Loading summary
Transcript12 lines
- [00:01]
Tara
A Mochi moment from Tara, who writes for years all my doctor said was eat less and move more. Which never worked. But you know what does? The simple eating tips from my nutritionist at Mochi. And after losing over 30 pounds, I can say you're not just another GLP1 source. You're a life source. Thanks, Tara. I'm Mayra Amit, founder of Mochi Health. To find your mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com.
- [00:27]
Tamsen Fadal
Tara is a mochi member, compensated for.
- [00:29]
ADT Advertiser
Her story Taking on a DIY job around the house is the ultimate summer project. But if your DIY home security system is a beware of dog sign when your real pet is Princess the cat, that's safe ish to be actually safe, help protect your home with a DIY system from adt. It's easy to install and gives you virtual assistance from ADT's technical support team. Best of all, you can tell everyone in the neighborhood you set it up yourself. Don't settle for safe ish this summer DIY with ADT. Instead. Visit ADT.com to learn more.
- [01:04]
Peyton Moreland
You're listening to an Ono Media Podcast. Hi everyone and welcome back to the into the Dark podcast. I'm your host Peyton Moreland. I'm so glad you are here. Why do I always laugh? Why do I always laugh when I say I'm so I think I'm trying to sound pleasant but you guys, this is not a pleasant podcast anyways. But I guess I am glad that you're listening so maybe that's why I naturally do it. I don't know. Either way, I'm glad you are here listening. Honestly, like when I record with my husband on our true crime show Murder with My Husband, it's a lot more natural for me. But when I do into the Dark, I'm just alone in a room with lights and a camera and a script and so I think it's just like a little more awkward for me because I'm not talking to anybody. But I am. Anyways, if you are watching on YouTube and can give this video a thumbs up, make sure that you follow and turn on notifications so you don't miss an episode. And if you are listening on podcasts and can leave a review or you guys honestly, if you could just share the link to this episode. If you enjoy it with someone, can be your friend, your mom, your dad, your husband, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your son, your daughter, your cousin, your first cousin, your in law, your neighbor, your school teacher, your favorite clerk at the grocery store, you know, your doordash driver. If you could just spread the word, y'. All. Spread the word. I would, like, that would be really cool. But that being said, let's get into my 10 seconds. If you are watching on YouTube, if you're listening, you didn't just see that I threw my hand up and I have a severely broken nail that is throwing me into a just wacky doodle place. I have had long nails from the time I can remember, and every single time one breaks, I feel so not like myself. Like, I look at that finger and it feels like a completely different identity and it scares me. Okay, if you have nails and have had them for a long time, leave a comment. Let me know if you feel the same way. I know sometimes girls feel this way when they do lash extensions for a long time and then take them out. Or get hair extensions for a long time and then suddenly take them out. It has been so long since I have seen a short nail on my finger. And oh my gosh, thank goodness that I live in today's day and age where we can have nails. Honestly, I did just get back from the gym and I'm feeling a little lot winded, which is kind of making it hard to talk. So I hope this episode goes good and I'm able to catch my breath. It's so funny. When you record a podcast, it's not something you think about until you actually sit down and record that. It can be hard to, like, read a script or talk depending on the day. If your throat hurts, it can be hard. If the episode's long, your voice can get tired. If you're not, you know, drinking enough water, your throat can get dry. And if you don't have good breath and lung capacity, it is really hard to just, like, sit and talk. I don't know, it was not something I ever thought about until I started doing a podcast. And it changes from episode to episode. And I just think it is a very odd thing to observe. Like, oh, wow, today recording, I just can't. I don't have enough breath. What a weird thing to say. Anyways, I had a really peaceful day yesterday. I actually got an organizer for my crystals and I. I've been trying to just do a little bit more education on my crystals. And so in my organizer, I kind of put a note next to each crystal of the intention of that crystal, kind of what I would use it for. And then that way when I am going to grab my crystals at night, when I meditate, I can make sure that I'm really putting emphasis on which crystal I'm grabbing and really giving it its true meaning as I set it around me. What I like to do is just grab a few that are kind of aligning with my emotions that day. And then when I meditate, I just kind of line my head or my body with them and with the intention there, I feel like it's just a great way to kind of harness that energy and then also be conscious of what is going on around you. And if not more than anything else, it is a great way to identify what you are feeling and what you are wanting. So, honestly, Owen's a win. All right, you guys, if I keep yapping your ear off, I'm gonna lose all my lung capacity. So let's get into the episode. Trigger Warning. This episode includes discussions of sexual assault. Please listen with care. Okay. There is a certain cliche that you hear a lot in the true crime world. And when a murder happens in a small town or a safe neighborhood, the reaction is always the same. We don't think it could happen here. Now, of course, we obviously know that crime can happen anywhere. There's a reason why this trope has become such a cliche, and it's because murders do happen in small, safe, feeling towns. And when it does, people almost always react with