Ep.4: A Grandmother’s Impossible Choice

Summary

Very Scary People: "A Grandmother’s Impossible Choice"

Host: Donnie Wahlberg
Release Date: March 19, 2025

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "A Grandmother’s Impossible Choice," Very Scary People delves deep into the harrowing custody battle of Christine Belford and her ex-husband, David Matusewicz. Their struggle over the custody of their three daughters spirals into a deadly obsession by David and his family, particularly his mother, Lenore. This summary encapsulates the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions drawn throughout the episode, enriched with notable quotes and time-stamped references to provide a comprehensive overview for listeners who haven't yet tuned in.

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Background of the Custody Battle

Christine Belford and David Matusewicz's relationship deteriorated over time, primarily concerning the custody of their three daughters. The breakdown of their marriage set the stage for a fierce and dangerous power struggle.

• Christine’s Initial Struggle:
  "The oldest child was always kind of a roly-poly little kid. Big round face, chubby cheeks, full of energy."
  (00:30)

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The Kidnapping and Immediate Aftermath

In a desperate attempt to retain control over his daughters, David, along with his mother Lenore, orchestrates a kidnapping that leaves Christine fighting not just for her daughters' custody but also for their safety.

• The Orchestrated Disappearance:
  "This is a story that involves stalking, psychological torture, alleged sexual abuse, kidnapping, and murder."
  (01:39)

• Daughters’ Trauma Upon Return:
  Christine recounts the horrifying changes in her daughters upon their return:
  "The oldest child had lost at least 30 pounds... the middle child was super thin... the little one had the worst case of pink eye I think that I have ever seen."
  (03:20)

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Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

The legal battle culminates in federal and state charges against David and Lenore. Their sentencing reflects the gravity of their actions, yet their demeanor during sentencing reveals a chilling lack of remorse.

• Sentencing Details:
  Lenore was sentenced to 18 months in Delaware state prison, while David faced four years in a low-security federal prison followed by five years of probation.
  (11:53)

• Defendants’ Demeanor:
  "Lenore... was very just placid, didn't look flustered, almost like satisfied with herself."
  (10:27)
  "David... was very matter of fact. There was little to no remorse in what he did."
  (11:04)

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Psychological Impact on the Children

The psychological torment inflicted on the Belford daughters is profound. David had deceived them by claiming their mother had committed suicide, amplifying their emotional trauma.

• Deceptive Narratives:
  "David had told the children that their mother committed suicide... only to find out 19 months later that she wasn't dead."
  (07:49)

• Psychological Evaluations:
  Timothy Hitchings, Christine’s lawyer, explains the necessity of psychological evaluations for the eldest daughter to uncover the extent of the lies told to her.
  (08:32)

• Christine’s Acknowledgment:
  "The reality sets in these children are going to need some serious counseling. They're going to need some serious therapy."
  (09:09)

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The Matusewicz Family’s Obsession and Campaign Against Christine

Despite being incarcerated, David and Lenore continue their relentless campaign to tarnish Christine's reputation and regain custody of their daughters. Their tactics are both sophisticated and insidious, leveraging modern technology and personal attacks to manipulate public perception.

• Coordinated Defamation Campaign:
  "The family had really launched this coordinated campaign to tar and feather Christine... They sent letters to her work, contacted child protection authorities, and targeted her daughter's school."
  (22:30)

• Creation of a False Narrative:
  Lenore establishes a website titled "A Grandmother's Impossible Choice," propagating baseless allegations against Christine, including claims of sexual abuse and even poisoning.
  "They create a website called 'A Grandmother's Impossible Choice'... claiming Christine molested her children."
  (23:19)

• Use of Social Media and Online Platforms:
  Amy, David's sister, manages the family's online presence, utilizing YouTube and email to spread falsehoods.
  "Amy posts this YouTube video of Christine with the girls, purporting to show Christine losing control of the girls."
  (27:31)

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Impact on Christine’s Life and Support Systems

Christine’s life is profoundly affected by the ongoing harassment and false accusations. Despite the relentless attack, she finds solace and strength through her faith, friends, and therapy.

