SERIALously - 299: Ritualistic Sex Cult, Murderer Left Note Behind, & Ex-Boyfriend Snaps

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, True Crime Besties, welcome back to an all new episode of Serialistly with me, Annie Elise. And today we are going over headline highlights, everything that is going down in the true crime world this week. And there are a lot of really disturbing cases that are breaking and a couple updates in some other cases that I can't remember if we did. I don't think we did a deep dive on it, but we definitely did talk about it in headline highlights, but there's been a huge development, so I definitely want to talk with you about that case too. As you can see, if you are watching the video version of this, I am cozy on

Starting point is 00:01:01 the couch. It's raining outside. I've got my laptop next to me with everything I want to talk with you guys about and we're just kind of going to hang here together and hope that this rainstorm passes. Hopefully it's not raining wherever you are, but I'm out on the East Coast right now and it is definitely stormy and humid where I am. Now as a reminder, I'm going to be seeing you guys next week for all my East Coast friends, whether you're in New York, Boston, Philly, Jersey, Connecticut, DC, wherever you are on the East Coast, next week it's our week, alright? We're going to get together because we have the live show next week.

Starting point is 00:01:40 And I'm doing five different ones so I will be in your neck of the woods just depending on where you live. And I've told you before but this is not going to be an average show or episode. It's a live episode, a live taping, but I need your help to be the jury in this case because when I tell you there are red flags galore, more than probably I have seen in quite some time. There's also some really shady CCTV footage that I'm gonna play for you guys. Exclusive interviews as well, and audio and video that I gathered myself

Starting point is 00:02:14 when I first heard about this case, because I flew out to where this case is rooted in, or rooted from, I should say. Interviewed people, talked with people who are close to those involved in the case, kind of sleuthed out some of my own things out there that I want to share with you. And it's just very layered and very wild as like to put it mildly. So I definitely am going to need your help. And this is a case that is exclusive to TOUR. So again, next week is the week. Make sure you grab your tickets if you haven't yet. There's a couple left. There's also just a very final few

Starting point is 00:02:48 meet-and-greets too that are available. So you can get all that information at annieelyse.com and go to the little tours tab. So I'm excited to meet you guys next week and see all of you. So that's what we've got going on in terms of like housekeeping and admin stuff on this episode. But now I want to get into the first case that we're going to be discussing. And this is the one that I mentioned is more of an update, but I am going to give you some backstory too. But we did talk about it very, very briefly in a headline highlights episode several months ago. And it's a story about somebody named Sam Haskell. He is a spoiled trust fund kid, a little douche canoe dweeb, who turned his family home into

Starting point is 00:03:30 a straight up slaughterhouse. He killed his wife, he killed his wife's parents, and just when you think this sociopath couldn't get any lower, last week he pulled the ultimate coward move. And we're gonna talk about all of it. Now, as I said, for those of you who are not familiar with this story, let me just give you a quick recap. And I just want you to be prepared, a little bit of a trigger warning.

Starting point is 00:03:56 This is a case that is going to make you want to scream, throw up, yell, all the different emotions. And I wanna start by talking about the people who actually matter in this story, okay? The victims. Because his wife May was only 37 years old and she was like a total badass. She was raising three young kids, six, eight, and twelve years old. She lived in Tarzana, California and she somehow managed to juggle multiple different jobs trying to keep her family afloat. She really was the one holding everything together in this scenario. Her parents too had moved all the way

Starting point is 00:04:30 from China to help her out. They were in their 60s and their 70s. So definitely like at that age where they should have been retired, maybe vacationing, cruising, traveling, doing things like that. But they came and they helped their daughter out because that's what they believed was important to them. They wanted to be around their grandkids. They wanted to help their daughter and they were all in too. They were cooking, they were cleaning, they were running the kids to the various sporting practices. Just really incredible hands-on grandparents.

Starting point is 00:04:59 Meanwhile, her husband Sam, he was just kind of coasting. He was just like doing the absolute bare minimum, living off his dad's Hollywood success and his dad's Hollywood connections. Not really pulling his own weight, if I'm being honest. Now his dad was a famous Hollywood agent and he worked with names like Dolly Parton, George Clooney, some really heavy hitters in the space, right? So he was very well known, very well respected in the industry. And because of that, had connections, had a little bit

Starting point is 00:05:30 of money. And Sam was just kind of like cruising off of that, just milking it, wanting kind of, you know, I don't want to say like the easy way out, but kind of, kind of, if we're being honest. So you have this really interesting dynamic, right? May was a loving mom, had these amazing parents who were always there helping with the kids, supporting her through everything, and then she had this kind of deadbeat loser husband who just didn't really feel like he wanted to work to earn his own right in anything, but rather just coast off of his dad's success. So they went along with this for years, and this is the dynamic that the family had. But on November 6th, 2023, everything changed because Mae and her parents suddenly vanished. And then just the

Starting point is 00:06:13 very next day, her husband Sam hired a couple of day laborers to like move a bunch of trash bags off the property. And I don't know if you've ever hired anybody like that. I personally use this company called Lug. It's kind of like TaskRabbit, but for deliveries, for things you need to move off to, you know, if you're donating or to a dump site, whatever. So he hired a couple day laborers to haul off a bunch of these trash bags.

