Nobody Should Believe Me

Crystal McNally shares the story of her son Nolan, who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being abused by his daycare provider. She recounts the investigation and lengthy trial that followed. Now the executive director of Never Shake Minnesota, Crystal discusses how her family's experience led her to advocate for survivors, prevention, and stronger protections for children.

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J.C. hasn’t spoken to her adult children in a year. They cut her off - and she doesn’t know why or how to repair. In this episode, we connect J.C. with a proxy who can stand-in for her children: Chess Dugas, a woman who’s cut off her parents.

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Andrea sits down with fellow podcaster Javier Leiva to discuss his most recent series, The Gypsy Rose Obsession. They explore what he learned about the online community surrounding Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the challenges of reporting on a rapidly evolving story. 

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Andrea catches up with retired Detective Mike Weber, co-author of The Mother Next Door, to discuss updates on the three cases covered in their book. They also discuss the ongoing challenges of investigating medical child abuse, and the importance of training and accountability in protecting vulnerable children.

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Andrea is joined by science journalist Tara Haelle for a conversation about vaccines, vaccine hesitancy, and the rise of science denialism. They discuss common concerns about vaccine safety, and Tara shares her thoughts on how to approach conversations about vaccines with curiosity rather than judgment.

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As the fallout from John Cox’s case fractures the staff at Children’s Wisconsin, communication breaks down and other children are left at risk. With NBC journalist Mike Hixenbaugh’s reporting helping fuel the growing divide, the story of John Cox becomes part of a much larger battle over child abuse pediatrics and whose voices get heard.

Featuring Expert:

Matthew Torbenson, Deputy District Attorney with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office

Mark Hudson, Child Abuse Pediatrician

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Fifteen year-old Stacie Love was just a sophomore when she met the young, charismatic English teacher, Brett Fischer. He was the "cool" teacher, and she wanted to be his favorite student. Twenty years later, Stacie sees the dynamic differently—and wonders if what felt like happenstance was something far more calculated.

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John Cox’s plea deal brings the criminal case to an end, but the story is far from over. As Cox and his wife turn their attention to a lawsuit against Children’s Wisconsin, the damage from the case, and the media narrative surrounding it, balloons. 

Featuring Expert:

Matthew Torbenson, Deputy District Attorney with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office

Mark Hudson, Child Abuse Pediatrician

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For months, John Cox tells doctors, CPS, law enforcement, and the media that he accidentally rolled onto his infant daughter while they were sleeping. But when a new piece of evidence is uncovered, Cox’s narrative is turned on its head. 

Featuring Expert:

Matthew Torbenson, Deputy District Attorney with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office

Mark Hudson, Child Abuse Pediatrician

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Dr. John Cox is investigated for abuse after doctors at his own hospital find unexplained injuries on his infant daughter. As the case unfolds, a media narrative takes hold, casting Cox as the victim of an overzealous medical system. But, as always, there’s more to this story.

Featuring Expert:

Matthew Torbenson, Deputy District Attorney with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office

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After the end of a season, some cases leave questions that are difficult to let go. In Nobody Should Believe Me’s first-ever special report, Andrea takes a closer look at the case of Dr. John Cox: What happens when a doctor is investigated by his own hospital system? How do the media and the court of public opinion influence an investigation? And what happens when the systems meant to protect children break down?

Subscribe on Patreon or Apple Plus to binge the entire four-part series on September 17.

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Baltimore, Maryland likes to call itself Charm City. But you have to wonder: Is the nickname ironic? Consider one of the city's star cops, a sergeant so accomplished that he earned his own nickname, the Golden Boy. But Golden Boy led a double life. Said one of those who encountered him in the street. "I was robbed by the Baltimore City Police….with a gun … armed robbery." No one believed the allegation. Then a GPS tracker was discovered where it shouldn't have been; next, a wiretap went up on a cop's phone. An FBI agent couldn't believe what she was hear...

Andrea continues her conversation with The Final Hours hosts Sarah Turney and Kourtney Nichole about the realities of creating true crime content. They talk about the emotional toll of repeatedly telling difficult stories, navigating criticism and threats online, and the complicated relationship between advocacy, journalism, and lived experience. The three also discuss the responsibility creators and audiences have to center victims, follow the evidence, and remember the real people behind these cases.

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In part 1 of Andrea’s conversation with the co-hosts of The Final Hours, Sarah Turney and Kourtney Nichole, the trio talks about what it means to cover true crime when crime is already part of your own family history. They discuss uncovering difficult truths about people they love and what they’ve learned about the justice system along the way. 

