The Escape Pod

A Swedish man joins a Pentecostal church in 1989 and soon becomes a pastor. But he has a unique way of fighting off the devil: with sex – and sex with women who aren’t his wife. (Spoiler alert: she’s a pastor, too, and claims to be the “bride of Christ.”) In time, their love triangle starts to look more like a love hexagon, and the body count begins to grow. 

Plus, co-host Charity shares her own story of seeking out a church where ...

Summary of Episode 

If you’ve ever asked the question, “What is wrong with people?” then this episode is for you! 

Join co-hosts Julie and Charity in the Escape Pod for three very odd but true stories of people who failed to escape from their very bad ideas – including a case of insurance fraud that led to severe (and severed?) consequences. 

CORRECTION: In “The Office” episode referenced here, Andy was th...

Escape Pod Show Notes – Episode 16: THE AGREEMENT (KAMARIE’S STORY) 

Date: 5/17/2024 

Episode Title and Number: THE AGREEMENT: Kamarie’s Story – Ep. 16 

Summary of Episode 

A little girl goes missing in Georgia just days before Christmas. It doesn’t take investigators long to find the body of Kamarie Holland or the person suspected of killing her. As they dig into the case, investigators not only learn about the suspect’s viole...

He could be in prison; instead, he’s in the Escape Pod, sharing his story of escaping cycles of addiction and criminal activity. 

Michael will be the first to tell you he didn’t have a “hard knocked” life. He grew up in a loving, two-parent home. He went to college, got good grades, and earned a degree. But he also had a curiosity for drugs at a very young age, and that curiosity led to harder drugs, grand theft, and many other p...

Her trauma was extensive, but it was no match for her faith and resilience. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."

From testifying against her father at age 5, to dealing with toxic relationships and addiction as an adult, escape artist Linda is brutally honest about the “crappy hand” life dealt her. But she’s also brutally honest about her faith in God, her love for her children, and her new-found peace of mind. 

Buckle up ...

We’ve all been there – on a long car ride, waiting in line, stuck in traffic, etc., etc. - when you realize the extra-large coffee, half-gallon bottle of water, or super-sized iced tea you just finished was a REALLY bad idea because now you REALLY “gotta go.” But where you go and the circumstances surrounding that sweet release could be downright criminal.

On this episode of the Escape Pod, the level of criminality runs the spectru...

Twists and turns abound in this episode of The Escape Pod, as we deep-dive into the story of a Texas woman and mother of 5 who claims she and her husband were victims of a home invasion and her husband was kidnapped by the three intruders. 

While there’s no one way or “right way” to act in a high-crisis situation, police body-camera footage reveals extremely unusual behavior by the wife left behind. Was she a damsel in distress, or...

“Dr. X” drinks a glass of wine with dinner, performs emergency surgery that night, and remembers nothing the next day? It happened, and (spoiler alert!) the patient knew nothing. 

We talk often on the Escape Pod about how the brain is a funny thing. The doctor’s experience is just one of several true tales of people going beyond a state of impairment to “blackout” mode. They might seem perfectly normal, but – in fact – their brains...

Aug. 2, 2011: It’s a beautiful summer afternoon in Rapid City, SD, when three police officers are dispatched to a call regarding suspicious activity in a residential neighborhood. One of those officers describes the call now as seemingly “benign” ... at least at first. The officers make contact with four people walking down the sidewalk, and shortly after, three of them are allowed to leave the scene, as there is no reason for arre...

Pillar of the community. Philanthropist. Medical doctor. Dorthea Puente was given – or gave herself – many different titles over the years, but in California in the 1980s, the one title that proved true was “serial killer.” On this episode of the Escape Pod, co-costs Charity and Julie are joined by friend-of-the-show Karabeth to discuss this “greedy granny” whose love of money may have driven her to kill some of the very people she...

The Escape Pod is giving you a sneak peek “behind the paywall” with this special “March Mashup” of clips from some of the Bonus episodes dropping this month. Become a patron today to hear the full episodes, and know that your support supports a greater mission – empowering people to change their own lives for the better.  

DISCLAIMER: This minisode include...

Summary of Episode

A law enforcement agency’s review of dashcam footage in Ohio reveals predatory behavior by one of their own. Find out how this patrolman chose his victims and managed to get away with it for as long as he did. Plus, an Escape Pod co-host shares her own experiences with a creepy (former) cop and other stalkers who had a hard time taking “no” for an answer. 

Bullet P...

A marijuana grower who calls the cops when kids steal from his illegal crop; a would-be supermarket robber who posts his plans on social media; a vain vandal doesn’t like the photo on his “Wanted” poster – so he sends law enforcement a better one. 

What’s that saying? “You can’t make this stuff up?” You really can’t! 

Escape into the Escape Pod with co-hosts Julie and Charity for a not-so-terrifying episode about not-so-smooth crim...

Teen escape artist survives Aussie serial killers – Ep. 6

In 1986, four women go missing near Perth, Australia, in only a month’s time. But law enforcement doesn’t know there is a serial-killing couple in their midst until a very smart 17-year-old girl, realizing her captors have killed before, seizes an opportunity to make her escape. In doing so, she likely saved many other lives. 

The 2016 psychological thriller “Hounds of Love”...

You’ve likely heard or used the phrase “problem child” in discussing a kid who creates challenges at home, school, or elsewhere, but in some families a parent (or two!) can be the kindling for chaos. In this episode, Escape Pod co-host Charity describes life in her household through her teenage years, how higher education (and her bedroom window) helped her escape those unhealthy cycles, and how it all influences the work she does ...

Poop Duty: Shart Art on display and the people who have to deal with it – Ep. 4 

We’re heavy on the “aumedy” of traumedy in this episode of the Escape Pod! People “unload” their problems in a variety of ways. Podcast guest Chad, a veteran of the human services sector, brings some humor to the Escape Pod with true tales of bad bathroom behavior taken to new lows – sometimes even to public spaces. We consider the “whys” behind such a...

Summary of Episode 

April 2014: The “bubble” that is Murrysville, PA, bursts when a 16-year-old student goes on a mass stabbing rampage at a local high school, injuring nearly two dozen people but traumatizing many more in the school and community. On this episode, co-hosts Charity and Julie welcome a guest into the Escape Pod – a mom whose son witnessed and escaped the horror in the hallways that day. 

Bullet Points of Key Top...

Summary of Episode 

An estimated 1 in 12 teens are victims of dating violence. In this episode, Escape Pod co-host Charity shares her own experience with a high school boyfriend who, on their first (and last) anniversary, made her fear for her life; plus, a Pennsylvania teen tries to end a relationship but meets a tragic end at a train station; and we offer a few tips to help people, regardless of age, avoid and – if needed – escap...