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Paisha Eaton
This is exactly right.
Andrea Gunning
This is Andrea Gunning from Betrayal. I want to take a moment to talk about something that impacts how we feel every day. Our gut Health. If you've been dealing with sluggish digestion, constant fatigue, brain fog, trouble losing weight or poor sleep, your gut may need some extra care. Your gut plays a vital role in your overall well being because scientists now say it's the foundation of your vitality and long term health. That's where Bioma comes in. This novel supplement has everything you need for a healthy and thriving gut. With every serving you get prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics that are science backed and third party tested so you can enjoy comfortable digestion, boundless energy, better focus and restful sleep, and even smoother weight management when following a healthy lifestyle. Just take two tiny bioma capsules each morning before breakfast and start feeling your best. Visit Byoma Health and use code BETRIAL to get 15% off your first order. That's Byoma Health code BETRIAL for 15%.
Unknown Speaker
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Hannah Smith
This story contains adult content and language. Listener discretion is advised.
Paisha Eaton
Hello and welcome to the Knife off record, I'm Paisha Eaton.
Hannah Smith
I'm Hannah Smith. And this week we're reading listener emails. I'm really excited about this. Thank you to everyone who has emailed us. Send us an email and we might read it on the podcast. We won't use your name unless you tell us that we can. So email us@the knifexactlyrightmedia.com you can email us your thoughts on an episode. You can. You could email us a story that you know of in your own life that you want to tell that might be interesting to talk about in the podcast or maybe a tip of something we should look into.
Paisha Eaton
And we have some great emails today. One of them is about an unsolved disappearance that took place in Brea, Kentucky. A listener wrote in, we did some additional research on what happened and we'll tell you what we can about it. And that's coming up.
Hannah Smith
I'm looking forward to that one. And then at the end we'll have recommendations as well as I have a request for listeners and I'll tell you what I mean when we get there. So stick around for that. But let's get into the emails.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, okay.
Hannah Smith
First email. This is a really nice email from a listener about the episode we did on Mountain Park Baptist Boarding Academy. They say hello and thank you for this. I listened to your episode with Meg and Mountain park this week. The following day I was chatting with an acquaintance and she mentioned that she was from Miami and after getting into trouble was sent to a school in the Ozarks. I jokingly said it wasn't Mountain park, was it? Her face went pale and she said, how did you know that? After much discussion and Google searching, she is indeed a survivor of this place. We got her connected through the Mountain Park Survivors website and I shared Meg's story on your podcast. Listen to. She shared with me that anytime she had told this experience to someone, she always feels that they don't actually believe her. I was so grateful to genuinely look her in the eye and say, I believe you. Thank you for covering Meg's chilling truth and allowing me to connect with someone in my life with a way of healing that she didn't even know existed. Keep up the great work. This email was so nice to receive and really like kind of made me tear up when I read it. We kind of debated if we should include it or not because it does feel like, is this too self congratulatory? But the reason we decided to share it is because it really speaks to the importance of people sharing their stories and what we love about what we do. And this feels so good to know that, you know, Meg was able to share her story and then it connected with someone else is the power of storytelling and true crime. And to be able to be part of that is really meaningful.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. I mean, working in true crime and telling crime related stories, you want to feel like, you know, you're doing some good because in that story, someone was negatively impacted by what happened. And if anything positive can come from it, then we're all about it.
Hannah Smith
Yeah. So thanks so much for reaching out.
Paisha Eaton
And we're going to move on to the next listener email. Hi ladies. I was the victim of a rental scam in November 2024. It started when my husband and I were looking to rent a house in a town called Santa Clarita, California. It's a suburb north of Los Angeles. Most people know it as the town where Magic Mountain is located. We have a child and we were looking to rent a house. We were renting a condo at the time. When looking, we found a listing on Redfin, which I expressed interest in. Shortly afterwards, I received a text from someone named Jason Hammons and he said that he was the owner of this property, but the lease was sign. But he said he did have other properties available and sent us a listing for another one.
Hannah Smith
So she reached out to the person listing the condo and he said, this is booked or like someone else has already leased it, but I have a different property. Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
And that doesn't feel that strange.
Hannah Smith
No, I said that feels like I've had that same experience.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, it's like you see a well qualified tenant and you're like, well, I have a whole business. Why don't I see if I can keep them somewhere?
Hannah Smith
Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
So the next day he provided us with the code to enter the home. I was on the phone with him the whole time while seeing the home. So she's at the house in person. So she says. We entered the home, did the tour and left. Shortly afterwards, he sent us an application. We were approved. He sent us a lease. After sending several thousand dollars via Zelle, he told me one of the transactions did not go through. I went back and forth with him and Zell regarding this transaction for a month until he finally sent me a check to deposit as a quote refund for that transaction.
Hannah Smith
Wow, a month.
Paisha Eaton
That's so scary.
Hannah Smith
When are you trying to move into this place?
Paisha Eaton
I know.
Hannah Smith
What a nightmare.
Paisha Eaton
Also, just like Zelle, can't get it together. They're a big company that doesn't feel right either.
Hannah Smith
So, yeah, like, what's going on?
Paisha Eaton
I'm sure that was just, like, already stress levels are rising. She says, it makes no sense. I know, but I deposited this check and sent him more money. So he sends her a check for a quote refund. She deposits it. Then she says, I got a call from my bank that the check had bounced. After calling Jason and yelling at him and telling him he's a scam artist, he said he can only cancel the lease and give me my money back if I send him $500.
Hannah Smith
Oh, my gosh.
Paisha Eaton
I know. At that point, I stopped talking to him. He took a total of $12,000 from me, which was basically my entire savings.
Hannah Smith
Oh, my gosh. That's, like, so horrible and heartbreaking.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. And honestly, it was. I've rented for so many years. And. Yeah, I mean, you see in that online, you go in, you fill out all your information. Social Security number. It's so much information.
Hannah Smith
Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
And it's just a piece of paper you're handing to someone you've never met.
