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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Cults &amp; Sects</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cults-sects--7317508</link><description><![CDATA[Sects don't announce themselves with robes or chanting in the dark. They arrive as a folding table outside a gas station, forty tarot cards fanned across a towel, and a woman named Clarity who remembers your birthday before you tell her twice. That image, ordinary and slightly wrong, is where every story about cults in this show actually begins.<br /><br /> This is a narrated documentary podcast, no host on mic, no studio banter. Each episode reconstructs one real, complete story about cults and sects from the inside out: court transcripts, property records, old sermon tapes, the neighbor who noticed the vans stopped leaving on Sundays. You get names, dates, the specific motel room where a group's story falls apart. Nothing about these cults is summarized in a paragraph and moved past. We sit in the driveway, in the retreat lobby, in the church basement, until the shape of the thing is fully visible.<br /><br /> The subjects range wide but the pattern among these cults repeats: mind control dressed as self-improvement, charismatic leaders who read a room better than they read scripture, communities that promise clarity and deliver isolation. You will hear about a pastor who vanished off Route 9 leaving only ash and a trail of lies nobody wanted to follow. You will hear about a quiet Tennessee retreat where guests stayed long past checkout and long past reason. These are not lectures on cult psychology, they are reconstructed accounts of how ordinary people walked into cults convinced and walked out, if they walked out at all, changed.<br /><br /> If you're drawn to the mechanics of belief, the architecture of control, and the very human reasons people hand their lives to a person who says trust me, this show about cults is built for you. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe, and keep the porch light on for the next one.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7317508/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Documentary</category><copyright>Copyright OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b65d62a79357034a7a391624c933bb07.jpg</url><title>Cults &amp; Sects</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cults-sects--7317508</link></image><lastBuildDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:04:07 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:name><itunes:email>creators@obomedia.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b65d62a79357034a7a391624c933bb07.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Sects don't announce themselves with robes or chanting in the dark. They arrive as a folding table outside a gas station, forty tarot cards fanned across a towel, and a woman named Clarity who remembers your birthday before you tell her twice. That...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Sects don't announce themselves with robes or chanting in the dark. They arrive as a folding table outside a gas station, forty tarot cards fanned across a towel, and a woman named Clarity who remembers your birthday before you tell her twice. That image, ordinary and slightly wrong, is where every story about cults in this show actually begins.<br /><br /> This is a narrated documentary podcast, no host on mic, no studio banter. Each episode reconstructs one real, complete story about cults and sects from the inside out: court transcripts, property records, old sermon tapes, the neighbor who noticed the vans stopped leaving on Sundays. You get names, dates, the specific motel room where a group's story falls apart. Nothing about these cults is summarized in a paragraph and moved past. We sit in the driveway, in the retreat lobby, in the church basement, until the shape of the thing is fully visible.<br /><br /> The subjects range wide but the pattern among these cults repeats: mind control dressed as self-improvement, charismatic leaders who read a room better than they read scripture, communities that promise clarity and deliver isolation. You will hear about a pastor who vanished off Route 9 leaving only ash and a trail of lies nobody wanted to follow. You will hear about a quiet Tennessee retreat where guests stayed long past checkout and long past reason. These are not lectures on cult psychology, they are reconstructed accounts of how ordinary people walked into cults convinced and walked out, if they walked out at all, changed.<br /><br /> If you're drawn to the mechanics of belief, the architecture of control, and the very human reasons people hand their lives to a person who says trust me, this show about cults is built for you. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe, and keep the porch light on for the next one.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture"><itunes:category text="Documentary"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>a5712aad-27b4-54bc-91fe-3a67f2121206</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>The delivery door question that pushed him into building a sealed drum</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-delivery-door-question-that-pushed-him-into-building-a-sealed-drum--74910563</link><description><![CDATA[A delivery-door question at a rural compound leads a septic worker to a sealed drum of identities - how do you fall that far from your own name?<br /><br />The delivery door question that pushed him into building a sealed drum<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that began when a probe rod hit metal thirty-six inches down on an eleven-acre former summer camp in rural Tennessee. The episode traces the Harlan Ridge Mercy Corps' document safekeeping protocol, the people who joined it, and the decisions that left thirty-four identities sealed in a drum - how did everyday routines unravel into this?<br /><br />Person: Kevin Ford<br />Person: Carol Mueller<br />Date: April 4, 2012<br />Location: eleven-acre compound off County Road Seven, rural Tennessee<br />Event: discovery of sealed drum stamped "EMERGENCY DRINKING WATER - HRMC DISASTER RELIEF"<br /><br />- A hired septic technician's probe rod struck steel thirty-six inches down in the north field, prompting a hand-dig that revealed a sealed drum.<br />- The drum's lid bore the stamp "EMERGENCY DRINKING WATER - HRMC DISASTER RELIEF" and contained thirty-four laminated IDs packed with silica gel.<br />- Kevin Ford presented the Harlan Ridge Mercy Corps as a disaster-relief organization and pushed a document safekeeping protocol asking members to surrender passports, driver's licenses, and Social Security cards.<br />- Carol Mueller, a sixty-two-year-old retired librarian, joined after Ford comforted her at a grief workshop, kept a ceramics class as her anchor until outside activities were banned.<br />- A realtor's notes show Ford asked twice about the kitchen delivery door during a 2009 showing, an unusual focus investigators later flagged while tracing how names ended up buried.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910563</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 08:00:05 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910563/0052.mp3" length="18051922" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A delivery-door question at a rural compound leads a septic worker to a sealed drum of identities - how do you fall that far from your own name?&#13;
&#13;
The delivery door question that pushed him into building a sealed drum&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A delivery-door question at a rural compound leads a septic worker to a sealed drum of identities - how do you fall that far from your own name?<br /><br />The delivery door question that pushed him into building a sealed drum<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that began when a probe rod hit metal thirty-six inches down on an eleven-acre former summer camp in rural Tennessee. The episode traces the Harlan Ridge Mercy Corps' document safekeeping protocol, the people who joined it, and the decisions that left thirty-four identities sealed in a drum - how did everyday routines unravel into this?<br /><br />Person: Kevin Ford<br />Person: Carol Mueller<br />Date: April 4, 2012<br />Location: eleven-acre compound off County Road Seven, rural Tennessee<br />Event: discovery of sealed drum stamped "EMERGENCY DRINKING WATER - HRMC DISASTER RELIEF"<br /><br />- A hired septic technician's probe rod struck steel thirty-six inches down in the north field, prompting a hand-dig that revealed a sealed drum.<br />- The drum's lid bore the stamp "EMERGENCY DRINKING WATER - HRMC DISASTER RELIEF" and contained thirty-four laminated IDs packed with silica gel.<br />- Kevin Ford presented the Harlan Ridge Mercy Corps as a disaster-relief organization and pushed a document safekeeping protocol asking members to surrender passports, driver's licenses, and Social Security cards.<br />- Carol Mueller, a sixty-two-year-old retired librarian, joined after Ford comforted her at a grief workshop, kept a ceramics class as her anchor until outside activities were banned.<br />- A realtor's notes show Ford asked twice about the kitchen delivery door during a 2009 showing, an unusual focus investigators later flagged while tracing how names ended up buried.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1129</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A laminated ID badge toppled Clearpath's founder from grace</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-laminated-id-badge-toppled-clearpath-s-founder-from-grace--74910562</link><description><![CDATA[A laminated ID badge in deep snow points to a Victorian recovery house whose routines may crack-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />A laminated ID badge toppled Clearpath's founder from grace<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a single object found on frozen Aldermoor Creek led investigators to scrutinize a small-town recovery house and the systems that ran it. The episode traces daily routines, records, and financial moves to ask how institutional authority was built and maintained.<br /><br />Person: Teresa Bauer<br />Location: Fourteen Aldermoor Road, Harwick Falls, Broome County, New York<br />Date: March 14, 2019 (badge discovery); fall 2017 (Clearpath registration); Feb 28-Mar 9, 2019 (log overlap)<br />Role: Founder and Director of Clearpath Recovery House, Inc.<br />Resident: Megan Coleman, court-referred in January 2019<br /><br />- A laminated ID badge reading TERESA BAUER - CLEARPATH RECOVERY HOUSE - DIRECTOR was found alone on top of fourteen inches of unbroken snow.<br />- Clearpath operated from a converted Victorian at 14 Aldermoor Road, registered in fall 2017 with Teresa listed as founder and director.<br />- Megan Coleman, a twenty-six-year-old county drug-court referral, was assigned routine chores including feeding the house therapy rabbit, Colt, twice daily.<br />- For eleven days (Feb 28-Mar 9, 2019) entries in the rabbit feeding log were written in Teresa Bauer’s handwriting while Megan remained the listed feeder and appeared on a "compliance watch" page.<br />- On March 7, 2019, Dennis Farrell, listed as treasurer and financial co-signer, signed a $4,200 cash withdrawal from Clearpath’s account with the memo "facility supplies" and no receipts attached.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910562</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910562/0051.mp3" length="20483190" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A laminated ID badge in deep snow points to a Victorian recovery house whose routines may crack-how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
A laminated ID badge toppled Clearpath's founder from grace&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a single object found on...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A laminated ID badge in deep snow points to a Victorian recovery house whose routines may crack-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />A laminated ID badge toppled Clearpath's founder from grace<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a single object found on frozen Aldermoor Creek led investigators to scrutinize a small-town recovery house and the systems that ran it. The episode traces daily routines, records, and financial moves to ask how institutional authority was built and maintained.<br /><br />Person: Teresa Bauer<br />Location: Fourteen Aldermoor Road, Harwick Falls, Broome County, New York<br />Date: March 14, 2019 (badge discovery); fall 2017 (Clearpath registration); Feb 28-Mar 9, 2019 (log overlap)<br />Role: Founder and Director of Clearpath Recovery House, Inc.<br />Resident: Megan Coleman, court-referred in January 2019<br /><br />- A laminated ID badge reading TERESA BAUER - CLEARPATH RECOVERY HOUSE - DIRECTOR was found alone on top of fourteen inches of unbroken snow.<br />- Clearpath operated from a converted Victorian at 14 Aldermoor Road, registered in fall 2017 with Teresa listed as founder and director.<br />- Megan Coleman, a twenty-six-year-old county drug-court referral, was assigned routine chores including feeding the house therapy rabbit, Colt, twice daily.<br />- For eleven days (Feb 28-Mar 9, 2019) entries in the rabbit feeding log were written in Teresa Bauer’s handwriting while Megan remained the listed feeder and appeared on a "compliance watch" page.<br />- On March 7, 2019, Dennis Farrell, listed as treasurer and financial co-signer, signed a $4,200 cash withdrawal from Clearpath’s account with the memo "facility supplies" and no receipts attached.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1281</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The loose padlocked hatch that sent Diane Bell tumbling from eight feet</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-loose-padlocked-hatch-that-sent-diane-bell-tumbling-from-eight-feet--74910561</link><description><![CDATA[A slightly ajar, padlocked hatch and a mason jar of forty‑seven names tie a newcomer to a communal art residency-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The loose padlocked hatch that sent Diane Bell tumbling from eight feet<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how Diane Bell arrived at Meridian Works, the communal residency she joined, and the small discoveries and decisions that started to unravel her stay. What did the jar, the Covenant Document, and a missed midnight call set in motion?<br /><br />Person: Diane Bell<br />Person: Wade Callahan<br />Person: Chad Stroud<br />Date: February 28, 2011<br />Topic: Meridian Works residency<br /><br />- Diane drove to Meridian Works with two canvases and a thirty‑day trial agreement and signed the Covenant Document restricting individual attribution.<br />- Wade Callahan, 52, framed the collective as “returning authorship to the room” and introduced the Covenant to residents in the communal dining room.<br />- A padlocked hatch on a steam‑pipe housing was slightly ajar; inside a mason jar held forty‑seven folded paper squares, each with a name.<br />- Chad Stroud, a 16‑year‑old delivery worker, climbed eight feet up a utility wall and found the jar while dropping off invoices; Diane had been inside the building when it was found.<br />- Diane’s brother Pete expected a weekly 2 a.m. proof‑of‑life call; it came on Feb 14, then failed to come on Feb 21, prompting Pete to contact reporter Frances Murphy.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910561</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910561/0050.mp3" length="17692895" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A slightly ajar, padlocked hatch and a mason jar of forty‑seven names tie a newcomer to a communal art residency-how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The loose padlocked hatch that sent Diane Bell tumbling from eight feet&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A slightly ajar, padlocked hatch and a mason jar of forty‑seven names tie a newcomer to a communal art residency-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The loose padlocked hatch that sent Diane Bell tumbling from eight feet<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how Diane Bell arrived at Meridian Works, the communal residency she joined, and the small discoveries and decisions that started to unravel her stay. What did the jar, the Covenant Document, and a missed midnight call set in motion?<br /><br />Person: Diane Bell<br />Person: Wade Callahan<br />Person: Chad Stroud<br />Date: February 28, 2011<br />Topic: Meridian Works residency<br /><br />- Diane drove to Meridian Works with two canvases and a thirty‑day trial agreement and signed the Covenant Document restricting individual attribution.<br />- Wade Callahan, 52, framed the collective as “returning authorship to the room” and introduced the Covenant to residents in the communal dining room.<br />- A padlocked hatch on a steam‑pipe housing was slightly ajar; inside a mason jar held forty‑seven folded paper squares, each with a name.<br />- Chad Stroud, a 16‑year‑old delivery worker, climbed eight feet up a utility wall and found the jar while dropping off invoices; Diane had been inside the building when it was found.<br />- Diane’s brother Pete expected a weekly 2 a.m. proof‑of‑life call; it came on Feb 14, then failed to come on Feb 21, prompting Pete to contact reporter Frances Murphy.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1106</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A ninety‑minute sleep schedule made him stop writing home</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-ninety-minute-sleep-schedule-made-him-stop-writing-home--74910560</link><description><![CDATA[A man leaves a Tuesday bowling league and moves into a farm compound where a radio host enforces a ninety‑minute sleep schedule and bans letters home.<br /><br />A ninety‑minute sleep schedule made him stop writing home<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the path from a small‑town bowling alley to a closed residential compound organized around a late‑night radio host. We trace how sleep rules, finances, and identity control created a system that kept members isolated and why families were left waiting for replies that never came.<br /><br />Person: Richard Andrews<br />Date: March 4, 2002<br />Location: Millgate Farm; Calverton Lanes<br />Person: Michael Voss (recorded name), Dennis Pruett (logbook name)<br />Event: discovery of a lockbox with 214 unsent letters on January 14, 2011<br /><br />- Richard Andrews stopped appearing in the Calverton Lanes attendance log after March 4, 2002, and soon moved to the Millgate Farm compound.<br />- The compound enforced a rotating sleep schedule in ninety‑minute blocks, limiting members to no more than four consecutive hours of sleep.<br />- The compound’s administrator, Donna Fitch, tracked sleep rotations and finances and served as the primary point of contact for members.<br />- The radio show The Anchor Hour, hosted on WKRL after midnight, drew listeners who were awake at odd hours and became a recruitment channel for the compound.<br />- A WKRL personnel logbook entry showed the radio host known as Michael Voss had the legal name Dennis Pruett and a prior fraud conviction under that name.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910560</guid><pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910560/0049.mp3" length="17533234" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A man leaves a Tuesday bowling league and moves into a farm compound where a radio host enforces a ninety‑minute sleep schedule and bans letters home.&#13;
&#13;
A ninety‑minute sleep schedule made him stop writing home&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the path...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A man leaves a Tuesday bowling league and moves into a farm compound where a radio host enforces a ninety‑minute sleep schedule and bans letters home.<br /><br />A ninety‑minute sleep schedule made him stop writing home<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the path from a small‑town bowling alley to a closed residential compound organized around a late‑night radio host. We trace how sleep rules, finances, and identity control created a system that kept members isolated and why families were left waiting for replies that never came.<br /><br />Person: Richard Andrews<br />Date: March 4, 2002<br />Location: Millgate Farm; Calverton Lanes<br />Person: Michael Voss (recorded name), Dennis Pruett (logbook name)<br />Event: discovery of a lockbox with 214 unsent letters on January 14, 2011<br /><br />- Richard Andrews stopped appearing in the Calverton Lanes attendance log after March 4, 2002, and soon moved to the Millgate Farm compound.<br />- The compound enforced a rotating sleep schedule in ninety‑minute blocks, limiting members to no more than four consecutive hours of sleep.<br />- The compound’s administrator, Donna Fitch, tracked sleep rotations and finances and served as the primary point of contact for members.<br />- The radio show The Anchor Hour, hosted on WKRL after midnight, drew listeners who were awake at odd hours and became a recruitment channel for the compound.<br />- A WKRL personnel logbook entry showed the radio host known as Michael Voss had the legal name Dennis Pruett and a prior fraud conviction under that name.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1096</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A 1991 diploma printed on post-2001 paper toppled her career</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-1991-diploma-printed-on-post-2001-paper-toppled-her-career--74910558</link><description><![CDATA[A community director built a learning haven on a doctorate. A lineman found a shed that unraveled it all. How do you fall from that high with the credential at the center?<br /><br />A 1991 diploma printed on post-2001 paper toppled her career<br /><br />In this episode we follow the discovery that pulled back the curtains on Millhaven Learning Center and the people who lived there. We track the paperwork, daily routines, and the paper trail that raised one central question: what happens when the credential that legitimizes a leader is impossible?<br /><br />Person: Carol Barnes, PhD, Director of Learning<br />Location: Millhaven Learning Center, Crestfield County, Tennessee<br />Event: Discovery of eleven children's report cards in an unheated shed<br />Date: December 9, 2011 (power-line repair at 7:14 a.m.)<br />Document: Doctorate diploma dated 1991 printed on post-2001 paper<br /><br />- A TVA lineman, Cheryl Dalton, cut a padlock during an ice-storm repair and found report cards nailed in rows inside a shed that wasn't listed as occupied.<br />- Millhaven registered as a homeschool cooperative in 2003 with filings signed by Carol Barnes listing a doctorate from Harwick University, Ohio.<br />- For eight years county filings and annual compliance reports bearing Barnes's signature and degree were accepted without a single outside visit or audit.<br />- Families lived in a shared-trust structure controlled financially by Barnes; at peak roughly thirty-one adults and children resided and learned at Millhaven.<br />- Resident Dean Price kept a handwritten journal of rotating early-morning "voluntary reflection" sessions and made a weekly fourteen-mile trip to his brother's house, where he maintained outside contact.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910558</guid><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 08:00:05 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910558/0048.mp3" length="17832493" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A community director built a learning haven on a doctorate. A lineman found a shed that unraveled it all. How do you fall from that high with the credential at the center?&#13;
&#13;
A 1991 diploma printed on post-2001 paper toppled her career&#13;
&#13;
