In early 2025, 34-year-old transgender man Sam Nordquist disappeared from upstate New York. For weeks, family and friends searched desperately. Suspects close to Sam denied involvement and told investigators they had no idea where he was. But prosecutors now say that while those lies spread, Sam was being held captive, tortured, and brutalized until his death.

By March, a grand jury indicted seven people on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and hate crimes. Court documents describe a prolonged ordeal and multiple suspects pointing fingers at each other while denying responsibility. The case has shocked the LGBTQ+ community and raised questions about hate-driven violence, complicity, and the lies that prolonged Sam’s suffering.

In 2019, Lori Vallow told everyone her children, JJ and Tylee, were “safe.” Her new husband, doomsday author Chad Daybell, preached apocalyptic prophecies of light and dark spirits. But behind their confident smiles and spiritual claims lay a terrifying truth.

JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were missing for months, while Lori and Chad evaded questions, married in Hawaii, and reassured worried friends and investigators. Lori’s husband, Charles Vallow, was dead. Chad’s wife, Tammy Daybell, had died suddenly. And Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, who played a mysterious role in all of it, was also gone.

The trail of lies collapsed in June 2020 when police discovered the children’s remains buried in Chad Daybell’s backyard in Rexburg, Idaho.

In this episode, Daniel and Claire take listeners through the chilling timeline of the “Doomsday Mom” and her husband: from religious obsession and false visions, to multiple suspicious deaths, to the devastating betrayal of two innocent children. They examine the cult-like grip of Chad’s teachings, Lori’s escalating deceptions, and the ultimate question: when did the lies begin?

On the night of November 8, 2010, Jennifer Pan made a frantic 911 call claiming masked intruders had broken into her family home, tied her up, and shot her parents. Her mother, Bich Ha, was killed. Her father, Huei Hann, was critically injured but survived. Jennifer appeared to be the sole victim who escaped unharmed.

But as investigators dug deeper, her story began to unravel. Cell phone records didn’t match her claims. Her statements contradicted physical evidence. And then came the revelation: the “home invasion” had been staged. Jennifer Pan had orchestrated the attack with her boyfriend Daniel Wong, after years of deception about her school, jobs, and secret double life.

In this episode, Daniel and Claire break down the timeline of Jennifer Pan’s life and lies — from forged report cards and fake diplomas to the staged crime that shocked Canada. They explore the cultural pressures of “tiger parenting,” the elaborate performance Jennifer sustained for nearly a decade, and how investigators pieced together the truth.

When did the lies begin? With a high school report card? With a secret romance? Or with the phone call that was supposed to make her look like a victim?

In November 1957, police entered a small farmhouse in Plainfield, Wisconsin, searching for missing hardware store owner Bernice Worden. In the shed, they found her body — mutilated, headless, strung up like a deer. But what they uncovered inside the home was even more disturbing: furniture made of skin, masks crafted from human faces, and organs preserved in jars.

This episode unravels the double life of Edward Gein, the man who appeared to be a harmless handyman and neighbor while secretly grave robbing, murdering, and creating a house of horrors. Daniel and Claire take listeners through his strict and warped childhood, the domineering influence of his mother, the suspicious death of his brother, the murders of Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, and the shocking police discovery that stunned the world.

How long did the lies last? Were his neighbors blinded by pity, denial, or fear? And how did his crimes go on to inspire some of the most iconic horror characters of all time — Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill?

When did the lies begin? With his quiet smile? With his obsession over his mother? Or with the silence of a community that didn’t want to see the truth?

In October 1994, Susan Smith claimed that a Black man had carjacked her vehicle with her two young sons inside. For nine agonizing days, she stood in front of TV cameras, crying and begging for their safe return. America believed her. Volunteers searched, police investigated, and the nation held its breath.

But Susan Smith already knew the truth. There was no carjacker. No kidnapping. She had rolled her car into John D. Long Lake, drowning her children, Michael and Alex.

This episode examines one of the most infamous crimes of the 1990s: the lies that manipulated a community, the racial scapegoating that fueled national outrage, and the devastating confession that shattered public trust. Daniel and Claire break down the timeline, the inconsistencies, the trial, and the lasting question: When did the lies begin?

On Christmas Eve, 2002, 27-year-old Laci Peterson vanished from her home in Modesto, California. She was eight months pregnant with her first child. Her husband, Scott Peterson, told police he spent the day fishing at the Berkeley Marina. But as the days passed, cracks in Scott’s story appeared — and his carefully constructed image began to collapse.

When Amber Frey came forward, revealing her relationship with Scott and his chilling claim that he had “lost” his wife before Laci even disappeared, the case erupted into one of the most infamous true-crime sagas in America.

Months later, the remains of Laci and her unborn son Conner were discovered in San Francisco Bay, not far from where Scott claimed to be fishing. His arrest — complete with dyed hair, cash, and camping gear — fueled suspicions that he had been preparing to flee.

In this episode, Daniel and Claire dissect the timeline, the alibi, the affair, and the trial that captivated the nation. They explore the lies that shaped the investigation, the media frenzy that influenced public opinion, and the enduring speculation about Scott Peterson’s guilt.

When did the lies begin? With the fishing trip alibi? With the affair? Or much earlier, in the shadows of a seemingly perfect marriage?