• Rebuilding Life Post-Kidnapping:
  "In December 2009, Lenore is sentenced... Christine is slowly learning how to reconnect with her daughters... enrolling the girls in school and even getting her career back on track."
  (19:02)

• Faith and Community Support:
  Christine turns to her local Catholic church for comfort, despite originally being raised atheist.
  "Christine was raised as an atheist. She converted to Catholicism in this marriage... it gave her solace."
  (20:08)

• Therapeutic Support:
  Christine discusses her reliance on prayer and therapy to cope with the stress and fear induced by the Matusewicz family's actions.
  "I found a book about spiritual warfare... prayers... because they truly are enemies."
  (20:56)

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Ongoing Threats and Surveillance

Despite the legal repercussions faced by David and Lenore, they continue to pose a threat to Christine and her daughters. Their ability to influence and manipulate persists, driven by a determination to reclaim control.

• Surveillance and Continued Harassment:
  "They moved into a campaign of surveillance and spying."
  (38:51)
  "There were lots of people that helped them in the stalking campaign. And so I was worried about being out in the world and people seeing."
  (38:56)

• Strategic Relocation and Continued Manipulation:
  David and Amy relocate to rural Texas, attempting to establish a new base from which to continue their efforts to regain custody.
  "Amy is working out there in a hospital as an RN. Thomas is still living on this ranch that they purchased."
  (17:15)

---

Conclusion and Insights

"A Grandmother’s Impossible Choice" serves as a chilling exploration of how obsession and manipulation can devastate a family's dynamics. The Matusewicz family's relentless pursuit to control Christine and her daughters underscores the dark potential of familial power struggles gone awry.

• Cult-like Family Dynamics:
  The Matusewicz family exhibits characteristics akin to a cult, with Lenore as the manipulative leader dictating terms and controlling information flow.
  "Lenore was the one in charge... Amy was the dutiful sister, daughter, and communicator."
  (36:23)

• Resilience and Recovery:
  Despite ongoing threats and psychological trauma, Christine remains determined to rebuild her life and provide stability for her daughters, showcasing immense resilience.
  "She was able to work full time and support herself. She felt pretty cool about that."
  (19:40)

• Enduring Threat:
  The episode concludes on a tense note, highlighting that the battle is far from over as the Matusewicz family's strategies continue to evolve.
  "How are David and Lenore able to coordinate this intricate campaign from prison?"
  (40:03)

---

Notable Quotes

• Christine Belford on Her Daughters' Condition:
  "She had the worst case of pink eye I think that I have ever seen... I would not have recognized the little one if I'd seen her on the street."
  (03:20)

• Lawyer Timothy Hitchings on Psychological Evaluations:
  "When the children come back from the kidnapping, the oldest girl was thoroughly psychologically evaluated for any type of abuse."
  (08:32)

• Family Member on the Matusewicz’s Motives:
  "You just wanted to take them away from their mom so you could have them, but you didn't necessarily want to take care of them because they were disheveled and hurting."
  (32:07)

• Expert on the Family's Online Tactics:
  "The Matusewicz, in terms of their tactics in using the Internet to defame, to harass, to stalk were way ahead of their time."
  (37:50)

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Final Thoughts

"A Grandmother’s Impossible Choice" is a poignant narrative of a family torn apart by obsession and dubious moral grounds. Christine Belford's journey through legal battles, psychological trauma, and relentless harassment paints a vivid picture of resilience in the face of horrifying adversity. The Matusewicz family's calculated efforts to undermine Christine highlight the dark intersections of family loyalty and malicious intent, offering listeners a profound exploration of human psychology and the lengths one might go to control and possess.

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Produced by Lionsgate Alternative Television for ID.

Transcript

[Christine]

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[Narrator]

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[Christine]

Wouldn't because you love wasting money as a way to punish yourself because your mother never showed you enough love as a child.

[Expert]

Whoa, easy there.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

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[Narrator]

This is a story that involves stalking, psychological torture, alleged sexual abuse, kidnapping and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

[Investigator]

I wasn't willing anything out. Everything was in play with the Matusewicz family.

