The Unlovely Truth

Season 4, Episode 4: Surviving: Doing Whatever You Need to Do

I didn’t know that it takes about four pounds of pressure to pull the trigger on a 9 mm handgun, did you? I read that that’s like the pressure in a firm handshake. That’s not all that much, especially when someone is holding a 9 mm handgun to your head. If you found yourself in that situation, what would you do to survive?
Our book this week is “Four Pounds of Pressure: A Memoir of Rape, Survival, and Taking Back My Power” by Danielle Louise Leukam. Danielle is an author, speaker, and advocate for women who have experienced sexual trauma.
You’re going to love this week’s guest. Candice R. Reyes is a Speaker, Author, and Executive Director of Her Well. As a 2x survivor of sexual assault, Candice inspires other women to overcome their fear of the past and walk with Jesus through recovery. Through storytelling and practical tips, Candice helps women reclaim their hope, regain their voice, and resist their urge to isolate during this journey. She is an award-winning author who coaches survivors daily as they embrace their healing journey.
Don’t we all need to be reminded from time to time about how valuable we are no matter what has happened to us? That’s the message of this week’s passage from the Bible, Isaiah 43:1b-3a:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…”
Isn’t the picture of redemption from captivity a beautiful part of the history of God’s people? I believe that this is true on a personal level today as well. It doesn’t matter what has happened to you that continues to hold you captive - you can be set free from it. The ultimate power to do this is of course from God, but He uses people all around us to accomplish this healing. People like Danielle’s family and the trained professional who guided her as she navigated all of the different ripple affects her rape had. People like Candice Reyes who is working so hard to provide hope and healing to survivors of sexual trauma in her little corner of the world. And people like you. Look to see where God is working in your area to help victims of sexual assault and then join Him there. That’s an amazing way to be a different kind of P.I. - a Person of Impact.
If you learned a lot from this episode, you’ll want to listen to these:
Season 3, Episode 30: No One Believed Her
Season 2, Episode 17: I Thought He was My Friend - "Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town" by Jon Krakauer
Season 1, Episode 17: A Survivor's Journey - From Victim to Advocate
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.
Buy Four Pounds of Pressure
Check out Danielle’s website here
Read about Candice’s work at Her Well
Shop for the comfort bags
Read about the power of 30 Second Hugs

Season 4, Episode 3: Third Time’s the Charm - Too Bad He Was Number Four

Murder by poisoning has been a popular method of getting rid of someone for centuries. As life insurance policies became more commonplace, arsenic was given the nickname “the inheritance powder”. And who else would have easier access to other, more exotic poisons than people in the medical field. Like a nurse.
Our case this week comes from the book An Almost Perfect Murder, by Gary C. King. Let’s investigate why it was only almost perfect.
We’ll also investigate some of what David had to say in Psalm 35:4-6:
May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away; may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
Here are links to a couple of previous episodes that show just how devious anyone who uses poison as a murder weapon can be.
Season 3, Episode 32: Caring Nurse or Cunning Serial Killer: How One Woman Caused a Wave of Grief in Two Texas Towns
Season 3, Episode 37: Chicago True Crime: The Pain Killer
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.
Find the book here

