239: Casey Anthony 2.0, Parents Force Teen To Be Little Forever, Ellen Greenberg FINALLY Overturned, Cult Moms Lawsuit, & BF Murdered Over Dissing GF

Summary

Serialously with Annie Elise: Episode 239 Detailed Summary

Title: Casey Anthony 2.0, Parents Force Teen To Be Little Forever, Ellen Greenberg FINALLY Overturned, Cult Moms Lawsuit, & BF Murdered Over Dissing GF
Release Date: February 6, 2025
Hosts: Annie Elise and Lee
Podcast: Serialously with Annie Elise by 10 to LIFE & Audioboom Studios

In Episode 239 of Serialously with Annie Elise, hosts Annie Elise and Lee delve into a collection of harrowing true crime cases, offering in-depth discussions and updates on ongoing legal battles. The episode is structured into clear sections, each focusing on a distinct case, enriched with notable quotes and detailed analyses to provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of each subject.

1. Parents Starve Daughter to Preserve Childhood (00:55–13:55)

Case Overview

Annie and Lee open with one of the most disturbing cases they've encountered: Australian parents found guilty of starving their 20-year-old daughter to maintain her appearance as a perpetual child. Authorities initiated an investigation in 2016 after being alerted to the girl's alarming physical state.

Key Details

• Isolation and Starvation: The parents meticulously restricted the daughter's food intake, resulting in her weighing a mere 60 pounds at 16 years old. Anne, Annie, and Lee describe the parents' actions as "appalling" and "diabolical."

• Deceptive Practices: The father's admission of forging birth certificates to deceive others about his daughter's age underscores the extreme measures taken to keep her looking like a toddler [09:31].

• Psychological Impact: Despite being found guilty, the daughter showed no remorse towards her parents during the trial, highlighting severe psychological manipulation. Annie remarks, "It’s like brainwashing or Stockholm syndrome," adding [12:56], "She thought that her parents loved her."

Notable Quotes

• Annie Elise (13:09): "I just cannot even imagine what she's going to go through and what that realization must be and how devastating that must be."

• Lee (12:56): "How can that cause parents to literally starve their child and keep her completely isolated from the real world?"

Legal Outcomes

On January 31, 2024, the father received a six-and-a-half-year sentence, while the mother was sentenced to five years. The verdict left the daughter grappling with the reality of her upbringing, now facing the challenge of adapting to life independently after years of enforced isolation.

2. Colorado Woman Convicted of Murdering Boyfriend (13:55–20:28)

Case Overview

The hosts discuss the case of Ashley White, a 29-year-old Colorado woman convicted of murdering her 28-year-old boyfriend, Cody, in 2020. The motive behind the murder stems from Cody’s relentless skepticism about Ashley’s ability to secure steady employment.

Key Details

• Relationship Turmoil: Cody's constant criticism led to escalating conflicts, culminating in Ashley’s drastic actions, including attempting to harm Cody’s cat.

• Stranger Involvement: During a bus ride home after a pivotal job interview, Ashley met "Scott," who feigned concern over accusations of sexual assault by Cody. This encounter led to a hasty and ill-conceived murder plot.

• The Murder: Ashley and Scott executed the plan by introducing themselves to Cody as Ashley’s uncle and subsequently killing him with two gunshot wounds to the head.

Notable Quotes

• Annie Elise (16:10): "I mean, I'm not trying to make light of it, but it's a wild story."

• Lee (19:16): "Her sentencing is set to take place on April 4, and she's facing a maximum sentence of 48 years."

Legal Outcomes

Ashley was found guilty of second-degree murder following a three-week trial and is awaiting sentencing. Meanwhile, Scott, initially connected to the case, remains incarcerated for another unrelated murder, leaving his involvement in Cody's death officially uncharged.

Ongoing Developments

An anonymous woman claimed that her boyfriend, Michael Stratton, was Scott, who had confessed involvement in Cody’s murder. However, since Scott is already in custody for another crime, his role in this case remains legally unresolved.

3. Cult Moms Lawsuit: Ruby Frankie & Jody Hildebrandt (20:28–31:08)

Case Overview

Annie and Lee delve into the ongoing saga of Ruby Frankie and Jody Hildebrandt, notorious for their abusive and manipulative behavior towards their children and clients. Both women were convicted of child abuse and currently serve lengthy prison sentences.

Key Details

• Abusive Practices: They subjected children to severe physical abuse, including forcing them to work without shoes and exposing them to harsh conditions. Annie describes their actions as "forcing them to do manual labor" and Lee adds, "They would rip off her husband's shirt, try to attack him with a knife."

• Connection Classroom: Jody led an online coaching platform leveraging manipulative therapies to control and exploit individuals financially and emotionally, akin to cult behavior.

Notable Quotes

• Annie Elise (23:24): "Groups like 7M, Scientology, Twin Flames connections, people who try to isolate you, it's because they want ultimate control over you."

• Ruby Frankie (27:27): "My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me."

Legal Developments

A new lawsuit filed by former client Michael Tillman accuses Jody’s "Connections Classroom" of being a facade for extortion and manipulation. Michael alleges that the program financially exploited participants while fostering division within families. The lawsuit seeks nearly $5 million in damages and highlights the systematic abuse inflicted by Ruby and Jody.

Additional Insights

The hosts discuss Ruby’s remorse during sentencing, questioning the genuineness of her apologies. Jody, maintaining innocence, stated her actions were out of love, further complicating the narrative of their crimes.

4. Megan Boswell: Casey Anthony 2.0 (31:08–47:16)

Case Overview

The discussion shifts to Megan Boswell, a Tennessee woman charged with the 2020 murder of her 15-month-old daughter, Evelyn. The trial marks a significant update after nearly five years of legal proceedings.

Key Details

• Disappearance and Discovery: Evelyn went missing in December 2019, with a delayed Amber Alert issued only in February 2020. Her remains were discovered a month later on a family member’s property, suggesting foul play.

• Megan’s Trial: Facing 19 charges, including murder and tampering with evidence, Megan's trial commenced recently. The complexity of the case is compounded by media coverage and public bias, leading to a highly controlled jury selection process.

• Jury Challenges: The judge ordered the jury to be sequestered due to the extensive media attention, a first for Sullivan County in 15-20 years, to ensure impartiality.

Notable Quotes

• Annie Elise (34:56): "It's like she ripped a page out of Casey Anthony's playbook, just lying to anybody who would listen."

• Lee (36:51): "Her interviews while Evelyn was missing. She went on air pleading for Evelyn to come home. It is unnerving when you watch it back."

Legal Outcomes

The highly publicized trial has led to stringent measures to avoid jury bias. As the proceedings unfold, Annie and Lee emphasize the difficulty in finding unbiased jurors given the case's notoriety. The hosts express frustration over the delayed justice Megan has faced, drawing parallels to the infamous Casey Anthony case.

5. Ellen Greenberg Case Finally Overturned (47:16–47:44)

Case Overview

Marking a rare positive turn in the often grim true crime narratives, Annie and Lee discuss the significant breakthrough in Ellen Greenberg’s case. Ellen, a 27-year-old schoolteacher from Philadelphia, was brutally murdered in 2011, but the case was initially ruled a suicide despite clear evidence of foul play.

Key Details

• Initial Investigation: Ellen was found with 20 stab wounds and bruises, leading Dr. Marlon Osborne to classify her death as a suicide. However, inconsistencies at the crime scene—such as her lunch still being prepared and the apartment being professionally cleaned—raised suspicions.

• Parents’ Fight for Justice: Ellen’s parents tirelessly challenged the suicide verdict, uncovering evidence that suggested a homicide, including hemorrhaging in her neck and stab wounds incompatible with self-inflicted harm.

