Parents Play Dumb After 11-Year-Old Gives Birth At Home | Oklahoma House of Horrors

Summary

Detailed Summary of "Parents Play Dumb After 11-Year-Old Gives Birth At Home | Oklahoma House of Horrors"

Podcast: Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Date: August 27, 2025

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Episode Theme / Purpose

Ashleigh Banfield delves into a harrowing true crime case from Oklahoma where an 11-year-old girl gave birth at home, apparently impregnated by her stepfather. With her signature candor and irreverent style, Banfield mixes detailed reporting, personal outrage, and commentary to analyze the layers of tragedy, systemic failure, and horror surrounding this case. The episode is as much about crime as it is about the unimaginable trauma inflicted upon a child and the broader social failures that allowed it to happen.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Connection and Emotional Response

• Banfield opens with a personal reflection on her experiences covering true crime, noting that some stories, like this one, are so disturbing they "come home with her."
• She recalls her innocence at 10 and 11 to highlight the utter vulnerability and naiveté of the victim.

  “When I was 10, I remember I loved Bonnie Bell Lip smackers... and my best friend at the time, Colleen Stromberg, and I used to buy all these different flavors...” (01:25)

• Emphasizes the profound betrayal and trauma:

  “Something happened to her at age 10 that has, has completely destroyed her life. Like completely destroyed her life.” (04:30)

2. The Case Details

• The Family Situation
  • Parents (Cherie and Dustin Walker) now in jail; all six children (ages 2 to 11) are in foster care, including a newborn baby.
  • The 11-year-old girl gave birth at home on August 16 and was taken to a Muskogee hospital an hour later.

  “An 11 year old girl turned up at a Muskogee hospital about an hour after giving birth at the family's home.” (03:40)

• Parental Denial
  • Both parents claimed ignorance of their daughter's pregnancy.

  “Her mom and her stepdad... both told anybody who would listen that they had no idea that their 11 year old daughter was pregnant.” (04:10)

  • Banfield deconstructs this claim, considering it either a “horrendous lie” or evidence of staggering neglect.
• Lack of Medical Care
  • The 11-year-old received no prenatal care and gave birth without professional medical assistance in the home’s squalid conditions.

  “This little girl got no prenatal care. She got no medical care of any kind. No doctor, no, no nurse around during the actual birth.” (05:30)

3. The Investigation and Charges

• Police Notification and Arrest
  • Hospital notified authorities after the girl’s arrival; parents were arrested for child neglect.
  • DNA testing identified the stepfather as the baby’s father.
• Charges
  • Dustin Walker (stepdad) charged with child sexual abuse.
  • Cherie Walker (mom) charged with enabling child sexual abuse and neglect.

  “Stepdad Dustin Walker comes out a 99.9% match... you the daddy. So you get Cherie, the mom, charged with child neglect. You got Dustin Walker charged with child neglect... they charge him with child sexual abuse. And for good measure, they charge mom, too.” (07:30)

4. Community and Family Reaction

• Interview with Grandmother Michelle
  • Still defends her daughter and son-in-law, denies any wrongdoing.

  “They made my daughter and my son in law a monster. They are not. They love those children.” (10:30)

  • Claims a 12-year-old boy was responsible, not the stepfather.

  “She keeps telling us that it was the little 12 year old boy that I used to keep, my babysit. She keeps telling everybody that it was him. They got curious. That's all I know.” (09:28, 11:47)

• Analysis of Grandmother’s Denial
  • Banfield clarifies this claim was made before DNA results were known and dissects the defensive logic being used.
  • Highlights pervasive denial and avoidance throughout the family.
• Neighbor Testimonies and Home Conditions
  • Neighbor reported long-standing neglect:
    • “No running water for the last two or three years.”
    • “Dogs in the house. They have cats in the house. Six children...” (08:45)
  • Home observed to be in extreme disrepair: trash, broken windows, bungee cord as a lock.

5. Living Conditions and Further Abuse Concerns

• Deplorable Conditions
  • Police and neighbor accounts describe the house as “unbearable” and “deplorable.”
  • Children found naked, living among dog feces, with ruined mattresses and no basic hygiene.

