April Scales was 15, pregnant and running out of options. When her grandparents tried to step in, April made a devastating decision that changed the course of her life and landed her in prison.

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Patia tells Hannah a story about Christine Echohawk, who ran a sweeping online romance scam that drained more than $1.5 million from women who believed they were in love. But who was Christine working for and was she also a victim?

Recommendation: Neighbors (HBO docuseries)

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In 2018, Rebecca Peluso, a single mother whose daughter Ella has high-support-needs autism, sold off her belongings to afford a service dog she was told would change Ella’s life. Instead, Rebecca uncovered a devastating fraud.

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Hannah tells Patia about the criminal case against the leaders of a religious group known as His Way Spirit Led Assemblies. Its leaders, Shelley Bailey “Kat” Martin and Darryl Muzic Martin, are now facing charges connected to a 2010 death within the group, as well as the case of a current missing person. Former members allege years of religious and physical abuse, claiming that Kat Martin presented herself as a god-like figure with the power to perform miracles, even the ability to raise the dead.

Anyone with information about Emilio Salmen Ghanem, his disappearance or his whereabouts is urged to contact the Redlands Police Detective Bureau at 909-551-4424

Anyone with information about Ruben Moreno’s whereabouts or disappearance is asked to call the Claremont Police Department at 909-399-5411. Tips can be submitted anonymously.

Recommendation: The Curious Case of…The Doomsday Cat Cult on HBO Max

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This is part 2 of a 2-part series. Embroiled in a hellish custody battle over her 9-month-old daughter, Lee Barnett made a surprising and criminal decision, to leave the life she'd known behind and start a new one, as an international fugitive.

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This is part 1 of a 2-part series. Embroiled in a hellish custody battle over her 9-month-old daughter, Lee Barnett made a surprising and criminal decision, to leave the life she'd known behind and start a new one, as an international fugitive.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patia tells Hannah a story about a woman named Antonella Carpenter who charged thousands for a laser treatment she claimed was 100-percent effective in killing cancerous tumors. But in 2010, a federal investigation exposed a million-dollar fraud.

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This week, we’d like to introduce you to The First Degree, a true crime podcast from Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter. In episode 361, Jac and Lex unravel one night in 2006 when medical student Brian Shaffer disappeared, the theories that won’t die, and the question that haunts everyone: how does someone vanish into thin air?

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