Hidden True Crime - Kendra’s Family Speaks Out — Warns of “Retaliation” | Joseph Duggar Case

Episode Date: April 16, 2026

Breaking developments in the case of Joseph Duggar—as the Caldwell family breaks their silence and a family friend drops a stunning public statement that could change everything. In this episode, Lauren unpacks the escalating tension between the Duggars and the Caldwells, new allegations surrounding the handling of a child victim, and the growing questions about control, loyalty, and accountability behind the scenes. Sponsor: Rula- Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts at https://www.rula.com/hidden Rula patients typically pay $15 per session with insurance. About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Caldwells posted a very significant statement on Instagram that in my opinion, all but confirms are reporting thus far on this tragic case involving an innocent nine-year-old girl at its center, a very brave nine-year-old girl. It's just been under a month since Christian reality TV star Joseph Dugger was arrested, accused of molesting that nine-year-old girl during a 2020 vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida. Charging docks say he confessed. Then in a shocking turn, his wife Kendra Caldwell Duggar was also charged with four counts of child endangerment and four counts of false imprisonment. Joseph, too, is now facing those same charges in Arkansas. And in the weeks since those initial charges have come down. We've been here breaking down the avalanche of new details that have

been tumbling down a hill faster than any dougar can shovel their way out. We have jail emails. We have jail calls and we have family statements that both confirm and contradict the behind the scenes activity. And we have also broken down the seemingly growing tensions between two families. And this is vital to understand. The Caldwells are Kendra's family of origin. Her father is Pastor Paul. Her mom is Christina. And then there is Kendra's husband, Joseph Dugger's more famous family from the TLC hit series 19 kids and counting. The background tension has been dripping into the public sphere drop by drop. But this week, they've turned the faucet on. The Caldwells have spoken, as have their friend who is standing by their side dropping truth bombs. And in today's episode,

we are going over everything, breaking down what the statements say, the details, and what this means, and how this could change everything we know about this case. I'm Lauren Matthias, and this is hidden true crime. Now, I know we have a lot to dig into today. Trust me. But to make it all make sense, a quick but vital recap. Back in March, Joseph Duggar was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, molestation of a a victim less than 12 years old. And lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older after a 14-year-old girl came forward sharing that Joseph had inappropriately touched her multiple times during a vacation when she was only nine years old. And Joseph, a dad, a married father, she was nine. Joseph, when confronted, allegedly confirmed the girl's story and admitted

that his intentions, and I'm going to say this in quotes, were not pure. Yeah, he's said that. Yeah. And then came the charges of false imprisonment and child endangerment, seemingly related to their own four children due to locks located on the outside of doors, meaning children could be locked inside bedrooms. Joseph was transferred from his hometown of Arkansas to Florida. On March 31st, Joseph pleaded not guilty. And then moments later, with the help of daddy Jim Bob Dougger posted a $600,000 bond using a get out of jail but not for free card and was spotted in the airport flying back to Arkansas with Daddy Jim Bob. So for now, Joseph is prohibited from contacting the alleged victim and from having any unsupervised contact with minors. That includes his own

children. When jail calls a hidden true crime obtained via our FOIA request, we heard Kendra mentioned not having her kids for the next month. We heard her say that she thinks they will be resilient little things. Yes, she refers to them as resilient little things. And then the prayers. And we also heard her talk plenty about the Dugger family, her in-laws, rallying around her and supporting her. Now, this part is important. Stick with me. The Duggers supporting Kendra. Because from the surface, it certainly seems that's the right thing to do, as she is experiencing a major plot twist in her life and marriage, clearly. But in our last update, we dove into the behind-the-scenes tension

that, again, seems to be growing between Kendra Dugger and her own family, her own parents, the Caldwells. And by now, most of us have heard the jail calls, where Kendra speaks about ensuring that her parents move out of the home and that she and Joseph own this home and her parents, and siblings are living in, and she also mentions that it's the Dugger family that is going to make sure they follow through. Take a listen to this. My family says they're moving out in a month.

