317: Cheerleader Throws Away Newborn, TikTok Cartel Quadruple Murder & BYU Player SA on Child

Summary

Serialously with Annie Elise

Episode 317: Cheerleader Throws Away Newborn, TikTok Cartel Quadruple Murder & BYU Player SA on Child

Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Annie Elise (with co-host Amy)

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Brief Overview

In this episode, Annie Elise and regular co-host Amy dive into a trio of recent and shocking true crime stories making headlines: a University of Kentucky cheerleader accused of disposing of her newborn, the quadruple cartel-style murder of a TikTok influencer’s family in Mexico, and a disturbing sex abuse case involving a BYU athlete and a child—with a sentencing outcome that has Annie (and listeners) seeing red. The hosts combine detailed case analysis, personal reflections, and a conversational, friend-to-friend approach that unpacks both the facts and deeper implications behind each case.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflections from CrimeCon and Podcast Updates

Timestamps: 00:32–04:44

• Annie and Amy share highlights from their recent CrimeCon attendance—including connecting with listeners, victims’ families, and fellow creators like Vinnie from Court TV.
• Annie notes:

  “...meeting with victims' families and hearing how appreciative they are of our coverage... it was a really great weekend.” (02:06)

• Announcement: Next CrimeCon in Las Vegas, May (03:13).
• Amy and Annie tease potential live podcast event recordings and panel discussions to come.

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2. Case Updates: Travis Decker, Emmanuel Haro, Donna Adelson

Timestamps: 04:44–10:39

• Travis Decker: Ongoing manhunt after his daughters’ deaths; recent bones found were animal, not human.
• Emmanuel Haro: Defense attorneys represent Turpin family; both Rebecca and Jake have pleaded not guilty. Next court date: Wednesday the 17th.
• Donna Adelson: Found guilty after ~three hours of jury deliberation; Annie and Amy discuss her dramatic (and possibly performative) courtroom reaction:

  “She couldn’t squeeze a tear out. It was like in disbelief and shock… I kind of felt like it was performative, but there was a little bit of surprise.” (07:07–07:49)

• Speculation about future charges for other family members (Wendy, Harvey).

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3. New Zealand Fugitive Father Case

Timestamps: 10:39–13:46

• Recap of a fugitive father in New Zealand, subject of a years-long manhunt for kidnapping his children during a custody dispute.
• The man died in a shootout with police after being tracked following a store break-in; the three children were found safe at an off-the-grid campsite—a future deep dive promised.
• Annie contextualizes:

  “There have been certain rumblings out there that Tom was saving the children from the mother… again, we know custody disputes get super nasty… just speculation out there and rumor.”

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4. BYU Athlete Sex Abuse and Sentencing Outrage

Timestamps: 13:46–28:55

Case Summary

• Subject: Candon Doll, former BYU baseball pitcher.
• Allegations: Multiple incidents of sexual abuse of a minor, beginning when the victim was seven, with abuse reportedly spanning years, including molestation from ages 11–15.
• Victim Impact: Powerful statements from both survivor and her stepfather were played and discussed:
  • “Candon deeply hurt me in ways I don’t ever fully recover from … I want Candon to know I’m not your victim anymore.” – Survivor (16:54–17:52)
  • “I cannot even hug my daughter. Touch repulses her. She cringes and pulls away every time I make an attempt to hug her.” – Stepfather (18:57–20:22)
• Plea Deal & Sentencing:
  • Charges reduced from felony sexual assault to two counts of felony injury to a child in exchange for dropping other charges.
  • Prosecutors recommended probation for Doll—no prison, no registry.
  • Judge sentenced Doll to 5–10 years, but immediately suspended it, instead giving 180 days in jail, 8 years probation, community service, and fines.
  • Annie’s reaction:

    “No prison time, no registry. …I don’t know what is happening here and how ass backwards this is.” (21:46)

Discussion & Commentary

• Both Annie and Amy express outrage at the lack of real consequences:
  • “This guy is a clear offender of a minor. Like, you’re not even putting him on the registry.” (24:48 – Annie)
  • Amy questions, “How often does that happen?... I didn’t realize… they just changed their mind and reduced the sentence.” (25:04)
• Annie calls out BYU’s handling, as they scrubbed any reference to Doll but issued no victim support or statement:

  “It was more like, ‘Who? We don’t know him. We’re just getting... Right, my hands are clean...’ Where is the justice?” (26:20)

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5. TikTok Cartel Quadruple Murder: The Esmeralda Farrar Garabe Case

Timestamps: 32:58–41:14

Case Summary

• Victim: Esmeralda Farrar Garabe (“Esmeralda FG”), a 32-year-old TikTok lifestyle influencer (46k followers), her husband Roberto, and their two children.
• Incident: On August 22, 2025, the family’s bodies were found wrapped in plastic in a Ford Ranger pickup in Guadalajara. CCTV traced the truck to a mechanic shop, where blood and ballistics were found.
• Social Media Angle:
  • Esmeralda became known for lip-syncing narco ballads (“narcocorridos”) that romanticize cartel life, as well as flaunting luxury goods.
  • She posted a viral video titled “advantages of having a narco boyfriend.”
• Speculation: Authorities believe Roberto (who traded cars and farmed in cartel-dominated Michoacán) may have been the real target; the family had recently moved, possibly to escape threats.
• Case remains unsolved:
  • Two mechanic shop workers detained and released, only to be kidnapped shortly after—with one escaping, the others missing.
  • No cartel has claimed responsibility; the case is shrouded in “eerie silence and a whole bunch of questions.”
• Amy notes:

  “If you’re in a place where cartels are holding the power and even the illusion of wealth … makes you a target, it’s like—why are you doing that? Number one. … The tragedy is you have this woman … and her poor two children who were just innocent bystanders…” (40:02–41:04)

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6. The Laken Snelling/University of Kentucky Cheerleader “Hidden Newborn” Case

Timestamps: 41:14–59:31

Case Summary

• Victim: Newborn boy, found deceased in Laken Snelling’s off-campus home in Lexington, KY.
• Suspect: Laken Snelling, 21, senior and cheerleader; allegedly concealed her pregnancy from everyone, including boyfriend and family.
• Incident:
  • Baby’s body found in a closet, wrapped in a towel and black trash bag after a call (possibly due to the odor)—unclear who called 911.
  • Laken reportedly admitted in interviews to cleaning up after giving birth, wrapping up all evidence and disposing of it.
  • Facing felony charges: abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing birth—but not murder, as autopsy results were inconclusive about whether the baby was born alive.
• Speculation:
  • Social media deep-dive uncovered photos hinting at pregnancy and posts about motherhood; conflicting rumors about baby’s paternity.
  • Hospital source claims Laken delivered at home, wrapped the (possibly living) baby in towels, fell asleep, then disposed of him.
  • Annie notes, “If it were me and if I heard a whimper, I would call an ambulance… and you would do life-saving measures.” (51:48)
  • Family and campus community in shock; boyfriend and ex-boyfriend both submitting DNA tests.
  • Laken released on bond, house arrest; has pled not guilty.
• Public Backlash:
  • Annie: “She showed up in full makeup wearing a red dress… people are like, why are you, are you trying to like, look, read the room.” (56:29)
• Next hearing is scheduled; Annie promises continued coverage and a deep dive as more develops.
• Amy raises the broader point about the importance of open communication/support channels for young women in similar situations, reflecting on red flags and the hidden nature of such crises.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Donna Adelson case:
  “She played the role of little granny who's innocent in all of this. That, you know, she didn't know anything … There was a level of shock, not to the degree of her reaction, but I think she probably expected to get out of this a little bit… totally performative.”
  – Annie Elise (07:44)

• Victim’s impact, BYU case:
  “I want Canden to know I'm not your victim anymore. I'm not your anything.”
  – Survivor (17:41)

• On the plea deal for BYU's athlete:
  “No prison time, no registry. …I don’t know what is happening here and how ass backwards this is.”
  – Annie Elise (21:46)
  “It's so disappointing. I mean, how do you go from 5 to 10 years of prison time?”
  – Annie Elise (24:48)

