The Unlovely Truth

Exploring the intersection of faith and true crime.

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Episodes

Tuesday Sep 27, 2022

What would you do if you lost the ability to earn a living for yourself and your family? It’s a scary thought, one that insurance agents can use to promote disability policies that will pay you if you are injured and you can’t work. People who buy them do it for the peace of mind they get. They might not feel so peaceful if they knew that some companies never intend to pay.
Our book this week is Insult to Injury: Insurance, Fraud, and the Big Business of Bad Faith by Ray and Matthew Bourhis and our guest is Christine Trimpe, award-winning author, speaker, and health coach. She’s going to walk us through her family’s battle with a giant insurance company after her son’s catastrophic motor vehicle accident. But first, I want to tell you about the journey of a woman named Joan Hangarter. She bought a disability policy to keep her family safe from economic ruin in case she ever couldn’t do her job. Little did she know that it wasn’t the safe harbor she thought it would be.
Check out Leviticus 19:14 with me and we will also talk about another way that you can be a #personofimpact to keep yourself, your family, and your community safer.
If insurance and crime interest you, you’ll want to listen to these episodes:
The Furious Hours, Part 1
The Furious Hours, Part 2
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.
Grab your copy of Insult to Injury: Insurance, Fraud, and the Big Business of Bad Faith
Connect with our guest Christine Trimpe
#areinsurancecompaniesregulated #insurancelaw #wheninsurancerefusestopay #howinsurancecliamswork #seekingjoy

Tuesday Sep 20, 2022

What would you do if you suddenly found out that you weren’t who you thought you were? That your family had secrets and those secrets were about you? Would you wonder if you could trust anybody at all anymore? Even God?
Our book this week is Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace by Deborah Moerke. It’s a hard story to listen to, especially for moms because we’ll be talking about a mom who let her life get so out of control that she killed one of her own children. As hard as that is to talk about, this book is full of valuable lessons like:
Is forgiveness possible after such a horrific act?
What do we do when even after a loving upbringing, our children make devastating choices?
How do we go on after a such a senseless tragedy?
One of the best ways to deal with any situation is seeking guidance from the Bible. The Bible is so full of practical wisdom. That’s one reason I think the Bible is important in Christian life. When we need help, we can find it there. In this episode, we’ll talk a little bit about James 1:2-5 and one practical action step that can help you be a person of impact.
If you’re interested in where true crime sometimes intersects with the foster care system, you’ll like these episodes too:
No One Believed Her
The Baby Thief
Take a moment to visit my website where you can access more episodes, read my blog posts, and 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, you can email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.
There’s more in the book than I was able to fit into this episode, so if you want to know more, here’s where you can grab your own copy of Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace

Tuesday Sep 13, 2022

Every time you open a bottle of medicine or a package of food that has a security seal, you probably don’t realize that it’s there because of a string of murders in the Chicago area in 1982. Seven people died after taking tainted pain medicine which gave the case its name - The Tylenol Murders. Officially, the case is still unsolved. Unofficially, we are going to look at a man who was arguably the prime suspect and talk to someone who knew him.
Our book this week is The Pain Killer: Finding Meaning After Murder and our guest is its author, Greg Hoover. Greg has worked as an actor, writer, therapist, and Episcopal priest. Greg loves the outdoors, hiking, traveling, and playing guitar.
I think that it’s natural for us to look at John Price, or whoever the Pain Killer is, and to say to ourselves that they are just evil. They are terrible, awful creatures who barely deserve to be called human. They are nothing like…us. We may not have poisoned 7 people, but before we ride off on our moral high horses, let’s read Psalm 14 verses 1-3:
Fools say to themselves, “There is no God!” They are all corrupt, and they have done terrible things; there is no one who does what is right.
The Lord looks down from heaven at us humans to see if there are any who are wise,
any who worship him.
But they have all gone wrong; they are all equally bad.
Not one of them does what is right, not a single one.
That lesson is so hard for us to hear and accept, but it’s important enough that Paul quoted it in Romans chapter 3. We all make choices that are contrary to the will of God. Some have more obvious consequences than others maybe, but we all fall short.
I don’t say any of that to condemn anyone, but to encourage us to grow in humility. When we do that, I think it’s so much easier to serve others who need us joyfully. I hope you’ll find someone this week to be that person that Greg and I called a trusted advisor. You can sit with them in their pain and listen. Let them talk, let them cry, and just be there. No need to fix their situation. Leave it to God to bring whatever good out of their situation that He will. That’s a great way to be a person of impact
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.
If you liked hearing from someone close to a case, you’ll enjoy my episodes with former police detective Mike McCarty as he and I discuss the 1977 Hollandsburg massacre near where we each grew up. Mike’s dad was one of the investigators on the case which left Mike with questions he had to find answers to. Listen to Part One and Part Two of “Choking in Fear”.
Link to buy The Pain Killer (which might earn me a small commission - fyi)
Read more about The Tylenol Murders here

