SERIALously - 389: Haley Beck, Athena Strand, Anna Kepner & Bahamas Mystery

Episode Date: April 23, 2026

This week on Headline Highlights: Major updates have emerged in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez as d4vd has been arrested and charged. Haley Beck, a teacher and sister of influencer Noah Beck, has been accused of grooming and having a sexual relationship with a high school student. Anna Kepner’s stepbrother has officially been indicted by a grand jury in connection to her death aboard a cruise ship last year. In the trial of seven-year-old Athena Strand, who was abducted and killed by a delivery driver in 2022, jurors are now hearing emotional and disturbing evidence as they decide whether her admitted killer will face the death penalty or life in prison. Lynette Hooker vanished after falling overboard in the Bahamas, and investigators are now scrutinizing her husband’s account amid delays and inconsistencies. And Makayla Rene Settles’ father remains charged, and prosecutors are continuing the case despite her being declared brain dead and unable to testify..If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow the show for weekly deep dives into the darkest true crime cases! To watch the video version of this episode, head over to youtube.com/@annieelise. .Athena Strand: Abducted & Dumped By FedEx Driver. All The Details + His Two Confessions:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWSzFxzxT1I.🔎Join Our True Crime Club & Get Exclusive Content & Perks..🎧 Need More to Binge? Listen to both of my weekly true crime series 10 to Life & Serialously with Annie Elise wherever you get your podcasts on the Annie Elise Channel!🍎 Apple Podcasts | Where you can also unlock access to 100+ and growing extra exclusive deep dives.💚 Spotify🔴 YouTube🎙️ All Other Platforms.📸 Follow Annie on Socials Instagram: @_annieeliseTikTok: @_annieeliseSubstack: @annieeliseFacebook: @10toLife.⭐SponsorsRo-GLPS: Go to http://ro.co/ae to see if you’re eligible for the new GLP-1 pill on Ro.Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order when you go to http://hiyahealth.com/ae..👗 Shop Annie’s Must-Haves! ShopMY: bit.ly/AnnieElise_ShopMy Amazon: bit.ly/AnnieElise_Amazon.🫵🏻 Get Involved or Recommend a CaseAbout Annie: www.annieelise.comFor Business Inquiries: [e-mail].📚 Episode Sources ABC News | AP News | Abby Blabby | CBS Chicago | CBS News | Court TV | FOX4 News | GoFundMe | Moorpark Acorn | NBC 6 South Florida | New York Post | People | Reuters | TMZ | The Arizona Republic | The Guardian | USA Today | WAFB••••••••••••••••••🚨Disclaimers1️⃣ Some links may be affiliate links, they do not cost you anything, but I make a small percentage from the sale. Thank you so much for watching and supporting me. 2️⃣ Sources used to collect this information include various public news sites, interviews, court documents, FB groups dedicated to the case, and various news channel segments. When quoting statements made by others, they are strictly alleged until confirmed otherwise. Please remember my videos are my independent opinion and to always do your own research. 3️⃣ The views and opinions expressed in this video are personal and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the creator(s). These views are subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time and are not to be held in perpetuity. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information on this video and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. It is the reader’s responsibility to verify their own facts.

Hey, true crime besties, welcome back to an all new episode of serialously. Oh, hello, hello. Welcome back to an all new episode of serialously. And happy Thursday. Happy Thursday, everybody. I have to say, not only this week, but last week, there has been so much activity in the true crime world. I was out last week. It was my kid's spring break. And so I was, you know, trying to just decompress, put my mind in like a not dark place. but there were so many updates coming out left and right. And so today, we not only have so much to talk about, but it probably will lean on being a little bit longer of an episode because there's just so much to go over. And just to give you a little bit of a, you know, a little snack of what we're going to be talking about today.

I've seen your DMs. I've seen your comments. I know you all want my take on the Haley Beck situation, which is beyond appalling and also very, very cringe. Also going through the Athena Strand trial and what that means. We first covered that case back in 2022 together. Everything happening with the Bahamas mystery. Anna Kempner's stepbrother, David, D4VD, which I actually did like an imprompt to live stream earlier this week when their press conference was happening.

There's just so, so much to go over. And I also want to follow up a little bit. bit to last week's Thursday episode regarding Michaela Settles and talk through that a little bit as well. So I think we just should get started. And joining me today is Amy Heller. Hello. Hello. Welcome back as though. Welcome back to you. Thank you. Thank you. You know, I was at the happiest place on earth. I don't know if that's what they called Disney World or if that's just what they called Disneyland, but Disney World. Okay. It was pretty happy. I know. You said it far exceeded your expectation, which coming from you, I feel like that's a big statement.

Look, I'm not going to be trading pins anytime soon, but... Are you the newest Disney adult? I'm not. But I will say this. We have thought about getting Disney passes for even Disneyland here. Oh, that's... I feel like you've had that before, though. I know, but we never used it. But now that the kids are like going on bigger rides and like, Emmy Lou is a thrill seeker, loves the roller coasters, loves Splash Mountain, which is like Tiana. I'm actually not surprised. No, she like, is. He's like an adrenaline junkie.

Little Theodore was more wanting to go on the slow rides. But he texted me a video of the ride that he went on. Hold on really quickly. Before anybody freaks out right now. On his tablet. They're saying he texted you. He does not have a phone. He does not have a phone number.

He does have a tablet in which we have pre-programmed contacts, only family members, that he can text from the house when on Wi-Fi. Okay, so don't come for me. Okay, go ahead. Early Saturday morning, I get a text from Little Theodore when I love. love his name pops up in my phone. Hey, pout, pal, I went on this ride, and it was the one that I'm way too terrified to go on, the House of Terror, Tower of Terror, where you, like, do the big drop. It's the elevator drop. He said he loved it. He did. Or was he just putting it in a brave face.

He was really brave. I asked him, like, do you want to go on this ride? It's an elevator ride, but I was like, I'm not going to lie to you. It does have a couple drops. And I know you don't love big drops. He's like, I could do it. And, like, he was just trying to be brave. Jared didn't go on it because he's a big fat baby. But is that the one where you're outside. Well, so yeah, it takes you up in the, I think it goes like, what, like 15 stories high or something like that. And then it's an elevator and then it opens and you see the outside. You see the whole part. Kind of like Supreme Scream.

And then it drops you and it keeps like going up and down and up and down. So it was like he says he had fun and he shows everybody that video because it basically instead of just sending you the photo like rides do on that one, they send you the video of it. So he's really proud of himself. But I will say this, the whole time when we were in line waiting to go on, I had like, like my arms draped over his shoulders. He was in front of me. And so my hands were like right over his heart. And it was like, oh, like he was so nervous, but he did great. But yeah, so it was a nice week. I was a little like trepidious to go. I was like going to Orlando and Disney World for a full week is no easy feat. But we had a great time. And the kids loved it. I'm proud of you. Honestly. Thank you.