  “Mattresses that are absolutely fetid, reek of urine, are wet with urine. No sheets, no blankets, no pillows, no toys.” (15:00–16:00)

  • Raises question about whether other children were also victimized, as the full details and even the children’s sexes are not fully known.
  • Points out systemic questions: were these children in school, did any mandated reporters notice or intervene?

6. Systemic and Social Implications

• Mandated Reporting and Oversight Questions
  • Banfield expresses outrage over the lack of intervention:

    “Was there a teacher somewhere who did not notice that this 10 year old girl was looking visibly pregnant and bring it to the authorities... You may not have a duty to report as just a citizen... If you're a teacher, you do...” (17:50)

  • Wonders about possible drug abuse and total social isolation of the family.
• Psychological Impact
  • Emphasizes unimaginable trauma the 11-year-old has endured: sexual abuse, pregnancy, childbirth at home, complete absence of support.

  “This young mother has endured, quote, a significant amount of trauma.” (17:05, quoting Assistant DA)

  • Considers the practical care needs: “Is she breastfeeding? Does she even have breasts? She's 11... If she's bottle feeding, does she know what she's doing?”

7. Host’s Call to Action and Next Steps

• Banfield previews a follow-up interview with the Assistant DA on her television show.
• Invites listeners to submit questions, vent outrage, and follow the unfolding coverage.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I don't know how everyone isn't as affected as I am about this... Something happened to her at age 10 that has, has completely destroyed her life. Like completely destroyed her life. Her entire family has been blown to bits." – Ashleigh Banfield (04:20)
• "There's either a horrendous lie being told or there is a horrendous crime, meaning you neglected your daughter so much you didn't even know your 10 year old was pregnant." – Ashleigh Banfield (04:45)
• "Shock of shocks. Got any guesses? 3, 2, 1. Stepdad Dustin Walker comes out a 99.9% match. And in statistics and science and in American jurisprudence, we say that's a slam dunk. You the daddy." – Ashleigh Banfield (07:10)
• "They made my daughter and my son in law a monster. They are not. They love those children." (Grandmother Michelle, as quoted by Banfield) (10:30)
• "This is getting to me. And I've talked. I said, they're not doing nothing. They're not helping them kids. And I've called, called about the dogs, called about the children." – Neighbor Cheryl Adkins (09:16)
• "I have so many questions about this case... How the fuck does a 10 year old, how does she get pregnant and give birth at 11?" – Ashleigh Banfield (19:00)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00–05:30: Ashleigh Banfield’s emotional introduction, family background, recounting her childhood for contrast.
• 05:30–08:15: The crime’s discovery, medical neglect, stepdad’s DNA, and subsequent arrests.
• 08:15–10:30: Reporter and neighbor/relative interviews, squalid home conditions exposed.
• 10:30–12:07: Grandmother Michelle’s denial, quoting her defense statements.
• 13:00–16:00: Dissection of family blame-shifting, details of child neglect, and foster placement of siblings.
• 16:00–18:00: Deplorable living conditions described in depth; psychological speculation about the child’s trauma and questions about broader family abuse.
• 18:00–end: Systemic failures, host’s unresolved outrage, call for audience engagement, and preview of follow-up coverage.

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Closing Thoughts

Banfield’s episode on this child sexual abuse and neglect case is as much a passionate call for outrage as a piece of reporting. She uses sharp language, a mix of empathy and anger, and meticulous detail to make the case for systemic accountability and the urgent need for awareness. The subject matter is profoundly disturbing, but the episode is informative and underscores the twin failures of individual guardians and the systems meant to protect children.

For the next update, Banfield promises direct discussion with prosecutors and encourages listeners to provide questions and feedback.