• On university and family silence:
  “Where is the justice? …It's really sad… All of that even coupled with the lack of luster sentence, it's like, where is the justice?”
  – Annie Elise (26:20)

• On the TikTok influencer cartel murders:
  “You don’t just, like, leave your home, your businesses… for the fun of it, you usually leave to escape something… So there might be more to the story.”
  – Amy (37:55–38:59)

• On the cheerleader/newborn case:
  “In a closet. Wrapped inside a towel, then stuffed into a black trash bag… not just unresponsive, but no longer alive.”
  – Annie Elise (43:06)
  “Regardless what took place during the delivery, the aftermath was mishandled.”
  – Annie Elise (58:18)

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Important Timestamps

• CrimeCon Recap & Announcements – 00:32–04:44
• Rapid-fire Case Updates – 04:44–10:39
• New Zealand Fugitive/Parental Abduction – 10:39–13:46
• BYU Athlete Sex Abuse Case—Victim and Court Reaction – 13:46–28:55
  • Survivor’s statement (17:02)
  • Stepfather’s testimony (18:57)
  • Sentencing reaction (21:19–24:48)
• TikTok/Cartel Family Murder – 32:58–41:14
• Cheerleader/Newborn Case Deep Dive – 41:14–59:31
  • Social media deep-dive and rumors (48:15–53:53)
  • Speculation on motives (54:00–55:51)
  • Public reaction and court appearance (56:29–58:37)
• Final Thoughts & What’s Next – 59:31–End

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Tone & Format

Annie and Amy’s manner throughout is conversational, emotionally invested, and sometimes darkly humorous as a way to process the disturbing subject matter. Annie especially employs a direct, candid tone, never shying from calling out systemic failures, hypocrisy, or the need for justice and victim advocacy.

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Summary Takeaways

• Serialously’s episode 317 covers breaking, high-profile true crime cases with detail, clarity, and an empathetic lens toward victims.
• The episode is rich in both fact and reflection, calling out judicial shortcomings, hidden dangers of social media, and the societal failures that allow these tragedies to occur or go unpunished.
• Annie provides updates and foreshadows deeper dives into each story, engaging listeners with a mix of information, speculation, and community-driven curiosity.
• Listeners are left with outrage, questions, and a call to greater awareness, support, and advocacy—reminded, as Annie says: “Even if the courts fall short, people don’t forget. And I don’t forget.” (28:55)

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For more in-depth coverage, follow Annie Elise and Serialously for future deep dives and real-time developments on these and other true crime stories.

Transcript

[A]

This is the story of the 1. As a custodial supervisor at a high school, he knows that during cold and flu season, germs spread fast. It's why he partners with Grainger to stay fully stocked on the products and supplies he needs, from tissues to disinfectants to floor scrubbers. All so that he can help students, staff, and teachers stay healthy and focused. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[B]

Hey, true crime besties. Welcome back to an all new episode of Serial Asleep. Hello, hello, hello. And welcome back to an all new episode of Serial Less li with me, your host, Annie E. Leese. And I've got a special surprise for you.

[C]

Wow, I wasn't expecting that.

[B]

I know. I wasn't either. We've got a co host on the mic today. Amy's with us again.

[C]

Shocking.

[B]

Can you sing like that? You're happy to be here, too.

[C]

It's coronation Day. I'm not gonna have anyone suffer through singing on my side. Sorry.

[B]

Well, whatevs. So Amy's joining me again today for headline highlights. And we are fresh off the heels of CrimeCon. Why you looking at me like, just.

[C]

Cause I'm like.

[B]

You're right. We.

[C]

It's been two days, but it feels like it was just yesterday.

[B]

I know. How are you feeling?

[C]

Um, honestly, it was such a great weekend. I feel like coming off of tour and we've been back to back with things. I was a little bit overwhelmed at the thought of, like, the weekend and just knowing how many people were going to be there.

[B]

Oh, interesting. Okay.

[C]

But I felt like as the weekend went on, it just got better and better and there were just so many rewarding moments. Like, I don't know, I just kept feeling like, moments where I just thought that was. It was just such a great weekend.

[B]

I know. It was. It was a really great weekend. It's always so nice to, like, not only meet so many of you guys in person and, like, connect with you and share drinks with you. You know, spoiler alert, I was at the hotel lobby late, but, like, meet with you guys and talk with you and then have the privilege of meeting with victims, families and hearing, you know, how appreciative they are of our coverage and then meeting other creators and, you know, people who are in the space that I feel like I only either, like, zoom with or, you know, tap in. You know, even, for example, like, Vinnie from Court TV. I've been on Court TV. I feel like a million times over the last 30 days and, like, being able to connect, bumping into him so.

[C]

Many times over the weekend. I know.

[B]

Yeah, it was a great weekend. So, for those who unfortunately did not get the opportunity to join, good news is it's coming back in May and this time in Vegas, which it's at Caesars. And I gotta say, as a Vegas girly, because I grew up in California and, like, we would do Vegas turnaround trips. Amy knows a few more weekends than I care to count. And when I heard it was gonna be in Vegas, I was kinda like, ooh, I don't know. I was happy.

[C]

That was immediately my reaction to. I'm like, no.

[B]

You know, I'm like, I feel a little old for Vegas. You know, like, can I survive it? It's almost like, what's the show? Mom Talk? Will they survive this? It's like, will Annie and Amy survive this? But we will most likely be there. Spoiler alert to you, Amy. We most likely will.

[C]

Perfect. Put it.

[B]

Pencil it in your calendar. Okay.

[C]

And then what about your panel? Are you going to be putting that anywhere for people to watch?

[B]

I actually need to figure out how to get that. So, yeah, Steph Harlow and I did a live podcast episode from CrimeCon and where we just talked about a lot of things in the news. And I believe she recorded it. I feel like they recorded it as well, so maybe we can follow up.

[C]

It was really good. That'd be awesome if you could post that.

[B]

Thanks. Yeah, it was nice. So, yeah, so Crime Con was really great. And now we are back to reality. And boy, oh, boy, do I have a lot to discuss with you guys today. All my true crime besties out there, because we've got case updates and then we've got cases. And when I talk cases, I am talking, like, we've all kind of been talking a little bit, I feel like, about Lake and Snelling, the cheerleader who gave birth and disposed of her baby. And I actually went last night on Court TV and talked with Vinnie about it as well. But want to talk with you guys about everything that we've learned, because there also have now been new allegations surfacing from people who talked with Lake directly after all of this happened. And I actually haven't even filled you in on.

[C]

I didn't know that.

[B]

So we ought to talk through all that. There's also a case that's giving, like, Brock Turner 2.0, which if you know, you know, I know there's a Tik Tok case that's like, over your radar.

[C]

Super scary.

[B]

Yeah. That you want to bring up. So first I want to just go through some of these updates from some cases that we've either covered in the past or that we actually talked about last week on headline highlights. But you look like you might sneeze.

[C]

No, I'm just getting settled in because I'm ready for the updates.

[B]

Okay. I thought a sneeze was coming. Feel free to sneeze.

[C]

I'll let you know. Okay.

[B]

Okay, so let's start with Travis Decker. We talked about this last week. He. He's the one where there's been this like three month long manhunt happening for him after he actually maybe longer than three months after he killed his daughters. They found bones in one of their searches, but it has come back. They were not human bones. They were animal bones. So wanted to just give that little update here now in Emmanuel Haro News. Last we spoke, I talked about how their new defense attorneys are the same attorneys who represented the Turpin family. And now in the newest update, still not a lot of news. Still not really any traction of what happened to Emmanuel and where his remains are. But both Rebecca and Jake have pleaded not guilty.

[C]

We knew that was coming.

[B]

Shocker. Yeah, exactly. So their next scheduled court appearance is for Wednesday the 17th, so TBD on that.

[C]

Actually, on that one, though, did you halfway expect one to plead guilty in order for some plea deal?