Notable Quotes

• Ellen's Mother (44:56): "We didn't put up with their stalling tactics, their withholding information, and their untruths."

• Lee (40:46): "So as you can imagine, the media turned to Sam as the number one suspect."

Legal Developments

After 14 years of advocacy, Ellen’s parents filed lawsuits against the city of Philadelphia for the initial mishandling of the case. A recent settlement mandates the reopening of the investigation by the current medical examiner and includes undisclosed financial compensation for the Greenbergs. This development signifies a hopeful step toward uncovering the truth behind Ellen’s untimely death.

Final Thoughts

Annie and Lee highlight the perseverance of Ellen’s parents and the importance of seeking justice despite systemic obstacles. They express optimism that the reopened investigation will finally reveal the truth, providing closure to a family devastated by tragedy.

Conclusion

Episode 239 of Serialously with Annie Elise offers a comprehensive exploration of several gripping true crime cases, each illustrating the depths of human depravity and the relentless pursuit of justice. Through detailed narratives and poignant quotes, Annie and Lee provide listeners with both awareness and emotional engagement, underscoring the profound impacts these cases have on individuals and families involved.

Listeners are encouraged to stay tuned for future episodes, including upcoming deep dives and continued updates on ongoing trials and legal battles.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Annie Elise (05:20): "There was so many details that I either forgot about that I didn't know about that were like new things that just have surfaced."
• Lee (12:56): "How can that cause parents to literally starve their child and keep her completely isolated from the real world?"
• Ruby Frankie (27:27): "My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me."

Transcript

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[Annie Elise]

Hey, true crime besties. Welcome back to an all new episode of Serial Astley.

[Lee]

Hey everybody. Welcome back to an all new episode of Serial.

[Annie Elise]

As Lee with me, Annie Elise and today it is headline highlights.

[Lee]

You know what time it is.

[Annie Elise]

It is headline highlights, which means we have a lot to talk about.

[Lee]

And if you're watching the video version.

[Annie Elise]

Of this, you probably can see that my desk right now is complete chaos. I have my laptop, my iPad, I have written notes, paper notes, printouts, because that is how much stuff we are going over today.

[Lee]

There's a lot of new cases, but.

[Annie Elise]

But there are also a lot of.

[Lee]

Amazing updates in some existing cases that.

[Annie Elise]

We'Ve talked about and some really good news in one of them that I'm.

[Lee]

Just so beyond excited to share with you now.

[Annie Elise]

If you're like, okay, who is this chick? What the heck is she talking about?

[Lee]

If you're a new listener here, you've never listened to the podcast or you're.

[Annie Elise]

Just getting your, you know, familiar with it, let me break it down for you.

[Lee]

On my podcast Serial, we do a.

[Annie Elise]

Deep dive every single Monday where I.

[Lee]

Dive into one specific case. You know, I go to the depths.

[Annie Elise]

Of hell researching it, find out all the nitty gritty information you need to know and then we talk about it.

[Lee]

But then on Thursdays we do headline.

[Annie Elise]

Highlights, which is, hello, what we are here doing today.

[Lee]

And in this episode, this is where.

[Annie Elise]

We talk about everything that's happening right now, this week in true crime. New cases, existing cases with updates, old cases that we need to revisit.

[Lee]

Anything that's going on in the week.

[Annie Elise]

We'Re talking about it on Thursdays. And if you're watching this on YouTube.

[Lee]

Then you know you're watching it on.

[Annie Elise]

Fridays because there's unfortunately a delay because YouTube loves to just be like a thorn in my side and not approve things right away. So it gets released on Fridays over there.

[Lee]

But you can always listen to it a day early on the podcast for.

[Annie Elise]

Free, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lee]

So now that I've kind of gotten.

[Annie Elise]

All of, you know, the admin out of the way.

[Lee]

I want to jump right in.

[Annie Elise]

And I also want to give a quick note, little disclaimer.

[Lee]

I have been getting a lot of feedback. Not a lot, but a fair amount of feedback that despite me trying to slow down, I'm a fast talker by.

[Annie Elise]

Nature, that I'm still going a little bit too fast. I've had some people even say I.

[Lee]

Feel like I'm on double speed.

[Annie Elise]

I need to slow it down. So I'm really trying to make a concerted effort to, like, slow it down, pull it back, talk at a more reasonable pace. So I'm going to try my best, but I'm a work in progress. Okay, guys, I am a work in progress. I'm doing my best.

[Lee]

So let me talk to you about.

[Annie Elise]

The headlines we're going over today.

[Lee]

First, we're going to be talking about.

[Annie Elise]

A case that I thought was not real.

[Lee]

I thought it was AI. I thought that there's no possible way.

[Annie Elise]

This could be reality because it's about.

[Lee]

These two parents who literally starved and.

[Annie Elise]

Isolated their daughter for years, all to.

[Lee]

Keep her looking like a little girl.

[Annie Elise]

Forever, like the perfect little ballerina. It's honestly disgusting and vile. So we're going to talk about all of that.

[Lee]

We also are going to talk about a woman who apparently killed her boyfriend.

[Annie Elise]

Over in Colorado, all because he didn't.

[Lee]

Have faith in her that she would.

[Annie Elise]

Be able to get a job.

[Lee]

So because of that, she retaliated and.

[Annie Elise]

Was like, I'll show you. I'm, you know, I can get a.

[Lee]

Job and I can kill you.

[Annie Elise]

I mean, I'm not trying to make light of it, but it's a wild story.

[Lee]

There also have been updates in the.

[Annie Elise]

Ruby, Frankie and Jody Hildebrandt case, which we talked about this a few weeks ago.

[Lee]

We also have done many, many deep.

[Annie Elise]

Dives on the podcast and on my YouTube channel about this case.

[Lee]

But there's a new lawsuit that has been pulled into the play here, so.

[Annie Elise]

We'Re going to talk about that. And I think that I might actually do a new, updated, fresh deep dive on them. The last deep dive I did was about a year ago, and it ended up three hours long, which I don't think it needs to be that long. I think I can probably trim it back a bit, but I think we're gonna do another deep dive because there.

[Lee]

Have been updates in the last year.

[Annie Elise]

And so, you know me, I like to just like, rather than have all these piecemeal episodes that you have to.

[Lee]

Listen to to be fully caught up.

[Annie Elise]

I like every now and then just doing a fresh full episode where it's like you have all the information from start to finish if you're not familiar with the case. So I think I'm gonna do that. Stay tuned. Another case that we're talking about today that I have talked with you about.

[Lee]

Ad n this channel because it is literally ripped from the headlines.

[Annie Elise]

Casey Anthony 2.0 is Megan Boswell. Now, I think we first started talking about Megan back in 2020, maybe 2021, but I really think it was 2020.

[Lee]

She is the.

[Annie Elise]

Sorry, excuse my French. Worst human being on the planet, in my opinion. Actually.

[Lee]

Sorry, I'm gonna rant a lot today. I take that back. I just watched the new OJ Netflix.

[Annie Elise]

Series and I wasn't going to because I feel like I know everything there is to know about the O, but I watched it.

[Lee]

I highly, highly recommend it to anybody who even thinks they know the O.J. case.

[Annie Elise]

There were so many details that I either forgot about that I didn't know about that were like new things that just have surfaced. And I think he's the worst person on the planet.

[Lee]

I always talk about how the reason.

[Annie Elise]

I got into true crime and my most hated person ever is Casey Anthony. I think it is O.J.

[Lee]

Simpson.

[Annie Elise]

Now, I truly do think, and I never would have thought that I would have have switched gears like that. I always knew he was like, you know, a murderer most likely. But like when you see the evidence.

[Lee]

That was not presented in the trial.

