Love Trapped - Family Dynamics | EP 14

Episode Date: June 26, 2026

Everyone wants to know where Laura’s parents, Ronn Owens and Jan Black, stand in all of this. What do they know? Are they truly supporting her? A veteran Bay Area reporter who’s ...interviewed the family gives us a closer look at those dynamics. Plus, the foreclosure on the family's Scottsdale home is taking a new turn, some of the content creators are dealing with a frustrating situation, and we have a quick update from TEDx.   On Monday, June 29, 2026, we should know if Laura is taking the latest plea deal offer.  We’ll be back soon with the latest updates on Laura’s criminal case in Arizona, as it unfolds in real time.   For exclusive content, follow us on Instagram @glasspodcasts. If you would like to reach out to the Loved Trapped team or have a similar story to share, email us at lovetrappedpod@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript
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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. There was no anything inside those eyes. They turned black. It scared the hell out of me. Evil, wake up. I'm the one that saw the murder take place by Crevette and DePippo. Anthony DePippo showed no signs of remorse,
Starting point is 00:00:26 appearing unfazed after being sentenced to the maximum. I said I'm not guilty. I'll take it to the grave. Listen to the devil's quarry in the Bone Valley Feed on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Laura's new plea deal expires on the day this episode comes out, Friday, June 26th. But we likely won't have an answer until Monday, June 29th. As we wait, I want to catch you up on what's been happening over the past six weeks,
Starting point is 00:01:05 outside of Laura's criminal proceedings. First, I spoke with the journalist who's been in touch with the Owens family. We believe our daughter then, we believe her now. We stood by her then. We stand by her now. Then, we have an update on the Owens family home foreclosure and their bankruptcy filings. Their adult daughter, who has autism, also resides at the property. Displacement from this property would cause severe disruption to a household organized entirely around the medical needs of an elderly. seriously ill resident.
Starting point is 00:01:40 Plus, it seems like Laura's been staying active online. We have received a privacy complaint regarding your content. Upon an analysis of your claim, we have removed the content in question. I'm Stephanie Young, and this is Love Trapped. Since the podcast dropped, there is one topic everyone seems particularly interested in. Laura's parents, Ron Owens and Jan Black. How much do they? actually know? Do they support Laura? To find out, I turned to longtime Bay Area reporter Martha Ross.
Starting point is 00:02:47 She first reached out to Ron and Jan back in January of 2025. I saw a Facebook post from a friend of theirs, a former KGO colleague who was talking about this GoFundMe for Ron Owens. And I thought, this is really startling news given Ron's stature in the Bay Area and an assumption that given his 40 years at KGO that he was probably pretty well off and why would he need a GoFundMe? But I also knew he was very beloved in the community, so I emailed them.
Starting point is 00:03:19 On December 31st, 2024, a GoFundMe campaign was launched for Ron Owens. Keep in mind the timeline here. This was nearly six months after the Arizona Family Court had already ruled on Laura and Clayton's paternity case. But when Martha first first, reached out to Ron and Jan, she didn't know that yet. As a veteran San Francisco reporter, she was simply trying to find out more about the fundraiser
Starting point is 00:03:45 for a legendary local broadcaster. They talked about the insurance they had didn't quite cover all their medical expenses. And I was sympathetic to that. I think we've all heard of that being the reality for many people. So it made sense to me. Ron's GoFundMe is still active online. It lays out a long list of severe health. challenges. We've had a section of the GoFundMe page read by a voice actor. Ron is facing profound
Starting point is 00:04:12 challenges. After living with Parkinson's disease for 23 years, his health battles have intensified. He has courageously faced not only Parkinson's, but also four bouts of cancer, most recently colon cancer, and serious heart issues. These medical struggles have taken a toll both physically and financially on the man who has been a pillar of strength for so many. At the time I'm recording this, the GoFundMe for Ron has raised over $136,000. But to put those numbers in perspective, Ron and Jan filed for bankruptcy last year, where they reported an income of about $21,000 per month. That contrast has fueled intense online speculation that the crowdsource funds are potentially
Starting point is 00:04:59 being used to cover Laura's legal fees. I obtained a copy of an email sent to past donors of the Goals. fund me. The subject line reads, a message from Ron. We've had an excerpt read by a voice actor. Life has continued to test me. Parkinson's, forebouts of cancer, serious heart and mobility issues, and the ongoing financial strain. On top of all this, our family is now facing another heartbreaking chapter with the recent politically motivated indictment of my daughter, Laura. This stems from a legitimate paternity claim she filed a couple years ago, against a former reality TV star.