[Family Member]

When my mom did finally bring my sisters home, they didn't look like my sisters.

[Advertiser]

Amy and Tom still have the means to move about freely. They still had two people on the outside.

[Expert]

They had launched this coordinated campaign to tar and feather Christine.

[Christine]

They're basically saying that she molested her children.

[Expert]

The Matusewicz, in terms of their tactics, were way ahead of their time. In many ways, they were pioneers.

[Investigator]

I knew the Matusewicz family. This case is never going to go away.

[Narrator]

David and Lenore Matusiewicz are In police custody, Christine's daughters are safe at home with her. It would seem that everyone involved in the horrific kidnapping is exactly where they belong. Sadly, the Matusewicz girls do not return in the same state they left. Their sister. Katie Moffa and aunt Jenny Puglisi can still remember the shock they felt upon.

[Family Member]

Their reunion when my mom did finally bury myself sister's home. They didn't look like my sisters. They were skinny, they looked dirty. They had haircuts that Lenore had given them. So they all had a mullet each one. They just didn't look like them.

[Christine]

The oldest child was always kind of a roly, poly little kid. Big round face, chubby cheeks, full of energy. She'd lost at least 30 pounds, so think about what 30 pounds looks like on a six or seven year old. So she was really emaciated. The middle child was always super thin anyway. But when she came back, her hair was sort of cut funky off of her face and her teeth were abscessed and you could tell that her mouth was swollen and she had swelling in her jaw. And then the little one, she was just. She had the worst case of pink eye I think that I have ever seen. I mean, in both eyes she was skinny as well. She looked completely different to me. I would not have recognized the little one if I'd seen her on the street.

[Narrator]

David's cousin, Jill Matusiewicz sees a familiar pattern in the way David and Lenore cared for the girls while on the lam. I found out that the three girls, when they were found, were basically unkept. I was not at all surprised. And it brought back memories of Lenore's kids when they were small. I didn't find it all that hard to believe on the part of Lenore. And of course she raised David in South America. Lenore tried to turn back the clock and recreate the strange family structure that was in place during David's childhood. However, Dr. AJ Marsden explains that this time David was in Tom's role and the eldest daughter was now the new David.

[Advertiser]

Lenore promoted David basically to second in command. Their ideologies match better than her and Tom's ideology. So now they can go to Central America, raise the girls the way that they feel is the best way to raise the girls.

[Narrator]

Christine's stepmother, Eileen McDermott, can see how David's own upbringing influenced the treatment of his oldest daughter.

[Expert]

Lenore and Dave. For the oldest girl to become the adult in the relationship of the siblings. So that I think that comes from Dave being very much in charge Of Michael and Amy when they were children. And the role kind of went to.

[Advertiser]

The eldest, which is interesting, because that's the same dynamic that he grew up with.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Advertiser]

He was the oldest. He was the favorite child. So for him to do the exact same thing to his children just tells me that he thought that that was the right thing to do, that that's how families.

[Family Member]

The oldest one was like his prized possession, I think, the firstborn. And she looked the most like him. She looked like his family. She would take care of my other sisters mentally, emotionally, physically.

[Christine]

I don't know why the Matusewicz family was so enamored of the oldest child and not so much with the other ones, Other than that the middle child had some special needs and wasn't perfect, and the little one was sort of at the tail end of the marriage. And maybe the oldest one embodied all that was good and that he remembered. You know, things were good when they had her. And, I mean, it was. The whole thing was about the oldest child. I just remember they were all huddled together. They stayed together, the three of them. It was very hard to get one to sit without the other ones right there. And it was very clear that it was the oldest one making sure that the little ones were staying with her.

[Expert]

Yeah, there's no doubt that the oldest probably needed therapy. When you ask your mom if it's okay to be a child, it's pretty crazy.

[Narrator]

The severe impact of the kidnapping isn't just obvious to close friends and family. Newcastle PD Detective Jeff Schreiner and US Marshal Bill David can see the toll this ordeal has taken on the three girls they worked so desperately to save. One detail in particular highlights the psychological torment inflicted upon the children.