[Annie Elise]

When you see how he acted in some of his depositions, it's just, it's giving. Disgusting. So sorry, that's not at all what I meant to talk about right now. But Megan Boswell is a close second because she's a woman who was charged.

[Lee]

Or not even a woman, a young, not a girl, but like a young woman who was charged with killing her 15 month old daughter Evelyn.

[Annie Elise]

And her trial is now starting and the details of this case, massive trigger warning, guys.

[Lee]

It is grotesque. And then we're gonna wrap up with.

[Annie Elise]

Some very, very happy news that literally just, it makes me so happy that I could. I honestly am like moved to tears because we've also talked a lot about the Ellen Greenberg case.

[Lee]

And if you guys have not been.

[Annie Elise]

Familiar with that case, you need to get caught up. I will link the full episode in this. But there has been a major breakthrough.

[Lee]

As a reminder, or for those of you who don' Ellen was stabbed over 20 times to like the front of her body and the back of her head.

[Annie Elise]

Yet despite all of that it was.

[Lee]

Ruled as a suicide and it made absolutely no sense. Nobody thought that it made sense. It was initially ruled a homicide, but then it was changed to a suicide.

[Annie Elise]

There were also, don't get me started.

[Lee]

Tons of red flags about the entire situation.

[Annie Elise]

She had the lunch that she had fully prepared right there on the counter in the kitchen. We actually spoke with her parents on.

[Lee]

The most recent episode that we did.

[Annie Elise]

Which again I will link, and there was so many things that just did not add up to where not only.

[Lee]

Just the evidence and somebody stabbing themselves 20 times and in the back of.

[Annie Elise]

The head, but also the door being.

[Lee]

Broken down, her fiance, who in my opinion acted a little strangely and had.

[Annie Elise]

Some very interesting connections with people in powerful positions. So we're going to talk about that because there has been a major new.

[Lee]

Update in that case.

[Annie Elise]

Literally after 14 years of her parents fighting, it's just unbelievable. But let's start with some parents who are dirtbag humans, okay?

[Lee]

And this is the story about the.

[Annie Elise]

Parents who literally starved their ballerina daughter.

[Lee]

So that they could keep her, a little girl, forever. So this story is truly just an.

[Annie Elise]

Insane one and really upsetting to hear.

[Lee]

But a mother and a father from.

[Annie Elise]

Australia were recently found guilty of starving their daughter to keep her looking like a child.

[Lee]

The names of the 47 year old parents along with their daughter have not been released because this girl was a.

[Annie Elise]

Minor when all of this happened.

[Lee]

But when you hear about how all of this played out, it truly is devastating. The daughter is now 20 years old, but people really began to worry about her all the way back in 2016. Authorities began to look into the family after they had been tipped off about just how sickly this little girl looked.

[Annie Elise]

I mean, just to level said when she was 16 years old, she weighed.

[Lee]

60 pounds 6 0. She weighed 60 pounds at 16 years old. My 5 year old son weighs 47 pounds.

[Annie Elise]

It is appalling.

[Lee]

Now, this poor girl, she was so frail and so tiny that when she.

[Annie Elise]

Was taken away from her parents by.

[Lee]

The authorities, she had to go and be checked into a hospital and be put on a feeding tube just so that she could begin recovering. She was put on that feeding tube for five days and then she finally.

[Annie Elise]

Was put on a new meal plan. Just really trying to bring this emaciated girl back to life almost.

[Lee]

Now, the parents also spoke to her, dressed her and treated her as though she was a preschooler well into her.

[Annie Elise]

Teenage years as well.

[Lee]

Her dad also admitted to forging her birth certificate over the years, all to.

[Annie Elise]

Make people think that she was younger than she really was, which it truly is just insane.

[Lee]

They were literally doing everything that they could do to keep her a toddler forever. And I will say I understand that.

[Annie Elise]

In certain professions or as an athlete or a dancer or an actress, you age out at a certain point. So some people will lie about their.

[Lee]

Age or they may try to look younger or dress younger, or now with.

[Annie Elise]

AI do creepy crazy things to look younger.

[Lee]

But this takes this to a diabolical level, in my opinion.

[Annie Elise]

You are basically doing the opposite of.

[Lee]

That movie Orphan where it's like this.

[Annie Elise]

Little psychotic girl trying to play kid.

[Lee]

Forever and you're trying to make your 16 year old daughter look like a toddler. It is unbelievable.

[Annie Elise]

In addition to all the ways they dressed her, treated her, starved her, all.

[Lee]

Of those things, they also homeschooled her.

[Annie Elise]

And kept her as isolated as they possibly could.

[Lee]

Other than her ballet classes. She was basically just held hostage by her parents. Now she of course, thought that this was all completely normal, which is probably.

[Annie Elise]

One of the most heartbreaking and devastating details of it all.

[Lee]

She had no idea that this was.

[Annie Elise]

Not how parents were supposed to treat their children.

[Lee]

She thought that this was normal behavior.

[Annie Elise]

She thought that her parents loved her.

[Lee]

And when you really break it down, it was just this very twisted obsession. So over the years, her condition, it just got worse and worse.

[Annie Elise]

And when people did see her, they were shocked because they would see how.

[Lee]

Frail she was, how yellow her skin was, that she basically just looked like a skeleton. Doctors warned the parents that their daughter was very unhealthy and that so much so she was even at risk of death. However, the parents, they just brushed off the comments and they ignored any and all medical advice. The parents also continuously lied to doctors, to other parents, to dance teachers. Anytime somebody would come with a concern.

[Annie Elise]

About their daughter, they would just lie.

[Lee]

To them, say, no, no, no, everything's.

[Annie Elise]

Fine, you know, everything's okay, we're treating her well, nothing to worry about.

[Lee]

The ballet teachers eventually ended up reaching out to the police because they saw how truly bad the daughter's condition was getting. And I mean, thank God somebody finally.

[Annie Elise]

Spoke up about this little girl.

[Lee]

But I can't even imagine being starved and kept on this strict diet for 16 years. This girl was never allowed to have a normal childhood and she definitely never was allowed to just simply grow up. And what's so sad is again, that this girl thought this was just completely normal. The daughter even attended her parents trial and she showed her love and support for them. She even wrote a statement that said that she didn't believe that she had been wronged in any type of way. She started sobbing when her parents were eventually found guilty by the jury too, which, how horrible is that? It's almost as though this girl, whether you call it brainwashing, Stockholm syndrome, both she truly thought her parents loved her, they were treating her well, they had.

[Annie Elise]

Her best interest at heart.

[Lee]

So much so that even after a judge and jury find them guilty and say, no, no, no, they did not.

[Annie Elise]

Treat you right, they were in the.

[Lee]

Wrong, she still is hysterically crying saying, no, they loved me.

[Annie Elise]

I don't think that I have been.

[Lee]

Wronged in any way. It just goes to show the mental toll that all of this took on.

[Annie Elise]

Her as well, when you even just.

[Lee]

Step aside from the physical toll and emotional toll and all of those things. So on January 31st of 2024, her father was sentenced to six and a.

[Annie Elise]

Half years in jail.

[Lee]

The mom was sentenced to five years in jail. The whole trial, the parents denied everything, saying that they absolutely did love their daughter, that their daughter was quote to.

[Annie Elise]

Them, perfect in every way. But I just can't even wrap my.

[Lee]

Head around the whole thing. Defense attorneys of the parents also said that this happened because the whole family has ocd. But how can that cause parents to literally starve their child and keep her.

[Annie Elise]

Completely isolated from the real world for.

[Lee]

The majority of her entire life? And now this 20 year old woman must learn to just completely change her life and cope with the outcome and.

[Annie Elise]

What she's now having to realize she.

[Lee]

Has to learn to be healthy, to.

[Annie Elise]

Be by herself, to understand what she.

