Latest / This Is My Circus / Episode 72 🎪: Parenting, True Crime and Choas: Track Meet Murder, Dire Wolves, AITA, Jamie Fraley Case
Transcript
- 0:00Welcome to, this is my circus, the podcast where we embrace the chaos and keep it real about parenting, pop culture, true crime, and the books we can't put down because let's be honest, life is one big circus and we're just trying to survive with caffeine, sarcasm, and a little true crime obsession.
- 0:15So if you love unfiltered conversation, questionable parenting hacks, and deep dives into the things that keep us up at night, you're in the right place.
- 0:23Buckle up, grab your popcorn, and let's get into the chaos.
- 0:27I'm Stephanie.
- 0:27I'm Meredith.
- 0:28And welcome to you.
- 0:29This is my circus.
- 0:30Hey Steph.
- 0:30Hi.
- 0:31It's a long time.
- 0:32No talk.
- 0:33Yeah, it's good to see you.
- 0:35You too.
- 0:35I told you you're glowing.
- 0:37Thank you.
- 0:38It's all the new skincare stuff that I order.
- 0:39I like it off of TikTok shop.
- 0:41Have you seen where they'll give you a video and they're like, this is the order you're supposed to do it in?
- 0:46I try to do'em in the right order.
- 0:48I never look at instructions, but I never do'em the same way twice.
- 0:52I'm always just like, blah, blah, blah.
- 0:54Yeah.
- 0:54I didn't know that you were supposed to wet your face with the hyaluronic acid.
- 0:58And so for a couple, like for like a week or two, like I didn't do that.
- 1:01And then I saw somebody on TikTok.
- 1:02You are?
- 1:03Yeah.
- 1:03You're supposed to put it on a wet face and then it absorbs with the water or else it'll pull all the moisture out of your skin.
- 1:12Didn't know this either.
- 1:13Yeah.
- 1:13I was like, these are important things you're supposed to tell us they are important things or how about, um, okay.
- 1:21I don't know.
- 1:22When you wear makeup, if you use like a blender brush.
- 1:24I know, I, I lost you at like, when I wear makeup.
- 1:26Yeah.
- 1:26Because we don't wear makeup much, but the um, or the sponge, not the brush.
- 1:30You're supposed to wet those.
- 1:32I didn't know that either until like a couple months ago.
- 1:34Yeah.
- 1:35But yeah, I know all these, I am not like a makeup person.
- 1:39Me neither.
- 1:40Me neither.
- 1:40We're natural beauties.
- 1:42I a hundred percent.
- 1:43A hundred percent not a stitch on today.
- 1:47Other than moisturizer and sunblock.
- 1:49I just have mascara on.
- 1:50I'm telling you, you're glowing.
- 1:51I'm gonna get some of that stuff.
- 1:53Already looked it up and added to carts.
- 1:54Yes.
- 1:56Wait, you get a coupon?
- 1:57It's even better.
- 1:58Yeah.
- 1:58Well it says something about a free gift and you know that I'm a sucker for that too.
- 2:02Mm.
- 2:02So we'll see what, they probably gimme something stupid, but it's gonna be like a scrunchie.
- 2:07Why is a scrunchie always the free gift?
- 2:09'cause it's like 20 cents, I guess.
- 2:11I guess it's always a scrunchie or sometimes like a claw clip.
- 2:14Yeah.
- 2:14And I'm not a big fan of those.
- 2:16No.
- 2:17Um, my hair's too thin for that.
- 2:19Yeah.
- 2:20They just, you know, they wear'em different now.
- 2:22They like twist the upside down and, yeah.
- 2:24Yeah.
- 2:25You know.
- 2:26Do you remember banana clips?
- 2:27Yes.
- 2:28Oh my God.
- 2:28I want the banana clip.
- 2:30I thought I had like a main full of hair with a banana clip.
- 2:33You were like a lion.
- 2:34I felt like one, I felt like I had like a.
- 2:38It was like, like my little pony.
- 2:39Pretty much.
- 2:40Pretty much, pretty much Banana clips.
- 2:44Oh, those.
- 2:46Do you ever go back through like old photos?
- 2:47Oh yeah.
- 2:48See the horribleness of what we wore and just the fact that we thought we were amazing at that point.
- 2:54I.
- 2:55Yes.
- 2:55Yeah.
- 2:56Well, so my sister's six years older than me.
- 2:58Mm-hmm.
- 2:58And obviously everything that she did mm-hmm.
- 3:00Be six years younger.
- 3:01Mm-hmm.
- 3:02When I was in like, you know, second, third grade, I want like, she was like so cool.
- 3:06Right.
- 3:06And so that was a time of like the really big nineties hair.
- 3:10Mm.
- 3:10it was like, oh yeah.
- 3:12Like white snake.
- 3:12Yeah.
- 3:13Yeah.
- 3:14And so, um, it's like my, for the little kids that are listening, white Snake was a hairband.
- 3:19A hairband was just like a rock band.
- 3:21Okay.
- 3:21So we, my second or third grade school picture, my hair is like huge.
- 3:27Teased all my gosh.
- 3:31That's great.
- 3:32That is great.
- 3:33I used to always try to do the shell looking things on the sides, and that's what we called'em.
- 3:37Shells or wings, or I think Shells.
- 3:39Yeah.
- 3:40It's like the Farrah Faucet look.
- 3:41Oh yeah.
- 3:43Yeah.
- 3:43Charlie's Angels.
- 3:44Mm-hmm.
- 3:45I had a couple of other older cousins that were my older family that I thought were so cool and one had a trans Am and I was like, oh.
- 3:53And we didn't see'em a lot.
- 3:54Mm-hmm.
- 3:55Um, but there was a little bit more than six year age difference.
- 3:57But when I saw'em and they were just the coolest of the cool.
- 4:02Mm-hmm.
- 4:03And here I am with my little dirty self, like with my banana clip, but my banana clip, like they would un pop.
- 4:12Yes.
- 4:13Yeah.
- 4:13Like if you finally get the top clip, like the, uh, the bottom would man.
- 4:17Yeah.
- 4:17Well I saw like they were starting to make a little bit of a comeback Oh, really?
- 4:21On TikTok.
- 4:22Okay.
- 4:22It was some of the younger mm-hmm.
- 4:24Younger kids.
- 4:25Mm-hmm.
- 4:25Um, and I was like, no, some things just shouldn't come back.
- 4:29Right.
- 4:30It shouldn't.
- 4:31It was cool at the time, but those things should not come back, man.
- 4:34They were from our mistakes.
- 4:35Yes, yes.
- 4:37Oh my gosh.
- 4:37The banana clips, they were great.
- 4:39No, they were, well, they were, were cool at the time.
- 4:43Yeah.
- 4:43But I just don't, no ever want to wear one again.
- 4:48Agreed.
- 4:48Oh.
- 4:48And it was like, oh, remember those headbands, like the squiggly?
- 4:51Oh yeah.
- 4:52Hurt.
- 4:53They did hurt.
- 4:54And, and I wore'em all the time and they hurt.
- 4:55They did.
- 4:56How about when you do your hair with like the little clips and like 20 little clips around?
- 5:01I had butterflies and so, okay.
- 5:03Yeah.
- 5:04In high school I was probably like ninth, 10th grade.
- 5:06Um, I went to Florida to visit my grandparents and a store there had these, the the EC clips that you put in like all over.
- 5:15Yep.
- 5:16But they were butterflies and they had like moving wings and so, you know, like I had a whole Oh, oh yeah.
- 5:21Babbling around up there.
- 5:22I would do that.
- 5:24And I, at the time that that was popular, I was working, um, but I was working at the front desk of a doctor's office mm-hmm.
- 5:30Like taking insurance cards and doing all that kind of stuff.
- 5:33And I bet people walked in like, what is this girl doing with all these light pink and butterflies?
- 5:40Yeah.
- 5:40In her head.
- 5:41Mm-hmm.
- 5:41I was the same way.
- 5:42Same way.
- 5:43Yeah.
- 5:43Should stay extinct.
- 5:44Mm-hmm.
- 5:45Like the dire wolf.
- 5:46They're bringing that back though.
- 5:47The who?
- 5:48Oh my gosh.
- 5:49You haven't heard this?
- 5:49No, I know.
- 5:51Something you don't know.
- 5:52Uhhuh Very rare does this happen.
- 5:54So the, scientists have brought back something called the dire wolf.
- 5:59So is this like in Jurassic Park when they brought back the dinosaur?
- 6:04Yes, absolutely.
- 6:05It is something that was extinct.
- 6:07It looks like a little husky puppy.
- 6:09I know.
- 6:09Adores.
- 6:10but they've used DNA to bring it back and they're trying to bring our, I just took a DNA taste.
- 6:17They said they also want to bring back wooly mammoths.
- 6:21And I'm like, okay, that serves no point.
- 6:23Where are we gonna put'em?
- 6:24We already got elephants.
- 6:25We're good.
- 6:25Um, side note, did you see that video I posted today on Facebook?
- 6:28I had a chance to look.
- 6:29Tell me about that.
- 6:30Okay, so it's this dude in, I don't know what country he's in, but he is got a, a cool accent and he is in the woods, like at a pond, I'm assuming fishing or something.