surprise. Even if you realize that violence is possible, that doesn't change the fact that it can be shocking to when it happens and it catches people off guard. And that was the case for a 25 year old woman named Sydney Sutherland. She lived in the small farming town of Grubbs, Arkansas, which had a population of just 301 people. Okay, it is small. It is definitely the sort of place where literally everyone knew everyone. And Sydney had grown up there, and she was a fixture around town. All of her neighbors knew who she was. They had known her since she'd been a little girl, and they had a sense of her personality. Specifically, Sydney was known around this 300 person town for being very sweet. She was the sort of person who wanted to make sure everyone around her was in a good place, that they were doing okay, and if someone was in trouble, she would do what she could to help them. But when this story started, she was just getting started on a new phase of her life. So the year is now 2020. She finished the certification process to become a registered nurse, and she was ready to go out and get her dream job. She had always been a caretaker, the sort of person who liked to make sure that everyone around her was okay. So it was only natural for her to use that trait in her work life and help people stay healthy. Now, besides her career goals, Sydney was very close to her own family. She had gone to college not too far from grubs, so she could actually stay close to home. And Sydney had two older brothers, plus lots of nieces who she was very involved with. They actually called her Aunt Sassy. They did this because Sydney, although very kind, wasn't afraid to speak her mind. And sometimes that involved getting a little sassy with her little nieces. At one point she even joked, if I'm ever murdered, just know I probably ran my mouth to the bitter end. So she posted that on Facebook in July of 2020. But it was meant to just be a joke. Sydney didn't actually believe that someone was trying to murder her. The truth was that she felt completely safe and secure in her small, tight knit town she'd grown up in. At this point in her life, Sydney actually lived with her boyfriend, a man named Alex Nicholson. And everything in her life seemed stable and comfortable and to be going very well. So Sydney told Alex that she was gonna go for a quick jog on August 19, 2020. Sydney had always been very athletic and very into fitness, so this was not unusual for her. She jogged all of the time. Except Alex thought it was odd for her to go on a run. Now, he knew that Sydney had done a very intense workout at the gym earlier that day. It had lasted almost an hour. So he told Sydney, hey, why are you going for a jog? I thought you had already gone to the gym and pushed yourself hard today. He suggested that she take a day off from cardio. But Sydney didn't listen to him. Running made her happy. It was how she worked off her stress and practiced self care. So while it was true that she was already a bit tired and she probably didn't technically need the workout, she wanted to squeeze a jog into her day. So Sydney put on her shoes, put her hair up in a ponytail and headed out the door. Before she left, she said goodbye to Alex, her boyfriend, who was staying at home to relax in their tiny small town. Sydney did have her phone with her. As it's 2020. She was doing it so she could track her pace and speed, but otherwise she wasn't carrying anything else. Now, Sydney wasn't the sort of person to stay out super late without telling anyone, especially if she was already worn out from a long workout. And yet, as she leaves for this run, hours passed and she didn't come back. Now, with each minute that ticked by, Alex became More worried, he tried calling her, but Sydney wasn't answering her phone. He also reached out to the neighbors who lived along Sydney's usual route, because of course, he had their phone numbers. And each time someone answered, Alex explained what was going on. Hey, did you spot Sydney out running on her route? But every single neighbor said the same thing. They hadn't seen her all day. Now, eventually, Alex decided he was too nervous to sit at home and call people. So he got into his car and decided to drive up and down the roads near his house, searching for his girlfriend, Sydney. Now, some of his friends and Sydney's family members at this point did the same thing in their own cars because they, Alex had alerted them about the situation. They stopped at local businesses and marched through ditches in case she had collapsed on the side of the road. But there was no sign of her. Finally, when they had exhausted every other option, Sydney's loved ones decided to call the police and formally report her missing. Now, right away, detectives in this small town got to work trying to find her. So where could she have gone? They searched the same roads and ditches that Alex had already scoured, just in case he had missed something. They used dogs to try and pick up Sydney's scent. Other search and rescue experts flew over the area with helicopters. I mean, for the police, this wasn't a routine disappearance. And they were from Grubs too. Some of the officers knew Sydney personally and wanted to find her because she was afraid. Friend and a neighbor. This case was definitely personal for them. And in the meanwhile, the police from her community did everything they could to find her too. This meant people walked through the local fields in a grid formation, sweeping the ground for any evidence. One local hopped in a four wheeler and used it to zip through the fields in the area. People stayed out late this night until 2am because if Sydney was injured at the side of the road or lost without food or water, she couldn't afford any delay. Now, when it became too late and too dark to keep searching, everyone sadly went home. It's a heartbreaking choice. They decided to assemble again the next morning, bright and early at 7am if she hadn't been found, and she hadn't.
