Podcast Summary: The Red Weather

Episode 6 | "To Live and Park in LA"

Host: Ryder Strong (iHeartPodcasts)
Release Date: February 13, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Ryder Strong's investigation into the 1995 disappearance of Anna Trainor reaches a series of turning points. As he grapples with resistance from authorities, skepticism from his inner circle, and growing public scrutiny after launching his podcast, his personal and professional lives become increasingly entangled. The episode is framed by Ryder’s deep-dive into a peculiar detail of the case: the trail left by Anna's car at a San Francisco airport parking lot, and a consequential, awkward confrontation with Anna’s former boyfriend, Mick Bowden, in Los Angeles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Balancing Family with Obsession

• Ryder shares scenes from his home life, particularly around his son, Indy. Indy is following in his parents' footsteps as a performer, having recently started voiceover work.

• Indy's moral clarity and questioning push Ryder to reflect on his own motives and perseverance with the case.

  Indy: “Dad, you should help. You have to help. That’s the right thing.” (10:02)

• Ryder’s wife and son express concern and exasperation about the emotional toll the case is taking on him.

2. Growing Resistance, Public Scrutiny, and Legal Threats

• Since making the podcast public, Ryder faces backlash online and receives a cease-and-desist letter from Mick Bowden’s attorney, warning of potential defamation (14:05).

• Law enforcement, particularly Sheriff Maldonado, who originally led the investigation, stops responding to his outreach.

• Monica (journalist contact) and Ryder discuss their disappointment in the sheriff’s office's lack of transparency:

  Monica: "If they really cared about Anna and if they wanted to solve this cold case, they would have welcomed the transparency. Wouldn't they want to know where shit went wrong?" (18:55)

3. The Mixtape Re-examined

• The infamous tape Anna made—long a focus of the case—takes on new meaning as Ryder and his wife (Alex) speculate about the lyrics and the "Operation Van Gogh" reference.

• Anna’s song choices and movie quotes (from Wild at Heart, Badlands, True Romance, Natural Born Killers) suggest plans for a romantic escape, not just a hidden relationship.

• Ryder digitally transcribes the tape for deeper analysis.

  Ryder: “The mixtape was evidence that Anna did want to run away, that she and Mick were planning some great escape...” (34:40)

4. The Kelty Parking Lot Mystery

• Anna’s car ("Tony" the Toyota Tercel) was found in an unremarkable airport parking lot near SFO, leading to the runaway theory. Key findings:

  • The car was towed for unpaid fees after being left for an ambiguous period.
  • Evidence from the pay envelope is ambiguous: an entry date of “11/4” and “three days” written, possibly indicating either the day of entry or exit.
  • Because of the pay system (self-envelopes, cash, and no cameras), reconstructing the exact timeline is challenging. This complicates Mick's alibi.

  Monica: “So the person could have meant it either way. Which narrows the likely window of Tony pulling into the lot to November 1, before 6am... or sometime during the after hours of November 4th...” (49:49)

• An epiphany from a valet parking experience in LA makes Ryder suspect the off-numbered pricing at Kelty ($7/day) was deliberate to increase tips, paralleling the confusion in Anna's pay envelope (59:00).

5. Showdown in LA: Obtaining Mick’s Side

• Spotting that Mick Bowden will be appearing publicly in LA, Ryder, spurred by Monica and his own resolve, decides to confront him in person.

  • The encounter is tense; Mick is accompanied by a PR associate and an apparent bodyguard.
  • Julie, Mick’s PR, insists on recording their conversation.

• Ryder presses Mick on the night Anna disappeared and the mixtape's meaning, referencing direct transcripts and song lyric analysis.

  • Ryder: “Anna says your name. She says ‘Mickey.’”
  • Mick: “If someone called me Mickey, they weren’t doing it twice.” (1:10:10)
  • Mick’s revelation: The tape isn’t for him—it’s a collage of movie references, and while Anna left it in his car, he’s convinced it was made for another, older man possibly at the commune.

  Mick: “She even says they’re not the same age... I always said that she made that tape for somebody else, an older guy. I told them to look at the cult leaders, the teachers.” (1:14:25)

  • The conversation devolves, with Mick refusing further engagement.

• Ryder feels the confrontation was fruitless, but considers the journalistic adversity a badge of honor.

6. Contact from Anna’s Mother

• The episode ends on a pivotal, emotional note: Anna’s mother, Lainey Trainor, finally reaches out after years incommunicado, expressing vindication at Monica’s recent reporting and willingness to share new materials with Ryder.

  Lainey: “For me, this is yesterday... I have things, I have lots to show you, things you need to see. Okay, call me back, buddy.” (1:21:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Indy (Ryder’s son):
  “Dad, you should help. You have to help. That’s the right thing.” (10:02)

• Monica (case-obsessed journalist):
  “If they really cared about Anna... they would have welcomed the transparency.” (18:55)

• Ryder:
  “The mixtape was evidence that Anna did want to run away, that she and Mick were planning some great escape...” (34:40)

• Mick:
  “If someone called me Mickey, they weren’t doing it twice.” (1:10:10)

• Mick:
  “That tape’s not to Me? ... It’s some guy. She even says they’re not the same age... I always said that she made that tape for somebody else, an older guy.” (1:14:25)

• Lainey Trainor (Anna’s mother):
  “For me, this is yesterday... I have things, I have lots to show you, things you need to see. Okay, call me back, buddy.” (1:21:45)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:10:00–12:00 – Ryder’s home life; moral guidance from his son Indy
• 00:14:00–21:00 – Legal threats, Monica’s critique of the investigation
• 00:25:00–35:00 – The deeper meaning behind Anna’s mixtape (“Operation Van Gogh”), analysis with Alex
• 00:48:00–53:40 – The “Kelty parking lot” payment envelope; implications for Anna’s timeline
• 00:58:30–1:01:00 – Ryder’s valet epiphany about uneven pricing and parking psychology
• 1:03:00–1:17:30 – Confrontation with Mick Bowden in LA; breakdown of tape’s meaning
• 1:21:45 – Lainey Trainor’s call to Ryder

Conclusion & Next Steps

This episode marked a shift in Ryder’s investigation. The clues around the parking lot and payment envelope add ambiguity to the case timeline, while the showdown with Mick raises new questions about Anna’s relationships and motivations. With a first real contact from Anna’s mother, Ryder’s pursuit is both reinvigorated and emotionally heightened, setting up major developments for the next chapter.