Starting point is 00:05:39 Laura was pregnant at the time and tragically suffered a miscarriage. What's been especially painful is that the man she filed the claim against publicly denied she was ever pregnant and shockingly convinced a judge to question the verified medical records, photographs, and video documentation
Starting point is 00:05:56 that Laura had submitted. Watching her personal tragedy dismissed and twisted has been gut-wrenching. And to see it further monetized and distorted by online content creators has made it worse. That said, I want to be completely clear. The GoFundMe was created solely to support me and my needs. None of these funds have been or will be used for Laura's legal expenses.
Starting point is 00:06:24 Back in January 2025, Bay Area Reporter Martha Ross began working on a story about Ron Owens and his fundraiser. At the time, Martha didn't know anything about. the paternity scandal. During her first interview with Ron and Jan, she was surprised when they began steering the conversation to a different topic, their daughter, Laura. Jan did a lot of the talking, but Ron would interject every once in a while. During that conversation, they also told me a lot of other things about how a lot of their financial struggles were because they felt like there was this internet smear campaign against them, and it was affecting some of their businesses. Then they opened up about how Laura had gotten into this situation
Starting point is 00:07:08 with Clayton Eckerd, The Bachelor. And I didn't know anything about The Bachelor. I haven't followed that show. And I also didn't know about this online community of YouTubers who were following us. So it was all news to me. Soon, Martha began to investigate. There was one claim in particular that caught her attention.
Starting point is 00:07:27 They brought up those allegations that are part of the public record, that Laura was lured into an encounter. They were referring to the high-listing. serious and unproven allegation that Greg Gillespie and his attorney Greg Woodnick somehow conspired to have Laura sexually assaulted. You've heard about that in episode five. They both said that there was a FBI profiler that Ron had interviewed was aware of the situation. And Ron said, I believe it. I totally believe it. Towards the end of that initial call,
Starting point is 00:08:00 Laura joined the conversation. They started telling me about Laura's situation with Clayton. and that she had these issues with these other men. There was legal case and protective orders and things like that. I said, you know, maybe this is something I could follow up in the future. And Martha did exactly that. Less than a week later, she was on a call with Laura. I asked Martha whether Laura was still sticking to the narrative that she was pregnant with Clayton's twins.
Starting point is 00:08:29 Yes, she was. She was sticking to the story that she had the medical evidence and Ron and Jan were supporting her. Martha still had unanswered questions. So she circled back to Ron and Jan for a second interview. I was just trying to get some more information from their perspective about this whole case as I was still learning more. Jan again did most of the talking about Ron when he spoke.
Starting point is 00:08:54 He made it very clear that they support her and they believe that she was pregnant and that they also support her pursuing court cases against. these men, that she was right to do it. That's when the conversation took a turn, and they brought up the online community. They both referred to the Clayton cult, and they thought that Clayton had been trying to organize people against them. Jan said that the smear campaign against them, she said, it's been horrific, while Ron said it's made it difficult for us to live our lives.
Starting point is 00:09:26 And Jan said, the thing is, our daughter got pregnant by the guy who was the bachelor who first didn't believe she was pregnant. and Jan said he had a really bad reputation was using the situation to, quote, resurrect his image. They spoke out against podcasters and content creators. Jan said they have, quote, seized on this story to make one hour shows. Martha also pressed Jan on the pattern of behavior at the core of this entire saga. The fact that Laura had claimed pregnancies by three different men
Starting point is 00:09:57 and had restraining orders involving each of them. Jan said she didn't think it was, quote, that unusual, unquote, for a woman in her early 30s to, quote, have been pregnant, you know, with three different men and to have protective orders against them. She also said she and her husband believe, quote, all the information, unquote, that their daughter and her attorneys have presented in the courts. Since those initial conversations, Martha's been reporting on the story for the Mercury News. In May 26, she sent a new list of questions to the Owens family. I reached out to them via email, letting them know that I was working on a story about the role that they've played in supporting Laura throughout her pregnancy claims and court actions. I sent a list of questions asking Laura if she maintained she was pregnant by Mike,
Starting point is 00:10:50 Greg and Clayton. I asked about the plea bargain, whether Laura was considering it, whether they were concerned about a prison sentence and so on. And a few days later, Martha got a 23-page response. They sent back a response. It came from Jan's email, and it was signed by Ron and Jan. This makes Martha one of the only people in the media who's heard from Ron and Jan since the podcast began.
