Introducing: CRIMES OF REDDIT, Sabrina’s new show with Alexis Linkletter

Summary

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Two Girls One Ghost: Introducing CRIMES OF REDDIT – Sabrina’s New Show with Alexis Linkletter

Release Date: August 12, 2026
Hosts: Corinne Vien, Sabrina Deana-Roga, Alexis Linkletter
Podcast Network: Sony Music Entertainment

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Episode Overview

In this special crossover episode, the Two Girls One Ghost team introduces "Crimes of Reddit," the new true-crime podcast hosted by Sabrina Deana-Roga and investigative journalist Alexis Linkletter. Together, they dive into some of the wildest, darkest, and most deeply personal true crime stories found on Reddit, leaning into themes of family secrets, personal betrayals, and disturbingly close-to-home crimes. This episode packs grim revelations, empathetic commentary, and some gallows humor as both women (with Corinne joining for the preview) pull apart messy family drama and twisted relationships.

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Key Themes and Format

• Main Theme: "Family Secrets"—stories about unsettling truths that surface within families, often found via anonymous confessions and first-person accounts on Reddit.
• Format: Alexis and Sabrina (occasionally joined by Corinne) bring Reddit stories to the table—one researches and narrates, the other reacts in real time for maximum shock and authenticity.
• Tone: Candid, supportive, funny-yet-sensitive, with honest emotional reflection and banter interspersed with serious commentary.

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Segment Breakdown & Discussion Highlights

[01:07] Welcome & Show Introduction

• Sabrina introduces Crimes of Reddit, spotlighting the new partnership with Alexis Linkletter.
  • "Crimes of continues with an exciting new name and chapter. I cannot wait to share Crimes of Reddit. And joining me is my new co host, true crime journalist ... Alexis Linkletter." —Sabrina (01:19)
• Show concept: Stories come from Reddit, often firsthand accounts or rumors with real emotional stakes—told blind for one host to capture genuine reactions.

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[04:03] The Family Theme

• Alexis: "We've got family stories." (04:03)
• Anticipation of messy and uncomfortable scenarios, with both hosts reflecting on their own experiences and the universality of complicated families.

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[06:06] Story 1: "My Estranged Family Revealed That My Dad Was Actually a Monster"

Story Summary

• The original Reddit poster believed she had picture-perfect, loving parents.
• After reconnecting with overseas family, she learns about a dark family secret: her father kidnapped a university student as a teen—and that student was her future mother.
• The mother escaped and reported the crime, but then later married her abductor. Cultural factors might have pressured the marriage.

Notable Discussion and Quotes

• Corinne: "I like knowing the subject line of this post. My mind is going to all crazy facets." (07:35)
• Alexis: "My cousins found a single short newspaper article... turns out when my dad was young, he kidnapped a university student and kept her for a bit." (08:06)
• Corinne: "How long is a bit?" (08:19)
• Cultural commentary: "Apparently the scandal of disappearing with this man for days was so scandalous ... she decided to just marry the guy ... culturally, that was basically like, you're damaged goods now." —Alexis (15:06)
• Corinne: "That is life shattering a little bit." (16:33)

Key Timestamps

• 08:06 Discloses the kidnapping
• 13:26 Mother admits to being the victim
• 17:12 Hosts discuss how family stories of 'how did you meet?' could mask traumatic truths

Memorable Host Reflections

• Corinne: "I have found out information like this about my dad." (09:07)
• Alexis: "It can be so destabilizing to learn something about your parents." (09:23)

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[21:28] Story 2: "I Found Hundreds of Pictures of My Brother on My Boyfriend's Laptop"

Story Summary

• A woman discovers her boyfriend has hundreds of photos, including hidden videos and creep shots, of her younger brother.
• The boyfriend had started collecting images before the couple began dating and had installed secret cameras (including in the shower).
• When confronted, the boyfriend confessed and tried to minimize ("just a bad habit").
• The brother refused to involve police and struggled to accept the nature of the obsession.

Notable Discussion and Quotes

• Corinne: "It's so violating. But then ... that's your partner. I don't know. Would you?" (25:14)
• Alexis: "I would not [confront him]. Because there are so many true crime cases..." (25:38)
• Alexis: "It's a lot worse than your boyfriend being secretly gay, because ... being secretly gay has nothing to do with violating people." (27:32)
• Corinne: "It could be fantasizing about killing someone." (31:24)
• Alexis: "That's the kind of stuff you see in evidence against serial killers." (30:37)

Key Timestamps

• 23:04 Discovery of hundreds of photos
• 23:55 "Creep shots and videos"—brother was unaware
• 29:26 Reveal that obsession predates current relationship
• 33:23 Camera found in the shower
• 34:34 Ex tries to gaslight and blames her for invading his privacy
• 35:37 Brother receives an anonymous (likely stalker) birthday gift

Host Insights

• Strong advice on safety and not confronting the boyfriend alone.
• Reflection on how these types of obsessions frequently escalate in real-life crime cases.

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[40:42] Story 3: "My Mother-in-Law Suddenly Passed. At the Same Time, My Stalker Disappeared."

Story Summary

• The poster's mother-in-law never approved of her and tried for years to sabotage her marriage.
• The poster was stalked (harassing emails, texts from an anonymous "Pax")—reports to police were fruitless.
• After her mother-in-law died in a car accident, all harassment stopped.
• The poster and her husband slowly come to the realization that his mother had been the stalker.
• Husband grieves both the loss and the betrayal; together, they move toward healing and therapy.

Notable Discussion and Quotes

• Corinne: "That's so complicated. And also it would be one thing to find out your mom was this like, PAX person while she's still alive. But to be dealing with the grief of losing your mom... people still have so much grief. And that like, feeling of loss, it's primal." (43:49)
• Alexis: "So the mother-in-law is tormenting the daughter-in-law, but she's also tormenting her own son 100%. Because now there's a frantic, upset woman in his life..." (48:04)
• Alexis: "He has also decided not to attend the headstone setting on his mother's grave." (49:44)

Key Timestamps

• 41:08 Details of years-long stalking
• 47:36 Husband realizes the truth
• 50:23 Reddit commenter praises the couple's mutual respect and resilience

Host Reflections

• Empathic exploration of grief complicated by posthumous revelations.
• Realizations about the burdens of family loyalty, shame, and moving on.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Corinne (on finding family secrets): "There's secrets in every family. There's just different...various levels of horrific secrets. Some are not terrible and some are that you kidnapped your mother." (52:29)
• Alexis: “It’s the kind of stuff you see in evidence against serial killers. … That’s how they start.” (30:37 / 36:29)
• Reddit Comment (read by Alexis): "The love and mutual respect you two share show so clearly through your story… It’s a beautiful outcome to a deeply troubling experience." (50:16)

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Closing Reflections and Interactive Elements

• Hosts reflect on their own family secrets—Corinne on unresolved family mysteries, Alexis on a 23andMe ‘surprise’ that turned out to be her cousin.
• Listeners are invited to anonymously share their own family secrets on the "CrimesofPod" subreddit or Instagram.
• Both hosts note the prevalence of family secrets and the complicated feelings that come when hidden truths are exposed.

