REAL

In the year 2000, a beautiful young teenager called Kacyee Nicole Swenson broke the hearts of millions. She was one of the first people to blog about her battle with cancer. But another blogger had noticed something.... something strange. And in one of the internet's first web sleuth investigations, a very dark secret was exposed. This is Real. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here...

On the 21st of July 2024, 35-year-old British man Brett Dryden was found dead in his home in Mojacar, Spain. The police initially told his mother Sandra, that he had died a violent death. But what followed has left Brett's family distraught. They have been left high and dry by the Spanish authorities, so Sandra and her husband Rob have had to do what no parent should ever have to do - they are now...

On the 6th of August 2021, 23-year-old Megan Newborough left her family home to go and meet someone. Her parent's weren't sure who she was meeting, but when she hadn't returned home the next day, they frantically filed a missing persons report. What unfolded from here is enough to break the coldest of hearts. This is Real. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here: buymeacoffee.com/pod...

In July 2022, 23-year-old Kiena Dawes took her own life after suffering continuous domestic abuse at the hands of her ex-partner, Ryan Wellings. Kiena was not the only woman who reached breaking point. The Domestic Homicide Project has found that more victims of domestic abuse killed themselves, than were murdered by their abuser. This is Real. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here...

In March 2025, UK government specialists said that viewing extreme online violence may be linked to the rise of something they are calling the ‘0 to 100 killers. People who go on to commit murder but have no prior convictions. There is no build up, no progression of violence that has a likely chance of being caught by the authorities, before the worst happens. Because the violence they are engagin...

When Mihrican Mustafa, lovingly known as Jan, went missing in London in May 2018, her family knew something was wrong. And when the police looked at who she had last called on her phone, they were concerned. The number belonged to Zahid Younis, a man who had terrorised underage girls and women for most of his life. But it was only when someone called to ask for a welfare check on Zahid, did the ex...

In 2024 I received a message from a listener's family, their much loved brother and uncle, 29-year-old Vincent Shaw was murdered in his own home in 1999 in Lewisham, London. Since the year 2000, the family haven't heard a thing from the police and the murder hasn't been reported on since either. They feel Vincent has been forgotten. Today, that changes. This is Real. If you'd like to read an artic...

On a snowy day in 2011, 27-year-old Ellen Greenberg was found dead in her home by her fiancé Samuel Goldberg. But when the medical examiner looked at her injuries, he ruled her death a homicide. But the police had a theory, and the medical examiner changed his mind... After a 14 year fight for the truth, in January 2025, Ellen's parents got the news they have been fighting for. This is Real. If yo...

On the 7th of November, 19-year-old Gaia Pope went missing in her hometown of Swanage, Dorset, on the south coast of England. What transpired is truly heartbreaking and Gaia's legacy is needed now more than ever. This is Real. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here, thank you: buymeacoffee.com/podcast4justice Gaia's website can be found here: https://justiceforgaia.com/ Tribute to G...

It wasn't only the media that were now paying attention to the Children of God survivors, so were the authorities. In this episode, we hear from Mary Mahoney, who joined the Children of God when she was just 16 years old and raised eight children under the reign of David Berg, until she found the strength to escape. This is Bad Grandpa. WARNING: This series contains descriptions of abuse against m...

In the 1990s, more survivors who had escaped the Children of God started appearing on television around the world, sharing their stories. And it wasn't just the media the survivors were talking to... it was also the authorities. In this episode we meet Hope Bastine, a survivor of the cult and one of the first people to get a successful conviction against one of her abusers, here in the UK. This is...

It is estimated that over 100 people who were part of the Children of God have taken their own lives. The abuse they endured and the control they were placed under whilst in the cult has had tragic lasting consequences on so many people. This is Bad Grandpa. WARNING: This series contains descriptions of abuse against minors, sexual abuse, suicide and murder. Whilst the descriptions are not explici...

Ricky Rodriguez was Davidito. The story of his childhood had been shared in a book produced by the 'Children of God' called 'The Story of Davidito' - a 'childcare manual' sent to thousands of families in the cult, detailing the abuse this child had endured, disguised as religious teachings. As Ricky grew up, the abuse he suffered at the hands of those who were supposed to protect him continued to...