[B]

No, I think they would still flip and like, they could because it's almost kind of like a formality. Everybody pretty much always pleads not guilty, right? Yeah. So I wasn't really expecting anything different, especially from like two dirtbag human beings. Speaking of a dirtbag human being, though, let's talk about Donald Adelson. So I talked about this while we were at crimecon actually, with Brian Enten. After the jury deliberated for about three hours, she was found guilty. And her reaction was kind of epic in a way because when they read guilty for the first charge being the most serious one, the murder charge, she was like. Is the right word. Aghast.

[C]

I hate that word. But I do believe that's correct.

[B]

Thank you. Okay. At least it's correct. But she was like, what?

[C]

No.

[B]

And like, fell into her attorney. And I think it was really performative. Like there were.

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

You saw it?

[C]

Well, yeah, I. And I've heard about it from everybody. Crime con who couldn't stop talking about it.

[B]

No, I know. And like, she couldn't squeeze a tear out. It was like in disbelief and shock. And it's funny because Brian and I were talking after the News Nation segment, and I had said to him, like, you know, she used to dress super glamorous. She was, like, the matriarch of this, like, really great family. And then she dumped herself down for the trial to look like, you know, grandma from next door and, like, sweats, the little headphones, the gray hair. And so for me, when she reacted to these verdicts, I kind of felt like. I think it was performative, but I also think that there was a little bit of surprise. Like.

[C]

You do?

[B]

Yeah. Like, I think that she truly believed she might get away with this just.

[C]

Because she's used to always getting away with kind of. And entitled.

[B]

That she, like, played the role of, like, little granny who's innocent in all of this. Like, that, you know, she didn't know anything that was going on. She didn't have a hand in this. So I think that there was a level of shock, not to the degree of her reaction, but I think she probably expected to get out of this a little bit. But, yeah, I do think the reaction was, like, totally performative. Over the top, almost just to kind of like, further prove she had nothing to do with this. Like, whether that's because she's gonna appeal or do whatever. But to be like. You saw how shocked I was.

[C]

Well, that's what I was gonna say. I was gonna say, if you're planning on appealing, which I'm sure most people do, they have to have some sort of a reaction that makes them feel or think they look innocent. So maybe she just went over the top on that.

[B]

Well, it got so bad that I believe the judge even had to, like, excuse the jury and say, like, Collect yourself, Donna. Ms. Adelson, get your together. And then brought the jury back in.

[C]

So what do you think? Do you think Wendy next?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, not to cuss, but freak. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think.

[C]

I think she's probably.

[B]

Oh, she is bricks right now.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

And she had limited immunity because she's testified now in all, what, five of the trials, and she's had limited immunity. But they've been very clear with, like, what can and can't be used against her in the future. And I think it's only a matter of time before she catches some, you know, some stray charges over there. And I would not be surprised if Donna's husband Harvey, also catches some charges, even if it's just conspiracy, because he, remember, was with her on the way to the airport. At the airport on the way to Vietnam. The one way ticket to a coincidentally you know, a country that doesn't have extradition. And he sold his super big fancy Lexus to Charlie's ex girlfriend, who was also involved in this hit, Wendy's brother, for seventeen hundred dollars, which could be arguably argued as like a payoff for it. You. So we'll see what goes down with that. Now another update, which I'm only going to go over this very, very briefly because we are going to do a deep dive. A lot of you guys were not only in my DMs after last week's headline highlights being like, we want the deep dive on this case. But when this update came out, I don't think I've ever had anyone send me so many dms about a case that is not in the United States, as I did with this one just recently. So we talked last week, in case you missed it on headline highlights about this father in New Zealand who there's been, you know, this huge manhunt for years looking for him. He had fled with his children. He was in this like nasty custody dispute. All of these things they had then started, like robbing stores. It was getting very dangerous. And sure enough, that father, who is a fugitive, has now died in a shootout with the police.

[C]

Oh, wow.

[B]

But, but luckily all three kids have been located and they're safe. So let me kind of break down what happened. As I mentioned on last week's episode, they started breaking into like these little convenience stores for money, for food. And I think I had even said to you, Amy, I think I was like, maybe he is running out of resources or whoever. Yeah, we had said like whoever maybe was helping him is turned on.

[C]

You're in plain sight, like totally. How are you not being caught?

[B]

Yeah. So basically back on Monday, September 8, the officers were alerted to a possible break in at this farm goods store around 2:30am and the acting deputy commissioner had told the reporters that when the officers learned of this break in, there were two people who were riding these four wheeled bikes, which I know we talked last week about ATV or whatever it was that I was trying to explain. I'm like, okay, anybody with a brain knows what it is. But they were spotted near the scene of the burglary. And the officers thought that they could be Tom and one of the children because remember, they were seen on CCTV from a prior break in. So I've actually never really heard of this, but it totally makes sense. They set up spikes on a nearby street to like get, give them a flat tire. Never heard of that. Well, no one I've heard of spikes, but like, not when you like think you see like I've heard of it when like it's a high speed chase or it's something like that, but not like systems. Oh, we think maybe they're around.

[C]

Let's.

[B]

Because what if it's somebody else drives over the spikes? Like that sucks, you know? Are you judging me?

[C]

No. No.

[B]

Okay. So anyways, this ATV ran over the spikes and the two people stopped. And shortly after that, a huge, you know, storm of gunfire ensued and an officer was struck in the head. Then another officer arrived at the scene and shot at Tom. And it was like this full on shootout. And shortly after, Tom was declared as deceased and the child wasn't injured luckily in the shooting and was taken away to safety and into custody as well as the other two children, who by the way, the other two children were located about a mile and a half away from this and unharmed, but fully at like this bushy campsite. So they were totally like living off the grid for sure. Now again, Deep Dive is going to be coming on this case because I have heard a lot of conflicting information and I don't know what's true. So let me just throw that out there before you guys all like, come for me. Apparently with the custody dispute, there have been certain rumblings out there that Tom was saving the children from the mother and that there was some bad stuff going on with her. Again, we know custody disputes get super nasty. Parental alienation, like, just from cases that I've covered. It's like a really big thing. So before I like actually speak on that in a more in a meaningful way, like, I just want to be clear, that is just speculation out there and rumor. I haven't been able to verify or vet it yet, but that he was trying to like, yeah, act as a hero to his children. It could also be that he's just a dirtbag and was basically, if I can't have them, you can't either. So Deep Dive is a common. Now this next case, this isn't an update now we're going to get into like the meat of this.

[C]

Okay? I don't think I know this one.

[B]

You're going to be freaking pissed. All of you at home.

[C]

Just what I need right now.

[B]

I know just what you need. Another reason to be enraged. God, no. You and all of my true crime besties listening. Whether you are on the road, working out, whatever you're doing, scrubbing the toilets, you're about to scrub extra hard, this is going to honestly make you see Red. And it gives Brock Turner vibes. I don't know if you're familiar with that name. He's like that like douche canoe torpy ass face with the like bleach blonde hair from years ago. Yeah, yeah. So I'm not going to say this very lightly. You know, I don't say things lightly. This case out of Utah, it is beyond disturbing and I still cannot believe how it ended. And that is why I am so mad about this. So we're talking about this creep named Candon Doll. He's a college athlete who seemingly had everything going for him. That is until of course, it all came crashing down. And you already know I'm obviously fuming over this, so let me just shut up about that and break down what's going on. So Candon was this like rising baseball. He was from Blackfoot, Idaho and he played at the College of Southern Idaho. Then he transferred to BYU and he was the starting pitcher for their baseball team. So he was like this full on student athlete, had jersey, people wearing his name, he had stats like the whole deal. People loved him. And people were actually hyping him up as like, he's the player to watch. He's got a whole crazy future ahead of him. However, on February 7, Kanden was arrested in Utah and wasn't DUI. Not that that's light or anything like that. It wasn't shoplifting or a bar fight. The charges were horrific because he was hit with felony lewd conduct with a minor under 16 years old.