Tuesday Sep 06, 2022

I asked you what case you would solve if you could, and you answered! I’m as interested in each of these cases as you are. Let’s check on where these cases stand, and what each of them needs to see justice roll like a river.
In this episode we are going to talk about the disappearances of Maura Murray, Cleashindra Hall, and Jodi Huisentruit as well as the murders of Libby German and Abby Williams which together have been called the Delphi Murders, and the death of Patti Adkins.
Our Bible passage this week is Amos 5:24: “But let justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry.”
Through the prophet Amos, God was rebuking the people of Israel who were committing injustices against people - the same types of injustices that God had rescued THEM from. He points out how they are careful to perform all of the religious rituals but ignore the real needs of the people around them. Amos says that to truly worship God will transform the way we treat others. Justice and fairness require us to take action when it’s in our power to do so.
So how do we do that? Obviously for people who have information about a crime - not just the ones we’ve talked about today but ANY crime - you need to come forward with what you know. I get that it can be scary, but you can tell authorities what you know without giving your name. Or you can do what that anonymous tipster did in Libby and Abby’s case - give the info to a podcaster. You can email me or message me on social media if you want to and I’ll pass the information along. Be that Person of Impact for these families today.
You can 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 more information on Clea Hall here
If you know anything about Cleashindra Hall’s case, please call the Pine Bluff Police Department at 1-870-541-5300 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
Masslive.com article about Maura Murray
@mauramurraymissing on TikTok
mauramurraymissing.org
To contact the Murray family with information: mauramurraypress@gmail.com. Contact the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit at (603) 223-3648, or email them at Coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov.
fox59.com article about The Delphi Murders
Crimeonline.com article about Abby and Libby’s case
If you have had contact with someone using the screen name “anthony_shots”, please contact law enforcement at abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com or 765-822-3535.
Was evidence destroyed in Jodi Huisentruit’s case?
www.findjodi.com
Anonymous Phone Tips in the Jodi Huisentruit case, please call (970) 458-JODI
Help Find Patti Adkins FaceBook page
Clermontsun.com article about Patti Adkins
If you have information regarding Patti Adkin’s case, please contact Detective Jeff Stires. (937) 645-4100 Extension: 4442. If you are afraid to come forward, remember that you can remain anonymous.

Tuesday Aug 30, 2022

Remember the original Unsolved Mysteries from back in the day when Robert Stack was the host? How he always wrapped up the intro by saying, “Perhaps you may be able to solve a mystery.” Retired FBI Criminal Profiler John Douglas agrees. He says in our book today that “...there’s almost always someone out there who has information needed to complete the puzzle.”
Our book this week is The Anatomy of Motive by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker and our guest is a familiar one, private investigator Sheila Wysocki. She’s going to help us understand
what the term “victimology” means
how you prepare one and
why it’s so important for investigations
Sheila Wysocki became a household name in the private investigation world after she helped solve the cold-case murder of her college roommate, Angie Samota, more than 25 years later. Only wanting to figure out Angie’s case, Wysocki was ready to close the case on her PI career. However, that’s when letters from around the world came pouring into her inbox begging her to help their families who had mysteriously lost a loved one. “I just couldn’t say no,” recalls Wysocki, “these families were in the same position I was after Angie’s death, and I knew I had to at least try to help them.”
Since then, Wysocki has worked on over 100 complicated cases, has been nominated as one of the Top 20 Best Nashville Private Investigators, and voted the number six most influential woman private investigator. She has been featured in The Washington Post and has appeared on Anderson Cooper, Dateline, Katie Couric, A&E Biography’s “I Solved a Murder,” ABC’s 20/20, Crime Watch Daily, Criminal, and numerous other podcasts. Persistence has always been how her colleagues characterize her and that persistence has paid off in the many cold cases she has worked.
Links to previous episodes that featured Sheila:
Season 1, Episode 8: Murder in the Bayou, Part 1
Season 1, Episode 9: Murder in the Bayou, Part 2
Season 1, Episode 38: Survivors
Season 2, Episode 20: True Crime Moms who Never Give Up - " in the Heartland" by Jax Miller
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.
Link to buy The Anatomy of Motive
Link to Sheila’s website
Throwback to Robert Stack on Unsolved Mysteries
National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or Text START to 88788

