Stephanie Langlitz | Betrayal Weekly

Summary

Betrayal Weekly — Stephanie Langlitz’s Story

Podcast: Betrayal Weekly
Host: Andrea Gunning
Guest: Stephanie Langlitz
Release Date: June 25, 2026

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Episode Overview

This intense episode of Betrayal Weekly brings listeners the story of Stephanie Langlitz, a survivor of child sexual abuse by her high school Spanish teacher. Host Andrea Gunning guides Stephanie through her harrowing account—from her isolation as a teenager through years of being groomed, abused, silenced, and ultimately to her courageous decision to bring her abuser to justice. The episode exposes not only the psychological tactics of predatory grooming but also the institutional betrayals that perpetuate cycles of abuse, then closes with notes of resilience, healing, and hope for others.

Content warning: The episode deals explicitly with child sexual abuse and its aftermath.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Childhood and Family Instability (03:27–04:31)

• Stephanie describes her upbringing in upstate New York as unstable due to her parents’ tumultuous relationship.
• Her coping mechanism was withdrawal and spending time alone, dreaming of escaping to Los Angeles.

"I spent a lot of time in my room."
— Stephanie (03:27)

Family Move and Adolescent Isolation (04:31–05:49)

• The family moves to Tucson, Arizona, which Stephanie resents but accepts with the promise of LA trips.
• She struggles to fit in at her new school and feels immense loneliness, leading to early substance use and depressive symptoms.
• Her mother notices her decline and takes her for a clinical diagnosis—Stephanie is prescribed antidepressants.

"I remember being hunched over, looking down, and I remember thinking, this is how he's going to know that I'm depressed because I can't even sit up straight."
— Stephanie (06:11)

Meeting Mr. Lindrude and the Start of Grooming (06:32–13:25)

• Stephanie meets her Spanish teacher, Mark Lindrude, who presents as a young, cool, relatable adult.
• The school’s “Zero Hour” gives her a refuge from home and bullies; she starts spending mornings in his classroom.
• Their interactions move beyond the teacher-student dynamic—first via AIM, then in person.

"He trusted me with personal information, and it filled this void that I wasn't feeling with friends or with my family."
— Stephanie (09:07)

• Mark encourages informal communication and eventually proposes a meetup outside school.

First Physical Boundary Crossed and Escalation of Abuse (12:49–17:12)

• Their first meeting at a public park ends in Mark abruptly and inappropriately kissing Stephanie (13:13).
• The relationship quickly intensifies: late-night car meetings, secret make-outs, and soon, rape at his house.

“He starts walking toward me very aggressively and he just picks me up and kisses me and I just froze. It never occurred to me that that's what was going to happen.”
— Stephanie (12:59)

• Mark manipulates Stephanie into secrecy, framing the abuse as both love and a "shared secret".

"He started telling me, you can never say a word to anybody. ...And what are people going to say about you if they know this is happening?"
— Stephanie (14:59)

Isolation, Secrecy, and Institutional Failure (17:12–25:20)

• Mark becomes Stephanie's only confidant, further isolating her from peers and family.
• When rumors start at school, she’s bullied and shamed by classmates; administrators do minimal investigation and fail to protect her.

"People were calling me teacher fucker... And now I'm being labeled a slut, a whore."
— Stephanie (23:22)

• Stephanie pleads with her principal to intervene, but he responds dismissively.

“Well, I can't just get on the loudspeaker and tell everyone that it's not true.”
— Principal, as recalled by Stephanie (24:16)

Progression of Control and Dependency (25:21–28:56)

• Mark lies to his parents and others about Stephanie’s age and pulls her further into his orbit, making her run household chores and isolating her from outside experiences.
• “Feeling mature” becomes a tool of manipulation.
• The dependency grows stricter until Stephanie gets her driver’s license, granting her new freedoms and relationships.

Realization and Breakaway (28:56–31:11)

• Stephanie discovers Mark’s birth certificate, realizing he’s four years older than he admitted—32 to her 16.
• This moment brings clarity about his deceit, leading her to break off the relationship.

“Holy shit, he is 32… Clearly, you know you're doing something wrong if you're lying to tell me that you're younger.”
— Stephanie (28:28)

• Mark attempts to regain control by proposing marriage, but Stephanie asserts herself and ends things.

"You are pathetic. This has been going on for two years. Do you even realize what you've done to me? I took my power back as a 16 year old in that moment."
— Stephanie (30:20)

Aftermath, Trauma, and Reflecting on Abuse (31:11–34:16)

• Stephanie struggles with depression, substance abuse, and dropping out of college.
• She tries telling others, but few validate her experience as abuse.

"Not a single person ever told me that was wrong or made it seem like it was something I should have reported."
— Stephanie (32:42)

• Becoming a mother and pursuing her dreams in LA become pivotal for her healing and confidence.

Recognition and Decision for Justice (35:25–37:29)

• At age 30, she sees Mark is teaching again—now in Colorado.
• Overcome with rage and responsibility, she emails the school principal, then files a formal police report.

"I cannot let this happen and just stand by and do nothing."
— Stephanie (36:00)

• Working with Detective Durbin, Stephanie gathers evidence and is validated for the first time.

"She started saying, sexual abuse of a minor. ...When I started talking to Detective Durbin and she started using those words, I was like, oh, my God. That's exactly what this was."
— Stephanie (37:29)

Building the Case and the “Confrontation Call” (42:16–45:14)

• Stephanie still has mementos from the abuse, which become vital evidence for prosecution.
• With detectives’ help, she calls Mark and gets him to admit his abuse on record.

"'I need closure. I was 14 and I was your student. Why did you do that?' And he's like, 'I was immature.'"
— Stephanie, recalling her confrontation call (44:25)

Arrest, Trial Preparation, and Courtroom Battle (45:14–51:16)

• Mark is arrested. Facing 21 charges, he opts for trial over a plea deal.
• Stephanie testifies, taking control of her narrative and withstanding attempts to discredit her.

"She opened up her entire thing saying, Stephanie Langlitz is a liar. I was like, that is your defense. Let's go. Let's go."
— Stephanie (50:14)

• She confronts Mark directly during testimony:

"You will not get away with this."
— Stephanie (51:09)

The Verdict, Sentencing, and Aftermath (51:37–54:05)

• Mark is found guilty on all 21 counts and sentenced to 66 years.
• Stephanie delivers a powerful victim impact statement.

“You stole my teenage years from me… instead I found myself at the bottom of a bottle for many years. ...So her defense was to paint me as a liar. This is why so many victims don't come forward.”
— Stephanie (52:10)

• Former students thank her for protecting them.

