Episode 2: The Poster Child

Summary

Deep Cover: Season 6, Episode 2 - "The Poster Child"

Release Date: May 12, 2025
Hosts: Jake Halpern & Jess McHugh
Produced by: Pushkin Industries

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Introduction

In the gripping second episode of Season 6, titled "The Poster Child," Deep Cover delves deeper into the enigmatic life of Sarah Cavanaugh—a seemingly heroic Marine veteran whose elaborate web of lies captivated her community. Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Halpern and investigative journalist Jess McHugh, this episode unpacks the intricate deception Sarah maintained for six years, scrutinizing her interactions with key individuals and the eventual unraveling of her fabricated persona.

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Sarah Cavanaugh: A Heroic Facade

Sarah Cavanaugh presented herself as a decorated Marine Corps veteran, claiming service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and possessing numerous commendations, including the prestigious Purple Heart. Her meticulously crafted image resonated deeply within her community, earning her admiration and trust.

Dave Ainsley [02:31]: "She worked really hard and she was really humble."

However, behind this veneer lay a complex reality—Sarah's military credentials were entirely fabricated. Her DD214, the official discharge document she provided, was later revealed to be significantly altered, casting doubt on her authenticity.

Jess McHugh [03:05]: "The DoD ID number for this DD214 belongs to a corporal so and so. And it's a guy then 50% of this document is altered."

---

Joining the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 152

Sarah's entry into the VFW Post 152 in Rhode Island was orchestrated by Dave Ainsley, a dedicated veteran striving to modernize the organization. In 2016, Sarah approached Dave, presenting herself as a struggling veteran in need of assistance.

Dave Ainsley [10:16]: "She explained to me that she just got out of the Marine Corps and she needed help with some car payments because she was waiting for VA disability to kick in."

Impressed by her apparent authenticity and the urgency of her situation, Dave welcomed Sarah into the post. This decision marked the beginning of her deep integration into the veteran community.

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Building Trust: Sarah's Relationship with Michelle and the Gym Community

At Training for Warriors, a local gym, Sarah forged a significant friendship with Michelle, a passionate fitness instructor. Through shared workouts and personal interactions, Sarah further entrenched herself as a relatable and resilient veteran.

Michelle [20:30]: "Slam the rope, slam the balls. Get that aggression out."

Sarah's openness about her supposed combat experiences and injuries endeared her to fellow gym members, who believed her tales of heroism and trauma. Her nickname, "Sunshine," reflected her charismatic and uplifting presence.

Michelle [24:55]: "She was very likable, she was very charismatic. And then on top of it, she was a veteran and badass and had these injuries and she was coming back from them."

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The Veterans Day Parade and Cementing Her Role

Sarah's participation in the Veterans Day Parade was a pivotal moment that solidified her status within the VFW and the broader community. Dressed immaculately in her Marine Corps uniform, she delivered a heartfelt speech that underscored her supposed sacrifices.

Jake Halpern [05:28]: "Sarah's lies survived, thrived in fact, even as she took risks, reckless risks."

Her active involvement and leadership roles, including eventually becoming the commander of Post 152, showcased her ability to navigate and influence the tightly-knit veteran community.

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The Wedding: A Moment of Deception

One of the most audacious aspects of Sarah's deception was her orchestrated wedding to Nicole, purportedly a fellow veteran. The event was meticulously planned to include guests from both communities—those who knew her fabricated military background and her actual family members who doubted her stories.

Mark Feudy [29:31]: "Just use stuff from around the house."

The wedding proceeded without incident, with Sarah successfully maintaining her dual personas even amidst potential scrutiny from her parents and long-time friends.

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Cracks in the Facade: Growing Suspicions

Despite Sarah's efforts to conceal her true background, subtle inconsistencies began to surface. Charities and observers started questioning the veracity of her military service, leading to increased scrutiny.

Jake Halpern [36:36]: "Rumors started circulating that Sarah was an imposter."

Dave Ainsley, initially confident in Sarah's authenticity due to her seemingly legitimate DD214, became increasingly uneasy as rumors persisted.

Jake Halpern [37:10]: "Dave wasn't too worried because he had the proof that says she's a service member."

However, Sarah's swift actions to retrieve her DD214 from Dave's possession indicated her awareness of the impending exposure.