Starting point is 00:11:15 I want to walk you through what they said. The response began. We want to express concern about the framing of many of the questions being posed. A significant number of them contain embedded messages, assumptions, and language that appear to adopt narratives promoted online and in the podcast Love Trout. Rather than approaching these matters, from a neutral or investigative standpoint.
Starting point is 00:11:37 One of Martha's questions directly addressed our show. She asked, quote, With the podcast Love Trapped, Ron and Jan have come under scrutiny about the role they played in publicly supporting Laura's pregnancy claims and court actions against Maricini, Gillespie, and Eckerd. Do Ron and Jan want to comment on the podcast?
Starting point is 00:11:58 They said, Love Trapped never contacted us directly. We've lived the story with Laura in real time, know the truth, and have no interest in hearing a fictionalized account of what happened. I, Jan, reached out to the production twice in emails to producer Stephanie Young in August 2025 offering to provide my account. I never received any response. To me, no response equals no interest in telling our side of the story. I need to interject here. First, as you heard in episode 12, I have no record of communications from Jan Black in my company or personal inbox.
Starting point is 00:12:38 In fact, when our team asked Laura if we could speak with her mother, Jan, we got a reply back, stating that because Jan is listed as a witness in the criminal proceedings, she can't speak on the record. We continued extending the offer via email to Laura for her or her family to participate in an interview. But they were unresponsive. Second, the phrasing in Jan's response gave me deja vu. We know that Laura often uses the word equals in the same way as this typed response from Jan. Like in an email Laura sent to Clayton on September 5, 2023, Laura said, quote, just confirming that you are refusing a paternity test.
Starting point is 00:13:21 No answer equals refusing it. This was the rest of Jan's response to Martha about love trapped. based on what we've seen in episode transcripts damaging specific allegations about us and our family were made to an international podcast audience without any attempt to get our input. That is not journalism. This actually sounds a lot like what Laura wrote in her final email to me. When I requested her comment for the podcast, Laura wrote back saying, quote, What this production has done to us, knowingly, with the record in hand, and with every opportunity. to correct it is not journalism.
Starting point is 00:14:05 Martha's next set of questions addressed Laura's relationship with Mike Maricini. I asked, did Laura and Ron offer Mike the chance of a radio career by having him record a podcast, a millennial dating? Did Ron tell Mike he could earn up to $250,000 a year? And their response was, no, no offer was made, no contract existed, no payment was ever discussed. That would have been an incredibly high salary for someone new to the industry. An industry veteran like Ron would never have made such an offer. From there, Martha questioned Laura's ongoing pursuit of the domestic violence restraining order against Mike, even though they live 700 miles apart and haven't had contact for years. I asked, do you support her continuing to pursue this?
Starting point is 00:14:52 And their response was, quote, most abusers deny being abusive in the court system. The dismissal of the DVRO extension had nothing to do with the merits of the case. and Mike's public conduct before and since that dismissal independently warrants protection. And as far as Laura's criminal case in Arizona goes, it doesn't sound like they are willing to share any information. On matters involving Laura's criminal case, any potential plea deal, the possibility of a prison term, they referred those questions to Laura's criminal defense attorney.
Starting point is 00:15:25 One of the biggest questions Martha threw at them was about accountability. I also asked, quote, what do Laura, Ron, or Jan say to people who have accused Laura of abusing the court system, taking up time and resources that could go to victims and making it difficult for women to be believed when they come forward with abuse allegations? They said it has been painful for her to pursue these cases and she has been very brave in doing so. It would have been easier for her to remain quiet. The suggestion that she has abused the court system ignores both the facts and the actual outcomes of multiple levels. legal proceedings across nearly a decade. And finally, Martha asked Ron and Jan a question that I think we've all been wanting an answer to.
Starting point is 00:16:10 She asked, quote, given everything lost financially over the past several years and the emotional toll from the investigation, bankruptcy filings, and media scrutiny, would Ron or Jan have wanted to do anything differently? They said, no. We believe our daughter then. We believe her now. We stood by her then. We stand by her now.