Starting point is 00:06:36 He gave him 500 bucks and said, hey, these are full of rocks, some old Halloween decorations, but I need you to get rid of them. However, one of the workers started getting suspicious because when he was handling the bags, he noticed that they were soft. It's not like they had rocks inside them at all. So with his curiosity a little bit piqued,

Starting point is 00:06:55 he decided to look inside. And when he opened the bags, he found them full of body parts. So these day workers, they immediately headed back to Sam's home, gave him back his money, gave him back the bags and called 911 right away. They're like, look, we don't want any part of this. I don't know what the heck is going on.

Starting point is 00:07:11 We're calling the police. However, by the time the police finally arrived, Sam and the bags were gone. Later that same day, security camera footage also caught Sam driving his wife, May's Tesla and dumping those same bags into various strip mall dumpsters. Which I gotta say is kind of a ballsy move, right?

Starting point is 00:07:30 Because you hired these day laborers to cart all of this stuff away. They open the bags, you're caught, and they come back saying, we're calling 911, we don't want any part of this, here's your money back. Then of course you're probably panicked and you're like, okay, I need to get rid of all of this myself. But didn't really think it through because you're caught on surveillance cameras. You now have witnesses who have seen

Starting point is 00:07:51 you who have seen the contents of your bags. I mean, it feels like everything is starting to fall apart in this moment, but it gets even worse because the following morning a homeless man stumbled across one of these trash bags. And inside, sure enough, he found a human torso. And the torso belonged to Sam's 37-year-old wife, May. Only her torso was ever found, and her parents' bodies still have never been recovered. Which, who does that? Who dismembers their own wife, their own family, and then just dumps them like they're garbage. It's beyond terrifying.

Starting point is 00:08:26 So when the police finally searched the house and a nearby Airbnb where he had taken his kids, they found blood everywhere. I'm talking mattresses, bedding. They even found a machete, a saw, even a 357 revolver. And DNA was all over the place, and it confirmed that it belonged to all three of the victims. They also found a Home Depot receipt that was dated weeks before the murders ever took place.

Starting point is 00:08:52 The receipt was for saw blades, for coveralls, and for all the items that he would need to execute this horrific triple dismemberment. And seeing that receipt from weeks earlier, that proved that this wasn't some heat of the moment snap where he then tried to cover it up. This was premeditated. This was cold blooded. So when the cops finally arrested him, they ended up finding him at a mall of all places. And in his car, there was a blood soaked knife, $67,000 in cash, and a one-way ticket to Japan. He was just completely fully ready to disappear. And the motive? Well, it's a tale as old as time, right?

Starting point is 00:09:32 It turns out Sam was having an affair with a 27-year-old woman. He also had invited this mistress of his to Japan with him, which I swear, I don't know how many times I have to say this, but just get a divorce. Just get a divorce, right? Why is that such a hard concept? Instead, he wiped out his entire family. He left his three children without their mother, without their grandparents. I mean, and no answers except the fact that what? He wanted to gallivant over to Japan with his 27 year old mistress? Like, get a clue, get a grip.

Starting point is 00:10:05 And just when you think that it can't get any more twisted, two days before his preliminary hearing, where prosecutors were about to present a mountain of evidence against him, he was found dead in his jail cell. Apparent suicide, self-inflicted injuries, and a note left behind. And his lawyers claimed that the reason that he took his own life was because he was quote, trying to end the chaos. I'm sorry, no, you created this chaos. Then you ran from it. Then you took the coward's way out and took your own life over it.

Starting point is 00:10:38 This was all your own doing. You know, horrific situation that you caused on your own. It's honestly infuriating because now not only are those kids left completely orphaned, but May's family will never get the justice that they deserve. And he could have just gotten a divorce, he could have left her, the grandparents could have helped her out, could have helped her raise the kids. Now these poor kids don't have their grandparents, their mother, and arguably the only people in their lives that truly loved them. It's horrific and still again, no answers, no answers.