Everybody is going to hold them through it. Yeah, they're like, yeah, they're, yeah, they're, like, anyway, so they're holding them to it. So for weeks now, there's been speculation, and quite honestly, a lot of circumstantial evidence. that has pointed to Paul Caldwell, that's Kendra's own dad, Pastor Paul, being the one who turned Joseph into police, and that the victim was related to Kendra Dugger and was possibly even one of her younger siblings who would have been nine years old in 2020 while vacationing with Joseph in Florida. I mean, lining up with facts and the charging docks, right? And while we have made it clear that there has been no confirmation of this, and we have made an effort

to be cautious with our reporting here at Hidden True Crime. We have touched on this possibility due to the growing tension between the two families and also just to simply understand the evidence. And I speculated that maybe it wasn't that the Duggers were just rallying around their daughter-in-law, Kendra, because that would make sense supporting her, right? But that maybe it was more, that maybe this was about controlling Kendra. the duggers controlling Kendra. Maybe it was about isolating Kendra from her family, isolating Kendra from a sibling that might be Joseph's victim, a victim who made the brave

choice to come forward. And look, take a listen yourself to this, because all of this matters when it comes down to understanding what the Caldwell family friend spoke about in a very striking Instagram post. This is from our April 8th episode on the Ducker case. Take a listen. In addition to everything we've already talked about, there have been other hints that this situation is related to the Caldwells as well, one being that they've seemingly removed group photos with Kendra from their Facebook page. Yeah, remove photos. Take a look. Family photos, public family photos on Facebook and know Kendra. They have a total of nine children.

There are eight kids in the photo when there should be nine. Kendra's missing. There was also something else in the jail calls that makes it seem like Kendra wants to pull away not only from her parents but from her siblings as well. In one call, Kendra tells Joseph that they no longer want Timmy working as a cleaner for their Airbnb listing. And people online are speculating that this Timmy is referring possibly to Kendra's teen brother, Timothy.

So, okay, let's zoom out now and let's look at everything together. That is where things stand. Joseph is out on bond facing serious felony charges. Kendra is dealing with her own charges, separated from her children and possibly changing her legal strategy. Their kids are out of their custody. They don't have their children. Their home is being turned into a rental.

Assets are being sold off. The Caldwells are trying to secure housing and legal help while being pushed out of their home. And in the middle of all of this, there are recorded jail calls where these decisions are being discussed in a way that at times feel surprisingly casual. And it seems that while we were all originally worried that Kendra might not recognize her options and that she knew that she could leave Joseph Dugger if she chose, now it seems that not only, not only is Kendra standing by her man. That's what we were worried about. But now it's more.

She is seeming to be turning her back on the family who raised her and likely distancing herself from the victim herself. And what is the Dugger family narrative in all of this? I ask because clearly, Kendra is spending all of her time with the Duggers. We learned that on the jail calls too. The Duggers are rallying around Kendra. They're housing Kendra, supporting Kendra,

feeding Kendra, and taking care of Kendra. Might I dare add, controlling Kendra. Yeah, controlling Kendra. don't say that lightly. So, okay, again, that episode was recorded April 8th. It's hidden true crime questioning the Dugger's motives when it comes to Kendra. Is it about a rallying around Kendra? Is that it? Or is this about control? And just five days later, on April 13th, five days, one statement hit Instagram like a ton of bricks. There are definitely times in life where you realize you could really use someone to talk to. But finding a therapist, someone who actually is the right fit, and someone who

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Visit rula.com slash hidden to get started. That's Rula, R-U-L-A dot com slash hidden. Because you deserve mental health care that works with you and not against your budget. Rula.com slash hidden. The photo was posted by the Caldwell family friend Amy Paul and featured a photograph of Amy, one of Amy's daughters, Kendra's mom, Christina Caldwell, and Kendra's little sister, all together.