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For More Information

• Watch the follow-up interview with the Assistant District Attorney on Banfield’s News Nation show, August 27th, 10pm Eastern.
• Listeners are invited to share their thoughts and questions for the DA via podcast comments.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Hey everybody, I'm Ashley Banfield and this is Drop Dead Serious. And I mean it doesn't get more dead serious than the story I'm going to tell you out of Oklahoma. And before I tell you this story, I just need to say there are things that I cover in true crime that I can compartmentalize and I can come home from work and I can go to bed and, and start the next day fresh again. And then there are other stories in true crime where I can't do that. Idaho, that's one of them. I was fixated on Stacy Chapin for some reason. Cause I think we are very similar. And I've got a boy, you know, two boys, not far off of Ethan's age. And you know, I was really fixated on Idaho. And the sadness of it really just gripped me. And this story out of Oklahoma that I'm about to tell you, I don't know how it doesn't grip everybody. I don't know how everyone isn't as affected as I am about this. I don't have daughters for starters. I have two boys. But I was a young girl. I was a 10 year old and I was an 11 year old. And I remember what I was doing at age 10. I remember I loved Bonnie Bell Lip smackers at age 10 because that was fifth grade and my best friend at the time, Colleen Stromberg, and I used to buy all these different flavors of Bonnie Bell Lip sm. We weren't even really wearing makeup at that point. We were just using these Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers basically just, it was basically just Chapstick with flavor. And that was the big thing. When I was 10, I remember I had Vidal Sassoon corduroy pants. And I was so small at age 10 that these pants were like straight right? No hips, just, they were tiny little pants. And I had two pairs, a cherry red pair and a mustard yellow pair. And they were my favorite pants in the whole wide world. And, and when I turned like 12 and I started to fill out a little bit, I was devastated that I was getting fat. These are the memories I have, by the way, from, from age 10 and 11. And I say that because there's a story about an 11 year old. I'm going to tell you. Something happened to her at age 10 that has, has completely destroyed her life. Like completely destroyed her life. Her entire family has been blown to bits. She's got five siblings, right. They're all in foster care tonight. And I just keep thinking back to how innocent and naive I was. When I was a, a 10 year old girl and this little girl, if the prosecutors have it right, was being sexually molested by her stepdad and was impregnated at age 10. So that's the story I'm about to tell you. And there's so much more to it. So many layers. Like so much more. First and foremost, those parents are in jail tonight. Let's just say that. But there's a lot, there's a lot more. Let me start, let me start here. This Oklahoma family that I'm about to tell you about, they're in absolute tatters. Parents are in jail. Six kids are scattered into the foster winds. A newborn grandchild is also in the care of the state. And the biggest tragedy of all, the fact that the kids are actually all in better off. I mean, I think they're all probably better off right now than they were before August 16th, because that is the day that an 11 year old girl turned up at a Muskogee hospital about an hour after giving birth at the family's home. Don't check your ears. I did say what I just said. An 11 year old girl just gave birth at home. Her mom and her stepdad, that's Cherry and Dustin Walker, both told anybody who would listen that they had no idea that their 11 year old daughter was pregnant. Again. I go back to when I was 11, say 10, because she gave birth at 11, so she was pregnant at 10. You know, unless you never look at your child, you know, when your 10 year old baby girl is suddenly carrying an infant, you know, there's no way not to know. So there's either a horrendous lie being told or there is a horrendous crime, meaning you neglected your daughter so much you didn't Even know your 10 year old was pregnant. Well, there's a lot more to it at this point, needless to say, this little girl got no prenatal care. She got no medical care of any kind. No doctor, no, no nurse around during the actual birth. My God, I was surrounded by everything. I had an epidural, I had someone giving me ice cubes and it was still a horrible event. And I was almost 40. And I think about this 11 year old kid going through childbirth at home, not to mention the shame that she was going through. And I'm going to get to that in a hot minute. So you got mom, Cherry, you got stepdad, Dustin. They're arrested because the hospital calls the police and says, get over here. This just happened. This, this, they just walked into this Hospital. And they've got a baby. And, and, and the mother is a baby. And they had the birth at home. Get over here. Something has gone sideways with this family. So the police come and they arrest. Naturally they arrest these parents and they charge them with child neglect. But that was the least of their worries, child neglect charges. Because the authorities then decided to run a DNA test because, you know, the kid's 11. So we need to know who did this to her. We need to know who the father is. Right? Shock of shocks. Got any guesses? 3, 2, 1. Stepdad Dustin Walker comes out a 99.9% match. And in statistics and science and in American jurisprudence, we say that's a slam dunk. You the daddy. So you get Cherie, the mom, charged with child neglect. You got Dustin Walker charged with child neglect. Suddenly they're waving a result in front of them. Hey, your DNA matches the baby of your stepdaughter, right? So now they come in and they charge him with child sexual abuse. And for good measure, they char. They charge mom, too. Sherry's now facing enabling child sexual abuse because. Hey, mom, your husband, according to police, was doing that to your baby daughter. That's your little girl. She's 10, by the way. Who knows if it was going on before she was 10, but for most of her 10th year, she was probably developing into a very pregnant little body. Hey, mom, Congratulations. Great mothering. I suppose you could tell that I am apoplectic about this. And again, I don't have daughters. I have sons. I can't even imagine how I would react if this were my daughter. I mean, I can't go there because I'm not there. I would never live this life. But if your outrage meter is like, redlining, like I am, take a big breath because there's more.

