Podcast Summary: The Knife – A True Crime Podcast

Episode: "A Dangerous Man"

Date: January 29, 2026
Hosts: Hannah Smith and Paisha Eaton
Guest: Cassandra Rosa

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode of The Knife delves into the harrowing, years-long ordeal of Cassandra Rosa, a realtor in a small New Mexico town who became the victim of escalating stalking and sexual harassment. The conversation highlights the complexities victims face when seeking help from law enforcement, the inadequate systemic response, and the ripple effects of violence—both from the offender and the institutions ostensibly meant to protect. The episode’s purpose is to give a platform to Cassandra's story, exploring both her lived experience and the broader implications for victims failed by the system.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cassandra's Background and the Start of the Harassment

• Cassandra moved back to her New Mexico hometown in 2020 to help her mother, pivoting to a career in real estate during the pandemic.
• By October 2020, she was a newly licensed realtor utilizing social media to build her business.
• In Feb 2021, she started receiving anonymous, sexually explicit, and threatening messages from random, untraceable numbers.
• Despite reporting the early harassment to local police, the investigation was perfunctory and quickly dropped.
  • Quote: “[The police] literally says they did nothing…that they took my word that it was a fake number and that concluded their investigation.” — Cassandra (11:01)

2. Escalation of Stalker’s Behavior

• After initial inappropriate texts, the harassment escalated to frequent anonymous calls (often with sexually explicit noises).
• The perpetrator’s tactics diversified: impersonation of clients, statements of intent to rape, phone calls pretending to be legitimate business inquiries, and more.
  • Quote: “It wasn’t just the text messages being anonymous. It wasn’t just the masturbating on the phone. It wasn’t just the no caller ID. It wasn’t just pretending to be somebody who needed help…” — Cassandra (16:54)

3. Inadequate Law Enforcement Response

• Cassandra repeatedly filed police reports and sought protection. The only tangible action was a vague “watch” placed on her home, which even responding officers could not explain.
  • Memorable Moment (19:06): Officer asks Cassandra’s family why there’s a watch on their home, revealing the system's inefficacy.
• Cassandra implemented her own safety protocols: locking her office, avoiding showings with men, getting a concealed carry license.

4. Intersection With a Local Contractor, "Chris"

• After her property is vandalized, Cassandra hires a contractor (“Chris”—a pseudonym), who is initially helpful and seems interested in her.
• Red flags arise: constant messaging, unsolicited gifts, evasiveness about personal information.
• Upon running a reverse phone search, Cassandra discovers Chris's real identity: a convicted sex offender and attempted murderer with a history of violence against women.
  • Quote: “One of the first things that come up is an article about that person and being wanted for attempted murder…he had tried to kill his girlfriend at the time and he stabbed her so many times…” — Cassandra (29:57)
• Chris’s behavior becomes more concerning as Cassandra begins to suspect he is the stalker.

5. Cassandra's Reckoning and Response

• Cassandra makes a calculated decision to not immediately confront Chris or break contact, fearing for her safety.
  • She purposely acts erratic and jealous to end communication without revealing her suspicions.
  • Quote: “I was causing a lot of friction…what I wanted him to feel like is that if something was wrong between us, it’s not because I knew something was wrong with him.” — Cassandra (38:22)
• After cutting contact, she provides her evidence to an undersheriff and later to police and Chris’s parole officer.

6. Police and Community Backlash

• Cassandra feels the investigation is again stalling, with shifting explanations and blame from detectives.
  • Quote: “I really do believe that if y’all don’t help me, the only recourse I have…is to come forward and let people know that he’s a danger.” — Cassandra (44:01)
• She posts on Facebook about her stalker (without naming him), and the community quickly deduces who Chris is. Chris obtains a restraining order against Cassandra, claiming harassment.
• The police ultimately arrest and jail Cassandra for harassment, despite dismissing her own reports of being stalked.
  • Quote: “And I was arrested in August and spent three days in jail.” — Cassandra (54:59)

7. Deeper Institutional Failures & Community Outrage

• Cassandra’s arrest further erodes her trust in the justice system; she spends $10,000 defending herself before charges are dropped.
  • Quote: “For the last four months, I’ve been trying to get myself out of that charge, and it was difficult…It wasn’t until that last attorney that the DA automatically dropped the charges…” — Cassandra (56:54)
• Documentation shows police disliked Cassandra, doubting her claims and character, calling her unreliable.
• Even with evidence (message similarities, harassment reports tied to Chris, timeline coincidences), police and parole officers take little concrete action.
  • Discussion: If the evidence doesn’t support 100% certainty, do police have any duty to investigate further, especially given Chris’s history?