Sarah Cavanaugh [37:39]: "Something's not right here."

---

Unraveling the Lies: The Investigation Begins

As investigations intensified, Sarah's lies began to crumble. The inability to provide consistent proof of her service and the discovery of altered documents forced authorities to take notice. Sarah's dual life, once meticulously maintained, started to unravel under the weight of scrutiny and the persistent efforts of those she deceived.

Jake Halpern [30:44]: "She knocked on the door...Do you guys want to read it?"

The episode concludes on a cliffhanger, hinting at the impending fallout and the broader implications of Sarah's deception on the lives of those around her.

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Insights and Reflections

"The Poster Child" serves as a chilling exploration of how one individual's deceit can infiltrate and manipulate a community built on trust and shared experiences. Sarah Cavanaugh's ability to fabricate an entire military career highlights vulnerabilities within veteran support systems and raises critical questions about verification processes and the impact of imposters on genuine communities.

Dave Ainsley [25:25]: "I liked her story that she was a survivor and that she served as a beacon of hope for other veterans who could have been in that same place."

The episode underscores the importance of vigilance and the need for robust mechanisms to authenticate personal claims, especially within communities that offer support and understanding to their members.

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Notable Quotes

• Dave Ainsley [02:31]: "She worked really hard and she was really humble."

• Jess McHugh [03:05]: "The DoD ID number for this DD214 belongs to a corporal so and so. And it's a guy then 50% of this document is altered."

• Jake Halpern [05:28]: "Sarah's lies survived, thrived in fact, even as she took risks, reckless risks."

• Michelle [24:55]: "She was very likable, she was very charismatic. And then on top of it, she was a veteran and badass and had these injuries and she was coming back from them."

• Jake Halpern [36:36]: "Rumors started circulating that Sarah was an imposter."

---

Conclusion

Episode 2 of Deep Cover Season 6 masterfully unpacks the complex layers of Sarah Cavanaugh's deception, illustrating the profound effects of deceit within a community seeking solidarity and support. Through comprehensive interviews and detailed narrative, Jake Halpern and Jess McHugh shed light on the delicate balance between trust and verification, ultimately questioning how well we truly know those around us.

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Transcript

[Jake Halpern]

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[Jess McHugh]

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[Unknown Speaker]

How does a guy working for a fire department go out and snuff out a mobster in front of 300 people and go home the next morning and feel good about himself? Well, you got to understand this people, all you civilians out there, these people are evil garbage. The world is a better place without them. You have no idea what these people have done and will continue to do. Not unless their lives are snatched from them. So did I feel bad? No. Not one bit. It was just a normal kill that saw. Because I really believe I did the world a favor. I don't know what else to tell you. And if you can't live with that, grow the up.

[Jake Halpern]

Welcome to Crook County. Available now listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Jake. Before we get into this episode, I wanted to let you know that you can hear more ad free episodes from this season of Deep Cover before the release to the public by signing up for Pushkin Plus. You'll also get bonus episodes, full audiobooks and binges from your favorite Pushkin hosts and authors. Find Pushkin plus on the Deep Cover show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin FM plus. All right, let's get into it.

[Dave Ainsley]

Previously on Deep Cover. I liked her. I liked her a lot.

[Michelle]

She worked really hard and she was really humble.

[Dave Ainsley]

Sarah says that she's gonna have to have her leg amputated and I was blown away. She tells me that, like, she just got diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

[Jess McHugh]

Could you help me understand why it.

[Jake Halpern]

Says that you're a corporal here?

[Jess McHugh]

And she's like, I was sexually assaulted on ship by the commanding officer.

[Jake Halpern]

The DoD ID number for this DD214.

[Jess McHugh]

Belongs to a corporal so and so. And it's a guy then 50% of this document is altered.

[Jake Halpern]

Long before Sarah ever traveled out to Montana, long before she met Dex or Tom or Natalie, she had a life in Rhode Island. That's where she grew up, where she went to high school, where she had made a home for herself. Rhode island is tiny. It's the smallest state in the nation. People like to say in Rhode island, you can't go anywhere without bumping into someone you know. Now, in such a small place, it seems like it'd be hard for anyone to keep secrets. But that didn't seem to stop Sarah Kavanagh.