[B]

I went to Dustin Walker's house. The assistant district attorney said the 11 year old lived there with him, her stepfather and biological mother, Cherie.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Her next door neighbor shouted to me. Nobody was home. So I talked to her instead.

[C]

This is getting to me. And I've talked. I said, they're not doing nothing. They're not helping them kids. And I've called while I spoke with.

[B]

Cheryl Adkins, I noticed this lady filming across the street. But I continued on with the interview.

[C]

They have no running water for the last two or three years. They have dogs in the house. They have cats in the house. Six children.

[B]

When we got to the home, there was some trash in the yard, a broken window and a bungee cord holding the door locked.

[C]

The oldest is 11 and everybody else is younger.

[B]

Once Adkins and I finished our conversation, I approached the woman who's filming.

[A]

Hi there.

[B]

I found out her name was Michelle. And the 11 year old grandma.

[D]

We didn't know this was happening, none of us.

[B]

How do you think your granddaughter got pregnant?

[D]

She keeps telling us that it was the little 12 year old boy that I used to keep my babysit. She keeps telling everybody that it was him. They got curious. That's all I know.

[B]

I spoke to Muskogee's Assistant District attorney Janet Hudson.

[A]

It's our understanding the child had not seen a doctor in over one year.

[D]

They keep saying that we knew about my granddaughter's pregnancy and we did not.

[B]

When you first got word of this.

[A]

Case, what was your initial reaction? I was horror stricken to find out that it's an 11 year old little girl who's given birth and that she had no medical care and she had no one to be with her.

[C]

This is getting to me. And I've talked, I said they're not doing nothing, they're not helping them kids. And I've called, called about the dogs, called about the children.

[A]

This little victim's grandma, that would be Cherry Walker's mother, apparently thinks that everything's just fine. Nothing to see here. A woman who identified herself only as Michelle told KJRHTV in Tulsa, Oklahoma and I'll quote, they made my daughter and my son in law a monster. They are not. They love those children. Again, that's grandma. Let me read that. They've made my daughter and my son in law a monster. Michelle, your daughter and your son in law had their 11 year old daughter giving birth at home and took her to the hospital. Your granddaughter at 11 was impregnated and the police say it's your son in law who the daddy is. They made my daughter and my son in law a monster. They are not. They love those children. Michelle was also asked another question and this was a humdinger. She was asked, well, who do you think that the baby daddy is? And those are my words. But basically that was the question. So who's the dad who impregnated this 11 year old granddaughter of yours? And this is her answer.

[D]

She keeps telling us that it was the little 12 year old boy that I used to keep my babysit. She keeps telling her body that it was him. They got curious. That's all I know.

[A]