“He creeped us out... we just want to tell you thank you for protecting us. That's why I did it.”
— Stephanie (53:08)

• She criticizes the original school for failing to act.

"The school did nothing to protect me. I do think that they are culpable. The signs were there and they missed a lot.”
— Stephanie (53:40)

Healing, Connection, and Resilience (54:05–END)

• Stephanie finds real community and friendship after years of isolation.
• Her friends see her not as a survivor, but as her full self—a turning point for her healing.

"They don't see me as a victim or survivor of sexual abuse. They see me as who I am today. I am truly happy for the first time."
— Stephanie (55:02)

• She shares a final message of solidarity, urging other survivors to know they did nothing wrong:

"You did nothing wrong. There is no shame, There is no guilt and there really is a lot of power and validation. On the other."
— Stephanie (55:21)

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Notable Quotes & Powerful Moments

• On grooming:
  “Grooming is a term used to describe the process perpetrators use to control their victims. ...labeling their own abuse as a shared secret, and finally controlling and coercing their victim into staying silent.”
  — Andrea Gunning (14:37)

• Breaking free:
  "I took my power back as a 16 year old in that moment. Even though at that point to me it was just me breaking up with a boyfriend."
  — Stephanie (30:20)

• Testifying:
  "There was nothing she could have said that rattled me."
  — Stephanie, about Mark’s attorney (50:27)

• Jury verdict:
  "He was found guilty on every single count. Every single count. They found him guilty on all 21 counts. I did not expect that. And that was so powerful."
  — Stephanie (51:44)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:27 – 06:04 | Stephanie’s childhood, family shifts, mental health
• 06:32 – 13:25 | Meeting Mark Lindrude, the grooming process begins
• 14:59 – 16:05 | Explicit instructions to keep the abuse secret
• 23:22 – 24:50 | School bullying, institutional failures, increased isolation
• 28:28 – 30:51 | The revelation of Mark’s real age & Stephanie ending the relationship
• 35:25 – 37:29 | Stephanie finds out Mark is teaching again, decides to report
• 44:25 – 45:14 | Confrontation call with Mark
• 47:22 – 51:16 | Stephanie’s testimony & facing the defense
• 51:37 – 54:05 | The verdict, sentencing, impact on Stephanie & others
• 54:05 – END | Her current life, supportive friendships, message to survivors

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Episode Tone & Language

• The episode maintains a tone of raw honesty, warmth, and firmness—reflecting the gravity and impact of Stephanie’s experiences.
• Stephanie’s voice throughout is authentic, at times heartbroken, at times fierce, but always determined.

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Final Message

Stephanie’s episode is a testament to the enduring scars of betrayal and the strength required to confront it. Her story is a call not only for justice but also for institutional accountability, cultural change, and validation for every survivor struggling to be heard.

"You did nothing wrong. There is no shame, there is no guilt, and there really is a lot of power and validation on the other side."
— Stephanie (55:21)

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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or needs support, resources are included in the show notes. You are not alone.

Transcript

[Andrea Gunning]

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[Tony Ayo]

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[Andrea Gunning]

Hey, stay in your lane.

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[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

it's Karen in Georgia from my favorite Murder.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

We cruised around LA in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and dove into the fascinating life of actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Want the full story? Take a listen.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

She starts dating Howard Hughes and in fact, she helps him design a faster plane. So she finds the fastest bird and the fastest fish and sketches out a drawing of what the two would look like as a plane. And that becomes the plane that we know today. And he calls her a genius. Check out our new episode spotlighting groundbreaking innovators like Hedy and Lamar and Billie Jean King.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Presented by the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

Goodbye.

[Andrea Gunning]

Hi, everyone, it's Andrea. Before we start this episode, I want to let you know that we will be talking explicitly about the realities of child sexual abuse, so please be mindful with this episode.

[Stephanie]

I remember everything. That man for so long had so much control over me. I cannot just stand by and do nothing. You will not get away with this.

[Andrea Gunning]

I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is Betrayal, a show about the people we trust the most and the deceptions that change everything. Today, we are sharing Stephanie's story. Stephanie grew up in upstate New York, near Albany with her parents and siblings.

[Stephanie]

My parents had a very tumultuous relationship. I don't think I coped with the chaos well. I spent a lot of time in my room.

[Andrea Gunning]

In her room, it was quiet. Looking out her window at the woods of upstate New York, Stephanie dreamed of a sunny and bright, faraway place. Los Angeles.

[Stephanie]

I just had this obsession with the glitz and the glamour and how exciting it was. And especially for a little girl in upstate New York, where it snows and it's gray and it's gross. Louisiana Always just had this sunshine to it and always looked like it would be a very happy place.

[Andrea Gunning]

She hoped she could live there one day. As Stephanie got older, her parents started arguing more and more. Home was an exhausting place to be. Her parents split up and got back together.

[Stephanie]

Often that coincided with really difficult middle school years. Friends would come and go, and it was really difficult dealing with that in tandem with things that were going on with my parents.

[Andrea Gunning]

When Stephanie was in seventh grade, her parents announced that their family would be moving across the country to Tucson, Arizona.

[Stephanie]

I absolutely did not want to move to Arizona. I was quite literally kicking and screaming. You can't even stay together for a year. Why the hell are we moving across the country?

[Andrea Gunning]

But Tucson did have one major perk. It was closer to la.

[Stephanie]

They're like, look, we can drive from Tucson, Hollywood, anytime you want. If you stop, we'll take you to Hollywood on a trip. So that kind of softened the blow a little bit.

[Andrea Gunning]

But when she arrived at her new middle school, she struggled to make friends. The girls in her grade were not welcoming.

[Stephanie]

Girls are just mean. If anyone has been a middle school girl, you know that they can be very unkind.

[Andrea Gunning]

She spent most of her time at school alone, and life at home was not much of a comfort. Her parents were still arguing all the time. It was lonely.

[Stephanie]

When I was in eighth grade, I started drinking and smoking weed and started hanging out with girls that were a little bit older than I was. And that whole summer in between eighth grade and ninth grade was just a lot of Drinking in the desert.

[Andrea Gunning]

The desert stretched vast and shapeless around her. She couldn't figure out where she belonged in this landscape.

[Stephanie]

There were signs that I was unraveling. I had withdrawn a lot.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie's mom noticed a change in her and was concerned, so she took her to see a doctor.

[Stephanie]

I remember being hunched over, looking down, and I remember thinking, this is how he's going to know that I'm depressed because I can't even sit up straight. That's when I was diagnosed with depression.

[Andrea Gunning]

Her doctor prescribed her antidepressants. Just a few weeks later, Stephanie started her freshman year of high school.