Starting point is 00:16:32 We love her, and it's been profoundly painful to see her be the target of an effort to destroy every aspect of her life. We continue to be in awe of her courage. Radio experience. Weekend gold tickets to Ilson Ig. One, two, three. With Dom Dalla, Chris Lakin friends, Woolly, Deadmouse, Above and Beyond, Subfocus, and More, with flights from Porter Airlines, three nights at Residence in downtown Montreal, and $1,000
Starting point is 00:17:09 Cash. Enter for your chance to win at iHeartRadio.ca. Ilsonique, in Montreal, every day you enter is another chance to win. In the moment, it felt like it was going on forever. I didn't think I was going to live. I was terrified. There was no anything inside those eyes. They turned black. It scared the hell out of me. That was your first murder case? Yes, yeah. Fair to say this was the biggest case of your career? Sir. Rape a murder for a child, as bad as it gets. I would think so.
Starting point is 00:17:53 Evil, wake up. I'm the woman saw the murder take place by Crevette and DePippo. Anthony DePippo showed no signs of remorse, appearing unfazed after being sentenced to the maximum.
Starting point is 00:18:05 I said, I'm not guilty. I'll take it to the grief. Listen to the devil's quarry on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear the devil's quarry, ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.
Starting point is 00:18:42 In the past few weeks, there have been some important updates on the Owens family finances and bankruptcy filings. It might seem technical, but the documents filed in the public record give us an insight into their unique family dynamic. And luckily, the recordings of these hearings are available on YouTube. Let's start with Laura. As you know, in December 25, Laura Owens filed for bankruptcy. Five months later, all parties agreed to dismiss the case. That was bad news for her. It means the case is dismissed, not her debts. Laura still owes her creditors, including roughly $200,000 to Clayton Eckerd. While the dismissal was largely expected, given the mutual agreement, nothing was official until May 14th. That happened to be Laura's 36th
Starting point is 00:19:33 birthday, and she spent part of it dialing into her bankruptcy court hearing. Okay, I'm going to ask for appearances in the Laura Owens case. I'm going to start in the courtroom, please. Good afternoon, Your Honor, Jennifer Giamo, on behalf of the United States trustee. Thank you. Jennifer Giamo is the Department of Justice attorney assigned to Laura's case. If her name sounds familiar, it's because you might remember her from one of Laura's previous bankruptcy hearings in February. How old you? I'm 35.
Starting point is 00:20:04 So 35 years, you have never had made any income on your own to pay your own bills. The hearing continued and the list of people in attendance only grew from there. Is there anybody else who wants to make an appearance? Your Honor, this is Christian Luters. I am Ms. Owen's attorney in her criminal matter in the Maricopa County case. I'm not making an official appearance in this case. I don't think I have standing to do so. I'm not a bankruptcy attorney.
Starting point is 00:20:31 and I'm not representing her in that matter. I'm here only for informational purposes only. Christian looters is the new criminal defense attorney that you've already heard about. Him calling into this bankruptcy hearing seems like a sign of a proactive attorney. He's likely trying to monitor all Laura's ongoing legal matters, even those falling outside the scope of her criminal case.
Starting point is 00:20:53 I do understand that I also have several people that are listening in and not making an appearance today, and I understand that's because this debtor has been in the news and also on social media. From there, all parties, including Mora, officially agreed to dismiss her bankruptcy filing. The whole hearing lasted about six minutes, and it ended with the judge signing the dismissal order. I find good cause to approve the motion and the agreements that are set forth in therein that would bar the refiling of a bankruptcy case for one year.
Starting point is 00:21:31 And I will sign the order. Thank you for coming in. For the next year, she can't file for bankruptcy again. And the people who Laura owes money to, including Clayton, can try to collect from her. But as we heard in episode 12, it's hard to collect from someone who appears to have no personal assets. As for Ron and Jan's bankruptcy, it's not quite as simple. There's a lot of technical jargon, but it's worth explaining because it shows a pattern. Last-minute appeals, Hail Mary attempts, escalating medical crises, and seemingly small clerical errors that are used to buy time.
