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  • The Radio Still Broadcasts. He's Been Jailed Two Years

    The Radio Still Broadcasts. He's Been Jailed Two Years
    2026/09/11
    The Radio Still Broadcasts. He's Been Jailed Two Years

    Imagine finding a working radio on a cold trail, broadcasting from a station that's been silent for nearly a year, its speaker carrying the voice of a man jailed for two. How could a system so carefully engineered compel people to give up their savings, jobs, and relationships without ever being directly asked?

    In this episode, we uncover the story of "The Attending," a system built by a man named Howard Hensley in a high desert town in eastern Oregon. We explore how this community functioned, who paid the highest price, and what was revealed when it finally collapsed.

    Person: Donald Ray Pevey (aka Howard Hensley)
    Date: January 14, 2019
    Location: Saddleback Nature Trail, Terrel Flats, Oregon
    Event: Discovery of a working radio broadcasting from a silent station

    - On January 14, 2019, a dog groomer found a working transistor radio on Saddleback Nature Trail.
    - The radio was broadcasting on 1440 AM, a station silent for over eleven months.
    - The voice belonged to a man who had been in federal custody for nearly two years.
    - Nicole Lane contributed approximately twenty-two thousand dollars and moved to the Faber Loop property at age forty-nine.
    - By spring of 2013, roughly two dozen people lived on the sixty-three-acre Faber Loop property.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • The Nine Words That Unlocked a Homeschool Cult

    The Nine Words That Unlocked a Homeschool Cult
    2026/09/10
    The Nine Words That Unlocked a Homeschool Cult

    Imagine a child's uneven handwriting on a binder, found floating in a river, that reads: "my name is Nora. and I am nine and we are not allowed to leave." This chilling message, discovered by a trotline fisher, ultimately led to a man's fourteen-year prison sentence. How did these nine words expose a hidden community where twenty-two children had not seen the outside world in years?

    In this episode, we uncover the story of a homeschool cooperative that transformed into a closed compound in Aldine County, Missouri. We explore how one family was drawn into this isolated world and how a nine-year-old's desperate plea became the key to unraveling it all.

    Person: Cynthia West
    Date: December 9, 2019
    Location: Pellucid River, Aldine County, Missouri
    Object: Navy blue three-ring binder
    Sentence: "my name is Nora. and I am nine and we are not allowed to leave."

    - A trotline fisher found a navy blue three-ring binder in the Pellucid River at 6:52 AM.
    - The binder contained 41 handwritten pages of curriculum and a typed cover sheet.
    - A nine-year-old's message, written in pencil, was found on the back of the binder.
    - Twenty-two children had not seen the outside world for up to two and a half years.
    - The curriculum inside the binder was copied from a pamphlet printed in 1948.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The Ledger That Sank a Cult

    The Ledger That Sank a Cult
    2026/09/09
    The Ledger That Sank a Cult

    Imagine a notebook, sealed in freezer bags, surviving four feet of seawater to reveal a hidden truth. This isn't just a story of survival; it's the unraveling of a closed community and the cult leader who built it on a fabricated past. What secrets could forty-one pages of compact handwriting expose about the Tidebound Cooperative?

    In this episode, we explore the quiet, systematic removal of choices within the Tidebound Cooperative, a group built on shared labor and borrowed trust. We delve into the life of Angela Morgan, a woman who spent her adult life working the Oregon coast and found herself entangled in a system that resisted simple framing.

    Person: Angela Morgan
    Date: November 14, 2019
    Location: Pelletier Flats, Oregon coast
    Organization: Tidebound Cooperative
    Founder: Grant Foster

    - A county surveyor found a composition notebook wedged inside a hollow fence post.
    - The notebook contained forty-one pages of compact, left-leaning handwriting.
    - Angela Morgan was 38 years old when she joined the cooperative.
    - Grant Foster, the founder, was 44 years old in 2019.
    - Members handed in their phones each evening and received them back each morning.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • They Stole Their Language. Then They Buried It

    They Stole Their Language. Then They Buried It
    2026/09/08
    They Stole Their Language. Then They Buried It

    Imagine discovering a notebook filled with an unknown alphabet, buried beneath a septic lid on a rural property. This bizarre find launched an investigation into two years of financial fraud and psychological control, revealing how a small group of ordinary people gave everything to a man who fabricated his entire identity. What was taken from these people, and why did it take months to name and years to fully understand?

    In this episode, we delve into the story of the Clear Water Language Institute, a residential program that promised intellectual growth but delivered something far more sinister. We explore the journey of Sherry Hamilton, a woman whose curiosity led her to an eleven-acre property where English was eventually prohibited, and a fabricated language became a tool of control.

    Person: Sherry Hamilton
    Date: March 2012
    Location: Harmon Creek property, Doeville, Sutter County
    Event: Discovery of a composition notebook with an unknown alphabet
    Topic: Constructed language, psychological control

    - A septic worker found a composition notebook sealed in a waterproof bag on October 3, 2014.
    - The notebook contained an alphabet no one had ever seen before.
    - Sherry Hamilton, 59, arrived at the Harmon Creek property in March 2012.
    - Within 30 days of her arrival, English was prohibited on the property.
    - The program cost $800 per month and involved full immersion in Clarish.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    19 分
  • The Witness, The Daughter, and The Dead Girl

    The Witness, The Daughter, and The Dead Girl
    2026/09/07
    The Witness, The Daughter, and The Dead Girl

    Imagine finding a bone-dry coffee cup on a soaked log in a wildlife preserve after seven inches of rain. This impossible detail was the first thread that unraveled the elaborate deception of a cult leader and exposed the dark secrets of the Hollow Stage. What hidden truths did this seemingly innocuous object ultimately reveal?