The kids loved it. So it was good. And now this week we're back Emmy Star of the week at school. Her dream. Her dream come true. She just had two magical weeks. No, back to back. She loves one of the attentions on her. So, yeah. So, but now, as I was saying a little bit at the start of this episode, while I was trying to decompress, I was getting hit every single way, every single day with, like, case

updates. So I feel like we have so much to go over. Yes. Yes. Lots of updates. Lots of updates. Let's start with my favorite piece of trash human being, David, the singer, because there has been a major breaking update in the case of a.

David Anthony Burke, otherwise known as D4VD, David, in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Hernandez. So he now has been arrested and charged, which we knew that that happened late last week. However, the press conference happened on Monday of this week, which is what had prompted that impromptu live stream of mine, where we streamed the press conference together, talked through the case. I actually posted that audio on this podcast feed as well, so that you can go back and listen to it if you missed it. And I'm not going to go through the whole thing with you, but let me just give you the brief breakdown. So we now know the charges.

He's been charged with first-degree murder that also has special circumstances attached to it. The special circumstances being lying in wait, murdering a witness in an investigation, and financial gain. The second charge, continuous lewd and lascivious sex acts with an individual under 14. Because as we know, when Celeste first disappeared, she was 13, it's now believed. that she was murdered when she was 14. The third charge is mutilating the remains of a body, because also, as we know, Celeste was found dismembered. Now, as I said, I'm not going to go into the full case here, but what I did find interesting about this is the police have determined they believe that her death date was April 23rd, 2025, meaning she would have been 14 years old.

She first went missing and was reported missing the April before that in 2024 when she was 13 years old. Now, going into the special circumstances, because I think that's what a lot of people are hung up on, at least I know I am, or like not even hung up on, but my curiosity has been piqued. The lying in wait, I believe, and we'll know more as it comes to trial, but I believe that the reason that the investigators were able to determine the death date being 42325, which they said they know that she went to David's house that night, and that was the last time there was any known contact with her or that she was last seen. I think he most likely lured her, that. and that's where this lying in wait is coming,

that he planned to do what he was going to do, allegedly, and that's why the special circumstance is coming into play. The other special circumstance is murdering a witness in an investigation. Now, when the press asked them, okay, well, had Celeste outcried about the sex acts that were going on between them, was she going to file a report, did she tell her mother, was she going to the police? They said they wouldn't answer it at this time,

that we would learn it during the trial. However, because of that secondary charge, continuous sex acts with an individual under 14, then layering in this special circumstance of murdering a witness in an investigation, they did say that that investigation that it's referencing is into charge too, leading me to believe, and I could totally be wrong, guys, I'm not a detective, I'm just nosy, but I believe that what happened is that she either was going to tell someone, had told someone, perhaps threaten him saying, if you leave me or if you do this, like, I'm going to tell everyone, whatever it is. So he knew that there would be charges because then there's also

where that financial gain, special circumstance comes into play, which investigator said is because he didn't want his livelihood to be threatened, his celebrity to be threatened, he even went back out on tour, as we know, to still collect money. So he lures her to come to the house on April 23rd, 2025, lying in wait, allegedly murders her because she is therefore a witness in an investigation that would potentially go against him for having underage sex acts with her. And then also the financial gain element because if he was charged, convicted, he'd be canceled, he'd be tried, all of the things. So there's so much more that goes into it.

Go listen to the episode from Monday. But he is facing life in prison without parole or possibly the death penalty. They are going for the max with this guy. And it seems like they have a pretty slam-dunk case. They believe that they have a lot of evidence. a lot of digital evidence, witness testimony, documents, and the cause of death has not been released. The manner of death has been ruled a homicide at the point of this recording, though, and I want to be very clear when I say that. At the time of this recording, cause of death has not been released, but it has been determined by the coroner.

However, the coroner has not made the report public at this point. There is a chance that at the time this episode releases, it will be made public, but right now it hasn't. But I do think it's pretty remarkable that they were able to determine cause of death, given how decomposed her remains were, that she was dismembered, that she was, what, five months in that trunk? It's just disgusting. Well, and I don't think I realize that she was only 13 when she was originally reported missing. That is so young. Yeah, I believe if I'm doing the math correctly, I believe seventh grade. That's. And he's 21, which I think two years ago still doesn't make a difference. 19 and a 13 year old, a predator is a predator. Hello, you know, she was a kid. He was lying to his friends about her age, so he obviously knew it was wrong. Yeah. But that's, it's sick. It's so sick and sad. There were early reports, which I mentioned in Monday's episode,

when TMZ had first, when this all first happened when she was found in September of last year, TMZ had reported that not only was she found dismembered, but that it appeared to her remains had been frozen. And very quickly, investigators came out saying, whatever's out there that you're hearing isn't true, isn't true. And so people were like, okay, was she not dismembered? Was she not frozen? Now they are saying she was in fact dismembered. That's why he has the mutilation charge. But I'm wondering, because they believe she was killed in April and she wasn't found until September, the car had been dumped in the Hollywood Hills for about 30 days before that person had smelled the odor. They called it in and they found her.

It's very possible, and we'll learn this, of course, that she was frozen. And that's why he high-tailed it out of that rental house from Hollywood Hills. Maybe there's a freezer there. Who knows? And that it, of course, thawed. That's when the odor happened. So, look, I don't love TMZ. I think they do things pretty grimy.

And the way that they report on things when family members haven't even been alerted is disgusting. But I will say, they do get it right most of the time. There might be some truth there. Yeah, because they do have so many inside sources, which not that that detail even matters, but it does just go to the concealment and him trying to hide it and get away with it for so long. And why it took so long. Yeah. So more to come on that.

That trial will be happening. If it does move forward, it's all going to be happening here in our backyard. So maybe we'll go. Lake Elsinore is where she grew up to and that's where right in our backyard. That's where our grandma lived actually. So more to come on all of that. But go listen to that episode from Monday where it goes through all of the details. Now let's move into Haley.

Beck, okay? Because the amount of DMs I've received from you, comments I have received from you is saying, please talk about Haley Beck, this woman is so cringe, it's disgusting, it's giving me the ick, you need to talk about it. It's one of those cases that kind of, it feels like it's gone viral on TikTok and a lot of people are sharing their thoughts and their opinions, but in my opinion, it hasn't really gotten the attention that it truly deserves. Because it is, yes, very, very cringe, but it's also extremely disgusting and like diabolical. And at first glance, it may sound like just another, you know, teacher misconduct type of situation,

but it really is not that simple. Because this involves not only one teacher, but two teachers and the same student, also thousands of text messages, money, apple pay, gifts, and a ton of questions about how this all went down. So like I said, the case centers around Haley Beck, a 27-year-old high school teacher in Arizona who was teaching psychology and sociology at Centennial

High School. She's also the older sister of the famous TikToker and now actor Noah Beck. I think he was actually just cast in the reboot of Baywatch, but he's pretty famous. So she had worked at Centennial High School for quite a few years, starting around 2020. So she definitely wasn't a new teacher, but not like tenure or anything like that, like newish, I guess. But she was somebody that students and the staff knew really well, and somebody who was, of course, in a position of trust and authority, which is exactly what makes these allegations that we're about to talk about so serious. According to police reports and the school's internal investigation, Haley is now being accused of grooming and having a sexual relationship with a male student.