[C]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

Then there was another case with the same charge from juvenile court in Bigham County. So two separate cases, two different counties, two different sets of allegations. So here's where it gets a little complicated. Not complicated, but I really want to break out the charges within the two counties because it does get important later on. So in the Fremont county case, Candon was accused of sexually assaulting a girl when she was just 11 years old. And during her impact statement, the now 15 year old girl explained that he would cover her mouth so that the nearby family members would not hear what was happening.

[C]

Oh my gosh.

[B]

I know. And this apparently happened for years, starting when she was just seven years old.

[C]

What?

[B]

Yeah, like a sick freak. So for years he was doing this and disgusting. I'm uncertain if she's a family member and that's why she was saying he covered her mouth so other family's members wouldn't know. There's kind of some mixed reports out there. I've heard. Family member, family friend. But it's a minor, so it's like everything's very protected. But yeah. She said that it stretched back even further, saying it began when she was as young as seven.

[C]

I mean, likely a family or family friend. If you have access and you're in the same household at that age with somebody, it's just.

[B]

Yeah, it's like a predator's, you know, best case scenario, which I want all of you guys listening to hear this victim impact statement for a second.

[D]

Your Honor, I want you to know that one of the things I've always wanted to do is to confront my Candace and tell the truth. Today I'm able to do that. I'm a survivor of sexual abuse. Camden Deep Deli. Hurt me ways I don't ever follow you from. I want Canden to know I'm not your victim anymore. I'm not your anything. My earliest memory of the abuse is seven years old. But I know he was touching me before that. Almost every time we were together, Candy was touching me under my clothes. The abuse caused damaging memories for me. So that memories are so painful. The games he played where he would pick and choose wouldn't hurt me were awful. Some memories were so damaging because it was me holding in cries and pain while candid was being pleasure. Or it was me fighting, fighting up a huge force. I was just 11 years old when he covered my mouth because he didn't want the family close by to know.

[E]

What he was doing.

[D]

He was in college then. I didn't even know what was happening to me, just that it hurt badly. I felt smoke, all dirty and confused because someone I care about.

[B]

Now. The stepfather of the victim also gave a statement in the courtroom. And this really, as just a parent, absolutely breaks my heart because he said, quote, I cannot even hug my daughter. Touch repulses her. She cringes and pulls away every time I make an attempt to hug her. Please let that sentence marinate with you for a minute. Which that is so I can't imagine wanting to go hug Theo or Emmy and then not even like, allow me to hug them because, like, they're so scared of touch. It's so awful. And all during this, Candon just kind of had this like blank stare throughout this hour long court proceeding. And then finally, when the stepfather was giving that very emotional, very impactful statement, he did shed one single tear. Not multiple, one tiny little droplet that he was able to squeeze out. But take a listen.

[E]

I feel like all this is my fault, that I should have protected her from happening. I couldn't. And Now I will live with this guilt for the rest of my life. From a young age, cannonballs pushed around the boundaries of everything, even physical touch, oftentimes making people feel uncomfortable. There were a few instances that my wife expressed concern to me about situations which I chose to ignore. Fearfully conquered. I'm still trying to understand how old Canon was. My heart is very broken. He is my nephew who I watched grow up his whole life. We have shared lots of memories together, from being neighbors to bonus trips and family members. I also coached him and had him in a class at school. We all loved him and supported him, all while he was sexually abusing my daughter. He sat in my advisory class every day through high school, sitting across from me, knowing what he was doing to her. This is the biggest betrayal to me when I thought we had a bond that could never be broken. Hidden, distant, trying from me in front of all of us. Unfortunately, that bond, that trust and my family have been broken by Canon sexually losing my daughter. I love all the people Cannon has hurt, and that has broke in their heart.

[B]

So here's the thing. I mean, these weren't rumors. These were real charges that were backed by law enforcement, court documents, testimony. And with all of that strong evidence and, you know, a strong case, it looked like this case was going to go to trial and that there would finally then be some justice with all of this. However, in May, just in 2025, just a few months ago, Candon took a plea deal. And here's where I start to see red. Okay? Because this plea deal is absolutely ridiculous. Instead of facing a trial for those original felony sexual assault charges, he pleaded guilty to two counts of felony injury to a child in Fremont county, the other county. So it is still a felony, technically, but it is a significantly reduced charge. And in exchange, the prosecutors agreed to completely drop the charges in Bingham county if he pleaded guilty to the two lesser charges in Fremont County. That's why I wanted to, like, divide them out.

[C]

It's like, what.

[B]

What's the point?

[C]

And what's the benefit for them? What's coming out of it?

[B]

So I'll get there. It's. I mean, I know. So with that, even though it's felony charges, it's kind of like, okay, great. Well, even though it sucks, and this is not at all justice, what kind of prison time do the prosecutors push for in this kind of plea deal? None.

[C]

What?

[B]

None? They recommended probation. Probation. As though, like, you, who does he.

[C]

In the court system?

[B]

It's like, no prison time, no registry. This is a minor going Back from when she was seven years old, no registry, no prison time. I mean, I don't know what is happening here and how ass backwards this is, but the reasoning from what I've read was all to avoid re traumatizing the victims and to just wrap up the case faster.

[C]

I can't imagine that was at the request of the family.

[B]

I don't know, I mean, I guess maybe, I mean, I get that the last thing that a survivor needs is to be dragged back in through court, re traumatized, go through all the, you know, horrific details and have that put on display. I get that. But wiping away the original charges completely in exchange for that, I mean, that's not justice. It kind of feels like damage control or just trying to like make things go away hush hush. And it kind of is giving me vibes of Idaho first and foremost. Because we know a lot of the family did not agree with the plea deal that was offered to Brian Coburger. And you know, the lack of accountability that was then had also Emmanuel Haro with the first case from 2018 with Jake Haro on the 10 Week Old. How then he was sentenced to prison time, threw himself at the mercy of the judge and he's like, oh yeah, sure, 180 days. Like, and then you serve one day and then it's community service and it's like, when are these judges first and foremost going to be held accountable?

[C]

Yeah, I'm curious to know what, why that happened. And I mean, hey, if it was the family that requested that and just wanted it to be done, then of course, respectfully, that's their decision. But I would imagine coming forward and who knows how this all came about took a lot of bravery and courage. So you'd probably want to press as hard as you can for justice, I would imagine.

[B]

But 100 and look, I don't know the details if it was the family who wanted this, but after listening to those victim impact statements and considering the prosecution's recommendation, the judge did end up sentencing him to five to ten years in prison.

[C]

Oh, good.

[B]

Oh no, no, no. Because then he suspended it and instead he gave him 180 days in the local jail, eight years of probation, 200 hours of community service, and $2,600 in fines.

[C]

So.

[B]

And that's where it gets muddy, right? Because let's just say, and we need to get a lawyer on here, we need to either call Peter or Emily or somebody, but if the family said we want this to just go away, but the judge was so repulsed by this that he's like, okay, I'm still gonna formally sentence him to five to 10 years for his actions, but then we'll suspend it. I could see that, but I also could see them not wanting it to go away. The judge sentencing him to that, like we saw in Jake Haro, like we've seen so many times, and then suspending it and just choosing to do this reduced sentence, which this guy is a clear offender of a minor. Like, you're not even putting him on the registry. Get fine, give him, you know, six months in jail, which I think is bullshit anyway. But, like, at least put them on the registry. At least, like, do something that would potentially protect future victims.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

It's so disappointing. I mean, how do you go from 5 to 10 years of prison time?

[C]

How often does that happen? I feel like this is kind of new for me to be, like, hearing these cases where there's, like, a conviction, a sentence, and then it gets changed all the time.

[B]

All the time.

[C]

I know, I know. Reductions in, like, time served and there is good behavior and different things come up with hearings. But I didn't realize right out of the gate that they just changed their mind and reduced the sentence.

[B]

It all comes. It's all comes down to a judge depending on the case in the court and all of that. But, like, the sentencing piece of it. But, like, with Brock Turner, I don't even remember. I feel like he just walked, if I remember correctly. Maybe he spent 30 days.