Hannah Smith
Totally. And you know, this is a suburb of la, and so it's also, like, for context, I think it's different in different places. Right. But trying to find somewhere to live in la, I'm not talking about buying a house. I'm talking about renting an apartment. It is such a horrible experience. It is so difficult. I remember going and showing up to listings, and it's like, I'm getting there right when the open house starts. There is a line of people down the block, and everyone already has, like, a printed statement of why they would be a good tenant, and they're schmoozing with the landlord. It is, like, so competitive.
Paisha Eaton
There's regularly bidding wars. I have a friend who just rented a house that 17 other people showed up, the same open house that she did, and they had to pay 2 years rent up front to get that house.
Hannah Smith
That's nuts.
Paisha Eaton
It's nuts. So she goes on to say, most of my family and friends don't even know that this happened to me. I'm very ashamed. But I also feel like this kind of scam needs to be known to the general public. I tried to message my local Instagram and Facebook accounts with no luck. I filed a police report, but honestly, I don't know what they're doing because I'm afraid to even call. It took a lot for me to even get to the point where I could file a report because I'm so incredibly embarrassed. I have really next to no actual Information about Jason. We don't know that that's his real name and I highly doubt that that's his real name. I've been working as an ER nurse for the last six years. Worked a lot of overtime during COVID to save that money. And some of it was gifted to me by my parents and money I'd been saving for the day we could finally afford to buy a home. And this stranger took it from me simply because I could not fathom that something like this could be a scam. What bothers me the most is that I had the bad feeling about it the whole time, even since we applied, but I ignored it. Now we are settled in a new place with a great and real landlord, but I've been working overtime to save up again, taking time away from my 15 month old and my husband. I don't think I will ever not be mad at myself for this. I mean, that's heartbreaking. But like, I don't think that many people would have been able to like sniff that out. That's pretty normal. Like you go in, you find a landlord that you like working with, you find a property, you send money via Zell. I mean, that seems so standard. It's like, I wonder how many people he's been able to do this to because no one wants to talk about it.
Hannah Smith
Probably so many people. There's a lot of rental scams. And also it's that of, oh my gosh, I found something, I found a place I love, it's a good deal. And then that feeling of like, I need to jump on this quickly because if I don't like, it will go to someone else. And that's also like actually a reality. Yeah. Is that it will. Even when they're real, it's like you kind of have to move really quickly. And so that situation is ripe for scams. I was looking up things though, like, what can you do? And one of the things that is recommended is always meet the person that's renting to you in person. And so in this email she talks about like being given the code to the house, which feels so legitimate. But also the scammer could have found a different listing and pretended to be like a prospective tenant, gotten that code and then just like pretended like he was the landlord. Right?
Paisha Eaton
Yeah.
Hannah Smith
So always like try to meet someone in person was the recommended first sort of way to make sure that this is real, this is a real person. They really like they have the keys to the house, you know. Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
But you know, I rented a house a couple of years ago and I never met the landlord in person and we ended up moving from there after maybe less time than we thought we would, but it was a perfectly real situation. It was his house and he just didn't live locally. And we met him over zoom and we were let in remotely. And you know, that was a real listing. So I don't think that she should feel shame or embarrassment. I think that could happen to anyone. But it's good to know there's a few little safeguards you can put up.
Hannah Smith
Yeah. Okay, so one other thing you can do is you can ask for identification from your landlord and you can also just like do a quick Google search. You know, are they part of a rental group? Just verify what you can about them, which is at least one step that you could take, I suppose, in this very difficult situation of trying to rent an apartment.
Andrea Gunning
This is Andrea Gunning from Betrayal. I want to take a moment to talk about something that impacts how we feel every day. Our Gut Health. If you've been dealing with sluggish digestion, constant fatigue, brain fog, trouble losing weight or poor sleep, your gut may need some extra care. Your gut plays a vital role in your overall well being because scientists now say it's the foundation of your vitality and long term health. That's where Bioma comes in. This novel supplement has everything you need for a healthy and thriving gut. With every serving you get prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics that are science backed and third party tested so you can enjoy comfortable digestion, boundless energy, better focus and restful sleep, and even smoother weight management. When following a healthy lifestyle, just take two tiny Bioma capsules each morning before breakfast and start feeling your best. Visit Byoma Health and use code BETRIAL to get 15% off your first order. That's Byoma Health code BETRIAL for 15%.
Unknown Speaker
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Paisha Eaton
Ugh. Come on. Why is this taking so long? This thing is ancient.
Unknown Speaker
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Andrea Gunning
Whoa, this thing moves.
Unknown Speaker
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Hannah Smith
Next, we have an email from a woman named Ava who gave us permission to use her name. She reached out to us in May and this is what she said in her email. My name is Ava. I love your show and I wanted to write in with a story of mine you may be interested in. At the age of 15, I met an online friend through a public Minecraft server. He was 18 at the time and we became very close friends very quickly. After a few months he convinced me that we should, in quotes, date, even though he lived in North Carolina and I lived in California. I reluctantly agreed and we started dating. I was under the impression that he would come and visit me in person soon and our online relationship would only be temporary. Only about a week after we started dating, he backed out of going into the military last minute and moved out of his dad's house to live with his mom and half siblings. It was a very unstable home. His mom was using drugs and had different men in the house. There were sometimes incidents with gun violence too. Wow. So he like immediately is going into this very volatile situation and makes a huge life decision not to join the military, which was his plan, I guess.
Paisha Eaton
And wants to online date a girl who's 15.
Hannah Smith
Yeah, he started smoking weed at an unhealthy rate and picking fights with me. These fights would start from the smallest thing I would say or do and would last for hours. He spammed my phone with multiple paragraphs until I was apologizing relentlessly for something I didn't even understand that I did wrong.
Paisha Eaton
Okay, that reminds me of a time when I had a friend in a situation where she had caught her boyfriend doing something really bad and she had written him a text about it or he had written her a text about it. And it was back in the day where if you texted someone enough, their phone would delete prior messages, and he just started spamming her phone over and over and over. It's like, you know, like, consume someone totally. It's like a form of control.