And this wasn't something vague or loosely defined. The details that are outlined in these reports are very specific. And honestly, like, super disturbing when you look at the full. full picture. So investigators allege that over the course of just a few weeks between June 21st and August 2nd of 2025, Haley exchanged more than 4,000 text messages with this student. And according to reports, those messages included sexual conversations, discussions about meeting up, references to alcohol and drugs, text messages in which she was sending him money and he was asking for money. She even, I guess, referred to him as her sugar baby in some messages, which for those of you who are unfamiliar with

that term, it's basically when you pay someone for their company or their attention or in some cases, sex as well. And the investigators say that these conversations and this terminology, it wasn't a joke. It was true. It was factual. And it wasn't just them talking about this student getting money or gifts. She actually sent this student hundreds of dollars, $630 to be exact. And she did this through Apple Pay, which I was, I don't know if I'm like a millennial boomer or what. I didn't know that you could send Apple Pay person to person, but it is so easy. You basically go into your text messages and you know where you like go to the emoji menu in your text? There's a menu or a button that says like Apple Pay or has the dollar sign or whatever and you can

just send money through text message and people can redeem it, which, hello technology. I'm still like using Venmo and Cash App because apparently I'm like archaic. But anyway, She also bought him food, gifts, alcohol, and just was really grooming this kid and trying to facilitate a relationship of sorts with him. And at least one time in the text messages, she said that giving him money felt like, quote, straight prostitution. Which, how you're a psychology teacher and a sociology teacher, like maybe if you think it feels like that, maybe it is that. There was also a handwritten note that had been found during a search of Haley's apartment. and in the note it said, quote, for this relationship being extremely wrong,

I feel like we have really made the most out of it. There is truly no other student, I know, so wrong, that I'd want to do all of this with. Which, again, that shows knowledge. That shows that you understand that this is absolutely wrong and that you should not be having

this kind of relationship with a student, yet you're saying there's no other student I'd want to have this relationship with. How about no student, period, you fucking creep? Like, what is going on here? Another key detail here is that the investigator say that this relationship with the student began while the student was still a minor. And as we know, that is a huge detail legally. Because while, yeah, parts of the relationship continued after he turned 18, the allegation is that it started way before that.

Back in December of 2024, when the student was still a sophomore, which that alone changes everything in terms of potential charges and how this case should be prosecuted. But then it also, right when you think it couldn't get even more disgusting or gross or predatory, it takes another unexpected turn. Because Haley is not the only teacher who is allegedly involved in this. There's a second teacher by the name of Angela Berlaca, who's also being accused of misconduct involving this same student. And according to reports, those allegations against her include sending videos of herself naked to him. And apparently, Haley knew about what this other teacher was doing. Because in some of the text messages that she sent the student, she would say things like, quote, even though our situation is still not right, at least we are closer in age.

I don't like being compared to Mrs. B. Closer in age or not, you are 27 and he's a minor, now 18. That's a pretty big age gap and it doesn't make it okay. So now you have two separate teachers, both, by the way, in positions of power authority, you know, a trusted adult, or they should be, and they're both allegedly engaging in inappropriate behavior with the exact same student, which that raises a very uncomfortable question. How did this all go on without being stopped? According to reports, there were rumors circulating at the school for months about these relationships and dynamics and text messages and all of that, where it almost

became like a joke between groups of friends, way before law enforcement ever even got involved. people were talking. There were concerns, yet nothing was ever being officially escalated. That was until the school heard about it from one of the students' family members and then brought it to the police, which this was the student's grandmother. She allegedly found, quote, explicit material on the student's phone, and then she decided to report it herself in July of 2025. So that's when everything finally started moving forward. Meanwhile, the school district also conducted its own Title IX investigation. This was back in August of 2025, and they concluded that Haley did, in fact, groom this student and that a sexual relationship had occurred. And after this internal investigation finished, Haley ended up being placed on leave.

Then they fired her ass, and they listed her as not eligible for rehire on March 26th of this year. Which, that's all good and well and great and keep her away from students. But on the criminal side of things, it's not as clear. Police launched a full investigation, compiling a report that is close to 200 pages long, documenting the messages, the interactions, everything that they have basically uncovered. Yet, despite the investigation and the amount of messages and the school's findings, no criminal charges have been filed yet. At least not at the time of this recording. Police have submitted their case to the prosecutor's office, and they have recommended charges. But as of right now, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office is still reviewing the case.

And there's actually a reason that this might not be moving as quickly as people expect. Because one of the biggest complications in all of this is that the student and his family have not been fully cooperative with the investigators. And the reason why is allegedly they're worried that it could cause problems with potential athletic scholarships that the student could get. Which I understand wanting to protect any scholarships because you don't want to you don't want to lose out on furthering your education or your athletic career or things like that because you were taken advantage of by a teacher and that you shouldn't be punished for that.

However, that being said, and maybe it's easier being said from an outsider's perspective, but I cannot imagine a world in which I was made aware that this was happening with my child and that I didn't cooperate fully to get this monster and predator locked up behind bars to where I prioritized their scholarship or their education, which again, I get it, you know, from an outsider's perspective, maybe that's easy to say because, again, you don't want your child punished for what this predator did against them and their education to be stunted or their career to be stunted, but also this person needs to be held accountable criminally, at least in my opinion. So all of that can have a major impact on whether the prosecutors feel that they can move forward

with the charges. Because even with all of the evidence, prosecutors stand. have to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. And when a key witness or a victim isn't cooperating, that can make the case way more difficult to build. There are also questions being raised about whether mandatory reporting laws were followed. Because again, if there were rumors and concerns circulating for months and months and months and nothing was formally reported, then that opens the door to a whole separate issue about whether the system completely failed before law enforcement ever even got involved. And investigators have even suggested that there could be additional victims, yet I will say that has not been confirmed.

So right now, we're really at this in-between stage, where the allegations are obviously very serious and the reported evidence is extensive. The school has, yes, already taken action, but the criminal case is still sitting in review, waiting for a decision. But it's also one of those cases where the moment that a decision comes down from the prosecutors, everything could change very, very quickly. So this is definitely one to keep watching, because it's feels like it's right on the cusp of taking a major turn. I will follow it closely and I will give you updates. But also let me know if you want the deep dive. I was going back and forth kind of wavering like do we do a deep dive? Do we just cover it in headline highlights? There are a lot of text messages.