Starting point is 00:11:13 Now, speaking of infuriating cases and breaking cases that I wanna talk with you about, this next story is absolutely infuriating because it's about an 18 year old girl who was betrayed in the most violent most Cowardly way possible by somebody who claimed to love her. Her name was Marissa DeNapoli And honestly, she should be here telling this story today being the one to share what happened to her But instead we're now talking about how she was stabbed to death and then left in the woods like garbage

Starting point is 00:11:46 and how the police had her killer right in front of them, but then let him walk. So let me break it down for you. Marissa was last seen on June 28th at around 9 p.m. According to cell phone data, she was at her ex-boyfriend's house. He was 20 years old and they had kind of had this like on and off relationship for about two years,

Starting point is 00:12:05 but it wasn't some high school love story because according to Marissa's friends, it was toxic. He was controlling, manipulative, just awful. At 9 16 p.m. she texted her family saying that she was staying at a friend's house, that she would be home by 8 a.m. the next morning, but that was the last time that anyone heard from her. The next morning, a ring camera catches Marissa and her ex arguing on the stairs outside of his house. She's holding clothes in her arms and she looks just extremely tense. He, on the other hand, looks angry, agitated. Now the audio is rough, but if you listen very, very closely, you can hear him snapping saying why would you do that to me? I thought you loved me. Why would you text your ex and Marissa responds?

Starting point is 00:12:49 I didn't and just wait because it only gets worse from here So that ring camera footage it was the last time that anybody saw Marissa. When the two of them left his house, things were clearly tense. And not long after, traffic cameras caught his car heading toward Anderson Lake. And between 9.58 and 10.18 a.m., both of their phones stopped moving. But both of them did ping in the same wooded area near that lake. Then Marissa's phone went dark. She never showed up for her shift at Starbucks where she worked, and she wasn't replying to any of her family's calls or text messages. She also, of course, never came home. By the next

Starting point is 00:13:39 morning, her family knew that something was seriously wrong. This just was not like her. She was responsible. She always showed up, always answered. So her mom wasted no time at all. She went straight to the Morgan Hill Police Department and reported her missing. Later that same day, the police were called to her ex-boyfriend Martin's house because of a fight. And Marissa's family had driven over there themselves

Starting point is 00:14:00 because they were desperate. They knew that he had something to do with this. And honestly, they weren't wrong. Marissa had told friends before that she was scared of him. She was scared that he might actually kill her. And here's the part that's going to make your blood boil because when the police got there, Martin was acting super shady, just totally uncooperative.

Starting point is 00:14:19 And not just with her family, but with the police officers as well. Yet still, these officers just let him walk. They didn't take him in. They didn't question him. Nothing. And the family was furious. Rightfully so. They felt like nobody was taking them or Marissa seriously at all in this. So Marissa's family decided to take matters into their own hands. They organized a search party near the lake where her phone had last pinged and everybody was looking for her on foot. Family, friends, even community members showed up to help. But then just two days later on July 2nd a

Starting point is 00:14:53 family member made a heartbreaking discovery. They found Marissa's body. She had been stabbed five times in the back. Five. Her family was of course absolutely devastated. So now finally the police went and they decided to bring Martin in for questioning. But guess what? To the surprise of absolutely no one, he was just gone, just vanished. So now at this point,

Starting point is 00:15:18 Morgan Hill Police Department finally decides, okay, it's time to get serious. We need to call in backup. We need to find him. And they bring in everybody to help. I'm talking FBI, Homeland Security, US Marshals, and the family is kind of responding like, yeah, no shit. This is what we have been trying to tell you from the very beginning. This is the guy responsible. Now luckily, within days, the US Marshals were able to track Martin down, and he was trying to cross the US-Mexico border.

Starting point is 00:15:46 Which, I mean, hello, obviously, nothing screams innocent more than trying to flee to Mexico, right? So as of now, he's been officially charged with first degree murder. And thankfully, the court also denied him bail. His preliminary hearing is set for September 9th. But in all of this, my heart breaks for Marissa's family because I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of knowing that her ex was behind all of this. That she knew that he was dangerous. She knew that he was violent and they knew that he did this, that he was responsible, and they just had to watch the police do absolutely nothing while really important and precious time was slipping away. They deserved to be taken seriously from the start

Starting point is 00:16:26 and quite honestly, Marissa deserved better. So we'll see what happens when he goes to court and if we learn of what really transpired, what the motive was, I think the surface level of this based on what we know, I think it sounds like he was controlling, manipulative and jealous, especially from what we heard on that ring camera footage. So I'm guessing he probably just snapped and it was one of those scenarios of you know if I can't

Starting point is 00:16:49 have you no one can but it's just senseless and so much violence. I just being a late teen early 20 years old like that is really scary. That is incredibly frightening that somebody can be that evil and that violent at such a young age. I mean, I know it's not like a child, but like kind of. You're like right on the cusp of adulthood, right? So we'll see what happens with that case. Now this next case is truly bizarre because a Florida woman is accused of murdering a man with a hammer. But get this, after doing that, she allegedly left a note on his body. And the note?

