Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch - Introducing: Hunting the Bogeyman

Episode Date: October 27, 2025

When she’s 21, Nicole Earnest-Payte is attacked in her own home. She comes to believe a serial predator has started terrorizing women in Northern California. Officials are skeptical until acclaimed detective Paul Holes finds a clue, kickstarting an extraordinary hunt for a real-life bogeyman, and for Nicole, hope for an end to a long nightmare.  Binge all episodes of Hunting the Bogeyman ad-free November 1st by subscribing to The Binge. Visit The Binge Crimes on Apple Podcasts and hit ‘subscribe’ or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access. The Binge – feed your true crime obsession. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicole Ernest Pate was 21 years old when she was assaulted by a predator in her own home. He is kind of the boogey man in the night that you are truly afraid of. He wore a mask throughout the whole ordeal. He said, let three songs go by before you cut yourself loose. She went straight to the cops. She said, this sounds like some sort of movie plot. Like you made this up from a movie plot. Until one day, the man who helped put the Golden State killer behind bars

helped figure out the serial predator's pattern. This is a serious offender. He'd been hiding in plain sight. This is the same guy. It's so bizarre to me that he's a father. A wolf and sheep's clothing. But even when the attacker was unmasked, Nicole still had questions. The why, the what, the why me, all of those things that I think,

most victims think about, that will probably eat at me a bit until I get those answers. So Nicole wanted to do something unusual. She wanted to meet him. From Sony Music Entertainment and Perfect Cadence, this is Hunting the Boogie Man, coming November 1st to The Binge. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.