Season 4, Episode 2: Beyond Evil: Russell Smrekar and the Logan County Murders

Most people in Lincoln, Illinois, didn’t lock their doors in the 1970’s. They weren’t worried about murderers roaming around. Mike Hartnett and his wife arrived in town to work at Lincoln College, a private junior college. Both were ready to counsel Lincoln’s students and they wondered how much trouble there could possibly be in this peaceful looking small town in 1972. If they’d only known, who knows if they would have gone there at all.
Our book this week is “And I Cried, Too “, by Mike Hartnett. This episode’s guest is our chaplain here at The Unlovely Truth, Lori Prather. She grew up near where these murders took place, and I grew up nearby in the Midwest. We were both pretty sheltered and stories like this were shocking to say the least. But unfortunately, they are reality as well, so I think we need to talk about them to see what takeaways we can glean from them to help ourselves and our communities be safer.
Let’s take a look at a great verse for anyone who thinks the Bible is super hard to understand. Some parts are more difficult than others and require more study to put them in the proper context, but this one is very straight forward. Let’s read it:
“Don’t let anyone fool you. ‘Bad companions make a good person bad.’”
1 Corinthians 15:33
I chose the NIrV translation because it’s made to be easy to read, and easy to understand. And context helps us as well. Paul is writing to the church at Corinth to warn them against false teaching. He knows how easily influenced we can be. In this week’s case, Mike Mansfield went along with someone he thought was his friend and he ended up paying for his misplaced trust with his life.
We’ve all been burned by someone we thought was our friend. We’ve watched it happen to our children too, haven’t we? I'm so grateful that it never went this far for me, and I want to help you keep it from ever going this far in your life or the life of a loved one. To me, one of the biggest steps to accomplish that is a little self-awareness.
In western Christianity, we love to talk about love, and grace, and forgiveness, and happy things like that. Great stuff, of course, but the Bible has a lot to say about evil too. We need to know what God says evil looks and acts like so we can recognize it, in others - and in ourselves.
That’s right. We don’t like to think about that, but we all have the capacity for evil thoughts and deeds. Outside of Scripture, I think the late Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said it best. Yes, I love all kinds of stories, even those from Russian dissidents. But listen to what he has to say about how understanding evil really means understanding human nature. “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
Let’s all find someone this week that we can have a conversation with about this. The first step toward being safer is being aware of what we have to keep ourselves safe from. And sometimes, that doesn’t look like what we might think it should.
Here are some other episodes you will enjoy:
Season 3, Episode 12: Bitter Jealousy: The Murder that Shocked a Small Town Church
Season 2, Episode 30: Blending In: "The Demon Next Door" by Bryan Burrough
Season 2, Episode 19: How do I Forgive? "Murder by Family" by Kent Whitaker
Season 1, Episode 26: In Broad Daylight
Read the Free Kindle Unlimited version of And I Cried, Too
Find Lori Prather on Facebook
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.

Season 4, Episode 1: Deliver Us From Evil: Purging Guilt from Unsolved Murders

Jim Duckett was a lot of things to a lot of people - father, son, brother, uncle, friend, horse lover, good listener, veteran and more. That’s why it’s so hard to understand how he came to be tied to a chair in his bathroom, bloodied and tortured to death on Nov. 10, 2008, in Shelbyville, KY. Well, it’s hard to understand for most of us. But somebody out there knows exactly what happened. It’s been 14 years. It’s time to come forward.
Let’s tackle another story from the world of true crime and see what spiritual and safety tips we can find. I believe every Christian’s calling is to be a different kind of PI - a person of impact. Stick around because I’ll give you a practical step to do just that.
It’s hard to believe that we are starting our fourth year investigating the intersection of faith and true crime. I’ve heard from so many of you about the impact certain episodes have had in your life. Let’s make 2023 the year we all make an impact in the lives of people who have had their lives impacted by crime.
We’ll be taking a close look at Deuteronomy 21:1-9:
Suppose you find someone who has been killed. The body is lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. But no one knows who the killer was. Then your elders and judges will go out to the field. They will measure the distance from the body to the nearby towns. The elders from the town that is nearest to the body will get a young cow. It must never have been used for work. It must never have pulled a load. The elders must lead it down into a valley. The valley must not have been farmed. There must be a stream flowing through it. There in the valley the elders must break the cow’s neck. The priests, who are sons of Levi, will step forward. The Lord your God has chosen them to serve him. He wants them to bless the people in his name. He wants them to decide all cases that have to do with people arguing and attacking others. Then all the elders from the town that is nearest to the body will wash their hands. They will wash them over the young cow whose neck they broke in the valley. They’ll say to the Lord, “We didn’t kill that person. We didn’t see it happen. Accept this payment for the sin of your people Israel. Lord, you have set your people free. Don’t hold them guilty for spilling the blood of someone who hasn’t done anything wrong.” That will pay for the death of that person. So you will get rid of the guilt of killing someone who didn’t do anything wrong. That’s because you have done what is right in the Lord’s eyes.
So many cold cases were solved in 2022. While we celebrate the many, many cold cases that were solved in 2022, we have to remember how many more families are awaiting answers to the cold cases in their lives. As believers, we need to remember what it says in Galatians 46:2, “Help carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ.”
Season 3, Episode 43: The Disappearance of Brittanee Drexel: A Thirteen Year Journey to Justice
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.
Anyone with information about Jim Duckett’s murder is asked to contact Kentucky State Police Post 12, at 502-227-2221.
Learn about Kentuckian’s Voice for Crime Victims here.