- [13:19]
Jenny Moness
Hi everyone, this is Jenny Moness from We Didn't Turn out okay Podcast. Did you know at Great Wolf Lodge, there's adventure for the whole family. You and your pack can splash away in the indoor water park where it's always 84 degrees. There's a massive wave pool, a lazy river and tons of water slides for your pack to enjoy together, and the fun doesn't stop there. Get ready to explore and play at Adventure Packed attractions from Magiquest, a live action game that takes place throughout the lodge, to the Northern Lights Arcade. There's also a bunch of great dining options and complimentary daily events like nightly dance parties, all under one roof. And the best part? With 23 lodges across the country, you're always only a short drive away from adventure. As a parent who loves family adventures, I love when everything's in one place. It's why I can't wait to take my family to Great Wolf Lodge. So bring your pack together at a lodge near you. Book your stay today@greatwolf.com and strengthen the pack.
- [14:23]
Various Advertisers
I'm not switching my team to some fancy work platform that somehow knows exactly how we work, and its AI features are literally saving us hours every day. We're big fans, and just like that, teams all around the world are falling for Monday.com with intuitive design, seamless AI capabilities, and custom workflows, it's the work platform your team will instantly click with. Head to Monday.com, the first work platform you'll love to use.
- [14:52]
Peyton Moreland
So by now it was August 20th, and that's when investigators released Sydney's name and photo to the media so word could get to people outside of Grubs. They encouraged the locals to reach out with any tips they might have, and over the next few hours, calls did come pouring in. One came from a UPS driver. He wasn't from Grubbs, but his route did take him through the small town, and he said that he had actually seen Sydney jogging the day before on the 19th, and he had driven by her. Now, according to him, when he saw her, she seemed healthy and fine. She wasn't close to collapsing, and there was no one else around either. He didn't have any theories about what had happened after that sighting to make her go missing, but he knew he definitely needed to report to police that he did see her jogging. Still, this tip was helpful in terms of determining a timeline and to know how far she had been along on her run. That is assuming that the tip was valid. Since the UPS driver didn't actually know Sydney, it is possible he saw a different woman who just resembled her. A much better lead actually came from a friend and neighbor of Sydney's named Quake Llewellyn. So Quake had known Sydney for years. They'd actually gone to the same high school together. And it is worth mentioning again. Grubs was a small town, which meant the school was Also very tiny, even with kids from other communities. There were fewer than 200 students total because other kids came to the area to go to school. Meaning if Sydney and Quake had different social circles and friend groups, they probably still knew each other. And while they were never super close, they were still connected on Facebook, even all of these years after graduation. So when he said that he had seen Sydney that day on her run, the police took it seriously, because he knew Sidney Quake would know if it was her or not. He said something pretty similar to what the UPS driver had said, that he had spotted Sydney jogging. She looked completely fine, except, according to Quake, Sydney had almost been done with her workout or her jog when he had spotted her. She was actually very close to her home and running back toward it. So almost at the end of her run. He also shared the exact intersection where he had seen seen her. And this was immensely helpful because it told the police exactly where they should start looking for her. So community officials put together massive search teams to scour that particular place. Tons of people from grubs came to look for Sydney, and Quake joined in these new searches, too. At one point, he was working on the same team as Sydney's mother, Maggie. Now, of course, Sydney's mom, Maggie, wanted to learn everything there was to know about what had happened to her daughter. So she actually pulled Quake aside after he talked to the police and said, hey, can you basically just tell me everything you told them? Except Quake didn't have much to share. He looks at Maggie and says, she was just running. He hadn't noticed anything else. Now, of course, this isn't what Maggie wanted to hear. She wanted a real lead. She wanted information. And when Quake saw how his answer had upset her, he grabbed Maggie and gave her a huge hug. It didn't really help her feel better, but afterward, she and Quake both got back to scouring the area. It was like the whole town and everyone who had ever met Sidney was working to try and bring her home. Now, unfortunately, on that same day, the 20th, just a day after