Starting point is 00:17:26 You are not going to believe what it says. On July 2nd, police found the body of 41-year-old Waduda Woodley just lying in a pool of blood behind a stairwell at a Jacksonville apartment complex. He had been beaten to death. Badly. Also had blunt force trauma to his head and his face. I mean, it was brutal. Blood was spattered all across the walls,

Starting point is 00:17:48 the stairs, everywhere. It was a bloodbath. It was a horrific scene. But what really caught the investigator's attention was what they found on top of his body, because there was a white sheet of paper just laid right across his chest and scrawled across it in green highlighter were the words

Starting point is 00:18:07 pedo touches children. Which okay, let's just pause for a second. That note, I mean, wow. Not something you hear or see every day, especially in true crime cases. And it's pretty chilling. Not only the deliberateness of it being placed so carefully on his chest. But of course, the words. There was something that felt almost like this message wasn't just to him, but to the world. Like they wanted this person on display for what they had done. And obviously the word pedo changes everything. I mean, it immediately reframes this entire crime, right?

Starting point is 00:18:41 You kind of go from like, oh my God, this person was just bludgeoned to death. A full bloodbath with a hammer. One of the most grotesque and gruesome crimes out there. Who could have done this? Almost then switching gears to like, wait, was this revenge? Was this warranted? Not warranted, like that it's excusable, but you know what I mean? Like, who is this person? Who was this guy? So the police start following the trail of blood that was all over the walls and all over the staircase at this apartment complex. And it leads them straight to a nearby apartment. An apartment that belonged to 21-year-old Journey McCrew. And when they question her, Journey tells them that Waduda had been sexually grooming her since she was just

Starting point is 00:19:22 eight years old. She also accuses him of assaulting her multiple times throughout her childhood. And then, and this part is key, she says that she invited him over. She sent him text messages saying that she was sorry for how she treated him, that she had been fantasizing about him, that she wanted to have sex with him.

Starting point is 00:19:40 And sure enough, as expected, he came over. And according to her, they went out for a little bit, and then they came back to her apartment for drinks. At that point, he started pressuring her for sex, and she responded by asking him to leave. But that is apparently when things escalated. She says that she grabbed a hammer and she hit it behind her back as she walked him to the door. Then, when he grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her, she says she pushed him away and just started attacking him with the hammer. And in fact, sure enough, the hammer was later found bloody in her bathroom sink, along with her bloody clothing and that same green highlighter that she had used to write that note. I have some questions and a lot of mixed feelings in all of this because I do believe that victims of abuse carry very deep, very unimaginable trauma.

Starting point is 00:20:30 Absolutely no question about it. And do I think that some of them maybe sometimes fantasize about justice or seeking revenge or taking their power back? Sure, absolutely. But then it begs the question, does that actually justify something like this? Does that justify a brutal murder? When does it become eye for an eye? Does it, or is it never excused?

Starting point is 00:20:54 Does vigilante justice never get a get out of jail free card? I mean, on the one hand, if what she's saying is true, this man did prey on her as a child, as young as eight. So who wouldn't feel for her? Who wouldn't understand that kind of rage? But now she's 21 years old. She had her whole life ahead of her, and she's most likely going to spend most of her life behind bars because of this. So you kind of have to wonder and ask the question, was it worth it? Which nobody can really answer that question but her, right? And maybe for her it was worth it.

Starting point is 00:21:26 Maybe that was the only way she saw justice and saw out of this situation. I don't know. And what do you think? I wanna hear your thoughts on this one because it's complicated. There's no real easy answer here. Journey was arrested and is set to appear in court

Starting point is 00:21:40 on July 24th, so I will definitely keep you posted on this. But I also have a feeling that we haven't quite heard the full story yet, and I'm curious to see how the court handles a case like this too, especially if evidence does end up backing up her claims of grooming and abuse. And are there other victims? Was she the only one? It's just a tragic story all the way around, no matter how you look at it. There's no winners. There's just trauma, violence, and now this young woman whose life will never ever be the same and probably never would have

Starting point is 00:22:10 been the same even if she hadn't murdered him if what she is alleging against him is true. So it's just one of those where there's unfortunately no happy ending for anybody. Do you ever have one of those moments where your gut just tells you that something's off, like your intuition is just nagging at you that something's not right? Recently I was in a Target with my kids and I kind of got that weird eerie feeling that somebody was like watching us. So I sped up, my heart was racing, I like raced out to the car, got them locked safe and sound, but it really did remind me of just how important it is to stay sharp and stay alert. Now I know

Starting point is 00:22:50 this may sound cheesy and some of you may not agree, but I believe it starts with what you're putting inside your body, fueling your body with the right stuff to make sure that you are always alert, that you're always at your sharpest. And recently I got introduced to Kachaba and I swear I notice a difference. Call me crazy, but I really do. It's not just a protein shake, it's a whole body meal. And it has 25 grams of plant-based protein plus 85 super foods. Also adaptogens and nutrients that actually keep me full

Starting point is 00:23:20 and energized for hours, which is really important for me because as you know, I'm not a big coffee drinker, so I need something that I feel like is giving me all my nutrients, but giving me energy too, and just is kind of like a whole body type meal, like I just said. Now my favorite one is the chai flavor.

