Episodes

  • Is There a Serial Killer Gene?

    Is There a Serial Killer Gene?
    Jul 18 2023

    Have you ever been told that you're musically gifted because your family's just like that. It's a genetic thing. Kind of like my high cholesterol. Thanks, family. Well, what if there was a serial killer gene?

     

    Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating true crime story, where physical, spiritual, and emotional safety takeaways are waiting for us. If you are listening, I believe you have a unique calling—to become a different kind of PI, not a typical private investigator, but a person of impact!

     

    This is Season 4, Episode 29. Our book this week is The Murder Gene and we’re so blessed to have its author, Karen Spears Zacharias, as our guest.

     

    I want to investigate Exodus 34:6-7 from the New Living Translation this week.

     

    The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—    even children in the third and fourth generations.”

     

    This is one of the most quoted passages in the Bible, being referenced in other passages over 20 times. God is proclaimed to be amazingly loving and forgiving. Then comes the “but”. He is also just and unwilling to simply overlook sin. He forgives, yes - but there must be consequences for sin. I chose this translation because I love how it explains that when someone sins, the entire family is affected. I often talk about the ripple effects of sins and that certainly applies here. The idea that there may exist a so-called “murder gene” immediately made me think of this passage in a new way. What if that effect is more than just having people look at us differently, judging us for a relatives’ misdeeds? What if those misdeeds themselves affect how our genetic code expresses itself? Could that be one layer of God’s intended meaning here?

     

    He knew all about the science of this WAY before we ever discovered it, so I think it’s certainly possible. Let me know what you think! Send me an email a lori@theunlovelytruth.com or message me on social media. I love it when people are willing to have those hard, but impactful conversations!

    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 The Murder Gene: A True Story

     

    Connect with Karen Spears Zacharias

     

    Show your support!

     

    Share the episode 

     

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

     

    Let me know how The Unlovely Truth has made a difference in your life. 

     

    Read an article on the "murder gene"

     

    And another article
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    33 mins
  • Too Young to Kill: Helping Teenagers Headed for Trouble

    Too Young to Kill: Helping Teenagers Headed for Trouble
    Jul 11 2023
        Twenty years is a long time to keep a secret. Especially when dozens of people know what it is. So let me ask you a question about this particular secret: should we ever say a murder victim had it coming?   Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating true crime story, where physical, spiritual, and emotional safety takeaways are waiting for us. If you are listening, I believe you have a unique calling—to become a different kind of PI, not a typical private investigator, but a person of impact!   This is Season 4, Episode 28. Our Little Secret by Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie and it shares the story of Daniel Paquette's murder in New Hampshire. It became a cold case, remaining a secret between two high school friends. But teenagers grow up and loyalties change. Our guest today is Eric Schwalbach and he’s going to talk about how to support kids so they aren’t thinking these drastic actions are the only options available to them. They didn’t create the situation they were stuck in but they still had to deal with it.    Let’s take a look this week at Matthew 18:6 NIrV   What if someone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin?  If they do, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck  and be drowned at the bottom of the sea.   I always thought this would be an awesome verse to paint in a children’s wing at church. It so plainly expresses the importance of children to Jesus. They are vulnerable, and we are to be their protectors. So many of the kids in today’s case and that our guest Eric Schwalbach mentors have not been treated well by adults. It’s like they have had millstones put around their necks then been told they need to swim better. There are so many ways to make a difference in kids' lives. Does your local school need volunteers to tutor or just hang out and be a positive influence? I know that churches are always looking for volunteers in the children and youth ministries. You may be able to lead a Bible study in a juvenile detention center. They don’t need anything fancy - just someone to show up, and show them the love of Jesus by telling them that they matter to Him, and they matter to you.    If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests who shared 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.  If you liked this week’s episode, you’ll want to check this episode out: Teen Violence: Facing Our Fears to Make an Impact Visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can 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 Our Little Secret   Find Eric on LinkedIn   Show your support!   Share the episode (w/link)   Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn   Let me know how The Unlovely Truth has made a difference in your life.    Recommendations from Eric:   Why I know that the love of the Holy Spirit can heal UNSEEN SCARS! https://youtu.be/D431YOBomQc   If the village steps up, we can raise a child! https://youtu.be/hmNSSgSVJP4   If we don't help them then who will? https://youtu.be/oGVPc1Ippjk   It's not about the 99 sheep, it is the one lost sheep that keeps me striving for a better system.  https://youtu.be/gNQp95QZjPk   Here is the story that explains how young kids did not make the choice to be abused or abandoned. Then they self medicate to cope and numb the pain.   https://prisonwriters.com/95-of-prisoners-i-know-were-molested-as-a-child/
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    34 mins
  • The New Year Murder of Staff Sgt. Jessica Ann Mitchell