Starting point is 00:22:12 Laura's parents Ron Owens and Jan Black filed for bankruptcy in August 2025. Because they failed to comply with the court, that filing was dismissed this past January. Their debts, however, remained fully intact. Martha Ross, the San Francisco journalist you heard from earlier, asked Ron and Jan about their finances. Their answer came in that 23-page response she received in early May. I actually didn't specifically ask about the bankruptcy because that seemed like it was in the past, but I did ask about the foreclosure on their home and the upcoming auction. As you might remember, Ron and Jan's home in Scottsdale was set to be sold in a foreclosure auction on May 26, 2026.
Starting point is 00:22:56 Martha asked them about the upcoming foreclosure sale. Their response was, we're taking steps to avoid it, and that's all they said. On Friday night, May 22nd, four days before the auction, I was out to dinner celebrating my best friend's birthday when, you guessed it, my phone started blowing up. The first text came in at 7.10 p.m. from Schnitzel Ninja. It said, Ron and Jan filed for bankruptcy again. getting details. Now, I'm admittedly not a bankruptcy expert, so once again I turn to Tiffany Robertson, better known in the community as Big Tiff Dog. Tiffany recently retired from a career in the financial services industry and has been part of the online community tracking the Laura Owens case.
Starting point is 00:23:45 Ron and Jan filed a last minute chapter 11 petition in the Arizona bankruptcy court on May 22nd at like 3.30 p.m. Their first filing was a Chapter 13, which is essentially a payment plan for people trying to catch up on bills or save their house from foreclosure. But this new filing is a Chapter 11. That's a more complex process
Starting point is 00:24:11 built for businesses and high debt individuals. It's extremely complex. Like, it definitely shouldn't be done without an attorney. But in this filing, Ron and Jan are representing themselves. And a familiar name has been added to the docket. We saw that Jennifer Giamo almost immediately we filed an appearance in this case. Jennifer Giamo, the Department of Justice Attorney previously involved in Laura's bankruptcy,
Starting point is 00:24:39 is also assigned to this filing. This could be a coincidence, but one thing is for sure. Miss Giamo is already quite familiar with the nuances of the Owens family finances. And based on what I've heard about Jennifer Giamo, she's not going to let inconsistency slide. I also couldn't help but wonder if Ron and Jan filed for bankruptcy again to try and delay the auction of their home. Luckily, the answer came just days later.
Starting point is 00:25:09 On June 4, 26, Ron and Jan requested an extension to file their bankruptcy paperwork. Here's an excerpt from that filing, read by a voice actor. On May 22, 26, debtors filed a voluntary chapter. 11 petition on an emergency basis without counsel to preserve the automatic stay and prevent the non-judicial foreclosure sale of their primary residence, which was scheduled to proceed on May 26, 2026. The petition was filed in good faith and for no purpose other than the protection of debtor's home. Ron and Jan were clearly worried that this new bankruptcy filing wouldn't protect their home, leaving it vulnerable to being put back on the auction block.
Starting point is 00:25:52 This time, they have a few medical explanations for why the house shouldn't be sold. The property has been specifically adapted to accommodate the medical needs of Ronald Owens, who is 80 years old, has lived with Parkinson's disease for 25 years, has survived four separate bouts of cancer, carries a cancer diagnosis, and has serious heart disease. Elizabeth Ann Naylor, age 69, is his primary caregiver and provides. daily medical care, medication management, and physical assistance. Elizabeth Naylor is Jan Black's legal name. That's a story for another day. Their adult daughter, who has autism, also resides at the property.
Starting point is 00:26:40 Displacement from this property would cause severe disruption to a household organized entirely around the medical needs of an elderly, seriously ill resident. Because of their refiling, the Owens family home was protected from foreclosure action, at least until June 21st, 2026. Ron and Jan requested an emergency bankruptcy hearing to address their main concern, being able to protect their assets, specifically their home. That hearing happened on June 18th, just a week before this episode's release. And I don't think it went the way Ron and Jan were hoping it would.
Starting point is 00:27:23 Ms. Naylor and Mr. Owens, this is your emergency motion to extend the automatic stay in this case. it's your burden to prove that this case was filed in good faith, and you have to have clear and convincing evidence. The primary thing the court is looking for is what circumstances changed between when Ron and Jan's first bankruptcy case was dismissed and the filing of their new case. It seemed to the judge that their income had remained the same. The judge had questions for Ron and Jan about what brought them back into bankruptcy court.