Sydney disappeared, the police made a very upsetting discovery. At around 8.20pm, they found Sydney's cell phone in a field just about a quarter of a mile from her home. Now, there was no sign of Sydney near her phone, but this was bad news, because if Sydney was just lost or injured, she would still have her phone with her. If it had gotten separated from her, it suggested that there was something worse going on. And the news only got worse the next day. On the 21st, around 2pm, they found a woman's remains in a different field, one that was about three miles away. This woman had clearly been severely beaten to death. In fact, her body was so battered that it was impossible to identify her just by her appearance. She was unrecognizable. Now, everyone in the area thought, what are the chances that a female body is found murdered and Sydney is missing and it's not her? But the authorities gather DNA samples from the body and they test them, and. And that's how they were able to confirm Sydney's identity. Someone had murdered her by striking her over and over with some kind of blunt object. The autopsy report didn't specify exactly what kind of weapon had killed her, but it did say she had been sexually assaulted as well. Now, once Sydney's identity was confirmed, her boyfriend Alex posted on Facebook he had to tell the people of Grubbs to stop searching. She had been found, and she was dead. And not only was she dead, she had been murdered in their small town. And he also dropped another bombshell in that same Facebook post. He said that police had already identified Sydney's killer and arrested them. Now, Alex, in this Facebook post, doesn't say who the murderer was. He also didn't even explain how the police had caught them so fast. For the time being, the investigators were being very careful about what information they were willing to release. The truth was that the case had come together very quickly based on evidence they had been able to find at the scene of the crime. So Alex wasn't necessarily wrong. See, near Sydney's remains, there were footprints in the dirt, and they weren't Sydney's. They had come from a very distinctive pair of shoes that were in a men's size. Not long after the police made this discovery, a grubs local contacted them. It was a woman who actually had security footage of her son leaving the house on the day of Sydney's disappearance. Keep in mind that at this time, it wasn't public knowledge that Sydney's body had been found. The woman also didn't know that the officers had found footprints or that they were looking for a killer. So it's not clear to me what made her decide to share this information with police. But whatever her reasons were, she passed it along for the police to watch. And in that clip, the son was wearing the exact style of shoes that the police were looking for. Now, on its own, this isn't a smoking gun. It's definitely circumstantial. There could have been multiple people in grubs with that particular style of shoe in that Size. Still, I think it's safe to say his mom probably had some suspicions about her son, which is why she even turned this over. But either way, police reached out to the man's wife. Yes, the son is married. They didn't want to spook him by talking to him directly, but his wife agreed to come into the station and review those security footage clips with the officers. And while they were all watching them, the wife spotted something that the police hadn't see. The cameras recorded the man leaving his mother's home in those shoes. Then he climbed into his truck, which was in good shape. But according to the wife, when he had come home in that same truck later that day, after Sydney went missing, it actually had a fresh dent on it, like he had hit something. Or now she's thinking someone. That was enough for the police to head to their suspect's home. They examined the truck and spotted the same dent that the wife had described. And they also found blood on the tailgate. So the officers knocked on the front door and asked for permission to search the inside of the truck. And once the suspect gave the okay, the detectives did look inside. They found a pair of sneakers that were too small to belong to the suspect. In fact, they were a pair of women's running shoes that looked very similar to the ones Sydney had been wearing when she disappeared. Now, obviously, the evidence against this guy is piling up fast. So just a few hours after Sydney's body was discovered. Alex was right. The police arrested their suspect. And guess who it was. Quake Llewellyn. As in the same high school friend who had called in the tip about how he had seen Sydney running. The same man who had joined the search teams to go looking for her, inserting himself into the investigation. The guy who had hugged her mother to console her about her daughter's disappearance. He's obviously acting concerned, but now it's clear that it had been just that, an actual. This is a pretty shocking revelation for everyone, because