And like I said, certain videos are going viral on TikTok right now because of the cringe factor with a lot of these messages. She, which it's like part of me, part of me doesn't know if I want to share all of that because it could make the situation feel lighter than how severe it really is. because then you're like laughing about it and poking fun because she was so desperado, but it also then helps paint the full picture. I don't know. So you guys tell me if you want the deep dive inclusive of the text, the cringe letters, all of it, and we can revisit that.

But I will say, over the last five years, we, Amy and I came from an era of Mary Kay Laterno, where it was, that was the only woman predator in the school system, but more times than not, it was the male teacher. We even had one at our school. who was involved with a student, a seventh grader, as a matter of fact. And I will say over the last five years, there has been this huge uptake in women. I do not understand it. No, I know.

I mean, on so many levels, but I cannot imagine being attracted to somebody that much younger as a man or as a woman. But like, I just don't understand that, but also why you would risk your job, why you would go to how you could fall in love or like infatuation with someone that much younger than you, how you could even feel like that's at all appropriate, how she kind of says like, oh, well, at least we're closer in age. And then was it this sick, like competitive thing with this other teacher? And then what happened with that other teacher? Well, and also not for nothing, but first of all, she shouldn't be doing this obviously at all.

But if your brother is super famous and well known, and like wouldn't you? your first thought, be like, oh, these kids are being nice to me because they like my brother. He's a famous TikToker, like how embarrassing and pathetic for myself. But also, there's a huge spotlight that's going to be on here. I could go down so much faster and get caught so much faster if because I am in, yeah, they know who I am. They know who I'm attached to. They could extort me. They could do whatever. But it seems like she didn't even care about any of that. Maybe because she was finally getting the attention. Yeah, maybe. But to your point, it's like, I'm like, how do you find that attractive? And is it because there's now these like heart throbs on all these Netflix shows and like they romanticize these like young like the summary turned pretty?

Not that there's obviously a teacher relationship in that, but like where they see these like not mature younger kids, but like this passion, this romance. And they are like yearning for that. I don't understand. When I first read the timeline, it was June to August. Then they said maybe dated further back. but I was wondering, did she think maybe there was some loophole? Because it was like summer and school was out? And like, was there a physical relationship?

Yeah. Was it mainly just text? No, I believe it. Don't quote me honest. Allegedly it was physical. Again, not that that matters. He would like brag to his friends being like and send screenshots. Even like she's so pathetic.

Look at this. I'm going to ask her to send me some money in Apple Pay and she would. But she would do it like in a way too being like, oh, you're just using me for money, like wanting him to be like, no, I'm not. I really care about you. But thanks for this. but he would never give her that reassurance. And that's where it gets very cringed.

So is he just like getting money from all these teachers? No, yes. That's kind of wild. And like, I guess hooking up. And then I would dive my grandma is the one who found like sexually explicit stuff on your phone and went to tell them. It's bad all around. So I feel like as we're talking, maybe the deep dive is coming.

Maybe I don't even need people to vote. But still vote. I mean, I have a lot of questions. I know. Well, speaking of predatory behavior. Yes. Hit me. We're going back to Florida.

Going back to Florida. And I'm going to give you an update on the Anna Kepner case because this one has taken a pretty big turn. And there are a couple details that people are really stuck on right now. So just to recap quickly, 18-year-old Anna Kepner was on a cruise with her family in November 2025, where she was sharing a cabin with her stepbrother and younger sibling. And at some point during that trip, something happened inside that room because on November 7, 2025, she was found dead. Her body was hidden under the bed, covered in life jackets, and wrapped in a blanket. Investigators later determined her cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation. Now fast forward

a few months. On February 2nd, 2026, her 16-year-old stepbrother was officially charged in connection to her death as a juvenile. And then just a few days later, on February 6th, he appeared in federal court. And this is where people started raising eyebrows a little bit because he was actually released. His charges weren't dropped, thankfully, but he was released into the custody of a relative, his uncle, which for a case this serious already felt kind of hard to wrap your head around. But at that point, it was still being handled through the juvenile system. So the rules, the process, all of that looks very different from what people might expect in an adult case. Now, in the most recent update, here is where everything shifts. On April 13th, 2026, a federal grand jury came back

with an indictment. And this is the moment where the case officially escalated because he is now being charged as an adult. And if you remember when this case first broke, there was a lot of speculation about the motive, if there was sexual motive or if anything like that had happened. It was kind of decided that there wasn't. And then when he was arrested, there was a redacted charge. Now, after this indictment and information coming out, we now know that there was in fact sexual assault involved. And he was not just charged as an adult, but charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse, which that's a massive development.

Because now that he's not being charged as a juvenile anymore, this is federal court. And if he's convicted, he could be facing life in prison. The death penalty, however, is off the table because of his age, but still, this is as serious as it gets. But the part that has people really frustrated is that even with this indictment, even with the adult charges, he is still not in custody. But prosecutors are pushing to change that. They've filed to have him detained arguing that he poses a danger. But as of now, he remains out of custody and is reportedly living with family members. And when you look at this from the family's perspective, which is obviously very complicated, it's been incredibly difficult. They've been open

about how devastated they are about this entire thing, not just losing Anna, but also navigating the reality that the person who allegedly caused her death is still outliving his life while this case moves forward. And then there's another layer to this that makes it even more complicated. He's not talking. After his arrest, he invoked his right to remain silent. And a judge signed off on that, meaning investigators can't just sit down and question him directly. Everything has to go through his attorney. So when you, look at this case and there still feels like there's some gaps, we don't fully know what happened in that cabin still. And that's part of it. A lot of those details just aren't public right now.

We're still getting little pieces of information and not that full picture. So for now, we're all just kind of waiting to see as the information continues to come out, waiting to see if the court decides to detain him, waiting to see what comes out in the future hearings. and honestly, just what happened inside that cabin exactly. I mean, innocent until proven guilty, but I think it's pretty obvious what went down in that cabin, especially because she had reported feeling uncomfortable from his behavior earlier and had told her boyfriend, right,

that he would make weird innuendos and advances. They saw things on FaceTime that one time that were weird. Yeah, and like it seems pretty cut and dry, in my opinion, but I get it. innocent until proven guilty. But here's what enrages me. I understand Florida, and I believe a couple other states do have the law where it is, even if they're charged as an adult, if they're underage at the time of the crime, they can't face the death penalty. People are mixed on the death penalty. I don't think I've even ever asked you where you stand with the death penalty. But I am

very much of the mindset of if you hurt a child firing squad. I don't care. I don't believe in reform. I don't believe in rehabilitation. You hurt a child. Bye. You're out of here. So, and what also... Even if you are a child? Well, I guess that is where it gets more complicated. I like to pose the uncomfy questions. But yeah, I think that's where I'm struggling. Not at all that he doesn't deserve punishment and...