[Dave Ainsley]

Sarah passed herself off as a veteran, specifically a former US Marine who'd served in Iraq and Afghanistan, who'd been injured, a decorated war hero. But none of this was true. It was a story she told about herself, a sprawling lie she lived for six whole years. You might think that to pull this off, she played safe, avoid attention, like, not advertise the lie, because that'd be a great way to get caught. Seems logical, right? Instead, she did this.

[Jake Halpern]

Rhode island is celebrating National Purple Heart Day, and there will be a heartfelt tribute for the brave women and men who have been awarded this special medal. Here to tell us all about it is a Purple Heart veteran, Sarah Cavanaugh. Sarah, if you can, tell us a little bit about yourself.

[Dave Ainsley]

And you were awarded a Purple Heart. Yes. So I served in the Marine Corps for about 11 years.

[Michelle]

I was given a Purple Heart for actions in Afghanistan.

[Dave Ainsley]

This is Sarah giving an interview on the local news. She's speaking about the state's new Purple Heart Trail, a network of roads dedicated to veterans who were injured or killed in service. Yeah, it really is an honor to be a part of this.

[Michelle]

Being able to recognize it and be the voice for other Purple Heart veterans.

[Dave Ainsley]

Who may not be comfortable is really an honor.

[Jake Halpern]

Just a few days after this interview aired, Sarah attended a dedication ceremony for the new Purple Heart Trail. I've seen a photo of this event. Sarah wore a Marine Corps uniform, pressed neat, immaculate medals gleaming. A sharp white cap framed her face, her eyes kind of hidden under the visor. She stood alongside the governor and made a speech about patriotism and sacrifice. Sarah told the assembled crowd, no one earns a Purple Heart alone. I earned mine amongst 11 other Marines. She added, I have long been one of those veterans, the ones who wish to fly under the radar, who merely did what was asked.

[Dave Ainsley]

So, yes, Sarah really did this. She stood next to the governor and talked about the meaning of the Purple Heart, a Purple Heart, by the way, that she bought online. Part of me wonders, if you're Sarah, why agree to do this? Because Sarah grew up in Rhode island and still had family there. Classmates from high school, people who knew full well that she was no war hero. And if any of them had seen her making this speech or watched her on the local news, they could have started asking questions. And Sarah's lies could have unraveled so easily.

[Jake Halpern]

But Sarah's lies survived, thrived in fact, even as she took risks, reckless risks. Risks that seemed destined to backfire, especially within the tiny context of Rhode Island. But Sarah, she navigated well in small spaces. And as the walls closed in, they just keep getting small. I'm Jake Halpern.

[Dave Ainsley]

And I'm Jess McHugh.

[Jake Halpern]

And this is Deep Cover. Season 6 the Truth About Sarah Episode 2 the Poster Child Sarah's lies didn't just happen overnight, but slowly. Over the course of many years, she gradually won people over, won their trust, won their admiration. And far as we can tell, all of this really started back in 2016 with this guy.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

So people may forget my name, but they'll oh, hey, do you know Dave? Dave? Oh, the guy with a handlebar mustache? Oh, yeah, I know him.

[Jake Halpern]

That's Dave Ainsley. He's an army vet. Served over 20 years, including time in Iraq, where he earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. In the Army, Dave always had to keep a close shave. So when he finally got out, he returned home to Rhode island.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

And I was like, I'm going to try this facial hair thing. So I had everything from mutton chops to a goatee to, well, let's try a handlebar mustache.

[Jake Halpern]

And that look worked for him. Came like his calling card, as he put it, so that if you lived anywhere near his town in Rhode island, you knew that Dave, the guy with the handlebar mustache, he was the dude in charge of the local VFW post 152.

[Dave Ainsley]

VFW, by the way, stands for Veterans of Foreign Wars. It's kind of like a club for veterans where they can kick back, swap stories, and support each other. Dave was the commander of this post, and his ongoing goal was to modernize the place. He says when he first arrived in 2010, the vibe was kind of like what you might expect, as he put it, smokey bar, bunch of old guys. Dave loved those old guys, but he also wanted to open up the doors, create an environment where any and all veterans would feel welcome, especially the younger generation. So he upped their game on social media. He focused on doing community service, and he set the tone with his welcoming personality. Then in 2016, he meets Sarah Kavanaugh. And apparently she was struggling.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

She explained to me that she just got out of the Marine Corps and she needed help with some car payments because she was waiting for VA disability to kick in.

