True Crime Obsessed – Episode 452: "Look Into My Eyes: Part 2" (Sep 9, 2025)

Overview

In this intense and emotionally charged episode, hosts Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle dive into episodes 3 and 4 of the documentary "Look Into My Eyes." They recap the disturbing true story of Dr. George Kenney, a high school principal who hypnotized students—leading to controversy, tragedy, and criminal charges after three students died (two by suicide, one in a car accident). With characteristic humor and heart, the hosts break down the legal, ethical, and emotional fallout, highlighting media coverage, administrative failures, and the ripple effects on families and the school community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Hypnosis, Tragedy, and the Fallout (02:00–10:00)

• Death Timeline: The deaths of three students—Marcus (March: car accident), Wesley (April: suicide), and Brittany (May: suicide)—all occurred after sessions with Principal Kenney, raising serious questions about his role and the potential dangers of hypnosis on teenagers.
• Positional Parallels: Both suicides occurred with the victims in the same physical position as during their hypnosis sessions.
• Both hosts are openly outraged, questioning: “This guy went 29 years without doing hypnosis. Nobody died. He did one year of hypnosis. Three kids died. He says it's not connected.” (Host 1, 03:43)

Media Coverage and Public Opinion (04:00–08:00)

• Journalists: Elaine Emmerich, a parent and reporter, doggedly pursued the story despite administrative pressure. Kevin, the AV teacher, claims press coverage turned public opinion against Kenney, which the hosts dismiss as blaming the messenger.
  • “She’s a journalist who reported the facts. People get to decide on their own Kevin.” (Host 1, 05:29)
• Nuanced Debate: The hosts discuss the split community—some blaming Dr. Kenney, others defending his intentions and reputation.
• Media Sensationalism: Reproach for how national media latches onto the hypnosis angle, worsening trauma for bereaved families.

Administrative Failures and Accountability (09:00–14:00)

• Kenney Placed on Leave: After the hypnosis story breaks, Kenney is put on administrative leave. The hosts slam the school board’s slow and inadequate response.
  • “The sides are the families of the three dead kids and everybody else.” (Host 1, 09:26)
• Lack of Empathy: Hosts criticize parents and students for prioritizing graduation traditions over acknowledging the pain of grieving families.
  • “Can everyone stop making absolutely everything about themselves for five seconds?” (Host 2, 10:16)

The Nature of Kenney’s Hypnosis Sessions (11:00–14:00)

• Disturbing Details: Sessions often involved physical proximity (students’ heads on Kenney’s lap), which the hosts—and many listeners—found highly inappropriate and unsettling.
  • “The principal is running his fingers through a kid's hair. And it's really gross.” (Host 2, 11:29)
• Questionable Consent: Even when parents were present, video evidence showed sessions alone, undermining Kenney’s claims.

Patterns of Manipulation and Grooming (15:00–17:00)

• Boundary Crossings: Kenney filmed and kept notes on students, allegedly for future publications—not disclosed in permission slips.
  • “You brought your hobby to work... and ripped kids out of class under the manipulation and, dare I say, grooming.” (Host 2, 15:19)

Legal Investigation & The "Steele Report" (21:26–26:31)

• Private Investigation: The district hires PI Keith Steele, resulting in the 112-page "Steele Report," which outlines Kenney’s unlicensed activities.
• Scene Recap: The hosts express disbelief as the report details Kenney aggressively taking over a medical emergency in the weight room—trying to hypnotize an injured student while physically removing the school nurse.
  • “The principal is trying to get this boy with two dislocated shoulders… Listen to my voice, look into my eyes…” (Host 1, 23:31)

Legal Ramifications (26:00–29:37)

• Practicing Without a License: Wayne Beckman from the Florida Dept. of Health explains that Kenney violated statutes prohibiting unlicensed medical practice.
  • “If you are performing activities as a healthcare professional and you are not licensed, survival. Violation of the Florida statutes.” (Wayne Beckman, 25:36)
• Manipulation by Titles: Many parents gave Kenney permission because he flaunted a “Dr.” honorific, misleading people to assume he was a medical doctor.
  • “He’s a doctor of education, I guess. But that doesn’t mean that he’s allowed to perform health care.” (Host 2, 27:20)

Dangers of Hypnosis on Teens (30:02–32:08)

• Lack of Training: Dr. Julian (clinical hypnotherapist) highlights how advanced, risky, and inappropriate Kenney’s techniques were for minors—and how suggestion can have harmful psychological consequences.
  • “Once a person agrees to be hypnotized... we offer suggestions.” (Dr. Julian, 30:41)
• Regression Techniques: Kenney performs “hypnotic regression,” prompting students to relive traumatic events without the skills or credentials of a therapist.