[Stephanie]

I went into my freshman year very much alone, feeling very much isolated, very much broken. I felt like I didn't really have anybody.

[Andrea Gunning]

On the first day of school, Stephanie went from class to class, meeting her teachers and new classmates.

[Stephanie]

I go into my Spanish class, and the teacher, Mark Lindrewd, is standing there. It was very evident right away that he was trying to come off as that young, cool, hip teacher. Like, I want to relate to you guys.

[Andrea Gunning]

While his life sounded exotic, he would

[Stephanie]

say, I went to Spain and I ran with the Bulls.

[Andrea Gunning]

He was still relatable.

[Stephanie]

He was very into sports. He was one of the JV coaches on the football team and loved Star Wars. He used to teach in la, so that perked my ears of, oh, cool. Like, this teacher used to live in LA. Like, awesome. I love LA.

[Andrea Gunning]

Some kids thought Mr. Lindrude was kind of cheesy, but he always made class fun. And he was only 26 years old.

[Stephanie]

And so I'm like, okay, he's not that much older than us. He is kind of the young, hip teacher.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie's high school had a period in the mornings before classes started called Zero Hour.

[Stephanie]

If you needed to do homework or you needed extra help, you could go in. At that point, I didn't really want to be home at all. So I started going to the Zero Hour.

[Andrea Gunning]

One day during Zero Hour, Stephanie was walking through the hallways trying to find a place to do her homework.

[Stephanie]

I walk by Mr. Lindrude's room, and there was no one in there, or maybe one or two people. And I said, okay, this looks like a safe place for me to go to.

[Andrea Gunning]

She stepped into his classroom.

[Stephanie]

His room felt safe because it was quiet. There wasn't arguing, there weren't people yelling.

[Andrea Gunning]

She sat down and did her homework. The next day, she came back to his classroom in the morning. Mr. Lindrude was always welcoming.

[Stephanie]

It was just sometimes me and him, sometimes other people.

[Andrea Gunning]

Soon she was going to Mr. Lindrude's room during zero hour most days. There, she didn't have to worry about the mean girls in her grade or her parents. Arguments.

[Stephanie]

I'd had so many friends at different schools hurt me, and I really didn't trust other students.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mr. Lindrude was easier to talk to. He asked her lots of questions and seemed genuinely interested in her life.

[Stephanie]

Where are you from? How long have you lived here? And then he started opening up a little bit about, I came from Texas, I have an ex fiance. He trusted me with personal information, and it filled this void that I wasn't feeling with friends or with my family. He was really the only person who would sit down and listen to me and hear me. And I just didn't have anyone else like that in my life at that time.

[Andrea Gunning]

One day, Stephanie asked to use his computer for a homework assignment.

[Stephanie]

And I'm on his computer and he had his AOL instant messenger up. And that in a way almost added to him being that cool, relatable teacher, because it's like, oh, we're on instant messenger as students. Oh, you're on instant messenger. That's cool.

[Andrea Gunning]

A message popped up from a woman named Amanda.

[Stephanie]

He's like, oh, that's just my friend Amanda from la. Just tell her, you know, you're a student using my computer. And then another one popped up and he's like, oh, that's my ex girlfriend. Just tell her I'm busy or that you're a student or whatever. I'm thinking, oh. He trusts me to respond to all these people in his life.

[Andrea Gunning]

And Stephanie was starting to trust him too.

[Stephanie]

It became sort of a friendship, and it started to feel like a very safe place for me to be in his room.

[Andrea Gunning]

Eventually, Mr. Lindrude told her that she could ditch the formal way of addressing him. So he stopped being Mr. Lindrude, her Spanish teacher, and became Mark, her friend.

[Stephanie]

There was one day that I had left school and I had a question about my Spanish homework. And because I had been responding through his AIM to people, obviously I knew what his screen name was.

[Andrea Gunning]

So she sent him a message on AIM asking how to conjugate a verb in Spanish. Mark responded, he was very professional and

[Stephanie]

he explained it to me and I apologized. Sorry to reaching out to you here. I just wanted to make sure I got the homework done. And he said it's okay.

[Andrea Gunning]

Soon, Stephanie started messaging Mark with homework questions. More often, he would help her, and then their messages moved to other topics.

[Stephanie]

He would say, what are you doing? Or what are you up to or what are your plans this weekend? He made me feel like I could just talk to him about anything that was going on in my life and that I could trust him. There was part of me that kept thinking like, is this weird? Is this appropriate? Like, should we be having this conversation? But also, he is just being nice and friendly and maybe he does recognize that I just need a friend.

[Andrea Gunning]

If he was offering friendship, she would take it, even if it was a little unusual. Then one day, a few weeks later, Mark suggested that they hang out outside of school.

[Stephanie]

He asked me, is there a park by your house? Is there anywhere we could meet? And I happened to live across the street from this giant park.

[Andrea Gunning]

He told her to meet him there on Friday night. When Friday night came, Stephanie told her parents she was meeting a friend and started walking to the park.

[Stephanie]

This is when I started to feel nervous. What are we meeting at the park for? 50% of me thought it was weird, but 50% of me also said, well, this feels safe because he's meeting me in a very public place. All of my neighbors are there. A lot of people from our school are going to be there, so this must be okay because it's a very, very public park. He made me feel like we were friends at that point and I really didn't have anyone else to hang out with, especially on a Friday night.

[Andrea Gunning]

When she got to the park, a green SUV pulled into the parking lot and Mark stepped out. He looked different than he did at school.

[Stephanie]

He had a hat on. He has this very distinct bald head. So I remember thinking, okay, that's kind of a disguise, so maybe this isn't okay that we're meeting up. And I started to feel really uneasy. He starts walking toward me very aggressively and he just picks me up and kisses me and I just froze. It never occurred to me that that's what was going to happen.

[Andrea Gunning]

As a 14 year old, Stephanie was overwhelmed and confused.

[Stephanie]

I didn't know what to do. My brain couldn't process what was happening.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie walked home from the park that night desperately trying to make sense of this. Mark was her teacher and she thought he was her friend.

[Stephanie]

What just happened to risk being in this park, to risk his teaching? I'm like, he must really like me to be willing to do that.

[Andrea Gunning]

After that night, Mark began messaging Stephanie more and more. And then he started driving over to her house and parking his car outside on the street.

[Stephanie]

It would be later at night and so I would just go outside and sit in his car with him. He would have me get in the backseat and make out. And then I would have to go to school the next week like nothing had ever happened.

[Andrea Gunning]

It was disorienting.