[Investigator]

First part of the investigation was we learned that David had told the children that their mother committed suicide. You know, the mental anguish that these girls must have been under when overnight they're torn away from their mother, and they were with David and their grandmother full time, was because Christine was dead. The roller coaster of emotions that those girls went through only to find out 19 months later that she wasn't dead.

[Narrator]

Christine's lawyer, Timothy Hitchings, reveals that a psychological evaluation was ordered for the eldest daughter in order to assess the full extent of the lies that had been told to the girls.

[Lawyer]

When the children come back from the kidnapping, the oldest girl was thoroughly psychologically evaluated for any type of abuse she might have occurred or other types of psychological trauma she would have had. What she did say was her father told her that her mother had taken her own life and she'd never see her mother again.

[Expert]

Lenore wanted control. She did not want Chrissy to have any kind of relationship with her kids. You don't tell your children and your grandchildren that your mother died and committed suicide.

[Christine]

The reality sets in of these children are going to need some serious counseling. They're going to need some serious therapy.

[Narrator]

With the Matusewicz girls back in their mother's care, they now face the challenge of re acclimating to their former way of life. Meanwhile, David and Lenore must confront the consequences of their actions and deal with the legal ramifications of their time on the run.

[Investigator]

Federal government, the FBI and the marshals were able to get federal charges for parental kidnapping for David, now Lenore's. They left her state felony charges. So David pled guilty to the parental abduction and the embezzlement of the $249,000. Lenore pled guilty in state court for the interference with custody's felony charge.

[Narrator]

These charges could mean years in state and federal prison. A dark and unpleasant future that would terrify most first time offenders. However, journalist Chris Barish personally attended the sentencing and recalls with great detail a pair of steely cold defendants.

[Expert]

Lenore, you know, she sat at the defendant's table. She didn't look particularly disturbed by the situation she was in. She had nothing to say. Her lawyer spoke for her. She was very just placid, didn't look flustered, almost like satisfied with herself. David came in, he was actually for defendant. He looked really good. His hair was blonde, he was tan, he was dressed fairly well. He wasn't in a jumpsuit or anything. But he was placid as well and didn't look bothered by it at all.

[Investigator]

I did attend David's sentencing and he was very matter of fact. There was little to no remorse in what he did. And in fact, I believe, if memory serves correct, the judge even made mention of that, that there didn't appear to be much remorse while he entered a plea. He didn't take it to trial. He received the acceptance of responsibility break, so to speak. But there wasn't a whole lot of remorse. And I think it's because David just felt like he didn't do anything wrong.

[Narrator]

In December 2009, Lenore is sentenced to 18 months in the Delaware state prison for her role in the kidnapping. David is sentenced to four years in a low security federal prison to be followed by five years of probation.

[Expert]

I was shocked that Lenore only got a year. I thought that both of them should have got at least four. It was great that they were in jail to begin with just to let them know that they can't get away with it because of how pompous they became.

[Investigator]

And when I heard her initial sentence, one of the things I thought was, this case is never going to go away. Through knowing the Metusewitz family investigating for 19 months, I wasn't ruling anything out. So everything was in play with the Matusewicz family.

[Expert]

I also knew in the back of my mind that this was just the beginning of a battle because they're not ones to be defeated. They're not ones that are going to put down the sword and say, okay, I surrender her. It's not happening.

[Lawyer]

Christine wanted to cut off all contact between David and the children. She felt that children were no longer safe. If she had not terminated the parental rights, David would have the potential to have visits.

[Christine]

Christine and I talked about the termination of parental rights. One of the pushes for her to do that was that David wanted a visitation. He wanted the girls brought to him in prison. And she thought that that would be very bad for them. She did not want to expose them to having to go to prison to see their father.

[Narrator]

The trauma of seeing their father behind bars is one thing, but David's legal status as the girl's father posed a far more devastating threat.