Season 3, Episode 52: The Wages of Sin is Death: Vigilante ”Justice” in a Small Texas Town

Capital punishment is a hotly debated topic among Christians, and rightly so. Both the old and new testaments talk about it being within the government’s rights. But let me know if you are aware of any verses that condone private citizens executing a man when the government isn’t doing it fast enough for them.
This week we are wrapping up the case of The Santa Claus Bank Robbery, an amazing book by the late journalist and author A.C. Greene. One robber died from injuries he suffered during the robbery, one was sentenced to 99 years in prison, and one was executed. We are picking up the story as Santa himself, Marshall Ratliff, is angling to be found insane and escape his appointment with the electric chair.
Then we will dive into Romans 12:19-21:
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
I used to misunderstand this verse. That heaping burning coals sounded pretty revenge-like which can seem attractive when you’re mad at somebody. But in other biblical references to burning coals, we see that they represent judgment, which is clearly God’s. They also symbolize spiritual purification. Again, this is something only God can do. So when we feed our hungry enemies and give them something to drink, we are showing that we are different. We don’t try to take revenge ourselves. We leave to God what is only His to do.
The mob wanted to do what they wanted to do. And it was evil.
Don’t worry if you’ve missed the three previous episodes. You can listen to them here:
Season 3, Episode 49: The Art of Storytelling: Bringing Facts to Life
Season 3, Episode 50: All I Want for Christmas is You...Not to be In Jail
Season 3, Episode 51: Repeat Offenders: If Only They Were Still Inmates
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.
To read the full story, grab a copy of The Santa Claus Bank Robbery for yourself!

Season 3, Episode 51: Repeat Offenders: If Only They Were Still Inmates

Early release programs for convicted felons are controversial, and always have been. It’s a delicate balance to try to alleviate prison overcrowding yet keep the public safe. Marshall Ratliff, Henry Helms, and Robert Hill had all served time in Texas’ Huntsville Prison. If they hadn’t all been given what the public felt were light sentences with early release, would those who died during the Santa Claus Bank Robbery have lived full lives?
We are in our third week of investigating A.C. Greene’s book “The Santa Claus Bank Robbery.” If you missed the first two episodes, check todays show notes for links to get you caught up. Let’s dive back into this case, then see what we can learn from John 8:1-11:
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
This story has always fascinated me. We will use it to find another way we can each be a #personofimpact.
If you missed the last two episodes, it’s not too late to catch up!
Season 3, Episode 49: The Art of Storytelling: Bringing Facts to Life
Season 3, Episode 50: All I Want for Christmas is You...Not to be In Jail
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.
Buy The Santa Claus Bank Robbery
Link to archive of contemporary news article
Find out what some of my favorite safety things are.