I mean, there's no excuse. But, like, as a minor, not like what caused you to do that. But it's just, I mean, there's a lot of questions, I guess. Well, and the fact that he isn't detained is so fucking ass backwards right now. Is that part of the Florida process to where if you're a certain age, even if you're charged, you get to be. Okay. Because, yeah, I thought that was weird too. Because, yeah, I thought that was weird too.

And he even played like he was hearing voices in that one stupid jail call that was on video. But the fact that he's not detained, I mean, if he was facing the death penalty and if he wasn't detained, I feel like that would even be far worse because how do you know he's not a flight risk? How do you know he's not going to Brian Laundry himself? How do you know he's not going to just like be a coward and all this? But even still, even though he's not facing the death penalty, he's probably facing, I would imagine the max, which is life in prison with the possibility of parole because he's a minor. I don't know. I'd have to look at what those charges equate to. But even for a young kid, that feels like the end of the world. So the fact that he isn't detained, it does pose a risk that he could take his own life. We saw Photostoulos do it. We saw Brian Laundry do it. So like lock him up until there can be a proper trial that either exonerates him or convicts him. and like go through the appropriate channels. I just can't imagine that poor family, how layered that is.

Because remember, it's a blended family. Right. They were on vacation. You know, obviously there are probably things that could have happened to help prevent this, whether it was paying more attention to the warning signs, if there were those ahead of time. But also just the placement of where everyone was sleeping. And I just...

Well, now he's staying with family. So what does that look like? Are they going to Easter together? what's happening? Like, do you still have to see him around and knowing what he did? Are the other kids, like, scared? Right.

Like, he put, clearly, I mean, I'm going to say this term, even though obviously I'm not a doctor and I can't diagnose anybody. Sexual deviant. So the fact that he is still out there and there could be other children in the mix. We know there are other siblings.

Like, lock his ass up, err on the side of caution. Then if it goes to trial, he's not speaking, obviously, but if he somehow is exonerated, great, then he can go back. I'm just glad and thankful he was charged as an adult. Same. Agreed. We were waiting for that. So,

what a nightmare. What a nightmare. Today's episode of Seriallessly is sponsored by Roe. If you've been hearing about GLP-1s literally everywhere lately, but you feel overwhelmed by all of the options, the cost, if you qualify, or even where to start, then you want to listen up. Because Roe just introduced the first FDA-approved GLP-1 weight loss pill, offering a new alternative to injections with the same active ingredient and results that are comparable to the shot. On average, patients can lose up to 14% of their body weight over the course of a year. It's designed to be simple, one daily pill that reduces cravings and supports feeling fuller, longer, with an innovative formulation that fits more seamlessly

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information about GLP1 medications. Today's episode is also sponsored by Haya kids vitamins. Now here's something more parents are starting to question. What's actually in the vitamins that we're giving our kids? Because a lot of what is marketed to children today looks more like candy than nutrition, packed with sugars, artificial dyes, and ingredients that don't exactly inspire confidence. But that's exactly why Haya exists. Haya takes a completely different approach to kids vitamins. Zero sugar, zero gummy additives, just clean, thoughtfully designed nutrition. Each chewable vitamin is made with a blend of 12 organic fruits and vegetables, plus essential nutrients like vitamin D, B12, zinc, and folate, supporting immune health, brain function, and overall development. It's also

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coming. But my point is that a lot of you have been asking, like, what are my thoughts on this trial? Have I been tuning in? What's going on? And yes, I have. But I'll be honest with you, it has been one of the most emotional and difficult trials to listen to that I have heard in a very long time. And like I said, we did a full deep dive on this case a while back, so I will link that in the show notes for you if you haven't listened to it yet and you can go listen. But before we get into what's happening in court right now, I do want to give you a very high-level recap. So back in 2022, seven-year-old Athena Strand was reported missing from her home in Texas. And within days, investigator said that a FedEx driver, Tanner Horner had abducted, possibly sexually assaulted, and then killed Athena while he was

delivering a package to her property. Now, it has been ruled out that he sexually assaulted her, or I should say, like, yeah, that has been taken off the table, but they have said that it was sexually motivated, that that was potentially the initial intention. There's even some horrific video of where he tells her how pretty she is. It's just absolutely foul and disgusting. But there were the sexual undertones involved. Now, before we get into the moments that everyone is talking about, there is one thing that completely changes the way that this trial is unfolding compared to the trials that we've covered in the past.

That being, Tanner has already pleaded guilty. So this trial isn't about whether or not he killed her. That part is already established. It's more about what really happened. Why? Because very early on, too, he said that while he was delivering the package, he accidentally reversed and hit Athena, and then he panicked and he threw. her body in the truck. We now have seen surveillance video. We know that that is complete bullshit and a

huge lie. But this trial is about one thing and one thing only. Whether he will be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. And once you understand that, every single piece of evidence that has been presented so far, it feels way more heavy. And the state's case so far has been a lot. It's been heartbreaking, emotional, and very difficult to hear. And look, not to bring it back to myself, but I have a six-year-old son who's about to be seven, and that's why this trial has been, there's been parts where I'm like, I don't even know if I can like talk about this case again. It's just hitting so different now, and it's just impossible to wrap your mind around it. But obviously, I think Athena's voice deserves to be heard and he needs to be called out for

what a fucking true monster he is. But one of the biggest moments that has happened so far in this trial was when jurors were played the audio from inside that delivery truck, when Tanner killed Athena. And I'm not going to go into detail here because, honestly, even the descriptions coming out of the courtroom have been hard enough to read. But what we do know is that this audio was recorded after Tanner covered the camera inside the truck. Which just that detail alone that he covered the camera, I mean, people have really latched on to that because, of course, it suggests awareness. It suggests that he knew what he was doing and he didn't want it to be seen. And then the audio itself was played for the jury. And there are a few moments from that audio recording that have really stuck with people. At one point,

Athena can be heard asking him if he was a kidnapper, which, I mean, just hearing that, you can tell that she knew that something wasn't right. She was trying to make sense of what was happening, even trying to talk to him, saying like, hey, where are we going? Are you a kidnapper? What's going on here? She even, he responds saying, you know, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter where we're going. She then asks for her mom. And it's so heartbreaking, listening to it. reports also say that as she tried to talk to him, he got more and more frustrated. Then he would tell her, you know, go sit down or I'm going to hurt you, go back there, go to the back of the truck, and then right after that is when he covered the camera.

