The Unlovely Truth

Season 3, Episode 16: What If She Were Your Daughter?

It’s been a while since I told my story about why I became a private investigator - what finally moved me to action. I was feeling restless, and I wanted to make a bigger impact on the world, or at least on my little corner of it. I’ll bet you do too. True crime stories have always fascinated me, and one was unfolding right next to me. A young woman was kidnapped, sexually abused and murdered and all I could think was, “What if that was MY daughter?”
Our book this week is “I Have the Right To” by Chessy Prout and Jenn Abelson. Our guest is Jamie Kirschner, podcast post, Christian Teen Life Coach, and keynote speaker. Jamie’s passion is to help teen girls overcome real life challenges they are facing in a way that helps them stay true to who God created them to be. This episode does discuss sexual assault, so please use discretion when deciding to listen.
I’m very excited about this week’s practical action step. It’s not hard, it just might be a bit uncomfortable. But if Chessy can do what she did, we can make things better for young women in our communities.
Think about this as you listen to this episode - “it was hard to decide who or what was worse: the perpetrators or the people and institutions that protected them.”
Get your copy of "I Have The Right To"
Visit the #ihavetherightto website
Date rape statistic source
New York Times article
#ihavetherightto on IG
My episode on "Missoula" by Jon Krakaeur
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Season 3, Episode 15 - Cold Case Investigator J. Warner Wallace Talks About ”Person of Interest”

If you’re trying to prove a murder case without having a body to prove that your victim is dead, you’d better make sure that the rest of your evidence is rock solid. The same goes if you’re trying to prove that the execution and resurrection of Jesus really happened. My guest today has done both.
Our book this week is “Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World That Rejects the Bible” and our guest is former atheist and cold case detective turned apologist, speaker, and best-selling author J. Warner Wallace.
Listen to how his unique cold case investigation technique solved the question of who killed Tammy Hayes and shows us (as the book’s subtitle says) “why Jesus still matters in a world that rejects the Bible.”
Link to buy "Person of Interest"
J. Warner Wallace's website
Follow him on Instagram
And Facebook
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Season 3, Episode 14: Finding Keeslyn Roberts

Did you know that, according to Lauth Investigations International, on average, there are approximately 50,000 missing adults at any given time. That absolutely blows my mind and makes me wonder what lengths I would go to if one of those 50,000 was someone I loved.
This week we are going to look into the 2020 disappearance of Keeslyn Noell Roberts, and briefly touch on the cases of Caleb Smith, Anna Yoder, and Clyde Merriweather. All were last seen at a truck stop - the type of place known to have problems with human trafficking and drugs.
I love how practical all of Scripture is and for me, it doesn't get any more practical than the book of Proverbs. We will talk through Proverbs 21:3 and, of course, discuss this week’s practical action step (plus a bonus step if you’re feeling a bit spicy)!
Macon.com article about Keeslyn
wsbtv.com article about Keeslyn
storiesoftheunsolved.com article about Keeslyn
charleyproject.org page about Keeslyn
UPDATE: ANNA YODER FOUND SAFE
UPDATE: CLYDE MERRIWEATHER FOUND SAFE
koco.com article about 14 year old missing girl recovered at truck stop
11alive.com article about Caleb Smith
If you have any information about Keeslyn or Caleb, contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-597-TIPS(8477).
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Season 3, Episode 13: How You Can Back the Blue: ”The Blooding” by Joseph Wambaugh

If I asked you to guess the percentage of murder cases that actually had physical evidence that tied a suspect to the crime, what would you say? I’ll bet you DIDN’T say just 13.5% - but that’s what research done by the Boston Globe in 2010 showed. So what solves crimes? Good investigations.
Law enforcement officers often get a bad rap. Society should certainly punish those who cross the lines of acceptable behavior, but today I want to focus on the good that the vast majority of officers do for us. We’ll look at one of the very first cases technically solved with DNA and see why science wouldn’t have made a difference without the dedication and hard work of the police.
Join my guest Ken Bator, founder of The Police Officers' Credit Union Association. He is also a business consultant and covers true crime podcasting for Podcast Magazine - which is how I met him. He’s got great insights for us today as we dig into this week’s book, “The Blooding” by Joseph Wambaugh. If this episode inspires you to thank an officer, remember to get a picture and post it with the hashtag #proverbs31speakup.
Link to buy book
Connect with Ken
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Boston.com article

Season 3, Episode 12: Bitter Jealousy: The Murder that Shocked a Small Town Church