    The New Year Murder of Staff Sgt. Jessica Ann Mitchell
    Jul 4 2023
    The family soldier in the U.S. army needs our help and you don’t even have to leave your house to do it. Even tough, highly trained members of our armed forces can be at risk in this broken world. But somebody knows what happened, and I’m calling on you to help me spread the word so justice can be done. Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating true crime story, where physical, spiritual, and emotional safety takeaways are waiting for us. If you are listening, I believe you have a unique calling—to become a different kind of PI, not a typical private investigator, but a person of impact! This is Season 4, Episode 27. This episode will drop on the Fourth of July, Independence Day, so we’re going to investigate the unsolved murder of Staff Sgt. Jessica Ann Mitchell. After ringing in the New Year with friends at the 4th Quarter Sports Bar on the northwest side of San Antonio, Texas, Staff Sgt. Mitchell was found shot to death in her car on Interstate 10 near the Vance Jackson Road exit. Let’s help get justice for someone who served our country to protect our freedom. I want to dig a little deeper into the crime of online stalking. According to a 2021 article from the Pew Research Center, 41% of American adults have experienced online harassment. They compared numbers from 2017, 2019, and 2021 and the numbers keep increasing. The vast majority of people who have experienced online abuse said it happened on social media. Here are some other findings from Pew that really stood out to me: the share of women who report being sexual harassed online has doubled since 2017adults under thirty are the age group most likely to be harassed onlineabout one-in-five Americans who have been harassed online say it was because of their religion Did being stalked online have anything to do with Jessica’s murder? We don’t know that for sure at this point, but it’s interesting to note that the UK based crimetraveller.org, “new research has found in a total of 358 murder cases with a male perpetrator and female victim, a staggering 94% showed stalking behavior involved in the period before the killing.” Here in the U.S., every state has laws against stalking in the physical world. But a handful of states still don’t! Be sure you check to see what laws your state has passed. There are also federal laws but those typically have to include an actual threat, and wouldn’t necessarily cover online behavior that is harassing absent a concrete threat. The Supreme Court dealt future victims of stalking a huge blow last week. I want to give you my understanding of what this means and my concerns, and I’d love for you to share yours! Email me or send me a message on social media. But we’ll use these platforms for good! The U.S. Supreme Court is, of course, the last stop for an appeal of a lower court decision. The appeal that the Court was hearing was a case where a Colorado man had been convicted of stalking a songwriter by sending her hundreds of direct messages on Facebook. She never responded to the messages she said were “creepy”. Her stalker seemed to show that he was watching her in real time, commenting on where she was and what vehicle she was driving. This went on for two years and ironically, he commented that he didn’t think their relationship was healthy because she wouldn’t talk to him. He didn’t want to acknowledge that they didn’t have a relationship at all! He also told her that “You’re not being good for human relations. Die. Don’t need you.” After being found guilty of stalking, he was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. In his appeals, his attorneys have argued that his conviction violated his right to free speech. We all know that first amendment protections are not absolute. That’s why we can sue people who slander or defame us. The issue here seems to be whether speech becomes a threat when the person hearing feels threatened, or the person saying it intended the words as a threat. It’s a fine line, isn’t it? A lot of these kinds of issues are decided on the reasonable person standard. In other words, how would a reasonable person interpret these words? I consider myself a reasonable person, and I would definitely have felt threatened. Why else would this man have said what he did so persistently over such an extended period of time. It’s like I say in my book, when someone tells you who they are, believe them. He was telling her over and over that he was a dangerous person. Something that you may not realize is that the Supreme Court does not have to hear every case that asks for review. One factor they consider is whether a ruling in a case could have broad influence over other similar cases. So the reasoning used to reach this decision could spill over and harm other cases where a victim’s rights are at stake. This story isn’t over yet. The Court said ...
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    18 mins
  • Red Flags in Relationships Part 3: The Murder of Michelle Young, Trial #2

