Rotten Mango Podcast Summary

Episode: Woman Gets FB Message From Old College BF After He Killed His Rapist – This Is Her Response
Host: Stephanie Soo
Date: August 21, 2025

Overview:

This true crime episode revisits the harrowing journey of Clark Fredericks, who, after decades of trauma stemming from childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Dennis Pegg—a respected sheriff’s officer and Scoutmaster—finally killed his abuser more than 30 years later. Host Stephanie Soo guides listeners through Clark’s tumultuous path: his struggles with addiction, brushes with the criminal underworld, his time in prison, and the unique aftermath—including a powerful reconnection, via Facebook, with his college sweetheart, Lisa. Through reflective interviews, including Lisa herself, the episode explores themes of trauma, guilt, justice, healing, and second chances, offering insight into both the darkness of abuse and the redemptive possibilities of love and hope.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Clark’s Descent: Trauma, Addiction & Organized Crime

• Gambling Addiction as Escape

  • Clark describes how gambling became an unconscious method to cope with his abuse, seeking pleasure and distraction.
    • "It’s not like I consciously said I have trauma from being abused as a child, I need to gamble to distract myself. It was just, I'm uncomfortable... I need something to distract me from that uncomfortable feeling. I need pleasure." (07:09)

• Superstitions and Rituals

  • Superstitions emerged as his gambling intensified, culminating in elaborate rituals before bets.
    • “I couldn’t step on any cracks on pavement... I would have to hit the table with my knee a certain number of times before I could roll the dice. It just started getting more and more insane.” (09:37)

• Involvement with the Mob and Danger

  • Clark’s need for constant distraction led him to sports betting with the mob, amassing $77,000 in debt.
    • He was threatened by the mob ("The best thing I could do for myself is to go rob a bank. The guy’s like... you'd be a hell of a lot better off doing 5 to 10 years than what we're going to do to you." (13:40)), and his family was extorted.
  • The FBI warned him of a hit on his life, but he refused witness protection or to "wear a wire." (18:50–20:25)
    • “That's just not the type of person I was... it wasn't in my DNA to become a little weasel snitch wearing a wire.” (20:18)

• IRS and Homeland Security Inquiries

  • His gambling patterns attracted IRS scrutiny (frequent deposits just under $10,000), leading to a full audit. He ranked the FBI threats above these agencies in intensity. (21:46–21:55)

Childhood Signs, Secrets, and Family Dynamics

• Early Red Flags and Lack of Adult Recognition

  • Fire-setting, shoplifting, and substance abuse as displacement for anger and pain. (22:18–23:21)
  • Wrote an essay clearly signaling abuse, but teachers ignored the clues. (24:28)
    • “The teacher gave me an A and said, 'Use more paragraphs next time.'” (24:42)

• Father’s Attempts & The Weight of Silence

  • His father asked directly if Dennis Pegg ever touched him, but Clark, mired in shame and fear, denied it to avoid upending the family’s image of him as the "golden child." (26:23–27:17)
  • The small-town context aided Pegg’s predation—taking in young men released from jail to "mentor" them while abusing them. (27:28–28:28)
  • The moral burden Clark felt in not exposing Pegg or allowing his father to take vigilante action: "That's way too much weight to put your teenage son under." (29:27)

• Regret and Introspection

  • Clark's greatest regret is lying to his father when asked about abuse, more so than owing money to the mob or substance use. (26:28)

The Aftermath: Intimacy, Love, and the Shadow of Trauma

• Struggles with Intimacy

  • College-era relationship with Lisa: Clark was present physically but emotionally detached, unable to commit or open up due to trauma. They dated for six years, but he couldn’t move forward. (32:21–35:04)
    • “I didn’t want to go from the cool, party-animal boyfriend to the wounded, broken wing duckling.” (34:42)
  • He saw parallels between the "trapped" feeling in a committed relationship and the sense of entrapment during abuse. (36:20)

• Lost Love and Years Apart

  • Clark referred to events post-breakup as "post Lisa," underscoring unresolved attachment. (37:47)
  • He dreamed of reconnecting but never reached out due to his chaotic, self-destructive lifestyle, not wanting to hurt Lisa again. (38:49–40:20)

Prison: Survival, Reflection, and Reluctant Healing

• Initial Shock and Psychiatric Evaluations

  • Placed in a suicide cell upon arrest; endures intense psychological scrutiny.
    • "I thought, one wrong answer, and they would say he cannot get out for the rest of his life." (41:39)

• Life Behind Bars

  • Prison was saturated with men convicted of crimes involving children, which initially distressed him.
  • Pedophiles in prison often acted as informants; guards would try to egg Clark on to violence, but he resisted vigilantism to avoid sabotaging his own case. (44:23–48:45)
    • “Unless you were the person who abused me, I'm not out to avenge every pedophile out there. Just the one that abused me.” (48:45)

• Daily Realities

  • Clark avoided violence and “the hole,” remarking on the misery of suicide watch cells and the illogical, inhumane aspects of prison life. (54:59–56:35)
  • Prison food: Ramen and mackerel, years-long pain because of undiagnosed celiac disease. (84:41–85:13)
  • Fights, makeshift weapons (like sharpened shower tiles), and the prevalence of drugs. (53:11–53:40, 50:01)

• Legal Process and Shifting Charges

  • Thanks to corroborating victim testimonies and psychiatric evaluations, his murder charge was reduced to manslaughter. (68:15–70:53)
    • Both prosecution and defense evaluations agreed on "passion provocation," a first for such a delayed response. (69:51)
  • The judge sentenced him to the minimum five years and apologized for having to imprison him at all. (80:24–82:01)