[Dave Ainsley]

In other words, Sarah said there'd been some kind of delay, that she was supposed to be getting financial support from the va, the Department of Veterans affairs, but there was a hold up. And Dave, he understood this kind of thing.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

So we've all been there before. The VA is great organization, but not always perfect. We wanted to help her.

[Jake Halpern]

So many of the charities that help veterans in the US Operate just like this. They try to compensate for all the government's inefficiencies and shortcomings. And they do this by jumping in and helping veterans right away when they need it most. And here was Dave trying to do exactly that.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

So I said, hey, we're getting ready for the Veterans Day parade. Meet us over there.

[Jake Halpern]

They were gathering in a parking lot when Sarah shows up to join them. It's all pretty informal except for one bit of paperwork.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

I said, I need to verify that you're a veteran. So she showed me what every service member gets when they leave the service. A DD form 214.

[Jake Halpern]

A DD 214. It's actually a very important document in the story. You may recall us talking about it in the last episode. It's the official military discharge paper explaining how and when someone left the service. And it's what proves that Sarah is apparently a veteran.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

I looked at it, I said, yep, okay, you're a veteran. Thank you very much. And I was actually excited to have her because here is a younger veteran. And she seemed very genuine. And she's like, okay, I'm going to, you know, be a part of this organization. I'm going to be a part of this now.

[Jake Halpern]

So right there on the spot in the parking lot with Sarah standing there, Dave calls for a vote.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

It was a voice vote. Like, hey, here's this veteran. Here's her proof she wants to become a member of our post. She needs help. Here's her story. Can we give her the 800 whatever dollars it was that she needed? All in favor say aye. Aye. Ayes have it. Okay. Hey, we're in the parade. You wanna march with us? Sure.

[Jake Halpern]

And like that, Sarah was marching in the annual Veterans Day Parade. I've seen a video of this parade from a different year, but the mood is timeless. People are waving flags. The members of a local high school band are playing their drums and trombones. Veterans are walking down West Main street together, waving. The Boy Scouts are there, too, marching past the package store and the antique dealer and the quilting shop. It's classic America. And right there in the middle of it all was Sarah Kavanaugh, the newest member of post 152.

[Dave Ainsley]

As far as Dave was concerned, the day was a win win. He got to help a vet in need, and he also got a new member, a fresh face, and a woman, too.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

I was excited to have a female veteran be part of our organization because that helps open us, our organization, up to another demographic.

[Dave Ainsley]

And it wasn't just that Sarah was a woman. She had a great energy about her. She seemed to embody the new, younger VFW that Dave wanted to build.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

She was the poster child because she was pretty, blonde. She was openly a lesbian, and again, that is an aspect of people who have served that doesn't get represented well. You know what I mean? So she was the poster child, for lack of a better term.

[Dave Ainsley]

Not to mention, she was also a wounded combat veteran. This didn't come out right away or in a super public manner. She would make references to her injuries and later to the medals that she'd won. Eventually, she showed up to VFW meetings with Purple Heart license plates, and she seemed remarkably resilient.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

I liked her story that she was a survivor and that she served as a beacon of hope for other veterans who could have been in that same place.

[Dave Ainsley]

When folks actually talked to Sarah, she was relatable even to the other veterans, the old school guys.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

She could talk to these other veterans, and the other veterans were like, oh, okay, yeah. I'm going to put aside all these other aspects that I may not agree with about her sexual preference, but I'm going to recognize that she served.

[Jake Halpern]

A few months after she joined the vfw, Sarah got engaged to a woman named Nicole. Nicole was originally from New Mexico. She was very sporty, an avid hiker, played softball, loved the beach. The two of them seemed like a great match. And of course, Sarah's veteran buddies rallied to celebrate.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

I think she asked me to organize the bachelorette party. To be honest with you, sometimes I can be a little gregarious.

[Jake Halpern]

So it goes with the handlebar?

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

Yeah, it goes with the handlebar mustache. So what we did was we first met at a German American club up in Pawtucket, had a couple beers there.