[Lawyer]

He would have the potential to be able to go back into court trying to get the kids back from her. She didn't want that. She had been willing to meet him halfway all the way until the kidnapping. He proved that he was unfit and she wasn't gonna have it anymore.

[Christine]

It's better to just sever this relationship than to let these children continue to be abused by these people.

[Lawyer]

And then in early 2010, we filed a petition for termination of affidavits. Parlour, Rice. Rice were terminated in August of 2011.

[Christine]

He was upset about it because he would communicate through his attorneys that he was upset about it when Christine terminated.

[Advertiser]

His rights legally and when the government agreed with this decision. That was the tipping point for David.

[Christine]

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[Narrator]

No, I asked why wouldn't you switch from Verizon or T Mobile? Wouldn't.

[Christine]

Because you love wasting money as a way to punish yourself because your mother never showed you enough love as a child.

[Expert]

Whoa, easy there.

[Investigator]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

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[Christine]

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[Investigator]

The.

[Narrator]

Matusewicz family knows that Christine and the United States government have won the battle. But they are focused on winning the war. The war for control over these three little girls. David and Lenore are in constant contact with Amy and Tom, who have relocated to rural Texas in the hopes of starting a new family compound where they can live on their own terms and plan their next move.

[Investigator]

Everything now is concentrated out in Texas. Amy is working out there in a hospital as an rn. Thomas is still living on this ranch that they purchased.

[Narrator]

I'm Millard Greer. I was the state Police homicide sergeant at the time this case occurred. The way the Machusewicz were living in Texas was extreme in communications. Tom described this place as his ranch. To me. It was a double wide trailer that it was in severe disrepair. The property was unkept. There were vehicles in the yard, a motorhome that looked like it hadn't been moved in quite some time. There were dogs that looked like they hadn't been well cared for. They had some livestock there, but it's not what I would envision as a ranch. It was a very unkept property. Clutter everywhere. There was a large ammo loading station in a shed. Thomas Matusewicz was making his own ammunition, loading his own bullets. Thousands upon thousands of rounds of ammunition. Every type of handgun you can imagine. Revolvers, semiautomatic rifles, shotguns, ammunition for all of it.

[Advertiser]

So they have this network set up essentially right. Lenore is in prison, David is in prison, but Amy and Tom are not in prison. So they still have the means to move about freely. They still had two people on the outside.

[Narrator]

Up in Delaware. Christine is slowly learning how to reconnect with her daughters. Each day brings new challenges, but she is determined to pick up the pieces of her fractured life and provide a sense of stability for her family. As a single mother, she is enrolling the girls in school and even getting her career back on track.

[Expert]

They were in a new home, so they had. It was all new to the children. They all had their own bedrooms. It was great. It was very important for her to make it as normal as possible.

[Lawyer]

She very quickly got a job at another clinic for more money, which I thought was interesting. So she was able to work full time and support herself. She felt pretty cool about that. That was a real affirming event in her life.

[Narrator]

Of all the support she received, Christine found the most comfort in her local Catholic church. It had become a place of safe harbor for her throughout these many storms.

[Lawyer]

Christine was raised as an atheist. She converted to Catholicism in this marriage. Even after what David did, she continued going to the church because it gave her solace, and she was very active as a volunteer in the church.

[Narrator]

And it was that place of refuge, that sanctuary, that the Matusiewiczes would target first. Christine began meeting with a therapist to help her cope during this time and can be heard here discussing her faith and how much comfort it brought her.

[Christine]

I'm really good, like, and I think I've told you this before. In the moment of crisis, I'm great. A day later, I fall apart. You said you grabbed the beads.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Advertiser]

Started praying.

[Christine]

Right. Did you.

[Family Member]

What did you gain after that?

[Christine]

Did you feel like you calmer? You okay? Calmer. I happen to find a book about spiritual warfare. It's a very small little book, but it's prayers that are, like, mostly, like, all these things about, you know, please keep me safe, keep me guarding with me. And so that's another prayer book that I've been. Because it's a lot about, you know, my enemies and things like that, because they truly are enemies. There's no negotiating with these people. There's no rationalizing with these people.