just like Sydney, Quake was from the area, and he was also a fixture in the community. He was a farmer who worked on the same land as his parents and grandparents. The Llewellyns were well known in grubs and had even won a local award for their farming practices. And Quake had tons of friends and colleagues around town. He just didn't seem like someone who could commit a cold blooded rape and murder of someone he knew from high school. But there was one exception. One person who had suspected him almost the entire time. Now, back when Quake had been talking to Sidney's mother at the search, something about his behavior had struck her as odd. Maggie couldn't quite put her finger on what was bothering her. But after he hugged her, all she knew was she got really uncomfortable and creeped out. Then she told the rest of her search party that something seemed off with Quake, except everyone thought he was being normal. And nobody was. Thought it was a big deal. They thought she was just being paranoid. So she'd kept quiet about her suspicions until she heard about Quake's arrest. The problem was that when Quake was interrogated after his arrest, he denied everything. He said that he didn't even know Sydney. He had no motive to hurt her. Now, obviously, police knew this wasn't true. Like I mentioned before, some of the investigators were from Grubs. They knew Sydney and Quake personally. They knew the two of them had gone to school together. And they knew that Quake had given a tip claiming he knew who Sydney was, which is why he was able to identify her. And police knew for a fact that they had bumped into each other around town, even if they weren't necessarily close friends. So things weren't looking good for Quake, to lie about this. But besides that, he was pretty cooperative. The detectives asked if they could search his cell phone, and he consented. And then when they went through his digital records, they found even more incriminating evidence against him. Quake had an app that tracked his movements throughout the day, and it showed that on August 19, the day of Sydney's disappearance and murder, he was in the exact same field where her body was later found. In fact, he spent a while standing in a particular spot just 10ft or so from her remains, like he was maybe trying to bury her. So the officers revealed what they knew and asked Quake if he could explain the situation. Okay, if you didn't know her, if you didn't murder her, why does your cell phone put her at the scene of the crime, where her body was found? And in the face of all this evidence, apparently, Quake realized there was no point in denying it, because that's when he decided to give a confession. He claims to police. Okay, okay, yes, I did kill Sydney. But it was all an accident. According to Quake, he was working on his farmland on August 19. His chores for that day involved driving around to different areas around his property. And at one point, he says he was racing down a gravel road in his truck, and it was the same street where Sydney happened to be running. Now, Quake spotted her and drove past her, but then he said he realized he needed to turn around for something he doesn't even really mention what he's turning around for. The point is that Quake said he stopped at the side of the road and then tried to execute a three point turn. Now, Quake admitted he did know Sydney was running nearby. And he also confessed he didn't know exactly where she was because the road was dusty and visibility was low. Still, he tells police he was trying to be careful. According to Quake, he turned around in a way where he wouldn't have hit her unless she had crossed the road and gotten behind his truck without him seeing. So basically, his explanation was that Sydney had put herself in danger by moving in an unpredictable way when he couldn't see her. Because according to him, he was backing up when all of a sudden he felt a thud. Now, immediately, he said he knew what had happened, but he ran out of the car anyway to see what he had hit. And he said it was Sydney lying on the ground covered in blood. He asked her if she was okay, and Sydney didn't respond. The impact had either killed her instantly, or it had left her hurt enough that he knew she wasn't going to survive. Now, according to Quake, it was at this point, once he realized what he had done that he panicked. Even though he hadn't killed Sydney on purpose, he was afraid of what would happen to him if he reported the fatal collision to the police. So rather than contact the authorities or try to get ems, he loaded her body into his truck, and then he drove three miles away to dump her remains in an empty field. Except then, when he tried to take her corpse out of the car, he decided there was an opportunity on his hands.
- [30:13]
Various Advertisers
At that point, I'm thinking, she's dead, completely dead. So I take her, put her on my tailgate and take her up to where I left, and I took her clothes off and I attempted to have.
