The Escape Pod

Escape Artist Overcomes Trafficking, Trauma, Addiction, and More – Ep. 51

At age 5, she remembers being touched inappropriately; at 7, doing drugs for the first time; at 10, going into foster care, where she was a “lost child” until getting adopted in her teens. 
As an adult and addict at risk of losing her own children, Chari sought help in the fall of 2022 and began a remarkable transformation. Join Julie and Charity in The Escape Pod as they welcome this special guest and OneHeart "rock star" to share her inspiring story of overcoming trauma and choosing a better life for herself and her kids. 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1    1:04 Escaping the Zoom video preview? One co-host wishes she had! 
Topic #2    6:01 Meet escape artist and special guest Chari 
Topic #3  23:12 The truth about human trafficking 
Topic #4  31:44 Chari talks OneHeart, safety, and why she’s able to thrive 
Topic #5  42:36 Creating healthy family connections 
 
Resources & Links 
Since its inception in 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has received 909 signals and identified 175 cases of human trafficking in SD, with 579 identified victims. “South Dakota.” Accessed March 8, 2024. https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics/south-dakota. 
Information obtained from the SD Department of Public Safety (DPS) via a public records request notes that in SD state fiscal year 2022, DPS Victims’ Assistance funds supported 12 victims of labor trafficking and 258 victims of sex trafficking; in state fiscal year 2023, funds supported 24 victims of labor trafficking and 253 victims of sex trafficking. 
A 2018 report from the Human Trafficking Institute found that SD ranked 8th in the nation for number of new criminal cases initiated; 11th for number of active criminal cases; and 22nd for number of defendants convicted. 
“2018 Federal Human Trafficking Report.” Human Trafficking Institute. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://traffickinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2018-Human-Trafficking-Report-SD.pdf. 
Federal and state law enforcement have worked together to make nearly 100 arrests (primarily for attempted commercial sex trafficking of minors) from 2009 – 2023 during the Sturgis Rally. A total of 39 trafficking arrests were made from 2019-2023, 92% of whom were SD residents, demonstrating the state’s demand. 
Hope, Native. “Human Trafficking at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.” Accessed April 10, 2024. https://blog.nativehope.org/sex-trafficking-during-the-sturgis-motorcycle-rally. 
Of all U.S. cities, Rapid City, SD, has the ninth highest number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls cases not in law enforcement records. 
Lucchesi, Annita, and Abigail Echo-Hawk. “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls.” Our Bodies, Our Stories. Urban Indian Health Institute. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://www.uihi.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Missing-and-Murdered-Indigenous-Women-and-Girls-Report.pdf. 
In 2019, Shared Hope International released its annual “state report cards” on human trafficking responses and services. SD received a “D” grade—the lowest given to any state—due to gaps in statutes protecting and serving youth victims of sex trafficking, including connecting them with specialized services. 
Ferguson, Danielle. “South Dakota Ranks Lowest in National Report Card on Sex Trafficking.” Argus Leader. Accessed April 10, 2024. https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2019/11/20/south-dakota-ranks-lowest-national-report-card-sex-trafficking/4227721002/. 
 Call to Freedom Stats 
In 2023, CTF served 419 clients and their intersecting needs; of these, 86% were below the federal poverty line, 53% had experienced homelessness, and 38% identified as American Indian or Alaska Native. 
We’ve served over 1,400 clients since our founding in 2016, and the majority of those individuals were from—and trafficked within—South Dakota. 
In 2023, a total of 36 clients served by CTF stated that their perpetrator was a family/household member; an additional 28 stated it was a parent. 
 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live 
 
Do you have a story that you want to share with EscapePod? Or do you just want to reach out to us with your comments and thoughts?  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live 

The Call: 12 year old escapes bowling alley massacre – Ep. 50

911: Emergency. 
Melissa, 12: Please help me ... We were all shot. 
A child, suffering from multiple bullet wounds, still manages to provide critical information to emergency dispatch in hopes of helping her mom and others gunned down at a New Mexico bowling alley in 1990. 
Join the co-hosts in The Escape Pod this week to hear the girl’s harrowing account and theories surrounding who was responsible for the massacre that, to this day, is considered an “open” case. 
  
