The Hunter – Episode 6: "The Trial: Here’s my redemption"

Host: Anaya Echo Hawk (BBC Studios)
Date: November 10, 2025

Overview

This gripping episode of "The Hunter" follows the climactic developments in Lydia Lerma’s tireless pursuit of justice after the man who abused her son is brought to trial. From the tension of bail hearings and courtroom confrontations to the deep emotional impact on all involved, the episode explores the trial’s complexities, the persistence required for justice, and the aftermath—including Lydia’s own healing, advocacy work, and a personal redemption story. The podcast unflinchingly addresses themes of survival, justice, and the enduring power of a mother’s love.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Bail Hearings: Justice or Another Escape?

• [01:14-02:15] Lydia and local reporter JC Marmaduke are infuriated after learning that Andrew Vanderwaal’s first bail hearing was held without public notice; bail is set at $100,000—enough that Lydia worries he could escape again, as he did before.
  • Lydia: "I was like, oh, hell no. Because he's gotten out on bail before and he fled." (02:15)
• [03:16-07:47] With DA Bob Percifield’s help, Lydia successfully secures a second bail hearing, where she pleads directly to the judge to recognize the extent of what it took to find Vanderwaal. DA Percifield pushes for a $1 million bond, citing Vanderwaal’s flight risk.
  • DA Bob Percifield: "Judge, this guy already fled once, and he fled the country. Who knows where the hell he's going to end up?" (06:30)
• [07:17-07:47] Judge Susan Blanco publicly acknowledges her earlier mistake in setting low bail, apologizes to Lydia, and raises the bond to $750,000—a historic amount for Larimer County.
  • Kim Jordan (Victim Advocate): "She said, you told me that he was going to flee, and I didn't take it seriously...then she set his bail at some astronomical amount." (07:34)

2. Preparing for Trial

• [09:19-12:06] Despite Vanderwaal’s taped confession and status as a fugitive, DA Percifield explains no verdict is guaranteed with a jury, even in seemingly clear-cut cases. Defense attorney Troy Crenning aggressively contests the case, filing multiple motions and even accusing police of misconduct.
  • DA Bob Percifield: "I've gone to trial when the guy confessed ... and [the jury] found him not guilty." (09:38)
  • The defense attacks Lydia’s credibility, painting her as "a vigilante gunslinger" and seeking to limit trial publicity.
    • Lydia: "They could paint me however they wanted...if that's all the defense you have, you don't really have a case." (11:30)
• Case delays and legal maneuvers increase family stress and community attention.

3. The Arraignment & Plea

• [12:17-13:53] At the September 2018 arraignment, Vanderwaal pleads "not guilty," forcing Lydia and her son to prepare for the trauma of testifying at trial.
• [14:08-16:52] The prosecution leverages evidence from Vanderwaal’s seized laptop, containing extremely disturbing material, hoping to encourage a guilty plea and avoid a painful trial for the victims.
  • DA Bob Percifield: "The things you can't even imagine." (15:00)
  • After the judge denies the defense's request for Vanderwaal to review the evidence personally, a plea deal is reached.

4. Sentencing & Emotional Aftermath

• [19:07-22:44] On March 1, 2019, sentencing day arrives. The courtroom is packed—with Lydia’s "army" of supporters and the families of other victims. The event is deeply emotional for all.
• Lydia’s young son courageously delivers a victim impact statement to the court.
  • DA Bob Percifield: "The courage that it took for a...young man to stand up...Impressed is not even a big enough word." (21:50)
  • Lydia: "I was so proud of him. He was the cutest thing and he was so brave." (22:44)
• Lydia describes a poignant moment as her son hugs her for comfort, which is captured in a photograph.
  • Lydia: "That was my son holding onto my hair. It just captured all of our relationship in that moment." (23:18)
• Others—including prior victims—submit impact statements; defense presents a video with testimonials supporting Vanderwaal, frustrating Lydia’s partner, Russ.