Now I want to be completely fair, Grandma. Michelle gave that answer to KJRHTV before the DNA tests were announced. Okay, so that's important she wasn't confronted with the facts and the scientific test that her son in law had impregnated her grandchild at age 10. She hadn't been confronted with that yet, but still she's all on board. She's all on board that nothing wrong with my daughter and her husband. I want to parse out a little of her syntax because it's hard to really. It's hard to really figure out what it is she's saying. I get the big message cuz the big message is you don't think your daughter or your son in law did anything wrong. Well, wrong. I don't even care if there's criminal charges. I think we can all Fairly say your 11 year old granddaughter had a baby and was impregnated at age 10. That's wrong. The fact that DNA now shows that baby is your son in law, that's really wrong. So don't even start with me about this. They made my daughter and son in law a monster. They're not. They love those children. But the syntax of what she said next, and let me quote, is what grandma says. She keeps telling us that it was a little 12 year old that I used to babysit. She keeps telling everybody that it was him. They got curious. That's all I know. So there could be two things at play here. The she that grandma keeps referring to could be her daughter, which is what I believe to be. Because given what she says before my daughter, there's nothing wrong with my daughter, nothing wrong with my son in law. They're not monsters. Because the next thing she says is she keeps telling us that it was the little 12 year old that I used to babysit. So I'm going to take the she out and replace it with my daughter. So grandma says my daughter keeps telling us that it was a little 12 year old that I used to babysit. My daughter keeps telling us, telling everybody that it was him that they got curious. That's all I know. Which is to say grandma is saying her daughter is pointing the finger at a 12 year old somewhere in the neighborhood that was being babysat and that her 11 year old and the 12 year old got curious and that's how the 11 year old got pregnant. Sorry, DNA says otherwise, but okay, now let's supplant the she for the 11 year old girl. I don't believe that's who she's referring to in this comment, but if she is, my granddaughter keeps telling us that it was the little 12 year old that I used to Babysit. My granddaughter keeps telling everybody that it was him. They got curious. That's all I know. Here's why. I don't believe it's the granddaughter who's the she in this quote. I don't think this grandmother is referring to the granddaughter pointing the finger at a 12 year old. And that's because this child at 10 years old, if the police are, are to be believed, if, if what they have the evidence proves out she's being raped by her stepfather and the shame that this kid is going through. She's not talking, she's not talking to anyone. She's not pointing fingers at a 12 year old. She's not pointing fingers at anyone. She has gone mute. So she keeps telling everybody that it was him. They got curious. That's all I know. No, I don't think any 11 year old is going to say, well I got curious with the 12 year old over there. So hello, this is what happened. I don't think it's a reference to the, to the child. I think that the reference this grandmother's making is to her own daughter who is behind bars right now. So I mean just there's so many elements of wrong, but there's more. Here we go. Parents of the year. They're not. Do you remember when I said at the beginning that, that a whole family was blown apart and that this was just so incredibly sad because all these kids are in foster care. Six kids in total have been blown into the foster care system. And then this newborn baby. Well, newborn baby can't go home with an 11 year old now can she? No. Newborn baby cannot go home with an 11 year old. No, I think the 11 year old is going home to foster care and that newborn baby may be going with her to the foster parents. But all of these kids right now in this family are blown out into foster care. And let me just read because this is important. The Walkers are not only facing all these sex charges, right? They are also facing six charges of neglect and that is one charge for every one of their children. And let me just go through the ages of these kids because the 11 year old was the oldest. 11, 9, 7, 6, 4 and 2. So how I see this, because I cover true crime for a long time. Oftentimes it's not just one victim. There's a nine year old in the house. Was that nine year old being molested as well? Because this pregnant new mother at 11 was clearly being molested at 10. So we got a nine year old, a seven year old, a six year old, a four year old and a two year old. Were the other kids being molested? I don't know the sexes of the children. I don't know if they're girls, I don't know if they're boys, I don't know that it matters. But all of those kids, six kids and a little baby, a newborn, all in foster care and just imagine what this 11 year old is going through. This is why I told you some stories I bring home with me and I can't, can't shake them. I can't shake this one. I'm thinking about this kid tonight. I'm thinking about, is she breastfeeding? Does she even have breasts? She's 11. And if she's bottle feeding, does she know what she's doing? Or is she just tired and wants to go to bed and wants to go back to school? Was she going to school? Were any of these kids going to school? I can tell you that the authorities say that this household was unbearable. The actual words that they used, deplorable conditions. The kids were found naked, some of them had no clothes on at all. And the police said that when they got into that house, which you know, doesn't look like any screamer if you look at it, it's all covered up. Like