BE ADVISED: This episode contains violent content, including discussion of a mass shooting. 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1         :49 Co-host has a rough return after holiday break. 
Topic #2       8:43 Intro to the Las Cruces bowling alley massacre 
Topic #3    16:00 12-year-old escape artist calls 911 
Topic #5    24:04 Theories about why the bowling alley was targeted 
Topic #6    35:12 Escapism, co-host-style! 
 
Resources & Links 
911 Call Audio: https://soundcloud.com/crucessunnews/las-cruces-bowling-alley-massacre-911-call-full-audio?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing  
https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/crime/2022/02/10/las-cruces-bowling-alley-massacre-reward-increased-32nd-anniversary/6704122001/  
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Las_Cruces_Bowling_Alley_Massacre  
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/history/blogs/tales-from-the-morgue/2010/02/10/1990-bowling-alley-massacre-leaves-4-dead-3-injured/31512615/ 
https://americancrimejournal.com/las-cruces-bowling-alley-massacre/ 
https://audioboom.com/posts/8406445-murder-las-cruces-bowling-alley-massacre  
If you have any information, you can find the necessary resources online, or call the Las Cruces Police Department at 575-528-4222. 
Cruces Sun News file photo, Steven Teran and Melissa Repass. 
Paula Holguin, age 6 and Valerie Teran, age 2 Photo Courtesy: Las Cruces Police Department 
 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live 
 
Do you have a story that you want to share with EscapePod? Or do you just want to reach out to us with your comments and thoughts?  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live 

HERsterical! Escaping Myths Surrounding Menstruation – Ep. 49

The curse. Aunt Flow. Code Red! Whatever you call it, women have been experiencing periods since women came to be; yet, historically, this “monthly visitor” has made people – mainly men, if we’re being honest – downright hysterical. (Case in point, the philosopher Plato compared the uterus to a “living creature” that wandered through a woman’s body wreaking havoc. Yikes!) The myths about menstruation are – indeed – wild, and even in modern times, products commonly used to help women cope with their periods have a long way to go. The co-hosts explore the topic in-depth (even throwing in a menstruation-related case of true crime) in this HERsterical edition of The Escape Pod! 
BE ADVISED: If you have a severe aversion to blood and other bodily fluids, you might want to skip this one, and if you're suffering from PMS, you’ll likely find this episode especially annoying. 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1      5:32 Intro to topic: period products and menstruation myths 
Topic #2    18:25 Research – or lack thereof – on what is in period products 
Topic #3    26:19 Why is the topic still so taboo? A history lesson on “hysteria” 
Topic #5    43:05 PMS vs. PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) 
Topic #6 1:00:55 OneHeart “Woohoo of the Week” (Hear more in our latest guest testimonials at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prrst9TMvVY) 
 
Resources & Links 
12.15.2019. Christine Ro. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191213-pmdd-a-little-understood-and-often-misdiagnosed-condition 
https://www.aclu.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/111219-sj-periodequity.pdf 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JATkdZ3hnlc  
07.11.2024. Sandee LaMotte. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/11/health/tampons-lead-arsenic-plastics-wellness/index.html  
02.09.2023. Jeffrey Kluger. https://time.com/6254060/pfas-period-chemicals-underwear-tampons/  
https://legal-forum.uchicago.edu/print-archive/menstrual-product-deprivation-prison-sex-neutral-litigation-strategy  
07.18.2024. Benjamin Plackett. https://cen.acs.org/safety/consumer-safety/researchers-found-arsenic-lead-tampons/102/web/2024/07  
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/the-controversy-of-female-hysteria 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_hysteria 
 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live 
 
Do you have a story that you want to share with EscapePod? Or do you just want to reach out to us with your comments and thoughts?  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live 

