The Escape Pod Traumedy

Eligio Bishop’s journey from Harlem street kid to self-proclaimed messiah is a story of charisma, control, and destruction. Preaching a return to nature and freedom from systemic oppression, he built Carbon Nation—a cult that promised community but delivered manipulation, violence, and abuse.

From livestreams that drew thousands of followers to brutal assaults, deportations, and tragic deaths, Bishop’s reign as “Natureboy” spiraled...

Summary of Episode  Delta-8 THC is being marketed as a legal, “safer” alternative to marijuana—but what’s really inside those gummies, vapes, and oils? In this episode of The Escape Pod, we pull back the curtain on Delta-8’s rise, the regulatory loopholes fueling its $10 billion market, and the human cost of untested, mislabeled products.

We share heartbreaking stories like Tanner, a four-year-old who died after eating THC gummies ...

As we move into Part 2 of our exploration of the Karen Read case, the story shifts from the public comfort of a bustling bar to the shadows of an afterparty where crucial events unfold. Here, the narrative tightens as relationships, phone records, and missing evidence become central to unraveling what happened on that fateful night. In today’s episode, we’ll examine pivotal moments, scrutinize discrepancies, and cover what went dow...

In the chilling kickoff to Season 2, we unravel the tangled mystery surrounding the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. After a night of drinking, he’s found lifeless in the snow outside a fellow officer’s home—and his girlfriend, Karen Read, is accused of hitting him with her SUV and leaving him to die in a blizzard.

But the defense paints a darker picture: a possible cover-up involving law enforcement, missing surveillan...

Imagine meeting someone new, sparks fly, but then your life spirals into a nightmare of endless texts, vandalism, and a murder mystery that sounds straight out of a thriller. This is the chilling true story of Dave Kroupa, a man who found himself at the center of one of the wildest stalking cases of all time. 

Highlights Include:

• • A Love Triangle Turns Deadly: Dave Kroupa’s casual dating life spirals into chaos after me...

In this delightfully absurd and thought-provoking episode, we dive headfirst into the chaos of escape scenarios with a twist—each one wrapped in a “Would You Rather” dilemma that blends trauma, healing, and hilarity. From dodging donut-wielding ex-cops to navigating the foster care system on a unicycle, we explore the wild ways people might choose to flee their circumstances… if only life came with a costume budget and a flair for ...

Booby hatch? Bughouse? Hilarious names for serious places. The Escape Pod goes inside mental institutions of the past to share the tragic tale of Genevieve Pilarski who, essentially, was committed in the 1940s for being strong-willed and desiring independence, nothing more. But others had better fates – escaping the horrors of such places and turning their experiences into advocacy. Nelli Bly, for example, was an early “under-cover...

In this episode, The Escape Pod takes us back to 1980 and the disappearance and subsequent murder of Candace Rough Surface, an 18-year-old member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Her case highlights a broader crisis: Indigenous people account for a disproportionate share of missing persons, and Indigenous women in particular face alarming rates of violence. This. Has. To. Stop. In South Dakota, Indigenous people account for roughl...

A closer look at the case of Jeff Prible revealed a labyrinth of allegations, unanswered questions, and prosecutorial tactics that challenge the foundations of justice. This week, The Escape Pod delves into allegations of misconduct against the same prosecutor in several other cases and the broader implications for the justice system. Draw your own conclusions as we conclude this two-part series on the precarious balance between fi...

A man convicted of capital murder claims his innocence and points to suppressed evidence and manipulated informant testimony as factors in his conviction. A prosecutor renowned for her dramatic courtroom presentations and role on a true crime television show claims she got the right man. Draw your own conclusions as The Escape Pod launches a two-part series examining the reliability of circumstantial evidence and the ethical respon...

A transgender teen tries to escape her own fears and anxieties to connect with a real person in the real world; instead, her solo venture to a London park gets cut cruelly short by an unimaginable act of brutality. The story of Brianna Ghey stands as a poignant reminder of the perils faced by those seeking only love and understanding. This week, The Escape Pod takes us back to February 2023 to unravel the harrowing details of Brian...

Americans are certainly not the only people who mark major holidays by shooting explosives with pretty colors high into the air. Our friends in the United Kingdom have a rather unique holiday in the fall, Bonfire Night, which typically includes – you guessed it – bonfires, fireworks, and other festival-type activities. But in one particular U.K. community, the use of fireworks started to become more felonious than fun. How did the ...

DISCLAIMER: Comments and stories shared in this episode are not intended to demean anyone, but – rather – to find a little “funny” in the extremely challenging work that is the human services field.

A popular Escape Pod guest is back – and taking us on a trip back to Left Field. This is where we go to find humor on hard days in the human services world because, as it turns out, humans coming out of crisis mode say and do the darnde...

BE ADVISED: This mini-sode contains content that listeners/viewers might find extremely disturbing, including discussion of sexual violence against women and torture.

This Escape Bite mini-sode features a mini-competition. Your co-hosts were given the prompt “Criminals Who Were Victims First” and told to find a true crime story to match it. SPOILER ALERT: Nobody wins when murder is involved, but if you are as curious as we are abou...

BE ADVISED: This episode includes discussion of suicide and other sensitive subject matter. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and/or suicidal ideations, please call or text 988, and remember ... YOU MATTER.

The saying goes: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me. Not so, Escape Artists, not so – as proven by today’s episode in which a teen girl’s text messages are used against h...

In a recent Escape Bite, the ladies of The Escape Pod got a little freaked out by the use of AI deepfakes to con an employee at an international company out of millions of dollars. (Turns out, the “people” on the video conference call were not people at all.) In this mini-sode, the co-hosts take a turn toward the positive, offering up real examples of the use of artificial intelligence to actually fight crimes – not just commit the...

The Escape Pod travels back in time to delve into the fascinating and often perilous history of arsenic – not in the committing of crimes, but in the creation of artwork. This episode is a classic case of the human race “living and learning” from past mistakes, so tune in as we unravel the stories of beauty intertwined with toxicity, where the allure of brilliant colors comes at a dire price.

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Marke...

Artificial intelligence, like any technology, has its pros and cons. It can predict words before this writer even thinks of them. Helpful? Sometimes yes. But in this Escape Bite mini-sode, the co-hosts get down-right freaked out by a case of true crime in which AI deepfakes caused an international company to lose millions.

Resources & Links

• DHS report on AI
• CNN article on deepfake scam in Hong Kong
• Guardian article on ...

He is proof that a person’s past does not have to define their future. Mayor Jason Salamun’s mother struggled with addiction. His parents divorced when he was young, and after that, the family’s housing ranged from none at all to crack houses and trailer parks. But his grandparents’ home was safe and loving, and with their encouragement he escaped his challenging childhood, moved to South Dakota to live with his father, and – event...