The Unlovely Truth

The unexpected death of a loved one is devastating. How much more grief is heaped onto your mourning when you find out that your loved one was murdered? What does this type of tragedy do to a tight-knit community? Let’s find out.   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, s...

Thirty two year old Patty Vaughan went missing on Christmas Day, 1996, from her home in La Vernia, Texas. Her family needs to know what happened and if she’s no longer alive, to find her body and lay her to rest. Someone knows what happened and together, we might be able to convince them to come forward.    Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori...

Mark Abbott figured he’d better take the back roads to get home in the early morning hours of November 8th, 1992. He would later claim that he was drunk and didn’t want to get another DUI or get cited for driving without a license. When he pulled off of Interstate 55 near Benton, Missouri, he saw a car idling at the top of an exit ramp. He looked in, and realized he’d found a body.    Welcome to a...

Is your church a safe place? That sounds like such a rude question, doesn't it? But I only ask because I love the church so much! Study after study shows church attendance declining, but I want to see our churches regain the central role they once held in our communities, where people saw them as safe and trustworthy havens for everyone.   Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your...

Behind the facade of a religious community, lies a story of manipulation, mind control, and tragedy. Let’s investigate the secrets, the power, and the psychological grip of the Word of Life Church – a story of religious devotion taken to the extreme.   Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating true crime sto...

More than 600,000 people go missing in the U.S. every single year according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). Even if 90% of them are found alive or their remains are recovered, that would leave around 6,000 who become a part of the long-term missing. So that number grows every single year.   Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private in...

Stalking is a tactic that abusers often use to control their victims. Being stalked can be terrifying, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Let’s hear about some actual cases so we can learn our own tactics - tactics to keep ourselves safe from these creeps.    Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another...

Domestic violence is a complicated topic. Even though I worked for a time in a domestic violence court, I’d never seen a case like this before. A case where a child was made to kill - by her mother.    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...

As William Shakespeare wrote in The Merchant of Venice, “Even the Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. Pastor Baker lived a double life. His wife Kari didn’t see it until it was much too late.  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 ta...

Just as J. Edgar Hoover was starting his controversial career with the FBI, several wealthy Osage Indians were found murdered under suspicious circumstances. Vast oil reserves had been found beneath their land, and outsiders quickly tried to take advantage of the Osage’s newfound prosperity. Their most common scheme involved marriage and murder.   Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth....

Would you be shocked if I told you that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been slapped, shoved, pushed, or worse by an intimate partner? Or that in the U.S., over 50% of all homicides are domestic violence related? That’s why when a woman is murdered, police naturally look at her husband or boyfriend. But when a man is killed, do they always look at the woman in his life? Welcome to another episode...

Let’s explore the inside of the FBI from a female perspective. Jana Monore, the first female to earn a spot in the prestigious Behavioral Science Unit, is our guest today. She’s written an amazing book filled with stories about talking to serial killers, working undercover, and not letting her  male colleagues see her fear of spiders! She’s so down to earth and I can’t wait for you to hear from he...

Do you think you could turn your own father in to the police? What if I told you that you found out that he had abused children? Could you then? Would it make a difference if one of those children was your own sister, and others were children at the church where your father was the preacher? That’s the dilemma today’s guest faced And it changed the course of his life. Welcome to another episode of...

How much courage does it take to leave behind everything you’ve ever known? Last week we started with the story of Abby Alvarado as an abused nine year old child who was taken from her home by authorities. They unknowingly placed her somewhere that was even worse.    Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating...

I’m going to tell you a story about a very scared nine year old girl. Her home life isn’t great, but it’s all she knows. As Jamie wrote in her note from the author, Abby “...never questioned the empty cupboards or the constant hunger. She didn’t know it wasn’t normal to not have toys or clothes. She didn’t know that smoke billowing in a living room full of strangers, beer cans, and white lines of...

If you don’t believe that evil exists, you may change your mind after today’s episode. For over thirty years, women and girls disappeared from the small towns that dot I-45 between Houston and Galveston, Texas. At least 30, and probably more. Since the early 70’s, someone - maybe more than one someone - has been snatching unsuspecting young women and killing them. What did they have in common? The...

Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero were shot to death on June 25, 1980 in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. They had been hitchhiking their way to the Rainbow Gathering, a temporary community in the woods that aims to bring together everyone from hipsters and hippies to show that we can all live in peace if we reform our society. That the women would meet such a violent end on their way to such a ho...

You’d know it if you were being abused, wouldn’t you? I’m not talking about physical or even verbal abuse. I want to tell you a story that gives us amazing insights into recognizing spiritual abuse when we see it.  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 emo...

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 emotion...

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 s...

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 Morr...

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...

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 choos...

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...

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 retire...