- 6:38Okay.
- 6:39Out of the woods comes randomly a seal pup.
- 6:44Right Uhhuh and he's like wobbling over and the dude's like, stay back, stay back there, stay.
- 6:50Don't come any closer.
- 6:51And I'm like, no, I would.
- 6:53Right.
- 6:53Like snow goes, says Mama.
- 6:55Exactly.
- 6:56100%.
- 6:56And I was like, he is saying stay back.
- 6:58And I'm saying, come here.
- 7:00I would, I would be cuddling with it.
- 7:01It would have a name and I'd be Googling how to take care of a deal.
- 7:04Pump at home.
- 7:04Exactly.
- 7:06Exactly.
- 7:07Oh my gosh.
- 7:08So did it come closer to him?
- 7:10It did.
- 7:10And he's like, I'll wait here till your mom gets back.
- 7:12And I was like, I'm his mom.
- 7:14Right?
- 7:14I am.
- 7:15I now identify as his mom.
- 7:18Yes.
- 7:18Okay.
- 7:18So you have to see these puppies.
- 7:22It's gonna be like a giant, oh, it's like, oh, maybe they're gonna do Twilight movie.
- 7:28What was that?
- 7:29Breaking?
- 7:30Yeah, whatever.
- 7:31With Jacob.
- 7:31Yeah.
- 7:32Oh yeah.
- 7:34Those are big though.
- 7:35Yeah, that was pretty big.
- 7:36but there've been a couple of funny things.
- 7:39Time out.
- 7:39You're gonna have a heck of a time editing this'cause we are really all over the place.
- 7:43Yeah.
- 7:43This is how we do when we haven't seen each other.
- 7:45people are saying, number one, I.
- 7:48I give it a week before people are trying to sell, like they're called dire wolf, dire doodle puppies and stuff like that.
- 7:54They're cute though, aren't they?
- 7:56Little snowballs.
- 8:05Oh my gosh, that is adorable.
- 8:06I know.
- 8:07I am like such a sucker for a hundred percent.
- 8:09All of them.
- 8:10All of them.
- 8:10I know.
- 8:11I know.
- 8:12So somebody local to us.
- 8:14I'm Facebook friends with her.
- 8:15Don't really know her in person, but she rescued some possum babies.
- 8:20I don't know what happened to the mom, but she.
- 8:23I know I draw the line.
- 8:25I I I know.
- 8:26But if there's eight little helpless babies Yes, I know, right.
- 8:29But they are, they're hideous giant rats.
- 8:32They are.
- 8:33And they, they like hiss, but she was like, y'all, I've been up every two hours.
- 8:38What am I supposed?
- 8:38It's finally like a, I guess her rescue came and took them, they're not cute.
- 8:43It's not like a raccoon with their little fingers.
- 8:46I also obsessed, we've talked about this before, otters, and I've seen a lot of, I see a lot of videos right now.
- 8:54I guess it's Uhhuh and the mama's floating with the babies on their chest.
- 8:59Okay.
- 9:00Okay.
- 9:01That makes our brains feel good.
- 9:02Yes.
- 9:03It gave me my dopamine hit.
- 9:05Yeah.
- 9:05I'm needed the hit of something a little stronger.
- 9:10so last week I was outta town.
- 9:12Yeah.
- 9:13And, was at the beach and the craziest thing, I've gotta show you the picture.
- 9:17Okay.
- 9:17And I'll post it in our group Okay.
- 9:19Or wherever.
- 9:20But I sent it to Dylan and I'm like, these crabs have got some explaining to do because there was this random, huge blue.
- 9:32Claw, like crab claw.
- 9:33Mm-hmm.
- 9:34And there was three or four hermit crabs, surrounding it.
- 9:37Like it wasn't attached to a crab, it was just the claw.
- 9:40So where did the claw come from?
- 9:42And then all the hermit crabs were like, so then, right.
- 9:46And I was taking a picture of it, and then I wish I had, my video was going because one hermit crab jumped on the other hermit crabb shell.
- 9:54And they, and they took off running.
- 9:57And That's crazy.
- 9:59I was like, how did I not get that?
- 10:01I know.
- 10:02I was so like, is this happening?
- 10:07So they sacrificed the blue guy.
- 10:11I, I don't, it was cr and this crap had to be, I mean, obviously way bigger than the little hermit crabs.
- 10:18Yeah.
- 10:19Okay.
- 10:20Oh my goodness.
- 10:21But that's huge compared to them.
- 10:23Is that not wild?
- 10:25At Beach?
- 10:25That is crazy.
- 10:25On the beach.
- 10:26It was like on a path.
- 10:27Yeah.
- 10:28In like the little wooded area.
- 10:29Beach.
- 10:29That's kind of crazy.
- 10:30Beach.
- 10:30Like what were they weren't trying to drag it anywhere.
- 10:33They were just, there were like worshiping it.
- 10:35There's one, there's a little one there, Uhhuh, and then the bigger one's on the other side, it's like in the middle of their worship circle, so maybe they're little witchy crabs.
- 10:43Weird.
- 10:45It was just like, that is weird.
- 10:47It was, and it was just in the middle of the pathway.
- 10:49Right.
- 10:50It was so crazy.
- 10:51Yeah.
- 10:52So, yeah.
- 10:54Yeah.
- 10:54Mm-hmm.
- 10:55I let Jackson stay home from school Monday'cause he just had an exhausting weekend with different, they didn't get home from a track meet Friday till 2:00 AM 2:00 AM is what time I picked him up at the school.
- 11:06so he came downstairs on Monday and he was like, mama, it is raining bad.
- 11:11And I was like, is it like, I was, I didn't even hear speaking of track meets.
- 11:15Yes.
- 11:16that awful incident in Texas.
- 11:18My goodness.
- 11:19That is terrible, terrible, terrible.
- 11:21No matter what the truth is in that situation, it's terrible.
- 11:26Both families lives forever changed.
- 11:29Yes.
- 11:29I couldn't imagine being on either side of that.
- 11:31No.
- 11:32I believe we've talked about this before.
- 11:34I will stand by my kid a hundred percent.
- 11:38Mm-hmm.
- 11:38But I also know when he messes up.
- 11:41Mm-hmm.
- 11:42And I would still support him and still love him, and there's nothing he could do in the entire world.
- 11:46I would ever change that.
- 11:48I believe, these are my opinions.
- 11:49Right.
- 11:50I don't care what color skin you have.
- 11:52Right.
- 11:53I don't believe at school functions, there is a place for any kind of weapon.
- 11:58Right.
- 11:58So that's scary.
- 11:59Mm-hmm.
- 12:00It, it was very scary to hear of that and that whole situation.
- 12:04And have you ever been to a track meet?
- 12:06Yes, I was on track When you You did?
- 12:08Mm-hmm.
- 12:08What, what event did you do?
- 12:09Um, I did shop at and then I look at You did?
- 12:13Yes.
- 12:14And I trained with cross country, but I didn't do cross country.
- 12:17Okay.
- 12:18Then you know how they're outta control.
- 12:20Yeah.
- 12:20There are so many kids from, and Jackson and I track me last night and I think it was four or five schools.
- 12:28Well, each school might have three coaches.
- 12:30Mm-hmm.
- 12:30And you've got 60 kids per school and you're so outnumbered and everything is spread out so far.
- 12:37It's not like football where everybody's right there, you know, contained.
- 12:41'cause you've got different events everywhere there.
- 12:43I've always said they're like free range chickens.
- 12:45No control.
- 12:46Right.
- 12:47And that's always been scary I really liked when Jackson, when tracks started doing Jack, when Jackson started doing track, when he was in the seventh grade, because it's a very independent sport, his, events.
- 13:00And it also made him accountable for paying attention to, oh, they're calling my event, they're doing this.
- 13:05So I really liked that aspect of it.
- 13:08Mm-hmm.
- 13:08He's had great role models in the older ages.
- 13:10Because of how he's been raised in other sports, he's done, he knows how to conduct himself in an environment like that.
- 13:16I also think though that Jackson and Dylan both are more chill.
- 13:20Yes.
- 13:21And mild mannered than a lot of Yes.
- 13:23Their friends, I mean, I love all their friends Absolutely.
- 13:25But, they're more, they don't get riled up easy.
- 13:27Right.
- 13:28And they're more reserved, I feel like.
- 13:29Mm-hmm.
- 13:30don't get me wrong, my kid can go wild as well at points, but he is, I feel like much more Reserved.
- 13:37Not he, he is, and no, I get it.
- 13:39He doesn't, he's not just bouncing all the walls all the time.
- 13:42Mm-hmm.
- 13:42And in an event like that, he's just gonna see how it's going and play it by ear.
- 13:47One thing about Jackson that trips me out though, and I mean, let's be honest, I'm a talker.
- 13:51He gets it from me, but he'll, he talks to people.
- 13:55Mm-hmm.
- 13:55Like, you know, not at first, not, he's not going up there like, Hey buddy.
- 13:58Yeah.
- 13:58You know, whatever.
- 13:59But like as they're standing around, I see him like talking to some of'em and joking and laughing and Yeah.