Hannah Smith
Yeah. It reminds me of the book we both read. There is no Ethan too, where it was a form of abuse and control, where this online boyfriend was just relentlessly emailing and requiring constant time and attention. Especially when Ithan knew that Ana was gonna be, like, at work or at a social event, it would increase. So it really felt like this, like, intentional controlling thing.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. And she had always done something wrong.
Hannah Smith
Yes. I was always like, oh, my gosh, you've disappointed me or hurt me. And now I need to take up a lot of your emotional energy right now.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah.
Hannah Smith
Okay. So Ava goes on to say, this happened over a longer period of time, slowly getting worse and worse. I started isolating myself from friends and family. I was always up in my room talking to him on the phone, trying to keep him happy. I started walking on eggshells around him. Careful of my tone of voice and the things I would say. He would always find something to start out hours long fights over. During these arguments, he would self harm and send me pictures of his injuries. Yikes.
Paisha Eaton
That's so manipulative.
Hannah Smith
Yeah, really.
Paisha Eaton
And unhealthy. I mean, if someone's really doing that, it's like they need professional help. Also, the idea that she's walking on eggshells around, you know, someone who the entirety of the relationship and it's happening online on the phone. But that's real now. You know, your phone can ring and your stomach can drop because that's how relationships are forming.
Hannah Smith
Yeah. Oh, this makes me so sad for her, especially being 15. It's just like, you're so young. And it's sad that she's, like, spending all this time and feeling this burden over someone who likes. Yeah. Clearly needs help himself, but it's not her responsibility. But it's so easy to not understand that when you start getting emotionally involved with someone and there's that manipulation factor happening.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, absolutely.
Hannah Smith
Then she says, he made me think it was my fault or it could have been avoided if I had done something different. So that's horrible. It became 100% my responsibility to keep him in a good mood. He demanded hours of my time. He started to control every aspect of my life. I was allowed no privacy, no boundaries. He always knew where I was, and he would get upset if I weren't on a call every second of every day. Pretty much. We would be on the phone for upwards of 16 hours at a time. And he frequently would use his self harm to control her and like threatened to go to even more extreme lengths, like to die by suicide. Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
I mean, 16 hours of a person's day to be spent on the phone. It's like I think anyone would have a hard time then deciphering, well, what is my real life that I'm actually living? Is it this person I'm on the phone with because it's taking up so much of my time? Or is it outside of that, at age 15, 16, 17, I wouldn't have known the difference.
Hannah Smith
No. And I just remember like when I was that age, my emotions were so intense and like strong. And so that too, I can only imagine, would like make this situation even harder. Like I can imagine she would just feel trapped. Like I think I would feel trapped if I were in that scenario.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. And you probably don't have a lot of other relationship experience to draw from. So what are you comparing it to?
Hannah Smith
Yeah, so this happened when she was like 16 and 19. They never met in person, which is interesting. Obviously they lived like on different sides of the country, but yeah, it's like online relationship, very real. Like they never met in person, but it affected her life so deeply. She said, my mindset during this time was just based on survival in my mind. I had no choice to leave because then it would have been my fault if he like did something harmful to himself. After a few years of this, he moved back to his dad's house and there was a noticeable shift in his mental state. There were fewer arguments. I was able to leave him shortly after this time. Although he still tried to control how much time and details of about my life that I provided him. I had no one to help me and was utterly alone in this at such a young age. These years deeply affected my life and still do. Unfortunately, my parents were not able to help me during this time because they didn't know the warning signs that someone might be getting abused. I'm writing this in because abusive relationships come in so many forms and I would like to spread awareness about it to hopefully prevent someone else from experiencing what I did.
Paisha Eaton
Wow. Yeah, I mean, I'm happy she wrote us. I want to talk about the dangers. We have talked a little bit about the dangers of online dating, but, you know, it's become the norm. And I think that obviously as an adult, you download a dating app, you go on dates, but Kids are online playing games where they can interact with people. I mean, when I was a child and you could like log into your one computer in the house and get on like AOL or whatever it was.
Hannah Smith
The computer room.
Paisha Eaton
The computer. Computer room. Oh my gosh. I'll throw it back. I played this game called Horseland.
Hannah Smith
Oh my gosh. Of course you did.
Paisha Eaton
Of course I did. I know. And there was like a chat room where you would like go in and try to sell your like virtual horse. And there would be like, I remember seeing kind of creep messages in that chat room and just thinking, well, that's weird.
Hannah Smith
Yeah, like not really totally understanding what's going on.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, no clue what was going on.
Hannah Smith
But that there were like creepy people in. What is it? Horse world.
Paisha Eaton
Horseland.
Hannah Smith
Horseland.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. They would just drop these like weird things in the chat room and I'd be like, excuse me, maybe they don't know where they are, but they knew exactly where they were. And you know, now kids are way more tech savvy than I was at that age. Also, they're not in a computer room where I remember the computer screen faced the entire room. So it would have been very easy for my parents to come in and monitor anything that was going on. Yeah, I mean, it's a very real risk and form of abuse. Meeting someone online and being taken advantage of.
Hannah Smith
Yeah, for sure. I feel like a little bit disconnected from what teens are doing now, to be honest. It's just what I like read about. I think probably they're much more hopefully suspicious and also understanding of the Internet than we were at that time.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah.
Hannah Smith
The idea that you can get roped into something and abused over the Internet is so real and something that should be acknowledged.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah.