In this...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A community director built a learning haven on a doctorate. A lineman found a shed that unraveled it all. How do you fall from that high with the credential at the center?<br /><br />A 1991 diploma printed on post-2001 paper toppled her career<br /><br />In this episode we follow the discovery that pulled back the curtains on Millhaven Learning Center and the people who lived there. We track the paperwork, daily routines, and the paper trail that raised one central question: what happens when the credential that legitimizes a leader is impossible?<br /><br />Person: Carol Barnes, PhD, Director of Learning<br />Location: Millhaven Learning Center, Crestfield County, Tennessee<br />Event: Discovery of eleven children's report cards in an unheated shed<br />Date: December 9, 2011 (power-line repair at 7:14 a.m.)<br />Document: Doctorate diploma dated 1991 printed on post-2001 paper<br /><br />- A TVA lineman, Cheryl Dalton, cut a padlock during an ice-storm repair and found report cards nailed in rows inside a shed that wasn't listed as occupied.<br />- Millhaven registered as a homeschool cooperative in 2003 with filings signed by Carol Barnes listing a doctorate from Harwick University, Ohio.<br />- For eight years county filings and annual compliance reports bearing Barnes's signature and degree were accepted without a single outside visit or audit.<br />- Families lived in a shared-trust structure controlled financially by Barnes; at peak roughly thirty-one adults and children resided and learned at Millhaven.<br />- Resident Dean Price kept a handwritten journal of rotating early-morning "voluntary reflection" sessions and made a weekly fourteen-mile trip to his brother's house, where he maintained outside contact.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1115</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The ledger Kimberly buried under the floor toppled his empire</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ledger-kimberly-buried-under-the-floor-toppled-his-empire--74910557</link><description><![CDATA[A hidden ledger surfaces on a Pelican Wharf life ring, threatening the man who built it; how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The ledger Kimberly buried under the floor toppled his empire<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a zip-lock bag on a life ring and a second ledger buried under a cannery floor set in motion an investigation into the Tide Cooperative. The story traces who joined the coop, what promises were made, and the small decisions that allowed a deception to grow - and asks who put the ledger where they knew it would be found.<br /><br />Person: Sarah Holt<br />Person: Leon Long<br />Person: Kimberly Wilson<br />Location: Slip Seven Cannery, Pelican Wharf Road, Harrow Point<br />Date: November 9, 2011<br /><br />- A runner finds a zip-lock bag taped to a life ring at Piling Four containing twenty-two pages of handwritten financial records.<br />- The life ring is stamped with the registration for Slip Seven Cannery, and the pages are dry and deliberately ordered.<br />- The Tide Cooperative operated from a converted cannery with twenty-two members living and working under a five-year covenant called the Tide Cooperative.<br />- Leon Long presented himself as a former union representative and cannery manager, but port records show a 1997 dismissal for misappropriation and no union affiliation.<br />- Kimberly Wilson, an accountant recruited after repeated encounters on the Harbor Loop Trail, was assigned fish weights instead of accounting - a decision that concealed the one skill that would expose the coop.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910557</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910557/0047.mp3" length="18382527" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A hidden ledger surfaces on a Pelican Wharf life ring, threatening the man who built it; how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The ledger Kimberly buried under the floor toppled his empire&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a zip-lock bag on a life ring...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A hidden ledger surfaces on a Pelican Wharf life ring, threatening the man who built it; how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The ledger Kimberly buried under the floor toppled his empire<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a zip-lock bag on a life ring and a second ledger buried under a cannery floor set in motion an investigation into the Tide Cooperative. The story traces who joined the coop, what promises were made, and the small decisions that allowed a deception to grow - and asks who put the ledger where they knew it would be found.<br /><br />Person: Sarah Holt<br />Person: Leon Long<br />Person: Kimberly Wilson<br />Location: Slip Seven Cannery, Pelican Wharf Road, Harrow Point<br />Date: November 9, 2011<br /><br />- A runner finds a zip-lock bag taped to a life ring at Piling Four containing twenty-two pages of handwritten financial records.<br />- The life ring is stamped with the registration for Slip Seven Cannery, and the pages are dry and deliberately ordered.<br />- The Tide Cooperative operated from a converted cannery with twenty-two members living and working under a five-year covenant called the Tide Cooperative.<br />- Leon Long presented himself as a former union representative and cannery manager, but port records show a 1997 dismissal for misappropriation and no union affiliation.<br />- Kimberly Wilson, an accountant recruited after repeated encounters on the Harbor Loop Trail, was assigned fish weights instead of accounting - a decision that concealed the one skill that would expose the coop.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1149</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The photocopied Leiden transcript that taught him to convince forty-four people</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-photocopied-leiden-transcript-that-taught-him-to-convince-forty-four-people--74910556</link><description><![CDATA[A man with a photocopied Leiden transcript builds a language and convinces forty‑four people to abandon English - how does that happen?<br /><br />The photocopied Leiden transcript that taught him to convince forty-four people<br /><br />In this episode, we recount how a copied university transcript helped a newcomer assemble a secluded language community and the choices that bound strangers together. What methods and rules transformed curiosity about linguistics into a strict everyday system?<br /><br />Person: Roger Kowalski<br />Location: Harlan Creek compound, unincorporated Orvane County near Dellwick<br />Date: October 19, 2011<br />Event: Forty-four members absent; compound found with settings laid and one child's shoe<br />Topic: Creation and enforcement of the constructed language Aethon<br /><br />- Kowalski arrived in 2007 carrying a photocopy of a University of Leiden doctoral transcript and presented himself as a linguist.<br />- He recruited people with language interests, promising a complete phonology, grammar, and a living speech community called Aethon.<br />- The immersion threshold required thirty days of learning, then exclusive use of Aethon in communal spaces; English became “the old noise.”<br />- Infractions were logged by Tom Seidel in a composition notebook with 1,140 entries; punishments included reduced sleep, food rationing, and isolation.<br />- Bev Marsh enforced punishments and controlled food and sleep schedules, turning ledger entries into tangible penalties.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910556</guid><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910556/0046.mp3" length="22151265" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A man with a photocopied Leiden transcript builds a language and convinces forty‑four people to abandon English - how does that happen?&#13;
&#13;
The photocopied Leiden transcript that taught him to convince forty-four people&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we recount...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A man with a photocopied Leiden transcript builds a language and convinces forty‑four people to abandon English - how does that happen?<br /><br />The photocopied Leiden transcript that taught him to convince forty-four people<br /><br />In this episode, we recount how a copied university transcript helped a newcomer assemble a secluded language community and the choices that bound strangers together. What methods and rules transformed curiosity about linguistics into a strict everyday system?<br /><br />Person: Roger Kowalski<br />Location: Harlan Creek compound, unincorporated Orvane County near Dellwick<br />Date: October 19, 2011<br />Event: Forty-four members absent; compound found with settings laid and one child's shoe<br />Topic: Creation and enforcement of the constructed language Aethon<br /><br />- Kowalski arrived in 2007 carrying a photocopy of a University of Leiden doctoral transcript and presented himself as a linguist.<br />- He recruited people with language interests, promising a complete phonology, grammar, and a living speech community called Aethon.<br />- The immersion threshold required thirty days of learning, then exclusive use of Aethon in communal spaces; English became “the old noise.”<br />- Infractions were logged by Tom Seidel in a composition notebook with 1,140 entries; punishments included reduced sleep, food rationing, and isolation.<br />- Bev Marsh enforced punishments and controlled food and sleep schedules, turning ledger entries into tangible penalties.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1385</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The pre-labeled eleven-slot grid waited - then filled, and she vanished</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-pre-labeled-eleven-slot-grid-waited-then-filled-and-she-vanished--74910555</link><description><![CDATA[An Ohio art teacher enters a troupe meeting, finds a grid nailed to a storage-unit wall - then she disappears. Where is she?<br /><br />The pre-labeled eleven-slot grid waited - then filled, and she vanished<br /><br />In this episode, we trace how a familiar routine-Tuesday coffee and wheat toast-was interrupted when Gina McCarthy joined a local ensemble and then stopped returning to her life. We outline the group's structure, membership timeline, and the discovery that the group's identity system existed before its members, raising the question: what happens when a role replaces a person?<br /><br />Person: Gina McCarthy<br />Location: Harwick, Ohio<br />Event: Joined Meridian Players September 2007; ceased attending Arlo's Diner<br />Organization: Meridian Players, founded 2005 by Jerry O'Brien<br />Evidence: Eleven-slot laminated headshot grid pre-labeled by role in a storage unit leased 2005<br /><br />- Gina was a long-time middle-school art teacher, fifty-four, recently divorced, whose Tuesday diner routine stopped in September 2007.<br />- Jerry O'Brien recruited members into the Meridian Players, charging $400/month "role fees" and assigning in-life character roles called The Role.<br />- O'Brien claimed a BFA from the Cincinnati Conservatory (class of 2001); later checks found no enrollment record and a true degree in marketing.<br />- The storage unit lease dated 2005 held an eleven-slot headshot grid pre-labeled by role names, with two slots left blank until filled later.<br />- Sandra Voss joined in 2006, later refused her birth name and was recorded as Jane Doe at intake, illustrating how role adoption affected members' self-identification.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910555</guid><pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910555/0045.mp3" length="17880976" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>An Ohio art teacher enters a troupe meeting, finds a grid nailed to a storage-unit wall - then she disappears. Where is she?&#13;
&#13;
The pre-labeled eleven-slot grid waited - then filled, and she vanished&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we trace how a familiar...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[An Ohio art teacher enters a troupe meeting, finds a grid nailed to a storage-unit wall - then she disappears. Where is she?<br /><br />The pre-labeled eleven-slot grid waited - then filled, and she vanished<br /><br />In this episode, we trace how a familiar routine-Tuesday coffee and wheat toast-was interrupted when Gina McCarthy joined a local ensemble and then stopped returning to her life. We outline the group's structure, membership timeline, and the discovery that the group's identity system existed before its members, raising the question: what happens when a role replaces a person?<br /><br />Person: Gina McCarthy<br />Location: Harwick, Ohio<br />Event: Joined Meridian Players September 2007; ceased attending Arlo's Diner<br />Organization: Meridian Players, founded 2005 by Jerry O'Brien<br />Evidence: Eleven-slot laminated headshot grid pre-labeled by role in a storage unit leased 2005<br /><br />- Gina was a long-time middle-school art teacher, fifty-four, recently divorced, whose Tuesday diner routine stopped in September 2007.<br />- Jerry O'Brien recruited members into the Meridian Players, charging $400/month "role fees" and assigning in-life character roles called The Role.<br />- O'Brien claimed a BFA from the Cincinnati Conservatory (class of 2001); later checks found no enrollment record and a true degree in marketing.<br />- The storage unit lease dated 2005 held an eleven-slot headshot grid pre-labeled by role names, with two slots left blank until filled later.<br />- Sandra Voss joined in 2006, later refused her birth name and was recorded as Jane Doe at intake, illustrating how role adoption affected members' self-identification.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1118</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A zip-tied binder facing the trail pushed a camp to collapse</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-zip-tied-binder-facing-the-trail-pushed-a-camp-to-collapse--74910553</link><description><![CDATA[A zip-tied binder labeled "RENEWAL CIRCLE FINANCIAL RECORD" sits by a gated camp trail - who on the other side of the fence found it?<br /><br />A zip-tied binder facing the trail pushed a camp to collapse<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries and decisions that led investigators and a local reporter toward a converted summer camp called Hollow Pines and the Renewal Circle that occupied it. We outline how recruitment, paperwork, and conflicting ledgers set up a deeper mystery about money, control, and a single exit that broke the group's silence. What happened inside that fence, and who chose to leave evidence where a dog would find it?<br /><br />Person: Kelly Chambers<br />Location: Hollow Pines, Garner County<br />Date: August 3, 2019<br />Amount: $214,000<br />Topic: Renewal Circle financial and recruitment practices<br /><br />- A woman walking a trail stopped because her dog found a three-ring binder zip-tied to a sapling outside the camp fence.<br />- Kelly Chambers presented herself in a uniform, drove a branded van, used a clipboard, and recruited people as a supposed nutritional-supplement contractor.<br />- Members handed over money totaling figures that appear in two different ledgers kept in the same handwriting.<br />- A former member photocopied internal financial pages showing $214,000 and passed them to reporter Sherry Smith, who verified discrepancies with public records.<br />- Letters from member Harvey Carter were reviewed and approved by Chambers before mailing, and his last notes differed in voice from his earlier correspondence.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910553</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910553/0044.mp3" length="19190025" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A zip-tied binder labeled "RENEWAL CIRCLE FINANCIAL RECORD" sits by a gated camp trail - who on the other side of the fence found it?&#13;
&#13;
A zip-tied binder facing the trail pushed a camp to collapse&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the sequence of...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A zip-tied binder labeled "RENEWAL CIRCLE FINANCIAL RECORD" sits by a gated camp trail - who on the other side of the fence found it?<br /><br />A zip-tied binder facing the trail pushed a camp to collapse<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries and decisions that led investigators and a local reporter toward a converted summer camp called Hollow Pines and the Renewal Circle that occupied it. We outline how recruitment, paperwork, and conflicting ledgers set up a deeper mystery about money, control, and a single exit that broke the group's silence. What happened inside that fence, and who chose to leave evidence where a dog would find it?<br /><br />Person: Kelly Chambers<br />Location: Hollow Pines, Garner County<br />Date: August 3, 2019<br />Amount: $214,000<br />Topic: Renewal Circle financial and recruitment practices<br /><br />- A woman walking a trail stopped because her dog found a three-ring binder zip-tied to a sapling outside the camp fence.<br />- Kelly Chambers presented herself in a uniform, drove a branded van, used a clipboard, and recruited people as a supposed nutritional-supplement contractor.<br />- Members handed over money totaling figures that appear in two different ledgers kept in the same handwriting.<br />- A former member photocopied internal financial pages showing $214,000 and passed them to reporter Sherry Smith, who verified discrepancies with public records.<br />- Letters from member Harvey Carter were reviewed and approved by Chambers before mailing, and his last notes differed in voice from his earlier correspondence.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1200</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The laminated RESTORED CIRCLE badge snagged the line and sent him under</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-restored-circle-badge-snagged-the-line-and-sent-him-under--74910552</link><description><![CDATA[A laminated RESTORED CIRCLE badge washed up on a rural creek bank, and a missing member of a grief group vanished without a clear path back.<br /><br />The laminated RESTORED CIRCLE badge snagged the line and sent him under<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a dry, laminated badge pulled from a trotline became the first clue in a disappearance tied to a rural grief group and its leader. What choices and movements led a man from his life into a creek nobody could have reached by land?<br /><br />Person: Kevin Fitch<br />Date: July 14, 2019<br />Location: Dunner Creek, Kettrick Reservoir, Harlan County, Tennessee<br />Person: Chad McCarthy<br />Person: Denise Wilson<br /><br />- Bruce Pruitt checked a trotline at 5:40 a.m. and pulled up two catfish, a second section of line, then a laminated badge labeled RESTORED CIRCLE - SHEPHERD LEVEL three.<br />- The badge was perfectly dry despite being submerged and was found twelve miles from the nearest access point to its supposed origin.<br />- Kevin Fitch had been missing for seventy-two hours when the badge was recovered; he had attended the Quiet Waters Circle and signed two financial authorization forms totaling $34,000.<br />- Chad McCarthy leased a converted feed store and ran the Quiet Waters Circle presenting it as a restoration community while displaying a 2017 certificate from a Florida institution dissolved in 2015.<br />- Denise Wilson, who joined in spring 2018, moved rapidly from attendee to Circle Steward and altered routines she kept after attending extended sessions at the feed store.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910552</guid><pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910552/0043.mp3" length="19951964" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A laminated RESTORED CIRCLE badge washed up on a rural creek bank, and a missing member of a grief group vanished without a clear path back.&#13;
&#13;
The laminated RESTORED CIRCLE badge snagged the line and sent him under&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A laminated RESTORED CIRCLE badge washed up on a rural creek bank, and a missing member of a grief group vanished without a clear path back.<br /><br />The laminated RESTORED CIRCLE badge snagged the line and sent him under<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a dry, laminated badge pulled from a trotline became the first clue in a disappearance tied to a rural grief group and its leader. What choices and movements led a man from his life into a creek nobody could have reached by land?<br /><br />Person: Kevin Fitch<br />Date: July 14, 2019<br />Location: Dunner Creek, Kettrick Reservoir, Harlan County, Tennessee<br />Person: Chad McCarthy<br />Person: Denise Wilson<br /><br />- Bruce Pruitt checked a trotline at 5:40 a.m. and pulled up two catfish, a second section of line, then a laminated badge labeled RESTORED CIRCLE - SHEPHERD LEVEL three.<br />- The badge was perfectly dry despite being submerged and was found twelve miles from the nearest access point to its supposed origin.<br />- Kevin Fitch had been missing for seventy-two hours when the badge was recovered; he had attended the Quiet Waters Circle and signed two financial authorization forms totaling $34,000.<br />- Chad McCarthy leased a converted feed store and ran the Quiet Waters Circle presenting it as a restoration community while displaying a 2017 certificate from a Florida institution dissolved in 2015.<br />- Denise Wilson, who joined in spring 2018, moved rapidly from attendee to Circle Steward and altered routines she kept after attending extended sessions at the feed store.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1247</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The drill hole that let the extension cord topple their world</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-drill-hole-that-let-the-extension-cord-topple-their-world--74910551</link><description><![CDATA[A kitchen timer kept counting at a compound on Pritchard Road - how do you fall from that high when a leader rewrites everyone’s life?<br /><br />The drill hole that let the extension cord topple their world<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that started a long investigation: a digital kitchen timer zip-tied to a post, an extension cord run through a drilled wall, and a locked compound that kept counting after a prophesied end date. We trace how people were recruited, what they surrendered, and the small details that exposed a constructed life - but what they ultimately faced remains the question.<br /><br />Date: June 22, 2019<br />Location: Pritchard Road compound, Harwick County<br />Person: Wayne Mason (surveyor)<br />Person: Gail Pruitt<br />Person: Todd Petersen<br /><br />- A kitchen timer was found zip-tied to a wooden post outside a padlocked gate, counting up from June 14.<br />- An orange extension cord ran through a clean 3/4-inch drill hole in the compound wall and was dry despite recent rain.<br />- Members had lived inside the Covenant of the Returning Light compound since 2013, with one supervised weekly call allowed.<br />- Gail Pruitt liquidated savings, signed power of attorney, and moved into the compound after attending Todd Petersen’s group.<br />- Journalist Donna Becker could not verify Petersen’s missionary biography; references in the group packet were disconnected or defunct.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910551</guid><pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910551/0042.mp3" length="20118730" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A kitchen timer kept counting at a compound on Pritchard Road - how do you fall from that high when a leader rewrites everyone’s life?&#13;
&#13;
The drill hole that let the extension cord topple their world&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery that...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A kitchen timer kept counting at a compound on Pritchard Road - how do you fall from that high when a leader rewrites everyone’s life?<br /><br />The drill hole that let the extension cord topple their world<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that started a long investigation: a digital kitchen timer zip-tied to a post, an extension cord run through a drilled wall, and a locked compound that kept counting after a prophesied end date. We trace how people were recruited, what they surrendered, and the small details that exposed a constructed life - but what they ultimately faced remains the question.<br /><br />Date: June 22, 2019<br />Location: Pritchard Road compound, Harwick County<br />Person: Wayne Mason (surveyor)<br />Person: Gail Pruitt<br />Person: Todd Petersen<br /><br />- A kitchen timer was found zip-tied to a wooden post outside a padlocked gate, counting up from June 14.<br />- An orange extension cord ran through a clean 3/4-inch drill hole in the compound wall and was dry despite recent rain.<br />- Members had lived inside the Covenant of the Returning Light compound since 2013, with one supervised weekly call allowed.<br />- Gail Pruitt liquidated savings, signed power of attorney, and moved into the compound after attending Todd Petersen’s group.<br />- Journalist Donna Becker could not verify Petersen’s missionary biography; references in the group packet were disconnected or defunct.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1258</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The laminated badge that stopped his resignation and toppled his life</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-badge-that-stopped-his-resignation-and-toppled-his-life--74910550</link><description><![CDATA[A laminated badge found in a septic tank links a routine inspection to a rural agricultural fellowship and a man whose life unravels.<br /><br />The laminated badge that stopped his resignation and toppled his life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a mundane discovery during a septic inspection exposes the day-to-day rhythms, rules, and transactions inside a self-sufficient agricultural fellowship. The episode traces who joined, how control was maintained, and what that badge begins to reveal about the fellowship’s structure and secrets. What happens next to the people who lived there?<br /><br />Person: Tammy Morris<br />Person: Neil<br />Person: Clark<br />Location: rural Tennessee<br />Event: laminated badge found in septic tank<br /><br />- Tammy Morris, three hours into a septic inspection, finds a dry, face-up laminated badge stamped Sandra Lyle at 7:14 a.m.<br />- The badge had been buried about twelve years under farmland on a property run by Clark, who called the place "the work."<br />- Members lived by strict staggered sleep windows and a "mutual accountability" rule that kept no two people alone and unsupervised.<br />- Financial transfer: $340,000 in agricultural equipment was signed over to Clark within fourteen months of Neil joining, recorded with no cash exchange.<br />- Family link: Frank, a member and retired county agent, was Neil’s father; Frank’s unsent letter asking when he could return was found locked in Clark’s cabinet under the name Sandra Lyle.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910550</guid><pubDate>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 08:00:05 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910550/0041.mp3" length="22259935" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A laminated badge found in a septic tank links a routine inspection to a rural agricultural fellowship and a man whose life unravels.&#13;
&#13;
The laminated badge that stopped his resignation and toppled his life&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a mundane...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A laminated badge found in a septic tank links a routine inspection to a rural agricultural fellowship and a man whose life unravels.<br /><br />The laminated badge that stopped his resignation and toppled his life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a mundane discovery during a septic inspection exposes the day-to-day rhythms, rules, and transactions inside a self-sufficient agricultural fellowship. The episode traces who joined, how control was maintained, and what that badge begins to reveal about the fellowship’s structure and secrets. What happens next to the people who lived there?<br /><br />Person: Tammy Morris<br />Person: Neil<br />Person: Clark<br />Location: rural Tennessee<br />Event: laminated badge found in septic tank<br /><br />- Tammy Morris, three hours into a septic inspection, finds a dry, face-up laminated badge stamped Sandra Lyle at 7:14 a.m.<br />- The badge had been buried about twelve years under farmland on a property run by Clark, who called the place "the work."<br />- Members lived by strict staggered sleep windows and a "mutual accountability" rule that kept no two people alone and unsupervised.<br />- Financial transfer: $340,000 in agricultural equipment was signed over to Clark within fourteen months of Neil joining, recorded with no cash exchange.<br />- Family link: Frank, a member and retired county agent, was Neil’s father; Frank’s unsent letter asking when he could return was found locked in Clark’s cabinet under the name Sandra Lyle.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1392</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The keypad upgrade that locked the doors - how Gail fell from sixty feet</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-keypad-upgrade-that-locked-the-doors-how-gail-fell-from-sixty-feet--74910549</link><description><![CDATA[A laminated guest badge found in an osprey nest points to a woman who vanished after arriving for a wellness reset; how do you fall from sixty feet?<br /><br />The keypad upgrade that locked the doors - how Gail fell from sixty feet<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the gap between arrival and discovery at a rural wellness retreat and the trail of paperwork, people, and systems that surround it. What do a missing checkout, new keypad codes, and a badge in a bird's nest reveal about control and exits?<br /><br />Person: Gail Hughes<br />Date: Arrival June 3, 2018; Badge found April 14, 2019; Wire transfer March 7, 2019<br />Location: Pineridge Collective, 340 acres in Crestfield County, Harwick<br />Person: Todd Hunt<br />Event: Facility-wide exterior keypad upgrade logged February 2019<br /><br />- Gail checked in for a two-week visit on June 3, 2018, paid the standard rate, and never recorded a checkout.<br />- In February 2019, Todd Hunt logged an upgrade that made all exterior door codes staff-only, removing guest exit access.<br />- A laminated guest badge for Gail was found wedged in an osprey nest sixty feet up a longleaf pine on April 14, 2019.<br />- The Collective’s ledger records an $8,400 wire transfer in Gail’s name labeled a “gratitude tithe” on March 7, 2019, processed at the single internet terminal staffed by Hunt.<br />- Investigators uncovered multiple paper trails and a filing cabinet of documents, plus a handwritten note described as a precise escape plan found inside the group’s records.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910549</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:43 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910549/0040.mp3" length="21109711" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A laminated guest badge found in an osprey nest points to a woman who vanished after arriving for a wellness reset; how do you fall from sixty feet?&#13;
