Summary4 min read

The Deck — “An Important Announcement from Ashley Flowers”

Date: July 1, 2026
Host: Ashley Flowers (Audiochuck)

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt solo episode, Ashley Flowers, creator and host of The Deck, delivers a major announcement about the podcast’s future. She reflects on the show’s origins, recounts its impact on cold case investigations and families, and explains her decision to step back at this time. Ashley shares personal insights, gratitude, and reassurances about her ongoing role at Audiochuck, particularly on Crime Junkie, while highlighting the work still to come.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Purpose of The Deck (00:00–02:10)

Personal Connection: Ashley describes how the inception of The Deck coincided with a major life event:

“Four and a half years ago, I gave birth to my daughter. And then five days later, I put out the first episode of The Deck, a second weekly show that I now host and executive produce.” (Ashley Flowers, 00:00)
Motivation: Inspired by her volunteer work with Crime Stoppers, she wanted to shine light on underreported missing and murdered persons cases through the format of cold case playing cards.
Mission Statement:

“Many of the cases that I saw on those cards were ones that I had never heard of. Underrepresented cases with little to no reporting. And I wanted to change that.” (Ashley Flowers, 00:38)

2. Impact & Achievements (02:11–03:15)

Team Effort: Ashley highlights the collaborative nature of the show’s success, crediting both her team and the families involved.
Real World Results: The show has contributed to funding new decks, revitalizing cold case files, and giving “families and loved ones something that in many cases, they hadn’t had in years — new information and hope.”
Gratitude:

“I am grateful for every second of it.” (Ashley Flowers, 03:02)

3. The Decision to Step Back (03:16–05:11)

Workload and Standards: Ashley emphasizes the exhaustive production process and her commitment to maintaining high standards:

“Every episode of Crime Junkie and The Deck involves deep research, rigorous reporting, countless hours of storyboarding, asset collection, fact checking, and review... a single episode... takes months to produce.” (Ashley Flowers, 03:30)
Refocusing Priorities: She discusses her need to focus energy where it will have the greatest impact, namely “with Crime Junkie, with my philanthropic work, and importantly, with my family.”
Personal Reflection:

“I can’t freeze time. And that little girl that I gave birth to when I launched The Deck is growing up faster than I ever could have imagined possible. And as her little world and life gets bigger, I want to make sure I have the space to be there to witness it.” (Ashley Flowers, 04:14)

4. Gratitude and Looking Ahead (05:12–End)

Appreciating the Team and Listeners: She thanks the dozens of Audiochuck team members who have built the show, citing its reach to “millions of listeners a week” as a testament to their work.
Acknowledging the Audience:

“I’m so grateful to every one of you listening who have hit play every Wednesday since February 2, 2022. It is because of you that we were able to make a difference.” (Ashley Flowers, 05:38)
The Deck’s Continuing Presence: New episodes will continue through the end of summer, and Ashley reassures fans she’ll continue her work on Crime Junkie.
Parting Sentiment:

“So thank you. I’ll see you here on Wednesday, and I’ll see you over on Crime Junkie every Monday after that.” (Ashley Flowers, 06:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On balancing the show and motherhood:
“I sometimes call The Deck my second baby because since day one, I have been deeply involved in every case that I bring you.” (Ashley Flowers, 00:10)
On the show’s impact:
“We’ve spurred agencies to pick up cold case files that they haven’t looked at in decades, which has resulted in real movement.” (Ashley Flowers, 01:40)
On team and listener gratitude:
“Dozens of team members at Audiochuck have had a hand in building this show over the past four and a half years. And the fact that these stories are reaching millions of listeners a week is a testament to the incredible work that they’ve done.” (Ashley Flowers, 05:18)
Closing note:
“Now, we’re not quite done yet. The Deck is still going to have new episodes through the end of the summer, and I, of course, will still be in your feeds every week on Crime Junkie for a long, long time to come to continue to bring you rigorously reported stories that drive real change.” (Ashley Flowers, 05:55)

Important Segment Timestamps

00:00 — Ashley introduces the announcement, reflecting on The Deck’s beginnings and her personal journey.
01:35 — Origin story of The Deck and its cold case cards inspiration.
02:15 — Achievements: case coverage, families helped, impact on investigations.
03:16 — The production process and decision to reprioritize.
04:14 — Personal reflections on family and future priorities.
05:18 — Gratitude for the team and audience.
05:55 — Announcement of new episodes continuing through summer.
06:20 — Closing words and reassurances about Ashley’s ongoing podcasting work.

Tone & Language

Ashley’s tone is sincere, candid, and appreciative throughout. She speaks directly to listeners as partners in her journey, openly shares her motivations and concerns, and closes with gratitude and hope for the future.

This episode serves not only as a pivotal announcement but as a tribute to the show, its purpose, the people behind it, and the community of listeners who have supported it from day one.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
Four and a half years ago, I gave birth to my daughter. And then five days later, I put out the first episode of the Deck, a second weekly show that I now host and executive produce. I sometimes call the Deck my second baby because since day one, I have been deeply involved in every case that I bring you. The creation of this show was a wild idea with ridiculous timing, but I felt really called to bring this show to life after discovering a deck of cold case cards during my volunteer days with Crime Stoppers. Many of the cases that I saw on those cars were ones that I had never heard of. Underrepresented cases with little to no reporting. And I wanted to change that. And over the last four and a half years, every team member who has worked on the Deck accomplished an incredible feat. We traveled the country, we worked with dozens of agencies and hundreds of families. We've helped fund the creation of new decks. We've spurred agencies to pick up cold case files that they haven't looked at in decades, which has resulted in real movement. And above all, we have played a meaningful part in giving families and loved ones something that in many cases, they hadn't had in years. New information and hope. I am grateful for every second of it. However, the time has come for me to fold my hand. Cheeky pun, fully intended. Every episode of Crime Junkie and the Deck involves deep research, rigorous reporting, countless hours of storyboarding, asset collection, fact checking, and review. I mean, a single episode of our weekly shows. I don't know if you realize this takes months to produce. And with every episode, I want to make sure that we're giving it our all and raising the bar of expectation for ourselves, for what families can expect from us and what listeners can can expect from us. Anyone who's been with AudioCheck since the beginning knows how we have grown and evolved. The true crime investigative nature of every episode, which I am deeply ingrained in. I need to focus my attention where I can make the biggest impact with Crime Junkie with my philanthropic work and importantly, with my family. I can't freeze time. And that little girl that I gave birth to when I launched the Deck is growing up faster than I ever could have imagined possible. And. And as her little world and life gets bigger, I want to make sure I have the space to be there to witness it. I am so proud of the work that we have done. Dozens of team members at Audio Check have had a hand in building this show over the past four and a half years. And the fact that these stories are reaching millions of listeners a week is a testament to the incredible work that they've done. And I'm so grateful to every one of you listening who have hit play every Wednesday since February 2, 2022. It is because of you that we were able to make a difference. Now, we're not quite done yet. The Deck is still going to have new episodes through the end of the summer, and I, of course, will still be in your feeds every week on Crime Junkie for a long, long time to come to continue to bring you rigorously reported stories that drive real change. So thank you. I'll see you here on Wednesday, and I'll see you over on Crime Junkie every Monday after that.