And alongside that photo, Amy explains in a caption why she made the visit that day to see the Caldwell family in their home. So let's slow down and read the statement together. It's big, and it's telling. Quote, Why did I decide to drive 14 hours to help the Caldwells? The answer is simple. There was a need, and as Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

I was also appalled by the lack of Christian charity that has been shown to this precious family that is in crisis. Not only were they put in the awful situation of turning their son-in-law into the police because he wasn't man enough to take accountability himself, but he's also kicking them out of their house and giving them 30 days to get out. The power and the water was turned off with eight other kids living in the house. While I was there, DHS was called on them for abuse. Wonder who called. I will tell you that not one Dugger is reaching out to the Caldwells. Not one Dugger is helping them move or asking how they can help. The Caldwells share four

grandkids with Jim Bob and Michelle Dugger. This is not the time to be throwing stones, but it's the time to rally around and support the victim and their family, and Joe Dugger is 100% not the victim. Pray for their daughter, Kendra, to choose her kids and leave the alleged pedophile and have a relationship with her family. I am one year into this same scenario almost, and all I knew to do was love on Christina and her precious family. I don't deserve any praise. It's what all Christians are called to do. See a need and meet it. And again, the only emotion I have right now for the Duggers is disgust and disbelief. Do the right thing and help your extended family from the abuse and trauma your son has caused.

Your piddly statement wasn't enough. Where are the actions? Even if you don't like someone, the truth is you raised a son and he touched a prepubescent child and you are choosing to poison the daughter against her family. Encourage Kendra to divorce Joe. Focus on her kids and give her half the money real estate. etc. Don't make her dependent on you, Jim Bob, like she's not a grown woman. Don't make her another Anna. Her family is there waiting with open arms. I thought I wouldn't post. Hopefully

this was tampered down enough. If I posted what I really want, I'd probably be arrested, end quote. Amy's statement is significant. She claims it was indeed Paul Caldwell that turned Joseph in. and if that's accurate, it confirms our speculation that the victim is indeed Kendra's younger sibling. Amy confirms our earlier speculation that the Caldwells are indeed getting kicked out of the house within 30 days, and we all heard Kendra's state on the recorded jailhouse call that it was the Duggers that are holding the Caldwells to that moving date. But Amy tells us even more. While their moving date hasn't yet arrived, the Caldwell's water, And Electric has allegedly already been shut off with eight children living there.

Amy also claims that while she was visiting DHS, the Department of Human Services, was called on the family. DHS is the same as the Department of Child and Family Services, saying that the Caldwells are allegedly abusing or are abusers. And Amy speculates in her caption on Instagram, and she encourages readers to ponder who possibly called DHS on the family? I certainly am wondering myself, Amy, and I have my suspicions as to who. Amy Paul tells us that not one dougar has reached out to the Caldwell family, and I find this very significant, as we have read so many statements from so many duggers. It's like 19 statements and counting, but now we've learned not one of the public statements has been made privately to any Caldwell. Amy Cleggle. Amy,

is not one dougar has offered to help the Caldwell's move, although they've made sure to turn off their power and electric, we're reminded that the Duggers and the Caldwells do share four grandchildren together, Kendra and Joseph's children, and Amy reminds us that this is not the time to be throwing stones. Amy also eloquently says, Joseph Dugger is not the victim. So very true. The victim is a girl allegedly living in a house where the water and the power has been shut off. Amy asks for us to pray that Kendra might find the strength to leave Joseph, a situation that is all too familiar to her, and she admits her disgust and disbelief for the Duggers who are not helping the Caldwell family

after the abuse and trauma that their own son, Joseph Dugger, caused. And Amy claims that Jim Bob's piddly statement wasn't enough. Put a pin on that. the way. I want to come back to Bob's statement. And then Amy Paul says this, which I'm just going to read verbatim again, because this is a mic-drop

moment, if there ever was one. And she is speaking directly to the family patriarch, Jim Bob Dugger. Quote, even if you don't like someone, the truth is you raised a son and he touched a prepubescent child, and you are choosing

to poison the daughter against her family, encourage Kendra to divorce Joe, focus on her kids, and give her half the money, real estate, et cetera. Don't make her dependent on you, Jim Bob, like she's not a grown woman. Don't make her another Anna. Her family is there waiting with open arms. End quote. Wow. In the comments of this Instagram post, Amy goes further. Amy explains that the Caldwell have been working on a house, building a house on the property directly next to Kendra and Joseph's house that they've been living in. Amy said that the Caldwells were planning on moving in there,