[C]

I don't remember.

[B]

I don't remember. All I remember is that mugshot and his creepy ass face. And let's talk about BYU for a second, the school, because once this all went down, they just scrubbed him from everything. Like. But what gave me bad vibes about that. They scrubbed him from the roster, the website, all that. But they gave no statement, took no accountability, no support for the victims. Even a statement saying, like, we're so sorry. Our hearts are with you. Like, you know, we don't stand with this. It was more like, who? We don't know him. We're just getting. Right, yeah, my hands are clean. We're gonna pretend like we don't even know who this person is. And I don't know, it's just. It's really sad. And his family also hasn't spoken out. They haven't said a word. Nothing. No public apology, no statement. Just silence. And it's like that. All of that even coupled with the lack of luster sentence, it's like, where is the justice?

[C]

So what's he doing now just walking around because it's a.

[B]

Well, he was sentenced to six months, and then he's going to have probation, and then he's not on registry and can live his life as usual. It'll probably be a Brock Turner situation where it's like, everybody will know his face and his name, hopefully. I mean, that's why I'm here, guys. That's my goal here. Spread his face far and wide so everybody knows what a creep this guy is.

[C]

But it's like he had it all. Everything. Well, I guess if he had started this a long time ago, he really was just always on a bad track.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, I don't know. I get that maybe his family is wanting to just, like, not speak out because they want to, like, deal with this internally and privately within their family. But, I mean, when the crimes are that serious and when your son was, like, publicly out there wearing your family name on his jersey, his name and that name on other people in support. And, like, there's allegations of sexual assault against a child, like, people are gonna ask questions, and you should probably speak up and, like, do the right thing. It's not like you're gonna do any harm now. Sentence is done. Conviction is. Everything's done. Like, at least speak out in support of the victims. And again, we don't know if this was a family member or what.

[C]

Well, and maybe that's why everyone's quiet, because if it is a family situation, maybe out of respect for the other family members, that. That's a sticky situation.

[B]

I know. So I'm gonna keep, you know, knowsing my way into this case and see what happens.

[C]

I know you'll keep us updated.

[B]

I will. I will. I mean, because at the end of the day, here's what we have. We have, like, this former athlete, multiple abuse allegations, different counties where some were actually dropped, and a plea deal that just pushed everything aside. And. I don't know. And for the girls who finally did speak up about what Candon did to them, what are they supposed to feel in this moment right now? What. How are they supposed to feel justice? What message does it really send to them? Right. I mean, or to anybody who's in this position? This is why exactly. Survivors don't come forward.

[C]

Well, and that's why before I was gonna say that earlier, but then I was sensitive to that, thinking, if it was a request of the family, then at the end of the day, I respect that, too, but I can't even imagine being a victim. And.

[B]

No. What kind of message does this? And, like, oh, a Talented college kid.

[C]

Gets a pass again.

[B]

Yeah, once again. So, like, they're not gonna even take me seriously. Why would I even report it? It's awful. So my hope is that even though he might only be serving six months in the county jail, I hope this follows him forever. And I'm gonna make it my fucking mission to put his face everywhere I possibly can. Cause I'm vindictive like that. So that's what I'm gonna do it. Because, you know, even if the courts fall short, people don't forget. And I don't forget.

[C]

You won't let them.

[B]

I won't let them. Look, I love true crime probably more than most people. I. It's like, consumes my every thought, especially because I'm researching cases so often. But you know what? I don't love thinking about true crime all night long. I spend so much time researching these cases, getting into all of the, like, horrific details, that I end up keeping myself awake at night, unable to sleep, just trying to, like, wrap my mind around the newest information that I've learned. And for the longest time because of that, I would wake up groggy. I would kind of drag myself around. I would like, feel like I had a headache because I didn't sleep. But in enters Beam Dream Powder. Because when it comes to solving the case of your sleepless nights, dream is a lifesaver. Dream is made with a powerful blend of all natural ingredients. Reishi, magnesium, L theanine, Apogen, melatonin, all the good stuff. And it's designed to help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling amazing. And unlike other sleep aids, there's no next day grogginess. Just great restful sleep. Beam has already improved over 17 and a half million nights of sleep, helping people across the country wake up and feel their best. And here's the twist. Beam's giving my listeners an exclusive offer of up to 40% off their best selling dream powder. That's right, up to 40% off. To finally crack the case of your bad sleep, go to shopbeam.com Annie Elise and use code Annie Elise at checkout. That's shop b a m dot com Annie Elise and use code Annie Elise for up to 40% off. Because better sleep, that is the kind of mystery you can solve. Okay. I love carbs. It's no secret. Actually, I have a really embarrassing thing to admit and Amy's gonna like, lose her mind laughing at me. But over the weekend at Crimecon, one morning we went down to the breakfast buffet and I literally ate a Chicken pot pie for breakfast because it was good. And I just love carbs so much. And my normal breakfast, I know, it's so gross. Guys don't judge me. My normal breakfast staple when I'm like traveling or in a hotel or whatever it is is a really great bagel with like locks, capers, cream cheese, all of it. But I also know that that is like just, you know, dense, packed carbs. But that is where Herobred has really stepped in and kind of like let me still enjoy those carby luxuries but not feel so guilty because for example, their go to bagels where I like will make all of my like good Fancy ones have 17 to 19 grams of protein, yet it's still so fluffy. It's so good. And I've talked to you about Herobrite before. Not only are they good with bagels, but like their tortillas are great for quesadillas. Their bread is great for the sandwiches that I make for my kids now that they're back in school. And it's like you get fiber, you cut down on sugar and you add more protein into your diet just by replacing your one carb with these carbs. It's so good. They also even have noodles. They're all new. Hero noodles have more protein and 60% fewer calories than other best selling noodles. Also only 5 grams of net carbs, 0 grams of sugar, 12 grams of protein and 32 grams of fiber. They also have a really good croissant that is like, I think right now they have a 23, 000 person wait list for it every single time it drops. It's so good. I got my girl Bridget hooked on Hero too. It's just the best. So you can still get the soft, fluffy experience that you know and love. Whether you're, you know, packing fresh sandwiches for the kids, getting a breakfast bagel going, you know, the tortillas, the taco Tuesdays, all of that. There's no compromises, just flavor. Ultra low net carbs, zero grams of sugar and very high in fiber. And Herobred is offering you 10% off your order. Just go to Hero Co and use code AE at checkout. That's a E at H E R O co Hero. Code ae.

[C]

Okay, so let's talk about the case that I found about Tick Tock.

[B]

Okay, hit me. You know I love a good Tick Tock.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

How'd you even find this? You're not on Tick Tock.

[C]

I know. Well, I guess it did.

[B]

You know me.

[C]

Yeah, I'm still In the news world.

[B]

I know, but you see it like 20 years after I do. Once it hits Instagram reels.

[C]

Okay. Actually no, I see it in the moment because you usually send me tick tocks.

[B]

You're right, you're right. Okay, sorry, sorry, I hate to interrupt. Continue.

[C]

Do you.

[B]

I mean, continue.

[C]

Okay, we're gonna talk about Esmeralda Farrer Garabe. Okay, so she was a 32 year old tick tock influencer known online as Esmeralda FG. And she wasn't an influencer with multi millions of followers, but she did have a solid following of just over about 46, 000. Mainly known for her lifestyle content. She would like post things her designer bags, luxury outfits and some family content.

[B]

Oh, is this a robbery?

[C]

Well, but she also would post those trending lip sync videos which I've never heard of these. They're to Mexican ballads called Narco Carritos. I've never heard of them.

[B]

I've never. But they've heard of the lip syncing videos.

[C]

But they romanticize and glorify drug trafficking culture, which sounds. What? I know, that sounds dangerous already and.

[B]

People are like lip like lip syncing songs to this.