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Episode Takeaways

• Family can harbor deep, life-altering secrets. The stories show how one's perception of loved ones can be challenged by revelations from the past.
• Navigating betrayal, safety, and truth is messy. The hosts discuss both the importance of confronting dangerous situations and the impossibility of easy answers when family is involved.
• Reddit as a storytelling vehicle brings authenticity and community input: Comments add international, cultural, and emotional layers that enrich the hosts’ exploration.

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Suggested Next Actions for Listeners

• Share your own "Crimes of Reddit" stories or flag interesting Reddit posts for future episodes.
• Rate and review the show, and follow on social media for updates.
• Consider therapy for support in processing discoveries about family or personal trauma.

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Quick Reference: Important Timestamps

• [01:07] Introduction to Crimes of Reddit
• [04:03] This week’s theme: family stories
• [06:06] Story 1: “My dad was actually a monster”
• [21:28] Story 2: “Found pictures of my brother on my boyfriend’s laptop”
• [40:42] Story 3: “Mother-in-law died… stalker vanished”
• [47:36] Husband discovers the truth
• [50:23] Supportive Reddit comment on the couple’s strength

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This episode weaves together chilling true crime with dark humor and heartfelt discussion about the secrets families keep. The hosts’ real-time reactions and thoughtful debriefs make this a compelling listen—even (or especially) for those who haven’t yet ventured down Reddit’s deepest, darkest rabbit holes.

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Transcript

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[Sabrina Deanna Roga]

Hey everyone, it's Sabrina, and as you may know, Corinne and I hosted Crimes of together. Corinne has decided to step away from the show and we will miss her. But as promised, Crimes of continues with an exciting new name and chapter. I cannot wait to share Crimes of Reddit. And joining me is my new co host, True crime journalist and host of the First Degree, Alexis Linkletter. On Reddit, True crime doesn't come from journalists. It comes from the victims, the witnesses, and sometimes the suspects themselves. Every week on Crimes of Reddit, one of us is going to bring a set of true crime stories while the other goes in completely blind, reacting in real time. And then we swap. We're going to pull at every thread until the whole twisted picture comes into view. And I've got an episode for you to listen to right now, so if you love it, please follow Crimes of Reddit on Apple, podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. For a new episode every Tuesday, subscribe on YouTube CrimesOfReddit pod for video episodes.

[Corinne]

This is crime house.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I, 24 female, found hundreds of pictures of my brother, 20 male, on my boyfriend's 24 male laptop. Can anyone please explain to me what's going on? Okay, have you ever dealt with anything like this?

[Corinne]

No. Thank goodness. Have you?

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

No.

[Corinne]

Foreign. I'm Sabrina Deanna Roga, writer, storyteller and co host of Two Girls, One Ghost.

[Alexis Linkletter]

My name is Alexis Linklater. I am the host of the First Degree and Unraveled, and I've been investigating Cases like the Long island serial killer case for the better part of 10 years.

[Corinne]

Between us, we've spent years telling true crime stories.

[Alexis Linkletter]

The haunted, the unsolved, and the ones that stay with you. But now we're teaming up for Crimes of Reddit, a crime house original powered by Pave Studios. Each week, one of us brings the most unhinged stories that the Internet has

[Corinne]

to offer, and the other goes in completely blind, no prep, no spoilers, and

[Alexis Linkletter]

reacts in real time, same as you.

[Corinne]

And we pull every thread until the whole twisted picture comes into view.

[Alexis Linkletter]

It's dark, it's messy, it's so much fun. Make sure to tune into Crimes of Reddit every Tuesday and go down the rabbit hole with us wherever you get your podcasts and to share your own stories or flag a post you want us to cover. Follow us on social media, rimesofpod on Instagram and join our subreddit.

[Corinne]

What's the theme for this week?

[Alexis Linkletter]

We've got family stories.

[Corinne]

Ooh, I feel like. And we were talking in our lunch break today about our own families, and I feel like this is going to bring up some. Some fun conversations about our own lives.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Everyone at least at one point had a family or started with a family or built their own family. The idea of someone being extremely close to you, I think we can all relate to that to some degree. So the stories we're covering today, pretty mind blowing, deeply uncomfortable, and I'm excited to hear your perspectives on just what you would do in some of these situations.

[Corinne]

Okay, I'm excited.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah, me too.

[Corinne]

I'm so excited. We also want to hear from all of you what you would do in these situations or if you have your own crimes of family situations that you want to share with us, which you can do in the comments or on the crimes of Reddit subreddit, which is r backslash CrimesOfPod. And we'll probably read some of your stories if you put them on there. So we want to do that. Bring them on, share your secrets, tell us everything, show us your toes. I don't know, whatever you do, maybe don't do that. I don't think I. Yeah, that's a different subreddit. Not ours.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Totally.

[Corinne]

Have you ever had someone ask for feet pics?

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

No.

[Corinne]

Oh, not yet.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Well, I really wear sandals. Like, I feel like that happens. Like it happens to friends of mine who wear a lot of sandals and once they see the feet on Instagram or something, then people get it.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

But they're getting it for free.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I know, but they want a More high def look interesting.

[Corinne]

Yeah, I've had a lot of people, but it's also because I've joked about starting a business because I think I could make a lot of money probably. And so I've had people DM me. I've yet to give in because I was told by my manager that it's a slippery slope. You start with your toes and then you go to your vulva.

[Alexis Linkletter]

It could happen fast.

[Corinne]

It could happen fast. Anyway, we're not here for feet, we're here for Reddit.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

That's right.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Should we dig in to the first story?

[Corinne]

Yes. I'm going to close my laptop because

[Alexis Linkletter]

you want to lock in.

[Corinne]

I'm going to hold onto it like my emotional support.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Secure your laptop. Great.

[Corinne]

Got it.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So here's where we're starting. My estranged family revealed that my loving, family oriented dad was actually a monster. Okay, so growing up, my friends would always say that my brother and I had the coolest parents. They were the laid back but still involved mom and dad parents. I was especially close to my dad and thought he was the best dad ever. He made a Hot Wheels dollhouse by hand for my birthday. To give you an example.

[Corinne]

Wait, like a dollhouse made out of Hot Wheels? I have. I want pictures.

[Alexis Linkletter]

We can only imagine. Then she goes on, When I wanted to be Supergirl, my mom hand sewed me a costume for Halloween. My parents are a physically affectionate couple too, and my brother and I thought it was gross when we were kids. But now I realize that being in your 40s and still in love is a miracle.

[Corinne]

Mm.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Kind of depressing, but sure.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So she continues. My parents are immigrants and because of that we were never really close to their families who lived in their home country. But recently my brother and I got in touch with some cousins on my mom's side on our own and got to know them. They were awesome and really chill. My aunts and uncles and grandparents were a little stiff, but they were nice. They only wanted to hear about what us and our mom were up to and not my dad. So I got kind of frustrated and kept mentioning my dad. Anyway, finally my cousin said if we didn't stop talking about our dad, their parents wouldn't let them talk to us anymore.