Andrea Gunning
This is Andrea Gunning from Betrayal. I want to take a moment to talk about something that impacts how we feel every day, our gut health. If you've been dealing with sluggish digestion, constant fatigue, brain fog, trouble losing weight or poor sleep, your gut may need some extra care. Your gut plays a vital role in your overall well being because scientists now say it's the foundation of your vitality and long term health. That's where Bioma comes in. This novel supplement has everything you need for a healthy and thriving gut. With every serving, you get prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics that are science backed and third party tested so you can enjoy comfortable digestion, boundless energy, better focus and restful sleep, and even smoother weight management when following a healthy lifestyle. Just take two tiny bioma capsules each morning before breakfast and start feeling your best. Visit Byoma Health and use code BETRIAL to get 15% off your first order. That's Byoma Health code BETRIAL for 15%.
Unknown Speaker
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Paisha Eaton
Ugh. Come on. Why is this taking so long? This thing is ancient.
Unknown Speaker
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Paisha Eaton
Whoa.
Andrea Gunning
This thing moves.
Unknown Speaker
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Hannah Smith
We did follow up with Ava and she sent us a little more information. She said that when she was 16, she tried to convince her parents to let her fly to see her online boyfriend and they said no. They were like this is an older guy and we don't want you to fly out of state to meet someone who we don't know, we haven't met. And she says When I was 18 I tried to tell my parents again that I wanted to fly out to see him and they firmly told me no. Again. I tried to play the legal adult card. It did not end up flying out without their permission because I knew it would cause a lot of problems between us. It became clear after a while that John was perfectly content with our relationship being 100% online and he did not have any plans to come see me in person. In hindsight, my parents made the right call and potentially saved me from a relationship which could become even more abusive and controlling. Who knows how much worse things could have become if I had visited him in person.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, truly. I mean, I'm speculating, but it feels like the danger of an online relationship, especially as a child, a teenager, is when no one, like a parent even knows about it. Because sometimes that's the case. It's like she clearly at some point shared with her parents that she had built this relationship with someone online. My dad would have said the exact same thing. My mom would have said the exact same thing. Like, no freaking way. It's a real danger. There was a case, probably a lot of people have heard of it, the disappearance of a teenage girl from Glendale, Arizona, back in 2019. Her name is Alicia Navarro. She was believed to have met someone online who lured her away. And she left her home in the middle of the night. She left a note that said, I ran away. I will be back, I swear. I'm sorry. And she was not found until she turned 18, when she walked into a small town police station in Montana and said she wanted to be taken off the missing persons list. Because now she was 18, was she.
Hannah Smith
Still with the person that she had left to go meet?
Paisha Eaton
So they've never said. But the person that she was living with at the time, he's never been publicly connected to her actual disappearance or charged with any crimes in relation to that disappearance. So what happened is when she said, hey, I wanna be taken off the missing persons list. This is my name, of course, that triggered that police department to contact the police department locally where she had been living when she disappeared. So they connected her back to her family, and so they started a line of communication. And then a few months, I think went by. Cause I was like checking in on it a lot. And there were no arrests made with her disappearance. And then the apartment she had been living in with an older man was raided, and there's a search warrant. And he, like, tried to get rid of his phone really quickly and all of that. So she eventually returned home to her family and he was arrested, charged and convicted of possession of child sex abuse material. A crime related to possession of that. I don't recall the exact crime, but the images were not of her. And she had absolutely no ties to that court case. But it is the person that she had been living with. And he was sentenced to a hundred years.
Hannah Smith
Wow. How old was she when she left 14. Oh, my God.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. And then she was 18 when she walked into that police station.
Hannah Smith
Wow.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. And her mom had this Facebook page where she would plead for people to, like, send in any leads, and there was a private investigator working on the case. I mean, she was not found, and I don't know that she would have been if she hadn't walked into that police station. It's incredibly scary. And what they think happened is she met someone online on an online game. But, yeah, luckily she was found alive and has been reconnected with her family. I think that's the danger. Right. Is you don't even know who your kids are connecting with online most of the time. So I think there's, like, all kinds of parental controls in place now, but it terrifies me.
Hannah Smith
Yeah. I mean, kids and also adults, though, too. I think it happens, too.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. I mean, elderly people are at risk of this in different ways. We all are. But, like, maybe someone who's not as savvy about the bad things that happen online is particularly vulnerable. And, you know, there's an actual term for this, digital abuse or digital dating abuse.
Hannah Smith
Wow. Yeah. Where the coercion or control takes place entirely online. I'm so glad there's a term for it now that makes sense. So I'm trying to remember who told this to me, but I remember there was, like, a point in my life when I realized I had this, like, revelation. I was probably, like, already in my 30s, someone had said something to me where they were like, you know, when you're in an interaction or a relationship, pay attention to how you're feeling, because that is, like, one of the biggest things that you should pay attention to instead of, like, am I just getting so focused on the chaos that this other person is creating, and it's making me feel anxious to try to, like, help them. But then when I sit back, it's like, well, is that really how I want to feel in a relationship is, like, constantly anxious about someone else's chaos? It's not a good feeling.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. It's so unhealthy. And, I mean, it's so true. And I think a lot about, like, moments where maybe in my past relationships, things I was like, I don't want to keep sharing these things with my friends because now I know that it's probably past time to leave. And that was always a big sign for me internally, when you don't want.
Hannah Smith
To tell your friends what's going on. Right.
Paisha Eaton
Because it's different than, like, oh, my husband refrigerated the peanut butter. It's like, you know, once you're retelling sort of the same kind of story over and over again, it's like, huh, this is not a one off. This is not a problem. I just need to solve. This is their issue to be dealing with. And I also think my dad gave me great advice as a teenager, which stuck with me, which is, it only takes one person to break up. Like, you don't need their permission to break up with them.
Hannah Smith
That is such good advice. Thanks, dad.
Paisha Eaton
Thanks, dad.
Hannah Smith
Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. He also told me to never pluck my eyebrows. I didn't listen. I did not listen.
Hannah Smith
I was like, someone should have told me that. I'm pretty sure my mom did. And I was like, I'm gonna do what I want.
Paisha Eaton
It's the 90s. Yeah.
