Unheard: True Crime in Their Own Words returns in early August with brand-new episodes and incredible guests.

In the meantime, please make sure you're following the podcast, leave a five-star review if you've enjoyed the show, and share it with someone who loves true crime.

You can also support our mission by signing the petition to help end plea deals for child predators. You can find the petition at Change.org/EndPleaDeals

If you're new here, I highly recommend starting with Episode 1 featuring Elizabeth Smart.

Thank you for being part of this community. See you in August!

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When Jessica Vestal's son Dax started coming home with bruises and injuries, she knew something wasn't right.

The problem was that Dax is nonverbal. He couldn't tell her what was happening.

What Jessica eventually uncovered led to criminal charges, national attention, and difficult questions about how vulnerable children are protected when they can't speak for themselves.

In this episode of Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words, Jessica shares Dax's story, the warning signs she saw, the fight for answers, and what happened after the truth finally came to light.

Follow Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words, for more conversations with the people at the center of the stories making headlines.

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At 17 years old, David Garlock and his brother killed the man they say subjected them to years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.

The crime led to murder convictions and decades-long prison sentences. David ultimately spent more than 13 years behind bars before being released on parole.

Today, he is a criminal justice reform advocate, speaker, and survivor who openly discusses what he calls the "trauma-to-prison pipeline"—the connection between childhood trauma, violence, incarceration, and rehabilitation.

His story has drawn comparisons to the Menendez brothers, raising many of the same questions that continue to divide the public:

Can someone be both a victim and an offender?

How should courts evaluate years of abuse when a victim eventually becomes a perpetrator?

What does accountability look like after taking a life?

And can redemption exist after prison?

In this episode of Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words, David walks through the abuse he says he endured, the events that led to the killing, his years inside prison, and how he rebuilt his life after release.

Whether you see his story as one of justice, tragedy, survival, or all three, it challenges many of the assumptions people hold about crime, punishment, and trauma.

Listen now and decide for yourself.

🎙️ Subscribe to Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words on your favorite podcast platform.

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