The Turning: River Road – Season 3, Episode 9: "Jess"
Podcast: The Turning (iHeartPodcasts and Rococo Punch)
Release Date: August 19, 2025
Episode Theme:
This poignant episode centers on Lindsay Tornambe's relationship with Jess—the youngest Maiden of the River Road Fellowship. It explores their shared bond as survivors of decades-long abuse, the trauma and fracturing aftermath after escaping the cult, the loss of Jess to suicide in 2020, and Lindsay’s attempts to reconnect with the other "maidens" years later. Through intimate recollections, the episode examines themes of sisterhood, grief, longing, and the enduring impact of cult trauma.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
1. Photographs, Memories & The Loss of Innocence
(02:35–10:12)
- Lindsay revisits old photos from her time as a Maiden, recalling both the deep sisterly connections and the sinister context of their captivity under Victor, the cult leader.
- Despite the abuse suffered, Lindsay’s strongest memories are of the ten girls—her fellow maidens—rather than her own family or Victor.
- Quote:
“It reminds me of the maidens. And the day that our parents dropped us off was July 23, 2000... I don't think there's a day goes by that I don't think of the maidens. Even more so than my own siblings. I think of them as my sisters.”
— Lindsay [03:36] - Lindsay and Jess, best friends from childhood, held a special bond. Early musical performances together were among their few innocent memories before abuse began.
- Quote:
“I feel so sad for these little girls because, like, they don't even know that that innocence is slowly going to be ripped and torn away from.”
— Lindsay [09:34]
2. The Survivor Bond & Jess's Withdrawal
(10:12–12:47)
- After Victor’s sentencing, Jess and Lindsay drifted apart. Jess, seeking healing in her own way, ceased contact despite Lindsay’s attempts to reconnect.
- Lindsay details her efforts to reach Jess, contacting family members and receiving vague reassurances that Jess "just needs some time."
- In March 2020, Lindsay discovers via Facebook that Jess is in crisis—but learns too late that Jess had attempted suicide and was on life support.
- Quote:
“He said, she is on life support. And I was like, what? What happened? I am coming out there... And I think it was like an hour later he messaged me back and said that she was gone.”
— Lindsay [11:56]
3. Grief, Guilt & The Depth of Sisterhood
(12:47–14:52, 27:55–29:29)
- Lindsay describes the magnitude of loss—losing not just a friend but the only person who truly understood her experiences as a Maiden.
- Quote:
“I felt like I had lost the only person who really knew what I had went through... the only true sister who we had lived through this together and she was gone.”
— Lindsay [13:28] - In the months following Jess’s death (exacerbated by COVID-19 isolation), Lindsay found herself vowing to never let their story disappear:
- Quote:
“I will never let our story not be heard... Jess is never to be forgotten. I will make sure the world hears... I want to be that voice and that light and share Jess is and I’s story.”
— Lindsay [28:20]
4. Jess from Her Sister Gray’s Perspective
(17:54–24:46)
- Gray Odin Schweiss, Jess’s younger sister, provides further heartbreaking detail. Brainwashing, isolation, and the forced separation by cult elders meant Gray essentially lost her sister for years.
- Quote:
“I was robbed of my childhood. She was robbed of her childhood. But we were also robbed of each other.”
— Gray [20:39] - After both escaped, Gray and Jess gradually rebuilt their relationship as adults, only to lose each other again to Jess’s mental health struggles.
- Quote:
“I finally got my sister back. Like, I finally had what I should have had my whole life, only to lose her two and a half years later.”
— Gray [22:49] - Gray describes offering Jess safety in Germany, the survivor’s guilt, and her wish for Jess to find peace.
- Quote:
“I thought I could save her, and it just... I couldn't save her. And it wasn't enough. And it should have been me. I have so much survivor's guilt...”
— Gray [23:44]
5. Public Courage
(24:46–26:37)
- Footage of Jess at the post-sentencing press conference underscores her honesty and bravery, even as she admits the scars would remain.
- Quote:
“For him to say that he’s trying to spare us the pain of a trial—we prepared for that... It’s offensive because we are completely prepared and want our story to be told.”
— Lindsay and Gray [26:10–26:27]
6. Life After Trauma & Maidens’ Reconnection
(32:31–41:05)
- Lindsay reaches out to former maidens, yearning for reconnection and possible healing.
- She meets with Kelsey, a fellow ex-maiden. Their meeting is emotional and reveals the complexity of trauma and divided loyalties—Kelsey once defended Victor but ultimately saw him for who he was.
- Quote:
“I just got such the icky feeling and knew I never, ever wanted to support this person ever again. And that was the last time she ever saw him.”
— Lindsay recounting Kelsey’s words [36:59] - Lindsay also reconnects with another ex-maiden, once a leader among them, whose healing now centers on laughter and refusing to revisit the past.
- These connections offer Lindsay some closure, but she laments that the deep sisterhood they once had is irreparably changed.
- Quote:
“We were made into this beautiful pot and then it all got smashed into pieces and we've had to grow individually and heal individually and we just don't fit together anymore.”
— Lindsay [40:19]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “I think of them as my sisters... sometimes I just wish that I could have met them under different circumstances.”
— Lindsay [03:36] - “Just so sad, wishing I could have helped her... I felt like I had lost the only person who really knew what I had went through.”
— Lindsay [13:28] - “She tried so hard to move past it and to build a life outside of it. She tried everything she could to run from her demons and she couldn't.”
— Gray [18:16] - “They went through so much work to get me to forget her existence; to the point that when she moved back when I was 12, I had no idea who she was.”
— Gray [19:42] - “We just don't fit together anymore.”
— Lindsay [40:19]
Key Timestamps
- Photos & Maidenhood Memories: 02:35–10:12
- Survivor Bond/After Sentencing: 10:12–12:47
- Jess’s Death & Lindsay’s Grief: 12:47–14:52, 27:55–29:29
- Gray’s Memories & Sisterhood Loss: 17:54–24:46
- Press Conference (Jess’s Voice): 24:46–26:37
- Reconnecting with Other Maidens: 32:31–41:05
Episode’s Tone
The episode is intimate, reflective, and honest. It avoids sensationalism, instead allowing survivors’ voices and memories to illuminate the reality of life before, during, and after the cult. The tone balances grief and hope, loss and small steps towards healing, with a vivid undercurrent of longing for the innocence, bonds, and futures stolen from each child.
Summary
S3:EP9 "Jess" is a moving tribute to the enduring ties of trauma-forged sisterhood and the complexity of healing after cult abuse. Through Lindsay and Gray’s stories and direct, heart-rending recollections, the episode preserves Jess’s memory as both victim and survivor. It confronts the painful reality of mental health struggles post-trauma and the difficulty—and necessity—of speaking out and seeking reconnection, even in brokenness.