[Jake Halpern]

Dave invited a bunch of VFW members, including an old Vietnam vet. They all enjoyed a few brewskis together.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

And then we went down to Providence. We got a hotel suite, we did some shots, and then we all put tutus on.

[Jake Halpern]

So just be clear, you had a tutu on?

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

Yes, I did.

[Jake Halpern]

Because you're just so. You're a big dude.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

Yes, I am.

[Jake Halpern]

And for the record, these were rainbow colored tutus. Once they were all tutu'd up, it was picture time.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

So outside of the hotel, we all posed like army men. You know, like one person's on their knees and one person's like, pointing and everything else. So we all posed like army green men. Then we went to a Howl of the Moon type bar where dueling pianos and we were all singing songs. And then we all went to a gay bar.

[Jake Halpern]

And there it was, a modern day VFW celebrating in tutus. It was the sort of VFW that Dave had envisioned, and it seemed that Sarah had played a key role in making it happen. And the real proof of this, the crowning proof, was that a few years later, when Dave stepped down as commander of the Post, it was Sarah who took over. She became the next commander, and then she really was the poster child of post 152.

[Dave Ainsley]

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[Jess McHugh]

Fear is the virus is trending on TikTok. Vaccines are poison. Then your yoga teacher says that sex trafficked children are being sacrificed by satanic liberals.

[Jake Halpern]

But it's all okay.

[Jess McHugh]

The great awakening is coming. What is happening? Every week on Conspiracy Spirituality Podcast, we explore the fever dreams that suck friends, family and wellness gurus down the right wing cult spiral in a search for salvation.

[Dave Ainsley]

Inside the vfw, there was an understanding that the awards Sarah had won, the sacrifices she'd made, were fundamentally about service, about doing her job, about having the backs of her fellow Marines. But in the civilian world, her acts of valor made her something of a hero. For people who'd never seen a battlefield. Heroes were the stuff of Hollywood movies, people you praised and admired. They certainly weren't people whose credentials you questioned. And in the absence of that kind of scrutiny, Sara could truly be that storybook hero, the perfect blend of valor, tragedy, and triumph. That's who Sarah was. At her gym, a place called Training for Warriors in Rhode Island. We're going to take a deep dive here into the world of her gym. Because if you've been wondering, why would Sarah do any of this? Why would she take such risks? What was in it for her? Well, the story of her gym offers some very interesting answers. One afternoon last fall, I sat down with one of the gym's most passionate members.

[Michelle]

My name is Michelle. I'm from East Greenwich, Rhode island, and I teach fitness classes.

[Dave Ainsley]

Do you have a favorite class to teach?

[Michelle]

Oh, yeah, the boot camps, by far. Slam the rope, slam the balls. Get that aggression out. Yeah.

[Dave Ainsley]

Michelle is in her early 60s with spiky blonde hair. She reminds me a lot of the moms from where I grew up outside of Boston. When you first meet her, her attitude is kind of, what the hell do you want? But then she'll invite you into her home and make you a peanut butter ball, and you're in.

[Jake Halpern]

Michelle and Sarah met at the gym. Sarah presented herself as a veteran, unemployed and struggling with some injuries. There were even a few times that Sarah wore these clunky hearing aids that looked like they were from the 1980s because she was partially deaf. Or so she claimed to Michelle. One day, when Sarah was getting ready to start her workout, Michelle noticed that Sarah's sneakers were untied.

[Michelle]

And I was like, oh, your shoes are untied. And so she's like, oh, I can't. I'm not able to tie them. And I'm, well, sit down, girl. We're tying those bad boys up.

[Jake Halpern]

So in Michelle's words, she became the primary shoe tire. On many occasions, Michelle got down on her hands and knees, just tied Sarah's shoes, because Sarah didn't have the dexterity in her fingers to do it herself.

[Michelle]

I just looked at her and said, well, just because you ask for help doesn't mean you're helpless. Like, ask for someone to help you. Don't be. Don't be silly. And that's sort of my. The way I live my life, you just do you. If you want help, ask for it. If you don't want help, don't ask for it. And if you tell me to keep a secret, I'm going to keep a secret.

[Jake Halpern]

Sarah would eventually tell Michelle a great many secrets about herself and her tragic past, Secrets that would draw Michelle deep into Sarah's world.

