Heart Starts Pounding: Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries

Episode 139: Reddit Scary Stories That Could Be True Crime Docs (feat. Annie Elise)

Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Kayla Moore
Guest: Annie Elise (Serial, 10 to Life)

Overview

In this compelling episode, host Kayla Moore teams up with true crime podcaster Annie Elise to delve into some of the creepiest stories from Reddit that toe the line between internet legend and potential true crime documentary material. From near-kidnappings and deranged mother-in-laws to violent stalkers and the chilling sense of being watched, Kayla and Annie share, dissect, and discuss real Reddit posts from people facing nightmarish situations. The episode is filled with insightful commentary, personal anecdotes, and the kind of hair-raising storytelling that will have your heart pounding.

Main Segments & Stories

1. Introduction & Setting the Mood

• [02:57] Kayla introduces the concept: sharing Reddit stories that could inspire true crime documentaries, focusing on firsthand accounts rather than third-party retellings.
• Annie talks about the impact of experiencing stories directly from survivors:

  "I like when people talk about what they experienced firsthand and you kind of get to dive into their world from their perspective." (03:38, Annie)

Discussion: Recent True Crime Media

• Kayla and Annie share their opinions on recent true crime and adjacent documentaries, including the Amanda Knox dramatization and a viral "catfish" documentary.
• Notable quote on the controversial catfish doc:

  "Why aren’t you on the registry? Like, what’s going on here?" (04:26, Annie)
  "Why are you not still in jail? I have so many questions." (04:38, Kayla)

2. Sociopath, Kidnapper, and Supermarket Parking Lot

Source: Reddit user officefern007, r/LetsNotMeet (Jan 9, 2019)
Trigger Warnings: Attempted kidnapping, physical assault
[06:03–14:20]

The Story

• A husband is waiting outside a supermarket with his baby when a well-dressed woman suddenly picks up the baby carrier and walks away.
• When he confronts her, she flips the situation, screaming that he is abducting the baby. Bystanders attack him and restrain him while the woman tries to escape with the baby.
• The baby's mother (original poster) returns, initially believing her husband is being robbed, until she realizes the woman fleeing with their child is the real threat.
• The mother successfully rescues her child by physically intervening; police arrive but initially doubt her and her husband’s account.
• Police focus more on ruling out wrongdoing by the husband than pursuing the woman. Family retains a lawyer and requests security footage.
• Outcome: The woman was suspected to suffer from mental illness; charges were not pressed against the bystanders or husband’s attacker.

Insights

• Annie:

  "That's the perfect crime for a kidnapper. You got a minivan...a woman who looks unassuming...anybody in public would think that it is her child." (14:22, Annie)

• Kayla:

  "You almost can't fault the people who were trying to stand up for her... they just see this woman saying a man was trying to abduct their child." (14:44, Kayla)

• They discuss similar historical cases and the frightening reality of how easy it is to misread situations based on social biases.

Personal Reflection

• As a mother, Annie confesses to persistent anxiety in public places regarding her kids' safety:

  "I'm always so hyper paranoid just watching my back everywhere I go." (17:28, Annie)

3. I Think My Mother-in-law Tried to Kill Me

Source: Reddit user Sugar Mama (multiple updates, 2018–2019)
Trigger Warnings: Incestuous behavior, attempted murder
[22:17–31:43]

The Story

• A woman recounts how her mother-in-law, who notoriously disliked her, exploited her severe latex allergy by cutting up 75 latex gloves and hiding them under her duvet.
• The poster is hospitalized after a severe anaphylactic reaction and only survives because her husband found her in time.
• Instead of defending her, the husband demands she apologize to his mother, and the mother-in-law later calls the hospital to brag about her actions.
• Legal aftermath: The mother-in-law (dubbed "Latex Lucy") is arrested, given 13 months in prison, and a month in a psychiatric ward.
• Poster ultimately moves, divorces her husband, and cuts ties with both.

Commentary

• Annie relates the story to notable real-life cases, like the Adelson murder-for-hire plot, and underscores how enabling family dynamics can be almost as dangerous as the perpetrator.
• Kayla:

  "It feels like it was intentionally trying to kill her." (30:37)

• Annie:

  "To get such a light sentence, if it was attempted murder...I'd be the same way. Hell no, you're not coming near me." (30:47)

• They discuss the challenge of gaslighting in toxic family environments and how victims are often left doubting their own experiences.