[Stephanie]

He's coming over to make out with me. He's also my teacher, but I'm sitting in his class and nobody knows. And it was a very, very confusing spot to be in. Feeling uncomfortable, but just feeling like someone cared, that someone cared about me enough to listen to me and want to be around me.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mark was grooming her. Grooming is a term used to describe the process perpetrators use to control their victims. They start by gaining their victims trust, then isolating them from their community, labeling their own abuse as a shared secret, and finally controlling and coercing their victim into staying silent.

[Stephanie]

He started telling me, you can never say a word to anybody. You can never say anything, because it's my dream to be a big football coach. And if you tell anyone, my dream is ruined. My life is ruined. I will be blacklisted in everything that I want to do. If you tell anyone. And what are people going to say about you if they know this is happening?

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie did what he asked. She didn't tell anyone.

[Stephanie]

I couldn't process what was actually happening.

[Andrea Gunning]

So mark processed it for her.

[Stephanie]

He told her, now we've taken this relationship a little bit of a step further, and we trust each other more to do this. In a weird way, I think this secrecy made me feel like we had this special, trusting relationship.

[Andrea Gunning]

But keeping this secret meant Mark quickly became the only person she could talk to. She couldn't talk to anyone else about what was really happening. So Mark became Stephanie's closest connection and her only one.

[Stephanie]

I went into the school year isolated, and now I'm even more isolated because I can't tell anyone what's going on. I can't tell everyone who I'm hanging out with at night. I was rewarded for my silence, with attention, with the attention that I wasn't getting anywhere else.

[Andrea Gunning]

In early January, Stephanie went to Mark's house to watch a football game. That was the first night he raped her.

[Stephanie]

I was just very confused. I think I froze. I couldn't make sense of it happening. And then as soon as he was done and was, like, getting dressed, he said, I guess this makes you my girlfriend now.

[Andrea Gunning]

Every time Stephanie was uncomfortable or confused or frozen, Mark jumped in to explain her own feelings to her. He told her this is what trust felt like.

[Stephanie]

Maybe he does really care about me and love me, because he was risking everything, and he was risking that for me.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mark told Stephanie he was in Love with her.

[Stephanie]

He made it seem like it was an actual relationship. For Valentine's Day, he took me to the drive in, and we saw how to Lose a guy in 10 days. I'll never forget.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie saved the ticket. Stubborn. She put it in a box with other mementos from her time with Mark. Mark started inviting Stephanie over to his house. She told her parents she was at a friend's, and when she was over at Mark's house, he told her it was only fair for her to pitch in with household chores.

[Stephanie]

It wasn't uncommon for me to clean his house. In fact, it was an expectation he would have me fold his shirts a very specific way.

[Andrea Gunning]

He explained to Stephanie that this is what being in a relationship was like. She believed him.

[Stephanie]

As he was getting closer to me and making me feel special, he started somewhat flirting with this other girl that I was friends with. And I started to feel jealous because I'm like, oh, I'm losing his attention.

[Andrea Gunning]

One day, that girl mentioned something about coaching, which is what a lot of students called Mark. Hearing her talk about Mark, Stephanie couldn't keep their secret in any longer.

[Stephanie]

I just snapped, and I was like, coach is the one who's been texting me. We're, like, hanging out. And she just went silent.

[Andrea Gunning]

A few days later, Stephanie was at school when she was asked to see the guidance counselor.

[Stephanie]

He looked at me and he said, are you having a relationship with Mr. Lindrude? And I said, no. I denied it because he had put the fear of God in me that if I told anyone, my life was over, let alone my life, his life. So, of course I was going to be silent because I didn't want to be the person who crushed his dreams and ruined his life.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Hi, it's Karen and Georgia from my favorite Murder.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

We cruised around LA in the Hyundai Ionic 5 and dove into the fascinating life of actress and inventor Hedy Lamar.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Want the full story? Take a listen.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

Hetty. She starts dating Howard Hughes, the aviation tycoon. Do you know a lot about him?

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

I mean, I watch the Aviator, so I know everything Leonardo DiCaprio has allowed me to know about him. But incredible innovator, right?

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

She says he's a, quote, very strange man. But they do get along really well.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Give us examples.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

I know they do get along intellectually. And in fact, she helps him design a faster plane. She takes a look at what he's designed. It's got these square wings, and she's like, that doesn't make sense. And so she finds the fastest bird and the fastest Fish and sketches out a drawing of like, what the two would look like as a plane. And that becomes the plane that we know today. And he calls her a genius. Check out our new episode spotlighting groundbreaking innovators like Hedy and Lamarr and Billie Jean King.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Presented by the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

Goodbye.

[Tony Ayo]

This is Tony Ayo from the Real Report with Tony Ayo and Uncle Murder. You ever notice how everything keeps going up? Rent's going up, streaming services are going up. Even your favorite burrito spot suddenly thinks salsa should cost extra. With Boost Mobile, you and your phone bill don't have to play the Willis Go up Soon game because Boost Mobile has an unlimited talk, text and data plan at a price that'll never go up. It's the same price you'll pay for life, meaning you're set to never worry about your bill increasing again for as long as you're on the plan. While the world keeps finding new ways to nickel and dime you, Boost Mobile gives you unlimited wireless at one set price for life. Imagine something in your budget actually staying the same. You'll pay the same for unlimited wireless when you're posting mirror selfies in your 20s. And when you're posting mirror selfies in retirement. Some things never change. Switch now for unlimited wireless at a price that'll never go up. Only at boost mobile. After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment

[Mint Mobile Advertiser]

of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] a burst pipe, a

[Stephanie]

dead water heater, the AC calling it quits? Who do you call? HomeServe is an easy way to handle unexpected home repairs with plans covering stuff basic homeowners insurance usually won't. Instead of scrambling for a contractor, you make one call to get the repair process started. Join the millions of customers who trust HomeServe right now. Go to HomeServe.com podcast for 50% less your first year. That's HomeServe.com podcast savings compared to renewal price Void in Florida,

[Andrea Gunning]

after Stephanie told a classmate that she was hanging out with her Spanish teacher, the guidance counselor called Stephanie into his office. He asked her if anything inappropriate was going on with Mr. Lindrude. Stephanie denied it.

[Stephanie]

Of course I was going to be silent because I didn't want to be the person who crushed his dreams and ruined his life.

[Andrea Gunning]

School administrators questioned Mr. Lindrude as well.

[Stephanie]

He said nothing happened. The school was like, well, they say nothing's going on, and they didn't do any investigation. There was nothing further, but rumors had

[Andrea Gunning]

already started spreading through the school. As a heads up, these comments are cruel and hard to hear.

[Stephanie]

People were calling me teacher fucker, and people were like, oh, I saw her under his desk. And that just further isolated me more and more. I already didn't have friends, and now I'm being labeled a slut, a whore.