Hannah Smith
It's really good advice. Thank you so much for writing in, Ava. And we're really happy that you were able to get out of this relationship.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. Truly. So our next listener email came from a person who has done their own deep dive into a missing person's case in their hometown of Berea, Kentucky. This is the disappearance of Brooklyn.
Hannah Smith
I read the last email, but maybe I'll read this one as well, because it's a short email. And then you have done a bunch of research about the case, and so I'm excited to hear what you found, but I'll set it up with this email. This listener wrote, my hometown has a still unsolved mystery disappearance that I think you all could cover really well. It has it all. Arson, the hollers of rural Kentucky, and a potential connection to a child pornography ring. You may already be familiar with the name Brooklyn Farthing. She disappeared from Berea, Kentucky on June 22, 2013, after attending a party with friends in a neighboring county. There are a couple of decent sources available on this case, and I'm willing to bet there are people who want to talk about it. I have a couple of my own theories, but I'll spare you. I'd be interested to see what conclusions, if any, you are able to draw from the case.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. So actually wish this listener was here because I have some questions about their theories. But let me just start off with a little bit of information about Brooklyn and who she is. So her sister Paige described Brooklyn on. I quoted this from their website. My sister Brooke was a spunky, tell you how it is, lovable person. She loved animals and the outdoors, but she was truly a girly girl who loved pink and camouflage. She would do anything to help anyone she had the sweetest, deep blonde, country sounding voice you can only find in Kentucky. In 2013, Brooklyn was 18 years old. She had recently graduated from Madison Southern High School. There was nothing out of the ordinary going on for Brooklyn prior to her disappearance. And on June 21, 2013, the day started out like any other, except that on this day, she and her sister Paige were going to take their driver's test for their licenses. And are they twins?
Hannah Smith
Are they both sisters?
Paisha Eaton
They're just sisters and they happen to be taking it at the same time. And I think Brooke is the older sister of the two. And Brooke passed, Paige did not so little sibling rivalry there. But mostly the two of them were focused on celebrating their grandfather's birthday later that evening. So they met at their Granny Bonnie's house to celebrate their Papa Kenny. And afterwards they had planned to go to a party out. So after the party, everything's fine and normal. They celebrate with family. Brooklyn, Paige and their cousin all drive out to the party together. The plan is, so Brooklyn has an overnight bag packed and she's gonna meet another friend at this party and spend the night with her. So she has a ride home and she has a place to stay that night all set up for her beforehand, which I think is so smart if you're driving out of town and there's gonna be people you don't know somewhere.
Hannah Smith
Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
So shortly after arriving, Paige and their cousin actually head back. They don't stay at the party, but Brooklyn stays because she has this friend there that has said that she can stay the night with her and get a ride home. So unfortunately, what ends up happening is this friend that Brooklyn made plans with bails. She decides she wants to stay overnight with her boyfriend.
Hannah Smith
Oh, wow.
Paisha Eaton
So she leaves Brooklyn at this party, Brooklyn, then she recognizes a few faces, but doesn't seem to be like close friends of her there any longer. But she's having a good time. And so she stays at the party and she recognizes a male classmate of hers is there, former classmate from Madison Southern High. And he is quite drunk. And so she's like, not only do I need to find a ride home, but I need to find him a ride home. She had actually been in a long term relationship that they had been engaged and then had just broken up. And so she recognizes a friend of her former fiance at this party. She doesn't know him well, but she does know him enough to feel somewhat comfortable. And she sees he has his truck there. So she's like, can you take me and this person that she Went to high school with home. When the party's over because he can't drive, he's so drunk, and my ride left.
Hannah Smith
And this is 2013, which, like, I think Uber was maybe, like, first a thing, but probably just in cities.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, I doubt it was out in Kentucky. I mean, also in 2013, I still remember, like. Like taking cabs even in LA.
Hannah Smith
Yeah. So it was like, still a thing where. How do I get home late at night?
Paisha Eaton
Totally. And I mean, in small towns, it still can take a while to get an Uber sometimes. Plus, you know, she had been with her fiance for years, so to know even though they had then broken up, you know, this is a person she loved and trusted, and this is a friend of that person.
Hannah Smith
Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
So he agrees to give them a ride, and they do drop off Brooke's classmate, who was very drunk at his house. But then instead of taking Brooklyn home, he takes her to his house. And, you know, there's not a lot known about what he told her about that decision being made, but she's uncomfortable. But at this point, she's with this man and he's taking her to his house.
Hannah Smith
And how do you know that that decision happened or that she was uncomfortable?
Paisha Eaton
Right. So Brooklyn had her cell phone and she was texting with her sister and with her ex fiance because they were still on good terms. And she was like, hey, I'm getting kind of weirded out. Like. Yeah, yeah. Not her exact words, but she was relaying to them that she had a little bit of concern that her friend had bailed on her and now she's with this other person. So her sisters, I watched in an interview said they were unable to come and get her. They totally would have, but they were unable to because they had also been drinking. And so. So, you know, it's a small town where bad things don't really happen. So there wasn't like. It's not like someone just dropped the ball and should have gotten her. There wasn't like a big cause for concern known to them in that moment. And as the night goes on, it's getting really late. So Brooklyn's texting with her now ex fiance, and he's at a factory job that's overnight, and he's gonna get off at about 6:30am so they're texting around 4am and she's like, I'm getting really scared. Can you please come get me? And he's like, I can come after my shift. And she's like, okay. And then she's like, I think she Sends a text that says, please hurry or something that is really fearful. And he doesn't see that until after he's off of his shift.
Hannah Smith
Oh, wow.
Paisha Eaton
So it's clear that her fear is ramping up at this point. So Paige, her sister, had a final conversation with Brooklyn over the phone back around 4am that's when Brooklyn told her she had left with someone she knew from the party. She would be catching a ride home with her ex fiance as soon as he got off work. And so they were like, okay, great. But then at 5:30am, her texts change. She's no longer scared or worried. She says she's actually going to another party. Her text reads, never mind, I'm okay. I'm going to a party in Rock Castle County. Strange.