Starting point is 00:23:35 I blend it with almond milk, some peanut butter, I throw in a frozen banana, and it's kind of now my new favorite part of my morning routine. It just like sets the day off right. And I love how clean it is too. There's no artificial stuff, no weird additives, just real ingredients.

Starting point is 00:23:50 And you don't have to be vegan to love it. I'm not vegan. It just tastes so good. It's just a good for you fuel that tastes amazing. And for me, keeps me focused all day. I think I've even told you that my daughter, Emmy, she loves little like protein shake type drinks and she loves it. protein shake type drinks and

Starting point is 00:24:05 she loves it. They have like coconut flavor, they have vanilla, acai, and she loves it so much too. So the kids love it, I love it. It's just, you know, a win, win, win, win, win. So stay sharp and fuel yourself with Kachava. Go to Kachava.com and use code AE for 15% off your next order. That's Kachava, K-A-C-H-A-V-A.com, code AE for 15% off your next order. That's Kachaba, K-A-C-H-A-V-A.com, code AE for 15% off.

Starting point is 00:24:29 So as you guys know, right now I'm on the East Coast and I am so, so sad because I don't have my refrigerator here and my refrigerator is stacked full of Olypop now back at home. And I need to find a grocery store out here that carries it. I know it's at so many retailers, but I need to just like put a little pep in my step and go figure it out. Because Ollipop has changed my soda game for me. It's no secret I have been obsessed with Diet Coke since

Starting point is 00:24:54 you know probably I was in the womb. No, that's an exaggeration, but you get it. And I know it's bad for you. I know it is. And so when I was introduced to Ollipop, which I'll be honest, I've been hearing about it for well over a year, but I was such a like loyal Diet Coke person that I never even wanted to really explore it. But when I finally did try it, it tasted just like Diet Coke, but I knew it was so much better for me. And I feel like almost everyone

Starting point is 00:25:16 has some sort of relationship with soda, maybe from your childhood, like maybe you grew up drinking it all the time, maybe you quit, maybe you're addicted to it and you're trying to quit, but there's like certain nostalgic flavors too that I feel like always ties back to childhood for me. I remember Sunkist or like Fanta was like my go-to after school drink. I loved it, that with like string cheese. And so I won't drink it now because I know how much sugar is in it,

Starting point is 00:25:39 but Ollipop has a flavor that is just like Orange Fanta, which their orange squeeze only has five grams of sugar compared to Orange Fanta, which has 44 grams of sugar. Also, like I said, I started drinking their vintage cola and that only has two grams of sugar compared to a regular Coke that has 39 grams of sugar. So I feel way better about my choices when I'm drinking Oli Pop and I feel like it's better for me and I don't have to necessarily sacrifice that like soda taste that I've come to know and love. And if you haven't tried it, you definitely should. I know a lot of you have been tagging me on Instagram

Starting point is 00:26:10 with your favorite flavor or I guess can I should say, which please keep doing that. Cause I'm trying to like go on a whole like, you know, national tour of trying every single flavor of Olypop cause they're so good. But if you haven't tried it yet, now is the time. You can get a free can of Olypop by any two cans of Ollipop because they're so good, but if you haven't tried it yet, now is the time. You can get a free can of Ollipop. Buy any two cans of Ollipop in store and they will pay you back for one.

Starting point is 00:26:30 It works on any flavor too at any retailer. Just go to drinkollipop.com slash AE and Ollipop is sold online on Amazon. It's also available at over 50,000 retailers nationwide, including Costco, Walmart, Target, Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger, and HEB. So again, go to drinkolipop.com slash AE and buy any two cans of Olipop in store and they will pay you back for one. All right, you guys, now buckle up

Starting point is 00:27:03 because this next story is wild. I mean in all of my years, I don't think that I have ever heard anything quite like this. A 49 year old nurse practitioner who was supposed to be using his license to help people, instead used it to secretly end his mistress's pregnancy. He did this by drugging her from the inside out. Yes, you heard that right. Drugging her from the inside out. But before we get there, let me just back up and tell you how all of this even started. So first off, he's married. Let's just start there. But despite that,

Starting point is 00:27:37 in the fall of 2023, he started a relationship with one of his own patients, which I gotta just say, that's gotta go against like the code of ethics and all that stuff. But he started with his own patients. Well, I guess not. I've seen Grey's Anatomy. I don't know. Whatever. But he wasn't just cheating.

Starting point is 00:27:53 It was this full blown unethical manipulative behavior affair with somebody who literally trusted him as her doctor. And according to the victim, he told her that he was getting divorced. He even went as far as showing her fake divorce papers. So they dated for a few months, things got serious, and they started planning a future together, talking marriage, kids. I mean, it was picture perfect. Until it wasn't. In January of 2024, she ended up telling him that she was pregnant.