[Corinne]

I like knowing the subject line of this post. I like my mind is going to all crazy facets. I can't wait to hear what.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Actually brace yourself.

[Corinne]

Okay?

[Alexis Linkletter]

None of our cousins knew what was going on either, or why they hated our dad so much. So they all started asking around and digging into family stuff. I thought it was going to be something stupid like class differences or my grandparents not approving of my dad for some reason. But we found out the truth, and it was a lot worse than we imagined.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Oh, no.

[Alexis Linkletter]

My cousins found a single short newspaper article from a digital archive about it turns out when my dad was young, he kidnapped a university student and kept her for a bit.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

A bit?

[Corinne]

How long is a bit?

[Alexis Linkletter]

I had questions about a bit too,

[Corinne]

because a bit could be a couple minutes, a couple hours, a week, a month.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I mean, a bit in a life could be a year.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So who's to say? But not elaborating yet.

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

We'll see if we get to it. So she continues. He was a minor at the time this happened, so he didn't get named or get a real punishment or anything like that on his record.

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So I can't look at my dad the same way again. Or my mom. Why would my mom marry someone who literally kidnapped and hurt a person? My parents have noticed something off with us, but I don't even know how to bring it up. So the question here is, what would you do if you found out this information about your own dad or mom? Would you confront your parents?

[Corinne]

I have found out information like this about my dad.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Like this.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Worse.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I'm listening.

[Corinne]

I don't know if I should talk about it on here, but I was told. So my, my dad might have been involved in a, like, deadly crime when growing up.

[Alexis Linkletter]

This is fascinating. So it can be so destabilizing to learn something about your parents. And there's no age for the Redditor here who posted this. But it's like, especially when you're young, you have like, adults on a pedestal and think that, like, they're different than how you feel.

[Corinne]

Right. And that they're perfect.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah.

[Corinne]

And they have it all figured out.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Right.

[Corinne]

And that they didn't have a life before you.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Right. And they have tangled secrets just like.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Anyone else?

[Corinne]

And like, because I, from my own experience, when I learned that, I wasn't all that surprised given what I know about my dad, because he is a very complicated figure. And I'm like, oh, this lore actually makes me understand him a little bit better. Or. But it sounds like in this situation, it was so disorienting and didn't align at all with the man that she knows.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. And I think, you know, that's in her setup. Just her dad was the best. This was a huge shock. So some of the comments here, one of them says this I'm sorry. That's a terrible thing to find out about someone you love. But since you do love your dad and he has loved you all these years, tell him what you found and give him a chance to tell you what happened. Maybe he had a mental illness that's under control now. Or he was under the influence of drugs or bad people or voices in his head. Maybe he was just a bad person. I don't know. And neither will he you until you find the courage to ask him. Good luck. I'll be hoping things work out for you and your family.

[Corinne]

Good advice. Would you ask?

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yes. I have no self control and those people who can like harbor no. I'm like heart on sleeve, no control.

[Corinne]

And the second I have one drink, it's over.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah, it's over. So the original poster replied to this comment and said thanks for the advice. It's hard. I don't know how I'll even ask him about this. This isn't the dad I know at all now. Whatever you're think this is, it's about to get so much crazier.

[Corinne]

Was it the mom?

[Alexis Linkletter]

We'll see.

[Sabrina Deanna Roga]

Oh my God.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Okay, so another commenter said this. Maybe you and your brother can ask together to be there to support each other. It won't be easy, but it might help save your relationship with your father and mother, depending on what you find out. So at this point, per what we're reading, the original posters, disgusted with her mom for knowing this about the dad. So very interesting. So later in this thread, the original poster provides more additional context. Here's what they say. Okay, okay, it's okay if you don't believe me. It's kind of an unbelievable, horrible thing to happen. So my cousins know more about this stuff than me or my brother since they actually speak the language and talk to my aunts and uncles about all this. One of my aunts made a few kind of vague statements about what happened, like about him being bad as a teen. And my cousin searched for what she talked about and they found the article and asked her about it and she basically confirmed it because she said that's why they don't talk about my dad. I don't know if it's why he did what he did. I don't. Their article was really short, only a few lines in their native language. Just saying he kidnapped a university student and kept her basically interesting. And that he was a minor and went to the equivalent of juvie for a few months. I don't know how to explain it, but their country has conservative values, but not that conservative, like they're pretty modern. The victim was a student at a university, so she had to be at least 19 or 20 from what my cousin said. So she was a woman, not like a girl. I don't know what to think. My cousins don't know much more than me since the older generation have kept it hush hush. So original poster has more updates.

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So I tried to bring it up to my dad, but I couldn't. I would really hurt to accuse him of being a monster if he had literally done nothing wrong, because it meant that I actually thought he could be capable of doing something horrible like this. So I decided to talk to my mom. I told my mom everything. And she kind of started to justify it, saying that my dad was young, stupid, in love, and mentally all over the place place. Then she slipped up and said he didn't hurt me. Okay. So I dug deeper into the thread.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And the original poster added more that at the time. So apparently she clocked based on this mom's admission that it was actually the

[Corinne]

mom who was kidnapped by her.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Abducted by the dad. Okay, so the mom added more context, said this. They didn't know each other before the abduction. My mom thought it was safe to

[Corinne]

accept they didn't know each other before.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

No.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So it was a stranger abduction.

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So my mom thought it was safe to accept a ride from my dad because he was young and harmless and he was wearing a school uniform. She said my mom was 20 and my dad was 16, but I think she's mixing that up. And then another question from a user was, was your dad's family aware of the kidnapping? Was he living with anyone? Did he have any family? And apparently he lived with my grandpa and my great grandpa, who was always out of the country. My dad said that the family was pretty well off. No one was home at the time of the kidnapping because of the holidays. The maid came in in the morning to either pick stuff up or drop it off. And that's when my mom crawled out of the window, twisted her ankle, and ran to the maid and asked to go to the police.

[Corinne]

So, like at least overnight, she didn't say, oh my gosh.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah, so something happened here where the mom was abducted in a stranger abduction and somehow ended up marrying.

[Corinne]

And we don't know, like, how their relationship progressed after that?

[Alexis Linkletter]

No. But another commenter said this, that they had heard something similar in their native country, which was the Philippines.

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And said it was in the 70s, and said that a family member of Theirs got abducted in the 70s in the Philippines and by the chauffeur. By a driver.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And apparently the scandal of disappearing with this man for days was so scandalous and like, reputation ruining that she decided to just marry the guy because of that. Because culturally that was basically like, you're damaged good now goods now. You're damaged goods now. So if you don't marry this guy, no one's going to marry you in

[Corinne]

like, the way this society, which is devastating.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I know.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So people in the comments in this post were asking if that could be the case.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Right.