I’ll bet you love feeling safe, right? I know I do. And who could seem like a safer person to be around than an older lady from your church? It turns out that just about anybody would be safer if that little old church lady was Mary Jane Fonder of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Stay with me and we’ll learn why Mary Jane went from seeming safe to being savage.
Our book this week is “Love Me or Else” by Colin McEvoy and Lynn Olanoff. Here to talk with us about what we can take away from this case is the Unlovely Truth Tribe Chaplain Lori Prather. We’ll look out for red flags and ways to make a difference before tragedy strikes.
Listen to Season 1, Episode 2
Buy "Love Me or Else"
Find Lori Prather on Facebook
What does the Bible say about jealousy?
News segment on Mary Jane Fonder's trial
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Season 3, Episode 11: Surviving and Overcoming Trauma: Dancing with the Octopus

14-year-old Debra Harding was walking home from school when she was abducted, raped, and left outside in the bitter cold to die. Almost worse was being at home during the physical and psychological abuse from her mother and watching her father allow it. Let’s find out how Deborah was able to triumph over her trauma.
Our book this week is Dancing With the Octopus: A Memoir of a Crime by Debra Harding. Our guest is Sara Shallenberger. Sara is a host, producer, and writer at the Life Network for Women. She also hosts Frame Your Week with the Word and founded H2:2 Ministries.
We will discuss Lamentations 3:21-23: “‘But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’” Join me to have a new appreciation for Biblical lamenting as a way to process trauma.
Buy "Dancing With the Octopus"
Visit H2:2 Ministries website
Article from desiringgod.org on biblical lamenting
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Season 3, Episode 10: Murder in the Family

George Bernard Shaw once said, “A happy family is but an earlier heaven.” Our book this week is “Murder in the Family” by Edgar Award Winner Burl Barer, and one member of the family made it a living for everyone else. My guest is Lori Wildenberg, a licensed parent-family educator, podcaster, co-founder of 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting, national speaker, author, and parent consultant. After we talk about what the Newman family was put through by one they called their own, Lori will help us process how to set healthy boundaries for helping our own family members who may be struggling beyond the help we can give them.
Visit the Wild Blue Press website to learn more about the book
Visit Lori Wildenberg's website
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Crimes Of Kirby Anthoney | The FBI Files

Season 3, Episode 9: The Unsolved Double Homicide of Pam Branka and Paul Jones

It was early on a Saturday morning in 2007 when assistant manager Pam Branka, 46, and manager Paul "P.J." Jones, 50, were murdered as they opened the Burger King in Momence, IL. No cash was taken from the registers, but blood was found near the safe, so it was assumed that the workers were victims of a botched robbery. But was it?
Robbers usually use guns, not knives. According to stats from the U.S. Department of Justice, knives or other sharp objects were only used in about 13% of robberies. I hope police also looked into the possibility that because of the multiple stab wounds to each victim, this may have been personal.
Someone holds the piece of the puzzle police need to bring the killer to justice. For the rest of us, we’re going to talk about one simple thing anyone can do to help safeguard people working in jobs that may expose them to danger. You can make a difference in the true crime world.
If you have any information, please call the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department at (815) 802-7100.
abcnews.go.com article
Daily Journal of Kankakee, Illinois article
Daily Journal of Kankakee, Illinois article #2
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Season 3, Episode 8: Prison Saved My Life

“Prison is a dark, often evil place. But light still shines there.” So says Louis Dooley, author of the book Prison Saved My Life: I Recommend it for Everyone. It’s easy to dismiss prison conversions as being somehow less real or genuine than those among people on the outside. But in most incarceration settings, announcing that you are now a Christian puts a target on your back because you are seen as being weak. You’re seen as someone whose beliefs won’t let you fight back.
Today’s guest, Brett Narzinski, has spent chunks of time being in and out of jail due to what he admits is the consequence of his own pride combined with bad decisions. He’s also experienced homelessness, as a lot of repeat offenders do. Like Louis Dooley, Brett is using what he’s been through to help others. He’s the President and Treasurer of Complete Christian Evangelism, a non-profit organization that ministers to the homeless in St Louis by distributing emergency care packages and more. They get up close and personal with those who need them the most because they are ignored by or are out of reach from most of society. They go where nobody enjoys going - the types of places Jesus went.

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Season 3, Episode 7: Arkansas True Crime: A Murder in Searcy

Sometimes criminals have ordinary lives. They have a home in a nice part of town. They have a steady job. They raise a family. Sometimes criminals look a lot like you and me. Our book this week is “A Murder in Searcy” and our guests are its authors Deana Nall and Mike Allen. They investigated and wrote a book about the murder of Fern Rodgers in sleepy Searcy Arkansas in 1974 and the trial of Fern’s husband Dr. Porter Rodgers the following year. Decades later there are still some folks who don’t want to talk about it, or at least they don’t want their name mentioned if they do talk.
The unlovely truth is that with a few bad decisions and the wrong people around us, each one of us is capable of acts we would never dream we might commit. That’s why King David asked God in Psalm 141 to help him stay away from evil acts and those who commit them. If only Dr. Porter Rodgers, Sr, had prayed that same prayer.
Buy your copy of "A Murder in Searcy"
Arkansasonline.com article
kark.com article
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