[Andrea Gunning]

She was shamed. The few people she was friendly with at school started avoiding eye contact. When she walked down the hallway, she could hear the girls in her grade whispering about her as she passed. One day, someone said something really horrible straight to her face.

[Stephanie]

And the principal was in the hallway, and I went up to him sobbing, and I said, I'm the student that these rumors are about. Make it stop. Please make it stop. And he said, well, I can't just get on the loudspeaker and tell everyone that it's not true.

[Andrea Gunning]

I want to pause here for a moment. When I heard this part of Stephanie's story, I was shocked by how many adults knew what was going on and didn't do anything about it. I think about how alone she must have felt. Stephanie was trying to protect Mark, but nobody was protecting her. Now the idea of telling the truth felt even more impossible.

[Stephanie]

I was just in so much pain and withdrawal from everything because the worst possible thing was happening to me.

[Andrea Gunning]

And through it all, the only person she could talk about this with was Mark.

[Stephanie]

That brought me closer to him because I didn't have anybody. So the rumors and the hurt made me turn to him.

[Andrea Gunning]

For her entire freshman year, Mark was the only person Stephanie really felt was in her corner. Then at the end of the school year, Mark took a job teaching elsewhere.

[Stephanie]

I think he got spooked and he left.

[Andrea Gunning]

But leaving wasn't an option for Stephanie. That summer, Mark introduced her to his parents.

[Stephanie]

He lied to them and said, I was 19. I was 15, but it made me feel so mature and so much older. And that's what everyone when you're a teenager wants to feel.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mark's parents welcomed Stephanie in They would

[Stephanie]

have me over for dinner, and his mom was giving me books to read. His mom was giving us restaurant recommendations. They're like, oh, next time before you guys go to the drive in, you should go to this pizza place and get the calzone.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mark and Stephanie spent nearly every day together.

[Stephanie]

We went to the beach, and I have photos of us at the beach together. Having him act that way was like, okay, this is real. This is a relationship. I had nothing to compare it to, but it felt real.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mark told everyone they met that Stephanie was 19, and he asked her to lie about her age. If people asked, he said age was just a number.

[Stephanie]

At some point, I really started to believe that I was older. That's how much he had me, lying to people that I truly, in some weird way, was like, oh, no, I'm 19.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie got a fake ID for Mark's birthday that year. They went out to a bar to celebrate.

[Stephanie]

We went to this New Orleans themed bar, and if you flash your breasts, you get beads. And the whole time we were there, he just kept encouraging me to flash the bartenders, to get more drinks, just sexualizing me. This whole entire bar saw me topless.

[Andrea Gunning]

For almost two years, Mark had been her gateway to the rest of the world.

[Stephanie]

I couldn't drive. I couldn't go anywhere. If I wanted to do anything, he would pick me up, he would drive me. I had to be completely, completely dependent on him.

[Andrea Gunning]

Relying on Mark was beginning to feel suffocating. A few weeks after his birthday, Stephanie's sister came to town.

[Stephanie]

So I went out with my big sister and her friends, and I was feeling so much freer because I did not have to depend on him for attention or something to do.

[Andrea Gunning]

That year, Stephanie turned 16 and got her driver's license.

[Stephanie]

And that is definitely where things started to change for me. Gradually, I started being able to go outside his bubble a lot more. I'm seeing healthy relationships. My world opened up to so much because I had been so sheltered by him.

[Andrea Gunning]

She was still going over to Mark's house a lot, and he was still asking her to clean up and do laundry for him. One day, she was at his house by herself.

[Stephanie]

I just remember there being a lot of papers everywhere, and I'm like, I need to organize this. I can't stare at these papers anymore.

[Andrea Gunning]

She went to put them in a filing cabinet. That's when a document caught her eye.

[Stephanie]

And that's when I found his birth certificate. I pulled it out and I looked at it. I'm not good at math, but I'm doing the math in my head when I'm sitting there as a 16 year old, I'm like, holy shit, he is 32.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mark had told her he was 28. Four years younger than he actually was. As she stood there staring at his birth certificate, she had a moment of clarity.

[Stephanie]

Clearly, you know you're doing something wrong if you're lying to tell me that you're younger. And that's when everything started clicking for me of he's twice my age, this isn't right.

[Andrea Gunning]

When Mark came home, Stephanie confronted him.

[Stephanie]

I said, I found your birth certificate so I know you're 32. And his response was, well, I was already feeling like Chester the Molester. I didn't want to make it worse.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie glared at him, disgusted.

[Stephanie]

What the hell is wrong with you? You were 30 when you met a 14 year old. You want me to trust you with everything and I don't even know how old you really are. I want to be on a break.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mark's face dropped.

[Stephanie]

What? I said, yeah, we're on a break.

[Andrea Gunning]

Something between them had shifted. Mark could sense it too. He looked scared.

[Stephanie]

I think that he realized he was losing control of me and he spiraled. He said, I'm going to marry you. I'm looking for rings.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie almost laughed at him.

[Stephanie]

I am 16 years old and a 32 year old man is asking me to marry him.

[Andrea Gunning]

She left his house. Mark called and texted her non stop begging her not to walk away.

[Stephanie]

He wanted to talk, he wanted to try to work things out. And I went to his house and I said, we're done. This is gross. I can't even believe what you've done to me. He just starts crying and then he's like, please don't leave, stay with me. And I looked at him and I said, you are pathetic. This has been going on for two years. Do you even realize what you've done to me? I took my power back as a 16 year old in that moment. Even though at that point to me it was just me breaking up with a boyfriend.

[Andrea Gunning]

It would take over a decade for her to see the situation for what it really was. No matter how hard Mark tried to regain control, he couldn't.

[Stephanie]

I just started distancing myself more and more from him because I knew that I was going to be okay.

[Andrea Gunning]

She graduated early and finally left her high school behind. In the fall, she started college at the University of Arizona. But her time at college was challenging.

[Stephanie]

I was way into the party scene and I would not go to class. I would just drink and my life really, really spiraled from there. I was just drinking so much and I ended up dropping out of U

[Andrea Gunning]

of A. Stephanie never told her parents about Mark's abuse. She didn't have the words for it. There was so much pain just under the surface, but she didn't want to feel it.

[Stephanie]

I was just stuck in this depressive drunk cycle.

[Andrea Gunning]

What happened with Mark followed her wherever she went.

[Stephanie]

I was just hiding that pain constantly, never making sense of what I had been through, just masking it and masking it and masking it.

[Andrea Gunning]

Until one night I went out and

[Stephanie]

got extremely intoxicated and got behind the wheel of my car and thank God I was pulled over And I blew a 24 and I got a DUI. I was relieved. This is what needed to happen. This cycle is going to break.