Starting point is 00:27:57 Jan starts to answer. And the judge interrupts her. Well, the prior 13 was dismissed, not because we abandoned it, but because our attorney didn't act when I asked him to in writing. Well, let me just stop and interrupt you there because I've reviewed the papers filed in the prior case. And the reason your case was dismissed is because you did not turn over to the trustee tax returns. And because your plan payments were delinquent. So whatever may have happened with your attorney,
Starting point is 00:28:28 I don't know what happened there, but filing your taxes and turning over your returns and paying your plan payments are all within your control. Correct. Jan tried to explain to the judge why their tax returns weren't filed and why their payments were delinquent. As far as the plan payment is concerned, we had some major unexpected expenses that could not be put off. We had major storm damage and cleanup that had been required, and we had septic tank issues, and we had car repair issues, and the money had to go into those things from an emergency crisis standpoint. Going forward, we would anticipate that the amount of income that we have that is guaranteed, the $21,000 a month income that is guaranteed, the $21,000 a month income that is guaranteed, under our Social Security and pension benefits would be enough to get us,
Starting point is 00:29:33 to give us the restart that we need here. Then, the judge asked to hear from Jennifer Giamo, the attorney representing the U.S. trustee. Ms. Giamo was audibly frustrated with Ron and Jan's excuses. I would argue that you have sufficient grounds before you right now to deny this motion, because as Your Honor pointed out, there is no clear and convincing evidence.
Starting point is 00:29:59 There's no evidence at all in this case that there's been a change of circumstances. And I think that by allowing this case to continue and giving these debtors an opportunity, even a short one, to try to file new schedules that might have, again, more misrepresentations, all we're doing is postponing the inevitable and allowing these debtors to continue abusing the system. And that's what this is. Thank you, Your Honor. But before the hearing ended, Ron, and Jan were asked about the GoFundMe.
Starting point is 00:30:29 This was Jan's response to the judge. Your Honor, I imagine this has to do with the Smeer campaign, which has been going on against our family for the last three years. A go fund me was set up for on behalf of my husband by friends. And that was set up in December of 2024. and it was set up at that time in an effort to try to help us prevent the bankruptcy situation. Jennifer Giamo jumped in. Your Honor, may I, if I can just intervene here real quick,
Starting point is 00:31:08 I think what the issue is is that there was a go-fundee set up in the name of Mr. and Mrs. Owens, and I think there was over $100,000 generated, and that was never disclosed in the Chapter 13 or in this case. That's what the issue is. I hate having to say this, but once again, the hearing was continued and no decision was made. But the judge wants to see Ron and Jan again very soon. So July 1st at 2 p.m. will resume this hearing. The court will impose a temporary stay.
Starting point is 00:31:41 This hearing is concluded. Thank you. Pride is like love. You feel it in your heart. IR. Radio. Canada's number one streaming app for radio and podcasts, including IHart Pride Canada. favorite hits and must have party bangers, plus personalized and curated playlists, like back in the day pride. Come together, celebrate love.
Starting point is 00:32:08 Take pride with you anytime, anywhere. Just ask your smart speaker to play IHart Pride Canada. Stream us on your phone. Or listen now at iHeartRadio.ca. In the moment, it felt like it was going on forever. I didn't think I was going to live. I was terrified. There was no anything inside those eyes.
Starting point is 00:32:33 They turned black. It scared the hell out of me. That was your first murder case? Yes, sir. Fear to say this was the biggest case of your career? Yes, sir. Rape a murder for a child. Just as bad as it gets.
Starting point is 00:32:47 I would think so. Evil, wake up. I'm the one that saw the murder take place by Crevent and DePippo. Anthony DePippo showed no signs of remorse, appearing unfazed after being sent. to the maximum. I said I'm not guilty. I'll take it to the grief.
Starting point is 00:33:11 Listen to the devil's quarry on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear the devil's quarry ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lobba for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I haven't heard from Laura Owens in the past few weeks. It's been quiet. But that's not true for everyone. I recently checked in with some of the content creators
Starting point is 00:33:47 who've been following the story from the beginning. And it turns out, many of them are experiencing something frustrating. Knowing that listeners were eager for more context and different perspectives, Reality Steve decided to release a video of himself reading the emails Laura had sent him. My emails with her were only from September of 2023 through January of 2024. And I read my responses to all of them. And I was like, let me just do a YouTube video and put it out and have people, watch it. It took him over two hours to read through the emails and share his commentary,
Starting point is 00:34:22 which he then uploaded to YouTube. And about three days after I did it, I got a email from YouTube legal support that said I've had a privacy complaint filed against me. And it talked about videos are not allowed to have any visuals of anybody or doxing, any of that. And I was just like, outside of Laura's email address, That was the only thing I didn't blur out. Two days later, he received an email from YouTube, stating that his video had been deactivated. With the help of the online community, he meticulously reviewed the footage to identify what might have triggered the privacy complaint. They reposted the video like three weeks later with everything blurred out that needed to be blurred out.