[Narrator]

Christine has found strength in her faith, along with the support of her friends and family. Yet the lingering threat of the Matusewicz family continues to cast a shadow over her life. Then they decide to strike where they know it will hurt her the most.

[Christine]

So one day we're getting ready to have dinner. I get this random letter.

[Narrator]

The letter is addressed to Jenny and family. It is a small white envelope, the plainly typed label. Inside there are three printed pages in a neat trifold.

[Christine]

They're asking if we think that Katie was ever abused by Chris. They're basically saying that she molested her children.

[Narrator]

There are only four Metusewitz family members, and even with two of those people in prison, they are able to interfere with every single aspect of Christine's life.

[Expert]

The family had really launched this coordinated campaign to tar and feather Christine with the people she cared about the most. They sent letters to her work. They contacted child protection authority. The family sent letters to the girls school talking about the, you know, the mother's inappropriate sexual contact.

It went everywhere. That was a constant stalking, a constant torture. They did and tried, tried to do everything they possibly could to make it sound like she was the worst possible person in the world.

[Narrator]

But the family didn't stop there. Prosecutor Ed McAndrew details that their scheme to ruin Christine's life takes an even darker turn.

[Expert]

So they create a website called A Grandmother's Impossible Choice. The impossible choice being do I take my grandchildren away from their mother and leave my family behind and flee the country to save them from sexual abuse or not? And they put that out there and promote it to get their false narrative out there and to destroy Christine. Some of those allegations included things like Lenore claimed that Christine had actually poisoned Lenore prior to the kidnapping.

[Narrator]

Christine opens up to her therapist about the serious allegations being made against her.

[Christine]

Lenore's accused me of trying to poison her. She actually filed a police report last year saying that we tried to poison her with a cup of tea.

[Narrator]

One of Lenore's accusations is that Christine tried to poison her. Lenore's goal is to paint Christine as the ultimate predator, someone that is capable of seriously heinous acts.

[Expert]

It contains all kinds of allegations. The story became more complex, more rich in detail, more outlandish in terms of the allegations. Lenore would write. The oldest daughter said mommy told her about the G spot and she had to do things to mommy to make mommy feel good. Lenore would write that Christine Dean planned to sell David's three white, blonde, beautiful girls to pedophiles for $50,000 a piece. Or that the oldest daughter would start wearing two pairs of underwear anytime she was around. Mommy.

Every sentence is bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. I couldn't say that enough. One lie right after the other.

[Christine]

When I realized that lots of people had been getting the same letters. Not the same letter that I got, but some version of it. Some people got copies of the website, Some people got handwritten letters. I mean, but they. They papered the town with them. I mean, just everywhere Chris went, they've put this out there for the world to see. And they're calling Chris a pedophile. They know that that's the worst thing that you can say.

[Investigator]

I'd spoken to Thomas. Never came up. I spoke to Amy in person. That never came up. I even had. When Lenor was brought back by the marshals, I tried to sit down and talk to her, and she never brought it up. But now, all of a sudden, the court's starting. They're bringing up this allegation of Christine sexually abusing these children. If it would have been brought to my attention, sure, I would certainly have had to look into it. By law, I have to look into it, but it was never brought up to me.

[Lawyer]

Supposedly, the abuse had been going on for a long time. Never once had David ever said anything about that, and he had a whole hearing. That would have been the strongest thing he could have said about Christine. Allegations of sexual abuse, those are like the nuclear bombs in a custody case. You win the case if you could make an accusation like that and make it stick.

[Narrator]

The consequences of these accusations could truly devastate Christine's life again.

[Expert]

There were all of these sort of outlandish allegations, and they would change over time. They would use websites, YouTube and email and regular mail to promote these lies.

Amy was behind the scenes, and Tom was the gopher. He did the running around. Amy did a lot behind the scenes. The emails, anything to do with the computers, she's all to blame.

[Christine]

There's also YouTube videos, and those were the videos that had been posted about Christine supposedly dragging her daughter out of the street.

