Listen Now: Don’t Cross Kat

Summary

Kill List: Episode Summary - "Don’t Cross Kat"

Release Date: April 1, 2025
Podcast Series: Kill List by Wondery | Novel
Episode: Don't Cross Kat

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Introduction

The episode "Don't Cross Kat" delves into a harrowing true crime narrative that intertwines the deceptive allure of social media influence with the grim realities of human trafficking and manipulation. Hosted by Wondery | Novel, this installment follows tech journalist Carl Miller's investigation into a secret "kill list" discovered on the dark net, targeting unsuspecting individuals for murder-for-hire schemes. However, this particular episode shifts focus to the mysterious disappearance of Patty and the enigmatic figure of Kat Torres, a Brazilian social media influencer.

The Disappearance of Patty and the Rise of Kat Torres

The story unfolds with the sudden vanishing of Patty vanishes without a trace, prompting her best friend to embark on a desperate search. This search leads to Kat Torres, a charismatic influencer boasting millions of followers. Kat's social media portrays an idyllic life filled with spiritual enlightenment and personal transformation, enticing her audience with promises of a perfect life if they simply follow her guidance.

Notable Quote:

Narrator [00:00]: "Every day, hundreds of people go about their lives with no idea that someone has paid to have them killed... Don't Cross Cat is a story of ambition, control, and the lives destroyed by empty promises."

Investigation Begins: Chico’s Arrival in Leander, Texas

Journalist Francisco "Chico" Chico, known for his investigative prowess in uncovering hidden truths, arrives in Leander, Texas, to unravel the mystery behind Patty's disappearance. His investigation starts with interviewing local residents, including Wayne Murray, who had direct interactions with Kat Torres and her entourage.

Notable Quote:

Chico [01:28]: "We're journalists from Brazil and we're writing a story about your former neighbor. The biggest news that's ever hit this neighborhood."

Suspicious Neighbors: The Torres Family

Wayne Murray recounts the arrival of Kat Torres and her group in Leander in 2022. Unlike the friendly demeanor typical in the community, Kat and her companions were aloof and unwelcoming. Their presence was marked by opulent displays and an unsettling lack of interaction with neighbors.

Notable Quotes:

Wayne [02:15]: "They were not terribly friendly. We had this traffic circle, right? So I'd come in, I'd wave to them. They never waved back."

Chico [02:30]: "Tall, thin, gorgeous. Right out of the latest Victoria's Secret fashion show."

The Torres family's residence stood out not just for its occupants' beauty but also for the peculiar items left behind when the house was vacated abruptly. Among these were voodoo dolls and an altar, hinting at darker practices beneath the surface.

Notable Quote:

Wayne [04:05]: "They had an altar in their yard, not a Christian altar... They had packages of dried herbs and it has what they're good for... Three of them were also good for exorcisms."

Unveiling Dark Secrets: Voodoo Dolls and Possible Trafficking

As Chico delves deeper, he uncovers unsettling artifacts such as human harnesses and voodoo dolls, suggesting that Kat Torres and her group may have been involved in more sinister activities beyond social media influence. The presence of these items raises suspicions about coercion, control, and possibly human trafficking orchestrated by Torres.

Notable Quote:

Wayne [03:24]: "Well, come on in."

Chico [04:42]: "I still have it. It's a leather collar and like a leather plate and these chains and there's a handle on it. When I finally buckled it up, it's for a dog."

The Police Response and Growing Concerns

Despite the alarming evidence, the local police response appears sluggish, prompting further frustration and urgency from those concerned. Leanna, representing the families of the missing girls, contacts the authorities seeking immediate action and investigation into the disappearances.

Notable Quote:

Leanna [05:01]: "I'm helping a family that has a girl missing and visiting Texas. It's a little scary, to be honest."

Themes of Manipulation and Control

"Don't Cross Kat" masterfully highlights the potent mix of ambition and manipulation wielded by influencers like Kat Torres. The episode questions the extent to which individuals are willing to go in pursuit of a dream life promised through curated online personas, emphasizing the perilous consequences of blind trust in digital influencers.

Notable Quote:

Narrator [00:00]: "If an influencer promised you a dream life, what would you sacrifice?"

Conclusion: The Hidden Dangers Behind Social Media Facades

The episode concludes by underscoring the insidious dangers that lie beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives presented on social media. It serves as a cautionary tale about the lengths to which individuals may be manipulated and controlled, leading to devastating outcomes such as human trafficking and loss of life.

Notable Quote:

Narrator [00:00]: "When influence turns into control, how far would you go to get everything you always wanted?"

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Key Takeaways

• Deceptive Influencers: The veneer of perfection and spiritual awakening can mask dangerous intentions and activities.

• Community Impact: The sudden presence and abrupt departure of influential figures can leave lasting impressions and unresolved suspicions within a community.

• Investigative Journalism: Chico's relentless pursuit of truth highlights the crucial role of journalism in uncovering hidden crimes and holding perpetrators accountable.

• Psychological Manipulation: The use of voodoo dolls and other coercive tools indicates sophisticated methods of control over victims.