Season 3, Episode 50: All I Want for Christmas is You...Not to be In Jail

What are you supposed to do when your plans go horribly wrong? You can give up and make the best of how things have turned out, or you can dig in and keep trying. That’s what our four would-be bank robbers from last week decided to do, but no matter what they did, things just kept getting worse. Crime certainly didn’t pay for them. If they hadn’t had so much bad luck, they wouldn’t have had any luck at all.
We’re continuing our story of The Santa Claus Bank Robbery. If you missed last week’s episode, check out the link below you so you won’t miss out on anything. When we left off, our four armed robbers Marshall Ratliff, Louis Davis, Henry Helms, and Robert Hill had just entered the Cisco Texas First National Bank to rob it.
Our Bible passage this week is 1 Timothy 6:9-11
“People who want to get rich are tempted. They fall into a trap. They are tripped up by wanting many foolish and harmful things. Those who live like that are dragged down by what they do. They are destroyed and die. Love for money causes all kinds of evil. Some people want to get rich. They have wandered away from the faith. They have wounded themselves with many sorrows. But you are a man of God. Run away from all these things. Try hard to do what is right and godly. Have faith, love, and gentleness. Hold on to what you believe.”
Wow! It almost sounds like Paul wrote this passage after reading this book! I think sometimes we think that as modern people we are so much more advanced than anyone who has come before us. But we struggle with the same things that the churches that Paul was writing to struggled with. The Bible is so relevant to our lives today!
I’m guessing none of us have robbed a bank or killed someone with a shotgun blast. But Jesus always taught that what was in our heart was as important as our outward actions. I know that I’ve spent too much time working rather than being there for someone when they needed me. Paul said the love of money causes all kinds of evil. The LOVE of money. Not money itself. God knows that we need money to get shelter and food and medical care and all of the necessities of life. We also need it so we can give to people who are struggling with those basic necessities. We need it to support the work of the church and other ministries.
Money is a tool. We can use it to do good things, or we can hoard it. When we do that Paul says that we wound ourselves with many sorrows, we’re tripped up by wanting many foolish and harmful things.
So for our practical action step I want us all to take some money that maybe we were going to use to splurge on ourselves and give it to a child who is struggling to have those basic necessities. That’ll probably look different for all of us. Maybe for some that will be sponsoring a child through a group like Compassion International. Or maybe you know a family from your neighborhood or church that needs help. It might even look like partnering with Prison Fellowship and their Angel Tree Program so that a prisoner can give their child a gift this Christmas. If you ask God where and how to give, He will open up opportunities for you, I promise. If you have more than enough, like I’m guessing most of us do, find some way to serve someone with your abundance so that the love of money doesn’t stand a chance of taking root in you.
Listen to last week’s episode here
Buy “The Santa Claus Robbery” here
Link to archive of contemporary news article
Find out what some of my favorite safety things are
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.

Season 3, Episode 49: The Art of Storytelling: Bringing Facts to Life

Imagine looking into the window of your favorite clothing store and seeing the hottest new fashions lying there in a heap. You can’t picture how they’d look on you the way you can when those stylish top and bottoms are put on a mannequin. That’s what good storytelling does for facts, statistics, and otherwise dry information - it gives it good bones. It lets you connect with your listeners on a deeper level - something I hope we are doing here on the Unlovely Truth!
We’re going to focus on just one story for the entire month of December and it’s a very appropriate one: The Santa Claus Bank Robbery by the late A.C. Greene, a prominent Texas journalist and author. Our guest today is Lawrence Yuen, host of The Myth Pilgrim podcast and he’s going to talk with me about the power of story.
The Myth Pilgrim is a Catholic podcast exploring how popular myths and fairytales can nourish your spiritual journey. Brother Lawrence Yuen explores theology alongside Disney, scripture alongside The Lord of the Rings, Saints alongside Star Wars … and so much more!
Our Bible verse this week is Hosea 4:2
“You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery.
There is violence everywhere — one murder after another.”
In chapter 4, Hosea is pointing out Israel’s problems with immorality and idolatry. The people weren’t following the ways of God, and the community was suffering because of it. The boundaries of good behavior were being trampled, and it led to more and more violence. Violence that culminated in murder. I’ve seen this as I’ve volunteered in a jail ministry. Once people get into a downward cycle, it can be hard to turn it around. We try to show them that there is another way, and that God can help them truly change their lives if they want to.
It’s a really rewarding way to volunteer, so that’s our practical action step for this week. You can volunteer at your local jail or work center to give hope to people who really need it. And it’s truly a way to be a Person of Impact in your community. From a very practical standpoint, we want people coming out of jail better equipped to handle life than they were when they went in.
If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests who gave me fantastic information you won’t want to miss. You can also help someone else begin their journey as a different kind of PI - a person of impact, when you share the episode, and when you subscribe, give me a five-star rating and a nice review.
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.
Buy The Santa Claus Bank Robbery
Link to archive of contemporary news article
Link to Lawrence’s website
Find out what some of my favorite safety things are