[Lee]

Truly went through and endured during her childhood. I just cannot even imagine what she's.

[Annie Elise]

Going to go through and what that.

[Lee]

Realization must be and how devastating that must be. And of course you add in the.

[Annie Elise]

Layer that now she's a 20 year old woman without her support system, that she's known her whole life, or been.

[Lee]

Isolated to, I should say her whole life. She's alone, trying to figure out the world, trying to figure out how to live.

[Annie Elise]

And her parents are the ones who.

[Lee]

Put her in that position.

[Annie Elise]

It's inexcusable.

[Lee]

Now moving into this next case about.

[Annie Elise]

A woman who kills her boyfriend all.

[Lee]

Because he doubted that she could get a job.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, this next case is pretty intense.

[Lee]

And let's just say it's also a.

[Annie Elise]

Very bizarre lovers quarrel and it unfortunately ended in murder.

[Lee]

So Ashley White, a 29 year old Colorado woman, has just been found guilty of murdering her 28 year old boyfriend, Cody. She murdered him back in 2020. And apparently, she also had a complete.

[Annie Elise]

Stranger help her do it.

[Lee]

She enlisted this stranger to help her. So why did she kill her boyfriend? Well, Ashley and Cody were apparently known to have a pretty toxic relationship. However, the root of a lot of their fights was because Ashley just could not seem to hold down a steady job. So in the months before Cody's death, he apparently made his opinions about Ashley known. He would criticize her a lot.

[Annie Elise]

He would say how he thought that.

[Lee]

She would never get a steady job.

[Annie Elise]

That she was kind of a deadbeat.

[Lee]

And their fights would just escalate more and more. And at one point, Ashley got so mad at Cody that she tried to drown and burn his cat.

[Annie Elise]

Which we all say that if there is somebody hurting animals, that is, like, a telltale sign of, like, what's to come, right? What's going to.

[Lee]

What that behavior will eventually escalate into? Most likely the fact that she got so pissed off at her boyfriend when they were having an argument that she grabbed his cat, tried to drown it.

[Annie Elise]

And then burn it. What's the movie? Is it Single White female?

[Lee]

No.

[Annie Elise]

What's the one with the bunny in the pot? I don't even know. But psychotic, Truly psychotic.

[Lee]

Now, Ashley also kept a diary. And we know that diaries sometimes will.

[Annie Elise]

Be the key to unfolding and unraveling everything there is to know about somebody's inner thought.

[Lee]

And in this diary, she documented how.

[Annie Elise]

Angry Kody made her.

[Lee]

The journal entries went on and on about her resentment towards Kody, and she even wrote she wished she had never met him.

[Annie Elise]

So fast forward, after all these fightings, all this toxic stuff going back and.

[Lee]

Forth, and In August of 2020, Ashley had a job interview. And she was sure this was going.

[Annie Elise]

To be the job.

[Lee]

This was going to be the one that she was going to get. So after the interview, she took the bus home and she texted Cody.

[Annie Elise]

She said, here's how the interview went.

[Lee]

I'm really excited about it. I think this is going to be the one. But Kody responded by telling her he doubted that she would get the job.

[Annie Elise]

And as you can imagine, this definitely pissed Ashley off.

[Lee]

So while on this bus ride home, Ashley ended up meeting a man who introduced himself to her as Scott. The two of them struck up a conversation. But it wasn't just any ordinary, you know, casual bus conversation of, oh, where are you going?

[Annie Elise]

Oh, you had a job interview.

[Lee]

How'd it go?

[Annie Elise]

It was way more sinister than that.

[Lee]

Because Ashley started confiding in her newfound friend Scott all about Cody's abusive behavior. Scott then took it a step further, and he actually asked Ashley, which is so bizarre to me, because she was.

[Annie Elise]

A stranger, but maybe he was, you know, trying to be a good guy. I don't know.

[Lee]

But he asked her if her boyfriend had ever. Her and Ashley alleged that Cody had, in fact, sexually assaulted her. So after hearing this, Scott felt like he needed to be, you know, the.

[Annie Elise]

Knight in shining armor or whatever.

[Lee]

And he and Ashley hatched a plan to murder Cody. Which is so crazy to me, because never in my life have I jumped.

[Annie Elise]

On a bus or a subway car or any.

[Lee]

Or in an Uber, for that matter.

[Annie Elise]

And thought, you know, out of all.

[Lee]

These conversations that I'm gonna strike up because I'm a personal person, it's gonna end up in hatching a murder plot.

[Annie Elise]

Like, how crazy is that, right?

[Lee]

How does it even come up?

[Annie Elise]

It's just. It's clearly so impulsive, so in the moment. And why did he feel like he.

[Lee]

Needed to be enlisted in this?

[Annie Elise]

And why did he offer up to, like, help her? Did he feel like he truly was saving her or rescuing her? It's bizarre.

[Lee]

So anyways, Ashley and Scott hop off the bus with this murder plan of theirs that they have hatched, and they walk back to Ashley's house, where she and Kody lived. And while they were walking, they got to know each other even more. They even stopped at one point to practice shooting Scott's gun. When they finally arrived at Ashley and Cody's home, Scott introduced himself to Cody as Ashley's brother from Texas, saying, hey, it's so nice to meet you. You know, I've heard so much about you. But then, shortly after that, they shot Kody twice in the head, killing him. Now, the police haven't explicitly said which one of them shot Kody, but the next day, the police discovered Kody's body.

[Annie Elise]

While they were performing a welfare check.

[Lee]

Ashley and Scott, on the other hand, they stole Kody's wallet, and they spent the next few days together in the area. But then Scott ditched, he dipped out and left, and Ashley never saw him again, Which. That's so crazy to me, too.

[Annie Elise]

It's like, you feel like you care.

[Lee]

About this girl so much, this stranger that you just met, so much so that you're going to commit murder for.

[Annie Elise]

Her or help her commit a murder.

[Lee]

You go to all these lengths, you steal the wallet.

[Annie Elise]

You guys are, like, out, you know.

[Lee]

Bonnie and Clyde for the next few.

[Annie Elise]

Days, doing whatever you're doing. I don't know if they were hooking up or what was going on.

[Lee]

But then he just ditches her and ghosts her, which I will say probably was for the best.

[Annie Elise]

But obviously there was some sort of.

[Lee]

Connection or reasoning for wanting to help her with something so drastic and so final, like murder.

[Annie Elise]

And then you're just gonna like, peace out.

[Lee]

I don't know.

[Annie Elise]

It's bizarre. So, all in all, it definitely didn't.

[Lee]

Take long for the police to look at Ashley as a suspect. Investigators interrogated Ashley and immediately after questioning her, she ended up being arrested and.

[Annie Elise]

Charged with Cody's murder.

[Lee]

It was then announced just this past week that she was found guilty of second degree murder.

[Annie Elise]

This was after three weeks of trial.

[Lee]

Her sentencing is set to take place on April 4, and she's facing a maximum sentence of 48 years. Now, as for Scott, this mysterious Scott guy, he seemed to just disappear from the murder entirely, right? Well, actually, in 2023, an anonymous woman came forward to the police saying that she had a boyfriend named Michael Stratton. She said that Michael confessed to her that he was this alleged Scott character that was involved in Kody's murder. So police said that the description that this anonymous woman gave to them was in fact, almost identical to Ashley's story of what happened on the day of Kody's murder, too. So because of that, it must have been him. However, what's interesting is Scott had actually been arrested for another murder after Cody's death. So when this woman called the police, he was already in custody. Scott has not officially been charged with anything in relation to Cody's murder.

[Annie Elise]

So far, it's kind of unclear what's.

[Lee]

Going to happen with him there, if anything. But we do know that he is still in custody for this other murder.

[Annie Elise]

That he allegedly is involved with.