Call Me ‘Fernando’ – Ep. 48

An email arrives in a nonprofit CEO’s inbox. The gist: An “investor” is interested in the work you do. He has connections to some of the country’s wealthiest people, and he’d like to leverage those connections to help you raise funds. The email looks legit, sounds promising, and a quick internet search raises no immediate red flags associated with the individual or his company. At least, not at first. BUT ... if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, right? So the savvy CEO keeps digging and not only uncovers the con, but also the real name of the con artist who very charmingly introduces himself with the line, “Call me Fernando.” 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1    7:00 Topic of the Week: Escaping con artists. 
Topic #2  14:50 The red flags begin flapping like crazy! 
Topic #3  25:13 Fernando’s real name revealed. 
Topic #4  37:41 Tips to avoid similar cons. 
Topic #5  55:54 OneHeart Woohoos of the Week: Community-style! 
 
Resources & Links 
https://www.jitasagroup.com/jitasa_nonprofit_blog/common-nonprofit-scams/ 
https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/7p1c7l/maurice_aguirre_has_been_sentenced_to_prison/?rdt=33604  
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2018/01/06/forger-and-scam-artist-just-can-t-seem-to-give-up-his-trade/ 
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-irs-warns-of-scammers-using-fake-charities-to-exploit-taxpayers 
Immediately file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). 
Contact the Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721. 
Reach out to your state’s consumer protection office. 
Inform your bank immediately if you shared your account details with a scammer. 
credit: ABA Foundation; https://www.aba.com/advocacy/community-programs/consumer-resources/protect-your-money/charity-scams 
https://www.sbtadvantage.com/blog-posts/charity-scams  
https://www.dhsventures.com/governing-board  
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/11/14/2779872/0/en/DHS-Makes-Full-Acquisition-of-Carolco-Enterprises-for-745M-Fernando-Aguirre-Vice-Chairman-of-DHS-Ventures-Holdings-Announced.html  
https://www.cbinsights.com/company/carolco-enterprises 
 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live 
 
Do you have a story that you want to share with EscapePod? Or do you just want to reach out to us with your comments and thoughts?  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live 

Phreaky Phrogging Pt. 2 – Ep. 47

Summary of Episode 
The co-hosts return to The Escape Pod this week to wrap up a two-part series on “phrogging,” when a person occupies a home without the homeowner’s or renter’s knowledge or permission. (It’s a criminal act that lands pretty high on the creep-o-meter, if you ask us!) Part 2 takes us back to the mid-1980s, when a teen phrogger terrorized families in Massachusetts.  
SIDE NOTE: Why does phrogger start with a “ph”? A quick internet search offers a few explanations, a prevalent one being that the “p” is taken from the word “person”, as in a person who engages in phrogging, jumping from place to place so as not to get caught. 
BE ADVISED: This episode contains violence and other content listeners might find extremely disturbing. 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1    3:13 Phrogging explained. 
Topic #2  10:35 Teen phrogger is found out. 
Topic #3  16:59 The phrogger strikes again. 
Topic #6  27:53 Ending on a happy note: OneHeart “Woohoos of the Week”! 
 
Resources & Links 
07/28/2023. Cydney Contreras. https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/daniel-laplante-murder-priscilla-gustafson-family   
https://darkdowneast.com/daniellaplante/   
https://www.truecrimene.com/episodes/kznjvyqymt0y95etsvcqwaicgsqyp5   
https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/supreme-court/volumes/416/416mass433.html   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMftmJWOITg  
https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/1cqizt0/living_in_the_walls_the_disturbing_true_story_of/    
https://vocal.media/criminal/daniel-la-plante-the-17-year-old-who-raped-and-murdered-a-pregnant-mom-and-then-drowned-her-two-kids   
 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live 
 
Do you have a story that you want to share with EscapePod? Or do you just want to reach out to us with your comments and thoughts?  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live 

Phreaky Phrogging Pt. 1 – Ep. 46

Summary of Episode 
“Phrogging” (sounds like “frogging”) refers to the act of living in someone’s home without their knowledge or permission. It is not the same as squatting, and – in many ways – phrogging is much, much creepier. In the first of a two-part series on the subject, the Escape Pod co-hosts discuss a handful of phreaky phrogging incidents that might have you checking your closets. Twice. 
 