Starting point is 00:28:21 And he acted thrilled, just supportive. They were talking baby names. They even went stroller shopping together. He seemed over the moon. However, behind the scenes, he had a plan, a very dark, very disgusting plan. Fast forward a few weeks, and on January 27th, the two of them had sex.

Starting point is 00:28:41 And without her knowledge, during that, he somehow managed to slip four pills inside of her during sex. Four pills vaginally while they were being intimate. Now what were those pills? Well it's a drug called mesopristol which is used for medical terminations. And as a nurse practitioner he was able to prescribe this medication to himself. So he calls in this prescription for himself, gets the

Starting point is 00:29:09 medicine, then goes, has sex with her, and shoves this medication inside of her. This wasn't a mistake. This was calculated. Later that night, the medicine worked like it's supposed to, and she started cramping very, very badly. Started bleeding. She told him she needed to rush to the ER. She was terrified that she was miscarrying their baby, the baby that she thought they were both excited to have. And when that happened, this man, this man had the audacity to tell her she was overreacting,

Starting point is 00:29:38 that she didn't need to seek medical help, that she just needed to relax, I mean, beyond evil. Thankfully, she didn't listen to this prick and she went anyway. And sure enough, when the doctors examined her, they reportedly found those pills still inside of her, which can you even imagine that moment for a second here? Not only was she miscarrying,

Starting point is 00:30:00 but in that moment she realized it wasn't even her body doing this naturally. It was someone who had done it to her. I mean, the betrayal, the violation, just absolutely unimaginable. So doctors ended up performing a SANE exam and a KIT, and they later confirmed that she was, in fact, no longer pregnant.

Starting point is 00:30:20 And get this, a few days later, instead of apologizing to her and trying to make up for what he had done, although you can never make up for something like that, he contacted her and he offered her money, money to stay quiet. And get this, then his wife, yeah, the same wife that he claimed to be divorcing,

Starting point is 00:30:39 but spoiler alert, he wasn't divorcing her, she contacts her too. And she offers her two grand and begcing her. She contacts her too, and she offers her two grand and begs her to not report her husband, saying it would ruin their lives forever. Which, can you just imagine? I mean, seriously, what is wrong with these people? Woman to woman, what is wrong with you, honestly?

Starting point is 00:30:57 Like, it is unbelievable. Eventually though, this victim, the woman, she had enough. She ended up getting a restraining order against both him and his wife, which thank goodness, that is like step A, right? These people are disgusting. Now in another twist, which I don't know if it's a shocker or not,

Starting point is 00:31:14 he ends up violating the restraining order. Within days, he starts sending her flowers, handwritten letters, emails, all of these things professing his love to her. Which I gotta say is so weird because your wife just found out that you were having an affair or maybe she knew, I don't know, but she certainly found out that you terminated this other woman, this mistress's child of yours. And you're still like, you have the audacity to continue professing your love and send

Starting point is 00:31:41 love letters and flowers. Like what is wrong with you? Like are you trying to love bomb your way out of this? Does the wife, is she cosigning on this, hoping that it'll help maybe keep this victim quiet? I just do not understand. But anyway, we love to see Karma at work, and he ended up finally being arrested on March 11th

Starting point is 00:31:59 for violating the protective order. He, unfortunately though, was released on a $500,000 bond because of course, I mean, I guess you, it's not a crime that you would have to hold somebody for, but I mean, we see it too often, right? Whenever people violate restraining orders, they are generally allowed bond. It's unbelievable.

Starting point is 00:32:18 But get this, sure enough, the wife was also charged too. She was charged for trying to help intimidate this victim. Then last Friday on July 11th, he appeared in court for a potential plea deal. And he walked in with a big smile on his face, just surrounded by family, friends, everyone, and so many people supporting him that they filled two entire rows of seats.

Starting point is 00:32:42 Like it was some sort of support group for him. I mean can you even imagine? And his legal team tried to argue that this victim wasn't actually pregnant when she went to the ER that night. That he didn't cause the miscarriage. That it was something completely unrelated which sure Jan, sure. I'm sure the doctor is no more than your bootleg nurse practitioner asshole. So this victim was also in court and she wanted to face him. She wanted to face all of these supporters of his. And what she said absolutely broke my heart because she told the judge that coming forward

Starting point is 00:33:15 had been humiliating. That she had been trashed by her community and also by his family. She even literally had to beg the court saying, please, Your Honor, do not fall for his good boy act. He is the most manipulative person that I have ever met. Someone so manipulative, deceptive, and cowardly, that instead of taking the options that I was clear to him were available. He insisted, he instead plotted to sexually assault me to try to abort our unborn child without my knowledge or consent.