[Lee]

So, again, all very twisted, very mysterious.

[Annie Elise]

I will follow it closely and update you when I know more.

[Lee]

Now, let's move into the next case.

[Annie Elise]

And we are talking about two of.

[Lee]

The most diabolical, selfish, narcissistic cult leaders.

[Annie Elise]

In my opinion, that we have encountered.

[Lee]

In the last decade.

[Annie Elise]

Even more so, I think, actually, do I want to say more than Lori Valow and Chad Dabell.

[Lee]

Maybe a close tie.

[Annie Elise]

Maybe a close tie, because we're going.

[Lee]

To be talking about Jody Hildebrandt and Ruby Frankie. And if you know me, you know.

[Annie Elise]

That I loathe these women so, so much. Okay, so the Jody Hildebrandt and Ruby Frankie Rabbit Hole, it just keeps going and going and going.

[Lee]

And if you've been following along with this entire saga, it has been almost a Year since Jody and Ruby were sent to prison. But now a brand new lawsuit has been filed. So just to recap, and again, a new fresh deep dive.

[Annie Elise]

It is a common, but you can.

[Lee]

Always go back to the previous one.

[Annie Elise]

But to give you a recap, Ruby Frankie was a YouTube family vlogger, and her YouTube channel was called 8Passengers.

[Lee]

She had millions of subscribers, made tons.

[Annie Elise]

Of money, and advertised, you know, the traditional family vlogging.

[Lee]

All of her kids, she would expose.

[Annie Elise]

Their most personal and private moments.

[Lee]

She would exploit them. In my opinion, it was disgusting.

[Annie Elise]

And she ended up being convicted of hurting her children.

[Lee]

And she pled guilty to four counts.

[Annie Elise]

Of the abuse against her children, which.

[Lee]

She ended up receiving four 1 to.

[Annie Elise]

15 year consecutive prison sentences for that.

[Lee]

And so did Jody Hildebrandt, Ruby's quote.

[Annie Elise]

Business partner, mentor, lover. She was also involved in hurting the children. So much so that one of the children who escaped had escaped from Jody's house.

[Lee]

So she also had pleaded guilty to the same charges and got that same sentence as Ruby.

[Annie Elise]

So they're both right now in jail, writing out their time.

[Lee]

Now, some of the things that Ruby and Jody would do to Ruby's kids.

[Annie Elise]

Were forcing them to do manual labor.

[Lee]

Work outside without shoes on, stand outside in the sun for days at a time.

[Annie Elise]

I think one child was even forced.

[Lee]

To jump into a cactus bush. She would. They would deny them food and water.

[Annie Elise]

And then as we saw and as.

[Lee]

It escalated, they even eventually started restraining.

[Annie Elise]

Them, tying them up. I mean, the list, it just goes on and on.

[Lee]

So this news lawsuit has to do with Jody and her business. And I'm saying business very, very loosely, air quotes and all, but her business called Connections Classroom. So this was like an online coaching platform, and Jody was the head counselor. All of Jody's podcasts and teachings pretty.

[Annie Elise]

Much are centered around what they describe.

[Lee]

Empowering parents and children to live in truth.

[Annie Elise]

Which, when you break it down, I'm not even sure what that means. But, like, I always compare it to Scientology.

[Lee]

If somebody says you need to live in truth or you are a distorted.

[Annie Elise]

Being, or, you know, you need to.

[Lee]

Get to your most elevated self.

[Annie Elise]

Cult. Cult.

[Lee]

Run.

[Annie Elise]

Run. Run.

[Lee]

And definitely do not give them a.

[Annie Elise]

Single dollar of yours.

[Lee]

Again, just my opinion. Sorry for anybody who's a Scientologist listening.

[Annie Elise]

But that's just my vibe. It feels like cult.

[Lee]

So this lawsuit was filed by a former client of Jody's named Michael Tillman. And it says that Jody used her platform to, one, cheat people out of money, and two, totally sabotage their families and Relationships. Michael said that connections is a total scam, which, hello, no surprise. But he said it's all made to look like family counseling under the guise.

[Annie Elise]

Of that, when really, it's, like, about extortion, about pitting family members against each other, and really, in essence, just about having total control.

[Lee]

So Michael said that he believes that Jody and Ruby lured people in under the guise of receiving therapy, then seemingly took their money and made them become a part of their crazy cult. And it's not entirely that surprising given what Ruby and Jodie are in prison for.

[Annie Elise]

Right.

[Lee]

So the lawsuit is 150 pages long, and Michael is seeking almost $5 million in damages. The lawsuit alleges that Jodie brought people.

[Annie Elise]

Like Ruby into her connection circle and.

[Lee]

That she would then rely on these people to carry out all of her different therapy techniques, while also, of course, like a pyramid scheme, recruiting new members in. Then once people were roped in, Jody and her workers would offer them therapy.

[Annie Elise]

Classes or different sessions for, like, astronomical prices.

[Lee]

And it would always work because Jody.

[Annie Elise]

And Ruby would just prey on people.

[Lee]

In the most vulnerable positions or people who were desperately seeking for help with different mental health issues, different emotional health.

[Annie Elise]

Issues, leaning on religion a lot because they were lds.

[Lee]

And she would then use this to.

[Annie Elise]

Try to convince her clients to take.

[Lee]

It a step further, separate from their spouse, really Empower. What she calls empower. Not me, their children.

[Annie Elise]

By hurting them, torturing them, manipulating them.

[Lee]

Holding things away from them. And she would. Kind of similar, again to Scientology.

[Annie Elise]

You know, how.

[Lee]

What's the word?

[Annie Elise]

If Scientologists say you.

[Lee]

You have a family member or a.

[Annie Elise]

Friend who doesn't agree with you or that is living, you know, in a. In distortion. What do they call that?

[Lee]

Oh, a suppressed person. So similar to that, Jody would say.

[Annie Elise]

Anybody who falls outside of these walls or these lines, they are not living in truth.

[Lee]

So because of that, you have to.

[Annie Elise]

Break ties with them.

[Lee]

You cannot be associated with them, which.

[Annie Elise]

Once more, let me just say, if.

[Lee]

It is a real religion, if it is a real group that is focused.

[Annie Elise]

On bettering somebody and improving quality of life, they will never try to isolate you from family.

[Lee]

They will never try to isolate you from friends.

[Annie Elise]

Groups like that, like 7M, Scientology, Twin Flames connections, people who try to isolate.

[Lee]

You, it's because they want ultimate control over you. They want to brainwash you. They want to manipulate you.

[Annie Elise]

So I could go on and on about cults forever, but the reason I bring that up is I just want.

[Lee]

To stress to anybody who's listening, if somebody is ever trying to isolate you.

[Annie Elise]

From your loved ones for a reason other than these loved ones actually physically hurting you for whatever reason.

[Lee]

Do not listen.

[Annie Elise]

I mean, take it with a grain of salt.

[Lee]

Err on the side of caution, because.

[Annie Elise]

This is their tactic.

[Lee]

Because then you isolate yourself and paint.

[Annie Elise]

Yourself into a corner so much that it feels as though you have nobody else you can rely on but these other members of this organization. And that's when you just start getting.

[Lee]

Deeper and deeper and deeper. Just like Nexium, too.

[Annie Elise]

I mean, again, I could go on and on. So this is what is alleged in the lawsuit. I know I went off on a tangent. I apologize. But he says they would, you know, isolate people, then they would prey on them.

[Lee]

They would make them pay insane amount of money for treatment, all of these things.

[Annie Elise]

And it also clearly worked on Ruby, right? I mean, she's a prime example.

[Lee]

So at Ruby sentencing, she fully said that she was manipulated to follow Jody's guidance. And she said that she was wrong to hurt her children, which.