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In this episode, we're joined by Andrea Dunlop, host of Nobody Should Believe Me, to examine the haunting case of Madeleine McCann. On the evening of May 3, 2007, three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents dined at a nearby restaurant. What followed became the most publicized missing child investigation in modern history. The global media spectacle turned her parents into suspects, generated more heat than light, and produced decades of leads that went nowhere. A German national was formally named a suspect in 2020, but no charges have been filed. Behind...

Her critics say Gypsy Rose Blanchard can't keep her story straight. So Javier sat down with her for almost three hours and asked about all of it. The pills through the feeding tube. The video where she tells Nick Godejohn she'd been hiding that she could walk since she was seven. And the Demona videos she has never addressed in front of a reporter.

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Gypsy Rose Blanchard is the most beloved convicted murderer in America. Half the country sees a victim. The other half thinks she conned everyone, including her mother.

Javier spent months trying to figure out which side is telling the truth. Then he emailed Gypsy. A few hours later, they were on a call.

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After listening to Love Trapped, Andrea invited host Stephani Young to discuss the investigation behind the series. Together, they explore what happens when evidence collides with public perception, why stories like this resonate so deeply, and the responsibility that comes with telling them.

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Andrea is joined by two fan favorites, Chalice Howard and Mishelle Roberts. They catch up on life, reflect on how their friendships began through Nobody Should Believe Me, and share stories from their "Unhinged Memoir Book Club" group chat. They also discuss their recent listen of Love Trapped, a podcast about the years-long campaign of deception and false pregnancy claims surrounding former Bachelor lead Clayton Echard. 

Subscribe on Patreon or Apple Podcasts for Part Two, where they discuss the books that have taken over their group chat!

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Rob Scheer grew up in the foster care system, aging out and experiencing homelessness before eventually becoming a foster and adoptive parent himself. In his book, A Forever Family, and through his nonprofit, Comfort Cases, Rob has made it his mission to change the way we think about children in the welfare system. In this conversation, he reflects on his own experiences on both sides of it. Rob and Andrea also talk about the profound difference one caring adult can make in a child’s life, and why sometimes it only takes one person to help break a cycle.

In part two of Andrea's conversation with foster care pediatrician Dr. Anu Partap, they move beyond debates about child welfare reform to examine what actually helps keep children safe. Together, they explore the role of community support, the realities of foster care, and why addressing trauma and children's health must remain at the center of the conversation. 

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Dr. Anu Partap has spent decades caring for children and families at the intersection of medicine and child welfare. In this first part of Andrea's conversation with the foster care pediatrician, they explore what actually happens when children enter foster care, why reunification—not permanent separation—is the goal in most cases, and how trauma, poverty, and abuse create far more complex realities than the public often sees.

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Andrea and Jordan Harbinger wrap up their conversation with a deeper look at Netflix's Inside the Manosphere, unpacking the business behind these influencers and why so many young men are drawn into these communities. They discuss what healthy masculinity can look like and why building community may be the most important antidote of all.

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Longtime friend and fellow podcaster Jordan Harbinger joins Andrea for a conversation about deception, persuasion, and the rise of the online manosphere. From professional con artists to internet grifters, they explore why manipulation works, why anyone can become a target, and how these dynamics connect to the stories covered on Nobody Should Believe Me. Part two drops tomorrow.

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This week we're sharing Andrea's extended Season 7 conversation with professor and author Alan Dettlaff. Together they explore the history of the child welfare system, the tension between protecting children and preserving families, and the difficult questions that emerge when both goals are in conflict. It's a thoughtful conversation that embraces complexity without pretending there are easy answers.

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During our Season 7 conversation about the parents' rights movement, Andrea spoke with Professor Elizabeth Bartholet, who recently retired from Harvard Law School after more than three decades focused on child welfare, children's rights, and adoption. In this bonus episode, we're sharing more of that important conversation as they dig deeper into children's rights, the influence of advocacy groups on child welfare policy, and the broader debates shaping how abuse cases are understood in the media, the courts, and beyond.

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In this extended conversation from season 7, Andrea sits down with journalist and author Roxanna Asgarian. Together, they explore how media narratives shape public understanding of child protective systems and the parents' rights movement.