Starting point is 00:35:10 I got the same exact formal email that I got after the first video went up. 5.17 p.m. on May 20th is when I got the 7.7. second complaint filed against me. It was generic and the timestamps were exactly the same. It was almost like they cut and pasted their first email. Nothing was different. Reality Steve wasn't the only creator hit with a privacy complaint on May 20th. Schnitzel Ninja received one as well. So after the hearing that was on May 20th, a complex case management conference, sometime later that day, I received an email that said a privacy complaint had been made against my entire YouTube channel.
Starting point is 00:35:48 And they give you 48 hours to edit or remove the information that was complained about. Schnitzel Ninja was no stranger to YouTube's flagging system. In late 2023, six of her videos featuring court recordings were hit with privacy complaints. However, after she made the necessary adjustments, YouTube took no further action. in my research and from prior reports that have been made, you have to be the subject of the content in order to file the complaint, a privacy complaint specifically. In order to be a privacy complaint and to report the whole channel, that person would have to be in all of the content on the channel.
Starting point is 00:36:35 And so the only person who is likely in all of the content on my channel is Laura herself. Schnitzel Ninja's content has also faced copyright challenges. A compilation video she uploaded of Laura falling during horse competitions received two copyright removal requests. For those, it gives contact information, and it also gives you the complaint that was made. So the first one had Laura's email address and her complaint. And the second one had her mom's name on it. But Laura's email address was listed under contact info. As I mentioned, when it comes to privacy complaints, YouTube rarely specifies exactly what triggers a violation.
Starting point is 00:37:19 They are frustratingly unclear. Even after Reality Steve edited his video to address potential issues, he was still hit with a second complaint. What did I violate? Saying Laura Owens' name, then every single video that's been made on Laura Owens for the last three years would be getting taken down. Like, this is what I don't understand. It was even more frustrating for Schnitzel Ninja, who didn't just get a video flag, but had her whole channel reported. Because the complaint is so broad, Schnitzel Ninja is having a hard time trying to pinpoint what the actual issue is. I do want to comply with the rules as I think everyone should, but when it's a blanket complaint like this,
Starting point is 00:38:03 it doesn't leave the content creator any room to try to make a change other than, which is what I'm assuming she would prefer is that the channel, just all of the content be gone and the channel not exist anymore. I understand that she may not like what's on there, but the majority of my channel is covering public information, court videos, court documents, police body cam, police calls, all things that have been properly obtained through all of the legal channels. And therefore, As a content creator, how do you even go about remedying this complaint? Both Schnitzel Ninja and Reality Steve submitted responses to dispute the privacy complaints from May 20th. This time I responded.
Starting point is 00:38:52 And I just made it clear. Like, this is a woman involved in a public case in Arizona. Here's the case number. I'm allowed to talk about a public case. And these were her emails to me. And two days later, got a response saying, Your video has been taken down again. And I'm like, okay, well, I'm just giving up at this point.
Starting point is 00:39:12 And I can't prove this is from Laura, but I assume it is because we know she listens to and watches everything. Reality Steve was obviously annoyed about his video getting pulled, but that wasn't even the biggest pain point for him. It's just frustrating more than anything because this was her telling me her side of the story. And kind of what I said in my video was like, the one thing that Laura has complained about is everybody just believes with, on the Love Trap podcast, and it is biased, and nobody is hearing her side. Well, this was literally her side of the story from September of 2023 when this first started until January of 2024. Her emails were literally saying, no, you're wrong, Steve, and this is why.
Starting point is 00:39:51 Now, I didn't think any of her reasons were legitimate, and I didn't believe them. And I think most people that read those emails and listened to me to read those emails, agreed. It's still a bunch of crap. But she was at least getting her side out there. And now that we're letting her side out there by reading her emails, I'm invading privacy. It makes no sense whatsoever. The content creators have been through this before with Laura.