He then asked Athena how old she was about school, the name of her teacher, before then saying something that completely changed the tone of the conversation, an even darker way. I believe she had asked something about where they were going, why he picked her up, and he told her, you're really pretty. You know that, right? like implying like, well, of course, the reason I picked you up is because you're pretty, but you know that right. Then he stopped the truck and told her that they were going to just, quote, hang out for a minute. Then a few minutes later, she is heard saying that she wants her mom, which that's the part that really stayed with people, because it brings it back to exactly what this was. A seven-year-old little girl, scared, asking for the person who makes her feel safe.

And from everything that has been reported, it wasn't just one moment that was emotional. It was the entire playback of this recording. Jurors were visibly shaken. Some were crying and some people in the courtroom struggled to even sit through it. It's one of those moments where this case, it stops being just a story that you're hearing and an awful case that you're hearing about. And it becomes something that feels so real, just very immediate and very hard to sit through. Athena's mom was asked if she had the chance to watch or listen to any of the videos in this case.

and she said that she did, but that she just couldn't. Do you have any chance to be looking at any portion of any videos in this case? I did. How much of it were you able to look at? Maybe, maybe a minute, maybe two. I can't. And I'm very sorry to all of the innocent people that do have to watch that. I am so sorry.

I'm sorry to you. and I'm sorry to you all too because none of us, not Athena, not me, not anyone in this room besides Tanner Horner asked for what's on that video in Athena. Definitely didn't. Another moment that has been getting a lot of attention

is when the jurors were shown recorded interview footage of Tanner speaking with the investigators after the crime. Because in that footage, he brings up this idea of an alter ego, something he calls zero, or someone, I guess you could say. He tells investigators that zero is the one who killed Athena. And what makes that moment stand out is that this didn't come from the defense building out a mental health case. This came in through the prosecution, playing his own words for the jury.

So at this point, jurors are hearing that claim without any kind of explanation or framework around it. No expert testimony, no diagnosis, nothing like that yet. It's just, you know, something that he said. So now the jury is left to sit with that and decide what they think it means. There was also a moment where the jury was shown a note where he talked about wanting to end his own life. And again, it really just added to this picture of who he was in the days around the crime, but without the defense fully stepping in yet to explain his mental state. And then, of course, some of the most emotional testimony came from Athena's family.

They spoke about who she was, her personality, her life, the kind of little girl she was, which those are always the moments that shift everything in the courtroom in a case like this because it pulls you out of the legal arguments for a moment and it reminds you what this case is truly about in the root of this case which is a seven-year-old little girl who should still be here I hear people say that if they just had a few moments to talk to somebody that they no longer have you heard that was a boy I thought about it a lot You had those communities, the doctorate of the thing of right now, today. What would you tell her?

I'd tell her I'm sorry. And I would tell her how much she means to me and her daddy and to her sisters, and how much she is loved, and how much we want her, and just, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I am. And I didn't protect her. And when you step back and look at everything that the jury has heard so far, it paints a very dark picture. Which, again, everything that has been presented so far has been coming from the prosecution. They rested their case at the end of last week and then the jurors took a few days off earlier this week before the defense started presenting their side yesterday. But that's going to be really interesting because in the next few days, we are going to start hearing arguments about Tanner's background, his mental health, and anything that they believe could spare him from getting the same.

the death penalty. But what's interesting too, and I told you, a follow up to my original deep dive is coming. There's other women who have spoken out publicly about his predatory behavior and his alleged sexual assault against them in the past. He was, as I said, he had tried to lie initially saying he accidentally hit her and then panicked. Then in the days following her going missing, as they were trying to find her in their research parties, he was driving through those areas in his truck, like asking like, what's going on here? Who you're looking for? Just like, that doesn't show a mental break or mental instability. That shows calculation, in my opinion. So, I don't know, honestly, this is one of those cases where you can follow every single update, every detail,

every moment in the courtroom. And it still doesn't feel like there's an outcome that makes this make any sense. Because at the center of it all, you have this seven-year-old little girl. She was playing at her own house where she should have felt safe. It was almost Christmas. this FedEx driver comes to the house to deliver a Christmas gift for her, a package of a multi-pack of, I believe it was like seven or eight Barbies. That was the package being dropped off. An early Christmas gift for her. He snatches her up, takes her, horrifically beats her and scares the living shit out of her and ultimately murders her. So as this continues to unfold, I'll keep you posted.

But keep an eye out for that update video. You can either go back and listen now to the original deep dive or the update. will be coming out next week where we will go into the whole backstory, what people have said to us that we've spoken with, the other allegations, and just everything that gives a little bit more context to this case. But this has been a really, really difficult one to stomach. And I know a lot of you feel the same way, which is, I think, why so many of you have asked me to weigh in on it. But it's one of those ones where it's been really difficult for me to listen to it, to absorb it, and then to, you know,

re-deliver the information to you. But that update will be coming. So for me, it's like fucking death penalty. Yeah. Like, fuck this guy. And I never talk like that.

But I purposefully did not read about this case because I saw it in headlines and you know me. Like, I can't stomach stuff when I can, like, picture my niece or nephew and hearing that just now. I know. And, like, telling her she's pretty like, no. I know. that is, I can't even imagine.

And like Christmas and like little kids love delivery drivers, like trash truck. Like they're probably so excited. I know. It's one of those cases too where it's like how can you like, again, not that I'm advocating for vigilante justice, but how do you even sit in that courtroom and not smuggling a gun and kill this bastard? No. If I was a family member, it would be, I couldn't be there.

Yeah. I would be so enraged and like leading up to the trial. like it would be i know and he just as they like play these recordings he just keeps his head down not really showing any sort of remorse not even giving any sort of information it's so he pled guilty to avoid the death penalty it wasn't because he feels remorse oh he doesn't feel remorse no no and i believe don't i'm 99% positive i believe when she was found her shirt was off and they say he did not sexually assault her as i said but that there were undertones of that as though that was the motivation. But he did savagely

kidnapped a little girl. And so she's pretty, it's sick. I know. He's a fucking monster. So I'm sure you've probably seen pieces of this case circulating around already because it's been everywhere in the news the last couple of weeks. We're talking about Lynette Hooker, a woman from Michigan who vanished while on a boating trip in the Bahamas with her husband. And as of now, she has not been found. So this is how it all started. On April 4th, 2026th, Lynette Hooker and her husband Brian were in the Bahamas, near the Abaco Islands. They had stayed on a sailboat, and that night they took a small dingy out on the water for a nighttime cruise. And when I say small, I mean an eight-foot inflatable boat