5. Justice Delivered

• [26:56-28:07] Judge Blanco sentences Andrew Vanderwaal to the maximum: 24 years to life, with no parole eligibility until 2039. There’s a sense of closure and communal victory.
  • Lydia: "We celebrated. We were so grateful. We all came out of the courtroom celebrating." (28:07)
  • Lydia: "I want him to spend the rest of his life knowing that everybody knows who he is." (28:18)
• JC Marmaduke reflects on Lydia’s extraordinary persistence:
  • JC Marmaduke: "It's so...easy to just give up...and she never did. That drive to see this through is a really rare quality in a person." (28:57)

6. The Aftereffects & Moving Forward

• DA Percifield acknowledges that "nobody wins in these cases," seeing both the justice and the life sentences survivors carry. (29:59)
• Lydia, Kim, and Bob find new bonds and friendships after the ordeal. Kim and Bob even begin dating—later marrying and starting their own family.
  • DA Bob Percifield: "We always got along...otherwise, it just beats you down." (31:42)
  • Lydia (on matchmaking): "I've always prided myself I'm a good matchmaker...I did not intentionally mean to create those matches, but yes." (32:31)

7. Lydia’s Personal Redemption & Advocacy

• [33:04-34:00] Lydia hears her own childhood abuser has been caught. She submits her own victim impact statement, and he is sentenced to 18 years to life—bringing a sense of redemption.
• Lydia’s experiences motivate her to found a support organization for other survivors and their families, creating a community and therapeutic outlet through nature-based activities.
  • Lydia: "I wanted them to know that somebody understood...I know that process. And it is the loneliest, most isolating, hurtful pain..." (34:33)
  • Lydia: "There's no shortage of work in this. There's no shortage of work." (35:09)
  • She personally answers the phone for distressed parents and survivors.

8. Recovery, Family, and Looking Ahead

• Lydia describes the ongoing healing for her family—horseback riding, time in the mountains, and Lydia’s commitment to raising her son "to be a decent man" without carrying the weight of trauma.
  • Lydia: "I made it my life's mission to raise him to adulthood to be a decent man." (37:10)
• Even as normal life resumes—with worries about grades and hockey practice—Lydia keeps perspective on how far they’ve come.
  • Lydia: "I always have to remind myself when I'm so stressed out...that it could be so, so much worse." (38:40)
• The episode closes with Lydia celebrating her son's resilience and her continued hope for their future.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lydia on facing her son’s abuser:
  "I wanted him to see me and I wanted him to know, motherfucker, I'm the one that brought you down right here. This five foot three, 120 pound woman brought you down." (05:28)

• Judge Blanco apologizes:
  "She said, you told me that he was going to flee, and I didn't take it seriously...she should have listened to her." (07:34)

• JC Marmaduke on Lydia's character:
  "She just never gave up. That drive to see this through is a really rare quality in a person." (28:57)

• Lydia’s reflection on justice for her and her son:
  "I want him to spend the rest of his life knowing that everybody knows who he is...that is a greater imprisonment than him being dead." (28:18)

• DA Percifield on the nature of justice in such cases:
  "Nobody wins in these cases, you know. Andrew Vanderwaal's getting a life sentence...Lydia and her family are serving a life sentence. It’s never going to go away." (29:59)

• Lydia’s reason for advocacy:
  "I wanted them to know that somebody understood how they felt and what they were going through...It is the loneliest, most isolating, hurtful pain..." (34:33)

Important Timestamps

• [02:15] – Lydia's reaction to the first bail and worry about escape
• [05:28] – Lydia confronts Vanderwaal in court
• [07:34] – Judge Blanco’s apology and major bail increase
• [13:42] – The cost of going to trial for Lydia and her son
• [15:00] – The horrifying evidence found on Vanderwaal's laptop
• [17:19] – Vanderwaal accepts a plea deal
• [21:03-22:44] – Lydia’s son gives a powerful victim statement at sentencing
• [26:56] – Judge Blanco announces the maximum sentence
• [28:57] – JC Marmaduke reflects on Lydia’s fight and what it means
• [33:17-34:00] – Lydia’s "redemption" against her own childhood abuser
• [34:33, 35:09] – Lydia’s founding of a support organization for survivors
• [37:10, 38:09] – Lydia on parenting, healing, and her hopes for her son’s adulthood

Tone and Language

The tone blends gravitas and unfiltered emotion, fitting the sensitive and life-altering stakes of the subject matter. Lydia speaks with determination, fire, and openness, often laced with candid language and self-awareness. Other speakers—journalists, prosecutors, advocates—convey respect for her persistence, the emotional toll of the process, and the bittersweet nature of "justice" in such cases.

Final Reflections

Episode 6 is a moving portrait of the price and power of justice in the real world. Lydia's pursuit did not just change the course of her own family’s life, but brought solace, hope, and action for a wider community of survivors. Through every legal hurdle, setback, and heartbreak, the combined force of maternal love and sheer determination forges a path toward healing—and, ultimately, a hard-won redemption.