&#13;
The keypad upgrade that locked the doors - how Gail fell from sixty feet&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A laminated guest badge found in an osprey nest points to a woman who vanished after arriving for a wellness reset; how do you fall from sixty feet?<br /><br />The keypad upgrade that locked the doors - how Gail fell from sixty feet<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the gap between arrival and discovery at a rural wellness retreat and the trail of paperwork, people, and systems that surround it. What do a missing checkout, new keypad codes, and a badge in a bird's nest reveal about control and exits?<br /><br />Person: Gail Hughes<br />Date: Arrival June 3, 2018; Badge found April 14, 2019; Wire transfer March 7, 2019<br />Location: Pineridge Collective, 340 acres in Crestfield County, Harwick<br />Person: Todd Hunt<br />Event: Facility-wide exterior keypad upgrade logged February 2019<br /><br />- Gail checked in for a two-week visit on June 3, 2018, paid the standard rate, and never recorded a checkout.<br />- In February 2019, Todd Hunt logged an upgrade that made all exterior door codes staff-only, removing guest exit access.<br />- A laminated guest badge for Gail was found wedged in an osprey nest sixty feet up a longleaf pine on April 14, 2019.<br />- The Collective’s ledger records an $8,400 wire transfer in Gail’s name labeled a “gratitude tithe” on March 7, 2019, processed at the single internet terminal staffed by Hunt.<br />- Investigators uncovered multiple paper trails and a filing cabinet of documents, plus a handwritten note described as a precise escape plan found inside the group’s records.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1320</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A warped grain‑barn latch let them walk in - and everything fell apart</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-warped-grain-barn-latch-let-them-walk-in-and-everything-fell-apart--74910548</link><description><![CDATA[A paperboy finds a child's dry shoe at a remote farm; a warped barn latch is the only way in. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />A warped grain‑barn latch let them walk in - and everything fell apart<br /><br />In this episode a single strange object on a rural mailbox triggers an investigation into life on a leased farm occupied by a group called The Remnant. We trace who lived there, what systems kept them separated, and the small clues - from food orders to a zoning letter - that begin to unravel the community; what do those clues mean for the people who walked onto the property that morning?<br /><br />Person: Eric Reed<br />Person: Carol Mueller<br />Person: Peggy Harris<br />Date: March 14, 2011<br />Location: Harlow Road farm<br /><br />- Peggy Harris, a sixteen‑year‑old paper carrier, found a single dry child's shoe upright inside a mailbox at 6:40 a.m.<br />- The Remnant had occupied the thirty‑four‑acre leased farm for twenty‑two months before the shoe was found.<br />- Eric Reed presented himself as an ordained missionary with overseas experience, but investigators later found his ordination and mission claims were fabricated.<br />- Every entrance to the main structure was wired to a single alarm panel controlled by Reed, except a grain‑barn side door with a warped frame and unconnected latch.<br />- Food‑bank delivery logs from June 2010 to March 2011 ordered portions sized for fourteen people, including child portions, while the lease listed seven adult residents.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910548</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910548/0039.mp3" length="17703344" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A paperboy finds a child's dry shoe at a remote farm; a warped barn latch is the only way in. How do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
A warped grain‑barn latch let them walk in - and everything fell apart&#13;
&#13;
In this episode a single strange object on a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A paperboy finds a child's dry shoe at a remote farm; a warped barn latch is the only way in. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />A warped grain‑barn latch let them walk in - and everything fell apart<br /><br />In this episode a single strange object on a rural mailbox triggers an investigation into life on a leased farm occupied by a group called The Remnant. We trace who lived there, what systems kept them separated, and the small clues - from food orders to a zoning letter - that begin to unravel the community; what do those clues mean for the people who walked onto the property that morning?<br /><br />Person: Eric Reed<br />Person: Carol Mueller<br />Person: Peggy Harris<br />Date: March 14, 2011<br />Location: Harlow Road farm<br /><br />- Peggy Harris, a sixteen‑year‑old paper carrier, found a single dry child's shoe upright inside a mailbox at 6:40 a.m.<br />- The Remnant had occupied the thirty‑four‑acre leased farm for twenty‑two months before the shoe was found.<br />- Eric Reed presented himself as an ordained missionary with overseas experience, but investigators later found his ordination and mission claims were fabricated.<br />- Every entrance to the main structure was wired to a single alarm panel controlled by Reed, except a grain‑barn side door with a warped frame and unconnected latch.<br />- Food‑bank delivery logs from June 2010 to March 2011 ordered portions sized for fourteen people, including child portions, while the lease listed seven adult residents.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1107</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The home‑printed license that toppled a psychologist's life</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-home-printed-license-that-toppled-a-psychologist-s-life--74910547</link><description><![CDATA[A lonely logistics manager joins a secretive self‑help group, then vanishes from the life he once kept-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The home‑printed license that toppled a psychologist's life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the sequence of small, ordinary choices that led Ryan Walsh into The Clarity Circle and the odd clues that followed his disappearance. We trace introductions, routines, and documents that gradually turn routine patterns into questions about intent and control.<br /><br />Person: Ryan Walsh<br />Person: George Murphy<br />Location: Briar Mill Road, Harwick, Ohio<br />Date: February 9, 2021<br />Event: One hundred and forty handwritten journals left in a crate labeled "CLARITY ARCHIVE"<br /><br />- Ryan Walsh drove a predictable weekly schedule: six years volunteering at the Harwick Food Pantry every Tuesday evening.<br />- George Murphy displayed a framed Ohio psychologist license printed on a home inkjet in 2019; the state has no record of the number.<br />- Murphy recruited Ryan after repeatedly appearing at the same Costco where Ryan shopped and introducing himself as a timely encounter.<br />- The Clarity Circle required members to hand over daily journals, which Diane Coble collected and summarized for Murphy.<br />- Ryan's pantry sign‑in ends August 13, 2020 at 7:03 p.m., then eighteen blank lines appear before his name again.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910547</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:34 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910547/0038.mp3" length="20588516" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A lonely logistics manager joins a secretive self‑help group, then vanishes from the life he once kept-how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The home‑printed license that toppled a psychologist's life&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the sequence of small,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A lonely logistics manager joins a secretive self‑help group, then vanishes from the life he once kept-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The home‑printed license that toppled a psychologist's life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the sequence of small, ordinary choices that led Ryan Walsh into The Clarity Circle and the odd clues that followed his disappearance. We trace introductions, routines, and documents that gradually turn routine patterns into questions about intent and control.<br /><br />Person: Ryan Walsh<br />Person: George Murphy<br />Location: Briar Mill Road, Harwick, Ohio<br />Date: February 9, 2021<br />Event: One hundred and forty handwritten journals left in a crate labeled "CLARITY ARCHIVE"<br /><br />- Ryan Walsh drove a predictable weekly schedule: six years volunteering at the Harwick Food Pantry every Tuesday evening.<br />- George Murphy displayed a framed Ohio psychologist license printed on a home inkjet in 2019; the state has no record of the number.<br />- Murphy recruited Ryan after repeatedly appearing at the same Costco where Ryan shopped and introducing himself as a timely encounter.<br />- The Clarity Circle required members to hand over daily journals, which Diane Coble collected and summarized for Murphy.<br />- Ryan's pantry sign‑in ends August 13, 2020 at 7:03 p.m., then eighteen blank lines appear before his name again.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1287</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A single polished oxford standing on the gate toppled his life</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-single-polished-oxford-standing-on-the-gate-toppled-his-life--74910546</link><description><![CDATA[A polished men’s oxford on a cattle gate outside an Oregon compound signals trouble-what happened to the missing man?<br /><br />A single polished oxford standing on the gate toppled his life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that set a quiet county journalist and a sister on a collision course with a secluded foundation on Dellwood Ranch. We trace the small, specific signs-letters, withdrawals, a solitary shoe-that suggest something organized and deliberate: what do they mean and who is sending them?<br /><br />Person: Ralph Vickers<br />Location: Dellwood Ranch, Camas County, Oregon<br />Date: January 19, 2011; letter received January 3, 2011; foundation active since January 2009<br />Event: polished men’s oxford found on eastern cattle gate with no footprints or vehicle tracks<br />Organization: Clarity Path Foundation; founder Gordon Weaver; manager Donna Pratt<br /><br />- Cheryl Zeller, a Pacific Cascade utility lineman, found a size ten polished black oxford standing upright on the middle rung of the eastern cattle gate at 7:14 a.m.<br />- The overnight low was 22°F and there were no footprints in the frost and no vehicle tracks within 200 feet of the gate.<br />- A typed letter, postmarked Harrow Creek and signed “Ralph Vickers,” arrived at his sister Linda’s mailbox on January 3 but the signature did not match his known handwriting.<br />- Ralph Vickers, a former middle-school earth science teacher, moved onto Dellwood Ranch in February 2009 and lived inside the Clarity Path Foundation system for two years after his wife’s death.<br />- The foundation’s finances show monthly $4,200 withdrawals labeled “transport, medical,” routed through Donna Pratt, and Weaver later admitted they funded off-the-books supplement purchases tied to a “mineral protocol.”<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910546</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910546/0037.mp3" length="19388137" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A polished men’s oxford on a cattle gate outside an Oregon compound signals trouble-what happened to the missing man?&#13;
&#13;
A single polished oxford standing on the gate toppled his life&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery that set a quiet county...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A polished men’s oxford on a cattle gate outside an Oregon compound signals trouble-what happened to the missing man?<br /><br />A single polished oxford standing on the gate toppled his life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that set a quiet county journalist and a sister on a collision course with a secluded foundation on Dellwood Ranch. We trace the small, specific signs-letters, withdrawals, a solitary shoe-that suggest something organized and deliberate: what do they mean and who is sending them?<br /><br />Person: Ralph Vickers<br />Location: Dellwood Ranch, Camas County, Oregon<br />Date: January 19, 2011; letter received January 3, 2011; foundation active since January 2009<br />Event: polished men’s oxford found on eastern cattle gate with no footprints or vehicle tracks<br />Organization: Clarity Path Foundation; founder Gordon Weaver; manager Donna Pratt<br /><br />- Cheryl Zeller, a Pacific Cascade utility lineman, found a size ten polished black oxford standing upright on the middle rung of the eastern cattle gate at 7:14 a.m.<br />- The overnight low was 22°F and there were no footprints in the frost and no vehicle tracks within 200 feet of the gate.<br />- A typed letter, postmarked Harrow Creek and signed “Ralph Vickers,” arrived at his sister Linda’s mailbox on January 3 but the signature did not match his known handwriting.<br />- Ralph Vickers, a former middle-school earth science teacher, moved onto Dellwood Ranch in February 2009 and lived inside the Clarity Path Foundation system for two years after his wife’s death.<br />- The foundation’s finances show monthly $4,200 withdrawals labeled “transport, medical,” routed through Donna Pratt, and Weaver later admitted they funded off-the-books supplement purchases tied to a “mineral protocol.”<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1212</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The folded wool coat that made her walk into nineteen‑degree dark</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-folded-wool-coat-that-made-her-walk-into-nineteen-degree-dark--74910545</link><description><![CDATA[A charcoal-gray wool coat sits on a stone gate post at Pinebrook Family Camp, and a scheduled gate guard has vanished - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The folded wool coat that made her walk into nineteen‑degree dark<br /><br />In this episode, we lay out the moment that starts an investigation: a runner finds a neatly folded coat on a gate at 6:14 a.m., a community built on rules and surveillance that reports no missing person, and the sparse trail investigators must follow. What does a community's rules, a ledger entry, and a single discarded garment tell us about who went across the line and why?<br /><br />Person: Marie Wallace<br />Date: December 12, 2019 (6:14 a.m. discovery)<br />Location: Pinebrook Family Camp gate, Harlan County<br />Person: Norman Murphy<br />Person: Carl Young<br /><br />- A regular runner, Carl Young, found a charcoal-gray wool coat folded in two neat rectangles on top of the stone gate post at 6:14 a.m.<br />- The temperature that night was nineteen degrees Fahrenheit and no person was visible in either direction along the road.<br />- Marie Wallace, age twenty-eight, was the scheduled gate guard the night before and had a red ledger notation: "gate duty, Dec."<br />- Pinebrook's rules required all garments to remain property of the community and forbade personal clothing crossing the property line.<br />- The camp's founder and registered agent, Norman Murphy, presented the community as a structured, surveillance-based program; no internal alarm or report followed Marie leaving her post.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910545</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910545/0036.mp3" length="20559677" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A charcoal-gray wool coat sits on a stone gate post at Pinebrook Family Camp, and a scheduled gate guard has vanished - how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The folded wool coat that made her walk into nineteen‑degree dark&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we lay out...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A charcoal-gray wool coat sits on a stone gate post at Pinebrook Family Camp, and a scheduled gate guard has vanished - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The folded wool coat that made her walk into nineteen‑degree dark<br /><br />In this episode, we lay out the moment that starts an investigation: a runner finds a neatly folded coat on a gate at 6:14 a.m., a community built on rules and surveillance that reports no missing person, and the sparse trail investigators must follow. What does a community's rules, a ledger entry, and a single discarded garment tell us about who went across the line and why?<br /><br />Person: Marie Wallace<br />Date: December 12, 2019 (6:14 a.m. discovery)<br />Location: Pinebrook Family Camp gate, Harlan County<br />Person: Norman Murphy<br />Person: Carl Young<br /><br />- A regular runner, Carl Young, found a charcoal-gray wool coat folded in two neat rectangles on top of the stone gate post at 6:14 a.m.<br />- The temperature that night was nineteen degrees Fahrenheit and no person was visible in either direction along the road.<br />- Marie Wallace, age twenty-eight, was the scheduled gate guard the night before and had a red ledger notation: "gate duty, Dec."<br />- Pinebrook's rules required all garments to remain property of the community and forbade personal clothing crossing the property line.<br />- The camp's founder and registered agent, Norman Murphy, presented the community as a structured, surveillance-based program; no internal alarm or report followed Marie leaving her post.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1285</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A padlock with a utility key sealed off her right to stay</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-padlock-with-a-utility-key-sealed-off-her-right-to-stay--74910544</link><description><![CDATA[A master utility padlock seals a gas meter and the only exit from Meridian House. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />A padlock with a utility key sealed off her right to stay<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the moment Nicole Gardner found a freshly built wooden gate locked with a master utility key at Meridian House and trace how that small obstruction led an investigative reporter to a tangle of deeds and disputed ownership. The episode covers the lived routines inside the eleven-bedroom farmhouse, the framed charter residents trusted, and the county records that told a different story - so what happened to the paperwork that was supposed to protect them?<br /><br />Person: Nicole Gardner<br />Person: Erin Hicks<br />Person: Alice Keller<br />Person: Edward Olson<br />Event: master utility key padlock found on November 4, 2021<br /><br />- Nicole Gardner had walked the path behind Meridian House twelve times in the past year and found the gas meter open each time until November 4, 2021, when a new wooden gate and a master utility key padlock blocked access.<br />- Gardner filed a report that reached Edward Olson at the Harwick County Register within five days, prompting him to pull the county property record.<br />- Olson discovered a discrepancy: the framed charter in Meridian House described shared ownership, but the county deed office held a different document listing a sole owner.<br />- Alice Keller had presented Meridian House as a cooperative starting in spring 2017, asking members to contribute assets toward collective equity while a charter hung on the common-room wall.<br />- Records show Paul Meehan signed a quit-claim deed in 2015 transferring the property to an LLC whose registered agent used Alice Keller’s maiden name, leaving an unexplained two-year gap before the group moved in.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910544</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:22 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910544/0035.mp3" length="18220777" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A master utility padlock seals a gas meter and the only exit from Meridian House. How do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
A padlock with a utility key sealed off her right to stay&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the moment Nicole Gardner found a freshly...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A master utility padlock seals a gas meter and the only exit from Meridian House. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />A padlock with a utility key sealed off her right to stay<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the moment Nicole Gardner found a freshly built wooden gate locked with a master utility key at Meridian House and trace how that small obstruction led an investigative reporter to a tangle of deeds and disputed ownership. The episode covers the lived routines inside the eleven-bedroom farmhouse, the framed charter residents trusted, and the county records that told a different story - so what happened to the paperwork that was supposed to protect them?<br /><br />Person: Nicole Gardner<br />Person: Erin Hicks<br />Person: Alice Keller<br />Person: Edward Olson<br />Event: master utility key padlock found on November 4, 2021<br /><br />- Nicole Gardner had walked the path behind Meridian House twelve times in the past year and found the gas meter open each time until November 4, 2021, when a new wooden gate and a master utility key padlock blocked access.<br />- Gardner filed a report that reached Edward Olson at the Harwick County Register within five days, prompting him to pull the county property record.<br />- Olson discovered a discrepancy: the framed charter in Meridian House described shared ownership, but the county deed office held a different document listing a sole owner.<br />- Alice Keller had presented Meridian House as a cooperative starting in spring 2017, asking members to contribute assets toward collective equity while a charter hung on the common-room wall.<br />- Records show Paul Meehan signed a quit-claim deed in 2015 transferring the property to an LLC whose registered agent used Alice Keller’s maiden name, leaving an unexplained two-year gap before the group moved in.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1139</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The service-door tongue failed - she walked out and fell three flights</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-service-door-tongue-failed-she-walked-out-and-fell-three-flights--74910543</link><description><![CDATA[A choir director corners a young singer at the Whitmore Building threshold; one unlocked door could spill secrets. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The service-door tongue failed - she walked out and fell three flights<br /><br />In this episode we follow the rise of the Covenant Choir and the moments before a member walks out into the night. The episode lays out who the group was, how confessions became files, and the precarious boundary a locked service door came to represent - what did Sharon find that made her leave?<br /><br />Person: Sharon Jones<br />Person: Richard Sawyer<br />Person: Paula Neff<br />Date: October 3-4, 2011<br />Location: Whitmore Building, Aldermoor<br /><br />- A community posting in spring 2010 advertises an open audition for a serious vocal ensemble led by a trained composer.<br />- By June 2010 Sawyer introduces the Score Confession: members write a pencil confession on staff paper to be collected and archived.<br />- Sawyer transcribes every confession in red ink alongside each member’s full name and address, keeping originals while members retain nothing.<br />- Rehearsals expand to four nights a week, running past midnight; Paula Neff logs extended compliance sessions and tracks members’ assigned hours.<br />- On the night a delivery prevents the loading-bay latch from catching, the service door’s tongue fails and Sharon leaves through that same door at 3:14 a.m., calling her father to whisper, “I’m outside.”<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910543</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:18 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910543/0034.mp3" length="20158436" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A choir director corners a young singer at the Whitmore Building threshold; one unlocked door could spill secrets. How do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The service-door tongue failed - she walked out and fell three flights&#13;
&#13;