but due to the charges, they cannot live there anymore. She also said that as soon as all of this came down, Joseph and Kendra gave the Caldwells 30 days to move out. Amy's words are important. for a little background, by the way, on who Amy is because she did explain that she's been in a similar situation. She's kind of a dougar adjacent, allegedly an ex-friend of the duggers, who at one point followed the more extreme religious practices and modesty standards. But aside from that, as Amy explained, she has gone through a very similar situation. She and her husband Eric turned their son-in-law Carver into police for being a child predator. We should note that Carver is friends with many of the duggers. sons. But since turning Carver in, Amy has tried hard to get her 21-year-old daughter, Haley,

to leave her son-in-law Carver. But Haley, she's refused to do this thus far. In a 2025 post, Amy wrote this about Haley, quote, I miss her so much. Part of my heart is missing. I want to give everyone an update on the grand jury's decision. Carver was arrested again on Saturday. He was indicted with a $150,000 bond. Haley bailed him out with $15,000 in a couple of hours. The grand jury in Alabama was presented evidence and had to decide to dismiss the case or bring it to trial. They ruled to indict him on two counts of a Class B felony for sexual abuse of a minor under 12 years old. Each charge has a minimum of two years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. He will have to stand trial for his crimes and if found guilty, he will be classified as a sexual offender and will go to

prison. Eric and I confronted him in April and we heard from his own mouth that he did indeed commit sexual abuse on a minor or minors while he was in adult. He tried to downplay it, but enough was admitted that it made me want to do very bad things to him. I don't know where Haley's head is at, but she is choosing to stay while knowing her husband touched a child, children, I don't know where in my parenting I failed, but I thought this lesson was common sense. You don't stay married to a pedophile. You deaf don't have kids with him and you deaf don't give up your whole family and make us the enemy because we turned in a criminal and didn't conceal a crime. in our brokenness we will point others to the cross there is wholeness and healing at jesus's feet the only way we are making it through this calculated attack is the lord

if you do not have a personal relationship with christ please reach out pray he gets his bond revoked and sits in jail until the trial if not we are looking at a trial two years from now end quote wow so that's amy paul and her situation And her daughter, Haley, herself, also posted a statement when her husband Carver was arrested. And I'm going to read that because, whoa, I think this might give us a little insight into some of the mindset that maybe, I don't know, Kendra or maybe Anna Dugger are in. I don't know. I can't say what mindset they are in because they've actually never given a statement, Amy or Kendra. But Haley has. So take a listen.

her husband Carver was arrested. It reads, quote, the devil couldn't reach our marriage in other ways, so he used the people closest to us to tear us apart. Whatever happened years ago was wrong in a sin, but Jesus doesn't put boundaries on forgiveness, and I am certainly not going to step into his shoes and take that place. I have no idea what will happen next, but no matter what, I will be standing by his side every step of the way. I know that Jesus has a beautiful purpose and plan for our life, and he's given me the most unwavering trust in peace. I'm so incredibly torn and hurt by the people who I thought loved me the most, but in the end, some people just need to do what's best for themselves. And if y'all truly thought that's what was best, I hope you're seeing now how traumatically

your actions have affected our life that we've worked so hard to build. Carver was up all night sitting with his gun at the door because our location got leaked and people were harassing us all night. Nobody deserves us, especially not. not him. These kind of things can happen in countless families' lives who were raised very sheltered and strict. That doesn't make it okay, but it is understandable. I know so many of y'all whose husbands or sons or uncles are hiding behind their sin even years and years down the road. I am proud of my husband. I'm proud to be his wife, and I always will be. He has already made amends with the victim and Jesus. So this is all news that my parents chose to exploit.

For what reason I have no idea, but I can't change or revert their actions. I can only take it day by day. I don't hate anyone. I don't think I've hated a single person in my life. But I don't agree with the actions that they have decided to take for their own personal gain with no care or thought as to how it will affect Carver and I. This isn't a matter I take or speak about lightly. This is my life, my best friend and soulmate. We've only been married a year.

But it's been the most blissful and joy-filled year of our lives. Maybe Jesus gave us such a wonderful gift in each other because he knew we'd have to face this. I have no idea what will happen, but I will always wait. I trust that Jesus has a plan far better than we could ever imagine. He always has. I know he won't fail me now, end quote. This statement is so, oh, I mean, I can't even begin to digest it. But besides it traumatizing me a little bit, reading Haley's words, it's also enlightening.