[Dave Ainsley]

Michelle, along with other members of the gym, came to believe that Sarah was suffering from ptsd. Some days, out of nowhere, she'd drop into the fetal position. Once, when someone was taking pictures, Sarah was triggered. She told Michelle, you See a camera, I see a gun. Michelle stepped in and asked the person taking the pictures to move this kind of thing. It became a habit for Michelle.

[Michelle]

We would kind of quietly make sure that when she was in our environment at the gym, she was protected.

[Dave Ainsley]

Sarah had other triggers too. Any surprises or loud noises could make her jump, literally. Which is a real symptom of PTSD for vets and for Sarah, kids were also a problem. Yeah, kids. She told Michelle that she avoided them and there was a reason.

[Michelle]

She had told me that she had shot and killed a 12 year old boy that was the enemy. And she felt she had a lot of guilt related to that and a lot of trauma related to that where she would wake up picturing herself shooting that young man and just reliving that episode over and over again.

[Dave Ainsley]

At this point in the interview with Michelle, my jaw was on the floor. Because of course this isn't true. It's another fictional story Sarah told. But of all the lies I'd heard Sarah tell, that one stands out. If Sarah was going to make something up about killing someone in combat, why say it was a child? It just seems so bizarre, the kind of thing that would actually put people off from her. But maybe it's because it's the kind of story that really does not invite questions. Michelle grew attached to Sarah and their friendship really deepened as they started spending time together outside of the gym. They'd go for weekly walks in the woods and meet for crepes. In those moments, Sarah opened up even more about her past. She said she'd been hit by an IED blast in Iraq, that she'd developed a traumatic brain injury and damaged her lungs. All of this came out piece by piece, one walk at a time. And despite all she was facing, Sarah remained resilient, upbeat even. Her nickname at the gym was actually Sunshine.

[Michelle]

She was very likable, she was very charismatic. And then on top of it, she was a veteran and badass and had these injuries and she was coming back from them.

[Dave Ainsley]

But a few years into Sarah and Michelle's friendship, Sarah's health took a decisive turn for the worse. During their walks in the woods, she couldn't catch her breath. Sometimes she'd need to stop altogether. And one day, Sarah tells Michelle why.

[Michelle]

She's like, well, I found out why. I'm short of breath. I have terminal cancer, I have burn, pit cancer, lung cancer. So now I'm thinking, shoot. She has no depth perception, she's deaf in one ear, she has tactile deficiencies, she has steel plates in her shoulder, she's got a rod in her leg, she's got ptsd, and now she's got burn, pit cancer. How much more can one person handle in their life?

[Dave Ainsley]

The gym rallied to help Sarah. They raised thousands of dollars. They cooked her meals and peanut butter balls. One couple even got her brand new hearing aids. Whatever Sarah said she needed, the gym community tried to give it to her.

[Jake Halpern]

And all of this was more than just a pet charity. It was a moment that seemed to clarify what this community was all about. It wasn't just some place where you did burpees and crunches. It was a place where people showed up each day with and for one another. A place where when someone was struggling, a hero, someone who'd served and suffered and still mustered a little bit of sunshine, then dammit, you did something about it. You rallied. Not just because it was the right thing to do, but because it was an affirmation of who this community was. It almost seemed like Sarah, with her needs, provided something that the gym itself needed too.

[Kate Feudy]

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[Jess McHugh]

Fear is the virus is trending on TikTok. Fear vaccines are poison. Then your yoga teacher says that sex trafficked children are being sacrificed by satanic liberals.

[Jake Halpern]

But it's all okay.

[Jess McHugh]

The great awakening is coming. What is happening? Every week on Conspirituality Podcast, we explore the fever dreams that suck. Friends, family and wellness gurus down the right wing cult spiral In a search for salvation.

[Dave Ainsley]

The gym buddies showered Sarah with many gifts. And perhaps the greatest of these was a wedding. Here's how it went down. Sarah told people at the gym that she was engaged to Nicole, and their main problem was that they couldn't find a wedding venue. But there was this couple from the gym, Kate and Mark Feudy. They're in their mid-50s. Both had worked at Dunkin Donuts headquarters where they met and fell in love. That's a New Englander's dream, if you ask me. They often took Sarah out for dinner, let her use their pool as part of her physical therapy. They became really close, almost like A set of surrogate parents. Kate and Mark also have a place up in Vermont. Kate told us that one day, Sarah just kind of dropped the hint, told.