Starting point is 00:33:54 Please, Your Honor, do not fall for this good boy act. His man is the most manipulative person I've ever met. He shamelessly used his position of power as my medical provider to manipulate me, to clog my judgment, and to use me for his own personal gain. This creep, David, then addresses the court, and he says that he took full responsibility

Starting point is 00:34:19 for his actions, saying, quote, that he had let fear and desperation guide him. responsibility for the actions. I love my emotions, not my judgment. I allow myself to enter into a non-adulterous relationship. I allow fear to hide many of my actions which led to all of this. Those actions are what I did to prove who I am. They are, nonetheless, my actions. I do take the responsibility for my actions, and I hope all people, if I could find peace, closure, and a sense of safety. I acted in a manner contradicting my own will. I have respect for the inherent dignity of all people, as it has finally been earthed. My life is the land of wanting people to heal. I allow my sympathy for people who need me down at path of adultery. I was planning on Earth. My life is the land of wanting people to heal. I allow my sympathy to be down at the top of the mountain.

Starting point is 00:35:28 I allow my own lust and passions to cloud my mind and judge me. In the end, I allow desperation and fear to co-propel and guide me. I want to apologize to my family, the community, and my friends for her care out there. I want to apologize to no one who is not. It was a journey worse than I could imagine. I want to go back to serving my community and my family. I love being here. I want to return to it. I am a hero at heart. My desire once I am hit by incarceration is to get certified in counseling to get back to my misdemeanor for drug dumping and the false evidence. second degree assault with DV, witness tampering, and fourth degree assault with sexual motivation.

Starting point is 00:36:26 But his sentence, just one year and one day in prison, plus a no contact order with the victim for the next 10 years. But as we saw, he already violated that once. Who's to say he won't violate it again? But I gotta just say, one year and one day in prison for taking someone's child's life, I don't know how that equates.

Starting point is 00:36:48 I really, really don't. Now, before the judge wrapped things up, he did have some strong words for David. He said, quote, "'Sometimes your character isn't about what you do when people are watching. It's what you do when no one is. And in this case, your public persona

Starting point is 00:37:03 was completely different from the man that this victim knew. And because of that, everyone involved has been hurt, which honestly, I couldn't have said it any better myself. Now this next case that I want to talk with you about, I truly don't even know what to believe. And I'm really curious to hear what your thoughts are, because I think it could go a bunch of different ways, and I'm actually seeing a bunch of different opinions out there in the public, but I don't even know where to begin

Starting point is 00:37:28 with this next story. It is like straight out of a horror movie and it will literally make your skin crawl. So we're talking about Courtney Tamagney, a 20 year old from New Jersey who is now accusing her own dad, a freaking police chief, of some of the most heinous ritualistic abuse that I have ever heard of. Back on January 26th, 2025, Courtney filed a very explosive lawsuit that sent shockwaves all throughout their small city in New Jersey called Leonia. Now, Leonia is a small tight-knit community in the suburbs of Jersey, and it's kind of a stone's throw to Manhattan, and it's this like charming little quaint and historic town that literally looks like it is straight from a postcard. Think like beautiful old historic buildings,

Starting point is 00:38:15 colonial homes, lots of lush green open spaces, things like that. And sure enough, Courtney's father Scott was the police chief of Leonia. He and his wife Jean had raised Courtney and her two sisters there. But like I always say, things from the outside aren't always what they seem. And Courtney has accused her dad Scott of sexually abusing her for over a decade, starting at the very young age of three years old. And Scott isn't the only one that she's pointing the finger at either. She also claims that her neighbor, a man by the name of Keith Slevin and some other members of their community, are all part of some sick and twisted satanic cult. And these allegations are

Starting point is 00:38:58 very disturbing, okay? Courtney recently went on the podcast We're All Insane, and she opened up about some of the very horrific and terrifying abuse that she and her sisters endured for over 10 years. We're talking masked men, fires, animal burnings, chanting, I mean, full-on ritualistic horror show. She and her sisters were allegedly drugged, raped, trafficked, and their dad even would threaten to kill their mother if they ever spoke out about it. Now I want you to hear firsthand from Courtney about some of these allegations. Take a listen to her as she describes some of the abuse that she was subjected to. I'm Courtney Tammany. I'm a survivor of satanic ritual abuse and my father's molestation.

Starting point is 00:39:44 He is the chief of police and I'm here today to help end this epidemic of child abuse. I was born into a cult. It's a satanic cult. They have their own special calendar. They wear masks. They always wear these masks with bones or whatever they wanted to scare you and it was also a power thing. We would go into the woods and we would play games, which were not games. There's a lot of fire, a lot of burnings, burnings of animals, animal skins, humans as well. What scared us the most is, okay we're doing this to these people

Starting point is 00:40:15 that we've trafficked. Why won't we do this to you? You know, you need to be scared for your life because we just did that to this young girl or this young boy. So why wouldn't we do it to you if you're not acting well? So I wasn't able to sleep. I was up at night. And when I wasn't at these events, I was just being abused by my dad and my neighbor. Now, as if all of this wasn't already enough, she also claims that her dad's family has been involved in this satanic cult for generations. On the We're All Insane podcast, she even talked about these tunnels that they used to sneak in and around to do these insane rituals.

