The Knife: A True Crime Podcast

At just nine years old, Ashlee Wlasiuk lost her mother, Patty, when her parents’ truck plunged into a lake. What initially appeared to be a tragic accident soon became a murder investigation, with Ashlee’s father, Pete Wlasiuk, charged with Patty’s death. Had Patty drowned in a terrible accident, or had Pete killed her and staged the crash? As a child, Ashlee fiercely defended her father, refusing to believe he could be responsible for her mother’s death. But as the years passed, troubling questions became harder to ignore. 

Link to pre-order Ashlee Wlasiuk's book for show notes...

Patia sits down with Tom Breyfogle, a Producer on The Knife. First, Patia tells Tom a story about Stanley Alpert who narrowly escaped a 25-hour kidnapping. Then, Tom tells Patia about a time a man popped up from his car's back seat, flashed his gun and told Tom to drive.

Patia’s Book Recommendation: The Responsible Party by Claire Carusillo

Tom’s Movie Recommendation: Highest 2 Lowest

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Patia speaks with Karen Kilgariff (Host, My Favorite Murder) about a tragedy she witnessed at SXSW in 2014. Karen reflects on the moment an unthinkable tragedy unfolded in front of her and what it means now to carry that memory.

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In this episode, Patia speaks with Anita Vida, a forensic expert specializing in bloodstain pattern analysis. Anita discusses her work examining the evidence in the appellate case of convicted murderer Paul Duyst, offering insight into the forensic analysis and what the bloodstain patterns revealed about the case.

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Hannah’s longtime friend, Gaby, tells Patia about a time she and her boyfriend set out on hike that should've been pretty quick and uneventful. But hours later, they realized they'd lost the trail. With their food and water running low—and barely any cell service—Gaby and her boyfriend knew they needed help, fast.

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Within days of learning her daughter, Rebekah Barsotti, was missing, Angela flew to Montana, desperate to find her daughter. When the search for Rebekah stopped, her estranged ex-husband's behavior became impossible for Angela to ignore. Eventually, remains were found and now, Angela is on a mission to share Rebekah's Legacy.

Rebekah's Legacy: https://rebekahslegacy.com

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In the summer of 2021, Rebekah Barsotti went missing just outside of Missoula, Montana. Was her disappearance the result of a tragic accident, or something else? For Rebekah's mother, Angela Mastrovito, the subsequent search for Rebekah left more questions than answers, especially concerning her estranged ex-husband.

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Hannah tells Patia about an online knitting community shaken by the sudden death of one of its own. But as people begin piecing together what happened, the story begins to... unravel.

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In 1991, Diane Porter sought fertility treatment from the world-renowned Dr. Ricardo Asch. But just a few short years later, a scandal broke that would shine an entirely new light on what was actually happening at the fertility clinic.

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Patia tells Hannah about Craig Thetford, a man whose disappearance quickly became a grave concern to investigators. Craig's family was worried sick, except for his wife, Deana. She had a story to tell about what happened to Craig, but as her strange story deepened, not even Deana could keep up.

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When Tanya Reid called 911 to report that her young son was not breathing, paramedic Tony Collins was first on the scene. And what Tony witnessed that day became a key piece of a disturbing investigation.

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Legendary investigator, Paul Holes, joins us to discuss Finding the Lost Girls, his audiobook about the investigation into serial killer Joseph Naso and Paul’s relentless effort to identify victims and uncover the truth.

Finding the Lost Girls: https://www.audible.com/pd/Finding-the-Lost-Girls-Audiobook/B0GQ6MCQ2W?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

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One phone call is all it took to plunge Jennifer DeStefano into every mother's worst nightmare. But as the truth came into focus, so did a chilling new kind of crime. 

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What if you looked across the room, saw a bloodied body, and believed you had committed murder? Carolynn Murray has experienced the terrifying reality of psychosis. Now, she shares her story to raise awareness, challenge misconceptions, and help end the stigma surrounding psychosis and mental illness.

Carolynn's YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@Psychotic.in.Seattle

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Zeke Gonzalez had worked hard to turn his life around when, one morning, on his way to work, he was arrested. Zeke couldn't seem to shake the past he'd worked hard to leave behind and soon, the rest of his life would hang in the balance. 

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When Rebecca Gray arrived in Perth in 2016, she met Sean and they quickly fell in love. After they'd been together for over a year, Sean uncovered a trail of lies and realized Rebecca was weaving the same story with another man. Hannah tells Patia about this romance fraudster, or as they like to say in Australia, this "love rat."  

Recommendation: The Dark Wizard (TV Series) 

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This week we'd like to introduce you to the podcast, Hardcore Con. It's a new show from Johnathan Walton Media. What on earth could convince an Ivy League-educated journalist to fork over a shoebox with her entire life savings in it to a complete stranger for safekeeping? This is an intricate and complex con involving multiple con artists. And it could happen to any one of us so pay attention to the tricks, the brain hacks and the dark psychology these A-list scammers use to successfully pull off this $50,000 con. 

Check out Johnathan's other podcasts at johnathanwalton.com/podcas...

When Julie Belshe learned her parents had been placed under private guardianship and taken from their home in September 2013, she launched a battle to get them back. Her fight exposed a disturbing, corrupt network that all led back to a woman named April Parks. 

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When Julie Belshe arrived at her parents’ Las Vegas house in 2013, they’d vanished. After a desperate weekend of searching, she located them, but their reappearance sparked a deeper mystery. What happened to her parents, and how would Julie bring them back?

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As a follow-up to last week's episode, Patia and Hannah break down the fraud perpetrated by Tony Dia, the father of fallen police officer, Anthony Dia. Patia also tells Hannah about an additional victim of Lisa Titkemeier.