[Corinne]

You know, it's kind of a little bit like Stockholm syndrome too.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. And so, you know, the original poster is here and saying, I kept asking my dad, you know, they obviously have this confrontation eventually with both of them, the mom and the dad. And she kept ask. I kept asking my dad why he would do this. And he was just being stupid and selfish and didn't realize that it was scary to her. And my mom said, what's done is done. They got over it. And now my mom and dad are in love and happy and that we could go to individual therapy to deal with it further if we needed to.

[Corinne]

I do appreciate that as a response.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I guess my brother said it didn't matter anymore and he wishes we didn't know it all. And original poster says I can't look at my parents the same way again. And honestly, I agree with my brother. I regret talking with my cousins and I think my estranged family has a right to avoid my family for what my dad did.

[Corinne]

I feel really sad for the original poster.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah.

[Corinne]

Because that's like, that is life shattering a little bit.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And I think for me, what I would be most worried about, I don't know about her age, but looking at this now, at my age, I'm like, growing up in a family system that dysfunctional is terrifying. And I wonder what the other implications are.

[Corinne]

Well, and also, is the mom actually willingly and. Or has she convinced herself that she's in this relationship willingly on her own terms, or has she been manipulated so much over the years that she doesn't even know?

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. I mean, you mentioned the Stockholm syndrome. It's like, well, how long was a bit. I need to know that because it was like, what happened. Exactly. Yeah.

[Corinne]

Also out of curiosity, I know we don't have this answer, but like, you know, growing up, I would ask my parents all the time, like, how did you guys meet? I want to know your love story. What did the poster's parents say?

[Alexis Linkletter]

They probably said university school, but what

[Corinne]

they really meant is, oh, I kidnapped

[Alexis Linkletter]

your mom from school for a bit.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And some of the people in the comments are like, there's more to this. There must be something missing between your mom forgiving him for the abducting her and her family hating him. And people want to know again which country this is. And another commenter said, well, if you did nothing, why run away to the U.S. like, there's gotta be more to this story. But I don't think I'd want to find out if I was. If this was my parents.

[Corinne]

I guess here's the one thing that I. That doesn't make it better necessarily. But at least it's not an unknown woman that he kidnapped that, like, we don't know where she is or how she's doing. Like, it's horrible. Don't kidnap anyone.

[Alexis Linkletter]

But the mom survives.

[Corinne]

She's okay physically. Physically and seems to be a good mom.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. An original poster leaves us with this. My dad did kidnap her, even though my mom insists that he didn't hurt her and she was fine. But she admitted she was terrified when she was in his house because she had no idea what he would do to her. So he definitely did bad things. Even if he regrets it. Kidnapping is a horrible crime.

[Corinne]

My first thought would be like, did he do this to anyone else?

[Alexis Linkletter]

Anyone who's capable of this, who's willing to let, like, someone be afraid, you know? And then further, like now, the way she's describing her life now, the mom being essentially, like, removed from her family because they all hate him. The abductor husband.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I mean, it sounds pretty bad.

[Corinne]

I think it's always a red flag if your family doesn't like a partner.

[Alexis Linkletter]

A hundred percent.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah. Damn.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And it only gets worse from here.

[Corinne]

Oh, great. Fantastic.

[Alexis Linkletter]

You ready for number two?

[Corinne]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

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[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

There have been many periods of my life where planning meals feels like such

[Alexis Linkletter]

a burden, especially with kids.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

Oh, my gosh. Even before kids. Let's be honest. I've been using hungryroot for years.

[Corinne]

I love it. Well, it's so great because on hungryroot, you can add in, like, your food preferences or your dietary restrictions, and they put together like, a grocery cart for you with recipes, snacks, and then you can also, like, add things into your cart and it delivered right to your door. I know that we have a favorite.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

The chickpea.

[Corinne]

Chickpea cookie dough.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

Oh, my God, the chickpea cookie dough. So good.

[Corinne]

I have to get it every time, but it's gone within a couple of days. Yes, it's so good.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

It's so good. You're making me crave it right now. I have to add it on to my next order.

[Corinne]

But they also give you recipes, which is really nice. So they give you, like a bunch of different individual groceries and then give you recipe cards on how to make a meal with that food.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

Huge binder. It's like freaking build with these cards. So you're going to love Hungry Root as much as we do. For a limited time, get 40% off your first order, plus get a free item in every box for Life. Go to hungryroot.com TGOG and use code TGOG, that's hungryroot.com TGOG code TGOG to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your choice for life.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I, 24, female, found hundreds of pictures of my brother, 20, male, on my boyfriend's 24, male laptop. Can anyone please explain to me what's going on?

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Have you ever dealt with anything like this?

[Corinne]

No. Thank goodness. Have you?

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

No.

[Corinne]

I did in high school. When I first went to my high school, everyone was like, oh, my God, you're Lex. My sister's name is also Alexis. So it was like, oh, you're Lexi's sister. Like, she's so hot. So I dealt with all the boys wanting my sister.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Right.

[Corinne]

But I've never had to deal with finding photos of her on a boyfriend's phone.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. So, okay, I've been with my boyfriend for A year. Our relationship is. Slash was great. And we honestly never had any serious problems. We both have full time jobs and live together. He's good friends with my younger brother as well. Mainly because of their shared interest in fitness workouts, et cetera. They hang out a good amount and go to the gym together. In hindsight, the fact that they're good friends makes it all the more creepier. Yesterday I was home alone and my boyfriend was at work. I needed to print something out, but my laptop wasn't working at all. My boyfriend has several laptops and there's one in particular he never uses. At least I've never seen him use it.

[Corinne]

That's weird. That in itself is an odd thing.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Unless you have a production company. Do you need that many laptops?

[Corinne]

No, like, I have a bunch of like broken laptops that I haven't done anything with.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Well, because what do you do with them? Yeah, so I. I get that. But like, having a bunch around, like functioning ones. Yeah, maybe.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

No.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So anyways, I thought this laptop was some dusty old thing. I grabbed it and it was not shut down properly. When I opened it, it took me straight to the photo albums. And there were hundreds of pictures of my brother saved.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Also, if it took her right to

[Corinne]

it, that means that that's what that computer is for.

[Alexis Linkletter]

It's the last thing he was doing before he closed it. Okay, so most of these pictures were pulled from his social media accounts, but there were also pics of him from his rugby team's website. WTF question mark?

[Corinne]

Okay, so they're not nudes. No, it could be a physique situation, body envy, I don't know.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Get men subscription to Men's Journal or something.

[Corinne]

I'm trying to make it less worse.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah, this isn't even the worst.

[Corinne]

Okay, great.

[Alexis Linkletter]

There was an album that only consisted of creep shots and videos. Pics of him sleeping, and even videos of him getting changed.

[Corinne]

Oh, no.

[Alexis Linkletter]

You could clearly see in the vids that he wasn't aware of being recorded. What the she says.

[Corinne]

Agreed. What the.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Do you have any thoughts yet?