- 14:04Trading snaps or whatever they do.
- 14:05But they both do carry themselves in a way that they're, more, I feel like more maybe mature is not, maybe, maybe mature.
- 14:13I don't know what the right word is, yeah.
- 14:15And maybe it's their only children probably and of f brown adults more I guess.
- 14:21Yeah.
- 14:21All four of us were wild, but there was four of us and we were always either playing or fighting.
- 14:27Yeah.
- 14:27and there was always, I just mentally pictured like a, a ball of kids like feral hustling all the time.
- 14:33We were feral, my poor mother.
- 14:36but, and there was four of us.
- 14:38There was always two against, two uhhuh.
- 14:40So you always had either somebody telling you that you were Right.
- 14:43Uhhuh in the argument.
- 14:44That's why I said I'm always really good at arguing.
- 14:45'cause I always had either somebody telling me I was right or I had a good sparring partner.
- 14:49Mm-hmm.
- 14:49So I can argue.
- 14:51Yeah.
- 14:51Should have been a lawyer.
- 14:52That is, that's great training.
- 14:54I say I should not have to ever be a lawyer.
- 14:56No, I'm too judgy.
- 14:59You can be very selective with your clients.
- 15:01but circling back to the, to the track meet thing.
- 15:04Yeah.
- 15:04Oh gosh.
- 15:05Sorry, swirl.
- 15:05No, this is what happens when we don't see each other.
- 15:07This is why we need to, it very, very tragic.
- 15:10Yes.
- 15:10Lives are changed no matter what the exact circumstances are.
- 15:16Bullies, not bullies, you know, instigator, not, I don't care.
- 15:21Kids died and their lives are changed.
- 15:23the police report was released.
- 15:25Oh, was it?
- 15:25The full police report?
- 15:26so I just took a couple of the notes.
- 15:28Mm-hmm.
- 15:29again, two lives destroyed.
- 15:31Right both families destroyed.
- 15:33Mm-hmm.
- 15:33regardless what side you are.
- 15:35Right.
- 15:36Leaning towards Right.
- 15:37of right, wrong, or whatever.
- 15:39Right.
- 15:39I don't have a side.
- 15:41I feel horrible for everybody involved.
- 15:43I feel horrible.
- 15:44Right.
- 15:44That same.
- 15:46A life was lost.
- 15:47I feel horrible that a 17 year old's future is destroying.
- 15:51And I feel, I mean, all the people there that were impacted by this, I mean the, the kids that were there that saw this happen, that witnessed this, the trauma from that, the parents, that their kid, I mean, the whole, the whole effect of it, I just, it's traumatic.
- 16:03I couldn't even imagine.
- 16:04Even just being a witness to it Right.
- 16:06Would destroy me.
- 16:07Right.
- 16:07so what did the police report?
- 16:09A resource officer, I guess heard on the radio or somebody called him or something.
- 16:14Okay.
- 16:14went to the area and a man pointed out Carmelo Anthony, who is a suspect.
- 16:19Mm-hmm.
- 16:20He walked over to Carmelo, told him to put his hands in the air, and without any questioning, Carmelo stated I was protecting myself.
- 16:29And a few minutes later he said, quote, he put his hands on me.
- 16:33The officer pats down Carmelo and does not find any weapons, and then said, over the radio, I have the alleged suspect.
- 16:39Carmelo said without any questioning, nothing.
- 16:43Mm-hmm.
- 16:44He just said it, I'm not the alleged suspect.
- 16:46I did it.
- 16:47Okay.
- 16:48I'm like, yeah, zip it.
- 16:50Yeah.
- 16:50Like as a, as a parent, absolutely.
- 16:53I'm like, oh, right.
- 16:54I'm sure nobody, I.
- 16:57Goes into it thinking that that's gonna happen whether you have a weapon or not, like mm-hmm.
- 17:02No, I don't think anybody's prepared for the after effects.
- 17:05Mm-hmm.
- 17:06So I'm sure he was in shock.
- 17:07I'm sure he was freaking out.
- 17:09Yeah.
- 17:09So whatever.
- 17:10another officer arrived and they take Carmel to the squad car.
- 17:13The officer said Carmelo said again.
- 17:15He put his hands on me.
- 17:16I told him not to.
- 17:18Then it was reported that he asked the officers if what happened could be considered self-defense and the officer says, we don't know what happened.
- 17:26Like, they just left it at that.
- 17:28See, and let me stop you.
- 17:29I have a hard time, not that I've really looked for any, but usually you hear a footage being released.
- 17:35Mm-hmm.
- 17:35The way kids have their phones out.
- 17:37Why is there no video of.
- 17:39Of this, anything related to this?
- 17:42Now I do know what track means, their quote.
- 17:44Not supposed to have their phones out, but come on now.
- 17:46They do.
- 17:46Yeah.
- 17:47So I'm just shocked that we haven't seen anything of before, after, during nothing.
- 17:53Yeah, I agree.
- 17:56once in the back of the car he asked the officer if Austin would be okay.
- 18:00Witness statements from people that were under the tent.
- 18:03some of the kids that went to that school.
- 18:05Mm-hmm.
- 18:05Said they were under the tent with everybody involved in this incident?
- 18:08Mm-hmm.
- 18:09Austin told Carmela to get out of the tent and then Carmelo reached into his bag and said, touch me and see what happens.
- 18:15Austin then goes and touches him, they had words.
- 18:19Carmelo then said, a few minutes later, punched me and see what happens.
- 18:23Austin grabbed Carmelo to move him and that's when Carmelo reached in his bag, pulled out the weapon, and stabbed Austin in the heart.
- 18:31Then he ran away.
- 18:32A second witness statement was extremely similar.
- 18:34Austin told Carmelo to get out from under the tent because he doesn't go to that school and was not supposed to be under that tent, and some back and forth yapping.
- 18:42Austin pushes Carmelo to get him out, and Carmelo reaches in his bag, grabs the weapon, and unlive him.
- 18:48Mm-hmm.
- 18:49my thing is, okay, so they go to different schools, right?
- 18:51And we both have athlete mm-hmm.
- 18:53Children.
- 18:53Mm-hmm.
- 18:53and we know, I don't know if they're rival schools or not, right.
- 18:56But everybody played football.
- 18:58Mm-hmm.
- 18:58I believe, I don't know if everybody was on the track team or not.
- 19:00Mm-hmm.
- 19:00Or if they were just there supporting their schools.
- 19:02I'm not.
- 19:02Right.
- 19:02Whatever.
- 19:03I didn't look that right.
- 19:04I didn't either.
- 19:05But if they're rival schools or, and if they both play football, I'm sure they played each other.
- 19:09Mm-hmm.
- 19:09So, you know, that, that some of that tension history, I'm trying to make sense of like what is going, like how the, how it could lead to this.
- 19:19Right.
- 19:19so my 2 cents, I didn't mean to cut you.
- 19:22No, no, no.
- 19:22You're good.
- 19:23My 2 cents are, you know, I just said track meats.
- 19:25They're, they're, they're wild.
- 19:26They're crazy.
- 19:27Free range chickens.
- 19:28There's not really a lot of us and them in a track meet.
- 19:31Mm-hmm.
- 19:31Now, Jackson doesn't sit quote under the tents like some kids do because his events are elsewhere and he doesn't really have a lot of sit down time.
- 19:39'cause he's always participating.
- 19:40Just the way that his, you know, his go, he's not waiting for the next thing.
- 19:44there is a lot of.
- 19:46Everybody talking to everybody.
- 19:48And especially, so Jackson's a thrower.
- 19:51Most of the kids that throw are all football players, big linemen that like his position are similar.
- 19:57Mm-hmm.
- 19:57And so they know each other.
- 19:58They're kinda, like I just said, they, they talk, they hang out.
- 20:02so I could see him walking with one of them to their tent for whatever reason while they get money to go to the concession stand, whatever.
- 20:10And sitting there like, I could, it's not like a us or them thing.
- 20:14Unless this is different just in, I'm just going off of my experience and I'm not saying anybody's wrong or right with where they sat.
- 20:21I don't know the backstory.
- 20:22Right.
- 20:22But I don't see a problem with him sitting there.
- 20:25Mm-hmm.
- 20:26Unless there was that history that you're talking about that they could have.
- 20:29Yeah.
- 20:29There's tons of different stories out there right now, and they all conflict with each other, so.
- 20:33Right.
- 20:34everything from the, the twins were bullies to Carmelo wasn't even supposed to be at that track meet.
- 20:40He's not on the track team.
- 20:41There's a story that he was suspended and he wasn't supposed to be there for that.
- 20:46It is, whatever.
- 20:47Right.
- 20:47Whatever the reasons are.
- 20:49It's just such a tragedy.
- 20:50Everybody's lives are ruined.
- 20:51Mm-hmm.
- 20:52I'm with you though.
- 20:53You have a weapon for a reason.
- 20:54Mm-hmm.
- 20:55On a school grounds mm-hmm.
- 20:57Event.
- 20:57And, you know, one of the questions was how did he get it in there?