[Andrea Gunning]

She knew that she couldn't keep masking her pain.

[Stephanie]

I had to start facing it and I hadn't faced it until then.

[Andrea Gunning]

She tried to tell a few friends about Mark. She still didn't have the words to label the experience. She told people she had dated one of her teachers. People didn't know what to make of it.

[Stephanie]

So many people were so dismissive of it and minimized it. There were never any follow up questions. Not a single person ever told me that was wrong or made it seem like it was something I should have reported. I was like, okay, maybe I'm crazy. Maybe, maybe I did something wrong.

[Andrea Gunning]

It had been over 10 years since she had seen Mark and she learned that he wasn't teaching anymore. He'd joined the military. So she kept the truth about what happened to herself and she focused on moving forward. She enrolled in school again in her late twenties. She became pregnant. After a brief relationship, she decided to keep the baby and be a single mom. When her son was born, he became the center of Stephanie's world. She created a loving home for him and filled their days with joy and fun. She cherished their daily routines together. Being a mom gave her the confidence to make a decision she'd always wanted to make.

[Stephanie]

We're moving to la. I'm going as a single mom with a two year old in tow. I don't know anybody there, but I just saw an opportunity to just completely start over and go to la.

[Andrea Gunning]

LA was just as exciting as she always thought it would be.

[Stephanie]

My first job there was one of my dream jobs. I was working for a celebrity and I thought that was amazing.

[Andrea Gunning]

For the first time in a long time, Stephanie felt connected to the younger version of herself. The little girl who Dreamt of building a new life in California. She got a master's degree in communications and began a career in marketing and pr.

[Stephanie]

That really built my confidence a lot. And everything that I kept doing just kept bringing me more and more comfortable with myself, giving me more and more perspective.

[Andrea Gunning]

On occasion, she would hike after work. She loved climbing the hills dotted with chaparral and sage scrub. Her favorite trail led to the Hollywood sign.

[Stephanie]

You look out and you see all of la. I was starting to feel a shift in myself of feeling stronger and feeling like I can do things that I didn't think that I could. And it started to really click for me that I can handle things and that I can make things happen.

[Andrea Gunning]

She had found the strength to face the hardest parts of her life. Raising her son, moving across the country and going back to school. She had reclaimed the different pieces of her identity one by one. And she recognized herself again. Then Stephanie turned 30, the same age as Mark had been when she first stepped into his classroom at age 14. That birthday brought a sense of clarity and conviction. What Mark had done was deeply wrong and it wasn't her fault.

[Stephanie]

I'm feeling ready to do something about this. One night I went online and I looked up Mark and said he was teaching at a school in Colorado.

[Andrea Gunning]

The last she heard, Mark was in the military. But now she was staring at his LinkedIn profile. He was back teaching high school students.

[Stephanie]

My hand started shaking and I'm like, holy shit, he's around kids again. He's teaching again. What do I do?

[Andrea Gunning]

That's when she was overcome by a new feeling. Rage.

[Stephanie]

So many people didn't show up for me. I can't be that person if he is doing this to anybody else. I cannot let this happen and just stand by and do nothing.

[Andrea Gunning]

So that same night, she sent an email to the principal of the school where Mark was now teaching.

[Stephanie]

I just said, you don't know me. I saw online that Mark Lindrude may be a teacher at your school. I was his student. I had an inappropriate sexual relationship with him as a 14 year old student. I just wanted to let you know.

[Andrea Gunning]

The principal responded to her email and

[Stephanie]

he said, thank you for letting me know. Did you ever report this? And I said, no, but I think I'm ready to.

[Andrea Gunning]

The principal called the local police department and reported what Mark had done to Stephanie.

[Stephanie]

That was the first time someone took my claim seriously.

[Andrea Gunning]

A detective reached out to Stephanie. They got on the phone and Detective Durbin asked her to start from the beginning.

[Stephanie]

And it was like, okay. He performed oral sex on me. And she would say, okay, what does that mean? It's going to be uncomfortable, but I need you to tell me these things. I had to go into very explicit detail about things that he would do to me. I had to tell them every time that I could remember any sort of a detail because that was going to be a charge.

[Andrea Gunning]

Detective Durbin began making note of the charges against Mark.

[Stephanie]

She started saying, sexual abuse of a minor. Okay, that's an offense. That's sexual assault. When I started talking to Detective Durbin and she started using those words, I was like, oh, my God. That's exactly what this was. This was never a relationship. He saw me vulnerable. He saw me isolated. And that made me perfect prayer for a pedophile.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Hi, it's Karen and Georgia from My Favorite Murder.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

We cruised around LA in the Hyundai Ionic 5 and dove into the fascinating life of actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Want the full story? Take a listen.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

Hetty. She starts dating Howard Hughes, the aviation tycoon. Do you know a lot about him?

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

I mean, I watch the Aviator, so I know everything Leonardo DiCaprio has allowed me to know about him, but incredible innovator, right?

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

She says he's a, quote, very strange man, but they do get along really well.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Give us examples.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

I know they do get along intellectually. And in fact, she helps him design a faster plane. She takes a look at what he's designed. It's got these square wings, and she's like, that doesn't make sense. And so she finds the fastest bird and the fastest fish and sketches out a drawing of, like, what the two would look like as a plane. And that becomes the plane that we know today. And he calls her a genius. Check out our new episode spotlighting groundbreaking innovators like Hedy and Lamarr and Billie Jean King.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Presented by the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

Goodbye.

[Tony Ayo]

This is Tony Ayo from the Real Report with Tony Ayo and Uncle Murder. You ever notice how everything keeps going up? Rent's going up, streaming services are going up. Even your favorite burrito spot suddenly thinks salsa should cost extra. Boost Mobile, you and your phone bill don't have to play the Willis Go up soon game because Boost Mobile has an unlimited talk, text and data plan at a price that'll never go up. It's the same price you'll pay for life, meaning you're set to never worry about your bill increasing again for as long as you're on the plan while the world keeps finding new ways to nickel and dime you. Boost Mobile gives you unlimited wireless at one set price for life. Imagine something in your budget actually staying the same. You'll pay the same for unlimited wireless when you're posting mirror selfies in your 20s and when you're posting mirror selfies in retirement. Some things never change. Switch now for unlimited wireless at a price that'll never go up, only at boost mobile. After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a try. @mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 for

[Mint Mobile Advertiser]

3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] a burst pipe, a

[HomeServe Advertiser]

dead water heater, the AC calling it quits. Who do you call? HomeServe is an easy way to handle unexpected home repairs with plans covering stuff basic homeowners insurance usually won't. Instead of scrambling for a contractor, you make one call to get the repair process started. Join the millions of customers who trust HomeServe right now. Go to HomeServe.com podcast for 50% less your first year. That's HomeServe.com podcast savings compared to renewal price. Boyd in Florida

[Andrea Gunning]

for years, Stephanie knew that what she endured in high school was wrong. But she never knew how to talk about it. When she turned 30, she was ready to report what happened to her and was connected with a detective named Detective Durbin. Stephanie told her what happened, and the detective started making note of the charges against Mark.