David Berg's 'Children of God' cult now had thousands of members across the globe. But he didn't want them to consume media from the outside world, so he produced his own. He sent hundreds of letters, books and videos out to his followers, encouraging them to take part in deeply disturbing and abusive practices. Within this media, was the darkest children's tv show the world has ever seen... and i...

In the 1960s, David Brandt Berg formed a cult that would become widely known as the 'Children of God'. He declared himself a prophet and he was known too many of his followers, as 'Grandpa'. But 'Grandpa' was a highly dangerous man who normalised the abuse of women and children and he did all of this in plain sight. This is a six-part series on the crimes of David Berg and others who belonged, and...

When 21-year-old Lynsey Quy was reported missing in February 1999 by a social worker, the police soon discovered that she had last been seen two months prior, in December 1998. Lynsey had been in an abusive relationship with her husband Mitchell, and he was the prime suspect. But when he invited a documentary crew into his home, people were intrigued and suspicious... would a guilty man really par...

On the 3rd of January 2022, Sheila and Clay Fletcher called 911. They had found their daughter Lacey unresponsive on the couch. When the officers arrived, they entered a scene that was so horrific, they couldn't believe what they were seeing. But... This is Real. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here, thank you: buymeacoffee.com/podcast4justice Support services for carers: https://...

On the 10th of May 2013, Premier Inn hotel staff discovered the bodies mother and daughter Margaret and Nicola McDonough. They had severe injuries and nobody could figure out why these two kind and harmless women had their lives ended like this. As the police started their investigation, they uncovered an incredible web of lies and the reality seemed truly unbelievable. But.... This is Real. If yo...

This episode is slightly different to the usual format of 'Real'. This is going to give you an update on all the deep dive cases covered on 'Real', including the cases of Stuart Lubbock, Claudia Lawrence, Charlene Downes, Billie-Jo Jenkins as well as updates on Luke Mitchell and The Lampard Inquiry. And we'll also hear from some of you, the incredible listeners who wanted to share your thoughts on...

When teenager Conrad Roy Jnr III met 16-year-old Michelle Carter in 2012, he thought he found someone who truly understood him. They both had battles with mental health conditions and they became each others rocks. But in June 2014, Michelle's tone changed and soon she would be in court, charged with killing Conrad, even though she wasn't there when he died. This is Real. If you'd like to support...

In 1989, Julie Hogg went missing after finishing a shift at work. When she failed to turn up to collect her son from her mother Ann the next day, Ann knew something was very wrong. She could never have imagined the fight that lie ahead of her, a fight that ended up changing British law. This is Real. My new true crime YouTube channel 'Totally True Crime' can be found here, please do like and subsc...

Janet Scott had separated from her husband and was looking for love. She met Simon Mellors in a pub in Nottingham and became smitten. But Simon had a dark past that he kept secret in the beginning of their relationship. When Janet found out, she decided to stick by him, because his probation officer said he didn't think she was at risk. But he was wrong. So very wrong. This is Real. If you'd like...

In May 2019, police in Sturgis, Michigan received an anonymous call from a man who told them that there was a body in the home of local man Wade Allen. They believed it to be the body of his girlfriend, Kelly Jean Warner, who was affectionately known as KJ. As the police enter the home, there is no sign of a body or anything hugely suspicious.... but one officers intuition unraveled the case and s...

In October 2024, news outlets reported that police in Northern Ireland had caught 'the UK's biggest catfish'. But 26-year-old Alexander McCartney did much more than just lie about who he was online. His crimes have devastated thousands of lives. And ended two. This is Real. Trigger Warning: This episode contains themes of suicide and child sexual abuse. Whilst the descriptions are not explicit, pl...

In December 2014, 39-year-old Angela Wrightson was at her home when the unthinkable happened, she was killed in her own home, where she should have felt safe. But when the police discovered that this brutal and sustained attacked on a vulnerable woman had been committed by two vulnerable children, it left many questions including one vital one - could Angela's murder have been prevented? This is R...