8. Contact With Other Victims & Systemic Gaps

• Chris’s other victims confirm a longstanding pattern of violence and stalking, suffering ongoing impacts and failed attempts at protection via the courts.
  • Quote: “She did try to get a restraining order on him and the courts denied it…even though that’s part of his stipulations is to have no contact…” — Cassandra (60:44)
• Chris shields his real identity with nicknames and his business, evading repercussions and public knowledge of his criminal record.

9. Larger Reflections — Technology, Policing, and Victim Blaming

• Hosts discuss the technological ease of anonymous harassment and how law enforcement may lack resources/know-how for cyberstalking cases.
  • Quote: “It’s actually so easy to download an app on your phone that allows you to send text messages that look like they’re coming from random numbers that aren’t traceable…” — Hannah (70:56)
• They reflect on how trauma, fear, and lack of support lead victims to react in ways that authorities may misinterpret, further disadvantaging victims in the justice system.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote / Moment | Speaker | |-----------|----------------|---------| | 11:01 | “It literally says they did nothing…that they took my word that it was a fake number and that concluded their investigation.” | Cassandra | | 14:07 | “But it was July of 21, and I had received another message...they said...I would give my left nut to see you in red panties.” | Cassandra | | 16:54 | “It wasn’t just the text messages being anonymous. It wasn’t just the masturbating on the phone... he had different techniques, I guess you could say, right? Different ways to terrorize me.” | Cassandra | | 19:06 | “We do know that you have a watch on your home. Can you tell me why?’…I was traumatized. I was crying. I didn’t know what was going on…” | Cassandra | | 29:57 | “One of the first things that come up is an article about that person and being wanted for attempted murder…he had tried to kill his girlfriend at the time and he stabbed her so many times…” | Cassandra | | 38:22 | “It was very important to me that he did not know that I knew he was my stalker.” | Cassandra | | 44:01 | “I really do believe that if y’all don’t help me, the only recourse I have…is to come forward and let people know that he’s a danger.” | Cassandra | | 54:59 | “And I was arrested in August and spent three days in jail.” | Cassandra | | 56:54 | “For the last four months, I’ve been trying to get myself out of that charge, and it was difficult…It wasn’t until that last attorney that the DA automatically dropped the charges…” | Cassandra | | 70:56 | “It’s actually so easy to download an app on your phone that allows you to send text messages that look like they’re coming from random numbers that aren’t traceable…” | Hannah Smith |

Significant Timestamps

• 03:02 — Introduction of Cassandra Rosa and her return to her hometown.
• 05:44 — On putting herself out there as a realtor and first inappropriate messages.
• 14:07 — Stalker's threats escalate to violent sexual text messages.
• 17:25 — Cassandra’s second/third police report; minimal police response.
• 26:37 — Introduction to “Chris”; red flags in his behavior.
• 29:57 — Discovery of Chris’s criminal history.
• 32:16 — Cassandra suspects Chris is her stalker.
• 38:22 — Strategic disengagement from Chris.
• 44:01 — Frustration with police and decision to go public on Facebook.
• 47:03 — Stalker files restraining order against Cassandra.
• 54:59 — Cassandra’s arrest and time in jail.
• 62:08 — Details from other victims.
• 70:56 — Reflections on police resource gaps and tech-enabled harassment.

Analysis & Reflections

• The episode paints a detailed portrait of how stalking and harassment can upend a victim’s life—and how defenses provided by police, courts, and parole systems often fail those most in need.
• Cassandra’s story is also about the secondary trauma inflicted by being disbelieved, dismissed, or even criminalized by authorities.
• Hosts emphasize that victim responses—which may look contradictory or counterintuitive—are often guided by desperate self-preservation, not obsession or instability.
• The episode acts as a searing critique of systemic gaps in protecting survivors, especially when offenders are technically savvy and institutions fail to keep up.

Conclusion

The Knife’s "A Dangerous Man" is a powerful, empathy-driven examination of what it means to be stalked, threatened, and then failed by the systems designed to safeguard victims. The episode offers a raw look into Cassandra’s trauma, the barriers to justice, and the chilling reality that for many victims, telling your story—and staying vigilant—may be the only recourse left.

For listeners seeking more information or support, the hosts encourage reaching out via their email (thenifexactlyrightmedia.com), Instagram (@theknifepodcast), or Bluesky.

“As a woman, the most important thing you can do is to believe in yourself and to try to keep yourself safe even when nobody else is helping you.”
— Cassandra Rosa (64:49)