- 21:01I heard people say that, well, we go through metal detectors as spectators, but a lot of times the kids, the athletes that are coming in, they don't, they come, how hard is it to throw a freaking backpack over a fence?
- 21:14I'm sorry.
- 21:14Exactly.
- 21:15Like I saw people doing it at heroin winds.
- 21:17All the, all the time.
- 21:18Time.
- 21:18Yep.
- 21:19They were sneaking in alcohol or whatever all the time.
- 21:21Yeah.
- 21:21So I don't question it like I there when there's a will, there's a way, well, you know though, but people that are, I.
- 21:28Just so one dimensional, or like, how did he get that in there?
- 21:30Yeah.
- 21:30Not everybody goes in the same way.
- 21:32You know, just like you said, we have athlete sons, they come in the back entrance with the whole team, and they carry their bags and their cleats and their whatevers.
- 21:39Like they're, they're throwing'em over the fences.
- 21:42There's ways that they're gonna do it.
- 21:43So I just that never even crossed my mind to question.
- 21:46I mean, questioned why it was there in the first place.
- 21:48Yeah.
- 21:49But I never even thought like, how did he get it in, Right.
- 21:51Again, I don't have a side.
- 21:53I feel bad for everybody.
- 21:54I don't a hundred percent believe.
- 21:56Even if there was pushing or, something, I don't believe the escalation to a knife to the heart mm-hmm.
- 22:05Is ever the answer.
- 22:06You know, that's something else that Brian and I talked about is that why did it go there immediately?
- 22:11And a couple of the articles that I read were talking about how, teenagers don't have the ability to problem solve without demonstrates of regulations.
- 22:22Yeah, yeah.
- 22:23straight to some sort of violence or what, you know, like why wasn't there just a fist fight?
- 22:28I don't see like our boys ever even considering going to that level.
- 22:34Right.
- 22:34I mean, Dylan, I'm sure would throw down Yeah.
- 22:38But I don't see it.
- 22:41Like, I can't see that that's where his, his train of thought would go.
- 22:44Right, it's, very, very sad.
- 22:47Yeah.
- 22:47Very complicated.
- 22:49Mm-hmm.
- 22:49traumatic.
- 22:50Prayers for the families and the people, everybody involved, friends, family, witnesses, all of that.
- 22:55so on a lighter, kind of lighter note sort of, have you heard about the TV show on Paramount Plus, called Happy Face?
- 23:07Happy Face Killer.
- 23:09It's about the Happy Face Killer, but it's a true story based on his daughter.
- 23:13No, that sounds so good because I, okay.
- 23:16I was looking for something new to watch.
- 23:18Yeah.
- 23:18And I just glanced, I saw Happy face and I assumed it was about him, but it's a different perspective, right?
- 23:23It's about the daughter.
- 23:24'cause she found out when she was a teenager, like when he got arrested.
- 23:27Okay.
- 23:28Then her thinking back like like, how did I miss this?
- 23:31But she didn't miss things that he kind of like shoot off and she just let it go'cause it's her dad.
- 23:37Right.
- 23:37and now trying to make, What she can make.
- 23:40Right.
- 23:40Right.
- 23:41Mm-hmm.
- 23:41Did you watch it?
- 23:42I've, there's only five episodes so far.
- 23:44I think like Okay.
- 23:45Four or five episodes.
- 23:46It just got released.
- 23:48Yeah.
- 23:48I just saw, I was literally scrolling last night looking for something to watch.
- 23:51It's really good.
- 23:52Okay.
- 23:52I like it.
- 23:52I'll have to jump into that one.
- 23:54Yeah.
- 23:54So good.
- 23:55Yeah.
- 23:56I'm always looking for something good to watch.
- 23:57We watched a movie, oh, I pick the worst movies, I pick the worst movies.
- 24:03I can't, I think it was called Red Right Hand.
- 24:07It started out okay.
- 24:09And then at the end, like a spoiler, everybody dies, you think Then this dude that's been shot in the chest like six times at the end of the movie driving a Jeep or something.
- 24:19I'm like, like it 50 cent?
- 24:23No, it actually had Orlando Blue in it.
- 24:26Oh, really?
- 24:27And.
- 24:28In my mind, he still looks like a pirate.
- 24:30Yes, he is a very seasoned pirate.
- 24:35No, he has a weathered face now.
- 24:38God says the woman who's buying everything I can for my skin right now.
- 24:43I'm trying to reverse that.
- 24:44Oh, a hundred percent.
- 24:45I think he's kinda leaning into it a little bit.
- 24:47Yeah, yeah.
- 24:48Well maybe this for the role maybe.
- 24:50'cause he was like a mountain man.
- 24:52Yeah.
- 24:52Anyway.
- 24:53Don't watch it.
- 24:55I was never an Orlando balloon fan.
- 24:57Like, I mean, I know, I was not like obsessed with him, like, no, no.
- 25:01there was one scene in the Pirates movie and it was towards the end of one of'em with the heart thing.
- 25:06And I remember it being like, oh, he's handsome.
- 25:09But like, then that, that thought went and it was never really my type.
- 25:13Mm-hmm.
- 25:13I'm a clean cut type kind of girl.
- 25:15I can go either way.
- 25:17Mm-hmm.
- 25:17Like.
- 25:18Like a rough mm-hmm.
- 25:20Like, I don't wanna say like thug, but you can go thug is the, is you go thug street.
- 25:29I, I, yeah.
- 25:31I would be like, I was never attracted to before I was married and even still, but I never was into like, dudes with really long hair or anything like that.
- 25:39Like, I, no, and like, grunge, like that's not Yeah, no, me goth was not right.
- 25:44But like, I could have gone from anywhere from a hot nerd to an athlete to a thug.
- 25:51Yeah.
- 25:51A a street dude.
- 25:53Okay.
- 25:53I mean it's, but really like, I mean like I attracted wise, but Yeah.
- 25:58Yeah.
- 25:58No, but you're right.
- 26:00Long hair goth.
- 26:01other than like, son of anarchy, Jax, take this off.
- 26:05Don't put this on there.
- 26:07Jacks.
- 26:09He's so beautiful.
- 26:10Is he in that happy face?
- 26:12Mm-hmm.
- 26:12So he is in another one on Netflix about him though, right?
- 26:17I, I believe so, yes.
- 26:17I think he plays him.
- 26:18Mm-hmm.
- 26:19Charlie Ham is his name.
- 26:20Yeah.
- 26:21Please refer to me from here on out as Miss Meredith Ham.
- 26:24My freaking God, that is not why I named Jackson.
- 26:29Jackson.
- 26:30So Brian and I have been watching that.
- 26:31Mm-hmm.
- 26:32And, um, we're in, I think the end of middle of season five and there's only seven.
- 26:38Mm-hmm.
- 26:38And it, it gets really heavy.
- 26:40Yeah.
- 26:41I can't get him back into it.
- 26:43I'm like, are you gonna finish it?
- 26:44He was like, huh.
- 26:46And he knows, like, he's the one who wants all the spoilers.
- 26:48He's like, did they die?
- 26:49What happens?
- 26:49Mm-hmm.
- 26:49And I'm like, yeah, they all die.
- 26:51it was such a good mm-hmm.
- 26:54Series, but it was very heavy.
- 26:56Very heavy.
- 26:57And some of the stuff may be like queasy, uhhuh.
- 26:59Very good show though.
- 27:00Very good series.
- 27:01Yeah.
- 27:02I need to get him to finish it.
- 27:04I don't like having it unfinished.
- 27:06Yeah.
- 27:06Well, you, you've watched it before though, right?
- 27:08Two or three times already.
- 27:09Okay.
- 27:10Yeah.
- 27:10Yeah.
- 27:11So I'll finish it by myself again.
- 27:12Woo.
- 27:14Sure you will.
- 27:18Well did you have anything else?
- 27:20No.
- 27:20You wanna do, am I the A-hole?
- 27:21Sure.
- 27:23We got a new one.
- 27:23Mm-hmm.
- 27:24Okay.
- 27:24Am I the AOL for telling my neighbor?
- 27:26I dated her husband?
- 27:28So let's start at the beginning.
- 27:29March 20, 25.
- 27:31Mm-hmm.
- 27:32Very recent.
- 27:33Yes.
- 27:33Okay.
- 27:33Let me, let's dig in.
- 27:35I 33 female became friendly with my neighbor, 37 female.
- 27:39Let's call her Emily.
- 27:40After I helped her move a few boxes into our building, while her husband, 35 male, was in the hospital, she's a cougar.
- 27:49I didn't meet Emily's husband until a few weeks later when she invited me over to dinner as thanks.
- 27:55When I arrived at fir, when I arrived first, Emily's husband had run out to pick.
- 28:00Some wine, but when he came back, I was shocked to see Matt, a guy I had gone on three dates with a year ago before he suddenly ghosted me.
- 28:10He had a terrible poker face and tried to pretend like he didn't recognize me.
- 28:14I don't play those games.
- 28:17I asked how long they'd been married, and Emily said three years.
- 28:20She recognized there was tension and asked if we knew each other.
- 28:23He said No.
- 28:23I said yes, and I told Emily that I had gone on dates with him a year ago.
- 28:28She became very upset and asked me to leave, which I did.