Systemic Administrative Lapses (42:01–44:04)

• Ignored Warnings: The district verbally warned Kenney three times but never enforced or escalated action.
  • “The lawsuit said, if the school district didn't know that I was doing it, they should have known. And if they did know, then they should have stopped me.” (Kenney quoted by Host 1, 42:31)
• Permission Slip Evasion: For several years, no permission slips were required; later ones were vague, misleading about his qualifications, and never disclosed research or filming.

Civil and Criminal Outcomes (46:49–48:47)

• Legal Resolution: Kenney avoids felony charges by pleading guilty to misdemeanors; receives probation and community service, but keeps his pension and lives comfortably.
  • “He ends up getting one year probation and 50 hours of public service work.” (Host 2, 40:20)
• Civil Suit: Parents of the three victims settle with the school district for $200,000 each (capped by law), chiefly for the record rather than any sense of justice.

Impact on Families & Survivors (48:47–51:22)

• Enduring Trauma: Families grieve with no meaningful closure. Survivor guilt runs rampant among students still living.
  • “If you lose a husband, you're widowed... But there isn’t a word to lose your child.” (Britney’s mom, 49:04)

Kenney’s Lack of Remorse (51:22–56:22)

• Self-Pity and Denial: Kenney frames himself as a “victim,” never showing empathy or responsibility for the lives lost.
  • “All he can do is talk about how it was not his fault. And he can't understand the witch hunt.” (Host 1, 51:28)
• Manipulative Messaging: When shown at the school memorial, Kenney recites the exact same “all-American kid” eulogy line-by-line as he had for years, demonstrating a performative, insincere affect.
  • ”It is the exact same speech. He is pausing for effect in the same places.” (Host 2, 55:23)

Broader Lessons and Final Thoughts (58:08–59:59)

• The Real Harm: The hosts reiterate the dangers of unlicensed mental health intervention, especially on vulnerable teens, with no clinical expertise or oversight.
  • “I think they needed real help and he's not qualified to do any of it. It starts at being unlicensed, like period, end of sentence.” (Host 2, 59:17)
• Importance of Boundaries: The entire situation is a cautionary tale about authority figures, credential inflation, and safeguarding minors.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Host 1 (03:43): “This guy went 29 years without doing hypnosis. Nobody died. He did one year of hypnosis. Three kids died. He says it's not connected.”
• Host 2 (11:29): “The principal is running his fingers through a kid's hair. And it's really gross.”
• Host 2 (15:19): “You brought your hobby to work... and ripped kids out of class under the manipulation and, dare I say, grooming.”
• Wayne Beckman (25:36): “If you are performing activities as a healthcare professional and you are not licensed... [it’s a] violation of the Florida statutes.”
• Host 1 (27:20): “He’s a doctor of education, I guess. But that doesn’t mean that he’s allowed to perform health care.”
• Dr. Julian (30:41): “Once a person agrees to be hypnotized... we offer suggestions.”
• Host 1 (42:31): “The lawsuit said, if the school district didn't know that I was doing it, they should have known. And if they did know, then they should have stopped me.”
• Britney’s mom (49:04): “If you lose a husband, you're widowed... But there isn’t a word to lose your child.”
• Host 1 (51:28): “All he can do is talk about how it was not his fault. And he can't understand the witch hunt.”
• Host 2 (55:23): “It is the exact same speech. He is pausing for effect in the same places.”
• Host 2 (59:17): “I think they needed real help and he's not qualified to do any of it. It starts at being unlicensed, like period, end of sentence.”

Important Timestamps for Segments

• Death Timeline & Connections: 02:00–03:54
• Media Coverage & Public Opinion: 04:00–08:00
• Legal Discussion & Statutes: 21:26–26:31
• Doctor vs. Medical Doctor: 26:49–29:37
• Clinical Hypnosis Dangers: 30:02–32:08
• Administrative Failures: 42:01–44:04
• Civil Settlement / Family Grief: 47:00–49:20
• Kenney’s Memorial Speech Reveal: 55:00–56:00

Tone and Language

• The hosts blend biting humor, sarcasm, and outrage with genuine empathy for the victims and their families. Their asides add levity to an otherwise deeply disturbing story, but their moral clarity is uncompromising.

Summary

"Look Into My Eyes: Part 2" is a powerful exposé of how institutional complacency, credential confusion, and unchecked authority combined to create a tragic situation in a Florida high school, resulting in three student deaths and countless lives disrupted. The episode skillfully balances critique, empathy, and humor, and serves as a stark warning of what can happen when boundaries between educator and healthcare provider are ignored, and when “help” is unlicensed and unregulated. The hosts’ most resounding message: safeguarding youth is non-negotiable, and self-aggrandizing adults must be held to account.