Hannah Smith
Suspicious.
Paisha Eaton
Very suspicious. And so Brooklyn never comes home and she's not heard from again. So now we're at June 22, 2013, so very early morning hours when an investigation into her disappearance begins. We learn that the person who took Brooklyn back to his house, well, his house was in foreclosure. The utilities were not operating. Everything had been turned off. It was a totally dilapidated house. And he says he left early in the morning. Brooklyn was still at the house, and he left to go check on a horse. And so later that day, he calls in to report a fire that had broken out in his house. And it had started on this sofa. Really strange, because they go and investigate this fire and he never, well, I'll get to this later. But Brooklyn's belongings were still at the house, but she was not there. So when he reports the fire, he never says, there's a person in the house, please go make sure she's okay. He just reports the fire, which is really strange.
Hannah Smith
Meaning, like, he knew that she wasn't in the house.
Paisha Eaton
He must have known that she wasn't in the house. It's like this is a foreclosed on house. What's his big concern if not a human being inside of it? If there's a fire? Super weird. Now, he has never been named as a suspect formally in the case. He has never been charged with any crimes related to her disappearance. But I found an article published on August 11, 2020. A local news station, Lex18 News, said that the man who took Brooke and her friend back from the party that night was Josh Hensley. And when this article was published in 2020, he was currently in jail on charges including possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. And from what I can tell online, he's actually still incarcerated, but possibly could be released later this year, which is, I think, terrifying. Brooklyn's mother, she commented to this reporter in this article, you know, I think there's a lot of, obviously, suspicion around this man because he was the last person to see her.
Hannah Smith
Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
And the fire is very strange. And why would you take a girl home? Back to your home, and then if you're gonna go check on a horse, why wouldn't you bring her and drop her off then?
Hannah Smith
It doesn't make any sense. It's so suspicious. I'm shocked that he was never a suspect. Like, how does that happen?
Paisha Eaton
How does that happen? I mean, I can only imagine how her family feels. Yeah. And I was on, you know, a Facebook page related to her disappearance, and it seems like there's a fair amount of, like, pretty reasonable outrage that there's at least one person who should be. I don't know, it seems surprising that he hasn't been named as a suspect. And maybe that's, like, a strategy. I have no idea. I don't know what happened. But it seems reasonable to think that a man who said he would take her home and then didn't, didn't have great intentions. It's terrible. And I'm sure the friend of hers that left her at the party that night feels terrible. Yeah. And, you know, it made me think about that case in Sparta, Tennessee, you know, a very different case because those two kids, there's an accident, they drive into the river, and. But Rosa, who was their friend that was supposed to be with them that night, she carried a lot of guilt for a long time about not having been there, and it's just terrible. And, yeah, I would love to know why he hasn't been. Or someone hasn't been held accountable. I guess it's just maybe a lack of evidence. I have no idea.
Hannah Smith
So what happened to the ex fiance? Did he end up driving to this house because he was friends with this guy, Josh Hensley? Hensley. So her ex fiance was friends with. I don't know how long they'd known each other, but this is his friend, supposedly. So he knows where he lives, I would assume. Did he end up driving to come get her, or were these texts that were sent that were like, just kidding, we're going to a party. Did he believe them?
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, that's a great question. I don't know. I wonder if I could find out. You know, I think the next day, what I recall reading was that it was like, okay, well, surely she'll be home anytime now. And then as time goes on, you learn a little more and a little more. And then you learn about a weird fire. And a neighbor had supposedly seen her at the house, but so rural area already, and he lived on the outskirts of that.
Hannah Smith
Yeah. Okay. You know, we don't know what went into the investigation or where the case is, like, from the investigator standpoint now, but it's so hard to believe because, like, there are times when a crime happens or someone's even just being periphery to it or happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time ends up, like, sending them to prison for 20 years. And obviously, every case is different, but the fact that this man did a series of things that were all suspicious was the last person to see her. You know, that her texts changed so dramatically and in tone feels like, well, was she texting or was he texting? And where is she? And why is the couch now on fire? Is this an attempt to cover up evidence? I don't know.
Paisha Eaton
But why are her belongings there and she's not?
Hannah Smith
Yeah. How is it that. No, and I don't know, maybe they did look into it, but it just feels so suspicious.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. I mean, I'm sure there is some detective or law enforcement locally there probably equally or more frustrated with the lack of movement in the case.
Hannah Smith
Maybe you should call him up.
Paisha Eaton
I should call him up?
Hannah Smith
Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
It's terrible. And I think, you know, even now you hear so much about rideshare drivers and it's not always safe to get a ride home with someone you don't know. Yeah. Brooke's family has set up a website and Facebook page where people can submit information and tips and, you know, they're not going to stop looking for her.
Hannah Smith
Well, thanks for the listener who wrote that in and for all of the digging that you did on that.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. We love hearing from you guys. And there's so many cases we haven't heard of that we're glad to look into or see if we can get interviews on them. And so if there's one that's on your mind, reach out.
Hannah Smith
Thenifexactlyrightmedia.com Send us an email. Okay. Recommendations? I have multiple. My first recommendation, it's actually, we know some people who worked on this show. It's called Hunt for the Anthrax Killer. And I found it to be so interesting. A lot of people will probably remember after 9 11, there were these anthrax lace letters that were mailed out to people as well as news agencies. And it was this really big scare at the time because there was, you know, 9, 11 had just happened, and then there was this anthrax thing happening, and it was sort of like a scramble to figure out what was going on with that. And in the opening episode, the host talks about remembering this anthrax scare that happened, but not really remembering a lot of the details about it or, like, who actually sent the anthrax letters. And I realized that I had the same experience. Like, I was like, actually what was going on with that.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, like, I definitely know the word anthrax and that those letters were sent, and I know nothing else about it.
Hannah Smith
Yeah, this is a really great investigation into that. They interview different FBI agents who worked on this investigation. It was a long investigation to try to find some answers. I thought it was really well done and really interesting.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, I'll have to give that a listen.