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains content some listeners might find disturbing. 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1      :53 Escaping persistent and, at times, very sophisticated scam artists. 
Topic #2    8:47 Intro to topic. 
Topic #3  15:50 NC college student experiences paranormal-like activity. 
Topic #5  22:23 Woman finds an addict in her attic. 
Topic #6  32:04 Phrogging from a phrogger’s POV. 
Topic #7  40:18 Escapism, co-host-style. 
 
Resources & Links 
08/29/2023. Austin Harvey. https://allthatsinteresting.com/phrogging  
08/31/2023. Michael Tsai. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/hi/hawaii/news/2023/08/31/-phrogger--sentenced-to-40-years-for-burglary--prison-killing 
https://www.reddit.com/r/ForensicFanatics/comments/10h3lo3/has_anyone_ever_heard_of_or_experienced_a_real/ 
 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live 
 
Do you have a story that you want to share with EscapePod? Or do you just want to reach out to us with your comments and thoughts?  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live 

Intel on InCels (Misogyny Pt. 2) – Ep. 45

Involuntarily celibate. It could be fodder for a standup comedian, but these days, self-proclaimed “InCels” and the InCel Movement are no joke – even landing on Secret Service threat lists. Join co-hosts Julie and Charity back in The Escape Pod to wrap up a two-part series on extreme misogyny and an online community that poses a clear and present danger to the women they hate. 
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains violence and other content listeners might find extremely disturbing. 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1      :59 Escaping expensive habits 
Topic #2    9:45 Intro to the InCel Movement  
Topic #3  14:14 The young man who inspired the movement 
Topic #5  30:00 Center for Countering Digital Hate’s analyses of online posts 
Topic #6  38:37 OneHeart “Woohoos of the Week”! 
 
Resources & Links 
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43892189 
8/13/21. Jonathan Griffin. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-44053828 
3/1/24. Phil Helsel. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ohio-incel-plotted-kill-women-college-sentenced-6-years-prison-rcna141473 
9/23/22. Taylor Lorenz. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/09/22/incels-rape-murder-study/ 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Bianca_Devins 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliot_Rodger  
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56269095 
https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/plymouth-shooting-jake-davidson-inqquest-b2263774.html 
12/12/2022. Tim Stelloh. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ohio-incel-plotted-slaughter-women-pleads-guilty-attempted-hate-crime-rcna51812  
 
 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live 
 
Do you have a story that you want to share with EscapePod? Or do you just want to reach out to us with your comments and thoughts?  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live 

When Misogyny Leads to Mass Murder – Ep. 44

Ten years before the word “Columbine” became synonymous with school shootings in America, a young man in Canada carried out a massacre at a college in Montreal. His motive? An extreme hatred for women, whom he thought were “stealing men’s jobs.” This tale of true crime happened in 1989, but the perpetrator’s attitude toward the female sex – unfortunately – is alive and well in some male circles today. This trip into The Escape Pod is the first in a two-part series on extreme misogyny and a little-known but highly dangerous online community of women-hating men, known as “InCels.” 
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains violence and other content listeners might find extremely disturbing. 
 
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 
Topic #1     2:51 When misogyny reaches a whole new level. 
Topic #2    8:38 The perpetrator’s background.  
Topic #3  17:24 The day of the massacre. 
Topic #5  32:00 Escapism, co-host-style! 
 
Resources & Links 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/04/mass-shooting-1989-montreal-14-women-killed 
https://theconversation.com/the-montreal-massacre-is-finally-recognized-as-an-anti-feminist-attack-128450 
12/07/2019. James Morgan. https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/40106/20191207/three-decades-since-the-cole-polytechnique-mass-shooting-in-montr-al 
https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Marc_L%C3%A9pine   
By unknown - http://www.philo5.com/Textes-references/LepineMarc_TexteIntegralDeSaLettre_891206.htm, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16837530 
 
 
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.  
https://www.escapepod.live 
 
Do you have a story that you want to share with EscapePod? Or do you just want to reach out to us with your comments and thoughts?  
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live  
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live