Okay, so let's talk about that part. While Kendra, again, and Anna Dugger have never made public statements. They have so far stood by their husbands who have been charged with crimes against children. And it certainly gives, again, to me, at least some insight into the mindset. For one, referring to alleged abuse of a child. abuse of a child as a sin, as a sin, or how she puts it, she puts victim in quotation marks. Yes, she did that. I said victim in quotes, but it's because Haley did it.

She put victim in quotes in this statement. She talks about it as, you know, in the past. She talks about it being understandable because of just living a sheltered life. All three of them, Haley, Kendra, and Anna, they grew up. in similar environments with fundamentalist Christianity. So I think it is fair to wonder if Haley's statement shows us what some of Kendra's inner thoughts might be regarding her marriage to Joseph. But I don't know. I don't know what is in Kendra's mind. Before I switched to wealth front, my APY was probably 0.1. Like it was a joke.

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Cash account offered by Wealthfront brokerage LLC member FINRA SIPC, not a bank. Instant withdrawal subject to conditions, fees, and eligibility requirements may apply to certain checking features of the cash account. But from the outside, looking in, not only are the Pals and the Caldwell's similar in the sense of having an alleged child predators as a son-in-law, but also seemingly in the relationship with their daughters becoming volatile and possible. possibly estranged from their parents after charges came down. While at the Caldwell's home, Amy also posted a photo that showed bins and an open trailer

signaling the upcoming move with the caption, so much work getting accomplished, love helping my friends, end quote. And then today, let's get to today. It's Wednesday morning, April 14th, at the time of this recording, we're talking about this morning, Wednesday morning, the Caldwell shared their own statement and broke their silence alongside a family photograph that did not include Kendra. Very telling. And it reads, quote, our family is both troubled and heartbroken over the alleged actions committed by our son-in-law. We are devastated for the young girl, a child who was courageous in every way to share her truth.

We stand by her both in support and prayer and forever will. Our love for this child remains at the forefront of our family's priorities and minds. We are proud of her for being strong enough to share her story while also retaining her own identity and joy. I love that. Her own identity and joy. We pray that all victims of crimes can be as courageous as this young girl is. They should be able to share their story, to trust in the judicial process, and to do so without fear of retaliation. You are not alone. At the same time, we also recognize how traumatic this incident has been for our own.

our grandchildren as well and continue to pray for their strength. Our love for them and our daughter Kendra remains. We believe in a God who is just and loving, one who loves all of his children, especially the vulnerable and innocent. The only way to freedom is to shine light in the darkness and in this time part of the light in our lives has come through the outpouring of love and prayer from people near and far. Thank you who have given in all. all the ways through prayer, finances, time, energy, and words of encouragement. We love you all. At this time, we have no further comment and request privacy, end quote. Wow. So while the Caldwells did not confirm whether or not the victim is their child,

they spoke about their deep love for the child, that she is the family's priority and how proud they are of her. And they spoke of her bravery. also heard them talk about how traumatizing this is on their grandchildren, sane enough to realize they are referring to Kendra and Joseph's children. But now, let's go back to something Amy Paul said on her Instagram post, something I said that I would circle back to. She referred to Jim Bob and Michelle Dugger's piddly statement referencing the arrest of their son Joseph Dugger. So let's talk about that pitily statement, which, by the way, I am loving the word piddly. I'm trying to say it a lot. It's a good one. I'm bringing it back, thanks to Amy Paul. So that piddly statement shared by

Michelle and Jim Bob stated that they are praying for the victim. Praying for the victim. Jim Bob and Michelle are allegedly praying for the victim while their son Joseph Dugger pleads not guilty. Jim Bob and Michelle are allegedly praying for the victim while paying Joseph Spale. Jim Bob and Michelle are allegedly praying for the victim while, according to Amy Paul, turning off the victim's power and water and quite possibly leaving her homeless. Remember, Kendra told Joseph on the jailhouse call, it was the Duggers holding the Caldwell's feet to the fire to make sure they move. But along with Jim Bob and Michelle's piddly statement, couldn't true crime obtain an email. Jim Bob wrote to his son Joseph Dugger before Daddy's bail money showed up,