- [30:25]
Peyton Moreland
Sex with her, literally. His defense was that he sexually assaulted Sydney while she was either dead or dying. But since rape was a less serious crime than murder, he claims he should get off with lighter charges. Quake added that after he had finished the assault, he buried Sidney. Since he worked on a farm, he always had a shovel with him, so it wasn't that hard to dispose of the evidence. And then once this was done, he tried to go back to his ordinary life. He spent the rest of the day wrapping up his chores and working on the farm. He tried to avoid breaking his routine because he didn't want to make anyone suspicious. All right, you guys, quick AD here. And we all know summer is amazing. Sunshine, road trips, beach days, but can we be honest for just a second? It also means one thing. Sweat. And if you're not wearing the right underwear, that gets pretty uncomfortable really fast. Which is why I swear by Me Undies, their micro modal fabric is legit magic. It is super soft, breathable, and somehow stays cool even when it is 90 degrees and your AC is losing the battle. And Meundies has everything. Briefs, boxers, cheeky cuts, bralettes, you name it. Plus, their summer prints are so fun. And Meundies has a cut for every butt with over 20 different styles in a hundred different colors and prints. And Me Undies signature super soft micro modal fabric is breathable, stretchy, and oh, so comfy, making it ideal for all day wear. And you guys, I do have multiple pairs of Meundies super soft micromodal fabric undies. And let me tell you, the fit is good, the cut is good. They make it in multiple cuts, and they are not lying about the fabric, okay? It is superior underwear. They use sustainably sourced materials. They work with partners that care for their workers. And if you're not happy with your first pair of undies, it's on Me Undies. With more than 30 million pairs sold and 90,000 five star reviews, Me Undies are an essential summer must have for every drawer. And right now, as a listener of my show, you can score sizzling summer deals like up to 50, 50% off, y'. All. Up to 50 off. If you need some undies@meundies.com dark and then enter promo code dark. Up to 50% off. That's meundies.com dark promo code dark for up to 50% off. Me undies comfort that's made for summer.
- [33:03]
Various Advertisers
At New Balance, we believe if you run, you're a runner, however you choose to do it. Because when you're not worried about doing things the right way, you're free to discover your way. And that's what running is all about. Run your way@newbalance.com running now.
- [33:32]
Peyton Moreland
The problem with this entire confession is, is it was impossible. An accidental car collision did not match Sydney's injuries. She had clearly been beaten intentionally, and she had been struck multiple times. So her death clearly was not the result of one bump from a truck. Not even a hard one. Plus, Quake's story still didn't explain why he had submitted a false tip about seeing Sydney running back towards home. Or why he had joined so many search parties when he already knew where she was buried. Or why he'd even hugged her mother when she had started feeling suspicious. It's possible that he did these things because guilt was getting to him. Maybe he was still too afraid to admit to what he had done, but he wanted to help Sydney. Or perhaps he did all of this to try and look less suspicious and cover his tracks. The point is that the investigators thought there was more to this entire story. They believed that on the day of the murder, Quake had been driving around and working on his farm, just like he had said in his confession. Except they thought that he didn't hit her on accident. They believe it was intentional. The theory was that he drove past her only for a dark, violent impulse to come over him. He must have decided in that moment that he wanted to sexually assault Sydney, a girl he had known who he went to high school with. And to make sure she was too hurt to fight him off or get away, they believe that he drove past her, put his truck in reverse, and then backed into her on purpose. He struck her hard enough to knock her down and seriously injure her. Then, just like in his confession, they believe he did throw her in the truck. He drove off to a remote field with no witnesses around, and there he raped Sydney and beat her to death. And then finally, he buried her with the shovel, just like he had already admitted. Now, that narrative was a much better fit for the evidence than his claim that this had all been an accident. So the police charged him with kidnapping, capital murder, abuse of a corpse, and rape. Now, Quake was arraigned on the morning of October 29, 2020. That day, the court was packed with Sidney's friends, family, and other people from Grubbs. All of them were wearing pink, which had been Sidney's favorite color. There were only a small handful of people there to support Quake. In fact, since the truth had come out about the murder, he had lost almost everyone in his life. His wife had already filed for divorce immediately after his arrest. She said she'd never seen any signs of violence from Quake before the murder. She says he had never hurt or threatened her, and all in all, he had been a good husband. But now that she knew what he was capable of, she said she just couldn't stay with him. So he must have felt pretty alone and unsupported when he faced a judge that day. But still, he pled not guilty to all of the charges. Time