[Annie Elise]

Which, if you haven't already heard her.

[Lee]

Statement, I'm gonna play it right here.

[Annie Elise]

Because while she acts remorseful, a lot of people, myself included, have brought into question the authenticity. And if she's truly being genuine in this, it just sounds a little bit performative.

[Lee]

But you take a listen and let.

[Annie Elise]

Me know what you think.

[Ruby Frankie]

For the past four years, I've chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion. My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me. I was led to believe that this world was an evil place, filled with cops who control hospitals that injure, government agencies that brainwash, church leaders who lie and lust, husbands who refuse to protect, and children who need abused. My choice to believe and behave. This paranoia culminated into criminal activity for which I stand before you today, ready to take accountability.

[Lee]

So the lawsuit goes on to say that Jody's antics literally tore apart and broke down families, all while Jody and.

[Annie Elise]

Ruby were making, you know, a boatload.

[Lee]

Of money off of everybody. Michael said that he was personally impacted by Jody's counseling, too, because his ex wife sought out Jody for help. Michael said that because of Jody's teachings, his ex wife physically abused and endangered their daughter. And according to Michael, his ex wife is still a devoted follower of Jody and connections.

[Annie Elise]

She doesn't think that she did anything wrong.

[Lee]

She also doesn't think that Jody and Ruby literally being sent to jail and.

[Annie Elise]

Convicted is proof of any wrongdoing. This just goes to show how strong the manipulation and the brainwashing can be.

[Lee]

And this is even with Ruby herself saying that Jodie's teachings are wrong right there in court. The ex wife still believes that Jodie is an amazing counselor. And then listen to this. And I'm not sure if you remember.

[Annie Elise]

But Ruby ended up kicking her husband.

[Lee]

Out of the house, Kevin. Because she wanted to keep following Jody's teachings. Michael said that his ex wife also kicked him out because he wanted her to stop the abuse, stop the teachings, all of that, but she just would not listen to him or anybody else. It just runs so deep. And the brainwashing, it went so far that in addition to the abuse of the kids, Jodi would also encourage women to beat up their husbands. In Michael's lawsuit, he talks about one instance where his ex wife's sister was also dragged into Jody's cult. This woman was convinced that she had to inflict pain on her husband. So this woman allegedly ripped off her husband's shirt, tried to attack him with a knife. She bruised him, she bit him.

[Annie Elise]

I mean, she attacked him.

[Lee]

It's insane. So the woman ended up being charged with domestic battery. And that was kind of the end of that. It, like, was a chapter closed.

[Annie Elise]

But the reason for this attack, the.

[Lee]

Woman was convinced that by attacking him.

[Annie Elise]

It would bring him to, quote, truth again.

[Lee]

Going back to all those buzzwords these cult leaders like to use. If I attack him, if I shake.

[Annie Elise]

Him, it'll bring him back into just.

[Lee]

Out of distortion, into the light, into truth, or.

[Annie Elise]

What did Lori and Valo. What did Lori crazy Valo say in Chad Dumbell? Like, it would bring them out from being a zombie. Like, get a grip.

[Lee]

Get a grip.

[Annie Elise]

Now.

[Lee]

In response to all this, Jodie still hasn't really taken any accountability for anything that she's done. I mean, in court, Jody even said that the things that she was doing, she was doing all out of love. And it sounds like she fully believes that she has not done anything wrong. Take a listen.

[Jody Hildebrandt]

One of the reasons I did not go to trial is that I did not want them to emotionally relive the experience which would have been detrimental to them. My hope and prayer is that they will heal and move forward to have beautiful lives. I am willing to submit to what the state feels would be an appropriate amount of time served to make retribution as an outcome.

[Lee]

And it just sounds like she fully believes that she hasn't done anything wrong. So, I mean, this lawsuit has some.

[Annie Elise]

Pretty shocking details in it, but unfortunately, it's not really coming as that much.

[Lee]

Of a shock to people who've been following this case. And it's now going to be in the decisions of the parole board to.

[Annie Elise]

See just how long Jodie and Ruby will be in prison, which I hope that it is. On the longer side of things, I don't think that four years is nearly enough, but that's just my opinion. All right, we are going to take a quick break here from today's sponsors of today's episode.

[Lee]

And thanks for understanding sponsors help keep this podcast free.

[Annie Elise]

All right, guys, I've got to tell you about something that I feel like people who are navigating the whole insurance.

[Lee]

Process for weight loss options just need to know about.

[Annie Elise]

If that's you.

[Lee]

And that is Roe. If you've been looking into GLP1s but.

[Annie Elise]

You don't want the hassle of insurance approvals or insane costs, ROW makes it so much easier.

[Lee]

They offer FDA approved weight loss meds for half the price of the auto injector pension. No insurance, no saving cards are needed. And the best part of all of.

[Annie Elise]

It is you can do everything from your home.

[Lee]

No doctor's office, no waiting rooms, just.

[Annie Elise]

A quick online medical visit to see.

[Lee]

If you do qualify. And if you do qualify, people prescribed through RO lose an average of 15% of their body weight in a year. That's huge. Plus, RO affiliated providers are there to help you understand if GLP1s are right.

[Annie Elise]

For you or not.

[Lee]

So you're never alone in the process.

[Annie Elise]

Want to see if you qualify?

[Lee]

Go to RO Co ae. That's RO CO ae. And if you want full safety info and boxed warnings on GLP1s, go to Roe Co Safety.

[Annie Elise]

Over 385,000 people have already started using RO to access GLP1s. So check it out for yourself if you're interested.

[Lee]

Roe Co AE.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, so technically I don't have a cat, but my best friend's cat has basically become mine. At this point, anytime I'm over at her place, this cat is like glued to me. Probably, if I'm being honest, because I'm the one sneaking them all the best treats, which.

[Lee]

Shh, don't tell.

[Annie Elise]

But recently I convinced my best friend to upgrade their cat's entire diet to Smalls.

[Lee]

And let me just tell you, this cat is living their best life.

[Annie Elise]

Now, Smalls is real food, like actual.

[Lee]

Fresh, protein packed recipes with ingredients that you would find in your fridge. No weird fillers, no mystery meat, just high quality meals delivered right to your door.

[Annie Elise]

And her cat knows the difference. We did even a little fun project.

[Lee]

A little taste Test where we put their old food next next to the Smalls.

[Annie Elise]

And they went straight for the Smalls. There was zero hesitation.

[Lee]

Since switching, they've also had fewer hairballs.

[Annie Elise]

A shinier coat, more energy, and honestly just feels like they're living their best kitty cat life.

[Lee]

And they're not alone. 88% of cat owners say that they have seen major health improvements after switching to Smalls. Plus, if your cat somehow isn't obsessed.

[Annie Elise]

Which trust me, they definitely will be.

[Lee]

Smalls offers a risk free trial and.

[Annie Elise]

Will even refund you. You. So if you love your cat like.

[Lee]

I love my bestie's cat, get them the food that they deserve. Head to smalls.com and use promo code AE at checkout for 50 off your first order plus free shipping. It's the best deal out there, but.

[Annie Elise]

You have to use my code AE to get it.

[Lee]

So one last time, that's smalls.com promo code AE. Your cat will thank you.

[Annie Elise]

All right, so let's talk about Megan Boswell.

[Lee]

Megan Boswell, the bane of my existence.

[Annie Elise]

Okay, maybe that's a little bit dramatic, but I really don't like her.

[Lee]

So Megan Boswell is a Tennessee woman who has been charged with murdering her 15 month old daughter Evelyn back in 2020. And now finally, after almost five years.

[Annie Elise]

Her trial is finally starting.