- 28:31The next day, Emily reached out and said she didn't appreciate that I lied about when I dated her husband.
- 28:36He told her we had dated four years ago before they were married.
- 28:40I didn't even live in this city four years ago, and even if we had dated four years ago, they had been engaged at that point.
- 28:46Either way, he would've been cheating.
- 28:49I sent her screenshots.
- 28:51Our text from the year before and from bubble Bumble of his profile, which was still active, exclamation point.
- 29:01She never responded, but when I saw her in the lobby yesterday, she wouldn't even look me in the eye.
- 29:05I don't know if they're still together and Emily hasn't responded to my text.
- 29:09So am I the a-hole for telling her the truth?
- 29:11No, I don't think so either.
- 29:13But how uncomfortable.
- 29:15Oh yeah.
- 29:15And, but you know what, like, so that's a shock to her, right?
- 29:18Like to the wife?
- 29:18Yeah.
- 29:19so I my, initial thing would be like give her some space.
- 29:24Yeah.
- 29:24Although, I mean, the husband obviously was trying to lie to her.
- 29:27Yeah.
- 29:27and at that point I would be going through everything.
- 29:30Oh yeah.
- 29:32I definitely don't think she's the, a-hole.
- 29:34I'm actually proud of her.
- 29:36If it happened like this for upfront being like, Hey, yeah.
- 29:39We know each other.
- 29:40Not trying to be like, no.
- 29:41You know?
- 29:41Yeah.
- 29:42Way to be a girl's girl.
- 29:43Yeah.
- 29:44You know, to, to be upfront like you don't owe him what you do in that situation.
- 29:48I hope I would do the same thing I do.
- 29:50I think I would be like, so uncomfortable and I would wake up something to leave and then approach her not in front of him.
- 29:58Yeah.
- 29:58Because think nobody has composure anymore.
- 30:01Mm-hmm.
- 30:01And I'd be afraid the dude would like totally lose it.
- 30:04But, yeah, I think I would probably make up an excuse to go mm-hmm.
- 30:07To leave and I would communicate with her on the side.
- 30:11Like, Hey this is what happened.
- 30:13I don't know.
- 30:14I would be so shocked.
- 30:15Yeah.
- 30:15I don't, I don't know if I would know how to react.
- 30:17Yeah.
- 30:17But I do like the fact that she didn't try to play it off and then come back.
- 30:21Yeah.
- 30:21She was just immediately like, there's tension.
- 30:23I gotta go.
- 30:24Yeah.
- 30:25Yeah.
- 30:25So.
- 30:25Mm-hmm.
- 30:26Yeah.
- 30:26I mean, that it was, it was, that's, you go for that.
- 30:29Yeah.
- 30:30I don't think that one, I would have the guts to do it in front of him, because I'd be afraid, retaliation, or whatever.
- 30:37Right.
- 30:37Yeah.
- 30:37Mm-hmm.
- 30:37And like you're living in the same building.
- 30:39Right.
- 30:40And he knows where you live.
- 30:41Yeah.
- 30:42That's, I wonder how long, how they were just moving in.
- 30:45It was, and they only had three dates, so I'm sure he wasn't at her apartment or anything.
- 30:49Yeah.
- 30:50Oh my gosh.
- 30:51Well, he, I mean, I.
- 30:53Okay.
- 30:54so the mini update is the next.
- 30:56Okay.
- 30:56Mini update, Emily.
- 30:58Half hour later.
- 30:59Yeah, half hour later.
- 31:00So in my head I just heard that was later.
- 31:04Emily just stopped by.
- 31:05We had a quick chat, but she let me know.
- 31:07She's kicked Matt out and she thanked me for telling her the truth.
- 31:11She also found out that I was not the only person he had dated while they were married.
- 31:15He's a dog.
- 31:16Mm-hmm.
- 31:16Given her space now, but wanted to share an update since that happened so quickly after posting Good for her.
- 31:22So now update is three days later.
- 31:25Yeah.
- 31:26A happy final update.
- 31:28Over the last few days I've been hanging out with Emily, along with her sister and two BFFs who flew into support her That's crazy.
- 31:35Help me bash him.
- 31:35I mean, is that what we're doing?
- 31:36I mean, whatever girl power, who knows?
- 31:39Okay.
- 31:39There would be some alcohol flowing and some trash talking.
- 31:43Yeah, that's true.
- 31:44Let me tell you.
- 31:44Well, it looks like that's what she said.
- 31:46Yeah.
- 31:46Tuesday night she texted me.
- 31:47Space is overrated wine question mark.
- 31:50And that was that.
- 31:51Yeah.
- 31:51Matt confessed to everything and more, and it was a lot worse than anyone thought, but this isn't about him anymore.
- 31:57We've all had some really good, sometimes difficult conversations, but it's been very cathartic and surprisingly positive.
- 32:04I found myself in the company of some pretty amazing women, which is why the situation has turned out the way it has.
- 32:09I moved to the city two years ago without knowing anyone, and it certainly wasn't an easy thing to tell someone that I'd hoped would be a friend, TBH.
- 32:17It kind of felt like word vomit in the moment, and when I first posted, admittedly, I wanted validation because there was a large and loudly nagging part of me that thought I'd done the wrong thing.
- 32:28So I'm very grateful to have come through.
- 32:30What began as a really awful situation with four awesome new friends and far more laughs than tears.
- 32:35Emily, her sister and I, are now planning a biweekly brunch date and we also discovered we have some other friends and interests in common.
- 32:43This post got far more attention than I've ever anticipated, so did end up telling Emily about it.
- 32:48Her sister joked that we should start a podcast together and we both shouted No, you can come on ours though.
- 32:55Yeah.
- 32:57So this is both the end and a new beginning of this story.
- 33:01Thank you for the support and kind word for both me and Emily.
- 33:03We're gonna be just fine signing off.
- 33:05That is a great ending.
- 33:07Ending.
- 33:07Mm-hmm.
- 33:08It really is.
- 33:09Yeah.
- 33:09I mean, I got nothing to say that's there.
- 33:12She's a bigger person than I am.
- 33:14Same.
- 33:14but I'm glad that she was so quickly able to realize that I.
- 33:19That The dude was the jerk.
- 33:21Yeah.
- 33:21And she was, you know, a victim.
- 33:23You know, she didn't, wasn't looking for a married dude.
- 33:26Mm-hmm.
- 33:26So, unlike other women.
- 33:30so yeah.
- 33:31Not, not the, a-hole.
- 33:33I think you handled it well.
- 33:36Way better than I would've.
- 33:37I I'm gonna space.
- 33:38Yeah.
- 33:38Um, so instead of doing, um, a book so our non bookies can stay, one of our listeners and so who was it?
- 33:47Just, was somebody, you know, that recommended.
- 33:49It was, Brittany okay.
- 33:51so Brittany was friends with, Jamie Really?
- 33:56Mm-hmm.
- 33:56Oh, okay.
- 33:56So this was recommended by Brittany.
- 33:58Right.
- 33:58So this was, I feel like we had talked about this that I was watching back during Covid, um mm-hmm.
- 34:05All these disappeared shows or like people missing shows because I had gone through everything under the sun Yeah.
- 34:11To watch.
- 34:12and anytime I hear Charlotte or like a town that is close by, my ears perk up.
- 34:16Oh, absolutely.
- 34:17And this was on an episode of Disappeared.
- 34:20Mm-hmm.
- 34:20And the name stuck out'cause of Fraley and Dylan's best friend's.
- 34:22Last name is Fraley.
- 34:23Yep.
- 34:23So it all connected.
- 34:25Yeah.
- 34:25For me.
- 34:26Yes.
- 34:26Absolutely.
- 34:27But they're not related.
- 34:28They spell it differently.
- 34:29Mm-hmm.
- 34:30Gotcha.
- 34:30so Jamie Fraley was a 22-year-old woman from Gastonia, North Carolina, and she went missing april 8th, 2008.
- 34:39Okay.
- 34:40So did you listen to any of the podcasts or?
- 34:43I did.
- 34:43I listened to several and I found another one or two that were outside of the ones that you had sent me.
- 34:48Mm-hmm.
- 34:49Just saying the same thing, but just wanted a different take on'em.
- 34:52Mm-hmm.
- 34:53There is so much wrong misinformation.
- 34:59Yeah.
- 34:59Or.
- 35:00Just inconsistent information.
- 35:02Alright, well let's get into the basics first.
- 35:04Yeah, let's, okay.
- 35:04And then we will go into the theories.
- 35:06Yep.
- 35:07So, some background, Jamie battled health issues from the time she came into this world.
- 35:12doctors didn't believe that she was gonna make it to one, but she was a fighter from the get-go.
- 35:16Mm-hmm.
- 35:16And although she did have some health problems, as well as diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety, which did keep her from being able to, graduate high school and get a driver's license and stuff like that.
- 35:27Yeah.
- 35:27she was still working towards her future.
- 35:30Yes.
- 35:30She wanted to be a, substance abuse counselor.
- 35:34and she was attending College, part-time she did not have any substance abuse, but she lost several friends to substance abuse.
- 35:41Yeah.