Season 3, Episode 48: Twelve Years Gone: Where Are the Skelton Brothers?

Tanya and John Skelton were in the midst of a bitter divorce as Thanksgiving neared in 2010. Tanya had sole custody of their sons, ages 5, 7, and 9, but let the boys visit her estranged husband for the holiday. It was the last time she ever saw them. Maybe someone listening knows what happened.
Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton spent Thanksgiving in 2010 with their father John in Morenci, Michigan. When Tanya went to John’s house the next day to pick up her sons, he wasn’t there. John was in the hospital saying he had broken his ankle during a suicide attempt.
He told multiple stories about where Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner were. When police accessed his house, the inside had been torn apart. This story isn’t easy to tell. These boys were let down by someone who should have been taking care of them.
Proverbs 6:16-19 says, “There are six things the Lord hates. In fact, he hates seven things. The Lord hates proud eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that kill those who aren’t guilty. He also hates hearts that make evil plans and feet that are quick to do evil. He hates any witness who pours out lies and anyone who stirs up conflict in the community.” We’ve got all of that in this episode.
I hope this episode reaches someone who knows something about what happened to Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton. If that’s you, please call Michigan State Police at 517-636-0689, or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1800-843-5678.
Age progressed photos from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Give to the NCMEC to help them serve more families in need.
You Tube video of memorial on 1st anniversary of disappearance
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.
Season 3, Episode 14: Finding Keeslyn Roberts
Season 2, Episode 18: Gone in an Instant: The Kentucky Vanishing of Heather Teague
Heather’s mom wants items from crime scene tested for DNA

Season 3, Episode 47: My Sister’s Case: Unsolved Murders’ Effects on Families

Famous unsolved murders get a lot of attention. Think about how often you see media articles about JonBenet Ramsey, The Zodiac Killer, or the Black Dahlia. In his book “A Long Walk Home”, award-winning journalist Joe Strupp outlines the case of 17-year-old Carol Ann Farino in a small town just 10 miles away from New York City.
After we investigate today’s book about Carol’s long unsolved case, we’ll be joined by my guest Wendy Casteneda. She’s going to share her own journey as someone who lost a sister to a violent murder. Wendy shares with us how her faith helped her get through the long years with no resolution, and the trial that finally put an end to the unknown.
We all have our own “cold case” issues. We’ll look at Psalm 37:7-10 to see how God wants us to respond in difficult situations. It’s not always easy but it’s a great way for you to be a different kind of PI - a Person of Impact.
If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests who have shared fantastic information that you won’t want to miss. I need your help to grow and reach more people. It’s easy! Just share this episode, subscribe to the podcast, and give me a five-star rating and a nice review. I’d be so grateful if you would.
If you are experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress, you can reach free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States by dialing 988. It’s short and easy to remember like 911. People are available to help you if you need them.
Learn more about Carol Ann Farino’s cold case here.
Grab your copy of my book, “How to Kick Fear to the Curb” here.
Season 3, Episode 15 - Cold Case Investigator J. Warner Wallace Talks About "Person of Interest" link
Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.