Tuesday Aug 23, 2022

Let’s be honest ladies. We’ve all struggled to live up to the standards of the Proverbs 31 woman and then blamed ourselves when we fell short. But I’ll bet you never thought that your imperfections might get you killed.
Our book this week is The Good Wife: The Shocking Betrayal and Brutal Murder of a Godly Woman in Texas by Clint Richmond. It tells the story of Penny Scaggs, a woman dedicated to not just modeling herself after the Proverbs 31 woman, but becoming her. Remember that the Proverbs 31 woman wasn’t an actual flesh and blood woman.
In this Proverb, King Lemuel is writing about the advice his mother gave him as he searched for a wife
As the king, he needed a good partner to help him carry out his duties
The Proverbs 31 woman is the type of woman Lemuel’s mom wanted him to choose as his wife
Each of us can function as this type of woman in many different ways depending on the gifts and opportunities each of us has
It’s her character, not her career, that makes her special
Let’s look specifically at verse 20 as translated in the Message version: “She’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor.” We all have the ability to do both of these things.
Which brings us to our practical action step for today. There is no need to commit to anything big here. I’m just going to throw out a challenge to find a ministry at your church or in your community that assists victims or groups that are often targeted as victims. It could be the homeless, or foster kids, or newly released inmates. You might feel a tug toward working to help single moms or women with an unexpected pregnancy. You could even see if you could help organize a free self-defense class for women! Your ability to help people in need is only limited by your imagination and your willingness.
If today’s case interested you, you’ll probably enjoy this episode.
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 book here

Tuesday Aug 16, 2022

Would you believe your child if they told you that their teacher was doing something inappropriate to them? What if it was a teacher you really liked and respected, and the accuser wasn’t your child but one of their friends? Or, like in today’s case, nearly two dozen of their friends?
Our book this week is Secret Lessons: The Perfect Teacher and the Young Girls He Abused. Our guest is Angie Baughman, author, speaker, Bible study teacher, and a survivor of sexual abuse by a teacher. She’s got a lot of important information for everyone sending their kiddos back to school.
I chose the International Children’s Bible translation to share Psalm 40 verse 2 with you - very appropriate for this case. “He lifted me out of the pit of destruction, out of the sticky mud. He stood me on a rock. He made my feet steady.”
If you’ve had an authority figure take advantage of their position and the trust you gave them, I hope that the message of this scripture really encourages you that no matter what has happened, God’s desire is to lift you up out of that situation, out of the fallout and - like the heart of Angie’s ministry is founded on - He will help you be steady as you learn how to move on.
Our practical action step for this week is to tell ourselves that we are not going to be afraid to be seen as the bad guy when it means standing up for what is right. I know I can’t judge the community that chose not to believe these girls, or to believe Angie. But all of my experience as an investigator is screaming that someone knew the truth about what was going on. Probably a lot of someones. But because public opinion favored the perpetrators, very few people were willing to stand up with the victims. If you know someone who feels like they are standing alone - even if it means you will be criticized - let’s have the courage to stand with them.
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.
Get your copy of this week's book
Check out this Link to Angie’s website and other platforms