And it told Joseph to make lemonade out of lemons. Yeah, it did say that. And also it said this, you have made some terrible decisions, but you're probably going to face a major consequences for several years to come, and quote. So, and now, well, again, let's go back to our last episode recorded on April 8th. Again, take a listen. Many have speculated on a recent email that we report. read on our previous episode, an email between Jim Bob Dugger to Joseph Dugger while he was in jail before he was bailed out. And we've discussed how that email from his dad mentions Joseph's

terrible decisions, terrible. And the question is, what exactly does Jim Bob mean by terrible decision? Is he talking about the crime itself? Or is he talking about Joseph confessing and getting caught? Because some of you had a very strong reaction to that one line about terrible decisions. One of you wrote in comments on our episode, when Jim Bob tells Joseph that he had made terrible decisions, I don't think he was talking about the horrible and disgusting things he had done to the little girl. I believe that he was talking about Joseph having confessed to the twice and law enforcement being able to hear his confession the second time around. Now they won't be able to cover up for him and he will have to face the consequences.

And then another one of you wrote this comment on our episode. Is Jim Bob considering the bad decision to get the crime itself or simply the admission on the phone? I'm not sure what the bad decision is that he is referencing. And here's another comment from one of you, our listeners. Quote, do you think that maybe when they say they are praying for the victim, they mean Joseph and not the actual victim? The statement is super vague, and I feel like they could see him as a victim of persecution.

And thank you for your comments. I do read your comments. The more that I have looked into this case, and let's talk about the recent things here, bail being bonded out right away, the not guilty plea that Joseph made, the way Kendra has been pulled in close, very close to the Ducker family, the tension and feud with the Caldwell family, and it being Pastor Paul Caldwell, who likely, allegedly, reported the abuse to law enforcement. it starts to raise a bigger question for me about the Dugger narrative. Is this about accountability or is this about control, loyalty, and choosing sides?

Because what we may be watching unfold here isn't just a criminal case. It's a family fracture. And maybe even a quiet punishment of the people who did speak up. and a desire to punish the Caldwells and put distance between Kendra and her parents after Pastor Paul Caldwell did what a good father should do, tell police, and get Joseph to confess. And so, now that the Caldwells have spoken out, and now that Amy Paul has spoken out, what do you think Jim Bob Dugger meant? What are your thoughts now?

And have they changed or evolved since these statements have come out? For me, my own thoughts have changed. I was a little more, I don't know. What does everyone else think? The more that comes out for me, to me, this changes everything I think about this case or solidifies a lot of my speculation. As we've also reported, the Caldwells launched a GoFundMe that they claimed was for moving expenses and legal expenses.

It read that their family was facing a difficult. and urgent situation. They asked or requested help with legal fees and moving fees to secure safe housing. They explained how incredibly stressful everything had been and that they were trying to protect themselves and move forward. They explained that the funds would go for legal representation and also helping to find a safe place to live. They said it was for their well-being and peace of mind. They're grateful for donations and they were grateful for prayers. But that GoFundMe was taken down for a time. And then it reappeared, just suddenly, with no mention of legal fees, just housing needs. But it again focused on the Caldwell family facing a very difficult and urgent situation. That GoFundMe has now raised over $30,000. And we will have a link to this fund in the description of this episode, as well as in PINFundMe. comments. Joseph is due back in court on May 18th. So not for another month, but clearly the

avalanche keeps rolling and hidden true crime will be here every step of the way. So thank you for supporting our channel and thank you for supporting our work here at Hidden True Crime. Truly, it means so much. Thank you for subscribing. It helps so much. But of course, The most vital thing to remember is this is about a victim who is a child, a child victim. And just as the Caldwell said in their statement today on Wednesday, she remains their biggest priority. And yes, they are correct. She is the priority. And despite that, as the avalanche within the Dugger vortex continues tumbling, I'm continually left asking, Who is actually being protected?

Is she the victim the one being protected? Or is it Joseph? Because these statements from the Caldwells, speaking up and speaking out, and from their family friend, Amy Paul, it's hard not to question everything on the other side. And it makes me wonder what will surface next. Whatever it is, we will be watching.

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