[Corinne]

Oh, I hate it.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So the last pic he uploaded was literally last week. This is so creepy. I don't even know what to say. There were also pics of someone's gym clothes, and I'm assuming they're also my brother's. I'm confused, disgusted, and shocked. What the hell is going on? When he came back from work, I just went straight to sleep. I couldn't even face him. I honestly can't think of a good reason he would do this. I mean, straight guys don't usually do this. Right. I don't know if I should even confront him about it. Should I ask what this whole thing is about?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Well, also, how violating for her brother

[Corinne]

because it's not like, oh, maybe they're having a secret affair and he's sending her boyfriend photos. No. He's being stalked.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yes.

[Corinne]

And all of his privacy is being invaded by someone he trusts.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So why do you think the boyfriend's doing this to the brother?

[Corinne]

Either romantic interest or obsession. I mean, whatever it is, it's. It's not. Not great.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Would you confront your boyfriend?

[Corinne]

This is a really tough situation because it feels a little bit more nuanced where it's someone you know. Like, I almost immediate jump into concern for the brother. How do I protect my brother? Because it's so violating. But then. Yeah, like. Like, as that's your partner. I don't know. I don't know. Would you?

[Alexis Linkletter]

I would not.

[Corinne]

Because he feels unsafe.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yes. I would not. Because there are so many true crime cases.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Where somebody's busted. Like, there's been situations. It's different than this. But we're like, the husband's faking that he got into medical school, and they're like, moving to the city to go to medical school. And then the wife finds out he's not. He never got in, and the guy freaks out and kills his whole family. Like, once the veneer. Like, we've seen this in cases like, you know, like the Scott Peterson case. There's, like, elements of this. Like if you catch someone in a lie sometimes, like, they freak out and

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

burn it all together.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. So I think something like this with how sensitive the situation is. Because if you confront the bro, if you confront the boyfriend, he's gonna be afraid that you're gonna tell the brother. The second, you know, you're a liability to whatever this obsess.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I would not. I would end the relationship and tell the brother.

[Corinne]

Yeah. But then it's like, it's such a hard one because the not knowing what the reasoning, I think would also bother me. But I agree. I wouldn't want to confront him directly.

[Alexis Linkletter]

No. So some of the comments weigh in on this. So one user says, he's clearly got a thing for your brother. It's not a healthy way of expressing it. Creepy, if anything, but it's quite obvious. Confront him. Tell him how uncomfortable it makes you feel. Be prepared to break it off with him. Sorry you're having to deal with this. The original poster replies it's weird because I've never even suspected that he had a thing for my brother. I would have noticed something like that. I honestly can't believe it. Another user says it's not just that your boyfriend is sexually attracted to your brother, but that he's clearly obsessive.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I'm a single guy, and I will look at Facebook pictures of my crush, but I don't save them in my computer. That's super creepy.

[Corinne]

And then go out of your way to take surveillance footage, basically stuff. Yeah. The sleep stuff is really creepy.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And one user says this. You know, it's a lot worse than your boyfriend being secretly gay, because I agree, being secretly gay has nothing to do with violating people.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

You know, I would take the laptop and show my brother, then go to the police and report it. And another un.

[Corinne]

What can police do?

[Alexis Linkletter]

You know, I hoped you said that. I hoped you'd ask that because, like, you're welcome. They have a lot of con. Like, a lot of users say this. Like, don't confront him alone. Go to the police. And it's like, the police. There's no crime committed until your brother complains.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Or until your brother pieces together that these were taken with secret cameras. Like, you going to the compute police with the computer. Isn't they're just pictures. They're just pictures without context, you know?

[Corinne]

Yeah. That's so tricky because. Because then also, I mean, I feel like the right move is break up with him, tell your brother. But then it's this awkward. Like, is he so obsessed with your brother now that your brother's in danger physically?

[Alexis Linkletter]

Right. And, you know, one user said, I don't recommend confronting him alone. This is some very unhealthy stuff. And I feel like if you corner someone with this sort of thing, he may react in a way that puts you in danger. Don't do that.

[Corinne]

Which is what you said. Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Even if you crave the dramatic airing, which I would.

[Corinne]

Are you one for a dramatic airing?

[Alexis Linkletter]

I think there's something really cathartic about confronting someone, because I think what you said, like, I'd always be afraid. Like, what if there was an explanation? Like, I think that's a valid fear.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

But I think your gut would know there's something so wrong about this. But a lot of people would be like, I can't just end a relationship without talking about this. But, yeah, a younger version of myself might not be able to hold it in if this happened now. I'd realize how dangerous this is.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

You know?

[Corinne]

Yeah. Because I've confronted men in my past who have, like, been looking at other women and stuff, but it's not someone I know, and it's not taken to the level of. Of obsession and stalking.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. This dangerous stuff.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So there's an update.

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Sorry to disappoint, but this isn't a positive update.

[Corinne]

Oh, no.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I'm still trying to mentally process it all. Hence the delayed post. So I grabbed my laptop to take pics of the photo albums. I found way more stuff than I originally stumbled upon. A lot of commenters in the original post said that he probably used me to get closer to my brother. I didn't quite believe it at first, but they were right.

[Corinne]

Like, it predates their relationship situation. Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So while I was taking pics of the photo albums, I found more folders. He began saving these pictures four or five months before we even started dating. And my brother didn't even know him at that time.

[Corinne]

Okay. So, yeah, this is a very dangerous man.

[Alexis Linkletter]

That realization sent chills down my spine. You're not alone in that, sister.

[Corinne]

No. Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I also went on the Internet, the bookmarks, his browsing history. It was all horrific. I'm not going to elaborate because it's honestly sickening. It's clear that he has an obsession with my brother and extremely violent and disturbing fantasies about him.

[Corinne]

Oh, like she found, like, searches.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. And when you say violent and disturbing fantasies, that's like, really just.

[Corinne]

That's scary. Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. I mean, it's the kind of stuff you see in evidence against serial killers. I mean, that's literally in, like, Rex Heuerman, the Long island serial killer. They presented that kind of evidence of his digital searches. Like violent, disgusting, predatory fantasizing.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And it's like, clearly that's what she's inferring here about her brother, which is so scary.

[Corinne]

So scary.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So she continues. This was absolutely messed up, scary stuff. I cannot believe that I was so clueless about everything. I went over to my brother's place and explained everything, showing him proof on the actual laptop. He was shocked and creeped out, of course, but didn't believe that my ex was behind this for different reasons. But he's not gay. He wouldn't do something like this. Etc. I wanted to go to the police, but he completely refused.

[Corinne]

It also doesn't even have to be a gay thing. It could be, like a murder thing. It truly could be fantasizing about killing someone.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. You hear this about. You know, there are a few cases that I've seen about, like, female friendships that escalate to some. One of them has some fixation, and it's like, there's obviously something really strange here. But you can see why he doesn't want to go to the police. It's the same reason victims of sexual assault who are boys and men don't want to go to the police because they immediately will say, like, the police will suspect I'm. I'm gay when I'm not.

[Corinne]

Right.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Not that there's obviously anything wrong with that, but, like, they don't even want to go there.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Which is sad.