[Stephanie]

She started saying, sexual abuse of a minor, okay, that's an offense. That's sexual assault. When Detective Durbin started using those words, I was like, oh my God. That's exactly what this was. This was never a relationship. This was a pedophile grooming me and manipulating me. And it was abuse.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie was angrier than she had ever been, and she was ready to do whatever was necessary to keep Mark from abusing another child. Detective Durbin asked Stephanie if she had any other evidence that could corroborate her claims against Mark. She didn't expect Stephanie to have much. It had been over a decade.

[Stephanie]

Clearly we know that I was being sexually abused. The Entire time. But in my 14 and 15 year old mind, it was a relationship. And what do you do as a 14, 15 year old girl when you're in a relationship? You keep little mementos. So I saved like movie tickets, drive in tickets, receipts from lingerie he'd make me buy, and photos. And that was perfect for the criminal investigation and the trial.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie dug up that old box. All the things that Mark had used to gain power over her were now going to help her take it back. She brought the evidence to the police and they put together a timeline of Mark's abuse corroborated by ticket stubs, receipts and photos.

[Stephanie]

We went to the drive in and saw how to lose a guy in 10 days. And that was on Valentine's Day. And here's the ticket stub and here's the date that he asked me to get this lingerie. I had these photos with the dates on them and it would be like him shirtless in his house or me laying on the floor with his dog, us on the beach in California with his arms wrapped around me.

[Andrea Gunning]

Detective Durbin told Stephanie about one last thing they could do to build a case against Mark. They referred to it as a confrontation call. She explained how it would work.

[Stephanie]

I call him and it's basically to try to get him to admit to what he did. The detectives are in the room unbeknownst to him, and so there's record of that so that then they can go in and without a doubt arrest him. She said, you don't have to do this. Sometimes it is healing for people, sometimes it's the opposite. And I said, yeah, let's call that motherfucker. He is teaching and I want to make sure he's never teaching again.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie flew from LA to Phoenix to meet Detective Durbin and another detective who would be present for the call. Together they made a game plan.

[Stephanie]

It was super nerve wracking because I don't want to hear his voice, but if I can get him to admit this, there's no going back.

[Andrea Gunning]

Then with the two detectives by her side, she dialed Mark's number.

[Stephanie]

I called him and he answered. And I just started saying, I need closure. I was 14 and I was your student. Why did you do that? And he's like, I was immature. And he admitted to knowing I was 14, admitted to knowing I was a student. I hope you have a really great day is how he ended it. Stephanie fell quiet and Detective Durbin was like, how are you doing? You okay? And I said, that was so weird because that man Controlled so much of my life for the last 20 years. And she looked at me and she said, just so you know, you had full control of that conversation. He was fumbling over himself because you had full control.

[Andrea Gunning]

Two days later, Mark was arrested. The story was picked up by the local news.

[Mint Mobile Advertiser]

An Aurora public school teacher has been arrested, accused of sexual abuse of a minor in Arizona. Police say Mark Linderd is a teacher at Vista Peak Preparatory School. He's been placed on administrative leave.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie and her team prepared for trial. Stephanie started having calls with the DA In Tucson. She was also assigned a victim advocate. A few weeks after Mark's arrest, she was sent his indictment.

[Stephanie]

And it says my name on it, and it says his name, and it says the court, and it says the charges. And each charge is explained in explicit detail.

[Andrea Gunning]

All in all, Mark Lindrude was facing 21 charges. Twenty counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor.

[Stephanie]

To read those words and then put it together with that was me. I'm sl. That's named in all of these things. That was me. This is real. And what was done to me was really bad.

[Andrea Gunning]

The one thing she'd spent so long trying to hide was now headline news.

[Stephanie]

I kind of just sat with myself in it and I said, I can do one of two things. I can become smaller and I can feel ashamed of or I can say, no, I'm taking back my power.

[Andrea Gunning]

After years of keeping Mark's secret, Stephanie was done staying quiet. A trial was set for January of 2022, but Mark and his legal team delayed it and then delayed it again and again. Mark was always having some kind of emergency or new evidence was being entered into discovery that caused the trial to be postponed. It was exhausting. After a while, the prosecution started to talk about giving Mark a plea deal.

[Stephanie]

If we give the plea deal, at least I know he goes to jail. Offer him the plea deal. So they did, and he declined the plea deal.

[Andrea Gunning]

This meant there would be a trial after all, and Stephanie would have to face Mark in court.

[Stephanie]

The reality was setting in of I have to. To talk about these charges and their explicit details in a room full of strangers.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie had spent years keeping this secret and many more years pushing this trauma down. But now she had to face it head on. Not only would Stephanie have to say what Mark had done to her out loud, but she would have to testify to her trauma in intimate detail to a full room of strangers. And then those strangers would have to decide if she was credible, if they believed her. She remembered her high school principal who wrote her off, and the girls who started rumors about her. She felt like she had been on trial her whole life, and every jury had found her guilty or dismissed the case. What if this jury came to the same conclusions? She shared her concerns with the D.A.

[Stephanie]

the D.A. said, I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I believe you. The validation in that of, maybe he won't be found guilty of anything, but I have this team of people who support me in that way.

[Andrea Gunning]

She knew whatever came next, she wouldn't be alone. Stephanie flew from LA back to Arizona for court. The night before the trial, she had a panic attack.

[Stephanie]

I thought I was dying, and it was just the biggest panic attack that I've had ever in my life.

[Andrea Gunning]

The walls felt like they were caving in on her. She went to bed feeling shaky.

[Stephanie]

I don't know what happened in my sleep that night, but I woke up in the morning and I was like, let's fucking go. Let's do this. The only way I can describe it is like an athlete going into a game. You just put your head in the game, and there's nothing else you're thinking of. Laser focused.

[Andrea Gunning]

The trial began with jury selection.

[Stephanie]

The saddest part about jury selection, one of the questions they asked was, have you or anyone you know been raped or sexually assaulted? And the amount of jurors who had to be excused because they had in one way or another been affected by sexual assault further fueled me of being like, let's go. This idiot is not getting away with this.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie took the stand. The prosecutor asked her questions about what she had endured, and she answered them. Her voice was strong, and she was in control. Then it was time for Stephanie to be cross examined by Mark's attorney.