[C]

Yeah. And she had quite a few of them that went viral. Here's one of them. So if you're listening on the podcast, and that was difficult to hear, you can always watch on YouTube. They're always posted there too. But she was living in Guadalajara with her husband Roberto, who was 36, and their two kids, Gail, who was 13, and Regina, who was 7. A young, seemingly happy family. But on August 22, that's when their bodies were found wrapped in plastic and stuffed in a Ford Ranger pickup truck.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And it was abandoned in the usually quiet neighborhood of San Andreas in Guadalajara.

[B]

The kids as well.

[C]

Four bodies. It was Esmeralda, Roberto, Gail and Regina.

[B]

That's insane.

[C]

I know. So the case screams cartel style execution. Plastic wrap dumped. But forensic use CCTV footage to trace the Ford Ranger back to a mechanic shop nearby, where, get this, they found blood and ballistics evidence. So it looks like they were killed there and then transported in the truck. But not taken far away.

[A]

Investigators had to work backwards though, starting from the truck she and her family were found in. According to the Latin Times, authorities used CCTV video and data from the Ministry of Security and National Guard. And that's where they traced the truck's path to a mechanics workshop. When police raided it, they reportedly found blood stains, spent bullet casings and other ballistic evidence. With those clues, they believe the family was Executed at the workshop, and their bodies were transported in the pickup. The prosecutor said in a statement. While the forensic results are not in yet, ballistic and blood evidence almost certainly confirm that they were murdered at that location.

[B]

So, wait, so she used to post TikToks, glamorizing cartel stuff, or, like, lip syncing to, like, these cartel songs, Posting luxury handbags, designer handbags, then she gets killed in, like, a cartel style hit?

[C]

Yeah, but it's. It's not so straightforward. Okay, so it looks like they were killed, not taken far away. How could somebody even do that, like in broad daylight and no one even knows? It's scary, but people started speculating. Was Esmeralda, like you said, involved with the cartels? Was she flaunting something? She really involved?

[B]

Oh, like not just maybe cosplaying with her lip syncing, but, like, possibly.

[C]

Could she be involved because. And like these videos, she somehow has crossed paths with them. Was she flaunting something that she had, which we know she liked to post those luxury goods. And yes, she did post a now viral video that said advantages of having a narco boyfriend, quote, unquote.

[B]

Oh.

[C]

Which, okay, maybe that was just like tongue in cheek, but in places like Mexico, where cartel violence is not a joke, I feel like that's, you know, like, playing with fire.

[B]

Well, okay, so let me just think that. I'm sorry if I'm jumping ahead, but maybe she wasn't involved directly with them, but maybe her boyfriend or her husband or whatever was.

[C]

I feel like I've been doing this a long time.

[B]

Am I solving the case and the cartel norm? And the cartel's pissed that they're, like, flaunting it and publicizing his involvement because it's going to get more heat onto them and they're going to get caught. So he's like, get the hell out of here. Why are you talking about this?

[C]

Well, okay, so here's the thing.

[B]

Did I solve the case?

[C]

Well, not quite, but here's what's so. Okay, there's a lot of weird things, so hang back. Let me finish telling you.

[B]

Okay, I'm gonna drink my water, so I will shut up.

[C]

So the authorities now believe the real target may have been her husband, Roberto. He traded cars and he farmed tomatoes in Machoacan, which is like, AKA cartel central. He had recently moved the family to Guadalajara, possibly trying to get away from something. And honestly, that may have been one of the biggest red flags in the case so far, even outside of those viral videos. So because you don't just, like, leave your Home your businesses and establish life for the fun of it, you usually leave to escape something or flee. So after. But here is what's weird. After authorities searched the mechanic shop, the two men who work there were detained and questioned, but released because of insufficient evidence. And within hours of being released, they were kidnapped in broad daylight right outside of the prosecutor's office. Armed men in vans. One of them escaped and the other one gone, along with two of their relatives.

[F]

Wow.

[C]

I know. So when I was reading Scenario, I'm like, wait a second. So there might be more to the story.

[B]

Are we sure we want to talk about this case? I'm freaked out.

[C]

Well, that's what I like.

[B]

It feels like I have the chills.

[C]

I know. And I was surprised that you allowed me to talk about this, which maybe you didn't know all the details, avoid the C word, but it seems organized and very suspicious. So as of right now, the case is still open and no official cartel has claimed responsibility. Obviously, we don't think you did it. Yeah, we don't suspect it at all. And no one's been charged. And we're left with this, like, eerie silence, a whole bunch of questions.

[B]

That's sad.

[C]

So just wondering, like, was it a warning?

[B]

And what was the cause of death? Execution style.

[C]

Their bodies were just wrapped in plastic.

[B]

Those poor kids. No, I mean poor everyone, but, like, oh, my God, those poor young kids. Well, scary.

[C]

And that's kind of a little bit. I was thinking doing those viral videos. And again, I'm not familiar with what those videos were until I read this, but I feel like when you have children, that might be a bit of a scary thing to do. Unless she had ties or her boyfriend or there was no more to that story.

[B]

Glamorous.

[C]

And a way to get viral. And you're in with them. Who knows? Oh, man. But so, yeah, just trying to figure out, was it a warning from them? Was it some personal vendetta? Was it Esmeralda's public presence and, like, all of these luxury goods made her a target? Or were her videos seen as disrespectful by the cartel or by the wrong people and led them to who they were really trying to find? Maybe her husband. So, yeah, I don't know. But what we do know is if you're in a place where cartels are holding the power and even the illusion of wealth or any of that makes you a target, it like, why are you doing that? Number one? And then, you know, that's the tragedy, is you have this woman who's trying to live this good life online. You have her husband who's trading cars, and then her poor two children who were just innocent bystanders and, like, caught in this world that they didn't choose and had no control over. So it's so sad. Hopefully we'll have more details and find out really what the cause of this whole thing was.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, man. Oh, man. I feel like I need to, like, scrub my brain now after that, but we have another case that I need to talk about.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And it's the one that I talked about a little bit at the beginning, and it's Laken Snelling. Now, I know that you have heard a little bit of bits and pieces.

[C]

I believe, mainly from this weekend. I feel like it was like the buzz.

[B]

A lot of people were talking about it and I, like, on the last day, Vinnie and I were talking about it. Yeah. And then, of course, obviously, I went on Court TV last night and talked to them. So let me. Let me just kind of give you some backstory for anyone who's listening that hasn't been super caught up in this case. So Lake. And snelling is a 21 year old senior at the University of Kentucky, and she's a competitive cheerleader, but not like your typical cheerleader. She's on the university's stunt team. And what that means is it's basically cheer, but it's, like, more focused on, like, the technical components of the sport, you know, the lifts, the whatever. I don't. I'm not a cheerleader, but gymnastics? Yeah. Did you. Do you just say that? Weird.

[C]

I don't know. I just. I was trying to say it, but then I thought, like, that sounded stupid because obviously cheerleading incorporates gymnastics. Clearly, I wasn't.

[B]

No, honestly. So, anyway, sorry, we're just getting caught up in it. So she had moved to Kentucky from White Pine, Tennessee. And honestly, she was someone who just until a few days ago, looked like she was living this very normal, very typical college life. She was very active on social media, very active on TikTok, had this long blonde hair, was always very well put together, kind of had that, you know, Southern look about her, where she wore dresses, had her full face of makeup, things like that. But on August 27, everything changed because police responded to a call at a home in Lexington, Kentucky, around 10:30am and the call was for an unresponsive infant. And inside the home, they found something that not only shocked all the officers, but everyone. And everyone in the public and the community is now reeling because in a closet Wrapped inside a towel, then stuffed into a black trash bag was the body of a newborn baby boy. And it gives Alexi. Alexi Treviso vibes all over again. She's the one. I don't know if you're super familiar. She threw away her baby in the hospital trash can. Yeah. So just a baby deliberately hidden inside a closet. Just not just unresponsive, either, but no longer alive. And as I'm sure you have all gathered, that baby was Lakins. Now, according to reports, Lakin had given birth inside her home, this home that was off campus. She was alone. She hadn't told anyone. Not her friends, her family, her cheer squad, not even her boyfriend, as far as we all know. Then once the police discovered this baby in her closet and confronted Laken, she admitted that after giving birth, she cleaned everything up. That's how she described it. She cleaned it all up. All of the evidence of her having a baby was put into a black trash bag. The baby was put into that black trash bag, and she threw it away. Which, it's just gut wrenching when you hear about it. But here's where it starts to get interesting, too. And I have more I need to share, but let me just pause really quick. It's unclear who made that 911 call.