- 35:41And that's why, I think one of the pods too said that she had, her family had a history of it, and so she was just, it really touched her.
- 35:49Mm-hmm.
- 35:49She wanted to help, and her fiance and his family.
- 35:53Mm-hmm.
- 35:53Mm-hmm.
- 35:54so bringing us into that section of it, she had been in a relationship with Ricky Simmons Jr.
- 36:00Who has a criminal history, and they were engaged.
- 36:04Mm-hmm the day before the disappearance.
- 36:07She had like a severe stomach flu or what they thought was a stomach flu.
- 36:12she had, I heard stomach pain and thought like cramping and stuff, but I guess she was diagnosed with stomach flu.
- 36:19Mm-hmm.
- 36:20She went to the hospital twice.
- 36:22She went to the er.
- 36:22Yep.
- 36:22Um, she, yeah.
- 36:23So she went to the ER twice.
- 36:24they did give her medication, but the medication was not helping.
- 36:27Mm-hmm.
- 36:28so early, like one 30 in the morning, she was supposed to go back to the hospital.
- 36:33Mm-hmm.
- 36:33She had talked to her mom, her mom asked her if she wanted her to bring her.
- 36:36She said no.
- 36:37She had an appointment like really early the next morning.
- 36:40Yep.
- 36:40With her caseworker.
- 36:41Thank you.
- 36:41Um, so she was meeting with them early, didn't wanna miss that or mess that up because she was really trying to gain independence.
- 36:47Right.
- 36:48she was on the phone with her friend mm-hmm.
- 36:50And letting her know, like she's going back to the hospital mm-hmm.
- 36:52And her ride was there and she said he mm-hmm.
- 36:55Was here in a truck.
- 36:56Mm-hmm.
- 36:57They believe it's a man.
- 36:58Yeah.
- 36:59That was supposed to take her.
- 37:01but that was the last anybody heard from her.
- 37:02Mm-hmm.
- 37:03And she was poof, gone.
- 37:05Mm-hmm.
- 37:07that's crazy in and of itself, just for her to be gone.
- 37:11Yeah.
- 37:11Let's talk about her future father-in-law.
- 37:14Oh.
- 37:16So Ricky Junior ended up having to serve some time.
- 37:19Mm-hmm.
- 37:20And while he was doing that, but it was not for violent crimes, it was for like theft.
- 37:27Yes.
- 37:28Yes, I believe.
- 37:29Yes, I think so too.
- 37:30Which was related to his drug issues and, you know, the, the cycle there.
- 37:34But, his dad, she, yes.
- 37:37she ends up spending a lot of time with Ricky's dad.
- 37:41So Ricky Sr.
- 37:42Who is the maintenance man at their.
- 37:46Apartment complex.
- 37:48They spent a lot of time together and apparently other people that had spent time with them were creeped out by the way, he acted towards her in a ski way.
- 37:59Right.
- 37:59I had the same note.
- 38:00Did you?
- 38:01I think I had like a creepy or something like that.
- 38:03Yeah.
- 38:04So he acted in not a father leeway towards her?
- 38:07No.
- 38:07Yeah.
- 38:07gross.
- 38:09A hundred percent gross.
- 38:10It And what a bad situation to put her in.
- 38:13Like, she's just trying to her, his son.
- 38:16I mean, Uhhuh, I know it's all sorts of bad and there was a lot of substance abuse involved.
- 38:22Mm-hmm.
- 38:22There was a lot of o not with Jamie, but with just pretty much everybody else.
- 38:27Yeah.
- 38:29Um, so we know that her fiance was not, did not do it because.
- 38:35He was in jail.
- 38:35Right.
- 38:36Rock solid alibi.
- 38:37Yeah.
- 38:38Doesn't get much, much better than that.
- 38:40Yeah.
- 38:40Um, and, and Ricky Sr.
- 38:42Um, the dad or, or the future father-in-law did take her to the hospital the day before the first time.
- 38:48Mm-hmm.
- 38:48So it's not out of the realm of possibilities that he would be taking her.
- 38:53Yep.
- 38:53Second time especially because like you said, he did take her, they did spend time together.
- 38:58I mean, he was a consistent figure in her life that she would've asked to do that again.
- 39:05So, um, so when parents asked the police to go do a well check mm-hmm.
- 39:11In Jamie's apartment.
- 39:12Yep.
- 39:13Her purse was still there.
- 39:14Her key, the door was locked.
- 39:16Right.
- 39:17And the keys were still inside.
- 39:18The only thing that she had taken with her was her cell phone.
- 39:21Yeah.
- 39:22Which was found, a week later.
- 39:25Mm-hmm.
- 39:25By a, lineman.
- 39:27Yeah.
- 39:28So it was ringing.
- 39:29He answered it and they're like, who are you?
- 39:31And he said he found the cell phone while he was working that day.
- 39:34Yep.
- 39:35So, they go do a wellness check.
- 39:37I.
- 39:38Obviously she's not there.
- 39:39Right.
- 39:40they don't immediately like freak out.
- 39:41Mm-hmm.
- 39:42'cause they're, she's an adult, but the following day, the parents, let's go back to what something else they found in the, um, missing shoe laces.
- 39:49The shoe laces.
- 39:51That's crazy.
- 39:51So the shoe laces were missing, they said are from her favorite pair of shoes that she would never have taken these out for any reason.
- 39:58And these were the shoes she always wore unless she was in flip flops, but the laces were missing.
- 40:03That is just boggling.
- 40:04I mean, we can all probably assume what was done with those, but it's just, but why not take these shoes with you?
- 40:10Right.
- 40:11I don't.
- 40:12Right.
- 40:12So much doesn't add up.
- 40:13So it doesn't, but it's important that that door was locked.
- 40:16It was locked.
- 40:17and because Ricky Senior was a maintenance Yep.
- 40:19Man.
- 40:20There, he had access to the keys to mm-hmm.
- 40:24To get in to it.
- 40:25Lock it.
- 40:25Lock.
- 40:26Yep.
- 40:26Whatever things.
- 40:27Okay, so, they did like a phone analysis of like calls for the cell phone Yep.
- 40:32And saw that there was calls made around 5:00 AM but for whatever reason they couldn't trace.
- 40:39Oh, really?
- 40:39I didn't hear this part.
- 40:40Yeah, they don't know if it was a burner phone Okay.
- 40:44Or where the number, who the number belonged to could have been like a Google Voice type of number.
- 40:48Okay.
- 40:49I don't think apps were that big back then.
- 40:51Yeah.
- 40:51They were not.
- 40:52Yeah.
- 40:52So I don't think it was like a rough app or anything like that.
- 40:55Right.
- 40:55Um, but they couldn't figure out who the, the number belonged to or who they were making calls to.
- 41:02Yeah.
- 41:02Which leads me to believe, and this is just my theory, that.
- 41:05if it was Ricky Sr.
- 41:07He was calling some of his unsavory friends to help dispose of Yeah.
- 41:12Whatever happened.
- 41:14Yeah.
- 41:14because we all know lots of burner phones.
- 41:18Right.
- 41:18Are and the community and which Rick was involved in.
- 41:23Now, in your points there that were, are we gonna talk about some things we found out about Ricky Senior's history?
- 41:27Yes.
- 41:27Okay.
- 41:29All right.
- 41:29So Persons of interest.
- 41:30Yeah.
- 41:31So we have Ricky Senior.
- 41:32Mm-hmm.
- 41:32Um, who is Jamie's neighbor and father-in-law had a criminal record, including passed manslaughter conviction.
- 41:39Right.
- 41:39He strangled his ex-girlfriend.
- 41:41Right.
- 41:42And served only six years for that.
- 41:45So let's talk about that for a second.
- 41:47Yes, ma'am.
- 41:47So that's not an accident.
- 41:51No.
- 41:51That is, that takes time.
- 41:53Yeah.
- 41:54And that is a very personal crime.
- 41:57Just remember that.
- 41:59Well, we're talking about all of this like, and the shoe laces.
- 42:02And the freaking shoe laces.
- 42:05Okay.
- 42:05That's all like, to me, that's like the biggest red flag for sure.
- 42:10Sorry, captain Obvious over.
- 42:14and like he said before, he was known to be creepy with Jamie flirting and acting inappropriate.
- 42:19and let's also note that she was only four foot nine and 90 pounds.
- 42:23Right.
- 42:24She was too tiny.
- 42:24She was a pocket person.
- 42:26She was itty bitty.
- 42:26Mm-hmm.
- 42:27I would look like a giant next to her.
- 42:28And that never happens.
- 42:31Yeah.
- 42:31Four nine is tiny.
- 42:32Tiny.
- 42:33So, let's see.
- 42:35He was among the last to see Jamie and was reportedly obsessed with her.
- 42:39He refused a polygraph test, but I don't really feel like that makes him guilty because everybody says never ever, ever take the polygraph.
- 42:45Yeah.
- 42:45Yeah.
- 42:46So you look guilty and everybody's like, oh my God, he didn't take the polygraph.
- 42:48Yeah, but I don't.
- 42:50Put any stock in that account?
- 42:51No, I don't either.
- 42:52So it was noted in a lot of the things.