    Red Flags in Relationships Part 3: The Murder of Michelle Young, Trial #2
    Jun 27 2023
    At Jason Young’s 2nd trial for the murder of his wife Michelle, everyone’s cards were on the table. He’d been held responsible for Michelle’s death at a civil trial and the jury was hung at his 1st criminal trial. The information was all out there now. Would the prosecution do a better job with it this time? Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating true crime story, where physical, spiritual, and emotional safety takeaways are waiting for us. If you are listening, I believe you have a unique calling—to become a different kind of PI, not a typical private investigator, but a person of impact! Discover how you can easily step into this role and make a profound difference in someone's life. This is Season 4, Episode 26. This week we are wrapping up our three part series on Murder on Birchleaf Drive: The True Story of the Michelle Young Murder Case. The host of Murder Shelf Book Club Podcast, my friend Jill McCracken, is joining us again with more fascinating takes on this case. So let’s dive into our story at the intersection of faith and true crime! In last week’s episode, we talked about the first attempt by prosecutors to get justice for Michelle Young and her loved ones. It didn’t exactly go as planned, because they didn’t really plan so well. The are the authorities we look to to keep us safe and get justice for victims. How do we handle it when it seems like they are falling down on the job? Let's take a look at Romans 13:1-7 (NLT) Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. I dogged prosecutors pretty hard last week for not being prepared, but this time justice was finally served. It’s certainly not always easy to get. That’s why I wanted to talk about this passage today. God wants us to give respect to those in authority. They are human just like we are and they do make mistakes. And some do make terrible decisions which is why it’s so important for us to support candidates for office who have proven that they have good character and a strong work ethic. And when we have information that authorities need to do their jobs, we need to be honest and forthcoming. I hope we can all find a way to give some assistance or honor to a public servant this week and bless them if it’s in our power to do so. If they don’t do their jobs and if we don’t help them, many victims and their families will not find justice. I know you’ve heard me say this before but it’s such an important point: I share these stories because they contain important takeaways for us ll. Even if you think that something will never happen to you, or that a serious safety issue couldn’t possibly exist at your church or your workplace, you need to be ready if it does. I hope that listening to the podcast, reading my books, and looking into my soon to be available church safety training resources make you as prepared as you can be. If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests and you won’t want to miss their insights. 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. In case you missed them, you can listen to part 1 here, and part 2 here. 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, email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com. Grab your own copy of this week's book Find the Murder Shelf Book Club on Facebook Show your support! Share the episode Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn Let me know how The Unlovely ...
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    30 mins
  • Red Flags in Relationships Part 2: The Murder of Michelle Young, Trial #1

    Red Flags in Relationships Part 2: The Murder of Michelle Young, Trial #1
    Jun 20 2023
    After Jason Young was indicted for the murder of his pregnant wife Michelle, it was time to let a jury decide what had really happened in the early morning hours of November 3rd, 2006. He’d already been held responsible for Michelle’s death in a civil case and had even given up custody of his 2 year old daughter Cassidy to avoid answering questions about Michelle’s death under oath. Would he choose to testify in his own defense in a criminal trial? Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating true crime story, where physical, spiritual, and emotional safety takeaways are waiting for us. If you are listening, I believe you have a unique calling—to become a different kind of PI, not a typical private investigator, but a person of impact! Discover how you can easily step into this role and make a profound difference in someone's life. This is Season 4, Episode 25. Our book this week, like last, is “Murder on Birchleaf Drive: The True Story of the Michelle Young Murder Case”. The host of Murder Shelf Book Club Podcast, my friend Jill McCracken, is joining us again with more fascinating takes on this case. So let’s dive into our story at the intersection of faith and true crime! This week's Scripture passage is Matthew 24:42-44 AMP “So be alert [give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith], for you do not know which day [whether near or far] your Lord is coming. But understand this: If the head of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you [who follow Me] must also be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him." I love it when the Bible gets so practical to acknowledge the real issues we face in this world and uses them to illustrate eternal truths. We can all understand the idea that we have to take common sense security precautions against thieves because they don’t advertise when and where they are going to strike. We also do not and cannot know the exact moment of Christ’s return. Regardless of what some preacher or cult leader might try to tell you, no one knows when Jesus is coming back so we have always have to be ready for it to happen. Applying this lesson of always being ready to today’s episode brings me to the prosecutors responsible for getting justice for Michelle. I couldn’t find any solid research on how often defendants on trial for murder chose to testify in their own defense. But the mere fact that Jason COULD choose to do that seems to me to mean you have to prepare for trial as though he is going to do just that. Here’s another way to look at it. I’m almost certain that my house isn’t going to burn down today. In fact, I’m pretty sure based on the fact that I only know one person whose house has actually burned down that mine probably won’t. Ever. Yet I still have fire insurance on my house. Why would I do that if I didn’t think I’d ever need it? Because I know that if I’m wrong and I do have a house fire, my losses would be so catastrophic that I won’t take that risk. The prosecutors should have looked at their preparation for Jason’s trial the same way. Even if they were 99.9% sure that he would not testify, the consequences of being unprepared if he did could be catastrophic. And it’s Michelle’s family that would’ve paid the price, not the prosecutors. That’s why I share these stories. Even if you think that something will never happen to you, or that a serious safety issue couldn’t possibly exist at your church or your workplace, you need to be ready if it does. I hope that listening to the podcast, reading my books, and looking into my soon to be available church safety training resources make you as prepared as you can be. If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests and you won’t want to miss their insights. 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. In case you missed it, you can listen to part 1 here. 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 own copy of this week's book Find the Murder Shelf Book Club on Facebook Show your support! Share the episode Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn Let me know how The Unlovely Truth has made a difference in your life.
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    28 mins
  • Red Flags in Relationships Part 1: The Murder of Michelle Young