[Lee]

Now, first, let me just give you a little recap about what happened with Megan and with her daughter evelyn. It was February 2020, and Megan's baby went missing. And when her daughter went missing, a nationwide Amber alert went out. And as it turns out, no one in Megan's family had seen Evelyn since December of 2019. Yet nobody reported her missing until February of 2020.

[Annie Elise]

And it kind of goes a lot.

[Lee]

Deeper than this, which I get into in some of my deep dives.

[Annie Elise]

But like, she tried to blame it.

[Lee]

On her boyfriend who was at a military base at the time. She also tried to then blame it on her mom, and then her mom ended up being arrested for something unrelated.

[Annie Elise]

It's like a very tangled web. So let me think. I either will link the deep dive that we did, even though it's kind.

[Lee]

Of outdated, I guess at this point, it's a couple years ago, or if you want me to do a fresh.

[Annie Elise]

Deep dive, let me know. And I certainly can because it is a very tangled web of like, who cast blame, what she said, what really.

[Lee]

Happened, who reported her missing, where Evelyn ended up being found on the property.

[Annie Elise]

I mean, it's wild. So one month after Evelyn finally was.

[Lee]

Reported missing, police ended up Finding her remains.

[Annie Elise]

And as I just mentioned, they were on a family member's property.

[Lee]

Authorities believed that baby Evelyn had been suffocated. There are also some very gruesome details in the way that her body was contorted when she was found, as though.

[Annie Elise]

She literally was just stuffed in a garbage can as she was trash. It's disgusting.

[Lee]

Now, since Megan's arrest in 2020, she has been held in the Sullivan county jail. Megan's trial started just this last Monday, and right now, it's expected to last two to four weeks.

[Annie Elise]

They're currently doing jury selection, and Megan.

[Lee]

Is facing a total of 19 charges. Oh, yeah, don't even get me started.

[Annie Elise]

Actually, I know I just mentioned the web of everything.

[Lee]

Her interviews while Evelyn was missing. She went on air like a Chris.

[Annie Elise]

Watts, which I know we always reference him, but whatever.

[Lee]

But she went on air doing these interviews, pleading for Evelyn to come home.

[Annie Elise]

It is unnerving when you watch it back. So, yeah, maybe we do need a fresh deep dive.

[Lee]

So, anyway, she's facing a total of 19 charges. These charges include murder, child harm, child neglect, tampering with evidence, abusing a corpse.

[Annie Elise]

And false reporting to authorities because she.

[Lee]

Like Casey Anthony, it's like she ripped a page out of her playbook, was.

[Annie Elise]

Just lying to anybody who would listen.

[Lee]

So on Monday, they began screening for the potential jury members. But it's not going to be as.

[Annie Elise]

Easy as they thought because of how.

[Lee]

Much media attention this case has gotten over the years. Years also, I mean, just the severity of the case.

[Annie Elise]

It's going to be really difficult finding somebody who doesn't feel a little biased.

[Lee]

When they hear that a mother is.

[Annie Elise]

Being charged for murdering her baby daughter.

[Lee]

At the beginning of jury selection, the judge said that this jury will be sequestered, which basically means that the jury will be completely isolated from society to.

[Annie Elise]

Make sure that they don't get any.

[Lee]

Sort of influence over them so that.

[Annie Elise]

They don't hear anything, any, you know, outside sources, none of that.

[Lee]

During the trial, the jury will be kept in a hotel, and they will have little phone and television access. Now, get this. Apparently a judge ordering to keep a.

[Annie Elise]

Jury isolated hasn't happened in Sullivan county.

[Lee]

In 15 to 20 years.

[Annie Elise]

I mean, it's not entirely surprising given.

[Lee]

How extreme this case is, but still, it is a pretty bit bold move. So potential jurors were questioned on Monday, and 22 out of the 40 said that they already did have a lot.

[Annie Elise]

Of knowledge about the case.

[Lee]

Some said that they not only knew about the case, but also had already made up their minds about whether Megan.

[Annie Elise]

Was guilty or not.

[Lee]

So again, finding a set of unbiased people in terms of this alleged murderer is definitely not going to be an easy task. News Channel 11 said that they are going to provide daily coverage of the trial.

[Annie Elise]

So I will definitely be keeping an.

[Lee]

Eye out for updates. And if you want that deep dive.

[Annie Elise]

For sure, let me know.

[Lee]

Now let me go into some happy news.

[Annie Elise]

And I again, just cannot even convey.

[Lee]

How happy this makes me because finally.

[Annie Elise]

We are going to talk about a major, and I mean major, update in the case of Ellen Greenberg.

[Lee]

Just to give you a little recap if you're not familiar with this case.

[Annie Elise]

It was 14 years ago.

[Lee]

Ellen Greenberg was a schoolteacher in Philadelphia. She was only 27 years old.

[Annie Elise]

It was January 26, 2011, and at.

[Lee]

Around 6:30pm Police got a phone call.

[Annie Elise]

From Ellen's fiance, Sam Goldberg.

[Lee]

He called 911 and he said, quote, I just walked into my apartment. My fiance's on the floor with blood everywhere.

[Annie Elise]

And here is a short snippet of that 911 call.

[Sam Goldberg]

I just. I just walked into my apartment. Fiance's on the floor with blood everywhere.

[911 Operator]

What is the address?

[Sam Goldberg]

4601 Flat Rock Road. Please come help now.

[911 Operator]

01. Is this the house? Store. Apartment.

[Sam Goldberg]

Oh, no. Oh, no. It's an apartment.

[911 Operator]

What apartment number?

[Sam Goldberg]

Please, Harry, please.

[911 Operator]

Bleeding from.

[Sam Goldberg]

I don't know. I can't tell. She's so.

[911 Operator]

You have to calm yourself down in order to get you some help.

[Sam Goldberg]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. She. I don't know. I'm looking at her right now. She. I don't. I can't see anything. She didn't. There's nothing broken. She's bleeding.

[911 Operator]

Ally, you don't know where she's bleeding from cancer coming from.

[Sam Goldberg]

It's. I think her head. I think she hit her head. I think everywhere. Everywhere.

[911 Operator]

She might have fallen. Do you know what happened?

[Sam Goldberg]

She may have slipped his blood on the. On the table. Her face is a little purple.

[911 Operator]

Okay, hold on for rescue for her. Stay on the phone.

[Lee]

Now. As the 911 call goes on, he tells the police that a knife was actually sticking out of Ellen's chest and that she must have fallen on it or stabbed herself. Now, Dr. Marlon Osborne conducted the autopsy and he immediately wrote down that she had so many stab wounds all over her body. To be exact, she had 20 stab wounds. She also had bruises all over her.

[Annie Elise]

Body from earlier healing.

[Lee]

Past healing.

[Annie Elise]

Just. I'll leave it at that because it's all again Alleged at this point, if.

[Lee]

Somebody did this to her. But he also wrote down, quote, stabbed by another person, and he deemed it a homicide. However, the Philadelphia police treated this entire investigation as a SU.

[Annie Elise]

Which make that make sense, right?

[Lee]

20 stab wounds to also to the back of your head. And again, when I go through in.

[Annie Elise]

The deep dive, all of the, like.

[Lee]

Red flags about how her lunch was.

[Annie Elise]

Still prepared on the counter, how the swing bar on the lock was closed, how the cousin came over, say the fiance's cousin, I should say came over before. While like all this, it just makes.

[Lee]

Makes no sense. And again, this woman had 20 stab wounds and bruises and her death was classified as a homicide by a medical examiner. So for some extremely odd reason, though, the police were just so set on the fact that Ellen did this to herself. So much so that they didn't even call the apartment a crime scene. It wasn't even closed off. By the time the investigators came back the second day to continue the investigation, the apartment had been professionally cleaned.

[Annie Elise]

Which seems odd, right?