In this episode we follow...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A choir director corners a young singer at the Whitmore Building threshold; one unlocked door could spill secrets. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The service-door tongue failed - she walked out and fell three flights<br /><br />In this episode we follow the rise of the Covenant Choir and the moments before a member walks out into the night. The episode lays out who the group was, how confessions became files, and the precarious boundary a locked service door came to represent - what did Sharon find that made her leave?<br /><br />Person: Sharon Jones<br />Person: Richard Sawyer<br />Person: Paula Neff<br />Date: October 3-4, 2011<br />Location: Whitmore Building, Aldermoor<br /><br />- A community posting in spring 2010 advertises an open audition for a serious vocal ensemble led by a trained composer.<br />- By June 2010 Sawyer introduces the Score Confession: members write a pencil confession on staff paper to be collected and archived.<br />- Sawyer transcribes every confession in red ink alongside each member’s full name and address, keeping originals while members retain nothing.<br />- Rehearsals expand to four nights a week, running past midnight; Paula Neff logs extended compliance sessions and tracks members’ assigned hours.<br />- On the night a delivery prevents the loading-bay latch from catching, the service door’s tongue fails and Sharon leaves through that same door at 3:14 a.m., calling her father to whisper, “I’m outside.”<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1260</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The four-hour sleep window that toppled a teacher's life</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-four-hour-sleep-window-that-toppled-a-teacher-s-life--74910541</link><description><![CDATA[A teacher on a rural wellness compound finds one unscheduled hour and a hidden bin of medical cards that could unravel everything.<br /><br />The four-hour sleep window that toppled a teacher's life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a middle-school science teacher joined a residential anti-inflammatory program and slowly adapted her life to its rhythms. The story tracks the compound’s sleep schedule, financial transfers, destroyed notebooks, and one unmonitored hour that became crucial - could a single hour change everything?<br /><br />Person: Amanda Dempsey<br />Date: March 2011-September 2011<br />Location: Resonant Body Institute, Caldwell Road, western North Carolina<br />Event: discovery of sealed plastic bin with forty-seven handwritten index cards<br />Other Person: Wade Lewis<br /><br />- Amanda signed onto a sixty-day residential protocol after poor results from conventional treatment and extended her stay.<br />- Tom Haskell ran daily operations, kept a sleep-rotation grid giving each of fourteen members a staggered four-hour sleep window.<br />- Members signed voluntary health investment agreements transferring an average of $11,400 into Resonant Body LLC, with Haskell listed on filings.<br />- Wade Lewis kept diagnostic notebooks and handwritten blood-draw logs; he ordered the logs destroyed on September 13.<br />- Curtis Bailey’s dog found the sealed plastic bin with forty-seven index cards in a drainage ditch on September 14.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910541</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:14 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910541/0033.mp3" length="17257799" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A teacher on a rural wellness compound finds one unscheduled hour and a hidden bin of medical cards that could unravel everything.&#13;
&#13;
The four-hour sleep window that toppled a teacher's life&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a middle-school science...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A teacher on a rural wellness compound finds one unscheduled hour and a hidden bin of medical cards that could unravel everything.<br /><br />The four-hour sleep window that toppled a teacher's life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a middle-school science teacher joined a residential anti-inflammatory program and slowly adapted her life to its rhythms. The story tracks the compound’s sleep schedule, financial transfers, destroyed notebooks, and one unmonitored hour that became crucial - could a single hour change everything?<br /><br />Person: Amanda Dempsey<br />Date: March 2011-September 2011<br />Location: Resonant Body Institute, Caldwell Road, western North Carolina<br />Event: discovery of sealed plastic bin with forty-seven handwritten index cards<br />Other Person: Wade Lewis<br /><br />- Amanda signed onto a sixty-day residential protocol after poor results from conventional treatment and extended her stay.<br />- Tom Haskell ran daily operations, kept a sleep-rotation grid giving each of fourteen members a staggered four-hour sleep window.<br />- Members signed voluntary health investment agreements transferring an average of $11,400 into Resonant Body LLC, with Haskell listed on filings.<br />- Wade Lewis kept diagnostic notebooks and handwritten blood-draw logs; he ordered the logs destroyed on September 13.<br />- Curtis Bailey’s dog found the sealed plastic bin with forty-seven index cards in a drainage ditch on September 14.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1079</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A red lunchbox hid forty-seven cards that toppled a house</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-red-lunchbox-hid-forty-seven-cards-that-toppled-a-house--74910540</link><description><![CDATA[A county surveyor’s spade unearthed a red lunchbox-how did a literary workshop become a house of rules?<br /><br />A red lunchbox hid forty-seven cards that toppled a house<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery and the people drawn into the Harwick Manuscript Collective, a residential writing workshop run by Ralph Zimmerman. We trace daily routines, editorial control, and the small anomalies - letters, schedules, and incorporations - that hint at how the house operated and what members risked by staying. What choices kept them inside that architecture of authority?<br /><br />Person: Ralph Zimmerman, 51<br />Person: Christine Whitaker, 24<br />Person: Nora Pellman, 29<br />Date: July 14, 2017<br />Location: 14 Archway Lane, Harwick, Kellerton<br /><br />- A county surveyor’s spade hit metal six inches down and Carol Riley pulled a child’s red metal lunchbox from the dirt.<br />- Inside were forty-seven handwritten index cards, each with a single sentence about a different person.<br />- Eighteen people lived at 14 Archway Lane under HMC rules: surrendered outside reading, shared income, and two a.m. manuscript sessions.<br />- Zimmerman presented fabricated credentials: a claimed MFA from Alderton University and a novel published by Carrow Press, which he incorporated himself.<br />- Christine kept a sole unsupervised morning walk and discovered a contact note; her mailed letters to her mother were later found rewritten after Zimmerman’s editorial review.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910540</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910540/0032.mp3" length="19686142" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A county surveyor’s spade unearthed a red lunchbox-how did a literary workshop become a house of rules?&#13;
&#13;
A red lunchbox hid forty-seven cards that toppled a house&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery and the people drawn into the Harwick...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A county surveyor’s spade unearthed a red lunchbox-how did a literary workshop become a house of rules?<br /><br />A red lunchbox hid forty-seven cards that toppled a house<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery and the people drawn into the Harwick Manuscript Collective, a residential writing workshop run by Ralph Zimmerman. We trace daily routines, editorial control, and the small anomalies - letters, schedules, and incorporations - that hint at how the house operated and what members risked by staying. What choices kept them inside that architecture of authority?<br /><br />Person: Ralph Zimmerman, 51<br />Person: Christine Whitaker, 24<br />Person: Nora Pellman, 29<br />Date: July 14, 2017<br />Location: 14 Archway Lane, Harwick, Kellerton<br /><br />- A county surveyor’s spade hit metal six inches down and Carol Riley pulled a child’s red metal lunchbox from the dirt.<br />- Inside were forty-seven handwritten index cards, each with a single sentence about a different person.<br />- Eighteen people lived at 14 Archway Lane under HMC rules: surrendered outside reading, shared income, and two a.m. manuscript sessions.<br />- Zimmerman presented fabricated credentials: a claimed MFA from Alderton University and a novel published by Carrow Press, which he incorporated himself.<br />- Christine kept a sole unsupervised morning walk and discovered a contact note; her mailed letters to her mother were later found rewritten after Zimmerman’s editorial review.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1231</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The lanyard ring snagged the hose and pulled a nurse from the surface</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-lanyard-ring-snagged-the-hose-and-pulled-a-nurse-from-the-surface--74910539</link><description><![CDATA[A hospital ID badge snagged on a septic hose leads a technician to a locked drainage shaft-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The lanyard ring snagged the hose and pulled a nurse from the surface<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a found ID badge on a rural Tennessee property unraveled a chain of disappearances, financial transfers, and a group that moved underground. What made eleven people leave their lives above and trust a leader who promised safety beneath Harlan Road?<br /><br />Person: Richard Duncan<br />Person: Sandra Kowalski, RN<br />Person: Diane Edwards, RN<br />Event: Eleven members moved underground in late 2017<br />Location: Harlan Road, Crestfall County, eastern Tennessee<br /><br />- A septic technician discovered a laminated hospital ID zipped to an intake pipe inside a locked drainage shaft on June 17, 2019.<br />- Eleven people sold or abandoned homes and relocated permanently beneath a rural property after joining the Crestfall Readiness Collective.<br />- Edward Thompson presented himself as an experienced FEMA specialist and convinced members the surface was unsafe; he was the sole signatory on the group's LLC.<br />- Members wired a combined $340,000 into Crestfall Readiness Collective LLC in 2017; $180,000 was moved into accounts in Thompson’s name.<br />- Two registered nurses joined the descent; their disappearances were recorded separately and only later connected by investigative cross-referencing.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910539</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910539/0031.mp3" length="22532862" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A hospital ID badge snagged on a septic hose leads a technician to a locked drainage shaft-how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The lanyard ring snagged the hose and pulled a nurse from the surface&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a found ID badge on a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A hospital ID badge snagged on a septic hose leads a technician to a locked drainage shaft-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The lanyard ring snagged the hose and pulled a nurse from the surface<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a found ID badge on a rural Tennessee property unraveled a chain of disappearances, financial transfers, and a group that moved underground. What made eleven people leave their lives above and trust a leader who promised safety beneath Harlan Road?<br /><br />Person: Richard Duncan<br />Person: Sandra Kowalski, RN<br />Person: Diane Edwards, RN<br />Event: Eleven members moved underground in late 2017<br />Location: Harlan Road, Crestfall County, eastern Tennessee<br /><br />- A septic technician discovered a laminated hospital ID zipped to an intake pipe inside a locked drainage shaft on June 17, 2019.<br />- Eleven people sold or abandoned homes and relocated permanently beneath a rural property after joining the Crestfall Readiness Collective.<br />- Edward Thompson presented himself as an experienced FEMA specialist and convinced members the surface was unsafe; he was the sole signatory on the group's LLC.<br />- Members wired a combined $340,000 into Crestfall Readiness Collective LLC in 2017; $180,000 was moved into accounts in Thompson’s name.<br />- Two registered nurses joined the descent; their disappearances were recorded separately and only later connected by investigative cross-referencing.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1409</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The spreadsheet that counted his fees toppled a life of lineage</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-spreadsheet-that-counted-his-fees-toppled-a-life-of-lineage--74910538</link><description><![CDATA[A parchment nailed to a pine names a local draftsman heir to an ancient bloodline-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The spreadsheet that counted his fees toppled a life of lineage<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that sets a small town in motion: a certificate on a trail, a routine draftsman, and a farm-based society that charged members for access to a claimed ancestral archive. We trace the practices, schedules, and payments that pulled people in, and ask how ordinary habits became the scaffolding for something larger.<br /><br />Person: Dawn Griffin<br />Person: Neil Fleming<br />Person: Thomas Johnson<br />Location: Hartwell Farm; Piney Flats trailhead; Dunbar<br />Date: January 2019<br /><br />- A parchment certificate framed and nailed to a pine names Neil Fleming as a verifiable heir.<br />- Neil’s routine: Tuesday mornings at the Dunbar Diner, a graph-paper notepad, and solitary walks on Piney Flats.<br />- The Hartwell Farm Society held dawn covenant readings, met three mornings a week, and kept an “archive” on a forty-acre leased farm.<br />- Membership required $400 to join and $150 monthly; thirty people paid into a single personal account controlled by Thomas Johnson.<br />- Sandra Oakes discovered Neil’s fee records in January 2019, revealing a spreadsheet that tracked $9,200 in payments over eighteen months.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910538</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:29:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910538/0030.mp3" length="20150077" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A parchment nailed to a pine names a local draftsman heir to an ancient bloodline-how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The spreadsheet that counted his fees toppled a life of lineage&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery that sets a small town in...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A parchment nailed to a pine names a local draftsman heir to an ancient bloodline-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The spreadsheet that counted his fees toppled a life of lineage<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that sets a small town in motion: a certificate on a trail, a routine draftsman, and a farm-based society that charged members for access to a claimed ancestral archive. We trace the practices, schedules, and payments that pulled people in, and ask how ordinary habits became the scaffolding for something larger.<br /><br />Person: Dawn Griffin<br />Person: Neil Fleming<br />Person: Thomas Johnson<br />Location: Hartwell Farm; Piney Flats trailhead; Dunbar<br />Date: January 2019<br /><br />- A parchment certificate framed and nailed to a pine names Neil Fleming as a verifiable heir.<br />- Neil’s routine: Tuesday mornings at the Dunbar Diner, a graph-paper notepad, and solitary walks on Piney Flats.<br />- The Hartwell Farm Society held dawn covenant readings, met three mornings a week, and kept an “archive” on a forty-acre leased farm.<br />- Membership required $400 to join and $150 monthly; thirty people paid into a single personal account controlled by Thomas Johnson.<br />- Sandra Oakes discovered Neil’s fee records in January 2019, revealing a spreadsheet that tracked $9,200 in payments over eighteen months.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1260</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The padlocked roof hatch sent him walking off the mill</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-padlocked-roof-hatch-sent-him-walking-off-the-mill--74910537</link><description><![CDATA[A lineman finds a padlocked roof hatch and a stool in fresh snow-inside a converted mill, residents say they never left; how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The padlocked roof hatch sent him walking off the mill<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the early-morning discovery that exposed a sealed community inside a converted textile mill and the unraveling that followed. We outline who lived at Meridian House, how control was exercised, and the path that led one resident to walk out in the dead of winter-what decisions and structures made that possible?<br /><br />Person: Todd Chambers<br />Person: Glenn Fisher<br />Person: Person: Lauren Myers<br />Location: Meridian House, converted textile mill, Sutter Falls, Ohio<br />Date: February 3, 2019<br /><br />- A wooden stool and an oil painting were found centered in undisturbed snow on the roof with every hatch padlocked from below.<br />- Glenn Fisher accessed the roof in 2016 posing as a boiler contractor, later bought the mill and installed the same brand of padlocks found in the 2019 discovery.<br />- Fisher styled himself "Architect of Shared Vision" and displayed a framed certificate from a non-existent Institute of Creative Studies above the communal dining table.<br />- Marcus Teel kept a handwritten, numbered log of every roof entry with initials and timestamps, and maintained a posted schedule that controlled sleep, meals, work and movement.<br />- Lauren Myers made a four-mile January walk in the dark and arrived at a truck stop with frostbite and malnourishment; her Wednesday morning calls home had been a thirty-minute weekly window of unmonitored contact.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910537</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:58 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910537/0029.mp3" length="18585238" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A lineman finds a padlocked roof hatch and a stool in fresh snow-inside a converted mill, residents say they never left; how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The padlocked roof hatch sent him walking off the mill&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A lineman finds a padlocked roof hatch and a stool in fresh snow-inside a converted mill, residents say they never left; how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The padlocked roof hatch sent him walking off the mill<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the early-morning discovery that exposed a sealed community inside a converted textile mill and the unraveling that followed. We outline who lived at Meridian House, how control was exercised, and the path that led one resident to walk out in the dead of winter-what decisions and structures made that possible?<br /><br />Person: Todd Chambers<br />Person: Glenn Fisher<br />Person: Person: Lauren Myers<br />Location: Meridian House, converted textile mill, Sutter Falls, Ohio<br />Date: February 3, 2019<br /><br />- A wooden stool and an oil painting were found centered in undisturbed snow on the roof with every hatch padlocked from below.<br />- Glenn Fisher accessed the roof in 2016 posing as a boiler contractor, later bought the mill and installed the same brand of padlocks found in the 2019 discovery.<br />- Fisher styled himself "Architect of Shared Vision" and displayed a framed certificate from a non-existent Institute of Creative Studies above the communal dining table.<br />- Marcus Teel kept a handwritten, numbered log of every roof entry with initials and timestamps, and maintained a posted schedule that controlled sleep, meals, work and movement.<br />- Lauren Myers made a four-mile January walk in the dark and arrived at a truck stop with frostbite and malnourishment; her Wednesday morning calls home had been a thirty-minute weekly window of unmonitored contact.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1162</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The clean driver's license that unmade his story and toppled The Meadow</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-clean-driver-s-license-that-unmade-his-story-and-toppled-the-meadow--74910535</link><description><![CDATA[A retired jogger finds a federal mail tray and an expired ID at The Meadow - how do you fall from that high in Harwick County?<br /><br />The clean driver's license that unmade his story and toppled The Meadow<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that turned an odd intentional community into an active investigation: the morning Ronald Morris found a mail tray and, later, Lena Schultz’s clean, expired driver's license inside a locked basement room at The Meadow. How did a radio host’s fabricated military identity, secret transmitter and a seven-year sleep-rotation ledger shape a place where a missing person’s ID could be kept, not buried?<br /><br />Person: Ronald Morris<br />Location: Dodd's Creek Road, The Meadow, Harwick County<br />Person: Carl Cox<br />Person: Lena Schultz<br />Document: Two hundred fourteen-page sleep-rotation ledger<br /><br />- At 6:12 a.m. on January 4, 2021, retired postal worker Ronald Morris found a gray postal tray jutting from frost-cracked mud near the rear fence of a fourteen-acre farm called The Meadow.<br />- Inside the tray were forty-seven handwritten letters with no postmarks, all legible and deliberately unsent.<br />- Carl Cox, who presented himself as a former Army chaplain and hosted WKRL 910 AM from midnight to 3 a.m., had a framed discharge certificate that used a service number belonging to a different, deceased man.<br />- Cox installed an unauthorized secondary transmitter during pre-dawn equipment runs at WKRL that tripled the station’s broadcast radius and broadened his audience beyond the licensed area.<br />- Diane Pratt maintained a 214-page, seven-year sleep-rotation ledger that staggered four-hour sleep blocks so no two members were fully awake and alone together, preventing spontaneous private conversation.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910535</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:54 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910535/0028.mp3" length="19074250" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A retired jogger finds a federal mail tray and an expired ID at The Meadow - how do you fall from that high in Harwick County?&#13;
&#13;
The clean driver's license that unmade his story and toppled The Meadow&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery that...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A retired jogger finds a federal mail tray and an expired ID at The Meadow - how do you fall from that high in Harwick County?<br /><br />The clean driver's license that unmade his story and toppled The Meadow<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that turned an odd intentional community into an active investigation: the morning Ronald Morris found a mail tray and, later, Lena Schultz’s clean, expired driver's license inside a locked basement room at The Meadow. How did a radio host’s fabricated military identity, secret transmitter and a seven-year sleep-rotation ledger shape a place where a missing person’s ID could be kept, not buried?<br /><br />Person: Ronald Morris<br />Location: Dodd's Creek Road, The Meadow, Harwick County<br />Person: Carl Cox<br />Person: Lena Schultz<br />Document: Two hundred fourteen-page sleep-rotation ledger<br /><br />- At 6:12 a.m. on January 4, 2021, retired postal worker Ronald Morris found a gray postal tray jutting from frost-cracked mud near the rear fence of a fourteen-acre farm called The Meadow.<br />- Inside the tray were forty-seven handwritten letters with no postmarks, all legible and deliberately unsent.<br />- Carl Cox, who presented himself as a former Army chaplain and hosted WKRL 910 AM from midnight to 3 a.m., had a framed discharge certificate that used a service number belonging to a different, deceased man.<br />- Cox installed an unauthorized secondary transmitter during pre-dawn equipment runs at WKRL that tripled the station’s broadcast radius and broadened his audience beyond the licensed area.<br />- Diane Pratt maintained a 214-page, seven-year sleep-rotation ledger that staggered four-hour sleep blocks so no two members were fully awake and alone together, preventing spontaneous private conversation.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1193</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A half-soaked arithmetic workbook pushed the fence that let them fall</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-half-soaked-arithmetic-workbook-pushed-the-fence-that-let-them-fall--74910534</link><description><![CDATA[A half‑soaked arithmetic workbook hidden behind a rural meter hints at a signal from inside a locked compound-what were they trying to send out?<br /><br />A half-soaked arithmetic workbook pushed the fence that let them fall<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery of a child's unfinished long-division problem that crossed a compound fence and the layers of control that surrounded Meridian Path. We outline who lived there, what the leader claimed, and the small disruptions-stopped visits, typed notes, secreted printouts-that began to unravel daily life. How did a workbook become the single object to breach that perimeter?<br /><br />Person: Paul Bishop<br />Location: Caldwell County, Meridian Path compound<br />Date: December 2019 (workbook found); October 14, 2019 (background check hidden)<br />Person: Warren Snyder, founder of Meridian Path<br />Person: Cora Metts, compound finance and correspondence lead<br /><br />- Bishop, a meter reader with an eleven‑year route, found the soaked, folded workbook behind the utility panel at the compound edge.<br />- Meridian Path sat on fourteen locked acres that had not had anything cross its fence in months before the workbook appeared.<br />- Snyder presented a formal curriculum and a PhD credential printed as "Dr. Warren Snyder, Ed.D., University of the Midwest," a university that records show never operated or accredited.<br />- Cora Metts handled every outgoing envelope for four years; investigators recovered a mail record showing only her handwriting on all correspondence.<br />- Amanda Baker’s outside visits ceased and were replaced by weekly typed notes signed "Amanda," each containing the same repeated typographical error, preserved by her aunt.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910534</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910534/0027.mp3" length="20141300" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A half‑soaked arithmetic workbook hidden behind a rural meter hints at a signal from inside a locked compound-what were they trying to send out?&#13;
