Real Life Real Crime – True Crime Time For December 19, 2025
Episode Title: When Authority, Addiction, and Violence Spiral
Host: Woody Overton
Date: December 19, 2025
Episode Overview
In this solo Friday episode, Woody Overton brings listeners a dark, often disturbing – and sometimes darkly funny – look at real-world crime stories from around the U.S. and the U.K., focusing especially on crimes committed by "effed up professionals": dirty cops, corrupt lawyers, prison officers gone bad, and others who abused their positions. Throughout, Woody riffs on patterns of addiction, violence, and abuse of authority, tying several cases together with reflections on mental health, holiday stress, and the prevalence of suicide this time of year.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Holiday Season and Mental Health
- Acknowledgement of First Responders & Holiday Depression
Woody opens by noting the pressures facing law enforcement and first responders near Christmas, emphasizing the spike in depression and suicide during the holidays.- Woody Overton [03:08]:
“It's the week before Christmas, and I hope you all are getting ready… I want to give a shout out to all the first responders who have to work the holidays... Christmas week, which rolls into New Year's week—it is a shit show for law enforcement.” - Suicide Awareness:
“Unfortunately, the suicide rate goes through the roof. I hate that. If you’re thinking about committing suicide, talk to somebody, right? Don’t do it. It’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”
(Hashtags: #JusticeForBradley, #JusticeForAO)
- Woody Overton [03:08]:
2. Effed Up Professionals Series
Case 1: The Dirty Cop – Ivan Wayne Limdaugh (Madison County, TX)
- Summary:
- Limdaugh, a former sheriff's deputy, was found guilty of raping a woman he pulled over in 2000. The case was reopened in 2017 due to DNA evidence finally tying him to the assault.
- The penalty phase included emotional testimony from the victim, her daughter, and others who cited a history of abuse by Limdaugh.
- Woody’s Reaction [06:25]:
“He pulled this lady over, y’all, for whatever pretense, used his lights and sirens, pulled her over, took her and brutally raped her and then threatened her to keep her mouth shut… Good old DNA came out and outed this fuck stick.” - Notable Quote:
"Bad cop. Raping women while you're in uniform, while you got your badge on. Fuck you." [08:10]
Case 2: The Gambling Addict Lawyer – Jason Penrod (Polk County, FL)
- Summary:
- Penrod, an elder-law attorney, stole nearly $2 million from clients’ accounts to feed his gambling addiction. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and permanently disbarred.
- His scam unraveled when an associate discovered the missing funds, and Penrod himself reported his addiction, but sought (and was denied) a path for reinstatement as a lawyer.
- The scale of his gambling losses was staggering: over $1.7M at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, and a litany of financial and emotional devastation for clients and partners.
- Woody’s Commentary [13:23, 21:54]:
"He had a gambling addiction and he lost more than $1.7 million y’all gambling… For somebody to go in and steal just because they want to go be a high roller at the Hard Rock… I’d rather deal with a murderer than a thief." - Quote:
"This professional effed it up." [10:30]
Case 3: The Smuggling Prison Officer (Brixton, UK)
- Summary:
- Shannon Day, a 24-year-old prison officer, was charged with drug smuggling, misconduct, and conspiracy after smuggling drugs, spice paper, and cell phones into Brixton Prison.
- The story exposes the global issue of contraband facilitated by correctional staff.
- Woody’s Take [24:36]:
"Prisons… always been my jam. They’re a whole different world… 99% of everything that gets brought in gets brought in through correctional officers." - Memorable Line:
"Now she'll spend Christmas inside the bars, right? And not carrying through the bars." [25:51]
Case 4: Violence in Healthcare & Against Healthcare Workers (North Carolina)
- Summary:
- A 25-year-old HIV-positive patient deliberately “used his blood as a weapon” against staff at UNC Rex Hospital.
- Woody comments on the risks and alarming rise in violence against healthcare workers, drawing parallels to “gassing” incidents in prisons.
- Important Statistics [35:13]:
“Healthcare workers are estimated to be five times more likely to be injured in workplace violence… 80% of nurses experienced at least one type of workplace violence; 36% physically assaulted.” - Personal Reflection [34:19]: "I got tested for many years because HIV doesn’t always show up right away... you’re living under the spin of the gun, waiting—'is it going to happen to me?’"