[Corinne]

It's so sad.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And why so many male victims, like, keep it buried inside and end up victimizing other people, frankly, because they don't deal with any of it.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So brother didn't want to go to the police. She continues. My plan was actually to confront my ex in public, but my brother just straight away texted him to come over. When my ex came, I showed him the laptop and asked him to explain. The entire situation was so bizarre. While I was talking, he seemed incredibly angry. I've never seen such a look on his face before.

[Corinne]

Man, it's so scary.

[Alexis Linkletter]

But when he calmed down and he casually confessed to everything. When he calmed down, he said that it was just a bad habit he got into and that he's truly sorry.

[Corinne]

Yeah, just like, you know, picking your nails.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

It's, like, so chilling. And at that point, my brother said that this probably is a prank. It just wasn't funny, et cetera. I started crying a little, and he rolled his eyes and told me to stop crying. He was so nonchalant and cold, I didn't even recognize him anymore. Then he said that he would immediately stop doing this if we kept this to ourselves. I think my brother finally believed him then because he was absolutely dumbstruck. It's worse. My ex then said he'd take down the cameras, too.

[Corinne]

Shut up.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And that we shouldn't make a big deal out of it. I asked him where the cameras were, and he proceeded to show us. He probably thought he was a good guy for cooperating with us and that it would make the situation less creepy.

[Corinne]

Also, like, why would you trust that he shows you all the cameras?

[Alexis Linkletter]

Well, and you know what I mean? That's a manipulation tactic. People who are liars and manipulators will admit to one thing and be like, look, I'm being a total open book. I'm not lying. See, I'm confessing to everything. And then the worst thing is still buried. So this isn't even the worst Thing. So then he says, turns out there was a camera in the shower as well. It was nauseating. The conversation that followed was extremely uncomfortable. And my ex said some very provocative, inappropriate things.

[Corinne]

This is way worse than I ever would have imagined.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

I know.

[Alexis Linkletter]

It's dev. It's traumatizing for.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

For everyone.

[Alexis Linkletter]

The brother and sister.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And like, pinning a wedge between them, like, there's so much wrong with this. They ended up having a huge argument about the stolen clothes, amongst other topics, and the rest was pretty awful. I eventually went to stay at a friend's place. I'd already packed my stuff. Anyway, there's another paragraph.

[Sabrina Deanna Roga]

I was gonna say.

[Corinne]

I need. I. I hope there's more because I need to know more.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Later that night, my ex texted me that I'm a bad person for invading his privacy and that I'm selfish, narcissistic, a bad human being, etc. He said that he's willing to forgive me, though. Yeah, he really said that.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

Great guy.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Great guy.

[Alexis Linkletter]

The gaslighting.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

The Darvo.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

Yeah, right.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I blocked his number on everything. A day later, he came to me at work and I told him to stay away from me. He did that every day for one week at different locations until I seriously threatened him. He said that he never cared about me anyway and wished me luck for my future relationships.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

What a horrible, horrible man.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So there's another ending with how the brother, how that played out. A couple of days ago, my brother texted me. We haven't spoken at all since that day. And he apologized, but he still refuses to address the elephant in the room. He's just pretending it never happened. I told him that my ex is clearly not stable. Why would you not notify the police? And I honestly don't know what to do. And oh, by the way, it was his 21st birthday yesterday and I called him in the morning. He told me that he got a present from an unknown sender.

[Corinne]

What was it? Do we know?

[Alexis Linkletter]

No, but the poster, the original poster said this. I said that the sender is probably not unknown to us. Like, this is 100% my psycho ex. I just know it. And as I said, this isn't a positive update. A lot of people seem to be concerned. And that's the only reason I posted this. I hope things don't get worse.

[Corinne]

How long ago is this posted like this?

[Alexis Linkletter]

I just post was in 2018.

[Corinne]

I mean, I'm sure there have been updates since then. Like, this guy was obsessive and clearly a bad person. But I'm also concerned of how many Other people. He has in the past done this to and will continue to do this, too. Because when there are no punishments for someone like this, they have no reason to stop.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And he's. I mean, he's only 24. Like, think about all the time left in life. He has to, like, terrorize and torment people and invade people's privacy.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Hate people.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah, I do.

[Corinne]

They're the worst.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Well. And, like, again, it's just like, the entitled. The entitlement of feeling entitled to someone's privacy and stealing his clothes. Like, there's so much of that in, like, criminal minds. Like, you see it in killers. That's how they start. They start by, like, burglarizing and stealing people's underwear. Like, violence.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So. And especially so sad. Yeah. In the searches she was talking about, like, no good can come from this.

[Corinne]

Yeah. I feel like that's going to escalate, and then it's gonna be one of those situations where it escalates to an extreme. Like, knock on wood. Hopefully no one gets murdered. But, like, if something like that does happen, it's gonna be one of those cases where you look back and this is one of the stories that you hear about, and it's like, oh, all the signs were there. Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And sending the gift after, you know.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Supposedly everything was going to be cut off.

[Corinne]

But I also understand from the brother's perspective why you wouldn't want to go to the police. Like, that's his decision to make. I guess, in a way. But you were even pointing out, like, it. I don't know. I feel like it makes it more real.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. You'd want to downplay it and make it, like, not a bigger thing. And it's. Maybe it's a, you know, a defense mechanism, too. Like, if there's worse on his computer, I don't want to know. You know, it's already messing with his

[Corinne]

life, psyche, his reality.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Totally.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Geez.

[Corinne]

Well, that. That's a grim.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I know.

[Corinne]

Well, is it gonna get worse?

[Alexis Linkletter]

It's gonna get different. And I think this will be. I mean, you have a brother, so this is not. That last story was not relatable to me in any way. I don't have brothers. I always wondered what it would be like, because I think that's such an interesting dynamic.

[Corinne]

I technically have three brothers, but I only have one that, like, I'm really close with.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

That's many brothers.

[Corinne]

I've. I feel like I've dabbled in how complicated my dad is, but he's a complicated man. Has lots of kids.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Many. Okay. So you really understand the brother of it all?

[Sabrina Deanna Roga]

I. Yeah.

[Corinne]

Especially with my younger brother who's. Well, they're all younger, but of my like core family, he's 28 and I feel like I helped raise him too. So I feel so protective of him.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Corinne]

That if someone were to with him, I think I would become more protective of someone trying to with my family or my brother or my sister than I would if someone was trying to with me. Oh yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I've just let people walk all over.

[Corinne]

Oh yeah.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

For sure.

[Alexis Linkletter]

But yeah, no. 100%.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Are we ready for the next one?

[Corinne]

Let's do it it.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Summer is supposed to be the easy season, but summer blues are real. And Grow Therapy does things differently. You can pick your own therapist from real bios and credentials, pay through insurance with session costs as low as $0 sometimes and start in as little as two days. And this is something that I will preach to the day I die. I think therapy is so incredible and helpful in the biggest and small moments in your life. Grow Therapy connects you with thousands of high quality licensed therapists across the US offering both virtual and in person sessions, nights and weekends. So if there's something in your life you'd like to change, Grow Therapy can help you start. The therapist you want takes your insurance on. Grow grow accepts over 125 insurance plans and sessions. Average $21 with insurance and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growtherapy.com TGOG today to get started. That's growtherapy.com TGOG growtherapy.com TGOG availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

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[Alexis Linkletter]

My mother in law suddenly passed away in a car accident last month. At the same time my stalker disappeared.