&#13;
A half-soaked arithmetic workbook pushed the fence that let them fall&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A half‑soaked arithmetic workbook hidden behind a rural meter hints at a signal from inside a locked compound-what were they trying to send out?<br /><br />A half-soaked arithmetic workbook pushed the fence that let them fall<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery of a child's unfinished long-division problem that crossed a compound fence and the layers of control that surrounded Meridian Path. We outline who lived there, what the leader claimed, and the small disruptions-stopped visits, typed notes, secreted printouts-that began to unravel daily life. How did a workbook become the single object to breach that perimeter?<br /><br />Person: Paul Bishop<br />Location: Caldwell County, Meridian Path compound<br />Date: December 2019 (workbook found); October 14, 2019 (background check hidden)<br />Person: Warren Snyder, founder of Meridian Path<br />Person: Cora Metts, compound finance and correspondence lead<br /><br />- Bishop, a meter reader with an eleven‑year route, found the soaked, folded workbook behind the utility panel at the compound edge.<br />- Meridian Path sat on fourteen locked acres that had not had anything cross its fence in months before the workbook appeared.<br />- Snyder presented a formal curriculum and a PhD credential printed as "Dr. Warren Snyder, Ed.D., University of the Midwest," a university that records show never operated or accredited.<br />- Cora Metts handled every outgoing envelope for four years; investigators recovered a mail record showing only her handwriting on all correspondence.<br />- Amanda Baker’s outside visits ceased and were replaced by weekly typed notes signed "Amanda," each containing the same repeated typographical error, preserved by her aunt.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1259</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A luggage tag dated January 2009 toppled a fishing co-op's founder</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-luggage-tag-dated-january-2009-toppled-a-fishing-co-op-s-founder--74910533</link><description><![CDATA[A lone padlocked suitcase on a November dock and a luggage tag dated January 2009 raise questions about a fishing cooperative's missing founder.<br /><br />A luggage tag dated January 2009 toppled a fishing co-op's founder<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a single locked suitcase and a name found on a Harrowgate dock open into a larger story about a coastal cooperative, its rules, and the people who joined it. What does a bag packed years earlier tell us about who belonged - and who vanished?<br /><br />Person: Curtis Quinn<br />Person: Beverly Tate<br />Person: Sandra Volk<br />Location: Harrowgate Cove, Aldermoor County coast<br />Date: November 21, 2011<br /><br />- A padlocked suitcase sat alone on the Harrowgate dock the morning the property was seized.<br />- The luggage tag bore the name Sandra Volk and a packing date of January 2009, nearly three years earlier.<br />- Curtis Quinn ran the Harrowgate Fishing Cooperative, presenting a framed founding charter and strict communal rules.<br />- Beverly Tate joined in November 2011 after meeting Quinn roadside and was assigned to manage logistics and ledgers.<br />- Wages were credited in cooperative ledgers but not disbursed, tracked instead under a growing “harvest debt.”<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910533</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910533/0026.mp3" length="19603804" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A lone padlocked suitcase on a November dock and a luggage tag dated January 2009 raise questions about a fishing cooperative's missing founder.&#13;
&#13;
A luggage tag dated January 2009 toppled a fishing co-op's founder&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A lone padlocked suitcase on a November dock and a luggage tag dated January 2009 raise questions about a fishing cooperative's missing founder.<br /><br />A luggage tag dated January 2009 toppled a fishing co-op's founder<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a single locked suitcase and a name found on a Harrowgate dock open into a larger story about a coastal cooperative, its rules, and the people who joined it. What does a bag packed years earlier tell us about who belonged - and who vanished?<br /><br />Person: Curtis Quinn<br />Person: Beverly Tate<br />Person: Sandra Volk<br />Location: Harrowgate Cove, Aldermoor County coast<br />Date: November 21, 2011<br /><br />- A padlocked suitcase sat alone on the Harrowgate dock the morning the property was seized.<br />- The luggage tag bore the name Sandra Volk and a packing date of January 2009, nearly three years earlier.<br />- Curtis Quinn ran the Harrowgate Fishing Cooperative, presenting a framed founding charter and strict communal rules.<br />- Beverly Tate joined in November 2011 after meeting Quinn roadside and was assigned to manage logistics and ledgers.<br />- Wages were credited in cooperative ledgers but not disbursed, tracked instead under a growing “harvest debt.”<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1226</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The laminated certificate toppled a community from within</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-certificate-toppled-a-community-from-within--74910532</link><description><![CDATA[A woman walking a dog finds painted alphabet blocks that lead to a secret compound where a linguist taught an invented language-will she learn it?<br /><br />The laminated certificate toppled a community from within<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that pulled back the curtain on the Elah Community and the man who called himself Vernon Cook. We outline how the compound recruited quietly, ran strict daily drills, and built a private language - and ask how one framed certificate could hold so much power.<br /><br />Person: Vernon Cook (legal name later identified as Gary Dean Murtaugh)<br />Date: October 14, 2011<br />Location: Aldermoor State Forest / private compound eighteen miles from the nearest town<br />Topic: Elahtongue, a constructed language with ~800 words<br />Event: Discovery of a mobile made from painted alphabet blocks<br /><br />- Michelle Petersen spotted a rotating mobile of twenty-six plastic blocks two hundred yards inside the forest while walking a client’s retriever at 8:40 a.m.<br />- The branch bearing the mobile was reachable only from the east perimeter fence of the private compound, not from the public trail.<br />- Cook presented a laminated framed certificate claiming advanced credentials in applied linguistics from the “University of Aldenmoor,” an institution that does not exist in any accreditation registry.<br />- Intake paperwork shows consistent misspelling “Aldenmoor” across three separate documents and the same week’s handwriting matches volunteer Philip Rice’s last shifts at Crestfield Public Library.<br />- Internal records recovered in the first warrant include Dennis Farrow’s drill logs with attendance, approved sleep windows, correction periods, and Cook’s initials approving weekly schedules.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910532</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:42 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910532/0025.mp3" length="21980738" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A woman walking a dog finds painted alphabet blocks that lead to a secret compound where a linguist taught an invented language-will she learn it?&#13;
&#13;
The laminated certificate toppled a community from within&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A woman walking a dog finds painted alphabet blocks that lead to a secret compound where a linguist taught an invented language-will she learn it?<br /><br />The laminated certificate toppled a community from within<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that pulled back the curtain on the Elah Community and the man who called himself Vernon Cook. We outline how the compound recruited quietly, ran strict daily drills, and built a private language - and ask how one framed certificate could hold so much power.<br /><br />Person: Vernon Cook (legal name later identified as Gary Dean Murtaugh)<br />Date: October 14, 2011<br />Location: Aldermoor State Forest / private compound eighteen miles from the nearest town<br />Topic: Elahtongue, a constructed language with ~800 words<br />Event: Discovery of a mobile made from painted alphabet blocks<br /><br />- Michelle Petersen spotted a rotating mobile of twenty-six plastic blocks two hundred yards inside the forest while walking a client’s retriever at 8:40 a.m.<br />- The branch bearing the mobile was reachable only from the east perimeter fence of the private compound, not from the public trail.<br />- Cook presented a laminated framed certificate claiming advanced credentials in applied linguistics from the “University of Aldenmoor,” an institution that does not exist in any accreditation registry.<br />- Intake paperwork shows consistent misspelling “Aldenmoor” across three separate documents and the same week’s handwriting matches volunteer Philip Rice’s last shifts at Crestfield Public Library.<br />- Internal records recovered in the first warrant include Dennis Farrow’s drill logs with attendance, approved sleep windows, correction periods, and Cook’s initials approving weekly schedules.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1374</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The bent hasp that opened a river door - how twelve feet sent Paula falling</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bent-hasp-that-opened-a-river-door-how-twelve-feet-sent-paula-falling--74910531</link><description><![CDATA[A young theater member leaves a communal granary into a floodplain with a bent hasp-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The bent hasp that opened a river door - how twelve feet sent Paula falling<br /><br />In this episode, we track the moments before and after Paula Brooks left a communal theater house called The Granary and walked into the Sayers Fork floodplain. We lay out the people, systems, and small physical clues - the bent river-door hasp, a waterlogged prompt book, a stolen identity - that frame a larger question about control and escape. What did Paula plan, and how did she do it?<br /><br />Person: Paula Brooks<br />Person: Leon Snyder (legal name until 2001: Leon Snyder)<br />Date: September 14, 2011 (notebook found at 5:40 AM)<br />Location: The Granary, Sayers Fork floodplain, near Dellwood and Mabry, Sayers County<br />Event: discovery of theater prompt book with "Paula" written repeatedly<br /><br />- Paula lived in The Granary for fourteen months under assigned role "The Amber Girl" with real names banned and sleep restricted to five-hour windows.<br />- The Meridian Company toured regional fairs, funneled performance income to Snyder, and used communal living and role-play as a governance structure.<br />- Snyder presented conservatory credentials that did not match records; enrollment records show the named institution closed in 1993 and Snyder had a 14-month fraud conviction under Leon Snyder.<br />- On the night of September 9, Paula exploited her knowledge of The Granary’s layout and a bent hasp on the river door to exit through an unguarded route.<br />- Ronald Gray found a theater prompt book standing upright between submerged rocks in 45 cm of moving water, pages open and margins filled with "Paula," suggesting deliberate placement.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910531</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910531/0024.mp3" length="22664519" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A young theater member leaves a communal granary into a floodplain with a bent hasp-how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The bent hasp that opened a river door - how twelve feet sent Paula falling&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we track the moments before and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A young theater member leaves a communal granary into a floodplain with a bent hasp-how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The bent hasp that opened a river door - how twelve feet sent Paula falling<br /><br />In this episode, we track the moments before and after Paula Brooks left a communal theater house called The Granary and walked into the Sayers Fork floodplain. We lay out the people, systems, and small physical clues - the bent river-door hasp, a waterlogged prompt book, a stolen identity - that frame a larger question about control and escape. What did Paula plan, and how did she do it?<br /><br />Person: Paula Brooks<br />Person: Leon Snyder (legal name until 2001: Leon Snyder)<br />Date: September 14, 2011 (notebook found at 5:40 AM)<br />Location: The Granary, Sayers Fork floodplain, near Dellwood and Mabry, Sayers County<br />Event: discovery of theater prompt book with "Paula" written repeatedly<br /><br />- Paula lived in The Granary for fourteen months under assigned role "The Amber Girl" with real names banned and sleep restricted to five-hour windows.<br />- The Meridian Company toured regional fairs, funneled performance income to Snyder, and used communal living and role-play as a governance structure.<br />- Snyder presented conservatory credentials that did not match records; enrollment records show the named institution closed in 1993 and Snyder had a 14-month fraud conviction under Leon Snyder.<br />- On the night of September 9, Paula exploited her knowledge of The Granary’s layout and a bent hasp on the river door to exit through an unguarded route.<br />- Ronald Gray found a theater prompt book standing upright between submerged rocks in 45 cm of moving water, pages open and margins filled with "Paula," suggesting deliberate placement.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1417</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The ledger's single initial toppled a founder's empire</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ledger-s-single-initial-toppled-a-founder-s-empire--74910529</link><description><![CDATA[A rural compound's banker's box appears on a fence post, exposing ledger entries that threaten to topple a founder's empire and identity.<br /><br />The ledger's single initial toppled a founder's empire<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a banker's box left by a Harwick County surveyor set off a chain of investigations into a closed residential community. The episode covers the discovery, the ledgers and letters, and the unraveling questions about the founder's true name and money; how did one initial change everything?<br /><br />Date: August 4, 2019<br />Location: Millhaven, Harwick County<br />Person: George Pruitt<br />Investigator: Brian Coyle<br />Journalist: Norman Zeller<br /><br />- At 7:12 a.m. George Pruitt found a zip-tied banker's box facing the road two hundred yards from the compound.<br />- The box contained seven years of financial records, thirty-four signed pledges, and a roster of previously unseen names.<br />- Ledgers in Steven Clark’s handwriting showed $340,000 moved over seven years into an LLC registered to D.R. Larsen.<br />- Steven kept compound books, worked staggered four-hour sleep windows, and had been awake for six weeks before leaving the box.<br />- Journalist Norman Zeller ran the initial "D.R. Larsen" and linked it to a conviction for check fraud under the name Douglas Rennick Larsen.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910529</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:34 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910529/0023.mp3" length="18115034" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A rural compound's banker's box appears on a fence post, exposing ledger entries that threaten to topple a founder's empire and identity.&#13;
&#13;
The ledger's single initial toppled a founder's empire&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a banker's box left...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A rural compound's banker's box appears on a fence post, exposing ledger entries that threaten to topple a founder's empire and identity.<br /><br />The ledger's single initial toppled a founder's empire<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a banker's box left by a Harwick County surveyor set off a chain of investigations into a closed residential community. The episode covers the discovery, the ledgers and letters, and the unraveling questions about the founder's true name and money; how did one initial change everything?<br /><br />Date: August 4, 2019<br />Location: Millhaven, Harwick County<br />Person: George Pruitt<br />Investigator: Brian Coyle<br />Journalist: Norman Zeller<br /><br />- At 7:12 a.m. George Pruitt found a zip-tied banker's box facing the road two hundred yards from the compound.<br />- The box contained seven years of financial records, thirty-four signed pledges, and a roster of previously unseen names.<br />- Ledgers in Steven Clark’s handwriting showed $340,000 moved over seven years into an LLC registered to D.R. Larsen.<br />- Steven kept compound books, worked staggered four-hour sleep windows, and had been awake for six weeks before leaving the box.<br />- Journalist Norman Zeller ran the initial "D.R. Larsen" and linked it to a conviction for check fraud under the name Douglas Rennick Larsen.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1133</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The ledger buried just outside the line toppled Millhaven's façade</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ledger-buried-just-outside-the-line-toppled-millhaven-s-facade--74910528</link><description><![CDATA[A septic contractor hits metal in a county easement-and finds a buried ledger-how do you fall from that high in a small grief retreat?<br /><br />The ledger buried just outside the line toppled Millhaven's façade<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that unravels a months-long disappearance and the quiet patterns that made it possible. The story traces a buried ledger, identical letters from a resident, and an investigative reporter's attempt to connect them - what do those clues mean for the people tied to Millhaven Farm?<br /><br />Date: July 8, 2017<br />Location: county easement strip outside Millhaven Farm, Harlan County<br />Person: Nicole Thorpe<br />Person: Steven Mason<br />Occupation: investigative reporter Frank Mitchell<br /><br />- A septic contractor's shovel struck a fireproof box eighteen inches underground in the county easement next to Millhaven Farm.<br />- The box contained a handwritten ledger with twenty-three names, dollar amounts, and the words "settled" or "pending."<br />- Nicole Thorpe arrived at Millhaven in September 2016, brought two rabbits, and kept a strict feeding schedule she maintained as ritual.<br />- Nicole's mother received eleven letters from her with identical final sentences - word for word - across seven months, then the letters and weekly calls stopped.<br />- Reporter Frank Mitchell analyzed the letters' patterns and recognized shifts from specific details to generalized progress, prompting his file on Millhaven.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910528</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910528/0022.mp3" length="21019014" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A septic contractor hits metal in a county easement-and finds a buried ledger-how do you fall from that high in a small grief retreat?&#13;
&#13;
The ledger buried just outside the line toppled Millhaven's façade&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A septic contractor hits metal in a county easement-and finds a buried ledger-how do you fall from that high in a small grief retreat?<br /><br />The ledger buried just outside the line toppled Millhaven's façade<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that unravels a months-long disappearance and the quiet patterns that made it possible. The story traces a buried ledger, identical letters from a resident, and an investigative reporter's attempt to connect them - what do those clues mean for the people tied to Millhaven Farm?<br /><br />Date: July 8, 2017<br />Location: county easement strip outside Millhaven Farm, Harlan County<br />Person: Nicole Thorpe<br />Person: Steven Mason<br />Occupation: investigative reporter Frank Mitchell<br /><br />- A septic contractor's shovel struck a fireproof box eighteen inches underground in the county easement next to Millhaven Farm.<br />- The box contained a handwritten ledger with twenty-three names, dollar amounts, and the words "settled" or "pending."<br />- Nicole Thorpe arrived at Millhaven in September 2016, brought two rabbits, and kept a strict feeding schedule she maintained as ritual.<br />- Nicole's mother received eleven letters from her with identical final sentences - word for word - across seven months, then the letters and weekly calls stopped.<br />- Reporter Frank Mitchell analyzed the letters' patterns and recognized shifts from specific details to generalized progress, prompting his file on Millhaven.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1314</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The planner hidden under a floorboard sent her over the edge</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-planner-hidden-under-a-floorboard-sent-her-over-the-edge--74910526</link><description><![CDATA[A schoolteacher hides her planner under a floorboard on a Tennessee compound; how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The planner hidden under a floorboard sent her over the edge<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the days leading up to June 14, 2011 on a forty-acre compound called The Clearing, tracing how a careful fourth-grade teacher became part of the Harbinger Compact and concealed a planner that later surfaced in the mud. What does a hidden notebook, a stewardship account, and a bus ticket one day after "the end" tell us about who chose to trust-and why?<br /><br />Person: Emily Stein<br />Location: The Clearing, rural western Tennessee<br />Date: June 14, 2011 (fixed date for the Compact)<br />Event: Transfer of $341,000 into a stewardship account by April 1, 2011<br />Person: Earl Patterson<br /><br />- Emily Stein taught fourth grade for nineteen years, kept a leather teaching planner updated every Sunday, and hid it under a floorboard on June 12.<br />- Earl Patterson led the Harbinger Compact, described a near-death vision, and set a fixed doomsday date members reorganized their lives around.<br />- Twenty-two people moved onto the Clearing’s forty acres, surrendering savings and routines to a structure centered on Patterson.<br />- Donna Frick managed the stewardship account and coordinated logistics, processing all transfers into Patterson’s single-name account.<br />- By April 1, 2011, $341,000 had been consolidated into that account; no further deposits or instructions followed before the appointed date.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910526</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910526/0021.mp3" length="21697780" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A schoolteacher hides her planner under a floorboard on a Tennessee compound; how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The planner hidden under a floorboard sent her over the edge&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the days leading up to June 14, 2011 on a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A schoolteacher hides her planner under a floorboard on a Tennessee compound; how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The planner hidden under a floorboard sent her over the edge<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the days leading up to June 14, 2011 on a forty-acre compound called The Clearing, tracing how a careful fourth-grade teacher became part of the Harbinger Compact and concealed a planner that later surfaced in the mud. What does a hidden notebook, a stewardship account, and a bus ticket one day after "the end" tell us about who chose to trust-and why?<br /><br />Person: Emily Stein<br />Location: The Clearing, rural western Tennessee<br />Date: June 14, 2011 (fixed date for the Compact)<br />Event: Transfer of $341,000 into a stewardship account by April 1, 2011<br />Person: Earl Patterson<br /><br />- Emily Stein taught fourth grade for nineteen years, kept a leather teaching planner updated every Sunday, and hid it under a floorboard on June 12.<br />- Earl Patterson led the Harbinger Compact, described a near-death vision, and set a fixed doomsday date members reorganized their lives around.<br />- Twenty-two people moved onto the Clearing’s forty acres, surrendering savings and routines to a structure centered on Patterson.<br />- Donna Frick managed the stewardship account and coordinated logistics, processing all transfers into Patterson’s single-name account.<br />- By April 1, 2011, $341,000 had been consolidated into that account; no further deposits or instructions followed before the appointed date.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1357</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The single white shoe toppled a secret covenant and thirty-one believers</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-single-white-shoe-toppled-a-secret-covenant-and-thirty-one-believers--74910524</link><description><![CDATA[A single white child's shoe atop a sealed drum in an emptied barn threatens a Tennessee covenant community. How do you fall that far?<br /><br />The single white shoe toppled a secret covenant and thirty-one believers<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the moments that led investigators from a lone white patent-leather child's shoe to the story of the Remnant of the True Vine: who joined, what they surrendered, and the odd gaps that drew scrutiny. Why did a man who claimed a divine vision already have ties to the very land he “found,” and what questions did a sealed barn and a ledger of names leave unanswered?<br /><br />Person: Robert Reynolds<br />Date: March 12, 2011<br />Location: Braden property, Caldwell Road, Harwick County, Tennessee<br />Event: Discovery of a child's shoe on top of a sealed fifty-five-gallon steel drum<br />Detail: Thirty-one adults listed in a handwritten census ledger; twenty-nine cots recorded<br /><br />- Robert Reynolds presented himself as a prophet and led a midweek study group at Sutter Falls First Assembly before leaving with eleven members to form the Remnant.<br />- Members surrendered phones, signed covenant pledges, and paid lump-sum “faith offerings” in sealed envelopes with no receipts or accounting.<br />- Holly Hayes, a fifty-two-year-old former office manager, donated $14,200 and kept precise memories of dates, phrases, and Reynolds’s solitary locked trips to the barn.<br />- A Harwick County building permit from September 2007 lists Robert Reynolds as a demolition contractor on the Braden farmhouse, indicating prior involvement with the land.<br />- Investigators found the property stripped, a sealed barn, a handwritten ledger with thirty-one adult names, and two names without assigned cots.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910524</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:22 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910524/0020.mp3" length="22529100" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A single white child's shoe atop a sealed drum in an emptied barn threatens a Tennessee covenant community. How do you fall that far?&#13;