[Mark Feudy]

Them, well, we want to get married. We just. We can't afford it, but we really want. And she almost like. It's almost like she knew that we had. We said, well, you know, if you're willing to go to the Northeast kingdom, we could see what we could do, you know, if you wanted to have a wedding, a backyard wedding, you know, a small backyard wedding. We have a place up there.

[Dave Ainsley]

They're underselling it, but it's a gorgeous farmhouse, originally built in 1851. Kind of classic Vermont charm.

[Mark Feudy]

I said to them, I'm like, we have so much, like, farmhouse decor. I go, you should just don't waste money on anything for the wedding. Just use stuff from around the house.

[Dave Ainsley]

You know, so problem solved, right? Sarah and Nicole now had a picture perfect venue for free. But for Sarah, there was actually potential for disaster still lurking. In an act of true boldness, Sarah had created a guest list that included both people who believed her to be a war hero and people who knew damn well that she wasn't one. You had her buddies from the gym and the vfw, and then you had people like her own parents who knew she'd never served a day in her life. And if people started mingling and chatting, as wedding guests tend to do, Sarah's lie would quickly be outed. Sarah's saving grace. Her insurance policy, if you will, hinged on yet another lie, which she'd set in motion months before.

[Jake Halpern]

It all started one night, when Sarah arrived unannounced at Kate and Mark's house.

[Mark Feudy]

She showed up in a panic at our house, you know, knocked on the door. I let her in. I was like, what's up? Oh, my gosh, what are you doing? You know, I needed to just stop by because I just got my paperwork in the mail. Do you guys want to read it?

[Jake Halpern]

The paperwork, which she hands to them, looks like an official military document with Sarah's account of a sexual assault that Sarah claimed happened while she was in the military. According to Sarah, the military had covered up the whole thing and punished Sarah for it. Now she had the paperwork detailing the whole ordeal, and it was clear that Sarah wanted them to read it right then and there. Kate didn't know what to say.

[Mark Feudy]

I said, I go, oh, Sarah. I'm like, that's really private. You know, I'm not. I don't know. And she goes, well, you know, I can't talk to my mom about any of this stuff because she can't handle it. She just can't handle any of this stuff. Kate and I know you guys can handle it.

[Jake Halpern]

Mark and Kate thought it was odd that Sarah was sharing this paperwork with them. They hadn't asked for corroboration, but they felt Sarah's need to have someone be with her in this moment. So Kate sits with Sarah on the couch as Mark reads the report. Here's Mark. I couldn't believe what I was reading, what this guy did to her and how he beat her to the point where she was passed out, crushed her face, her cheekbones. I mean, it was horrific. And did I believe it? Of course I believe I was reading it. And she's sharing this with me, so of course I believed it. You know, it was just. It was very emotional to know that this woman who's sitting right here has gone through this horrific event in her life. I could cry thinking about it right now. As the wedding date approached, Sarah pulled Mark and Kate aside and asked them for a favor.

[Mark Feudy]

Would you guys mind not mentioning anything about the military at all to my parents? She was very specific. I don't want it to ruin my day.

[Jake Halpern]

Mark and Kate, they understood why Sarah had made this request. They both remembered so vividly that night when Sarah showed up at their door, when she showed them the paperwork with all the details about the sexual assault and how she was sharing it with them because her own family couldn't deal with it. According to Sarah, that whole incident was still extremely traumatic for her parents, so much so that any mention of the military at all would upset them. Sarah explained, they don't like to talk.

[Mark Feudy]

About it, and if you don't mind, please don't mention anything.

[Jake Halpern]

Sarah quietly made a similar request to others as well. She pulled aside Dave, her buddy from the vfw, the guy with the handlebar mustache. She mentioned that her father was a former general. And then she warned, whatever you do.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

Don'T talk to my dad about my service, because it's a sore subject. And I want to have the wedding nice and go well. I don't want any drama.