- 42:55Yeah.
- 42:56Yeah.
- 42:56So I noted it, but I don't really feel like that adds to.
- 42:59Right.
- 43:00I'm you, I'm with you.
- 43:01I wouldn't take one.
- 43:02No.
- 43:02Heck no.
- 43:03I would, they would say, is your name Stephanie?
- 43:05And it would probably come up as a, like, I'd be so freaking nervous.
- 43:07I know, I know.
- 43:08Agreed.
- 43:08Agreed.
- 43:09And then I'd be like, in my mind thinking, okay, I know there's a way to beat this, so I have to answer it wrong when I'm really saying the right thing.
- 43:17And I'd get all turned around with what I'm supposed to do.
- 43:18So, yeah.
- 43:19I'm not taking a polygraph No, never.
- 43:23So he was a person of interest, like the main person of interest.
- 43:25Yes.
- 43:26Because so many people told the police he was creepy and he has a obvious record.
- 43:33So would you now like to get into the, the most current ex-girlfriend of Ricky Sr.
- 43:39Yes, but I also wanna on the record, your Honor, that'cause I'm so judgy, I only heard this on one of the pods.
- 43:47The police department that was handling the, case went under.
- 43:52And so all of their stuff got absorbed into like Gaston County Sheriff's.
- 43:57'cause I guess it was being handled by Bessemer City.
- 44:00Mm-hmm.
- 44:00And when it got absorbed, the case got absorbed back into a bigger, Gaston County.
- 44:07They lost stuff.
- 44:08Oof.
- 44:08And I don't know the timeframe with that, but,'cause the couple that I listened to said that they had three detectives Mm.
- 44:15On the case they called in the FBI.
- 44:17Mm-hmm.
- 44:17Like early and it's still open.
- 44:19Mm-hmm.
- 44:20But it wasn't like, oh, well she's an adult.
- 44:22Right.
- 44:22She can disappear.
- 44:23She wants, or she has the, you know, she's an at risk lifestyle Right.
- 44:27Because of who she hangs out with and all that stuff.
- 44:29Yeah.
- 44:29They, they tried.
- 44:30Yeah.
- 44:31So would you like to tell the, the lovely story of the newest ex-girlfriend of Ricky s sure.
- 44:37So she's driving around in her car.
- 44:38And how, how long was this after?
- 44:41It was June of the same year.
- 44:42Okay.
- 44:42So three, four months after, Jamie is missing the ex of Ricky Seniors driving around in her car.
- 44:50She's like, man something.
- 44:52No.
- 44:52Mm-hmm.
- 44:53Oh, not what I heard.
- 44:54Not the, the recollections of what I heard.
- 44:58Okay.
- 44:58her car got broken at you and her purse or something got stolen out of her vehicle and Ricky was found with the keys or Rick the police found.
- 45:06I didn't hear that at all.
- 45:07Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- 45:08So like right like a couple weeks before this, her purse was stolen.
- 45:11Okay.
- 45:12obviously she called the cops and Ricky was found to have had the keys.
- 45:15Okay.
- 45:16So they couldn't pin it, the break in, but he had the keys.
- 45:19Mm-hmm.
- 45:19Mm-hmm.
- 45:19and then a couple weeks later she was in her apartment.
- 45:23She went outside to go wherever, store wherever.
- 45:26And that's when she found him.
- 45:28she went to her car and it just smelled horrible.
- 45:31Like it was in June.
- 45:33Right.
- 45:34And the decomposing body,'cause she didn't go out till later in the day is what.
- 45:38This thing that I looked you, so I heard, just to backtrack a little bit, so we're going off of these sources, so take it for what it's worth.
- 45:46Mm-hmm.
- 45:46I mean, we haven't verified this stuff ourselves.
- 45:49Right.
- 45:49So she was driving around in her car, like you said in June, started smelling this nasty smell.
- 45:53I didn't hear anything about that.
- 45:54I believe you, but I didn't hear anything about that.
- 45:56The purse, drove around with it like that for a couple of days and then she finally was like, I've gotta figure out the smell.
- 46:04Like I've done that.
- 46:05Like, I've been, like, I picked up groceries, I left some, there's some chicken or something in here.
- 46:10Or when Jackson was little.
- 46:11There's a Gogurt in here somewhere.
- 46:13You know, you leave your windows open when it rains.
- 46:16Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
- 46:18So, I mean, we've all been there at some point.
- 46:21but I think this smell would've been so much worse, and that's why I tend to lean towards.
- 46:27It not being a long time.
- 46:29Yeah.
- 46:29Between when she noticed it to when she decided to check it.
- 46:32Yeah.
- 46:33So she opens the trunk and she finds Ricky Senior.
- 46:37Mm-hmm.
- 46:37Not alive.
- 46:38Nope.
- 46:39with a weapon.
- 46:40With a weapon.
- 46:41He had been there for a couple of days.
- 46:43They say he definitely showed signs of decomp.
- 46:46Yep.
- 46:46now what did you hear as far as like, what were the hypotheses for?
- 46:50Why he was Well, he was not happy about their breakup.
- 46:55Yeah.
- 46:55And he wanted to scare, give her the scaring of a lifetime, or I forgot the exact place.
- 47:00Give show, give her a lesson or give, give her something, like, something to that effect.
- 47:04so it was, he, he was in there to.
- 47:07Pop out when she opened the trunk mm-hmm.
- 47:08And scare the crap out of her.
- 47:10But the Toxology report Yep.
- 47:13Said that he had drugs and alcohol in his system so much.
- 47:16Yeah.
- 47:16He could not, even figure out how to like, do the emergency escape in the trunk.
- 47:22Well, yeah.
- 47:23They think that the, he passed out, when, and it's June.
- 47:25June again, June, July in the south.
- 47:27I mean, it's hot.
- 47:28Yeah.
- 47:28It's at least 90.
- 47:29Yeah.
- 47:29and then, and, and that's not in the trunk.
- 47:31No, it's outside.
- 47:32Right?
- 47:32Yeah.
- 47:32So you're baking in that car.
- 47:34Mm-hmm.
- 47:35That's, and he passed out, whether it's from substances or heat, exhaustion, whatever, and died Yep.
- 47:43To his own accord.
- 47:44But could you imagine, oh my God, no.
- 47:47My God.
- 47:47And then like, my beauty thought was like, I didn't do this and they're gonna think I did this.
- 47:53It's always the significant other.
- 47:55Right, right.
- 47:57Yeah.
- 47:58that is so crazy to me.
- 47:59And of course she freaks out and she calls the, the law.
- 48:02I don't, I don't wanna be like, do I call the police?
- 48:04I know you can be phoning a friend.
- 48:06Do I, do I call the police?
- 48:08Do I, what do I do?
- 48:09What do I do?
- 48:10Yeah.
- 48:10I'm with you a hundred percent.
- 48:12But crazy and disgusting.
- 48:14Yes, I would, I would not want that car back.
- 48:17No.
- 48:17Burn the car.
- 48:19I'm with you.
- 48:20so he's out if he did it or if he knew anything with what was going on.
- 48:25Mm-hmm.
- 48:25We know nothing.
- 48:26It, it went with him.
- 48:27Um, again, he refused to take the polygraph and mm-hmm.
- 48:31So whatever.
- 48:33So the theories are obviously Rick being involved.
- 48:37Yeah.
- 48:37Hold on.
- 48:382015, a prison inmate claimed responsibility for Jamie's disappearance.
- 48:43Right.
- 48:44However, this dude's an idiot.
- 48:46Why false confess is so stupid.
- 48:48he was incarcerated at the time, right?
- 48:50And I'm like, why would he do that?
- 48:52The only things that, that I could figure out was to just get more clout.
- 48:55Yeah.
- 48:55Like more street cred or whatever.
- 48:56But yeah, I don't know.
- 48:59That's another easily proven fact.
- 49:02Yeah.
- 49:02He was in prison at the time of her disappearance, so what a dummy.
- 49:05Yeah.
- 49:06Dumb dumb.
- 49:07So that was obviously not it.
- 49:09so let's go to theories and speculations.
- 49:11Okay.
- 49:13Obviously, Ricky Senior.
- 49:15Given the proximity, criminal history mm-hmm.
- 49:17And reported obsession.
- 49:18Mm-hmm.
- 49:19Many suspected his involvement.
- 49:21Mm-hmm one of the podcasts, and I didn't even know, obviously I didn't live around here during this time, but Danny Hembry.
- 49:28Okay.
- 49:29Have you ever heard that name?
- 49:29No, I haven't either.
- 49:31He was a serial killer in Gastonia.
- 49:34No.
- 49:34Yeah.
- 49:36the podcast I listened to said that it was like in whatever newspaper or on the news or something that that they, that's way too close to home.
- 49:45So the people that, he was charged with and in prison for was in 2009.
- 49:51They were Okay.
- 49:53Unli.
- 49:53This happened in 2008.
- 49:55Eight, so it was very close.
- 49:56He was eight in the drug scene.
- 49:58And Gastonia is a very small It is town.
- 50:01Yeah.
- 50:01It's like 70,000.
- 50:03At that time it was 70,000 people.
- 50:04Yeah.