Hannah Smith
My second recommendation. This is a podcast that I've listened to for years, but I really like it. It's against the odds. It's a wondery podcast. Have you listened to this one?
Paisha Eaton
I have listened to a few episodes of it, but actually not in a while. I should go back.
Hannah Smith
Yeah. Such a different format of podcasting. Right. It's just like a narrator telling a story, a historical story of people surviving in wilderness situations. They did a season that I really liked a couple years back that covered the plane crash in the Andes. Uruguayan air force, flight 571. It was the rugby team that was on the way to, like, a tournament, and they crashed in the Andes and very high elevation. And some of them survived, like, this wild story of surviving for many days. It was really well done. And then I just started their newest season, which is about Mount St. Helens erupting.
Paisha Eaton
Oh, my gosh. Actually, my mom just sent me these wild photos of my college campus at Wazoo, Washington State University, after that eruption covered in ash.
Hannah Smith
Wow.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah.
Hannah Smith
It was 1980 that it happened, so I'm just really enjoying it. It's a totally different kind of podcast than what we do, but I think their storytelling is well done. It touches on similar to true crime. Almost like this is what I would do in that scenario. Even if it's not actually, there's something happening there. And I feel like I have the same thing with natural disaster content, where it probably is coming from some deep anxiety about climate change or something. Or maybe it's because I watched so many disaster movies growing up. You know, it's like Armageddon is, like, burned into my brain.
Paisha Eaton
I'm surprised you weren't allowed to watch this.
Hannah Smith
We could watch those Because I don't know why they weren't, like, religious. I don't know. For some reason, a lot of the stuff I wasn't allowed to watch. But action adventure was okay. So, yeah. Dante's Peak and Deep Impact, all of those movies are so vivid and formed part of how I became who I am. So whether it's scripted or if it's historical, I'm so into it, and I don't want that to be downplayed. The reality of the horror of natural disasters, it's something I think about a lot. And I also love listening to history podcasts. That's why I think one of the reasons I love Against All Odds is because it's sort of like the natural disaster. It's also stories of people surviving, which is really inspiring. And it's history as well. But one of the things I was thinking about is if I could create my perfect podcast. I mean, I can create.
Paisha Eaton
You can?
Hannah Smith
Yeah. But to listen to. I don't necessarily want to make this podcast, but I would love to listen to this podcast. A history podcast that touches on natural disasters, but that is told through a female lens or queer lens or more diverse lens. I just think the power of storytelling is so important to me. And no matter how sort of unbiased you are or whatever, like, your life experience does impact the way you view a story and the things that you might bring up about it. And so that's why I would love this kind of podcast. Except if it had like this extra lens to it.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah, actually. I mean, this is not natural disaster, but is wilderness. Is that show alone on the History Channel? Yes.
Hannah Smith
Love that show.
Paisha Eaton
Love that show. And on one of the earlier seasons, Gosh, I do not remember her name. I wish I did, but there was this woman on there, she was such a force. She had Ms. And she was absolutely crushing it. On Alone. There's cuts of her like throwing a fish back into the river because she was so well fed with what she already had. Oh, my gosh. Then they cut to this guy who's like, I'm leaving after three days. Like, I can't take this anymore.
Hannah Smith
It's always the like prepper dudes who can't cut it. And then it's like the woman who, like made like wove her own chair. Yeah, yeah, she was thriving.
Paisha Eaton
Thriving. There was one woman who made like a jacket of squirrels or something. Probably my all time favorite on Alone was Callie. She was in a later season.
Hannah Smith
I don't know if I watched that one yet.
Paisha Eaton
Well, I'm not gonna give you a spoiler, but Callie rocked her season and was incredible to watch. But yeah, I was in an earthquake in seventh grade.
Hannah Smith
Wait, do you wanna tell people before we move on real quick what Alone is? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Paisha Eaton
So if you're not familiar, Alone is. It's an unscripted. It's a reality show, but not what you think. When you think reality shows. There's these contestants who are wilderness survival experts in some way. And they all have, you know, different backgrounds are from different climates. And the seasons mostly take place in Canada. Maybe all of them, I'm not sure. But deep in the wilderness, these people are dropped off all far away from each other. So everyone is alone. There is no camera crew. These people are trained to take their own footage with their own GoPros. And they really set up like the most beautiful shots. It's actually like, reminiscent for me of that documentary Grizzly Man.
Hannah Smith
Oh, I love that documentary.
Paisha Eaton
So good.
Hannah Smith
Very sad, but really good.
Paisha Eaton
Yeah. And he just, you know, he really took a lot of pride in setting up these shots. And they do the same thing probably because they don't have a lot to do when they're not trying to, like, fish or whatever.
Hannah Smith
And they're really alone for like a long time. Like they're trying to outlast everybody. So it's not like 30 days and you're done. It's just like you don't know you want to be the last one standing.
Paisha Eaton
And you don't know when the other people. People have dropped off. Which I think is genius because like, the mind games that that would play with you is like, okay, well, I'm almost ready to leave, but I'm just up against one other person. Would be a very different decision making process than if you knew that there were still six people left.
Hannah Smith
Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
Like, it's huge. Yeah. One moment from alone that I don't think it's talked about enough. I think it's on the very first season. Should fact check this before it. Before it airs. But I swear to you, there was. The crew comes and picks up the last person on the boat to tell them they've won. And on the way there, someone had brought this person cookies and a crew member ate them.
Hannah Smith
What?
Paisha Eaton
And I'm like, what kind of person who raised you. That's wild. Is this person starving in the wilderness and you ate the cookies someone made for them? Yeah.
Hannah Smith
That's so rude.
Paisha Eaton
Like, beyond my comprehension. But yeah, alone is, I think, just a great show and super impressive.
Hannah Smith
Yeah. Yeah, agreed. We're gonna tell a story about it.