one window is all tinfoil. I think the door is all plywood. They said that the kids were living amongst a bunch of dog feces. I've seen this before. I've seen these horrendous households where they just keep having kids and it is awful what these kids are living in. Mattresses that are absolutely fetid, reek of urine, are wet with urine. No sheets, no blankets, no pillows, no toys. And anything that is in that house is covered in filth. Kitchens covered in filth, roaches, just infestations. I, I have seen it. I don't know how it happens. I can't imagine it. I can't imagine parents being okay having their babies on mattresses like that amid infestations, the diaper rash on kids who are 6 and 7 because they're sleeping in urine, their clothes filthy, dirty, rarely washed, if ever don't fit because they don't get anything but hand me downs and they wait till they completely grow out of them or they shred off them. The description that the police gave of this household was pretty bad. And don't forget, this is where a newborn baby was born, where an 11 year old went into labor, suffered through labor and suffered through childbirth. There was a neighbor apparently that told reporters that this family had not even had running water for years. So again, a newborn baby is born into. This household doesn't have running water. It's fetid with dog feces everywhere. This is the condition this newborn was born into. On my Banfield show on News Nation, we reached out to the assistant DA in the case who called this case extremely egregious and said that this young mother has endured, quote, a significant amount of trauma. Yeah, yeah, she has. Who knows how long she'd been molested? Right. If the prosecutors are right and this is the stepfather, they got the DNA tests. Sounds like they know what they're doing. Of course a jury of their peers are going to have to decide that. But if the prosecutors have this right, who knows how long this little girl was being molested, from what age. So there's trauma number one. Right? Trauma number two, this little girl at 10 years old starts feeling her body changing and starts seeing a belly growing. Does she even know what pregnancy is at this point? Right. Trauma number three, the pain of carrying a baby around, it is not easy. And she's tiny. She's 10. She's 11. And then going into labor and having those labor pains. I couldn't breathe. I thought I was gonna. They put oxygen on me. The pain came one after the other. I couldn't catch my breath and I was starting to hyperventilate and they put oxygen on me. This little girl is doing this with no help in a fetid, disgusting, filthy, feces ridden home. She's 11 and she's giving birth. We don't even know if these kids are socialized. I don't know if they're going to. We don't. We have not learned about these kids yet. Are these kids in school? Was there a teacher somewhere who did not notice that this 10 year old girl was looking visibly pregnant and bring it to the authorities because you may not have a duty to report as just a citizen. You don't. You don't have a duty to report crime. I know that sounds crazy, but you don't have that duty. If you're a teacher. You do if you're a police officer. If you're a public official, you do. You have a duty to report. So where were these kids? Were they in school? Did they go outside the house? Did neighbors see them? Can these kids even speak? Because we've seen cases where kids grow up in such horrendous conditions, they can barely speak. Did they have any social skills? Is this a, is this a, a problem with like drugs? In this household, are these parents so drug addled that they don't even know what's happening? Did they give birth to these kids in the house themselves? How does this happen? How the fuck does a 10 year old, how does she get pregnant and give birth at 11? And if the authorities are right by her stepfather and let me tell you, I have so many questions about this case. I have so many questions about the conditions they found those kids in. I have so many questions about the, the conditions of that house. Where in that tiny little house if the prosecutors are right, would that stepfather have gotten access to this 10 year old slash maybe 11 year old girl to get her pregnant? There's six children living in that house. There's eight people living in that house. Look at the size of it. It is tiny. They're all sharing rooms. So is he doing this in front of the other kids? You can't get away from anyone in that house. Look at the size of it. Where did this take place? Tomorrow on my show on August 27, I will have the prosecutor, the assistant DA in this case on my Banfield show On News Nation, 10pm Eastern. And I am going to ask every question in the book and find out whatever detail I can and where those kids are, who took them in. Where's the 11 year old? Is she still in the hospital? Who's looking after her as she looks after a newborn or does she look after a newborn? She's 11. So like I said, I've got this assistant DA on the show tomorrow and I am so curious about what you want to hear. Leave me comments below and, and tell me what it is you want me to ask this da. They can't always answer everything but more often than not I get way more details than than I expect and I'm going to ask everything under the sun tomorrow. But definitely leave me your thoughts. I mean I'm assuming you, you're pretty upset about it. Vent all you want, tell me how you feel and leave me some questions for the DA as well. And please watch my show on News Nation tomorrow night, Wednesday night, August 27th. Thank you everyone so much for, for bearing with me. I just got home from work and I'm just sort of venting because like I said, this one came home with me. But I really appreciate you listening, I really appreciate you watching and just remember the truth, it's not just serious, it's drop dead serious.