    Red Flags in Relationships Part 1: The Murder of Michelle Young
    Jun 13 2023
    What would you think if your significant other asked to have a relationship with another person “on the side”? I think most of us would see that as a huge red flag, but Michelle Young didn’t. Maybe she was so used to her husband’s immaturity and callous disregard for her feelings that it seemed like business as usual. If only she’d taken another look and seen the man she married for who he really was, maybe she could have escaped what he planned for her. Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating true crime story, where physical, spiritual, and emotional safety takeaways are waiting for us. If you are listening, I believe you have a unique calling—to become a different kind of PI, not a typical private investigator, but a person of impact! Discover how you can easily step into this role and make a profound difference in someone's life. This is Season 4, Episode 24. Our book this week is “Murder on Birchleaf Drive: The True Story of the Michelle Young Murder Case”. Our guest this week is the host of Murder Shelf Book Club Podcast, my friend Jill McCracken. Let’s dive into our story at the intersection of faith and true crime! This week I want to talk a bit about 2 Timothy 3:1-5 from the Contemporary English Version: You can be certain that in the last days there will be some very hard times. People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud, stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents. They will also be ungrateful, godless, heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. These people will hate everything good. They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. Even though they will make a show of being religious, their religion won't be real. Don't have anything to do with such people. Sometimes we have trouble reading people because no one is 100 percent good or 100 percent bad. But Paul is teaching us in this passage the red flags we need to be on the lookout for. Jason Young certainly exhibited a lot of the behaviors from this passage. He certainly showed by his actions that he loved himself and money more than he loved Michelle. He made rude and hateful comments to her in front of others on a regular basis. Everyone who knew him saw his reckless and impulsive side. For our own safety, Paul tells us very plainly to have nothing to do with people like this! Of course, I’m not blaming Michelle. No one ever deserves to be treated the way Jason treated her. My hope is that we can all find takeaways in her story to apply to our own lives, and to share with people we love. Even if we aren’t in the kind of physical danger that Michelle was, we still don’t want someone with such negative traits to influence our behavior or our children’s. Our emotional and spiritual safety is too precious to let them be under constant attack. If you need some help in this area, please reach out to me privately and I’ll help you get connected to resources that can help you. If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests and you won’t want to miss their insights. 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. Grab your own copy of this week's book Find the Murder Shelf Book Club on Facebook Show your support! Share the episode Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn Let me know how The Unlovely Truth has made a difference in your life.
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    30 mins
  • Season 4, Episode 23: Rescued for a Reason Update

    Season 4, Episode 23: Rescued for a Reason Update
    Jun 6 2023

    Today's episode is crazy special. We get to be updated on an amazing story from last season. Larry and Connie Van Oosten were looking forward to a quiet retirement in the small, peaceful town of Erie, Illinois. They’d worked hard and planned well. Little did they know that a man had spent over a year and a half working hard on a plan to kidnap and terrorize them to get to their hard-earned retirement savings. They had an unshakable faith in God that helped them survive the ordeal, but would it be enough to help them stay strong once they realized the kidnapper was someone they knew?

    This is Season 4, Episode 23. Our book this week is Rescued For a Reason and our guests are Connie and Larry VanOosten. I’m going to quickly recap their story but you can listen more in depth by following these links to listen to the two part episode that describes their story more in depth:

    Season 3, Episode 21: Where is Your God Now, Part 1: The Kidnapping

    Season 3, Episode 22: Where is Your God Now, Part 2: The Aftermath

    We all want to believe that we are safe in our home, and usually we are. The problem is that we don’t always get a warning when that is going to change. That's why I wrote “In God We Trust, Everyone Else Gets a Background Check”. It will be available on June 27th and I’ve packed it full of practical tips, bible verses, and encouragement. Make sure you listen to next week’s episode when I’ll read a short passage so you can get a taste of what it’s all about.