[Stephanie]

She clearly did not have a defense because he already admitted guilt.

[Andrea Gunning]

So if the facts couldn't be debated, Mark's attorney had one last plan of attack.

[Stephanie]

She opened up her entire thing saying, stephanie Langlitz is a liar. I was like, that is your defense. Let's go. Let's go.

[Andrea Gunning]

The cross examination began.

[Stephanie]

She would ask me questions like, you're saying he met you at a public park. That's crazy. And I'm like, yes, it is crazy. There was nothing she could have said that rattled me.

[Andrea Gunning]

When the prosecutor was wrapping up, he asked if there was anything else Stephanie wanted to share.

[Stephanie]

And I said, yeah, I do. As many times as I saw that number pop up in my phone, I could tell you what his phone number was right now. And so the DA goes, what was it? And I said, 520904. And I looked directly in the eyes of Mark when I said it. I said, 520904. I remember everything. You will not get away with this. And his face dropped. You could just see the defeat.

[Andrea Gunning]

The next day, it was time for the jury to decide whether Mark was innocent or guilty of the 21 charges against him. Stephanie was hopeful that he would be found guilty on at least a few counts. But she didn't want to set her

[Stephanie]

hopes too high, because each one, they have to find me credible for.

[Andrea Gunning]

Finally, the jury reached a verdict. Everyone filed back into the courtroom and found their seats.

[Stephanie]

He was found guilty on every single count. Every single count. They found him guilty on all 21 counts. I did not expect that. And that was so powerful. These people who are total strangers, they believed me.

[Andrea Gunning]

A month later, Stephanie traveled back to Tucson for marked sentencing hearing. She shared a victim impact statement.

[Stephanie]

You stole my teenage years from me. I didn't get to go to prom. I didn't get to do anything like a teenager does. And instead I found myself at the bottom of a bottle for many years. And you have affected every relationship of my life. And I said, your attorney had no defense. So her defense was to paint me as a liar. This is why so many victims don't come forward is because they're afraid people aren't going to believe them.

[Andrea Gunning]

Later that day, the judge read Mark's sentence aloud. They went through all 21 counts, and for each count he was found guilty of, there was time added to his sentence. Mark Lindrewd was sentenced to 66 years in prison.

[Stephanie]

This man at this point is in his 50s, so he is going to die in jail.

[Andrea Gunning]

After the trial, a few students who attended the high school where Mark had been teaching reached out to Stephanie.

[Stephanie]

They thanked me for what I did, and they're like, he creeped us out. He was my sister's teacher and he was saying he was excited for me to be in his class. And we just want to tell you thank you for protecting us. That's why I did it. I know that they're safe and he will never do this to someone ever again.

[Andrea Gunning]

It didn't have to take this long to stop Mark's abuse. Stephanie's high school heard about it while it was happening and failed to properly investigate.

[Stephanie]

The school did nothing to protect me. I do think that they are culpable. The signs were there and they missed a lot.

[Andrea Gunning]

After 10 years in Los Angeles, Stephanie moved back to Arizona with her son they live in Phoenix now, where she runs her own creative marketing studio. And in the last few years, Stephanie has formed some close friendships.

[Stephanie]

I all of a sudden had this amazing group of women around me and it was the first time in my entire life that I had girlfriends. Like a good, supportive group of girlfriends. We all support each other, we all want the best and that is so genuine.

[Andrea Gunning]

When Stephanie walked into Mark Lindrud's classroom all those years ago, she was alone. She struggled to make friends and it felt like nobody understood her. But she's not alone anymore. At Stephanie's birthday party this year, one of her friends made a toast. There's a recording of it. Her friend raises a glass and talks about all the things she loves and cherishes about Stephanie. And then the rest of her friends jump in to sing Happy Birthday.

[Stephanie]

Happy Birthday dear Stephanie.

[Andrea Gunning]

Stephanie is beaming while tears well in her eyes.

[Stephanie]

They don't see me as a victim or survivor of sexual abuse. They see me as who I am today. I am truly happy for the first time.

[Andrea Gunning]

We end every weekly episode with the same question. Why do you want to share your story?

[Stephanie]

Unfortunately, 20 something years after this happened to me, it still happens. No kid should have to go through this. It wasn't you. You didn't invite this. You didn't open yourself up to this. You were manipulated, you were groomed. You did nothing wrong. There is no shame, There is no guilt and there really is a lot of power and validation. On the other.

[Andrea Gunning]

On the next episode of Betrayal Weekly.

[Stephanie]

I saw this figure standing in the doorway. He was an all black and a Batman mask and just covered head to toe in black clothing. I kept closing, opening my eyes like am I really seeing?

[Andrea Gunning]

If you'd like to share your story on betrayal, please email betrayalpodmail.com that is betrayalpodmail.com Please note that we are not a mental health organization. If you are in crisis or currently experiencing domestic violence, we encourage you to seek local help or dial 91 1. Please contact or organizations that offer immediate support. In our show Notes, we've included a list of us based resources. You can follow us on Instagram etrayalpod or find me itsandreagunning to access our newsletter and additional content and to connect with the betrayal community, join our [e-mail] we're grateful for your support. One way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review Betrayal. Five star reviews go a long way. Big thank you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group, in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Faison, hosted and produced by me, Andrea Gunning. Written and produced by Olivia Hewitt. Our story editor is Monique Laborde. Also produced by Ben Federman. Our associate producer is Leah Jablo. Production management by Kristen Melchuri. Booking support by Curry Richmond. Our iHeart team is Ally Perry and Jessica Krynczyk. Audio editing by Tanner Robbins with additional editing and mixing by Matt D'. Albicchio. Betrayal's theme composed by Oliver Baines Music Library provided by My Music and for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Hi, it's Karen and Georgia from My Favorite Murder.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

We cruised around LA in the Hyundai Ionic 5 and dove into the fascinating life of actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Want the full story? Take a listen.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

She starts dating Howard Hughes and in fact, she helps him design a faster plane. So she finds the fastest bird and the fastest fish and sketches out a drawing of what the two would look like as a plane. And that becomes the plane that we know today. And he calls her a genius. Check out our new episode spotlighting groundbreaking innovators like Hedy and Lamarr and Billie Jean King.

[Karen from My Favorite Murder]

Presented by the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

[Georgia from My Favorite Murder]

Goodbye.

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[Ryan Reynolds]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone Paying big wireless way too much. Please for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get Premium Wireless for just 15amonth. Of course if you enjoy overpaying. No judgment but that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment

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of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] this is an iHeart podcast.

[Andrea Gunning]

Guaranteed human.