[C]

Okay. Yeah.

[B]

And I did talk with Vinnie Politon from court at Crimecon about this, and it's unconfirmed, but he said he had heard or they had been told that the reason the 911 call happened is because whoever called was alerted about the baby due to the odor that was coming.

[C]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

So it's tough, too, because we don't know exactly. Now, Laken is obviously, like, scared it.

[C]

Was the baby born alive.

[B]

I'll get there.

[C]

So.

[B]

But we. So we don't know the exact day that she gave birth. We only know the day that the baby was found. So if there was an odor, what was the level of decomp?

[C]

What.

[B]

How long has that been like? And let me get into all of that. So, basically, after finding the baby, it took four days for the authorities to do a thorough investigation of the scene. They conducted interviews, and they, you know, looked at all of the evidence, and they did determine for certain that this baby was Lakins. Then once they felt like they had enough evidence, on Sunday, August 31st, Lakin was arrested. She's now facing three felony charges. Abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. But here's where it gets complicated. She is not facing Any murder charges. Okay, I know. And it's because, as of right now, there's no official cause of death or manner of death for the baby. They did an autopsy, but it came back as inconclusive. So the investigators still don't know if the baby was born alive, stillborn, or if maybe something else happened. And in the coroner's report, the coroner said, quote, I understand the community's concern and sensitivity surrounding the death of a child. We are conducting a thorough and methodical death investigation so that we can ensure that all facts are carefully considered. But right now there's just a lot of information that's unknown. And I want you guys to take a quick listen to this doctor and what they had to say on the autopsy results.

[A]

Dr. Priya Banerjee, tell us a little.

[B]

Bit about what you expect the forensic pathologist to be looking for at autopsy.

[F]

So these are incredibly complex cases. I've handled quite, not quite a few, but a few in my career, and I'm glad they're limited to that. What's going on is that you have to prove, which is incredibly difficult, whether the baby was born alive or not, to then, if it was alive, to then bring murder charges. So that's a big if. It is very difficult. Just from, you know, there can be so many variables as to why even a full born or full term baby can be born stillborn. And even an autopsy doesn't always find the cause. And so if it's nebulous like that, they may not be able to prove the murder charges. I also don't know the condition of the body of the baby. And plastic is not breathable. And so that can promote decomposition very quickly, sort of, you know, help the tissue disintegrate more, get what's called macerated. And so that can also limit how accurate any autopsy findings are. And I just want to highlight that there have been a lot of.

[B]

Convictions.

[F]

Overturned and sort of disparities, if you will, with the float test. There was a test that's shown to be erroneous, where lungs float in water at autopsy and that's been used to, quote, unquote, prove homicides in the past. But that can be false positive with decomposition. There's a lot of it's a test fraught with problems, so that's not thought to be reliable anymore. So you really have a lot of investigation and studies to do to even try to prove whether the baby was born alive.

[B]

Now, what's especially strange in all of this is that before any of this came to light, Lakin had been posting on social media, as I said, posting regular typical college girl stuff, but also posting things that were about motherhood. She reportedly would write things like, you know, goals under photos and memes of images with moms and babies. And in her last TikTok, which was posted back in June on the 25th, she had even included an emoji of a mother holding a baby under her own list of goals. Then she had like other emojis of a wedding ring, a house, cash. She even was sharing posts that people now are interpreting as, like maternity style photos where you can certainly see what looks to be a baby bump in them. There's some photos where her boyfriend's touching her belly as well, but no official pregnancy announcement. So it kind of begs the question, was this something that she wanted or was it something that she was hiding? And if she was hiding it, why? And of course people are going to speculate and everybody right now is digging through her posts talking about her boyfriend, her cheerleading team status, her family. Some people are saying that the boyfriend was not the father and that he found out that he wasn't the father and that's why she then wanted to get rid of her baby, because she wanted to save the relationship, which again, that's not confirmed. It's just a rumor. But the rumor mill is like running on overtime right now. And a lot of people are also coming through the woodwork giving information about the case that they say they have firsthand. And I want to get into that because it is unverified. Let me be very clear. It's unverified, but it is very detailed and pretty chilling. So once more want to be super clear. This next bit of information has not been confirmed in a police report or in any sort of official statement. It's all alleged. But here we go. So a person who has not been named but allegedly works at the hospital where Lakin was then treated after the police found her baby in the closet said that, quote, the baby was estimated to be a 38 week baby boy. They also said that Lakin, quote, required a blood transfusion and had a second degree laceration or tear where the delivery had taken place. This person goes on to say that Lakin allegedly told hospital workers that the baby was blue after he was delivered, that he didn't cry, but that he did, quote, whimper. So Lakin then allegedly wrapped the baby in a towel and delivered the placenta 20 minutes after delivering him. She allegedly also told this worker that she covered the baby's head with a towel, fell asleep for what she described as, quote, some time. And then once she woke up, she decided to finish cleaning up the mess and dispose of all of the evidence, which we do know that she did admit to the cleanup and all of that. And going back to the whimper. I want to be. I'm not a nurse, I'm not a doctor, and so I only know what I know firsthand from when I've delivered my kids. A whimper doesn't necessarily mean that a breath was or wasn't taken. But oftentimes, especially if there is stress or trauma during delivery, usually babies will be delivered and start crying or that's the hope, because you want to make sure their lungs are working and all that. Sometimes if they're not, and if they do just a whimper like this, you'll see sometimes even movies where the nurses have to like slap the babies and hit them to like get the reaction to like, not like, like, like hit their butt and stuff like that, to like get them like, like not awake. But you know what I mean? Like to stimulate a reaction. So some people, after this news has been out there and again, it's not confirmed. Some people say perhaps Lakin thought that the baby was dead and that her son was born stillborn or wasn't breathing because there was no crying, it was just a whimper and that that's why she panicked and disposed of him, which arguably, look, I've never, thank God, been in a situation like that. If it were me and if I heard a whimper, I would call an ambulance and be. And you would do life saving measures.

[C]

Where was she when she delivered?

[B]

In a house. In her house off campus. And she had been hiding it. She hadn't told her family apparently that she was pregnant. So there's a lot of weird stuff going on here. But the hospital worker also adds that Laken was accompanied by police the entire time that she was at the hospital. And again, that she allegedly knew that she was pregnant, but that she didn't want her parents to know. So because of that, she was going to plan on going to the university's student health center to get prenatal care. But it's unclear if she actually ever did go, if that was just a lie and she was trying to say that because the police were there, I don't really know. Meanwhile, another person who has also come forward, who is allegedly a family member of either Laken's father or of her boyfriend, a little unclear, but they said that the baby was full term, that he weighed under 6 pounds, had a head full of black hair and Also had, quote, baby sideburns. Allegedly, there was a funeral service that was held and Lakin did attend, but the baby, his physical body was not buried because. And I don't even know if he was actually at the funeral either, or if it was more like just a service, but because there's additional testing that the state has to do and it hasn't been completed yet, they can't, of course, bury him.

[C]

Well. So my question is, if she concealed this pregnancy, delivered in secret, no one was around, where are all these details coming from?

[B]

So these are details from her going to the hospital after the fact because. And I'll get to that, that she was worried about getting sepsis. And then the police were there after they discovered the baby, and she's talking to hospital workers. So now that information is coming out.

[C]

But about the baby having black hair and being of term and all of those things, number one, I mean, that has to be a confidential.

[B]

I would imagine it's what Laken told them because this person allegedly is a family member of either Laken's father or her boyfriend.

[C]

So somebody closes violating her privacy and disclosing the.