- 50:05so it sounds like kind of big, but it's really not considering, right.
- 50:08And then you add in like the drug aspect.
- 50:11I'm sure everybody in that world kind of knew each other back then.
- 50:15Yeah.
- 50:15there wasn't like.
- 50:16All the different ways to communicate.
- 50:18Right.
- 50:19As much.
- 50:20Right.
- 50:20There were, there were locations and there were groups of people.
- 50:23Right.
- 50:23It wasn't, yes.
- 50:24So this is like a side theory of somebody saying that.
- 50:31Did he picked her up, went like, Hey, on the way, I'm gonna pick up X, y, z substance.
- 50:38Mm-hmm.
- 50:38And Danny Hembry was involved.
- 50:41Wow.
- 50:42I didn't hear that.
- 50:43That's interesting though.
- 50:44Mm-hmm.
- 50:44He never admitted to anything though, did he?
- 50:47No.
- 50:47He was convicted, of two and he admitted to an additional three, but was never convicted on those because there wasn't enough evidence to actually like take him to trial for him.
- 50:59But he never did this one.
- 51:01That's what I don't get.
- 51:01Like I.
- 51:02I told you I did these five.
- 51:03Watch.
- 51:04Happy Face Killer.
- 51:05Okay.
- 51:06That's gonna be my tonight's white watch.
- 51:08That was the bonus.
- 51:09Okay.
- 51:10Um, so yeah, so that was another like side theory.
- 51:14And then on Reddit, I kind of Reddit thread about this.
- 51:17Okay.
- 51:17And this is just a side note about Ricky's family.
- 51:21Mm-hmm.
- 51:21a lady said that she knew the family very well.
- 51:23Mm-hmm.
- 51:24And everybody in the family had it substance abuse problems.
- 51:28Okay.
- 51:28All three kids and the father.
- 51:30Mm.
- 51:30Mm-hmm.
- 51:30Um, and then the mother, I believe died of aids.
- 51:34Okay.
- 51:34If what this woman said was correct mm-hmm.
- 51:36This is from Reddit and mm-hmm.
- 51:38It's a Reddit thread person.
- 51:39Right.
- 51:40So, but she said that she used to talk to Ricky's daughter.
- 51:43Mm-hmm.
- 51:43And this is after he passed.
- 51:44And she, I.
- 51:46would, would say, oh no, he wasn't involved.
- 51:48And then the very next thing she would say would contradict.
- 51:52Oh, really?
- 51:53Yeah.
- 51:54is Ricky Junior still alive?
- 51:55I didn't dig into that.
- 51:56I don't know, but I'm gonna look real quick.
- 52:00But he, he did bunch of different interviews.
- 52:03Did he?
- 52:03I don't know if he's alive today, but, I know when he got out, he did like a lot of searching.
- 52:08Like he went with her family and searched and he was devastated.
- 52:11Mm-hmm.
- 52:12Well, could you imagine, like, for everybody suspects, your dad, your dad's a creep, right?
- 52:17Creeping on your fiance while you're locked up and possibly unli her.
- 52:23Yeah.
- 52:24And then stupidly went in a trunk and unli himself.
- 52:27I mean, play dumb games, win dumb prizes.
- 52:31So we have those two theories.
- 52:33Yep.
- 52:33And then the idiot case that was locked up, but he admitted to the crime, so he doesn't even count.
- 52:38Yeah.
- 52:38And then obviously there's like, because she was bipolar, um yeah.
- 52:43Did she have a manic episode?
- 52:44Which I don't believe because if she was in so much pain from her stomach, right.
- 52:47Well, there's just too many other things that don't make sense.
- 52:50Yeah.
- 52:50the shoe license is the huge one.
- 52:52She didn't take her purse, she didn't take any belongings.
- 52:54Right.
- 52:54It was her phone and that was it.
- 52:56Yep.
- 52:57And then of course it could have been like she thought her ride was there.
- 53:00She went outside and a totally random person.
- 53:02Yeah.
- 53:03crying, you know, whatever.
- 53:04Yeah.
- 53:05Now she did say, He's here and something about the truck, but he did drive a van and I do know people who call their big SUVs trucks, Uhhuh.
- 53:14So the podcasts do say that they're like, some people call it a truck.
- 53:19That's true.
- 53:20Yeah.
- 53:21Some people Brian does not.
- 53:22He's like, I saw a truck.
- 53:23Or truck's a truck.
- 53:24Yeah.
- 53:24But, but a lot of people do call, uh, any type of big vehicle with like storage in the back a truck.
- 53:31Right.
- 53:32So that lines up with, you know, is the classic kidnapper van.
- 53:36Yeah.
- 53:37I want the white panel.
- 53:38A hundred percent.
- 53:40Yeah.
- 53:41Oh my gosh.
- 53:42So still open case.
- 53:44Yes.
- 53:44Um, not closed.
- 53:46Definitely cold.
- 53:47there are the theories, like you were saying on what I know what I think I do too.
- 53:51I think it was Ricky Senior.
- 53:52Same.
- 53:53but if anybody happens to know anything Yep.
- 53:56Please contact the police.
- 53:58Yep.
- 53:58her family is obviously devastated still, and so are her friends.
- 54:03Yep, absolutely.
- 54:04So if you happen to have any information, be the, the Gaston County Police that you would, contact, not Gus on, not Gus on.
- 54:13if you know anything, let'em know, because I can't imagine not having closure to something like that.
- 54:18Oh my gosh.
- 54:18But oh, there have been quote sightings of her.
- 54:21Oh, I didn't, I didn't see that.
- 54:22So somebody thought they saw her in Japan.
- 54:25There's always sightings of know everybody like I, but it's that whole doppelganger thing, you know, like, is it really her or is it whatever?
- 54:31But somebody said there was one other place they saw her, but somebody said they saw her in Japan with a group of women and she made eye contact with this person and said, help me.
- 54:40Maybe I know.
- 54:41Who knows?
- 54:42Maybe.
- 54:44So, Gastonia is a hub for, trafficking.
- 54:46I know.
- 54:47It's like the, one of the biggest, isn't that crazy?
- 54:49Mm-hmm.
- 54:50It's not outta the realm of possibility.
- 54:52It's not, it's not.
- 54:53so hopefully, I don't know, they can figure that out.
- 54:56Oh, and there was human remains discovered.
- 54:59I don't remember exactly when, but it's been since then at Pond in Gastonia.
- 55:04That's not far from mm-hmm.
- 55:06From this.
- 55:07but they said it must've been recently'cause they said it could take up to a year to, to identify the remains.
- 55:12I don't know if there's that much backlog or if that process just takes that long.
- 55:17To me it's like, take a DNA test.
- 55:20Yeah.
- 55:21Or X-rays of the mouth and then just run it through the big huge computer systems we all use.
- 55:25So I don't know, they're still trying to find answers and I hope they do.
- 55:28Oof.
- 55:29Yeah.
- 55:29Prayers to the family and Yeah.
- 55:31You know, hopefully one day there is some closure, something, something to help them heal.
- 55:39so next week, are we reading a book or we wanna do something else?
- 55:41I totally forgot about even getting prepared for a book.
- 55:47It's up to you.
- 55:48What would you like to do?
- 55:48I'm gonna leave that one up to you.
- 55:50Oh, I kind of liked doing the documentary, or listening to the pods.
- 55:56Do you have any that like you wanna talk about?
- 55:59No.
- 56:00you know what, there's been one that's been, I've been thinking about kyle Fleshman.
- 56:06See if there's any podcasts on him.
- 56:08There's a couple.
- 56:09Oh, there's a whole podcast called Missing in the Carolinas.
- 56:12Oh, okay.
- 56:13Let's, you wanna listen to this one?
- 56:14Sure.
- 56:15All right.
- 56:15So next week, no book again.
- 56:17but we will do Yep.
- 56:19Some discussion on what's the guy's name?
- 56:21His name is Kyle.
- 56:23Fleischman.
- 56:24F-L-E-I-S-C-H-M-A-N-N.
- 56:27And I remember when this happened, he, went missing from the Charlotte area.
- 56:31So just another one that's close.
- 56:33Yep.
- 56:35And our people might know this guy.
- 56:36If you know Kyle, let us know, or if you remember when this happened or, anything, let us know.
- 56:42Well, thank you guys for listening.
- 56:43Um, please like, share, tell your friends to listen.
- 56:46And we love you.
- 56:47We love you.
- 56:47Thank you.
- 56:48Leave us a review.
- 56:49Five stars.
- 56:49Bye bye.
- 56:51Don't let'em argue with them.
- 56:52So you just say bye real fast.
- 56:53So they have to do it.
- 56:54Yeah, that's my theory.
- 56:57Alright, that wraps up another episode of, this is My Circus.
- 57:00If you survive this episode and somehow still like us, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, share it with your friends, or just send us caffeine.
- 57:07And don't forget, you can join our VIP circus crew for the full video version of each episode.
- 57:12Also exclusive bonus content, access to merch, and so much more Until next time, keep the drink strong.
- 57:18The book's coming, and the kids only mildly Ferrell because this is our circus and these are our monkeys.
- 57:24Love ya.