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Andrea and Myrriah are back for part two of our season seven mailbag, revisiting some of the conversations that generated the most discussion this season. As they reflect on some of the biggest themes of season seven, they unpack ongoing debates around child abuse investigations, public perceptions of child welfare, and the stories we tell about families, medicine, and harm. Along the way, they discuss what they've learned from survivors, experts, and listeners alike, while considering how systems meant to protect children can be both challenged and improved.

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Andrea and executive producer Myrriah are back on the mic for part one of our season seven mailbag episode: answering listener questions, reflecting on the stories that resonated most this season, and sharing some behind-the-scenes thoughts on the reporting process. From the reactions to John Stewart and the Knowellan Kelly case to ongoing conversations about abusive head trauma, media narratives, and Take Care of Maya, they dive into the questions that kept coming up as the season aired.

Keep an eye out for part 2, coming tomorrow!

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Betrayal Weekly is back. Aaron was committed to supporting the woman he loved, no matter the cost. Then one day, he asked for receipts.  

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If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at [email protected] and follow them on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. 

If you are currently in crisis, please reach out to organizations that offer immediate support. We are including a few US-based resources here: 988 Lifeline. <...

In the season seven finale, Andrea spoke with Kyle about his experience surviving Munchausen by proxy abuse. In this bonus episode, we're sharing an extended cut of that conversation, giving Kyle the space to tell his story in full. Despite losing years of his childhood to abuse, Kyle's journey is ultimately one of extraordinary resilience, survival, and reclaiming his own story.

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In this bonus conversation, Andrea sits down with intimate partner violence researcher Jacquelyn Campbell to look at how complex issues like domestic violence and child abuse really are, compared to how simply they’re often portrayed. Together they explore what it might look like to intervene earlier and what it would take to build systems that recognize danger before tragedy strikes.

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As we close our season, we hear from two people whose lives were forever altered by child abuse; and in doing so examine what’s really at stake when the media misrepresents child abuse cases and the work of child abuse doctors.  

Featuring:

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Rememb...

In 1996, Sarah DeJonghe was a 20-year-old Navy Seabee stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Two guys in uniform approached her on base and invited her to church. She said no.

They came back anyway.

Four months later, Sarah was out of the Navy and on her way to a Bible seminary in Washington State. She didn't see it coming. Neither did the dozens of other military members who found themselves drawn into the New Testament Christian Churches of America, a church that has spent decades planting itself outside US military bases around the world, marketing itself as...

As the media weaves a narrative about evil doctors kidnapping children: the real harms caused by the child welfare system go unnoticed. Today we look at the case for strengthening children's rights as well as the case for replacing the child welfare system altogether.  

Featuring:

Roxanna Asgarian, Child Welfare Journalist

Elizabeth Bartholet, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School

Alan Dettlaff, Professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work

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Why do all of these stories purporting false allegations of child abuse sound the same? If enough people have experienced the same thing, that must mean it’s true, right? 

The truth is, as soon as you do a little digging, these cases begin to unravel. By taking a closer look into the cases featured in Serial’s The Preventionist and Mike Hixenbaugh’s Do No Harm, the copy and paste storytelling becomes apparent.

Featuring:

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Read No, shaken baby syndrome has not bee...

Stories of “false” allegations of child abuse build on each other to paint the picture of a widespread problem that can affect anyone who brings there child into a hospital. None have made more of an impact than those featured in Take Care of Maya.

The first half of this season was dedicated to John Stewart, and 15-month-old Knowellan Kelly, but what about the other 3 families shown at the end of Take Care of Maya? A story is spun about how these parents were wronged by the system, but there’s a stark omission of what actually happen...

Child abuse pediatricians have become increasingly villainized in the media despite being among the most specialized and cautious doctors in child abuse medicine. Andrea looks at what these doctors actually do and why their role is so often misunderstood.

Andrea also explores the rise of paid defense experts who offer alternative explanations in abuse cases that fall far outside the medical consensus. 

Featuring Experts:

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Infamous Bachelor Clayton Echard’s real drama began after the rose. He left the show disgraced and determined to start over. That’s when a one-night fling spiraled into a nightmare that would lead Clayton into a years-long battle to prove the truth. Host and reporter Stephani Young investigates the twisted case.   

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If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you are not alone. Help is available. If you’re in the...

John Stewart is arrested shortly after Knowellan’s death, but despite what appears to be strong evidence of abuse, the case against John is never taken to court. Andrea traces how we ended up here, ten years later, with no one held accountable for taking the life of a child.

Featuring Experts:

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