Starting point is 00:40:12 But it's different this time. Because now, Laura is a defendant in a high-profile criminal case. Even still, she's trying the same tactic, trying to silence the people who talk about her alleged crimes. I feel like she is back to, in some ways, this Laura that we saw in 2023, which is this Laura who is still proclaiming her. her innocence, who is still trying to get anything negative removed about her from the internet. We know that she did a lot of complaints against content that was online.
Starting point is 00:40:47 I think she really is still trying to control the narrative so that there's less negative stuff about her out there. Mike Maruccini has also been trying to wipe negative content about himself from the internet. You probably remember Laura's TEDx talk about their Iceland trip. The first thing he did once we landed in Iceland and got to the hotel was asked me to pick a number, not knowing why I picked 40. He said that was how many times he was going to slap me. He did, and then he choked me. A lot of people have reached out to TEDx trying to get this video taken down and even caught the attention of 12 news, a local Phoenix TV station, who ran a segment on it in June 2026.
Starting point is 00:41:41 Valley resident and former star of The Bachelor is upset over a TED talk that remains online. The video shows Laura Owens give life advice to others despite Owens being under multiple criminal indictments for allegedly lying in a paternity scandal. 12 News investigative reporter Sean Rice reached out to TEDx for comment. I wanted to ask them why this video is still up,
Starting point is 00:42:07 given the accusations and the findings in court against Owens. We have not heard back. at all, giving them multiple weeks to respond. We do know they're listening to this criticism because the comment section on Laura Owens' TEDx posting on YouTube, those comments have been turned off. When we started researching this case, our team also reached out to TEDx to get a statement. We never received a response. After seeing this local news story, I figured I would try again. I wrote back to TEDx, giving them a little background on the developments in this case. I said, quote,
Starting point is 00:42:44 I realize that an indictment is not a conviction, but I know that numerous people, including Mike Maricini himself, have asked for this video to be removed from the TEDx YouTube page. I am requesting a response to the following question. If Laura Owens is convicted of felonies in the state of Arizona,
Starting point is 00:43:04 does TEDx plan to remove her video from their YouTube channel? To my surprise, this time, I got a response. It was three simple words. Yes, we do. So, according to TEDx, if Laura is convicted of felonies in the state of Arizona, we should expect to see that video removed from YouTube. Those are all the updates I have for now.
Starting point is 00:43:34 On Monday, June 29th, we'll all be watching to see if Laura takes the plea deal. If there's news, I'll be back with a short update. And as the criminal proceedings continue, we'll bring you more episodes of Love Trapped. Thank you so much for listening. Please be sure to follow Love Trapped on Apple Podcasts, the Iheart Radio app, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:44:40 And please leave us a review. A five-star rating helps others find this show. We're grateful for your support. If you would like to reach out to the Love Trapped team or have a similar story to share, email us at Lovetrappedpod at gmail.com. That's Lovetrapped, P-O-D at gmail.com. LoveTrapped is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group, in partnership with IHeart Podcasts.
Starting point is 00:45:08 This show was executive produced by Nancy Glass, Andrea Gunning, and Ben Federman. Written, produced, and hosted by me, Stephanie Young. Our story editor is Monique Laborde. Additional production support from Todd Gans. Our production manager is Kristen Malkyrie. For IHeart podcasts, Ali Perry was our executive producer. Audio editing and mastering by Anna McLean,
Starting point is 00:45:33 additional editing support by Tanner Robbins and Matt Delvecchio. Thank you to our voice actors, Monique Laborde and Tanner Robbins. This podcast was developed in collaboration with Danny Passman and Leb Abramoff at Crybaby Media. The love-trapped theme is composed by Oliver Baines. Music library provided by Mib Music. A special thanks to Carrie Lieberman, Will Pearson,
Starting point is 00:45:58 Jessica Kreinschek, Ali Cantor, and the entire IHeart podcast team. And for more podcasts from IHeart, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. There was no anything inside those eyes. They turned black. It scared the hell out of me. evil wake up i'm the woman saw the murder take place by crevette and de pippo anthony de pippo showed no signs of remorse appearing unfazed after being sentenced to the maximum
Starting point is 00:46:44 i said i'm not guilty i'll take it to the grave listen to the devil's quarry in the bone valley feed on the i heart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts This is an I-Heart podcast Guaranteed human

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