&#13;
The single white shoe toppled a secret covenant and thirty-one believers&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the moments...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A single white child's shoe atop a sealed drum in an emptied barn threatens a Tennessee covenant community. How do you fall that far?<br /><br />The single white shoe toppled a secret covenant and thirty-one believers<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the moments that led investigators from a lone white patent-leather child's shoe to the story of the Remnant of the True Vine: who joined, what they surrendered, and the odd gaps that drew scrutiny. Why did a man who claimed a divine vision already have ties to the very land he “found,” and what questions did a sealed barn and a ledger of names leave unanswered?<br /><br />Person: Robert Reynolds<br />Date: March 12, 2011<br />Location: Braden property, Caldwell Road, Harwick County, Tennessee<br />Event: Discovery of a child's shoe on top of a sealed fifty-five-gallon steel drum<br />Detail: Thirty-one adults listed in a handwritten census ledger; twenty-nine cots recorded<br /><br />- Robert Reynolds presented himself as a prophet and led a midweek study group at Sutter Falls First Assembly before leaving with eleven members to form the Remnant.<br />- Members surrendered phones, signed covenant pledges, and paid lump-sum “faith offerings” in sealed envelopes with no receipts or accounting.<br />- Holly Hayes, a fifty-two-year-old former office manager, donated $14,200 and kept precise memories of dates, phrases, and Reynolds’s solitary locked trips to the barn.<br />- A Harwick County building permit from September 2007 lists Robert Reynolds as a demolition contractor on the Braden farmhouse, indicating prior involvement with the land.<br />- Investigators found the property stripped, a sealed barn, a handwritten ledger with thirty-one adult names, and two names without assigned cots.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1409</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The Shepherd's forged seminary certificate toppled his ministry</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-shepherd-s-forged-seminary-certificate-toppled-his-ministry--74910523</link><description><![CDATA[A county propane meter reads zero at a padlocked ranch where a man called the Shepherd of Restoration lived - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The Shepherd's forged seminary certificate toppled his ministry<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the trail of small, ordinary signals - a missed diner booth, a nurse’s sleep log, a county meter reader’s anomaly report - that converge on a West Texas property run as the Stillwater Covenant. We outline how the ranch operated, what members surrendered to join, and the questions that begin to surface about authority, access, and what life inside the compound looked like. How did routine observations become the first clues to something deeply wrong?<br /><br />Person: Wayne Stevens<br />Location: Stillwater Covenant, Harlan Flats, Crockett County, West Texas<br />Date: January 17, 2012 (meter read) and mid-2011 (arrival of Kimberly O'Connor)<br />Topic: Stillwater Covenant / Restoration Therapy<br />Evidence: forged seminary certificate dated 1991 from an institution dissolved in 1987<br /><br />- A propane meter reader logged zero cubic feet of propane across 31 consecutive days at the ranch gate, which was padlocked from the inside.<br />- Twenty-eight people were rostered at the property; no vehicles came, no smoke rose from chimneys, and county follow-up notices went unanswered.<br />- Wayne Stevens purchased the 340-acre former cattle property through an LLC, called himself the Shepherd of Restoration, and ran a program of fasting, sleep reduction, and $45 tinctures.<br />- Kimberly O’Connor, a licensed vocational nurse, moved to the ranch, surrendered $14,200 and her truck, kept a sleep log, and wrote on day eleven: “Can't remember my mother's voice.”<br />- Stevens presented a framed pastoral healing certificate dated 1991 that investigators found could not be genuine because the named seminary had dissolved in 1987.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910523</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:18 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910523/0019.mp3" length="22399115" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A county propane meter reads zero at a padlocked ranch where a man called the Shepherd of Restoration lived - how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The Shepherd's forged seminary certificate toppled his ministry&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the trail of...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A county propane meter reads zero at a padlocked ranch where a man called the Shepherd of Restoration lived - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The Shepherd's forged seminary certificate toppled his ministry<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the trail of small, ordinary signals - a missed diner booth, a nurse’s sleep log, a county meter reader’s anomaly report - that converge on a West Texas property run as the Stillwater Covenant. We outline how the ranch operated, what members surrendered to join, and the questions that begin to surface about authority, access, and what life inside the compound looked like. How did routine observations become the first clues to something deeply wrong?<br /><br />Person: Wayne Stevens<br />Location: Stillwater Covenant, Harlan Flats, Crockett County, West Texas<br />Date: January 17, 2012 (meter read) and mid-2011 (arrival of Kimberly O'Connor)<br />Topic: Stillwater Covenant / Restoration Therapy<br />Evidence: forged seminary certificate dated 1991 from an institution dissolved in 1987<br /><br />- A propane meter reader logged zero cubic feet of propane across 31 consecutive days at the ranch gate, which was padlocked from the inside.<br />- Twenty-eight people were rostered at the property; no vehicles came, no smoke rose from chimneys, and county follow-up notices went unanswered.<br />- Wayne Stevens purchased the 340-acre former cattle property through an LLC, called himself the Shepherd of Restoration, and ran a program of fasting, sleep reduction, and $45 tinctures.<br />- Kimberly O’Connor, a licensed vocational nurse, moved to the ranch, surrendered $14,200 and her truck, kept a sleep log, and wrote on day eleven: “Can't remember my mother's voice.”<br />- Stevens presented a framed pastoral healing certificate dated 1991 that investigators found could not be genuine because the named seminary had dissolved in 1987.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1400</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A children's craft table collapsed a life into a three-year stay</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-children-s-craft-table-collapsed-a-life-into-a-three-year-stay--74910522</link><description><![CDATA[A children's craft table and one woman's retreat turned years - how do you fall from that high under the guise of spiritual renewal?<br /><br />A children's craft table collapsed a life into a three-year stay<br /><br />In this episode, we lay out the scene found at Pinebrook Family Enrichment Center and trace how a seasonal camp became a year‑round adult program. We follow the records, the people who kept them, and the physical details that made long-term control possible - and ask how the system allowed it to happen.<br /><br />Person: Emily Holt<br />Person: Raymond Jones<br />Person: Donna Marsh<br />Date: December 9, 2019<br />Location: Pinebrook Family Enrichment Center<br /><br />- A volunteer, Chad Farrell, found an abandoned dining hall set up like a children's activity space with adult-sized chairs on December 9, 2019.<br />- A ruled notebook labeled "Morning Enrichment, December seventh" listed twenty-two adult names in a child's handwriting template.<br />- Emily Holt arrived for a two-week retreat in March 2016 and did not leave until October 2019; her car title was transferred and her vehicle moved to off-site storage by November 2016.<br />- Raymond Jones opened Camp Alderhaven in June 2013, later renaming it Pinebrook and continuing to operate while county records still listed it as a seasonal camp.<br />- Donna Marsh, Head Counselor, kept a binder logging nightly sleep hours for all twenty-two residents, averaging four and a half hours per night, each page initialed by her.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910522</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:14 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910522/0018.mp3" length="19509763" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A children's craft table and one woman's retreat turned years - how do you fall from that high under the guise of spiritual renewal?&#13;
&#13;
A children's craft table collapsed a life into a three-year stay&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we lay out the scene found at...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A children's craft table and one woman's retreat turned years - how do you fall from that high under the guise of spiritual renewal?<br /><br />A children's craft table collapsed a life into a three-year stay<br /><br />In this episode, we lay out the scene found at Pinebrook Family Enrichment Center and trace how a seasonal camp became a year‑round adult program. We follow the records, the people who kept them, and the physical details that made long-term control possible - and ask how the system allowed it to happen.<br /><br />Person: Emily Holt<br />Person: Raymond Jones<br />Person: Donna Marsh<br />Date: December 9, 2019<br />Location: Pinebrook Family Enrichment Center<br /><br />- A volunteer, Chad Farrell, found an abandoned dining hall set up like a children's activity space with adult-sized chairs on December 9, 2019.<br />- A ruled notebook labeled "Morning Enrichment, December seventh" listed twenty-two adult names in a child's handwriting template.<br />- Emily Holt arrived for a two-week retreat in March 2016 and did not leave until October 2019; her car title was transferred and her vehicle moved to off-site storage by November 2016.<br />- Raymond Jones opened Camp Alderhaven in June 2013, later renaming it Pinebrook and continuing to operate while county records still listed it as a seasonal camp.<br />- Donna Marsh, Head Counselor, kept a binder logging nightly sleep hours for all twenty-two residents, averaging four and a half hours per night, each page initialed by her.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1220</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The blank November fourteenth entry that made her fall</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-blank-november-fourteenth-entry-that-made-her-fall--74910521</link><description><![CDATA[A daily rabbit feed log is blank under a woman’s body on November 14, seven miles outside Dellfield, Missouri - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The blank November fourteenth entry that made her fall<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery on a rural trail of a woman and a spiral notebook that had never missed an entry in two years. We lay out the community, the records, and the odd gaps that begin to ask what the missing morning entry might mean.<br /><br />Person: Sandra Voss<br />Date: November 14, 2019<br />Location: Hearth Covenant property, off Morrow Road, Clearwater Flats, seven miles outside Dellfield, Missouri<br />Person: Donald Edwards<br />Event: DAILY FEED LOG - RABBIT found open beneath Sandra's body<br /><br />- A spiral notebook labeled DAILY FEED LOG - RABBIT had been filled twice daily, every day, for more than two years by 26-year-old Donald Edwards.<br />- On the morning of November 14, the morning feed entry was blank even though the log had never missed a single entry before.<br />- Sandra Voss, 34, was found struck with a blunt object on the eastern trail she walked every morning at 7:45 to collect the mail.<br />- Hearth Covenant was incorporated in 2016 as a co-housing collective of eleven adults with Craig Underwood styling himself the Steward.<br />- The founding charter was revised three times and, by March 2019, communal assets were transferred into a sole-beneficiary LLC controlled by Underwood without member consent.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910521</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910521/0017.mp3" length="18780425" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A daily rabbit feed log is blank under a woman’s body on November 14, seven miles outside Dellfield, Missouri - how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The blank November fourteenth entry that made her fall&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery on a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A daily rabbit feed log is blank under a woman’s body on November 14, seven miles outside Dellfield, Missouri - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The blank November fourteenth entry that made her fall<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery on a rural trail of a woman and a spiral notebook that had never missed an entry in two years. We lay out the community, the records, and the odd gaps that begin to ask what the missing morning entry might mean.<br /><br />Person: Sandra Voss<br />Date: November 14, 2019<br />Location: Hearth Covenant property, off Morrow Road, Clearwater Flats, seven miles outside Dellfield, Missouri<br />Person: Donald Edwards<br />Event: DAILY FEED LOG - RABBIT found open beneath Sandra's body<br /><br />- A spiral notebook labeled DAILY FEED LOG - RABBIT had been filled twice daily, every day, for more than two years by 26-year-old Donald Edwards.<br />- On the morning of November 14, the morning feed entry was blank even though the log had never missed a single entry before.<br />- Sandra Voss, 34, was found struck with a blunt object on the eastern trail she walked every morning at 7:45 to collect the mail.<br />- Hearth Covenant was incorporated in 2016 as a co-housing collective of eleven adults with Craig Underwood styling himself the Steward.<br />- The founding charter was revised three times and, by March 2019, communal assets were transferred into a sole-beneficiary LLC controlled by Underwood without member consent.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1174</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The ledger that signed his slow collapse pulled him under</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ledger-that-signed-his-slow-collapse-pulled-him-under--74910520</link><description><![CDATA[A county surveyor pulls medical intake forms from a muddy culvert - why did these clinical records vanish from a rural compound?<br /><br />The ledger that signed his slow collapse pulled him under<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery of records from a converted grain facility running an uninspected program called Clean Protocol, and track how those documents connect to missing movements, troubled medical histories, and a baffling internal ledger. What do the forms, a sleep roster, and countersigned blood-glucose readings reveal about who was there - and who wasn’t?<br /><br />Date: September 15, 2019<br />Location: Dellmore Road, Harwick County<br />Person: Keith Slater<br />Topic: Clean Protocol intake forms and internal ledgers<br />Case: Harwick Renewal Collective records found in culvert<br /><br />- Keith Slater, a Harwick County surveyor, found thirty-one medical intake forms zip-tied into a single dry stack inside a concrete drainage culvert after two inches of rain.<br />- The facility on Dellmore Road was a converted grain-processing plant run by the Harwick Renewal Collective, operating eleven months without a single health inspection or neighbor complaints.<br />- Harvey Holmes called himself a “physician-prophet,” displayed a framed degree from an unverified Southwestern Institute of Integrative Medicine, and countersigned weekly sleep ledgers and medical entries.<br />- Donna Hewitt managed intake, finances, and kept a handwritten rest schedule ledger showing a compound-wide average of under five hours’ sleep over six weeks, each week countersigned by Holmes.<br />- Marcus Teel’s blood-glucose readings, countersigned by Holmes the week before August 31, contradict the compound’s log that listed him “off-site” that day while his phone pinged a tower 400 feet from the facility.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910520</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:07 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910520/0016.mp3" length="20610668" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A county surveyor pulls medical intake forms from a muddy culvert - why did these clinical records vanish from a rural compound?&#13;
&#13;
The ledger that signed his slow collapse pulled him under&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery of records from a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A county surveyor pulls medical intake forms from a muddy culvert - why did these clinical records vanish from a rural compound?<br /><br />The ledger that signed his slow collapse pulled him under<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery of records from a converted grain facility running an uninspected program called Clean Protocol, and track how those documents connect to missing movements, troubled medical histories, and a baffling internal ledger. What do the forms, a sleep roster, and countersigned blood-glucose readings reveal about who was there - and who wasn’t?<br /><br />Date: September 15, 2019<br />Location: Dellmore Road, Harwick County<br />Person: Keith Slater<br />Topic: Clean Protocol intake forms and internal ledgers<br />Case: Harwick Renewal Collective records found in culvert<br /><br />- Keith Slater, a Harwick County surveyor, found thirty-one medical intake forms zip-tied into a single dry stack inside a concrete drainage culvert after two inches of rain.<br />- The facility on Dellmore Road was a converted grain-processing plant run by the Harwick Renewal Collective, operating eleven months without a single health inspection or neighbor complaints.<br />- Harvey Holmes called himself a “physician-prophet,” displayed a framed degree from an unverified Southwestern Institute of Integrative Medicine, and countersigned weekly sleep ledgers and medical entries.<br />- Donna Hewitt managed intake, finances, and kept a handwritten rest schedule ledger showing a compound-wide average of under five hours’ sleep over six weeks, each week countersigned by Holmes.<br />- Marcus Teel’s blood-glucose readings, countersigned by Holmes the week before August 31, contradict the compound’s log that listed him “off-site” that day while his phone pinged a tower 400 feet from the facility.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1289</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A sealed stamped envelope slipped into a birdhouse and toppled the Bindery</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-sealed-stamped-envelope-slipped-into-a-birdhouse-and-toppled-the-bindery--74910518</link><description><![CDATA[A sealed stamped envelope appears in a birdhouse on the bridge, addressed to a local reporter-how did it escape a locked literary commune?<br /><br />A sealed stamped envelope slipped into a birdhouse and toppled the Bindery<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the morning a manila envelope appeared in a cedar waxwing nest box and the unraveling that followed as people try to trace how it left a tightly controlled communal building. What was inside the envelope, who wrote it, and how did it travel from the Bindery to that bridge?<br /><br />Person: Jean Thorpe<br />Person: Kimberly Boyd<br />Person: Kenneth Weber<br />Location: Harwick Falls, upstate New York<br />Event: envelope found in a birdhouse on July 14, 2011<br /><br />- At 6:10 a.m. on July 14, 2011, Jean Thorpe opened a nest box on a bridge and found a stamped manila envelope addressed to a Harwick Courier-Register journalist.<br />- The Bindery was a converted textile mill with two-foot-thick brick walls, painted-over interior windows, and controlled exits monitored by staff.<br />- Kenneth Weber founded the Aldine Collective in 2004, claimed literary credentials, and established strict rules: surrendered reading material, editorial review of personal writing, and a bell-regulated four-hour sleep schedule.<br />- The White Pages was an unlit solitary confinement room used for correction; Kimberly Boyd spent forty-seven nights there and wrote one page per night by touch from hidden paper.<br />- Boyd’s forty-seven pages were pressed into her mattress; fourteen of those pages were used in the envelope - yet all regular exits and escorted walks from the Bindery were closely supervised.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910518</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:28:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910518/0015.mp3" length="21406044" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A sealed stamped envelope appears in a birdhouse on the bridge, addressed to a local reporter-how did it escape a locked literary commune?&#13;
&#13;
A sealed stamped envelope slipped into a birdhouse and toppled the Bindery&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A sealed stamped envelope appears in a birdhouse on the bridge, addressed to a local reporter-how did it escape a locked literary commune?<br /><br />A sealed stamped envelope slipped into a birdhouse and toppled the Bindery<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the morning a manila envelope appeared in a cedar waxwing nest box and the unraveling that followed as people try to trace how it left a tightly controlled communal building. What was inside the envelope, who wrote it, and how did it travel from the Bindery to that bridge?<br /><br />Person: Jean Thorpe<br />Person: Kimberly Boyd<br />Person: Kenneth Weber<br />Location: Harwick Falls, upstate New York<br />Event: envelope found in a birdhouse on July 14, 2011<br /><br />- At 6:10 a.m. on July 14, 2011, Jean Thorpe opened a nest box on a bridge and found a stamped manila envelope addressed to a Harwick Courier-Register journalist.<br />- The Bindery was a converted textile mill with two-foot-thick brick walls, painted-over interior windows, and controlled exits monitored by staff.<br />- Kenneth Weber founded the Aldine Collective in 2004, claimed literary credentials, and established strict rules: surrendered reading material, editorial review of personal writing, and a bell-regulated four-hour sleep schedule.<br />- The White Pages was an unlit solitary confinement room used for correction; Kimberly Boyd spent forty-seven nights there and wrote one page per night by touch from hidden paper.<br />- Boyd’s forty-seven pages were pressed into her mattress; fourteen of those pages were used in the envelope - yet all regular exits and escorted walks from the Bindery were closely supervised.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1338</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The size-seven left shoe tumbled from the roof and sent someone falling</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-size-seven-left-shoe-tumbled-from-the-roof-and-sent-someone-falling--74910517</link><description><![CDATA[A size-seven left shoe on a warehouse roof points to a barefoot woman gone and a sealed bunker below-what will one man do?<br /><br />The size-seven left shoe tumbled from the roof and sent someone falling<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the morning a paper carrier spotted a lone shoe on a flat roof and trace how that single object unspooled a web of people living underground beneath a decommissioned grain warehouse. The episode covers who joined the Meridian Compact, how the bunker was built and maintained, and what single pieces of evidence raised the alarm.<br /><br />Person: Dawn Petersen<br />Person: Frances Norris<br />Person: Steven Becker<br />Event: shoe found on roof, June 11, 2019<br />Topic: Meridian Compact bunker, underground confinement<br /><br />- At 5:40 a.m. on June 11, 2019, sixteen-year-old paper carrier Dawn Petersen spotted a dry, size seven left shoe laces-tied on a flat roof twenty-two feet above ground.<br />- By that afternoon, a missing person report had been filed for 28-year-old Frances Norris, who was already three hours away in a grain truck barefoot and wearing the same clothes.<br />- The Meridian Compact incorporated in 2016 as a nonprofit promoting community preparedness and documented up to 31 members; by June 2019, 17 people were living beneath the warehouse floor.<br />- An HVAC contractor, Terrence Moody, installed the bunker's ventilation and climate system in April 2015-documented and invoiced-a full year before the Compact began recruiting.<br />- Frances wrote a multi-page letter to her mother in January 2019 saying, "I think the doors now only open from one side," and her and 21 other members' stamped letters were found unsent under Becker's "outgoing mail review."<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910517</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:58 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910517/0014.mp3" length="22245724" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A size-seven left shoe on a warehouse roof points to a barefoot woman gone and a sealed bunker below-what will one man do?&#13;
&#13;