[Expert]

Amy posts this YouTube video of Christine with the girls, purporting to show Christine losing control of the girls and them running out on the street. I believe the essence of the YouTube page was this was a mother that had no control over her children. And this was part of the plan to show that she was an unfit mother. But all I saw was, like, Christine with a daughter who breaks away for a few seconds and then Christine, I think, gets a hold of her and it's nothing. It's really nothing. Their daughters were in no danger. No one was in any danger.

[Narrator]

The vast and relentless onslaught of accusations begin to overwhelm Christine. There's no telling who might believe these claims or how much damage they've already done.

[Christine]

She said, I don't even know. There are probably people who just like you who got that letter and didn't tell me about it. God only knows how many people got these letters and didn't tell me about it because they don't want to hurt my feelings or whatever.

[Expert]

Christine had to deal with each of these as they came along. And, you know, it wore honor. And that led Christine to sort of step down from some group she was involved in with the church, saying, look, I'm sorry about this. There's nothing to it, but I really, you know, I just think it's probably better that I just not be involved right now so that everybody's protected here.

[Christine]

She wasn't quite the same Christine that I had known in the years past. She, it was sort of, she got dulled down by it. So she was still best foot forward, best face forward. But you could tell she wasn't quite the shiny, you know, energetic person that she had been. That was the biggest thing that you could tell. She was worn out.

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[Narrator]

Host of WTF with Marc Maron on Acast. When I started this podcast, I didn't have a lot of expectations, but somewhere along the line, podcasting became a serious business. And if you're serious about making money doing a podcast, there's only one place to do it. Acast. Acast generates more revenue more reliably than any other platform. Join Acast, the number one podcast platform for monetization, by visiting go acast.com wtf the Matusewicz's attack on Christine is proving successful as she begins to isolate herself and become increasingly paranoid. But the question remains, how are David and Lenore able to coordinate this intricate campaign from prison?

[Expert]

Just after David and Lenore were sentenced for the kidnapping, happy they went to their respective jails, Lenore began writing. She began writing the false narrative that would become the story that they would tell over and over and over again for years in an effort to destroy Christine and repossess the girls.

[Narrator]

It was becoming clear that this was about more than just a custom battle over the three girls. It felt like a calculated effort to keep them away from their mother, no matter the cost. This was personal. My gut instinct tells me that they were absolutely pawns and Lenore was going to win the game of chess and have those children. Whether they were kept or unkept, she was going to win that match.

[Family Member]

Yeah, you neglected them. You just wanted to take them away from their mom so you could have them, but you didn't necessarily want to take care of them because they were disheveled and hurting. I mean, your teeth have to hurt when they're all rotted out. And you had to have known she had pink eye, right? You were an optometrist. The only reason I think they took them is so they didn't. I didn't have to share them with my mom.

[Advertiser]

Lenore saw this opportunity to take over, to take control of the family, and she went in 100%. Lenore was still able to dictate her terms. She was still able to determine, okay, what's going to happen next. And that's when she came up with her grandmother's impossible choice. So she decided the best way that David would be able to get his girls back was to prove that Christine was sexually abusing them. Child abuse. Child abuse is a heinous crime. People don't like talking about it. Sexual child abuse is even worse.

[Christine]

Christine then became overwhelmed by all of the moving parts. And so this weight sort of came on her.

[Expert]

I think her friends rallied around them. I think her associates at work rallied around her. It was pretty clear she was the victim here, along with her daughters.

Beth Mulford was a good friend of Christine's. She helped out a lot, you know, just like normal, doing the dishes, laundry, that sort of thing, picking up around the house.

[Narrator]

Beth Mulford is the type of person anyone would be lucky to call a friend. She doesn't hesitate when someone she cares about is going through a rough time. She knows that taking some of the day to day responsibilities off of Christine's plate will allow her more time to rest and heal others. Reach out to her online, offering Christine emotional support from afar.

[Family Member]

There was somebody, a friend of David's, Cindy Bender, reached out to my mom. She just wanted to make sure my mom was okay and check in on the girls. They would send emails back and forth and pictures.