[Dave Ainsley]

The day of their wedding, Mark and Kate played the role of wedding coordinators. Basically, Mark actually cut down a birch tree so he could build a pergola for Sarah and Nicole to get married under. They set up the benches in the backyard and draped tulle over the pergola as an altar. The wedding colors were blue and gold, the Marine corps colors. The veterans might appreciate this understated touch. But it wouldn't tip off anyone else. And there were sunflowers, Sarah's favorite, in maple syrup buckets along the aisles. And sure, people talked and chatted and joked and laughed like they do at weddings when things start to get rowdy. But somehow, Sarah's world stayed separate. Or just separate enough that her lies held. And if this seems hard to believe, it is this moment. This wedding was something that Jake and I were both obsessed with. How was it that no one's drunk uncle asked Sarah about her time in Iraq, that no cousins started chatting too much to the VFW guys and figured out Sarah charade? But none of this happened. It was a pretty perfect summer wedding. Sarah emerged from it unscathed. She lived those two lives for another three and a half years, until January of 2022. That's when charities started getting suspicious of Sarah's claims and reached out to the authorities to investigate. Rumors started circulating that Sarah was an imposter. Word quickly got back to Dave that the commander of his VFW post might be a fraud. And right away, Dave picks up the phone.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

I contacted Sarah, and I said, hey, what's going on? Like, I'm hearing this. And she says, yes, some people are coming after me. And then she started crying, and she's like, whatever you do, don't believe them. They're trying to mar or, you know, disparage me or do whatever. I'm like, well, okay, is there anything you need? Like, can we help out? And she says, no.

[Jake Halpern]

Just.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

Don'T worry about it. I'm dealing with it.

[Dave Ainsley]

But the rumors kept going online. There was chatter, people speculating, questioning Sarah's credentials.

[Jake Halpern]

It started to snowball as all this was unfolding. Initially, Dave wasn't too worried because I.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

Have the proof that says she's a service member.

[Jake Halpern]

And that proof was the DD214, Sarah's discharge papers from the military, the document that Sarah first presented to Dave at the parade six years earlier when she first joined his VFW post. And now, after hearing these rumors and this story from Sarah, Dave is like.

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

Hmm, I don't know what's going on, so I'm gonna get this proof. And then. So I call up the person, a records keeper, and I say, hey, I need a copy of her DD Form 214. He said, oh, she just left my house two hours ago. She came here to the house to come get it.

[Jake Halpern]

What's your reaction when he says that to you?

[Sarah Kavanaugh]

That's when I start thinking, something's not right here.

[Jake Halpern]

Definitely not Right. And Dave's proof had just vanished because apparently Sarah was one step ahead of him. Next time on Deep Cover.

[Dave Ainsley]

I've always been told I'm a really good listener, right? And I maximized that while I was lying. Right, people. When you create space, people fill that space.

[Jake Halpern]

Deep Cover. The Truth About Sarah was produced by Amy Gaines McQuaid and Tali Emlen. Additional production support by Sonya Gerwitt.

[Dave Ainsley]

Our show is edited by Karen Shakurji. Our executive producer is Jacob Smith. Mastering by Jake Gorski.

[Jake Halpern]

Original scoring and our theme were composed by Luis Guerra. Our show art was designed by Sean Carney. Fact checking by Annika Robbins.

[Dave Ainsley]

Special thanks to Sarah Nix, Izzy Carter, Daphne Chen, Jake Flanagan and Greta Cohn. Additional thanks to Vicki Merrick. I'm Jess McHugh.

[Jake Halpern]

And I'm Jake Halpern. My co host, Jess McHugh is currently researching a book on female con artists.

[Kate Feudy]

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[Unknown Speaker]

How does a guy working for a fire department go out and snuff out a mobster in front of 300 people and go home the next morning and feel good about himself? Well, you gotta understand this people, all you civilians out there. These people are evil garbage. The world is a better place without them. You have no idea what these people have done and will continue to do. Not unless their lives are snatched from them. So did I feel bad? No. Not one bit. It was just a normal kill.

[Dave Ainsley]

That's all.

[Unknown Speaker]

Because I really believe I did the world a favor. I don't know what else to tell you. And if you can't live with that, grow the upper.

[Jake Halpern]

Welcome to Crook County. Available now listen for free on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, you're listening to an iHeart podcast.