The size-seven left shoe tumbled from the roof and sent someone falling&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the morning a paper...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A size-seven left shoe on a warehouse roof points to a barefoot woman gone and a sealed bunker below-what will one man do?<br /><br />The size-seven left shoe tumbled from the roof and sent someone falling<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the morning a paper carrier spotted a lone shoe on a flat roof and trace how that single object unspooled a web of people living underground beneath a decommissioned grain warehouse. The episode covers who joined the Meridian Compact, how the bunker was built and maintained, and what single pieces of evidence raised the alarm.<br /><br />Person: Dawn Petersen<br />Person: Frances Norris<br />Person: Steven Becker<br />Event: shoe found on roof, June 11, 2019<br />Topic: Meridian Compact bunker, underground confinement<br /><br />- At 5:40 a.m. on June 11, 2019, sixteen-year-old paper carrier Dawn Petersen spotted a dry, size seven left shoe laces-tied on a flat roof twenty-two feet above ground.<br />- By that afternoon, a missing person report had been filed for 28-year-old Frances Norris, who was already three hours away in a grain truck barefoot and wearing the same clothes.<br />- The Meridian Compact incorporated in 2016 as a nonprofit promoting community preparedness and documented up to 31 members; by June 2019, 17 people were living beneath the warehouse floor.<br />- An HVAC contractor, Terrence Moody, installed the bunker's ventilation and climate system in April 2015-documented and invoiced-a full year before the Compact began recruiting.<br />- Frances wrote a multi-page letter to her mother in January 2019 saying, "I think the doors now only open from one side," and her and 21 other members' stamped letters were found unsent under Becker's "outgoing mail review."<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1391</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The sealed Mason jar buried at the line that reclaimed Tammy's money</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sealed-mason-jar-buried-at-the-line-that-reclaimed-tammy-s-money--74910516</link><description><![CDATA[A Mason jar buried at a fence line claims a living woman’s identity - who buries a legal-looking document the day after she walks away?<br /><br />The sealed Mason jar buried at the line that reclaimed Tammy's money<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery of a buried Mason jar that contained a laminated card, a lock of hair, and Tammy Bell’s driver’s license, and trace how that object connects to a fourteen-acre compound called the Heritage Genealogy Covenant. The episode lays out who Tammy is, how she was recruited and ranked inside the Covenant, and the specific practices and documents that kept members financially bound - but it leaves open what the jar was meant to do and who actually sealed it.<br /><br />Person: Tammy Bell<br />Event: Jar found by road-grader operator Warren Meyer on May 3, 2019<br />Location: Gravel shoulder of Route Nine, three feet from a fourteen-acre compound fence line<br />Group: Heritage Genealogy Covenant (HGC), founded by Lauren Norris<br />Document: Lineage Ledger listing tiers and monthly tithes<br /><br />- Warren Meyer’s blade hit a sealed Mason jar buried at the property line the morning after Tammy left the compound.<br />- The jar contained a laminated card reading “Root Sealed - T. Bell - Covenant Active,” a lock of red-threaded hair, and Tammy’s driver’s license.<br />- Tammy was assigned Tier One in the Covenant’s Lineage Ledger and charged $1,400 per month, a rate raised twice after she mentioned an inheritance.<br />- Lauren Norris recruited Tammy using a staged roadside encounter and kept a pre-filled intake sheet showing Tammy had been targeted beforehand.<br />- Tammy left the compound in late March 2019, took none of the Covenant-registered items, and later contacted reporter Emily Hensley after seeing the news about the jar.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910516</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:54 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910516/0013.mp3" length="19101417" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A Mason jar buried at a fence line claims a living woman’s identity - who buries a legal-looking document the day after she walks away?&#13;
&#13;
The sealed Mason jar buried at the line that reclaimed Tammy's money&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A Mason jar buried at a fence line claims a living woman’s identity - who buries a legal-looking document the day after she walks away?<br /><br />The sealed Mason jar buried at the line that reclaimed Tammy's money<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery of a buried Mason jar that contained a laminated card, a lock of hair, and Tammy Bell’s driver’s license, and trace how that object connects to a fourteen-acre compound called the Heritage Genealogy Covenant. The episode lays out who Tammy is, how she was recruited and ranked inside the Covenant, and the specific practices and documents that kept members financially bound - but it leaves open what the jar was meant to do and who actually sealed it.<br /><br />Person: Tammy Bell<br />Event: Jar found by road-grader operator Warren Meyer on May 3, 2019<br />Location: Gravel shoulder of Route Nine, three feet from a fourteen-acre compound fence line<br />Group: Heritage Genealogy Covenant (HGC), founded by Lauren Norris<br />Document: Lineage Ledger listing tiers and monthly tithes<br /><br />- Warren Meyer’s blade hit a sealed Mason jar buried at the property line the morning after Tammy left the compound.<br />- The jar contained a laminated card reading “Root Sealed - T. Bell - Covenant Active,” a lock of red-threaded hair, and Tammy’s driver’s license.<br />- Tammy was assigned Tier One in the Covenant’s Lineage Ledger and charged $1,400 per month, a rate raised twice after she mentioned an inheritance.<br />- Lauren Norris recruited Tammy using a staged roadside encounter and kept a pre-filled intake sheet showing Tammy had been targeted beforehand.<br />- Tammy left the compound in late March 2019, took none of the Covenant-registered items, and later contacted reporter Emily Hensley after seeing the news about the jar.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1194</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The sealed mail bin shoved off the truck that toppled a compound leader</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sealed-mail-bin-shoved-off-the-truck-that-toppled-a-compound-leader--74910514</link><description><![CDATA[A sealed mail bin sits in mud on a private farm road outside Meridian Corps - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The sealed mail bin shoved off the truck that toppled a compound leader<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the morning discovery that set an investigation in motion and trace how routine logistics and troubled recruitment intersected in one volunteer compound. What choices and systems let hundreds of outgoing letters vanish for over a year, and why did one letter arrive after the last contact?<br /><br />Date: April 29, 2011<br />Location: Caulfield County, Ohio<br />Person: Angela Perry<br />Event: Mail bin recovered with 200 sealed letters<br />Person: Kathleen Slater<br /><br />- Sarah Anderson, a utility worker, discovered a sealed gray mail bin at 7:40 AM at the base of a wooden utility pole on a private farm road.<br />- The bin had been stolen from Grover's Mill Post Office fourteen months earlier and contained two hundred stamped, addressed letters that had never been mailed.<br />- Thirty-four letters were matched by handwriting to compound members; nine bore the return address of 22-year-old nursing student Angela Perry.<br />- Angela Perry last attended college game night on February 24, 2011; her mother received a single letter postmarked March 3, then the correspondence stopped.<br />- Kathleen Slater presented a FEMA-style credential as a Regional Liaison and told recruits the compound handled outgoing mail due to rural delivery gaps; Dennis Rourke collected and reportedly transported outgoing mail to the UPS depot on Tuesdays.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910514</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910514/0012.mp3" length="23441087" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A sealed mail bin sits in mud on a private farm road outside Meridian Corps - how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The sealed mail bin shoved off the truck that toppled a compound leader&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the morning discovery that set an...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A sealed mail bin sits in mud on a private farm road outside Meridian Corps - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The sealed mail bin shoved off the truck that toppled a compound leader<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the morning discovery that set an investigation in motion and trace how routine logistics and troubled recruitment intersected in one volunteer compound. What choices and systems let hundreds of outgoing letters vanish for over a year, and why did one letter arrive after the last contact?<br /><br />Date: April 29, 2011<br />Location: Caulfield County, Ohio<br />Person: Angela Perry<br />Event: Mail bin recovered with 200 sealed letters<br />Person: Kathleen Slater<br /><br />- Sarah Anderson, a utility worker, discovered a sealed gray mail bin at 7:40 AM at the base of a wooden utility pole on a private farm road.<br />- The bin had been stolen from Grover's Mill Post Office fourteen months earlier and contained two hundred stamped, addressed letters that had never been mailed.<br />- Thirty-four letters were matched by handwriting to compound members; nine bore the return address of 22-year-old nursing student Angela Perry.<br />- Angela Perry last attended college game night on February 24, 2011; her mother received a single letter postmarked March 3, then the correspondence stopped.<br />- Kathleen Slater presented a FEMA-style credential as a Regional Liaison and told recruits the compound handled outgoing mail due to rural delivery gaps; Dennis Rourke collected and reportedly transported outgoing mail to the UPS depot on Tuesdays.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1466</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The laminated "Eleven Obligations" that shrank her world and stole her exit</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-eleven-obligations-that-shrank-her-world-and-stole-her-exit--74910513</link><description><![CDATA[A laminated card titled "The Eleven Obligations" is found in a snowbank outside Clearpath Recovery House. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The laminated "Eleven Obligations" that shrank her world and stole her exit<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the day a jogger found a laminated card that unspooled a decade-long confinement at a rural recovery house and the layers of control that produced it. We trace the program's setup, the slow accretion of rules, and the choices that narrowed one woman's options - and ask how that narrowing became invisible.<br /><br />Person: Carol Taylor<br />Person: Terry Hunter<br />Date: March 11, 2022<br />Location: Clearpath Recovery House, Dellbrook, Minnesota<br />Event: Discovery of "The Eleven Obligations" laminated card<br /><br />- Jessica Rogers, a jogger, found the laminated card standing nearly upright in a snow drift at 6:14 a.m.<br />- Carol entered Clearpath in March 2013 after a DUI and the loss of her nursing license and remained there for nine years.<br />- Terry Hunter created and issued credentials to himself under an alias and replaced residents' twelve-step prints with his Eleven Obligations.<br />- By 2015 Carol had stopped leaving the property unaccompanied, framed as a recovery commitment that contracted her world.<br />- A handwritten, unsealed letter Carol wrote to her brother Kevin in 2017 was found in Hunter’s desk when investigators searched in April 2022.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910513</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910513/0011.mp3" length="20306394" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A laminated card titled "The Eleven Obligations" is found in a snowbank outside Clearpath Recovery House. How do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The laminated "Eleven Obligations" that shrank her world and stole her exit&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A laminated card titled "The Eleven Obligations" is found in a snowbank outside Clearpath Recovery House. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The laminated "Eleven Obligations" that shrank her world and stole her exit<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the day a jogger found a laminated card that unspooled a decade-long confinement at a rural recovery house and the layers of control that produced it. We trace the program's setup, the slow accretion of rules, and the choices that narrowed one woman's options - and ask how that narrowing became invisible.<br /><br />Person: Carol Taylor<br />Person: Terry Hunter<br />Date: March 11, 2022<br />Location: Clearpath Recovery House, Dellbrook, Minnesota<br />Event: Discovery of "The Eleven Obligations" laminated card<br /><br />- Jessica Rogers, a jogger, found the laminated card standing nearly upright in a snow drift at 6:14 a.m.<br />- Carol entered Clearpath in March 2013 after a DUI and the loss of her nursing license and remained there for nine years.<br />- Terry Hunter created and issued credentials to himself under an alias and replaced residents' twelve-step prints with his Eleven Obligations.<br />- By 2015 Carol had stopped leaving the property unaccompanied, framed as a recovery commitment that contracted her world.<br />- A handwritten, unsealed letter Carol wrote to her brother Kevin in 2017 was found in Hunter’s desk when investigators searched in April 2022.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1270</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The two‑a.m. vigil that toppled a life on Sutter Road</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-two-a-m-vigil-that-toppled-a-life-on-sutter-road--74910512</link><description><![CDATA[A man finds a red patent‑leather shoe in a locked Sutter Road broadcast booth - how do you fall from that high while the Open Hand Hour hums?<br /><br />The two‑a.m. vigil that toppled a life on Sutter Road<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that unspools a seven‑year life on a rural compound tied to a radio show. The episode covers how a single shoe, a missing woman, and an eight‑acre property intersect with a volunteer, a host, and a ledger; what kind of system allowed people to drift inside it?<br /><br />Person: Ralph Whitaker<br />Person: Howard Vickers<br />Person: Rebecca Keller<br />Event: discovery of a single red patent‑leather dress shoe on January 14 at 7:40 AM<br />Document: Donna Pell’s handwritten ledger with staggered 90‑minute sleep schedules<br /><br />- Ralph Whitaker, a 67‑year‑old retired church volunteer, arrived at the locked broadcast booth on Sutter Road to drop off blankets and found one upright red patent‑leather shoe.<br />- Rebecca Keller, 26, had moved onto the property at 19 after attending a “listening dinner” arranged by Sandra Oates and stopped receiving most of her father’s weekly letters.<br />- Howard Vickers, 54, ran The Open Hand Hour and lived onsite; the FCC license listed a different, deceased licensee, H. Victor Wills, whose death predated the station’s application.<br />- Donna Pell kept a worn composition ledger detailing a schedule of staggered 90‑minute sleep shifts that ensured someone was always awake on the property.<br />- The Open Hand Hour framed the compound’s routines with repeated language about “the signal,” linking the radio program, dinners, letters, and vigil schedule into a methodical system.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910512</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:42 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910512/0010.mp3" length="22359827" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A man finds a red patent‑leather shoe in a locked Sutter Road broadcast booth - how do you fall from that high while the Open Hand Hour hums?&#13;
&#13;
The two‑a.m. vigil that toppled a life on Sutter Road&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery that...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A man finds a red patent‑leather shoe in a locked Sutter Road broadcast booth - how do you fall from that high while the Open Hand Hour hums?<br /><br />The two‑a.m. vigil that toppled a life on Sutter Road<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that unspools a seven‑year life on a rural compound tied to a radio show. The episode covers how a single shoe, a missing woman, and an eight‑acre property intersect with a volunteer, a host, and a ledger; what kind of system allowed people to drift inside it?<br /><br />Person: Ralph Whitaker<br />Person: Howard Vickers<br />Person: Rebecca Keller<br />Event: discovery of a single red patent‑leather dress shoe on January 14 at 7:40 AM<br />Document: Donna Pell’s handwritten ledger with staggered 90‑minute sleep schedules<br /><br />- Ralph Whitaker, a 67‑year‑old retired church volunteer, arrived at the locked broadcast booth on Sutter Road to drop off blankets and found one upright red patent‑leather shoe.<br />- Rebecca Keller, 26, had moved onto the property at 19 after attending a “listening dinner” arranged by Sandra Oates and stopped receiving most of her father’s weekly letters.<br />- Howard Vickers, 54, ran The Open Hand Hour and lived onsite; the FCC license listed a different, deceased licensee, H. Victor Wills, whose death predated the station’s application.<br />- Donna Pell kept a worn composition ledger detailing a schedule of staggered 90‑minute sleep shifts that ensured someone was always awake on the property.<br />- The Open Hand Hour framed the compound’s routines with repeated language about “the signal,” linking the radio program, dinners, letters, and vigil schedule into a methodical system.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1398</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The Labrador's tug dragged a desk into the culvert - how did it fall?</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-labrador-s-tug-dragged-a-desk-into-the-culvert-how-did-it-fall--74910511</link><description><![CDATA[A Labrador drags a child’s desk from a culvert, exposing a closed homeschool's fees, records and a curriculum that may be a fraud.<br /><br />The Labrador's tug dragged a desk into the culvert - how did it fall?<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the moment Peggy Sanders’s dog found a dry lesson sheet on a child-sized desk in a muddy culvert and trace how that object connects to an eight-year homeschool community. We outline who joined, how money and records were handled, and what questions about oversight and isolation the discovery raised.<br /><br />Date: December 14, 2011<br />Person: Peggy Sanders<br />Location: Harwick County trail culvert<br />Case: Lighthouse Curriculum homeschool group<br />Person: Donna Prieto<br /><br />- A five-year-old Marcus entered Douglas Zeller’s Lighthouse Curriculum and stayed in the group for nine years.<br />- Families paid $400 per month as a “curriculum licensing cost,” recorded in a green three-ring binder.<br />- Donna Prieto kept monthly ledgers in a locked file cabinet in the compound’s Administrative Center.<br />- Investigators found no curriculum products, vendor records, ISBNs or shipments matching the payments listed.<br />- Peggy Sanders’s Labrador pulled the desk out of a drainage culvert six days after the trail opened, revealing a dry lesson sheet and sparking the probe.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910511</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910511/0009.mp3" length="18293920" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A Labrador drags a child’s desk from a culvert, exposing a closed homeschool's fees, records and a curriculum that may be a fraud.&#13;
&#13;
The Labrador's tug dragged a desk into the culvert - how did it fall?&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the moment Peggy...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A Labrador drags a child’s desk from a culvert, exposing a closed homeschool's fees, records and a curriculum that may be a fraud.<br /><br />The Labrador's tug dragged a desk into the culvert - how did it fall?<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the moment Peggy Sanders’s dog found a dry lesson sheet on a child-sized desk in a muddy culvert and trace how that object connects to an eight-year homeschool community. We outline who joined, how money and records were handled, and what questions about oversight and isolation the discovery raised.<br /><br />Date: December 14, 2011<br />Person: Peggy Sanders<br />Location: Harwick County trail culvert<br />Case: Lighthouse Curriculum homeschool group<br />Person: Donna Prieto<br /><br />- A five-year-old Marcus entered Douglas Zeller’s Lighthouse Curriculum and stayed in the group for nine years.<br />- Families paid $400 per month as a “curriculum licensing cost,” recorded in a green three-ring binder.<br />- Donna Prieto kept monthly ledgers in a locked file cabinet in the compound’s Administrative Center.<br />- Investigators found no curriculum products, vendor records, ISBNs or shipments matching the payments listed.<br />- Peggy Sanders’s Labrador pulled the desk out of a drainage culvert six days after the trail opened, revealing a dry lesson sheet and sparking the probe.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1144</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The ledger shoved two hundred yards offshore pulled a man from Sable Flat</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ledger-shoved-two-hundred-yards-offshore-pulled-a-man-from-sable-flat--74910510</link><description><![CDATA[A sealed Sable Flat ledger turns up in a fisherwoman’s crab trap - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The ledger shoved two hundred yards offshore pulled a man from Sable Flat<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a waterproof ledger pulled from Pellet Creek unravels the daily life inside a coastal cooperative and the financial system binding its members. The episode tracks recruitment, the ledgers, and the moments that made escape harder - and asks what that ledger really meant for the people named inside.<br /><br />Person: Rhonda Barrett<br />Date: November 14, 2019<br />Location: Pellet Creek estuary<br />Event: discovery of sealed waterproof ledger stamped SABLE FLAT COOPERATIVE<br />Person: Carl Pruitt<br /><br />- The ledger was sealed, waterproof, stamped "SABLE FLAT COOPERATIVE," and had a column labeled "departure risk."<br />- Eleven people lived at Sable Flat in a converted fish-processing facility four point two miles outside Harwick; their labor supposedly paid for housing, food, and gear.<br />- Roy West secured the Sable Flat lease by posing as a marine equipment inspector and presented a diploma from a non-existent University of the Coastal Plains.<br />- Membership required signing a "harvest pledge" that converted labor and future fish revenue into a debt instrument with compounding costs.<br />- Dennis Falk managed the ledgers and entry risk scores; one name, Carl Pruitt, carried a departure risk of five out of five.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910510</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:34 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910510/0008.mp3" length="19381450" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A sealed Sable Flat ledger turns up in a fisherwoman’s crab trap - how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The ledger shoved two hundred yards offshore pulled a man from Sable Flat&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a waterproof ledger pulled from Pellet...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A sealed Sable Flat ledger turns up in a fisherwoman’s crab trap - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The ledger shoved two hundred yards offshore pulled a man from Sable Flat<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a waterproof ledger pulled from Pellet Creek unravels the daily life inside a coastal cooperative and the financial system binding its members. The episode tracks recruitment, the ledgers, and the moments that made escape harder - and asks what that ledger really meant for the people named inside.<br /><br />Person: Rhonda Barrett<br />Date: November 14, 2019<br />Location: Pellet Creek estuary<br />Event: discovery of sealed waterproof ledger stamped SABLE FLAT COOPERATIVE<br />Person: Carl Pruitt<br /><br />- The ledger was sealed, waterproof, stamped "SABLE FLAT COOPERATIVE," and had a column labeled "departure risk."<br />- Eleven people lived at Sable Flat in a converted fish-processing facility four point two miles outside Harwick; their labor supposedly paid for housing, food, and gear.<br />- Roy West secured the Sable Flat lease by posing as a marine equipment inspector and presented a diploma from a non-existent University of the Coastal Plains.<br />- Membership required signing a "harvest pledge" that converted labor and future fish revenue into a debt instrument with compounding costs.<br />- Dennis Falk managed the ledgers and entry risk scores; one name, Carl Pruitt, carried a departure risk of five out of five.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1212</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A child's desk bolted to dirt made her English disappear</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-child-s-desk-bolted-to-dirt-made-her-english-disappear--74910509</link><description><![CDATA[A child's desk bolted in a dirt-floor root cellar - how do you fall from that high into a world where English is forbidden?<br /><br />A child's desk bolted to dirt made her English disappear<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that reopened a vanished life and the strange community at its center. The episode traces how a sealed room, a man calling himself the Architect, and a practice of enforced language shaped one woman's disappearance and the letters she kept; what question does that combination force investigators to ask?<br /><br />Person: Kimberly Wells<br />Event: Root-cellar discovery of bolted child's desk and chalkboard<br />Date: October 3, 2019<br />Location: property outside Dellmore on a 340-acre parcel<br />Person: Wade Owens (aka Wade Alan Purcell)<br /><br />- A county surveyor pried open a padlocked root-cellar door and found a child's school desk bolted into the dirt floor and a chalkboard written in an unknown language.<br />- Kimberly Wells vanished from public view after 2011, having stopped her regular Tuesday volunteer shift at the Dellmore Food Shelf without explanation.<br />- Wade Owens, calling himself the Architect of Arveth and claiming a doctorate from Aldercroft University, recruited members to live at Arveth Grounds thirty miles outside town.<br />- Owens purchased a surplus child's school desk in 2010 and designed the sealed cellar room before any members arrived; new initiates spent eleven days there with no natural light and intense language drills.<br />- Deputies found dozens of handwritten English letters to Kimberly's daughter, dated across eight years and never sent, despite English being banned inside Arveth Grounds.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910509</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910509/0007.mp3" length="23696460" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A child's desk bolted in a dirt-floor root cellar - how do you fall from that high into a world where English is forbidden?&#13;