with a motor and metal bottom, not something with a lot of space and also not something super stable, especially at night. And according to Brian, the sun was going down, the water conditions were pretty choppy, and at around 7.30 p.m., Lynette fell overboard. He says she was holding on to the keys of the boat when she went into the water, which caused the motor to shut off immediately. And from there, he claims that the current and wind pulled her away faster than he was able to react. He says he tried to grab her, but couldn't, and eventually lost sight of her completely. Now, instead of immediately getting help, Brian says he spent hours trying to navigate and get back to shore. He didn't didn't reach shore to call authorities until around 4 a.m., which means there was about a nine-hour

gap between when she went overboard and when authorities were actually alerted. And of course, once that call was made, a search effort started. Authorities began combing the area both in the water and from the air, but they never found Lynette. No body, no confirmed sighting after she went into the water, nothing. And almost right away, Brian became the central focus of the investigation. He was detained in question by authorities in the Bahamas on April 8th. Now during that time, investigators were trying to piece together exactly what happened out on that water. And at one point, they even took Brian back out to the scene to retrace his steps and locate the dingy. And during that process, he fell overboard himself. And when that happened, not only did that just feel really

odd, but it came off as super suspicious to the public. He's in custody out on the water with investigators and somehow ends up in the water too, but he was quickly pulled out, treated for injuries, and taken to a hospital before being brought into custody. Authority said that it appears to be an accident during the search, but still, it's one of those details that makes this whole situation just feel even more bizarre. Because while all of this was happening,

while Brian was in custody, more information started coming out about what was going on leading up to Lynette's disappearance, including text messages. It turns out Brian had to, had been messaging a friend in the days after Lynette went overboard describing what happened. And in those messages, he said that the wind had separated them and that Lynette was actually swimming toward the sailboat when he lost sight of her.

Which is a very specific detail when you think about it because this is happening in the middle of the night in open ocean conditions with rough water and he's able to clearly see not only where she is but the direction she's swimming. And again, it doesn't mean this is impossible. but it's another one of those things that have people questioning what's actually going on. And then there's a relationship. Lynette's daughter had spoken out, and she painted a very different picture of what things were like between Lynette and Brian,

who was her stepfather. She described the relationship as volatile and that there was a lot of fighting and even mentioned that arguments were frequent, especially when alcohol was involved. She also made it very clear that she does not believe that this was an accident. For the first time since her mother, Lynette Hooker went missing in the Bahamas. Carly Aylesworth is now seeing the boat her mother and stepfather Brian called home. Before Lynette disappeared nearly two weeks ago.

Now you have no idea where she is. Yeah. I never imagined my mom would disappear. In a dateline exclusive, Aylesworth emotional in her desperate search for answers. I'm still trying to grapple with the fact that she's just not here right now. The Hamian police say Brian Hooker told them Lynette went overboard in their dingy while in rough waters. We're finally leaving chema. Aylesworth says the couple's relationship was volatile, and she expressed suspicions of Bryant since before he was arrested and questioned.

Pardon me feel like he's going to get away with this and walk away a free man, and I really hope that doesn't happen. And right around the same time that Lynette's daughter was speaking out, texts that Lynette herself had sent in the past started surfacing. messages where she reportedly expressed frustration in her relationship, talked about ongoing conflict, and gave the impression that things between her and Brian were not in a good place. Some reports have even indicated that she had considered distancing herself from the marriage. Now, obviously, we don't have full context for every single text message about their relationship, but when you line them up with what her daughter was saying, it does kind of reinforce the idea that the relationship might have been in a rough place leading up

to that trip to the Bahamas. And then, as all of this is unfolding, yet there's another major shift. After being held in the Bahamas for five days, Brian was released without charges on April 13th. And then when he was released, he said that his, quote, sole focus was finding Lynette, that he was going to stay there and continue helping with the search. But then, just one day after saying that, Brian left the Bahamas. He went back to the United States while the search for his missing wife was still ongoing. Now, his attorney says this was due to a family emergency, that his mother was ill, and legally, since he hadn't been charged with anything, he is allowed to leave. But from a public perspective, this didn't look good for him at all. Because people

suspect the spouse in a situation like this to stay, to be present, to be actively involved in the search. And Lynette's daughter spoke out about this too, saying she was shocked he left and questioning why he would go when her mom still hasn't been found. So when you step back and look at all of this together, this is why this case has gotten so much attention lately and so quickly. A lot of people are starting to wonder if Brian knows more than he's saying or if he might even be responsible for this. So this is still very much developing and Lynette still has not been found as of this recording.

But this is absolutely one of those cases where I'm sure there will be more details that emerge and hopefully answer some of these questions. Just say it. And actually, it's giving maritime divorce. Alpine divorce? No. Oh, maritime? There's a new that's now taking traction, the maritime divorce.

Is that like, is maritime like water? I don't know. Marine, marine layer, maritime, I don't know. But yes, it reminds me of Gabe from Australia, which, where they were scuba diving and he took the gas mask off of her and whatever. Here's the thing. Again, innocent until proven guilty. But I would be lying if I was not saying my eyes are rolling so far back that I can see my brain right now. Like, talk to me, my man. Let's have a conversation. Like, no comment. This guy. I mean, come on. And then he fell off the boat. Well, you know what? I don't know why in my mind I kept envisioning Scott Peterson, even though it's different. But I'm picturing this small dingy with two people.

And like it being unstable. You know what it's giving? What? The net. Oh, really throwing it back there. If you haven't seen that movie with Sandra Bull. Oh, such a classic. Guys, I was scared of FedEx for years because of that movie, which actually, hello,

Athena Strand. You should be scared of FedEx, obviously, even though it was a third party vendor. But my point being, it's giving the net. Yeah. And so, I mean, there are a lot of questions. Like, do you think? I mean, obviously he's guilty. but I mean

your wife falls off overboard and you wait nine hours to call for help and and the text messages happen to show that you guys were not in a great place that she was frustrated and you're telling your friend that she was swimming and that you just lost sight of her

and I'm sorry like and family emergency or not you leave the Bahamas I think that their charges were dropped or whatever not filed because they're building the case they want to have rock solid proof You can prosecute a no body crime, but it's more difficult. I mean.

The writing's on the wall. That's what I think. Which, you know what? And I'm glad that the daughter was a maritime. No, no. I was going to say, because I was like, yeah, I was like, I'll eat crow. Is that what it is? If I'm wrong.

Please don't ever say that. I won't eat crow. Disgusting. But what's like another one? Like, I don't know. That's it, right? Yeah. I don't want to eat crow.

Don't. Gross. Sick. I don't even want a crow near me. I'm freaked out by birds. You really are. I am. I have a fear of birds.

It's not looking good. It's not looking good. And the fact, and he, what? So you dealt with the family emergency? Go back to the Bahamas. Well, and what family emergency? And like the daughter, there's a family emergency, but the daughter doesn't understand why you came home? Right.