    “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15 NLT

    I know this sounds Pretty straightforward, but of course, this is hyperbole. I’m not suggesting that we can lose our salvation if we are struggling to forgive someone. But I am suggesting that we consider how harboring a spirit of unforgiveness puts distance between us and God. It strains our relationship. Forgiveness is a lot of things but first and foremost it is an act of obedience. We often think it is a feeling that must develop before we can apply it. I know I’ve been guilty of that myself.

    Multiple researchers have shown that smiling, even when we don’t feel like it, can make a difference in our physical well-being. Just Google “research about how smiling makes you happy” to see it all. The act influences the feeling just as much as the feeling influences the act. That’s how we should approach forgiveness in really tough situations. If we forgive even when we don’t feel like it, that conscious act of obedience will soften our hearts and allow God to minister to us even more deeply.

    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 Rescued for a Reason

    Email Larry and Connie

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    30 mins
  • S4E22: Murderous Mom: A Story of Betrayal

    S4E22: Murderous Mom: A Story of Betrayal
    May 30 2023
    If you feel like you could have done a better job as a mom, and I’m pretty sure we all feel that way sometimes, I’ll guarantee you you did a better job than Diane Downs. If watching an episode of Hoarders makes you feel pretty good about how clean your house actually is - listening to this episode will make you feel like Mother of the Year. This is Season 4, Episode 22. Our book this week is Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule. We’ll also take a look at a mom who is wanted for the murder of her 5 year old son. It’s hard to imagine that a mom could ever do something so evil, but according to a 2016 article by Phillip Resnick, a professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, the United States has the highest rate of child murder among developed nations, and the most common perpetrator of child homicide is a parent. In fact, about 2.5% of all homicide arrests in the United States are for parents who have killed their children. I know that is very disturbing, but when we look into these cases, when we hear these stories, I believe we can learn something that could help us save potential victims. It’s been too long since we’ve done an Ann Rule book and I think this is one of the most disturbing cases she covered. It’s the story of a mother who seemed so emotionally disconnected from her children that when they got in the way of the life she wanted, she decided they were expendable. None of us wants to think about a mother hurting their children, but it happens more often than we think. We believe certain people can always be trusted - moms, police officers, teachers, coaches, pastors. That’s one big reason that I’m getting ready to release my latest book “In God We Trust - Everyone Else Gets a Background Check”. It’s a very practical look at why we trust too easily, who we trust too easily, and how we can learn to trust properly. Now let’s take a look at another mom who police say murdered her own child, and they need your help to find her. You may remember the story from the Old Testament where the people of Israel ask the prophet Samuel to find them a king. Things had not gone so well in the era of the judges, so they decided having a king like other nations would be a good idea. So, guided by God, Samuel gives the people a tall, handsome man named Saul to be their king. Unfortunately, even though Saul looks the part of a great leader, he has some major character flaws. He disobeys God’s commands, and so God says the people must have a new king, a humble and obedient king. God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem to find a man named Jesse. Samuel saw Jesse’s oldest son Eliab, he assumed that this was the man destined to be Israel’s new king. But let’s read God’s response: But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by a man’s face or height, for this is not the one. I don’t make decisions the way you do! Men judge by outward appearance, but I look at a man’s thoughts and intentions.” 1 Samuel 16:7 TLB Predators try so hard to take on the appearance of someone who is trustworthy and full of good works. They want to impress us. We have to remember that we don’t know what a person is really like from the way they look, the words they say, or how awesome they seem on social media. We need to learn to assess a person’s trustworthiness by looking, as God does, by what’s on the inside. I know you’re probably thinking that we can’t know a person’s thoughts and intentions the way God does, and you’re right. But all of us let who we really are leak out in things we say and do. You can know what’s on my heart by watching closely what I say and what I do. Little inconsistencies aren’t to be seen as fluke things, but as my true nature leaking out! It drives me crazy when a high profile criminal is caught and the media starts interviewing neighbors. These people will say that the guy seemed so nice, there were no red flags, then they will say “but”, and describe things they explained away because they didn’t want to think the worst. Those red flags are the true nature of someone leaking out! This is so important so I will say it again - Red flags in things people say or do are not exceptions to their character, they are expressions of their character. When someone shows you and tells you who they are, BELIEVE THEM. And if they are a caregiver for someone, please alert the authorities and have them do a welfare check. We have to look out for the vulnerable people God has placed in our community. 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 a copy of Small Sacrifices Watch the 20/20 episode Listen to ...
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    22 mins