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When Lisa Titkemeier told her new friend Dee Lynn that she had cancer, Dee sprang into action, raising thousands of dollars to help. But what began as an inspiring story of friendship and community support soon took a dark turn. 

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What is a public defender really up against? Emily Galvin Almanza fought for over 2000 clients in some of America's toughest courts and saw firsthand how even being accused of a crime can derail someone's life. Today, we speak with Emily about her most memorable cases and her new fight to reform the criminal justice system. 

Emily's book: The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender's Search for Justice in America 

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Attorney Michael Cowgill joins us to discuss a wrongful death lawsuit involving Kratom, the widely available and largely unregulated substance sold in gas stations across the U.S. At the center of the case is Patrick Coyne, a 39-year-old husband and father, whose death has been attributed to Kratom use. We explore the legal battle, the risks associated with the substance, and the questions surrounding oversight and consumer safety. 

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Paul Fronczak discovered that he was not biologically related to his parents, Dora and Chester Fronczak, but was born in New Jersey as Jack Rosenthal. He also learned he had a twin sister, Jill, who was missing. Paul's search for his identity had expanded. He was now looking for three people: the real Paul Fronczak who was kidnapped in 1964, the kidnapper, and his biological twin sister, Jill. 

Referenced in the episode:  

Paul Jack Fronczak's podcast: The Fronczak Files

Paul Jack Fronczak's books: The Foundling and True Identity 

Documentary: The Lost Sons 

...

In 1964, Paul Fronczak was kidnapped from a Chicago hospital just one day after he was born. Miraculously found and returned two years later, he grew up unaware of his past until a childhood discovery sparked a search for the truth. As an adult, Paul’s investigation into his own identity uncovers astonishing secrets that rewrite everything he thought he knew. 

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Investigative reporter Samantha Michaels of Mother Jones spent a year digging into Oklahoma’s controversial “failure to protect” laws—statutes meant to safeguard children, but that can also send victims to prison. At the center of her reporting is Kerry King, a mother of four, and the fallout from a single night in January 2015, when her boyfriend, John Purdy, brutally abused both her and her four-year-old daughter, Lila. 

In this episode, we speak with Michaels about her investigation and the broader implications of these laws. We also hear directly from Kerry King in a phone call from prison. <...

Patia tells Hannah the story of LaVonne Skalias and her fight to survive two brutal attacks by her stalker, a man she barely knew. 

Recommendation: Girl on the Run: The Hunt For America's Most Wanted Woman

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Chancy Lewis, a retired schoolteacher and recent widower, struck up an unlikely online friendship after receiving a text from a wrong number. Five short weeks later, his entire world began to unravel. 

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In today's episode, we're speaking with Dusty Turner, who was recently released from prison after 31 years. Dusty reflects on the night that changed his life forever and shares with us his plans for the future.

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In 1995, 21-year-old Jennifer Evans was murdered in Virginia Beach. Dusty Turner and Billy Brown were both convicted and sent to prison. But from the beginning, Dusty maintained his innocence. Erin Lottman joins us to walk us through Dusty's case. 

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Hannah tells Patia the story of a six-year undercover FBI operation infiltrating an international smuggling operation. Plus, Patia tells Hannah about her favorite new podcast.  

Recommendation: Adults in the Room 

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April Scales was 15, pregnant and running out of options. When her grandparents tried to step in, April made a devastating decision that changed the course of her life and landed her in prison. 

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Patia tells Hannah a story about Christine Echohawk, who ran a sweeping online romance scam that drained more than $1.5 million from women who believed they were in love. But who was Christine working for and was she also a victim?

Recommendation: Neighbors (HBO docuseries) 

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In 2018, Rebecca Peluso, a single mother whose daughter Ella has high-support-needs autism, sold off her belongings to afford a service dog she was told would change Ella’s life. Instead, Rebecca uncovered a devastating fraud. 

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Hannah tells Patia about the criminal case against the leaders of a religious group known as His Way Spirit Led Assemblies. Its leaders, Shelley Bailey “Kat” Martin and Darryl Muzic Martin, are now facing charges connected to a 2010 death within the group, as well as the case of a current missing person. Former members allege years of religious and physical abuse, claiming that Kat Martin presented herself as a god-like figure with the power to perform miracles, even the ability to raise the dead. 

Anyone with information about Emilio Salmen Ghanem, his disappearance or his whereabouts is urged...

This is part 2 of a 2-part series. Embroiled in a hellish custody battle over her 9-month-old daughter, Lee Barnett made a surprising and criminal decision, to leave the life she'd known behind and start a new one, as an international fugitive.  

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This is part 1 of a 2-part series. Embroiled in a hellish custody battle over her 9-month-old daughter, Lee Barnett made a surprising and criminal decision, to leave the life she'd known behind and start a new one, as an international fugitive.  

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Patia tells Hannah a story about a woman named Antonella Carpenter who charged thousands for a laser treatment she claimed was 100-percent effective in killing cancerous tumors. But in 2010, a federal investigation exposed a million-dollar fraud. 

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This week, we’d like to introduce you to The First Degree, a true crime podcast from Jac Vanek and Alexis Linkletter. In episode 361, Jac and Lex unravel one night in 2006 when medical student Brian Shaffer disappeared, the theories that won’t die, and the question that haunts everyone: how does someone vanish into thin air?

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In 2014, new parents, Jessica and Justin had just returned home from the hospital with their first baby, a boy. But after only one night home, Justin was killed. In an instant, Jessica’s world turned upside down as police hunted for the killer. 

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