Tender & Twisted

In this episode, we take a deeper dive into Jodi Hildebrandt — a former licensed therapist who presented herself as a moral and spiritual authority and later became a central figure in a widely reported child abuse case. You may remember Jodi from our Ruby Franke episode, but today we shift the focus fully onto her: her background, her belief system, and how a person trained in mental health moved...

On the morning of June 13, 1980, in the quiet suburb of Wylie, Texas, Candy Montgomery went to her friend Betty Gore’s house to pick up a child’s swimsuit. By the end of that visit, Betty was dead — struck forty-one times with an axe by a woman who had once been her closest ally. In this episode, we unpack one of the most disturbing and psychologically complex true-crime cases of the 1980s, recent...

In this episode, we take a thoughtful, grounded journey into the world of psychedelics — not as a trend or a cure-all, but as a powerful lens for understanding consciousness, mental health, and the stories we tell about ourselves. We explore psychedelics through history, culture, and neuroscience, asking why humans across time have been drawn to altered states — from Indigenous spiritual practices...

In this episode, we dive into the disturbing, complicated, and often misrepresented case of Mary Kay Letourneau — the Washington teacher who groomed and sexually abused her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau. Decades later, the story is still warped by media sensationalism, “tabloid romance” narratives, and cultural double standards around female perpetrators. We’re stripping away the myth to explo...

Dennis Rader seemed like the last person you’d suspect: a church council president, a devoted father, a Boy Scout leader, and the neighborhood rule-enforcer who always waved hello. But behind the clean-cut façade lived one of America’s most methodical and narcissistic serial killers — the man who called himself BTK: Bind. Torture. Kill. In this episode, Jess G and Lex break down the chilling duali...

In 1957, the world met Ed Gein — a quiet farmer from Wisconsin whose crimes would forever change the landscape of horror. Though often mislabeled as a “serial killer,” Gein’s story sits at the eerie crossroads of delusion, grief, and obsession. His farmhouse was found filled with human remains repurposed into furniture, clothing, and masks — the product of a shattered psyche and a lifetime of reli...

In one of the most disturbing cases of parental abuse and spiritual coercion in recent years, 8 Passengers momfluencer Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt —founder of the “life coaching” group Connexions —were arrested after Ruby’s 12-year-old son escaped their home emaciated and bound with duct tape. What began as family vlogging and “tough love” parenting spiraled into a high-c...

In 2021, the disappearance of 22-year-old Gabby Petito and the subsequent death of her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, captured national attention. But beyond the headlines and nonstop media coverage lies a deeper story of coercive control, red flags that went unnoticed, and the devastating consequences of domestic violence. In this episode, we revisit Gabby and Brian’s relationship, from the excitement o...

Twin flames or toxic flames? In this episode, we dig into Twin Flames Universe — the high-control online group led by Jeff and Shaleia Divine. Marketed as a path to love and spiritual ascension, TFU has instead been accused of manipulation, financial exploitation, and disturbing gender ideology. We’ll unpack where the idea of “twin flames” came from, how Jeff and Shaleia built their empire, and th...

Today we’re stepping away from true crime to tackle a taboo subject: medical aid in dying (MAID). We break down what MAID actually is, the process involved, and why it remains such a charged and controversial topic. From ethics and autonomy to grief, family dynamics, and personal stories, we explore the messy, complicated, and deeply human sides of choosing when and how to die. We’ll also talk abo...

On December 4, 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel. Within days, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione — valedictorian, Ivy League grad, and outspoken critic of the U.S. healthcare system — was arrested and charged with the murder. This isn’t your typical true crime case. In this episode, we look beyond the headlines to explore who Mangione is, what shaped...

On November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students — Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin — were brutally murdered in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. The crime stunned the small college town and drew national attention as investigators searched for answers. In this episode, we move past the headlines and documentaries to focus on the mind behind the crime: B...