[Corinne]

Coincidence? Probably not.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Probably not.

[Corinne]

So that's so sad.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Messed up. So my mother in law and I have never had a good relationship. She has tried to sabotage my relationship with my husband since the day she met me. I wasn't good enough for her handsome and successful boy.

[Corinne]

Which is a crime on its own of like women protecting Their sons like this and being obsessed with their children.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Some successful boy give vomit break Anyways.

[Corinne]

So you can think your child is successful without being obsessive.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And you can think they're handsome without babying an adult man. Yeah, I contemplated ending. I contemplated ending my relationship several times. But my husband always showed that he is on my side and I love him.

[Corinne]

Okay, that's good.

[Alexis Linkletter]

A few years ago I started getting very threatening and scary emails and texts from a Pax. So Pax is the name of the texter. Emailer. This Pax knew everything about me. It didn't matter how many emails and phone numbers I changed. They or he always found me. I made several reports but nothing happened. My husband tried everything to trace these emails. Nothing came out of it.

[Corinne]

Okay, so this is going in the direction of. What's that documentary where like the mom was that documentary?

[Alexis Linkletter]

Unknown number. Yeah.

[Corinne]

Okay, so this is the direction it's going in because I went. When you read that like subreddit or the title of the post, I thought it was me. Like the stalker accidentally killed the mother in law. But now we're like, oh, okay, okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Well, yeah. And to torment your own high school daughter is so deranged. It's like that is a dangerous, dangerous woman. And we'll talk about how tangled relationships are when you even find out you're parent is doing something like this. How hard it would be to accept. Yeah, but the husband in this situation was really helpful in trying to get

[Corinne]

to the bottom, which I appreciate. Great, great husband. Green flag there.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Totally. So no matter what, Pax always found her. And she was under the impression that Pax was a guy based on the language that was being used. And the original poster says I made several reports but nothing happened. And this past year I basically never left the apartment alone. So saying that she got so scared of this that it was she was afraid to leave the house to be alone. Yeah, so she says. I haven't received a single threatening text or email from Pax in a month. After a few days I wasn't surprised. I felt like I always knew it was my mother in law. Deep down, my husband hasn't reacted yet. He's consumed with his grief and I don't want to bother him. Especially when he bitterly told me, you must be very pleased now when we heard the news and I tried to comfort him, he apologized later and said he was just feeling guilty that he loved and chose me more than he loved her.

[Corinne]

Oh, that's so complicated. Yeah, that's so complicated. And also it Would be one thing to find out your mom was this like, PAX person while she's still alive. But to be dealing with the grief of losing your mom, regardless of how complicated your relationship is, like, you could hate your parent. And if they die, people still have so much grief. And that like, feeling of loss, it's primal.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I mean, they're the most foundational relationships human beings can have. I mean, they mold who we are and we feel totally intertwined with them. So it makes total sense. Like it's impossible to let go.

[Corinne]

Oh, that's so sad.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So she continues. Okay, now I'm waiting for my husband to connect the dots. Will he get it? If he does, will he talk to me about it? I don't know if I will ever bring it up to him. Also, I won't relax and go back to my normal life just yet. But I know in my heart that it's over and I can't be happier about my life.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Well, you. Yeah, you're.

[Corinne]

And she's entitled to feel that relief because she was being tormented by this woman. Also, I'm curious if, and maybe this will be in updates, but when like you lose someone and you like start to go through their things, do they find anything that proves.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I've actually heard a lot of stories like that.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Where, you know, one story I heard was this woman was dealing with like constant people stealing her identity constantly. And like, basically her financial life was in ruins. And when her mom died, she found all the documents that it was her mom. And then it's like you can't do anything with the anger.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Because they're gone.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Crazy. So do you think you'd tell the husband or do you think you'd wait?

[Corinne]

I would wait because I, I would empathize so much with their processing the grief. And then like I would be able to like sit with my relief of it being over. But I wouldn't want to throw that on them.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Right.

[Corinne]

What about you?

[Alexis Linkletter]

I think I would have started accusing the mother in law the second I suspected it. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of like. Yeah, I'm not. I can't be calculating like that.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So my husband, at the time of her death would have already known that I thought it was her.

[Corinne]

I do agree with that, but I think if you didn't put it together until after, I wouldn't. Yes.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Choose then.

[Corinne]

Yeah, I wouldn't choose to bring it

[Alexis Linkletter]

up for the first time. Yeah, totally. So some comments here. You know, there are a lot of cases where people had tons of threatening letters and phone calls. And many. They never found out who did it. And most people assumed it was some random psycho. But I wonder how many were close to them. Instead, there was an episode of this American Life about a woman who was continuously the victim of identity theft. And bank accounts. No, I heard of a different story. But bank accounts kept getting hit despite changing cards, banks, everything. Turns out she was living with the thief. Another comment? My stalker was a high school classmate. I think most people know or assume their stalker is someone they know. Yeah, because it's far more rare to be stalked by someone you've never interacted before. People agree you should let him connect the dots on his own. I wouldn't even drop hints.

[Corinne]

I would be like, we should go look through your mom's phone. Yeah, like where?

[Alexis Linkletter]

Where?

[Corinne]

Lead him to water.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Totally. So, are we ready for the update?

[Corinne]

Yes.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I was here maybe a month ago talking about me suspecting that my mother in law was my stalker who tormented me for years. I was trying to get advice about whether or not to tell my husband who was mourning her. I decided to wait a little. But after venting here, I was sure she was my stalker. I started living like I never had before. With 10 minute walks alone, then 15, then a half hour, and then so on. At first my husband didn't notice my freedom. Or maybe he did, but he was processing it himself. Last Friday, I told him that I was going out with the girls. Alone? Yes. Want me to drive you there?

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

No need.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Aren't you. Are you not afraid anymore? No. My stalker won't bother me again. He kissed me and wished me a nice evening. When I came home around midnight, he was still up and he said he wanted to talk. He asked me, was my mother your stalker? Yes. He broke down crying.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Oh.

[Alexis Linkletter]

He said he has always suspected her and even talked to her a couple times about it. And she made him so guilty by accusing her that she accused him of being whipped by me.

[Corinne]

Oh, this poor man.

[Alexis Linkletter]

You know why it's so messed up? Because if you look at it at its surface, it's like, okay, the mother in law is tormenting the daughter in law, but she's also tormenting her own son 100%. Because now there's a frantic, upset woman in his life who he's having to spend time and energy trying to get to the bottom of who's doing this. It's creating chaos in their nuclear family. Yeah, so she's also tormenting her own son in a weird way.