• Confronting Trauma Publicly

  • Moving courtroom statement:
    • “From the time that I was 8 years old until I was 12... I was sexually assaulted and raped by Dennis Pegg... It started out with him wanting to touch my scar that I had from open heart surgery...”
    • Received a standing ovation: “Never have I seen somebody admit to murdering somebody and get a standing ovation for it.” (78:30–79:35)

The Ripple Effects: Family, Community, and the Fallout

• Aftereffects for Others

  • Many victims, including Clark’s brother and childhood friend, died by suicide. Clark’s brother relapsed after Clark’s release and died; Clark held Pegg solely responsible for destroying so many lives. (86:47–89:34)

• Public Mixed Reactions

  • Some, including Pegg’s friend and attorney, published articles defending Pegg and vilifying the victims as "cowards," intensifying Clark’s pain. (58:18–60:40)
    • “A victim is a low life… I don’t know how Ernest lived with himself after writing that article.” (59:52–61:48)
  • Most of the community, especially law enforcement, quietly supported Clark, contrary to his expectations.
    • “My biggest supporter throughout all of this has been law enforcement.” (73:28–73:34)

• No Acknowledgment from Pegg’s Family

  • Despite clear evidence and widespread rumors, none apologized or acknowledged Dennis Pegg’s crimes (even though his great nephew, also a victim, died by suicide after Clark’s arrest). (63:42–65:44)

Life After Prison: Recovery and Advocacy

• Recovery from Addiction

  • Sober for 13 years: “The first two years were in jail... and during those first two years, here I'm facing life in prison...” (90:13–91:18)

• Legal Advocacy

  • Played a pivotal role in reforming New Jersey’s statute of limitations for survivors of sexual abuse, fighting opposition from the Catholic Church.
    • “We went from the worst law in the country to the strongest law.” (96:11–97:17)

Reconnecting with Lisa: A Full-Circle Story

• Clark's Lifelong Longing

  • Lisa was always on his mind; he never entered new relationships to avoid "bringing her into" the mess of his life. (101:32)

• The Facebook Message

  • "Do you keep the fantasy alive and not send it? Or do you pull up your big boy pants... and you send it?" (102:36)
  • He sent the message at age 52, more than 30 years since their last contact in their early 20s. (102:21–102:30)

• Emotional Reunion

  • Lisa, too, felt unresolved attachment. She describes a sense of fate at resuming contact, feeling inspired by Clark's transformation and advocacy.
    • “I was so impressed with what he was doing with his life... I was truly inspired by him.” (108:33–109:03)
  • Their first coffee meeting was marked by playfulness, instant connection, and Clark's gift: her love letters, faithfully kept since college.
    • “Whenever I would start lamenting her, I would get out these love letters and reread them and feel connected.” (105:53)

• Lisa’s Letter (Read Aloud)

  • “Dearest Clark, we've shared so many memories together, both good and not so good ones... I don't exactly know at what point I actually fell in love with you. I just know that at this point, each day I spend without you is a torment...” (117:29 onward)

• Present-Day Relationship

  • Both reflect on how decades and healing have deepened their connection. Lisa is Clark’s “constant source of inspiration.”
    • “He was free... free from prison and also free from his secrets.” (113:02)
  • They now enjoy simple, shared routines: Sunday and Monday morning coffee, cooking, walks, and supporting each other.

Reflections, Quotes & Takeaways

• On Healing and Hope
  • “You don’t have to forfeit your life because you were abused. You know, you can heal from it. And I’m healing now and I want people to see that and I want them to. To follow my footsteps now versus how I lived earlier.” (66:36)
• On the Impact of Abuse
  • “Childhood abuse is soul murder. You murder the soul of that child.” (67:50)
• On Redemption and Seasons of Life
  • “There are cold, dark winters where nothing's going right in your life... Don't ever lose hope, that sunshine awaits you and opportunity awaits you. I would say I'm just starting to harvest, so I'm in that spring to summer mode.” (124:10–125:17)
• On Love Rediscovered
  • “I get the girl back at the end. Like it should be a movie. My life literally has been a movie.” (126:16–126:23)
• On Trauma and Triumph
  • “My book wasn’t written to be a trauma dump. It was written to give people hope that anything is possible.” (125:17)

Notable Timestamps

• [06:10–16:00]: Clark’s gambling and descent into mob involvement
• [22:18–27:17]: Childhood signs and family attempts to uncover the abuse
• [32:21–40:20]: Clark’s college romance with Lisa and his emotional distance
• [41:00–56:35]: Life in jail/prison, psychiatric evaluations, and survival strategies
• [68:15–70:53]: Legal process, passion provocation defense, sentencing
• [84:11–85:46]: Life after prison, recovery, and adjusting to freedom
• [101:13–106:40]: Finding Lisa on Facebook and their emotional reunion
• [117:29–120:33]: Lisa reads her letter; reflections on love and time
• [124:10–126:23]: Clark’s closing message of hope and resilience

Tone & Style

The episode follows Stephanie’s signature empathetic, deeply empathetic narrative, blending stark detail (sometimes "rotten," sometimes hopeful and sweet) with moments of dark humor, warm banter, and raw honesty. Clark’s and Lisa’s voices are direct, sometimes self-deprecating, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring.

For Listeners

This episode offers a harrowing yet ultimately hopeful look at surviving abuse, the intricacies of trauma’s aftermath, the failures and rare redemptions of the justice system, and the power of vulnerable, enduring love. Anyone seeking to understand the long shadows of childhood trauma—and the possibility of healing and second acts—shouldn’t miss it.

Links Mentioned:

• Clark’s memoir: Scarred
• Advocacy resources and Clark’s podcast (see podcast description for links)
• Courtroom statement video (referenced by Clark)

“Don’t ever lose hope. Sunshine awaits you.”—Clark Fredericks (125:17)