Paisha Eaton
Oh, yeah. I have a very distinct memory of junior high. I was in. I think I was in seventh grade. And there was a big earthquake where I'm from in Washington state. And I was standing in the lunchroom. I think this plays into my fear of them. And I was waiting in line, or I was standing next to someone and this guy, like, kind of, like, bumped me. It just felt like a weird bump. Like, not like someone brushing your shoulder. And it took me a second to sort of realize what was happening. But we both sort of turn around and see the entire rest of the cafeteria is under the tables. And so I'm like, well, what do I do? Because then you realize the whole ground is moving. I swear I could see things, like, rolling. It was the most bizarre experience. There were, like, cracks in the concrete after this. And then the tile. It was weird. And then I got under the moving condiment cart where, like, the subs is, like, just swinging everywhere. Like, I know I would not survive.
Hannah Smith
It's better than nothing.
Paisha Eaton
It's better than nothing. But added another layer of difficulty to the moment.
Hannah Smith
Yeah.
Paisha Eaton
And, yeah. So then I also remember then walking outside of the cafeteria into, like, the courtyard of the school I went to, and a bird had fallen.
Hannah Smith
Oh, weird.
Paisha Eaton
And you don't see birds just, like, fall. And I don't.
Hannah Smith
It's a bad omen. Yeah. That's our show.
Paisha Eaton
Thanks for listening. Yeah.
Hannah Smith
We'll see you next week.
Paisha Eaton
If you have a story for us, we would love to hear. Our email is thenifexactlyrightmedia.com or you can follow us on Instagram henifpodcast or blueskyenifepodcast.
Hannah Smith
This has been an exactly right production. Hosted and produced by me, Hannah Smith.
Paisha Eaton
And me, Patia Eaton. Our producers are Tom Breyfogel and Alexis Amorosi.
Hannah Smith
This episode was mixed by Tom Breyfogle.
Paisha Eaton
Our associate producer is Christina Chamberlain.
Hannah Smith
Our theme music is by Birds in the Airport.
Paisha Eaton
Artwork by Vanessa Lilac.
Hannah Smith
Executive produced by Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark and Danielle Kramer.
Andrea Gunning
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Hannah Smith
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Andrea Gunning
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The Knife: Off Record – Episode 120 Summary
Release Date: August 14, 2025
Hosts: Hannah Smith and Paisha Eaton
In Episode 120 of The Knife: Off Record, hosts Hannah Smith and Paisha Eaton delve into compelling listener-submitted stories, shedding light on the intricate ripple effects of crime and personal trauma. This episode emphasizes the power of storytelling in healing and raising awareness about often-overlooked issues.
Email Overview: Survivor’s Connection to Mountain Park Baptist Boarding Academy
One listener shared a heartfelt message about how a previous episode on the Mountain Park Baptist Boarding Academy resonated deeply with them. The listener recounted an encounter with a survivor from the academy, facilitated through the podcast's coverage.
Notable Quote:
"I was so grateful to genuinely look her in the eye and say, I believe you."
— Hannah Smith [04:05]
Hosts' Reflections: Hannah and Paisha expressed emotional responses to the email, highlighting the significance of validating survivors' experiences and the therapeutic role of true crime narratives.
Email Overview: Victim of a Rental Scam in Santa Clarita, California
A listener detailed their harrowing experience with a rental scam that led to a loss of $12,000—impacting their savings intended for a home. The scam involved deceptive communications from a supposed landlord, misuse of Zelle for transactions, and manipulative tactics to extract more funds under false pretenses.
Notable Quotes:
"He took a total of $12,000 from me, which was basically my entire savings."
— Listener [08:21]
"This is such a horrible experience... it's so difficult."
— Listener [09:30]
Hosts' Reflections: Hannah and Paisha discussed the prevalence of rental scams, emphasizing the importance of due diligence, such as verifying landlords in person and researching property ownership to prevent similar frauds.
Email Overview: Ava’s Story of an Abusive Online Relationship Begun at Age 15
Ava courageously shared her experience of an abusive online relationship that began when she was 15. She described how an older online friend manipulated her through constant communication, emotional abuse, and controlling behaviors, leading to severe personal and emotional distress.
Notable Quotes:
"He made me think it was my fault or it could have been avoided if I had done something different."
— Ava [20:08]
"I had no one to help me and was utterly alone in this at such a young age."
— Ava [21:05]
Hosts' Reflections: The hosts highlighted the dangers of digital abuse and the importance of recognizing manipulation in online relationships. They stressed the need for awareness and support systems for young individuals navigating online interactions.
Email Overview: Unsolved Disappearance Case in Berea, Kentucky
A dedicated listener brought attention to the unresolved disappearance of Brooklyn Farthing from Berea, Kentucky, in 2013. The case involves suspicious circumstances surrounding her last known interactions and raises questions about the investigation's handling.
Case Details:
Notable Quotes:
"He said he left early in the morning, but Brooklyn was still at the house, and he left to go check on a horse."
— Paisha Eaton [43:22]
"It's so suspicious. I'm shocked that he was never a suspect."
— Paisha Eaton [44:34]
Hosts' Analysis: Hannah and Paisha scrutinized the inconsistencies in the case, particularly Hensley’s actions following Brooklyn’s disappearance. They expressed skepticism over the lack of formal suspicion directed at him and discussed the broader implications for missing persons cases in small communities.
Hannah's Podcast Picks:
"Hunt for the Anthrax Killer"
"Against All Odds"
Hosts' Insights: The hosts shared personal anecdotes and reasons for their recommendations, emphasizing the value of diverse storytelling perspectives and the emotional depth these podcasts provide.
Hannah and Paisha concluded the episode by reiterating the importance of listener contributions in uncovering untold stories and fostering a community built on shared experiences and support. They encouraged listeners to continue submitting their stories, ensuring that The Knife remains a platform for healing and awareness.
For more information or to share your story, listeners can email thenifexactlyrightmedia.com and follow The Knife on Instagram @theknifepodcast and on Bluesky @theknifepodcast.bsky.social.