    In this episode, we delve into the story of Stanley Turner, the charismatic leader of the Hollow Stage, and the events that led to its downfall. From a fabricated identity to a mysterious death, the narrative explores how a man's carefully constructed world began to crumble, starting with a single discovery in a North Carolina preserve.

    Person: Stanley Turner
    Group: The Hollow Stage
    Location: Hatchett Creek Wildlife Preserve, Darnell County
    Object: Handmade coffee cup
    Victim: Helen Pratt

    - A handmade coffee cup, found on a log, was bone dry despite seven inches of rain falling in Darnell County.
    - Stanley Turner had moved approximately sixty-two thousand dollars through an undisclosed account.
    - Helen Pratt, 23, died in a storage facility in Rutherford County, a death initially ruled accidental.
    - Frank Stein, 24, joined the Hollow Stage in February 2019 and was assigned the role of "the Witness."
    - Turner rented a farmhouse on Route 212 in Ashe County for three years, later filing permits for an unlisted addition under the name Daniel Ware.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The Ledger at Milepost 9: How One Book Exposed Everything

    The Ledger at Milepost 9: How One Book Exposed Everything
    2026/09/06
    The Ledger at Milepost 9: How One Book Exposed Everything

    Imagine a world where your stable, ordinary life is quietly emptied out, one small agreement at a time, until leaving feels impossible. What happens when a single book, found by chance, exposes a man who invented every credential he claimed to hold and dismantled a closed community?

    In this episode, we explore the story of April Jenkins, a woman whose life was systematically altered by a man named Jeffrey Christensen and the community he built. We uncover the details of how a simple ledger brought down a structure of trust and deception.

    Person: April Jenkins
    Date: August 14, 2011
    Location: Milepost Nine
    Amount: $62,000

    - A fifteen-year-old paperboy found a green hardcover ledger at Milepost Nine.
    - The ledger detailed four years of financial extractions from community members.
    - Jeffrey Christensen claimed to be a trained counselor and ordained minister, but his credentials were fabricated.
    - April Jenkins, a 44-year-old medical billing specialist, paid $95 for a retreat in 2007.
    - A key clause in the Covenant of Stewardship, declaring financial transfers as irrevocable gifts, was notarized by Brian Tolle, whose commission had lapsed.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The Lunchbox of 41 Lost Souls

    The Lunchbox of 41 Lost Souls
    2026/09/05
    The Lunchbox of 41 Lost Souls

    Imagine finding a child's lunchbox, spray-painted black, containing 41 laminated IDs-driver's licenses, state IDs, and a passport card-all belonging to people who vanished. What dark secret connects these lost souls to a seemingly unassuming grief support group?

    In this episode, we uncover the chilling story of the Tending Circle, a group that began with a question about dinner and ended with 41 people reduced to identification cards. We explore the journey of Kenneth Reed, a meticulous warehouse worker whose grief over his wife's death led him to a farm where nothing was as it seemed.

    Person: Gordon Kowalski
    Date: July 11, 2019
    Location: Pelham
    Group: The Tending Circle
    Person: Kenneth Reed

    - A road-grader operator found a matte black lunchbox containing 41 laminated identification cards.
    - Kenneth Reed, a 31-year-old warehouse worker, moved to the Bauer Road farm 19 months before the discovery.
    - Alan Ford, the 53-year-old leader of the grief group, had no record of his claimed "certified grief practitioner" credential from the University of Illinois.
    - Ford used his part-time bookkeeper position at a farm supply cooperative to access rural property listings.
    - Kenneth Reed moved to the Bauer Road farm on December 1, 2017, bringing his dog, Clifford, and its saline supplies.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The Cake on the Pole: A Cult's Last Message

    The Cake on the Pole: A Cult's Last Message
    2026/09/04
    The Cake on the Pole: A Cult's Last Message

    Imagine finding a perfectly intact, homemade birthday cake strapped to a utility pole 31 feet in the air, with no explanation. This strange discovery in rural Pennsylvania was the only message one woman managed to send after three years inside a cult. What secrets did this unusual cake hold about a group that surrendered their savings, sleep, and even their names?

    In this episode, we explore the story of Denise Wilson, a meticulous medical billing specialist whose ordinary life took a dramatic turn after attending a free seminar. We uncover the gradual process that led her to join a secretive group, the Morningward, and how a seemingly innocuous detail about their leader, Howard Jensen, began to unravel everything.

    Person: Randy Underwood
    Date: June 14, 2009
    Location: Ellswick Township, Pennsylvania
    Group: The Morningward
    Leader: Howard Jensen

    - A two-tiered birthday cake with white fondant and pink rosettes was found strapped to a 31-foot wooden pole.
    - The Morningward consisted of 22 adults living on a 30-acre compound in Pennsylvania.
    - Denise Wilson, 51, was a medical billing specialist for 22 years before joining the group.
    - Members slept in shifts under the Vigil Protocol, getting only four or five consecutive hours of sleep.
    - Denise discovered Howard Jensen's supposed childhood home in Benner Crossing, Ohio, was a commercial mail-forwarding box active since 1993.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    18 分