And like, is the family emergency dealt with? Go back to the Bahamas. I'm having, you know what? I'm blanking right now. What was the case that was just on trial? and it was a woman on trial. Her name was Ashley. Or no. Last name was Banfield. The woman. Oh, I know what you're talking about. But I just was thinking how the daughter was so outspoken about that and basically like giving all the tea. And I feel like good on these children for being outspoken. I will put this statement out right now. And whoever is listening or watching this, clip it posted on socials. Let's make it go far and watch.

Brian, I'm going to look directly to the camera, Brian, I will pay for a first class ticket and your entire accommodations in the Bahamas for however long it takes to find your wife if you go back there. Contact me, I will pay for it, get your ass back to the Bahamas if you have nothing to hide. Period. That's a call out right there. Period. That's it. Wow. You heard it straight. But not a Bahamara because that shit's expensive. That's a different island. Yeah, it's not looking good. And this poor daughter just like trying to figure out what the truth is here and like not even having help by your mother's spout. Like what is happening? I think when we know what's happening. If you're in a marital trouble, do not go on a trip. Never go on a trip. No hiking. No boating.

No excursions. No excursions. Like, yeah, just no activity. Like, well, no, you can't even go on a beach vacation now. Yeah, no trips. It's not a good sign. That's not a way to rekindle. Don't do it.

Okay, so really quickly, I do want to follow up on last Thursday's episode. We didn't do a full headline highlights. I had a guest on Dr. Leslie Dobson, and we talked about the Michaela Settles case, which is absolutely devastating and going viral as it should because this is like diabolical and her father is a freaking monster, allegedly. But I want to follow up on this because I did see some of you guys were a little bit frustrated with the guest I had on with the lack of information and a lot of the I don't know responses which I get the frustration 1,000% through and through. I do think that some of the

details and the question I was asking a lot of like nosy and like questions of like I want to know what's going on with all this and I don't think that the answers have been made public or shared and that's where the I don't know comes from but I do think that that information certainly could have been conveyed in a different way so that it didn't feel as though they were so uneducated on the topic when I know that she is not. But anyway, I want to follow up on this case. I heard your feedback. Let me give you the breakdown. So this is the case of Michaela Settles. Now, she was just 18 years old. And from everything that her family has said, she had plans, she had goals, she was trying to start fresh, which is what ultimately led her from North Carolina

to California in the first place. Michaela had been living in North Carolina, but in July of 2025, she made the decision to move to Moore Park, California, to live with her biological father, Stephen. This was also while she was attending Moore Park College. And from the outside, this was supposed to be a new beginning. Moving forward with school, traveling to the West Coast, reconnecting with your biological father in a more meaningful way, build a relationship, just kind of like reset. Now, he lived just down the street from the college and also had said that he was going to pay for her tuition. He was going to teach her how to trade. He was going to be a great father figure for. her. Her mom and sister were also going to come with her to stay in the area for about a month

just while she got used to this new area. So again, it was supposed to be the perfect start. But that entire situation turned devastating almost immediately. Because within just two days of arriving, Michaela called her mom, crying, distraught, devastated, and begging to be picked up. She didn't say anything else at the time. But once her mom and her uncle got there and got her into their car, she told them what was going on, and what she told them was absolutely horrible. She said that her father, while extremely drunk, had gotten her drunk, and had sexually assaulted her for four hours straight. Now, after this outcry and this revelation, she was taken to the hospital, and she actually was in such awful shape. Her uncle had to carry her into the hospital.

she couldn't walk. And it was just, it's absolutely disgusting. And an exam was done, a sane exam was done, and her father's DNA was collected from inside of her. Authorities were of course called and Michaela made a statement. So police then went and arrested her father that same night. And he was charged with multiple felonies, including incest, taking advantage of a position of trust, and providing alcohol to a minor. A judge granted him a $500,000 bond, and about a week later, he placed it and he was released. Now, he has since pleaded not guilty, which at that point you would think, okay, this is awful, this is disgusting, this guy's a dirtbag, but at least the system is moving.

There's evidence being collected. There's going to be a process here. But what happened next in all of this is what makes this case so much more complicated, and honestly, so much more heartbreaking. after the alleged assault, Michaela, and I say alleged, because even though they collected his DNA, he has not been convicted, but after this assault, Michaela returned to North Carolina. And she was really struggling in those few months. She was trying to make sense of what was going on. My guest from last week, Dr. Forensic psychologist, Dr. Leslie Dobson had spoken with Michaela's mother. She was trying to make sense of things. She was trying to understand, like, how did this happen? Why me? Did I deserve this? How did all of these things? And then on December 20, 22nd, 2025, she attempted to take her own life. She was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, the damage was too severe, and soon after, she was declared brain dead. And I want to just pause here for a second because now the person at the center of this case, the victim, the person who could speak out as to what happened, who could tell the jury her side of the story, she's no longer able to do that

because of the mental and emotional damage that this person allegedly inflicted on her. And this creates a huge issue because in cases like this, prosecutors rely heavily on the victim's testimony. And a lot of times, it's one of the most critical pieces of evidence. And without it, the case becomes significantly harder to prove. You do have the sane exam. You do have the DNA collection. You... But there is now the argument that could be made that it would be made that it.

was consensual, even though I would imagine the condition of her body when brought into the hospital could potentially, you know, combat that argument. But the point being, you don't have, well, you have her police statement, but you don't have the witness there anymore. And that brings us to where we stand right now. Because why I first talked about this case last week and why it has gone viral in so many places is because it appears that this guy could walk, that there may not even be anything moving forward in the system. However, there was a hearing on Tuesday. And let me break down what happened in that hearing. It was basically a huge nothing burger because this piece of shit loser coward didn't even show up. So now it has been rescheduled to May 23rd. And I have to

say, I think part of the reason he didn't show up is not only because he's dodging accountability, but there were so many people at the courthouse demanding justice for Michaela. But like the true coward he is, he did not show up. It's honestly that poor, poor girl. And I just, this is sick. You just think how excited she was to reconnect. And this is the last thing you would expect. No.

And like your own father betraying that for four hours. And just like the visual of her being carried into the hospital is just absolutely. devastating and disgusting. I know. Well, I know that I said at the top of this episode or actually probably midway through that it felt like this was an episode focused solely on predators and I kind feel like it was. It wasn't my intention, obviously, but these are all extremely important cases that deserve to be heard and shared and told and it's awful. So as a reminder to the Athena Deep dive, I will link below the David episode from Monday. I will link below in the episode show notes and make sure that you're following, subscribe to all of the things because

that update for Athena will be coming out shortly, probably on a day that is not scheduled. So unless you're following or subscribed, you won't catch it. But yeah, it's a lot. This is a heavy one. I know. So I guess all I'm going to say is I will be back with you guys very soon. And until then, take care of your well-being. Be nice.

Don't kill people. and don't be a freaking predator. Stay safe. Stay safe. Bye.