[Lee]

What on earth is going on here? Tons and tons of potential evidence was literally scrubbed away. And then after going back and forth with law enforcement, after Quite some time, Dr. Osborne ended up switching the cause of death, changing it from homicide to su.

[Annie Elise]

It was beyond fishy and shady.

[Lee]

Now, Ellen's parents absolutely did not accept this claim. They wanted to find out the truth about their daughter and not only find out for themselves, but. But also let the world know that Ellen did not do this to herself. So over the years, they have found many people who agree with them. This is homicide. This is not her taking her own life. There was also so much evidence of Ellen being killed by somebody else. Experts said that the crime scene was super suspicious.

[Annie Elise]

It looked like Ellen's body had been moved.

[Lee]

There was hemorrhaging in her neck, indicating that she had been strangled. Not to mention the 20 stab wounds and bruises.

[Annie Elise]

And I remember one expert even said.

[Lee]

One of the stab wounds was.

[Annie Elise]

I can't. I'm going to paraphrase here, but it.

[Lee]

Was either to a part of the spine or the stem of the brain.

[Annie Elise]

That would have made her unable to.

[Lee]

Continue the attack on herself.

[Annie Elise]

So make that make sense. I also actually, now that I think about it, think there was a couple. Was it three? I'd have to go back and look. A couple stab wounds that indicated they were post mortem. Something's not right.

[Lee]

Something's not right.

[Annie Elise]

I mean, how would anybody even possibly.

[Lee]

Do this to themselves? Take a knife, stab yourself in the front multiple times and Then stab yourself.

[Annie Elise]

In the back of the head and.

[Lee]

The neck multiple times. No. So as you can imagine, the media turned to Sam as the number one suspect. He was the fiance. Also, because as people were doing some digging, it looked like things weren't as.

[Annie Elise]

Happy and great for the couple that was about to get married.

[Lee]

Literally, they were about to get married. So just last November, he released a statement saying, quote, the pathetic and despicable attempts to desecrate my reputation and her.

[Annie Elise]

Privacy by creating a narrative that embraces.

[Lee]

Lies, distortions and falsehoods in order to avoid the truth. Mental illness is very real and it.

[Annie Elise]

Has many victims, which this just pisses me the heck off because, yes, mental.

[Lee]

Health does not discriminate. But he so quickly was trying to paint this as a mental health struggle.

[Annie Elise]

Despite all of the shadiness going around about it. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. And I'm not trying to say it's always the husband or it's always the boyfriend. It's not. But like, like, I don't know, I'm.

[Lee]

Hard pressed to think that this was Ellen herself. However, Sam was never once investigated as a suspect. So this guy maintains that he is totally innocent.

[Annie Elise]

But Ellen's parents never stopped fighting for her.

[Lee]

After years and years of investigations, lawsuits, and even an online petition, Dr. Osborne, who performed her autopsy, has now said he changed his mind. Last Friday, there was a major break in the case because Dr. Osborne signed a document that said after reviewing new information, he no longer believes that Ellen killed herself, which.

[Annie Elise]

Thanks, doc.

[Lee]

It's a little 14 years too late, but I'm glad it happened finally. Now, aside from that, which is also some good news, is Ellen's parents had filed two lawsuits against the city of.

[Annie Elise]

Philadelphia for covering up Ellen's murder and for making it look like this was self harm.

[Lee]

And a judge ruled that they could finally go to trial. So this new ruling also said that the medical examiners and the homicide detectives, they need to testify in the trial since the lawsuit is accusing them of putting this whole cover up together. Ellen's father said, I'm hoping we're going.

[Annie Elise]

To prove that Ellen did not commit suicide.

[Lee]

That's what this is all about, justice for Ellen. So get this. On Monday, just before the jury was going to be seated, both sides decided to settle. Instead of going through with a full.

[Annie Elise]

Trial, the settlement states that the current.

[Lee]

Medical examiner must reopen Ellen's case and.

[Annie Elise]

Review all of the evidence.

[Lee]

And then from there, they have to come to their own conclusion about Ellen's death. The settlement also will include a certain amount of money for the Greenbergs.

[Annie Elise]

However, that amount wasn't released, which, can I just say, this is massive for the Greenbergs.

[Lee]

They have been fighting for their daughter for 14 years.

[Annie Elise]

I mean, 14 years of never backing down and continuing to speak out for their daughter. It is incredible.

[Lee]

And this is what Ellen's mother had.

[Annie Elise]

To say about everything.

[Ellen Greenberg's Mother]

I think the city didn't expect to be dealing with Ellen's parents. They didn't expect us to persevere and not give up. And we didn't put up with their stalling tactics, their withholding information, and their untruths. So now people are watching. People are interested because this is the case of our daughter, Ellen Ray Greenberg. But it could be your daughter or your sister.

[Annie Elise]

I will definitely be keeping an eye on this as they reopen this case and evaluate everything. I mean, the current medical examiner will.

[Lee]

Come to a new decision. I hope that decision is the right one.

[Annie Elise]

I think we, the majority of the public, can agree with that manner of death should be. But let's just hope that justice is finally served. And I'm so beyond excited for Ellen's parents. And this is just such a great example that despite the roadblocks, despite the discouragement, if you believe something in your.

[Lee]

Heart is not right and you are fighting for justice for a loved one.

[Annie Elise]

It may take 14 years, but hopefully.

[Lee]

That justice will come.

[Annie Elise]

It's just one of the very few happy endings to a case that we hear about. And I know it's not a full happy ending yet because it's still unclear what the ruling will be. But I'm hopeful that it's going in the right direction. And I gotta say, I think Sam Goldberg is probably shitting his pants right now.

[Lee]

I don't know.

[Annie Elise]

Maybe he had no involvement. I don't know. I'm rolling my eyes.

[Lee]

I think he did. That's just my opinion. Do your own research.

[Annie Elise]

But I think he's probably shitting his pants. All right, thank you guys so much.

[Lee]

For tuning in to another episode of Headline Highlights with me. We've got these every week, so if you want to make sure that you're always in the know of what's going.

[Annie Elise]

On in true crime, make sure you're following the podcast. It's totally free. You can either subscribe here on YouTube or if you're listening on your podcast.

[Lee]

App, just go into the corner, follow.

[Annie Elise]

The show, and that way you will.

[Lee]

Not miss any of these episodes, and you also won't miss any of the.

[Annie Elise]

Deep dives that we do every single.

[Lee]

Monday into the single cases. And as a reminder, if you feel like you even need that extra content to binge, we do put out bonus.

[Annie Elise]

Episodes every single Friday.

[Lee]

Right now there's about 75 of them.

[Annie Elise]

In the library that you can gain access to. And you can get access either on.

[Lee]

Patreon, which is patreon.com Annie Elise, or you can do it directly through the Apple podcast app.

[Annie Elise]

And this Friday we are actually talking.

[Lee]

All about Suzanne Simpson.

[Annie Elise]

It is a shady, shady case coming out of Texas. It's all been going down recently, this past October. There's new information, new evidence, and it's.

[Lee]

Not looking very good.

[Annie Elise]

It's kind of given Barry Morphew vibes in a weird way, I'm just gonna say that much. And it also involves a five year old who had to witness things that no child and no human should ever have to witness. So we are breaking all of that down this Friday. If you need it and you want to binge it, you can find it.

[Lee]

All where I just said.

[Annie Elise]

Alright guys, thanks again for tuning in. And until the next one, be safe. Don't kill anybody. Don't join any cults. If you're gonna get a divorce or.

[Lee]

Cheat or something, just get a divorce. Don't cheat, don't kill.

[Annie Elise]

And just be a good human.

[Lee]

Just be a good human.

[Annie Elise]

All right, guys, that's all I've got. I will talk to you Monday. Bye.