• Emergency Response: The episode critiques the inefficiency and delays in law enforcement responses to missing persons cases, emphasizing the need for timely action.

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"Don't Cross Kat" is a gripping episode that intertwines the allure of social media with the dark underbelly of human trafficking and manipulation. Through detailed investigation and compelling storytelling, it sheds light on the vulnerabilities exploited by charismatic influencers and the devastating impact on innocent lives. This episode serves as both a thrilling narrative and a stark warning about the potential dangers lurking behind curated online personas.

Transcript

[Narrator]

When a young woman named Patty vanishes without a trace, her best friend launches a desperate search. The trail leads to Kat Torres, a charismatic influencer with millions of followers. Her social media presence showcases a picture perfect life, and she promises her followers a spiritual awakening. All they have to do is follow her lead. But behind the glamorous posts and inspirational quotes, a sinister truth unravels. From Wondery. Don't Cross Cat is a chilling investigation that asks the question, if an influencer promised you a dream life, what would you sacrifice? Based on the Brazilian true crime saga that captivated a nation, Don't Cross Cat is a story of ambition, control, and the lives destroyed by empty promises. What starts as an investigation into a missing person's case explodes into a story of manipulation, coercion, and human trafficking, all orchestrated behind a curated social media facade. When influence turns into control, how far would you go to get everything you always wanted? I'm about to play a clip from Don't Cross Cat. Follow Don't Cross Cat on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chico]

Excuse me. How are you doing?

[Wayne]

Doing well.

[Chico]

We're journalists from Brazil and we're writing.

[Wayne]

A story about your former neighbor. The biggest news that's ever hit this neighborhood.

[Chico]

Probably the only one that will. I'm not the first Brazilian to set foot in Leander, Texas, and the Brazilian women who came and lived here before me made quite the impression on their neighbors. Wayne Murray lived across the street from. They said that you might know something, you might have spoken to them. Wayne says that in Leander, people do two things. Wave to each other and then mind their business. At least Wayne did. Then in 2022, that's when these new neighbors moved in right across the street.

[Wayne]

They were not terribly friendly. We had this traffic circle, right? So I'd come in, I'd wave to them. They never waved back.

[Chico]

And there was something else about his new neighbors.

[Wayne]

Very pretty young woman.

[Chico]

They looked like supermodels.

[Wayne]

Very attractive blonde. And a pretty attractive brunette.

[Chico]

Tall, thin, gorgeous. Right out of the latest Victoria's Secret fashion show. I mean, I'm super gay and even I can see it. And it wasn't just having a house full of gorgeous Brazilian women in a nondescript American suburb. That was unusual. One day he just stopped seeing them. The house was empty. The women were gone. Eventually, a rental company came to clear the house. They put out the girl stuff in the front yard for anyone to take, which was interesting.

[Wayne]

We got quite a bit of this stuff. We just took the bags. We looked later I did keep the voodoo dolls.

[Chico]

Voodoo dolls?

[Wayne]

Voodoo dolls. I've got three voodoo dolls.

[Chico]

May I ask to take a look at them, please?

[Wayne]

Sure. Well, come on in.

[Chico]

One of the women was a social media influencer, famous in Brazil with more than a million followers. I was there because, well, I'm kind of an influencer myself, but that was basically an accident. I'm a journalist first and I've made a name for myself investigating stories in Brazil where things aren't quite what they seem. And that's what brought me to Texas, because the woman who lived there, Kat Torres, seemed like she had a picture perfect life online. Thank you, Wayne. I'm Chico, by the way. Francisco Chico. Yeah. Okay.

[Wayne]

Nice to meet you.

[Chico]

Wayne told me the more he looked through the stuff the women left behind, the more questions he had about them.

[Wayne]

They had an altar in their yard, not a Christian altar, because she had. I can never remember the name of the pronounce the name of the drug Ayahuasca. That's it. That Brazilian drug. They had packages of dried herbs and it has what they're good for. Good for romance, good for this, good for that. Three of them were also good for exorcisms.

[Chico]

And that was an all one thing I found.

[Wayne]

I still have it. It's a leather collar and like a leather plate and these chains and there's a handle on it. When I finally buckled it up, it's for a dog.

[Chico]

That's why I was meant to ask.

[Wayne]

Was it the human harness or the dog harness?

[Chico]

Wayne started to wonder if he had been getting a little carried away. But soon he would see reports of what was really going on in that house and he would realize that maybe he was right to have been suspicious because there was something troubling going on. Something dark, dangerous even. Leanna, please for it. Hi, I'm calling because I would like to know if you guys did a well, nurse check on the two missing Brazilian girls.

[Wayne]

Is an officer going to go over there and talk to them? Because they really need to. Could I speak with the person that's in charge of the investigation that's going.

[Chico]

On those three girls that are from Leander? I'm helping a family that has a girl meeting and visiting Texas. It's a little scary, to be honest.

[Narrator]

Binge all episodes of don't cross cat ad free on Wondery plus. Join wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts if you like.

[Leanna]

Kill list. You can binge all episodes ad free right now by joining wondry plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.