Podcast Summary: The Binge Crimes: Hunting The Bogeyman

Episode 2: "This Is Not a Movie"

Release Date: November 10, 2025
Host: Peter McDonnell
Featuring: Nicole Earnest-Payte, Paul Holes

Overview

This episode continues the unraveling of Nicole Earnest-Payte’s journey after being brutally attacked in her own home at 21. With skepticism from authorities and mounting self-advocacy, Nicole’s fight for justice grows more urgent as patterns of a serial predator emerge across Northern California. The narrative shifts between Nicole’s trauma, police dismissals, her relentless detective work, and the involvement of famed investigator Paul Holes—setting the stage for a larger manhunt for the NorCal Rapist.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nicole's Initial Experience with Law Enforcement

• (01:33–06:31) Nicole recounts her attempt to report the crime to Rohnert Park police, only to face skepticism and subtle victim-blaming from "Detective Diane" (a pseudonym).
  • Detectives focus suspicion on a friend, Mark, and question Nicole’s character due to her social life.
  • Detective Diane implies Nicole sought out rough sex, showing bias and a lack of empathy.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “As I'm describing the event, [Detective Diane]’s scoffing, she's getting agitated... She was like, why didn't you just jump out the window?” — Nicole (03:47)
  • "You know, you're not acting right. Victims of rape don't act like this.” — Nicole quoting Detective Diane (04:37)

2. The Impact of Disbelief

• (05:41–06:37) Detective Diane’s disbelief impacts Nicole profoundly. Her official police interview goes missing, and the recording “disappeared,” adding to a sense of institutional betrayal.
• (06:37–08:26) Nicole describes her reaction to trauma: instead of shame, she chooses not to be defined by the event, openly sharing her story.
  • “Oh, immediately, it was a massive, life-changing thing... but it wasn't going to define me.” — Nicole (08:28)

3. The Start of a Pattern

• (09:25–14:13) Nicole discovers a press article about another similar attack in Sonoma, five months after her own. Both victims describe comparable details: a masked man, a forced entry, and a focus on disabling motion sensor lights.
  • Nicole contacts the press, pushing for public awareness and linking the cases.
  • A police spokesperson questions Nicole's credibility publicly: “There are some parts of her story that were hard to believe.” — Rohnert Park Public Safety Lt. Bob Williams (13:25)

4. Lingering Trauma & New Clues

• (14:20–17:40) The lasting effects on Nicole include panic attacks and difficulty feeling safe at home, prompting another move.
  • Months later, she receives a disturbing phone call: a man references her green robe—the one she wore during her attack—and knows she’s moved. Police track the caller, pseudonym “Carl,” but cannot directly connect him to the rape.
  • “Do you still have your little green robe?” — Mysterious caller (16:23)

5. Growing Police Involvement: Enter Paul Holes

• (18:10–20:48) The episode shifts to Paul Holes, who, in the mid-90s, starts noticing links among unsolved rapes across jurisdictions.
  • At first a young criminalist, Paul is inspired by reading deeply into serial predator psychology and forensic innovation.
• (20:48–34:44) A 1996 attack in Martinez, California, initiates Paul’s direct involvement:
  • He connects the Martinez case to a prior attack from 1992 and another in Chico, using emerging DNA analysis techniques.
  • Holes' creativity and diligence uncover a crucial semen sample through an exhaustive “acid phosphatase grid” technique.
  • “Everyone thinks about the sexual assault kit... but the guy used a condom... I ended up doing a technique that is rarely done today because it is so rigorous...” — Paul Holes (29:19–30:26)
  • His ability to tie together distant cases reveals a pattern missed by local authorities.

6. The Long Road to Validation

• (35:05–36:52) Years pass with little word to Nicole about her case. In 2006, she receives a call from Sacramento PD—a pivotal moment:

  • She learns the man who attacked her is a confirmed serial rapist, connected by DNA to at least 10 victims.
  • “The man that attacked you in 1991 is a serial rapist connected by DNA... Has Rohnert Park not called you all these years?” — Detective Paul Schindler (Sacramento PD) (36:32)

• Nicole feels both angry and validated after 15 years: “Now, people believe me... Now you can't deny this.” (36:52)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Victim Stereotypes:
  “I think a lot of people's vision of what a rape victim is supposed to look like... is something that they see in a movie... as though that's the only way you can react.” — Nicole (04:37)

• On Police Bias:
  “The police department Nicole had turned to for help publicly dragged her credibility through the mud.” — Peter McDonnell (14:01)

• On Trauma’s Daily Impact:
  “I looked up the stairs and the walls and the stairwell started to move and I started to hallucinate and I could not put a foot on the stairs... I need you to come get me.” — Nicole (14:55)

• On the Breakthrough for Nicole:
  “Now, people believe me... Now, you can’t deny this.” — Nicole (36:52)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:33 — Nicole’s first police interview and introductions to Detectives
• 03:47 — Victim-blaming during the interview
• 06:37 — Missing and withheld police recordings
• 09:25 — Nicole spots another attack in the paper
• 13:25 — Police publicly doubt Nicole’s credibility
• 16:23 — The strange, threatening phone call about the green robe
• 17:40 — Police clear “Carl” as a rape suspect
• 20:03 — Introduction to Paul Holes and his early career
• 22:54 — Forensic details of the 1996 Martinez attack
• 29:19 — Paul Holes’ creative DNA evidence techniques
• 33:42 — Linking serial attacks by MO and DNA
• 36:32 — Nicole learns her case is part of a serial series – a turning point
• 37:45 — Preview: Nicole returns to the police station, the manhunt intensifies

Tone & Style

• Nicole: Direct and honest, refusing to hide her trauma; frustration and anger at disbelief are palpable, but there’s also drive and resolve.
• Peter McDonnell: Investigative, empathetic, and focused on detail, drawing out the broader systemic failures.
• Paul Holes: Analytical, methodical, and deeply invested in forensic science and connecting the big picture—even early in his career.

Conclusion

This episode starkly reveals the hurdles sexual assault survivors face from law enforcement and the power of self-advocacy. Nicole’s fight, both personal and public, helps expose a broader pattern of predatory violence that authorities initially failed to connect. The introduction of Paul Holes signals a turning point—where science, dogged police work, and Nicole herself begin converging toward justice. The stakes are raised for the ongoing hunt for the NorCal Rapist, with the next episode promising new breakthroughs as leads and evidence accelerate the case forward.