&#13;
A child's desk bolted to dirt made her English disappear&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the discovery that reopened a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A child's desk bolted in a dirt-floor root cellar - how do you fall from that high into a world where English is forbidden?<br /><br />A child's desk bolted to dirt made her English disappear<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the discovery that reopened a vanished life and the strange community at its center. The episode traces how a sealed room, a man calling himself the Architect, and a practice of enforced language shaped one woman's disappearance and the letters she kept; what question does that combination force investigators to ask?<br /><br />Person: Kimberly Wells<br />Event: Root-cellar discovery of bolted child's desk and chalkboard<br />Date: October 3, 2019<br />Location: property outside Dellmore on a 340-acre parcel<br />Person: Wade Owens (aka Wade Alan Purcell)<br /><br />- A county surveyor pried open a padlocked root-cellar door and found a child's school desk bolted into the dirt floor and a chalkboard written in an unknown language.<br />- Kimberly Wells vanished from public view after 2011, having stopped her regular Tuesday volunteer shift at the Dellmore Food Shelf without explanation.<br />- Wade Owens, calling himself the Architect of Arveth and claiming a doctorate from Aldercroft University, recruited members to live at Arveth Grounds thirty miles outside town.<br />- Owens purchased a surplus child's school desk in 2010 and designed the sealed cellar room before any members arrived; new initiates spent eleven days there with no natural light and intense language drills.<br />- Deputies found dozens of handwritten English letters to Kimberly's daughter, dated across eight years and never sent, despite English being banned inside Arveth Grounds.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1481</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The sealed red bin that cracked a compound's belief and toppled its leader</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sealed-red-bin-that-cracked-a-compound-s-belief-and-toppled-its-leader--74910508</link><description><![CDATA[A retired postal worker finds a sealed red bin of hand‑ruled ledgers that threatens to unravel a closed religious compound and its leader.<br /><br />The sealed red bin that cracked a compound's belief and toppled its leader<br /><br />In this episode, listeners are guided through the discovery of a red plastic bin and the closed world it exposed, tracing who lived at the compound, how daily life was governed, and why those notebooks mattered. What did the ledgers hold, and who left them where someone would find them?<br /><br />Person: Kent Sheridan<br />Person: Ralph Foster<br />Person: Person: Donna Keller<br />Location: Stillwater Flats, Harlan County, eastern Tennessee<br />Date: August 15, 2019<br /><br />- A red plastic bin, sealed with a rubber gasket and caked in silt, was found in a creek bed at Milepost Nine containing twenty-two identical hand‑ruled notebooks.<br />- The Covenant of Still Waters lived on a fourteen‑acre compound where members gave up phones, finances, and vehicles and slept five hours a night.<br />- Weekly "Accounting Sessions" required each member to read aloud a personal ledger recording doubts, failures, and thoughts about life outside the Clearing.<br />- Compound logs show Ralph Foster driving on Route Nine the morning Donna Keller's Honda stalled and giving her a ride back to the Clearing.<br />- Donna Keller's ledger entry about missing her sister and a kitchen table was recorded six days before the bin was found, yet she did not leave the compound again for weeks.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910508</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910508/0006.mp3" length="21275641" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A retired postal worker finds a sealed red bin of hand‑ruled ledgers that threatens to unravel a closed religious compound and its leader.&#13;
&#13;
The sealed red bin that cracked a compound's belief and toppled its leader&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, listeners are...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A retired postal worker finds a sealed red bin of hand‑ruled ledgers that threatens to unravel a closed religious compound and its leader.<br /><br />The sealed red bin that cracked a compound's belief and toppled its leader<br /><br />In this episode, listeners are guided through the discovery of a red plastic bin and the closed world it exposed, tracing who lived at the compound, how daily life was governed, and why those notebooks mattered. What did the ledgers hold, and who left them where someone would find them?<br /><br />Person: Kent Sheridan<br />Person: Ralph Foster<br />Person: Person: Donna Keller<br />Location: Stillwater Flats, Harlan County, eastern Tennessee<br />Date: August 15, 2019<br /><br />- A red plastic bin, sealed with a rubber gasket and caked in silt, was found in a creek bed at Milepost Nine containing twenty-two identical hand‑ruled notebooks.<br />- The Covenant of Still Waters lived on a fourteen‑acre compound where members gave up phones, finances, and vehicles and slept five hours a night.<br />- Weekly "Accounting Sessions" required each member to read aloud a personal ledger recording doubts, failures, and thoughts about life outside the Clearing.<br />- Compound logs show Ralph Foster driving on Route Nine the morning Donna Keller's Honda stalled and giving her a ride back to the Clearing.<br />- Donna Keller's ledger entry about missing her sister and a kitchen table was recorded six days before the bin was found, yet she did not leave the compound again for weeks.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1330</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A child's yellow rain boot toppled a house of faith and took its shepherd</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-child-s-yellow-rain-boot-toppled-a-house-of-faith-and-took-its-shepherd--74910507</link><description><![CDATA[A paper carrier finds a toddler's yellow rain boot in a Victorian house-can that small object unravel a pastor's authority?<br /><br />A child's yellow rain boot toppled a house of faith and took its shepherd<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a seemingly misplaced yellow rain boot led a sixteen-year-old paper carrier into a locked world on Orchard Lane and set in motion questions about leadership, money, and what people surrender when they seek solace. How did one object expose the architecture of a closed group and the cost to those inside?<br /><br />Person: Teresa Hunter<br />Date: July 9, 2019<br />Location: 14 Orchard Lane<br />Person: Robert Whitfield<br />Person: Sarah Marshall<br /><br />- Teresa Hunter, a sixteen-year-old paper carrier, found a size four toddler yellow duck rain boot upright on a top shelf in the supply closet of 14 Orchard Lane.<br />- The boot sat beside a spiral-bound notebook labeled "Seed Accounts" recording names, dates, and dollar amounts tied to contributions and obligations.<br />- Robert Whitfield presented himself as the Shepherd of Still Waters, used a Master of Divinity from a non-existent Calverton Theological Seminary on intake paperwork, and ran discernment sessions in the common room.<br />- Sarah Marshall, widowed and fifty-four, moved into the Orchard Lane residence in October 2017, surrendered her cats and about $14,000 in savings, and stayed there for twenty-two months.<br />- Dennis Caulfield, thirty-eight and Whitfield's second-in-command, managed finances and kept the ledger of "seed" contributions visible on the same shelf as the boot.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910507</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:22 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910507/0005.mp3" length="21052869" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A paper carrier finds a toddler's yellow rain boot in a Victorian house-can that small object unravel a pastor's authority?&#13;
&#13;
A child's yellow rain boot toppled a house of faith and took its shepherd&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a seemingly...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A paper carrier finds a toddler's yellow rain boot in a Victorian house-can that small object unravel a pastor's authority?<br /><br />A child's yellow rain boot toppled a house of faith and took its shepherd<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a seemingly misplaced yellow rain boot led a sixteen-year-old paper carrier into a locked world on Orchard Lane and set in motion questions about leadership, money, and what people surrender when they seek solace. How did one object expose the architecture of a closed group and the cost to those inside?<br /><br />Person: Teresa Hunter<br />Date: July 9, 2019<br />Location: 14 Orchard Lane<br />Person: Robert Whitfield<br />Person: Sarah Marshall<br /><br />- Teresa Hunter, a sixteen-year-old paper carrier, found a size four toddler yellow duck rain boot upright on a top shelf in the supply closet of 14 Orchard Lane.<br />- The boot sat beside a spiral-bound notebook labeled "Seed Accounts" recording names, dates, and dollar amounts tied to contributions and obligations.<br />- Robert Whitfield presented himself as the Shepherd of Still Waters, used a Master of Divinity from a non-existent Calverton Theological Seminary on intake paperwork, and ran discernment sessions in the common room.<br />- Sarah Marshall, widowed and fifty-four, moved into the Orchard Lane residence in October 2017, surrendered her cats and about $14,000 in savings, and stayed there for twenty-two months.<br />- Dennis Caulfield, thirty-eight and Whitfield's second-in-command, managed finances and kept the ledger of "seed" contributions visible on the same shelf as the boot.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1316</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The broken storm‑cellar latch that let her fall from the compound</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-broken-storm-cellar-latch-that-let-her-fall-from-the-compound--74910505</link><description><![CDATA[A woman in a New Canaan storm cellar finds a broken latch and a size-seven shoe on Route 9. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The broken storm‑cellar latch that let her fall from the compound<br /><br />In this episode, we tell the sequence of events around a rural Harwick County compound where five people were reported missing after a late‑season snowfall revealed a single white dress shoe stamped New Canaan Fellowship. We lay out the people, the ledger, the latch, and the timing that set the scene - and ask what choices and small failures led there.<br /><br />Date: June 19, 2019<br />Location: Harwick County, near Pelham Creek; Route 9<br />Person: Rebecca Rogers, age 23<br />Person: Gordon Harrison, Shepherd, age 51<br />Person: Dennis Foley, property manager, age 44<br /><br />- Wayne Long found a lone size‑seven white women's dress shoe stamped New Canaan Fellowship standing upright in the snow on Route 9 at 6:43 a.m.<br />- Rebecca Rogers joined New Canaan Fellowship in March 2018, surrendered her apartment, and transferred $18,000 in savings into a Fellowship account.<br />- From January to May 2019, $340,000 was moved out of member accounts in incremental transfers signed by Dennis Foley.<br />- The storm cellar hatch had an exterior padlock, but the interior latch had been broken since about February 2019; Foley knew and did not fix or report it.<br />- Members made ritualized Wednesday calls between midnight and 3 a.m.; Sandra, Rebecca’s mother, kept 41 voicemails that end across months, the last confirmed contact three weeks before the disappearances.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910505</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910505/0004.mp3" length="20305558" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A woman in a New Canaan storm cellar finds a broken latch and a size-seven shoe on Route 9. How do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The broken storm‑cellar latch that let her fall from the compound&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we tell the sequence of events around...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A woman in a New Canaan storm cellar finds a broken latch and a size-seven shoe on Route 9. How do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The broken storm‑cellar latch that let her fall from the compound<br /><br />In this episode, we tell the sequence of events around a rural Harwick County compound where five people were reported missing after a late‑season snowfall revealed a single white dress shoe stamped New Canaan Fellowship. We lay out the people, the ledger, the latch, and the timing that set the scene - and ask what choices and small failures led there.<br /><br />Date: June 19, 2019<br />Location: Harwick County, near Pelham Creek; Route 9<br />Person: Rebecca Rogers, age 23<br />Person: Gordon Harrison, Shepherd, age 51<br />Person: Dennis Foley, property manager, age 44<br /><br />- Wayne Long found a lone size‑seven white women's dress shoe stamped New Canaan Fellowship standing upright in the snow on Route 9 at 6:43 a.m.<br />- Rebecca Rogers joined New Canaan Fellowship in March 2018, surrendered her apartment, and transferred $18,000 in savings into a Fellowship account.<br />- From January to May 2019, $340,000 was moved out of member accounts in incremental transfers signed by Dennis Foley.<br />- The storm cellar hatch had an exterior padlock, but the interior latch had been broken since about February 2019; Foley knew and did not fix or report it.<br />- Members made ritualized Wednesday calls between midnight and 3 a.m.; Sandra, Rebecca’s mother, kept 41 voicemails that end across months, the last confirmed contact three weeks before the disappearances.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1270</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A six‑mile walk at dawn that unmade a preacher's fortress</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-six-mile-walk-at-dawn-that-unmade-a-preacher-s-fortress--74910504</link><description><![CDATA[A county meter reader sees a child's boot at a farmhouse window - how does a preacher's forty‑acre refuge empty itself overnight?<br /><br />A six‑mile walk at dawn that unmade a preacher's fortress<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the fragmentary clues that first alerted outsiders to an empty rural compound and trace the routines, controls, and small resistances inside. What choices and daily rituals made leaving possible - and why did a six‑mile walk matter?<br /><br />Date: March 12, 2011<br />Location: Harlow Road farmhouse, forty‑acre property<br />Person: Nancy Brown<br />Person: Roger Wells<br />Event: Group relocation from Calvary Road Baptist to Harlow Road<br /><br />- Paula Tillman, a county water‑meter reader, discovered a child's yellow rain boot and a folded handwritten letter on a kitchen table through a locked window.<br />- Roger Wells formed the Remnant Assembly, moved twenty‑two followers to Harlow Road, and collected all government IDs into a lockbox.<br />- Members lived on a strict schedule; Deborah Vance kept a notebook logging sleep windows that show Nancy Brown rarely slept more than four hours.<br />- Wells monitored Nancy’s predictable six‑fifteen morning circuit and used her walks to search her bunk and seize personal letters.<br />- On March 9, 2011, Nancy walked six miles at 4:40 a.m. to a gas station on Route Nine - a slow departure that later became a key detail in court.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910504</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:14 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910504/0003.mp3" length="20031794" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A county meter reader sees a child's boot at a farmhouse window - how does a preacher's forty‑acre refuge empty itself overnight?&#13;
&#13;
A six‑mile walk at dawn that unmade a preacher's fortress&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the fragmentary clues that...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A county meter reader sees a child's boot at a farmhouse window - how does a preacher's forty‑acre refuge empty itself overnight?<br /><br />A six‑mile walk at dawn that unmade a preacher's fortress<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the fragmentary clues that first alerted outsiders to an empty rural compound and trace the routines, controls, and small resistances inside. What choices and daily rituals made leaving possible - and why did a six‑mile walk matter?<br /><br />Date: March 12, 2011<br />Location: Harlow Road farmhouse, forty‑acre property<br />Person: Nancy Brown<br />Person: Roger Wells<br />Event: Group relocation from Calvary Road Baptist to Harlow Road<br /><br />- Paula Tillman, a county water‑meter reader, discovered a child's yellow rain boot and a folded handwritten letter on a kitchen table through a locked window.<br />- Roger Wells formed the Remnant Assembly, moved twenty‑two followers to Harlow Road, and collected all government IDs into a lockbox.<br />- Members lived on a strict schedule; Deborah Vance kept a notebook logging sleep windows that show Nancy Brown rarely slept more than four hours.<br />- Wells monitored Nancy’s predictable six‑fifteen morning circuit and used her walks to search her bunk and seize personal letters.<br />- On March 9, 2011, Nancy walked six miles at 4:40 a.m. to a gas station on Route Nine - a slow departure that later became a key detail in court.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1252</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The sleep log that shaved her nights and toppled her life</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sleep-log-that-shaved-her-nights-and-toppled-her-life--74910503</link><description><![CDATA[A church volunteer opens a meeting house door to find a sealed letter from a woman locked inside - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The sleep log that shaved her nights and toppled her life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the slow unspooling around Angela Zeller: how a once-routine life intersected with a small self-improvement group and a weekly ritual of sleep logs that changed everything. What did the logs-and the people who collected them-actually do to Angela and the others?<br /><br />Person: Angela Zeller<br />Date: February 3, 2021<br />Location: Harwick Community Church annex, Harwick, Ohio<br />Group: The Clarity Group - twelve members, led by Jason Fitzgerald<br />Method: Weekly handwritten sleep logs showing group average fell from 7.1 to 4.3 hours<br /><br />- Angela missed a thirty-six-month streak of Wednesday food bank shifts on January 24, 2021, the first sign something was off.<br />- Jason Fitzgerald led Tuesday and Friday sessions, had a framed "Master of Behavioral Integration" diploma visible from every seat.<br />- Members submitted weekly sleep logs with hours and quality ratings; Fitzgerald reviewed them and marked declines in red.<br />- Over eighteen months the group's average documented sleep fell steadily while Fitzgerald framed less sleep as "progress."<br />- Ray Coulter, recommended by Fitzgerald, made evening visits to members' homes; technical searches later recovered listening devices at three of six houses.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910503</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910503/0002.mp3" length="20521643" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A church volunteer opens a meeting house door to find a sealed letter from a woman locked inside - how do you fall from that high?&#13;
&#13;
The sleep log that shaved her nights and toppled her life&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow the slow unspooling around...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A church volunteer opens a meeting house door to find a sealed letter from a woman locked inside - how do you fall from that high?<br /><br />The sleep log that shaved her nights and toppled her life<br /><br />In this episode, we follow the slow unspooling around Angela Zeller: how a once-routine life intersected with a small self-improvement group and a weekly ritual of sleep logs that changed everything. What did the logs-and the people who collected them-actually do to Angela and the others?<br /><br />Person: Angela Zeller<br />Date: February 3, 2021<br />Location: Harwick Community Church annex, Harwick, Ohio<br />Group: The Clarity Group - twelve members, led by Jason Fitzgerald<br />Method: Weekly handwritten sleep logs showing group average fell from 7.1 to 4.3 hours<br /><br />- Angela missed a thirty-six-month streak of Wednesday food bank shifts on January 24, 2021, the first sign something was off.<br />- Jason Fitzgerald led Tuesday and Friday sessions, had a framed "Master of Behavioral Integration" diploma visible from every seat.<br />- Members submitted weekly sleep logs with hours and quality ratings; Fitzgerald reviewed them and marked declines in red.<br />- Over eighteen months the group's average documented sleep fell steadily while Fitzgerald framed less sleep as "progress."<br />- Ray Coulter, recommended by Fitzgerald, made evening visits to members' homes; technical searches later recovered listening devices at three of six houses.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1283</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The forged diploma stamp that toppled his paper medical empire</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-forged-diploma-stamp-that-toppled-his-paper-medical-empire--74910501</link><description><![CDATA[A framed diploma hangs in a remote compound - a forged founding stamp threatens the paper medical empire built on quarterly $4,200 supplement bills.<br /><br />The forged diploma stamp that toppled his paper medical empire<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a single photograph and a forged diploma stamp focused attention on a secluded wellness compound and the people who lived there. The episode traces daily routines, billing practices, and the small, deliberate moves that kept the group insulated - and asks how so many trusted a system built on paper.<br /><br />Person: Stanley Erickson<br />Person: Jennifer Sullivan<br />Person: Marcus Webb<br />Event: Framed diploma with impossible founding date<br />Topic: Quarterly $4,200 supplement billing vs $280 wholesale<br /><br />- A three-hundred-and-forty-acre compound bought out of bankruptcy in 2009 became a self-contained community led by Erickson.<br />- Followers paid $4,200 every three months for proprietary supplements that cost $280 wholesale, presented as treatment invoices.<br />- Erickson kept one locked archive room; a single worn key on his belt opened it and controlled access to paperwork and credentials.<br />- Marcus Webb handled logistics and intercepted outgoing letters, watching a county road from a north-wall service entrance to monitor a health inspector’s van.<br />- A polished mahogany-framed diploma displayed a founding stamp dated 1999 while Erickson’s claimed graduation was 1997, a discrepancy a forensic examiner later labeled impossible.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74910501</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:27:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74910501/0001.mp3" length="22837972" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A framed diploma hangs in a remote compound - a forged founding stamp threatens the paper medical empire built on quarterly $4,200 supplement bills.&#13;
&#13;
The forged diploma stamp that toppled his paper medical empire&#13;
&#13;
In this episode, we follow how a...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A framed diploma hangs in a remote compound - a forged founding stamp threatens the paper medical empire built on quarterly $4,200 supplement bills.<br /><br />The forged diploma stamp that toppled his paper medical empire<br /><br />In this episode, we follow how a single photograph and a forged diploma stamp focused attention on a secluded wellness compound and the people who lived there. The episode traces daily routines, billing practices, and the small, deliberate moves that kept the group insulated - and asks how so many trusted a system built on paper.<br /><br />Person: Stanley Erickson<br />Person: Jennifer Sullivan<br />Person: Marcus Webb<br />Event: Framed diploma with impossible founding date<br />Topic: Quarterly $4,200 supplement billing vs $280 wholesale<br /><br />- A three-hundred-and-forty-acre compound bought out of bankruptcy in 2009 became a self-contained community led by Erickson.<br />- Followers paid $4,200 every three months for proprietary supplements that cost $280 wholesale, presented as treatment invoices.<br />- Erickson kept one locked archive room; a single worn key on his belt opened it and controlled access to paperwork and credentials.<br />- Marcus Webb handled logistics and intercepted outgoing letters, watching a county road from a north-wall service entrance to monitor a health inspector’s van.<br />- A polished mahogany-framed diploma displayed a founding stamp dated 1999 while Erickson’s claimed graduation was 1997, a discrepancy a forensic examiner later labeled impossible.<br /><br />To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.<br /><br />© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.<br />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.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1428</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/c838dc66e25494c003fc113d7fd45014.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