Tuesday Aug 09, 2022

If you’re a parent, you know that there’s nothing worse than having a sick child. Colds and flus are bad enough, but have you ever had to rush your child to the emergency room? I have and it was awful. But it was such a relief to know that she was with people who knew how to help her. People who cared about saving lives. Well, I assumed that all the medical personnel helping my daughter wanted to save her life. But what if they didn’t?
Our book this week is “Killer Nurse: Life of Serial Killer Genene Ann Jones” and our guest is Tina Yeager, licensed mental health counselor, life coach, speaker, and author. We’ll take a deep dive into trying to understand how a trusted healthcare professional could turn out to be a predator AND how we can be there for people dealing with grief when tragedy strikes their family.
Our Bible passage this week is Philippians 2:3-4: “Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own.”
Today’s practical action step is about making a mindset change. Too often we place our trust in titles rather than character. Most doctors and nurses are very good at what they do and have a strong desire to help people. Please hear me say that. But some are in it for what they can get out of it - money, prestige, power, or whatever. Don’t be afraid to ask medical personnel questions and if their attitude isn’t that of someone who is more interested in YOUR welfare than their own, find another practitioner if you can. Staying safe extends to being cautious of the medical professional we let care for us.
If you like today’s case, you’ll also enjoy this earlier episode, The Baby Thief
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 Killer Nurse on Amazon
Visit Tina’s website

Tuesday Aug 02, 2022

I became an investigator because of a case that made me think “What if that was MY child?” Has a story ever really hit you in the gut like that? We’ve got another one this week.
My guest on this episode is the mother of Aaron Key. His death was officially ruled a suicide in 2019, but his family still has a lot of questions they’d like to have answered. This fierce mom had to train herself to be her own P.I., and she’s determined to find answers to her questions and help other families do the same thing.
Understanding that not every death that was officially ruled a suicide actually WAS a suicide is so important. We never think that anything like this could happen to us. Until it does. I’ve been involved with at least half a dozen cases where families challenged the ruling of suicide or accidental death when their loved one was taken from this world. It’s a long, hard fight. They need our support.
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.
If you have any information about the death of Aaron Key, please submit your tips directly to Justice for Aaron Shane Key on Facebook. Each one will be reviewed and forwarded to the appropriate authorities.
Justice for Aaron Shane Key Facebook Group
Tennessee’s Dark Hole Facebook Group
Fox17 story by Dennis Ferrier
Aaron’s episode from Catch My Killer podcast
TCSpotlight episode from YouTube
Information on the billboard

Tuesday Jul 26, 2022

Imagine that you’ve been assaulted and no one, not the police, not your friends, and not even your family believe you. Would you continue to insist that you were telling the truth, or would the weight of disbelief cause you to say, “Nothing happened. I made it up”. On second thought, don’t answer yet. I’ll ask you again after you hear Marie’s story.
Our book this week is Unbelievable by award winning authors T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong. Netflix released a very well received limited series based on the book. Human rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy, which I featured in the very first episode of The Unlovely Truth, had this to say about the book: “This is a devastating but necessary read, composed by masters of investigative journalism.” I agree. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It does contain material about rape, so please use your best judgement about whether to listen or recommend this episode. For everyone who does listen, this case has a lot of crazy twists and turns, so hold on tight.
You’ll be outraged when you hear the rapist tell one of his victims that he had a compulsion to rape that he couldn’t control. Let’s look at what it says in Ezekiel 18:29-30. “But the house of Israel says, ‘The Lord’s way isn’t fair.’ ‘Is it my ways that are unfair, house of Israel? Instead, isn’t it your ways that are unfair? Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways.’ This is the declaration of the Lord God. ‘Repent and turn from all your rebellious acts, so they will not become a sinful stumbling block to you.’”
When you read the whole chapter so you have some context, you learn that there was a saying making the rounds in Israel that basically implied that when parents sinned, their children could suffer the consequences. This saying was especially popular with anyone who wanted to shift the blame for their own shortcomings onto someone else. God used Ezekiel to set the people straight. Each of us are responsible for our own sin. But as is always the case where God is concerned, there’s hope. For anyone who would turn from their sin, there was forgiveness. From what information is given to us in this week’s book, Marc O’Leary hasn’t done that.
License plate readers and the data they collect were crucial to solving multiple rapes and finding information that eventually led to proving that Marie had not lied about her rape. Check with your local police to see if your community uses them and if not, find out what you can do to help make it happen. If your neighborhood has a Homeowners Association, see if they would be willing to discuss adding them to the entrances to the neighborhood. Knowing who is around you, your kids, and the rest of your community helps keep us all a bit safer.
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.
Get a copy of the book here
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