Case 5: Domestic Violence and Murder – Lorenza Inman Jr. (Charlotte, NC)
- Summary:
- Inman was arrested for murdering his girlfriend, Friesia Baker, and abandoning her body in her car. Evidence included video footage and witness testimony.
- The case highlighted the tragic impact—Baker leaves behind a two-year-old son.
- Woody’s Take [46:03]:
“My personal advice to you would be to keep your mouth shut if you want to get away with it. But a lot of people have diarrhea of the mouth.” - Quote from Victim’s Aunt:
“She was just a good person who met a monster and she trusted a monster.” [46:45]
Case 6: Double Assault by Deputies (Denver, CO)
- Summary:
- Two married Denver sheriff’s deputies, Jason & Carla Gintempo, were charged with felony assault after punching, kicking, and knocking a paraplegic man out of his wheelchair—an act captured on surveillance video. Woody expresses particular disgust at professionals targeting the vulnerable.
- Woody’s Words [50:36]:
“At what point do you feel the need to assault someone who’s paraplegic?... That’s evil and it’s, you know, it’s a crime. And it’s a double crime for me because they wear the badge.”
Case 7: Murder Driven by Addiction – James Robert Hall (Holly, MI)
- Summary:
- Hall smothered his mother to death, stole her belongings, and used the stolen money to gamble at a casino. He confessed the crime three times.
- Woody links this to broader themes of addiction and personal accountability.
- Woody’s Reaction [54:56]:
“He took the life that gave him life. Then he took her money, her jewelry, and her vehicle because he was challenged on his life choices. Then he … went to a casino.” - Reflection on Suicide Cases [56:26]:
"If you’re thinking about committing suicide, don’t do it. I’ve worked too many of them, y’all... what really sucks is the family doesn’t want to believe their family member would commit suicide."
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Law Enforcement at the Holidays:
"Christmas week, which rolls in the New Year's week, it is a shit show for law enforcement." — Woody Overton [03:05] - On Suicide:
"It's a permanent solution to a temporary problem. As bad as it is, don't kill yourself, please." — Woody Overton [03:20] - On Crooked Cops:
“Bad cop. Raping women while you’re in uniform, while you got your badge on. Fuck you.” [08:10] - On Gambling Addiction:
“He had a gambling addiction and he lost more than $1.7 million y’all gambling… I’d rather deal with a murderer than a thief.” [21:57] - On Professional Betrayals:
“It’s not just unfortunate. It’s effed up. I just… I don’t get it.” [22:56] - On Assaulting the Vulnerable:
“At what point do you feel the need to assault someone who’s paraplegic? ... That’s evil.” [50:36] - On Matricide and Addiction:
“He took the life that gave him life. Then he took her money... and went to a casino. That’s crazy, y’all.” [54:56]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [02:45] – Woody’s Holiday reflections, shout-outs, and mental health message
- [05:38] – Case 1: Deputy Ivan Limdaugh’s 2000 rape conviction
- [10:14] – Case 2: Attorney Jason Penrod’s $2M theft and gambling addiction
- [22:56] – Reflection on betrayal in professional settings
- [24:36] – Case 3: Brixton Prison officer smuggling case
- [27:07] – Violence in emergency rooms, health worker assaults (North Carolina)
- [35:13] – Statistics on healthcare worker violence
- [42:48] – Case 5: Lorenza Inman Jr. and the murder of Friesia Baker
- [48:30] – Case 6: Denver deputies assault paraplegic man
- [53:22] – Case 7: James Hall kills mother for gambling money
- [56:23] – Woody’s reflections on suicide and closing remarks
Structure & Tone
Woody's narration is blunt, raw, and peppered with dark humor, but underscored by clear moral outrage at abuses of authority and betrayal of trust. He draws personal parallels from his law enforcement career, offers frank warnings about addiction, and consistently returns to the importance of mental health. The episode weaves together individual stories into a somber, cautionary tapestry about how authority, addiction, and violence can escalate disastrously—especially when those in power cross the line.
Final Thoughts
- Listeners are urged to look out for each other, especially around the holidays.
- Woody thanks his supporters, listeners, and Patreon community.
- He teases deeper dives and investigative content to come, especially regarding questionable suicides and unresolved cases.
If you appreciate true crime stories that don’t shy from the ugly truth—especially about “effed up professionals”—this episode delivers Woody’s signature blend of honesty, outrage, and storytelling.