Starting point is 00:40:49 She also describes a really sick game that was called Hunters and Gatherers. We would go into the woods and we would play games, which were not games. One of them was called Hunter and Gatherer. You're in the woods at night, you have seven, 10 kids. Some of the men are hunters where they have to find you and the other ones are the gatherers. So the hunters would hit you over the head with a beam, a bat, my father as a cop had a nightstick,

Starting point is 00:41:16 hit you with that, pass out. The gatherers would come, they'd be only two or three assigned gatherers and they would come get you and assholes you to whatever extent that they wanted. But they made it as it was a game two or three assigned gatherers and they would come get you and ass to watch you look terrified and run. Now I'm sorry, but if this is true, who does this to children? It almost kind of reminds me in a weird roundabout way of that movie Hide and Seek. Did you guys ever see that where it was like this generation of like, or these like culty thing with like all this, these generations of family who like do these games on the wedding night and

Starting point is 00:42:01 like try to kill the bride? Weird stuff. But like when I first read about this it kind of gave me those vibes. Obviously like a little bit different from that but you get what I'm saying. And here's where it gets really really messy. Scott and Keith both deny all of these allegations against them. They're out there saying like no absolutely not this has never even happened. They also claim that the feds, Homeland Security, and the New Jersey Attorney General and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office all looked into these allegations and found nothing. In fact, Keith, the friend, the family friend neighbor guy, is countersuing Courtney for defamation.

Starting point is 00:42:40 He says that all of her claims are quote, made of whole cloth and has caused him all sorts of public ridicule. And Scott's attorney says that all of this is false and defamatory. Also alluding to the idea that Courtney has severe mental health issues, which maybe that's true, but maybe it's not. Maybe that's just kind of a classic move,

Starting point is 00:42:59 blame the victim, make the victim look crazy. I don't know. And that's why I'm saying there's a lot of mixed opinions out there right now. A lot of people out there are not believing Scott. They're not believing this mental health situation that he's trying to put forth. Neither is Courtney's mom, by the way. She's now joined the lawsuit and she's in the process of divorcing Scott. So clearly a lot of people do believe this. And look, I know that Courtney's story

Starting point is 00:43:23 does sound insane and almost too crazy to be true, which I'm not gonna lie. Satanic cults, animal sacrifices, secret tunnels, all of that, it is a little difficult for me to wrap my head around. I know things like that exist, but it does border on the edge of conspiracy, right? And conspiracy theories and wondering

Starting point is 00:43:41 if that really could be real. But I also have been doing this long enough to know that sometimes the truth is crazier than fiction. And we also do know too that quite often people in power have the ability and the means to hide some really ugly secrets. And as the police chief, I think he was in a very powerful position and maybe had the means to do that. So as all of this gets sorted away and we learn more, I of course will keep you updated, but my heart just goes out to Courtney and her sisters. I mean they are living in a literal nightmare, yet she still is being outspoken. She still is out

Starting point is 00:44:16 there fighting for justice and that takes a lot of courage. So I hope that the courts dig deep, they figure out what the truth really is in this situation because Courtney and her sisters deserve peace and answers. And I wonder what we are gonna learn in this. What do you think? Have you heard of this case? Have you heard of any other details? And do you think it's real?

Starting point is 00:44:36 Do you think it's too far-fetched? What do you believe? I definitely will 100% be following this. So I will keep you updated as we learn more. Maybe we'll do a deep dive on it as well because there is a lot of information below the line. So if you want that deep dive, definitely let me know. Otherwise, I will see you next week

Starting point is 00:44:55 to all my friends in New York, Jersey, Philly, Boston, DC, all of the areas over on the East Coast, Connecticut. We're doing five shows, somewhere in your neck of the woods. All the details are at annieelyse.com. Go to the tour tab and grab your tickets because there are not many left. And like I said, I need you guys to be the jury

Starting point is 00:45:15 for this case because there is so much stuff that I sleuthed out. So many text messages, audio recordings, CCTV, so many red flags that I just want to talk with you guys about it and get your opinion. I also have some professional experts who will be tapping in to share their thoughts and theories on the case. And again, that is exclusive to the tour, so I will see you next week. All right, guys, thanks again for tuning in.

Starting point is 00:45:44 I will be back with you Monday with an all-new episode and a deep dive into a case that is going viral everywhere right now that everyone is talking about especially if you're on TikTok you may know what I'm talking about. We did the deep dive so that you don't have to and found out a ton of information so I'll be back with you on Monday with that. Alright until the next one, don't join any cults, be nice, don't kill people, don't gaslight anyone and just try and be a good human. Alright? Alright. Bye guys.

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SERIALously - 299: Ritualistic Sex Cult, Murderer Left Note Behind, & Ex-Boyfriend Snaps

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