goes by. We are in the pandemic. But then, by 2021, when Quake's trial was supposed to start, his feelings had changed. Part of the issue was that he learned the death penalty was on the table. And if he was convicted of Sidney's murder. He could be executed. So rather than face that possible sentence, Quake agreed to accept a plea bargain on Friday, October 1st. This bargain said that he would plead guilty to capital murder and rape, and in exchange, the state would not pursue the death penalty against him. Even though Quake accepted the deal, he still had to attend a formal sentencing hearing. And at that hearing, Sydney's family made it very clear that they were unhappy with this entire situation. They didn't like the fact that Quake had avoided the death penalty. They wanted him to pay with his life. Sidney's mother, Maggie, gave a very emotional statement to the judge and to Quake at this sentencing hearing. Except Quake would not meet her eyes while she was speaking. She even ordered him to look at her. And then she said, why couldn't you just pass her? Why couldn't you just pass my daughter? Justice for Sydney is all I have ever wanted this past year. What you took 408 days ago from us, we will never get back. She goes on to say, satan is real. The hands that you hugged me with are the same hands that you killed her with now. After hearing all of these emotional pleas, the judge sentenced Quake to life in prison with no chance of parole. It was the strictest possible sentence since Quake couldn't be executed. But even though he was going to be locked up for good, the media just wasn't done with Sydney just yet. Her disappearance and murder had made a lot of headlines, which is no surprise, because it was genuinely shocking for such a violent crime to happen in Grubbs. It was a small town where people felt safe. So a lot of reporters and journalists retold the story, emphasizing how when you live in a place like that, crime can just feel jarring. But we know that murder can happen anywhere, in small towns, big cities, suburban neighborhoods, and everywhere else. Another theme that sprung up in the stories about Sydney's murder was whether her death could have been prevented. So some journalists wrote pieces on what women should do to be safer while jogging alone. Which, honestly, to say in reference to this story misses the point entirely, because this is not the time nor place to make it Sidney's responsibility to keep herself safe when the only person who did anything wrong here was Quake. Jogging is not an inherently dangerous activity. It's not like Sydney should have somehow known that one of her neighbors was going to murder her on her run. I do understand the importance of informing women on how to stay safe, but the fact was that these pieces were all basically victim blaming. They focused on what Sidney had supposedly done Wrong rather than on the fact that Quake was the person who did this. The good news is that lots of people ignored those news articles. Bad advice. In fact, after Sydney's murder, the people of Grubbs organized a 5K race in her honor. It was called Sydney's Run, and all of the proceeds from the event went to a scholarship fund for students who wanted to go into the medical field. So basically, the people from her community chose to honor Sydney by remembering the things that she loved in life, which was running, fitness, and her work as a nurse. They chose love and celebration over fear. I want to be clear. I'm not telling this story in an attempt to scare anyone. While it is true that violence can happen anywhere, that doesn't mean it's ever guaranteed to happen. Murder is still rare. That's one of the reasons why we tell stories like this, because it is unusual and shocking. Sydney deserves to be remembered and to have her story told. But we can do that without living in fear or blaming her or other victims for what happened to them. We can educate people and also acknowledge that it is no one's responsibility to not get murdered. Sydney deserved better, and so do we. And that is the story of Sydney Sutherland. I've said it before and I'll say it again. It is absolutely incomprehensible to me that women aren't even safe going for a jog. I think that that is disgusting. I think it's disgusting. And I think it's time that people stop looking at these cases and saying, well, she should have had mace or why didn't she know self defense? It's great to have mace. It's great to know self defense. It still might not stop you from getting murdered. So instead, in cases like this, we should look at Quake and say, what is wrong with you? Genuinely. All right, you guys, that is our episode for this week, and I will see you next time as we go further into the dark together. Goodbye.
- [43:07]
Tamsen Fadal
Hi, I'm Tamsen Fadal, journalist and author of how to Menopause and host of the Tamsen Show, a weekly podcast with your roadmap to midlife and beyond. We cover it all, from dating to divorce, aging to adhd, sleep to sex, brain health to body fat, and even how perimenopause can affect your relationships. And trust me, it can. Each week, I sit down with doctors, experts, and leaders in longevity for unfiltered conversations packed with advice on everything from hormones to happiness, and, of course, how to stay sane during what can be. Well, let's face it, a pretty chaotic chapter of life. Think of us as your midlife survival guide. New episodes released every Wednesday. Listen now on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.