4. I Shot My Stalker Tonight

Source: r/LetsNotMeet (deleted user, 2014; with real news links)
Trigger Warnings: Stalking, threats, violence, self-defense shooting
[33:10–45:03]

The Story

• A young woman is terrorized for over six months by a man she briefly dated: dozens of calls a day, threats of violence and murder, impersonations, doxxing, and even blackmail with private photos.
• She is eventually forced from her home, loses her job, and has to erase her online presence.
• After persistent law enforcement inaction, her stalker breaks into her home late at night. She barricades her door, arms herself, and when he forces entry, she shoots him in the chest.
• Police arrest the stalker; the news covers her story, and it's confirmed by news reports.
• In 2020, it emerges the stalker, Douglas Eugene Jackson, went on to harass and stalk another woman after being paroled, ultimately sentenced to 15 years.

Reactions & Insights

• Annie:

  "I wish that she would have shot 12 inches higher. Like this guy is...a serial stalker and predator." (43:13, Annie)

• They express frustration at the inadequacy of laws punishing stalkers, especially when compared to the traumatic lifelong impact on their victims.
• The hosts also reference the "catfish" documentary’s real-life consequences and discuss the precedent set by cases like Michelle Carter, where online bullying leads to tragedy.

Practical Self-defense Advice

• Annie shares a tip from a cop:

  "If somebody breaks in...yell, 'I have a weapon,' shoot two warning shots into the ceiling before you ever fire [at someone]." (47:32)

5. Is My Landlord Watching Me?

Source: Reddit user Sleepy and worried (2021, with final update a year later)
Trigger Warnings: Voyeurism, stalking, gaslighting
[53:50–67:13]

The Story

• A young woman, living alone for the first time, becomes suspicious of her landlord after bizarre incidents: warnings not to touch fire alarms, odd noises from alarms, furniture being moved, drawers opened, and the landlord remarking on details he couldn't have seen.
• Her family minimizes her concerns; she installs extra locks, has friends check the alarms, and contacts the fire department, who confirm the alarms aren't legally connected and encourage investigation.
• Ultimately, police confirm it wasn’t her landlord but her ex-boyfriend, who was stalking her and tried to break in. She receives therapy and support, and her ex is punished.

Reflections on Surveillance and Privacy Invasion

• The hosts share stories and fears of hidden cameras in rental properties or by people they trust.
• Annie:

  "It's creepy...if somebody goes to the lengths of having a hidden camera...that's diabolical." (62:37)

• Both hosts discuss personal and anecdotal experiences of feeling watched, being gaslit, and how victims can begin doubting their own reality.

The Importance of Trusting Your Gut

• Annie underscores:

  "You always have to trust your gut. That is literally your first line of defense." (66:19, Annie)

• Kayla agrees, sharing how easy it is to second-guess yourself, especially when others diminish your concerns.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Social Bias & Public Interventions:

  "A lone man in a Deadpool T-shirt versus this tiny, well-dressed woman... They just kept screaming at him that the jig was up and he needed to lie still and wait for the police." (08:42, Kayla, reading Reddit post)

• On Family Enablers:

  "The enabling of the son too...Mama's boy." (31:57, Annie)

• On Escalation of Predators:

  "After a while, not only is it a pattern, but you start to escalate, you get more confident, you learn how to evade certain things." (43:49, Annie)

• On Self-defense Preparation:

  "My husband had told me about this...they run a simulation of home invasions...if you break the law, they stop you and tell you, 'actually you weren't allowed to do it in that situation.'" (48:23, Kayla)

• On Doubting Your Own Reality:

  "In a lot of these stories too, they start convincing themselves they're crazy...and she’s even like, should I call the fire department?" (65:44, Kayla)

• Cultural Reflection:

  "Can we just go back to taking, like, cooking classes instead of home invasion simulation?" (49:05, Annie)

Closing Thoughts

Kayla and Annie wrap up reflecting on the value of reading and sharing first-person survivor stories—how raw, honest testimonials illuminate the terror and confusion of these situations, often missing in third-person documentaries or news coverage. They reiterate the importance of intuition and urge listeners never to doubt their instincts or let others downplay their reality.

Timestamps Reference

• 03:17 – Kayla welcomes Annie Elise
• 06:03 – Story 1: Supermarket Kidnapping
• 14:20 – Discussion: Realistic fears, genetics, genealogy
• 22:17 – Story 2: Latex Lucy (Mother-in-law Allergy Attack)
• 33:10 – Story 3: Stalking, Self-Defense Shooting
• 53:50 – Story 4: Is My Landlord Watching Me?
• 66:05 – Advice: Trusting your gut
• 67:10 – Farewell and wrap-up

Conclusion

This episode is packed with harrowing yet reflective storytelling, practical advice, and authentic emotional responses. Kayla and Annie’s candid, supportive discussion sheds light on real threats, the enduring psychological effects of trauma, the power of intuition—and a communal reassurance that those gut feelings exist to protect us.