18:39)

  • Tried to cast doubt about consent by referencing mutual sexual activity.

• Prosecution’s Response:

  • Framed the crime as a sustained “year of perpetuating this continual betrayal of trust...” rather than a one-time lapse (“not a tornado,” but a pattern)
    (Rebecca McVittie, prosecutor, 22:52)
  • Explicitly described the videos as evidence of Mike violating Saskia while she was unconscious and powerless:

    “He perpetrated every woman's fear by taking away her voice, her choice in the matter.”
    (Amanda Knox reading prosecutor, 24:35)

3. Victim Impact Statements

• Marisa (Saskia’s Sister):

  • Accused Mike of having “no shame” and of gaslighting the family.
  • Raised the suspicion of drugging Saskia and scorned his “cockiness in those videos.”

    “The worst part is your cockiness in those videos. How cool you felt... And then put on your good husband mask during the day... your Honor, even now I feel my words are probably lost on him.”
    (Marisa, 27:30)

• Saskia’s Statement:

  • Powerful testimony of lost safety and self-worth:

    “There’s not enough jail time for you... that will make me feel safe or give me back what I had before you victimized me. You pretended to be a loving husband, and yet you were my attacker. You posted pictures and videos of your crimes against my body on the Internet... You’re a sexual predator. Michael Levengood, you took away my ability to feel safe and to trust... I’ll never be the same because of you.”
    (Saskia, 29:24–31:14)

• Mike’s Refusal:

  • Mike declined to speak or to apologize.

4. Judge Cummins’ Sentencing Remarks

• Judge’s Experience of the Evidence:

  • Emphasized the difference between reading about the crime and seeing the videos:

    “…intellectually, knowing the facts of the case is very different from watching those videos. Not easy to watch those videos at all.”
    (Judge Cummins, 38:10)

  • Concluded force was clear, and that Saskia was “comatose... absolutely.”
    (Judge, 38:19)

  • Expressed skepticism about Mike’s purported remorse, highlighting his statements in the psych evaluation as minimizing his responsibility.

• Final Judgment & Sentence:

  • The plea deal capped the time at 18 months in county jail, despite the judge’s belief that “you are a predator. To Ms. Inwood.” (Judge, 41:40)
  • The sentence: “15 years, suspend all but 18 months” (41:52).

5. Emotional Fallout & Reflections on the System

• Saskia’s Reaction:

  • 18 months felt hollow:

    “I can't tell you how wrong that felt.”
    (Saskia, 42:58)

  • Her sister focused on “the guilty plea... he's a sex offender for life” (43:07), but mourned the lack of proportional punishment.

• Moment of Closure – or Not:

  • Friend Bridget filmed Mike being led away for Saskia to have evidence of consequences, but Mike's dismay at being filmed was "very ironic" considering his crimes (45:13).
  • Saskia: “I thought it would heal part of me... Instead, I just had anger and hatred.” (45:42 – 45:52)

• Limits of Legal Justice:

  • Ashley, prosecutor:

    “The result of the criminal case can’t be the be-all and end-all. ...the criminal justice system can be a part of your healing, but it can’t be all of it, because it’s not going to do it.”
    (Ashley, 46:24)

• Ongoing Struggle:

  • “For perpetrators, jail... can be a final destination. But for victims, that jail sentence is just the beginning.”
    (Andrea Gunning, 46:04)

• Unfinished Business:

  • Civil battle—especially custody and family law—remains ahead.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Legal Loopholes:

  “Under Maryland law, it was legal to rape your unconscious spouse, just so long as it was done without force.”
  (Andrea Gunning, 02:30)

• On Betrayal:

  “That is the reason that this betrayal is so intense for Ms. Inwood... these types of crimes... are not committed in the light of the day. They are committed in darkness after that trust has been established.”
  (Prosecutor Rebecca McVittie, 21:28)

• On Survivor Guilt and Healing:

  “I thought it would heal part of me. I thought it would heal me feeling like a helpless victim. Instead, I just had anger and hatred... that person [Mike] died.”
  (Saskia, 45:42–46:04)

• On Systemic Hurdles:

  “Mental health still has stigma around it that can impact a juror. It shouldn't, but it does.”
  (Debbie Feinstein, 09:18)

Important Timestamps

• Prosecutors describe limitations of law: 02:12 – 04:44
• Saskia reacts to the plea deal: 05:59 – 06:56
• Defense’s shifting narrative in sentencing: 16:29 – 20:03
• Prosecutor’s moving summation of the crime: 21:28 – 25:45
• Impact statements from Marisa and Saskia: 26:40 – 31:14
• Judge’s powerful assessment; sentencing: 37:03 – 42:13
• Reflections on 18-month sentence & aftermath: 42:58 – 46:56

Tone and Style

The tone is articulate, empathetic, and at times raw—balancing legal precision with personal and emotional testimony. The hosts maintain a careful, survivor-focused perspective while exposing the flaws and realities of the criminal justice system.

Episode Takeaways

• The legal system’s limitations and outdated statutes create barriers to justice, especially for survivors of intimate partner sexual violence.
• “Perfect victim” myths and stigma (especially around mental health or substance use) can make convictions hard to secure.
• Sentencing and legal outcomes rarely align with the harm suffered by survivors.
• The show underscores the importance of survivor voices, the lingering aftermath of betrayal, and the need for broader structural change.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual violence, visit rainn.org or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE for confidential support.