[Expert]

Because Christine is using the privacy settings on Facebook at that time, her account and the information in it can only be seen by her friends. Cindy's one of those friends.

[Narrator]

Cindy Bender had grown up in the same town with the Matusewicz's. She knew the family, or like Christine, she thought she did. They were both deceived and now see the family for who they actually are.

[Expert]

Whatever decision that Christine made, I was right behind her 110%. I only got to visit a couple of times at the house. She would pop over every now and again. Constant phone calls. We would call each other all the time.

[Narrator]

The letter, campaign and website have been a small victory in the family's campaign against Christine. Even if only a few people believe it, they are seeding doubt in her ability to care for her children. In their minds, Christine is the lone obstacle standing in their way of complete control of the girls.

[Advertiser]

So if you could convince people that this happened to the girls, there was no way that they were going to give those girls back to Christine and then Lenore and David would win. Even if the girls didn't go to Lenore and David, they would go to probably Amy, so it would still stay in the family.

[Narrator]

Lenore believed that because Amy hadn't been charged with a crime related to the kidnapping, she would be chosen to care for the three young girls. Christine's parents weren't in a position to handle custody and she doesn't have any biological siblings. Lenor feels confident that the courts would award the kids to Amy should Christine cave to the pressure of the defamation campaign and give up her parental rights or if something were to happen to her.

[Advertiser]

So using this lie as her catalyst, Lenore was able to deploy Tom and Amy to do things for her, which is very cult like. So the leader dictates the terms and then tells his or her minions basically what to do.

[Narrator]

The Matusewicz family structure is on full display as they mobilize their efforts against Christine. Each member has a specific role to play, but only one can be the top shot caller.

[Advertiser]

So there are a couple different cult dynamics that we see in this family. Lenora was the one in charge and we see this in the way that she treats the other people in her family. We also see a serious restriction in the flow of information. All information had to go to Lenore. Lenore would then disperse the information to those who needed it. She would give them only certain information. So then that way her version of the truth was the version that they believed and the version that they wanted to help. So David, I would say, is at a higher level than Tom. She's more invested in him as a person than she is in Tom. She sees Tom as a tool, as means to an end to get the goal that she desires. But David is the one that needs to succeed in all this. David is the one that needs to come out on top because she sees David as her successor of the cult, right, the one that's going to take over the family.

[Expert]

Amy was the dutiful sister, daughter and communicator. She really functioned within the conspiracy as sort of the communications hub.

[Advertiser]

So Amy is maintaining the website, she's sending out emails, she's doing those types of things.

[Expert]

We have to remember this is in 2010 and 2011, not 2024. So websites were very different. The Matusewicz, in terms of their tactics in using the Internet to defame, to harass, to stalk were way ahead of their time. In many ways, they were pioneers. This idea of harassing Christine online through the mail for everybody she knew was first designed to get her to give up, to remove herself from the situation, maybe by suicide, or maybe just to give them custody of the children. When that didn't work, they escalated.

[Narrator]

It was time for the Matusewicz family to expand their network. Next time on Very Scary People.

[Christine]

There were lots of people that helped them in the stalking campaign. And so I was worried about being out in the world and people seeing.

[Expert]

Me with Katie, they moved into a campaign of surveillance and spying.

[Christine]

Christine, she said that they were following her and had people watching her.

[Family Member]

I was scared that they were going to come back to the house and try and take the girls again.

[Expert]

Then one day, Christine's at work, kids are there, and there's a knock on the door, and Katie looks out there and it's Tom.

[Narrator]

Very Scary People is produced by Lionsgate Alternative Television for id. I'm Donnie Wahlberg. You can follow our show wherever you get your podcasts. And we'd love it if you could take a second to leave us a five star review on Apple podcasts or Spotify. This tax season at Boost Mobile.

[Christine]

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This can't be real.

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[Investigator]

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[Christine]

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[Christine]

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[Christine]

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[Narrator]

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[Expert]

He's over the table.

[Lawyer]

He grabs me by the collar.

[Christine]

Oh my God.

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[Christine]

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[Investigator]

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