[Corinne]

And then she's like, victimizing herself when he brings it to her and then makes him almost coddle her more and be like, oh, how dare. Like, I'm so sorry. You're right. How could I accuse you? Like, you love me. You wouldn't do that to me.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah, like, you're choosing your wife over your mother and accusing me. That's deranged. And he's like, oh my God, I'm so terrible. And she's manipulating him and messing with his emotions.

[Corinne]

I mean, listen, I have very low standards for men based on my track record.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

The bar is low.

[Corinne]

But like. And I don't know much more about this man, but I gotta give praise for him turning out into like the type of man that he is given the situation that we're hearing about with his mom.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah, absolutely. And the original poster said he apologized for never discussing it with me and never protected me from his family, even though he had suspicions. Honestly, I'm not even mad or disappointed. If the police couldn't help me, I don't know how much my husband could have done. And I just want to move on and leave this behind. We're going to start couples therapy and my husband's planning to tell his family that my mother in law was my stalker. He's adamant about it and honestly, I think it's a good idea. My husband has also decided to not attend the headstone setting on his mother's grave.

[Corinne]

Oh man, that's tough.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Well, I think he has the insight to be like, oh my God, the lies, the betrayal.

[Corinne]

She wasn't who she said she was or who I thought she was.

[Alexis Linkletter]

100%.

[Corinne]

Gosh.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. And there are a couple other comments. The love and mutual respect you two share show so clearly through your story, you had the grace to give him time to come to the realization on his own. He had the grace to recognize how your struggling coincided with his mother's presence in your lives. It's a beautiful outcome to a deeply troubling experience.

[Corinne]

Also, what a beautiful comment on Reddit.

[Alexis Linkletter]

The most insightful, articulate comment maybe that's ever been on Reddit.

[Corinne]

I appreciate it.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Y' all must be two very strong people who have found each other and made the decision to navigate this world as partners. Here's to a lifetime of love and understanding. And the original poster replied to this. I wanted so many times to leave the relationship because I couldn't take the stocking any longer, but he has been nothing but supportive and kind to me and I love him so much. I'm glad we stuck together. A happy ending.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

Wow.

[Corinne]

Do I believe in love again?

[Alexis Linkletter]

Maybe. And like happy endings on Reddit.

[Corinne]

I know.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Unexpected.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Wow.

[Alexis Linkletter]

The plot twist I didn't see coming

[Corinne]

and to not have let the mother in law win.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Right. And you know, confronting people when they're alive like that could have blown up the entire extended family. Like really, it could have been an all out war and she could have gaslit a million other people to take her side. It's almost better that they found out when she was already gone.

[Corinne]

And I do agree like that he was given the time and space to come to it on his own. I think makes the situation. That's why they were able to have such a healthy.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Oh, imagine dealing with it. Imagine he confronted her. How manipulative and crazy making she would have been. It would have been a disaster. So damn happy ending for a Reddit couple.

[Corinne]

Have you ever found any secrets about your family?

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

Yes.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So many secrets.

[Corinne]

Oh my gosh.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Well, I do have a funny story about. So my dad, I got him like 23andMe for like a Father's Day a long time ago and he told me he signed up for it and he opted in to like let family find you and he got a hit for having a son.

[Corinne]

And then so you do have a brother.

[Alexis Linkletter]

So he found a hit for a son. And it turns out my dad is an identical twin and no way. My, so my cousins are technically my genetically half siblings. So my male Cousin had joined 23andMe and it was him.

[Corinne]

Oh, okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

It was a fake surprise. But no, there's a lot of secrets in my family. I don't even know how to start airing them out.

[Corinne]

Well, I think also I think that could be said about all families.

[Sabrina Deanna Roga]

Right.

[Corinne]

There's secrets in every family. There's just different, like varying levels of. Of horrific secrets. Some are not terrible and some are that you kidnapped your mother.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Yeah. Kidnapped your mother. Or.

[Corinne]

Or maybe was involved in a crime in Pakistan or have many kids. I don't know. I feel like the kids one is. Is a very commonly spoken about one. And especially with 23andMe I feel like, well, people didn't. The amount of people who found out they had other kids and the privilege

[Alexis Linkletter]

of not even knowing whether they do, which is insane. Also terrifying.

[Corinne]

Yeah.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

For men.

[Alexis Linkletter]

But yeah, crazy.

[Corinne]

So crazy. Well now offline, we'll have to unpack all your family secrets. Yes, we will. There's more to learn in future episodes of Crimes of Reddit. But if you have family secrets that you want to share with us, you can add them in the comments. Or you can go over to our subreddit crimesofred pod anonymously. Reveal those secrets or not. Yeah. You don't have to be anonymous.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Make your Reddit handle your real name. Don't be a coward.

[Corinne]

Don't be a coward. Mine is definitely not my real name.

[Guest or Additional Female Speaker]

No.

[Corinne]

Is it? How many do you have?

[Alexis Linkletter]

I had one, and now I have that I don't use.

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I have one at a time.

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I think now it's my real name.

[Corinne]

Okay.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Because I'm not a coward.

[Corinne]

You don't hide behind well.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I don't really participate. I lurk.

[Corinne]

I'm such a lurker.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I don't ever. May maybe like in the Bachelor subreddit once or twice, but I really don't. Like. I'm not in the weeds.

[Corinne]

Yeah. No. Oh. So Corinne, this. Because I. I feel like most of my friends I thought were lurkers. And then all of a sudden there was like, a post that came up and I saw Corinne had commented, and I was like, excuse you, since when are you a commenter? Because it was, like, on, like, a random post, and I was very concerned. So I. I appreciate that you're a lurker.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I've definitely, like, popped in when there's misinformation about me on there.

[Corinne]

That's fair.

[Alexis Linkletter]

But I also. I'm like, after I do it, I'm so mad. I'm like, you're supposed to be above all this. You're not even supposed to bother with defending. Like, don't see that's allowed. Validated.

[Corinne]

I feel like if I found out someone I knew was adding to, like, the negativity online, that would change how I view them. But if you're just like, like, correcting misinformation or being like, ooh, this is pretty.

[Alexis Linkletter]

I just should really stay away when I've, like, had a margarita and feeling spicy, because then I do insane things.

[Corinne]

And after this, we should go get a margarita.

[Alexis Linkletter]

We will. We'll unpack all of it. Thanks for joining us for Crimes of Reddit, a Crime House original.

[Corinne]

Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on all social media. Crime House. And don't forget to rate, review, and

[Sabrina Deanna Roga]

follow crimesofreddit wherever you get your podcast.

[Corinne]

Your feedback truly makes a difference.

[Alexis Linkletter]

And if you find a Reddit story that you want us to COVID leave a comment and maybe we'll feature it in a future episode.

[Corinne]

We'll see you next week.

[Alexis Linkletter]

Bye bye.

[Sabrina Deanna Roga]

I hope you guys loved that episode

[Corinne]

as much as I did.

[Sabrina Deanna Roga]

Thank you so much for listening to Crimes of Reddit. If you want more, follow Crimes of Reddit on Apple, podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen. For a new episode every Tuesday, subscribe on YouTube CrimesOfRedditPod for video episodes.

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[Alexis Linkletter]

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