[B]

Yeah, maybe because they don't agree with how she handled it. I don't know. This person also said that Laken's father is devastated, but her mother is being very cold about it and that her mom would not call the baby anything but it when talking about what happened, which, like, hello, you're a grown adult. Like, I don't care what the situation is. That's disgusting. They also, as I had just mentioned, said Lake and allegedly went to the hospital to make sure that she had delivered all of the afterbirth and wouldn't get sepsis. Further, this person is saying that people are harassing the baby's father's family, which we'll talk about in a second, but we also don't officially know who the father is. So, again, I don't know what's going on with that funeral service, what it was truly like. We do know that the autopsy was inconclusive. More testing is happening, so I would imagine that the baby boy is in the custody of the state right now, but I'm not sure. So Laken's boyfriend, Connor, he's deleted all of his social media accounts, but it still hasn't been confirmed that he was, in fact, the father of this baby. In fact, reports are now coming out that the ex boyfriend of Lakins has submitted a DNA sample to determine if he is the father's baby rather than Connor, apparently. And it really isn't clear how long she's been with Connor or when she and this ex broke up. But it does seem like things could have, you know, been going on or brewing around the time she got pregnant. Yeah, and that also goes back to the conversation, or I should say the theory out there of like, did Connor find out he wasn't the father? Because she admitted it would. Not through DNA testing, but maybe she admitted it or he just like realized or like maybe this exact came forward. So that's why she wanted to get rid of her baby, to be like, I don't even want it. It's not ours.

[C]

And that's why I'm thinking the blanket over the head, thinking that it was a whimper and that there was something wrong with the baby. Doesn't sound right. Because if you were trying to have a healthy pregnancy and wanted a healthy baby, you would go to the hospital when you're about to deliver versus trying to conceal it by yourself if even if you were stuck at home for whatever reason, you'd call somebody over. So she was trying to keep it a secret. That's, I think, no question. And so whatever caused her to do whatever she did after that, whether that was a postpartum situation or because somebody, she wasn't sure who the father was or the boyfriend, said, I'm not going to be a part of this. She didn't know how to tell her family. Like, who knows?

[B]

Yeah, it's all still breaking now, so we definitely are going to be learning more details. There may even be more details the time this recording comes out. So I don't know tbd, but Laken has withdrawn from the University of Kentucky and she has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Now, something that I talked about with Brian Enten on News Nation a few days back is that a lot of people are having issue with how she showed up in court because she showed up in full makeup wearing a red dress, which some people said she's Southern. That's how they dress. They're always well put together. But other people are like, why are you, are you trying to like, look, read the room. Yeah, exactly. She also posted a hundred thousand dollar bond and was released, but has since been placed on house arrest and is ordered to stay at her parents home in Jefferson City, Tennessee. So there's another preliminary hearing that is scheduled for September 26th. And during this time, while we wait, the state is just waiting for more forensic results, specifically microscopic testing from the coroner's office to, you know, hopefully find out what truly happened to this Baby. But, yeah, she's getting, obviously, a lot of blowback for not only the situation, but her court appearance, things like that. Because people are just kind of like, what are your priorities? Like you said, read the room. And I think in cases like this, we know she pleaded not guilty, and we still don't know the situation and what truly happened. We can. I, I'm sure all agree, though, it was mishandled. Regardless what took place during the delivery, the aftermath was mishandled. But you're now facing charges. Maybe not murder charges or maybe that will come. Wouldn't you want to be in, like, the good graces of the public? And we were talking in the top of this episode about Donna Adelson, for example. She wanted to get the public on her side. She dressed like the little granny. All this Jodi Arias with the glasses, people playing up the roles. Anna Delvey, I was just gonna say. Yeah, but so people are like, read the room. Like, what are you doing? I don't know. I think it's also easy to kind of become the most hated person in the world when something like this happens. No matter how you dress, what you wear, what you so well.

[C]

And like, a bigger conversation, which maybe you have more information on. This is now as people are coming forward, outside of the speculation of doing a deep dive on her social media and seeing these maternity, like, photos or the hand on the stomach or these little Easter eggs, if you will, that people are seeing. Like, did anyone on the cheer team, any teachers, anyone on campus, any family members suspect? And I understand that's a very sensitive subject. And as women, we know you don't ever question somebody unless you're very sure. But also, a young girl is in this extremely emotional situation. And, you know, obviously carrying a child is stressful. And at that age, you have a lot of emotions running through, you know, So I just feel like opening that door of communication so that people can talk to you or that you can confide in somebody. Maybe people, you know, should have spoken out if they saw something.

[B]

I do think that will get a lot of information from the boyfriend, because think about it, too.

[C]

I mean, yeah, how would he not know?

[B]

He would. I'm sure he'd have to know if they're, like, having sex and, like. And if he had posted photos with her with, like, hand on the stomach. So, like, what did she tell him? What was the story like? I'm sure. I think we're going to be, like, hit over the head with a lot of information in the next coming weeks. So for Those of you listening, if you want the deep dive, you know what I say, podcast or other people, let me know. I got you covered. I will do the deep dive so you don't have to. So that's what we've got for headline highlights today, guys. If you are in the Texas area, we are going back out on the road next week. We. Houston is sold out, but we do have a couple tickets left for Austin and for Dallas and a couple meet and greets left. Phoenix is also sold out, but I guess you could check and see if anything comes up. But if you're in the Houston area, just drive to Dallas or Austin. I think it's far, but do it. So, yeah, we're going on the road next week. You can get all of the tour tickets@annie elite.com and then after Texas, we are going to Tacoma.

[C]

No, we're going to Orlando and Tampa.

[B]

Orlando and Tampa Disney World. So grab your tickets@annie elise.com before they are gone. Anything else?

[C]

No.

[B]

Any final thoughts? You're welcome.

[C]

I feel like it's been a crazy week, but a good one.

[B]

It has been.

[C]

Hopefully nothing crazy happens over the weekend.

[B]

I know. I hope not. And spoiler alert, I have some really exciting news coming up. We're not gonna tell him right now.

[C]

Do I know it?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, I know. Super excited.

[B]

We're not gonna announce, though, for a couple weeks, but make sure you're subscribed to the podcast.

[C]

Unless catch Annie randomly on tour where she tends to word vomit and disclose all kinds of announcements she's not supposed to.

[B]

I know. I have a really big problem doing that when I. When it's like that, like the time for me to just talk on tour. I. Yeah, I word vomit and I say all the things that I'm not supposed to say because I feel safe.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

I feel like I'm in the circle.

[C]

Of trust until I get in front of her.

[B]

I know. And then Amy, I could just see her, like, shooting daggers at me through her eyes, being like, what are you doing? What are you doing? So if you're on, if you go to one of the shows, you'll probably find out. But. And I'm sure now we'll get a question on tour, like, what's the big secret? But otherwise, the announcement will be coming in the next. Next couple of weeks. So make sure you're following the podcast if you're not already. Subscribe on YouTube if you are not already, so that you don't miss it. All right, guys, until the next one, be nice. Don't kill people. Just get a divorce and be a good human. All right. Bye bye. Foreign.

[G]

Naturopathy. Dr. Dennis Black here, founder of Rough Greens. And if only dogs could talk. I think a lot of them would say, hey, thanks for the love, but this food, it's not working for me. The truth is, they'd be right. Because most dog food, wet or dry, is cooked at such high temperatures that every live nutrient in it is destroyed. And what you're left with is dead food bulked up with fillers and sprayed with artificial flavors. That's not what dogs need. But when you add back in the live vitamins, omega oils and antioxidants are in Rough Greens. Your dog would say something different. Like they'd say, wow, this is delicious. Or sluggish dogs might say, hey, let's go for a walk. Older dogs might say, I feel like a puppy again. It's not magic, it's biology. Don't just imagine it. See it in your dog.

[E]

Dog.

[G]

I'll send you a free Jumpstart trial bag for your dog. You just cover the shipping. Go to ruffgreens.com use discount code talk. That's Ruff Greens Discount code talk. If your dog could only talk, they'd say, thank you.