Latest / Beyond The Horizon / Murder In Moscow: The Experts Behind The case Against Bryan Kohberger (Part 2) (8/20/26)

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Murder In Moscow: The Experts Behind The case Against Bryan Kohberger (Part 2) (8/20/26) · Beyond The Horizon

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What's up everyone, and welcome back to the program. In
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: this episode, we're going to dive right back in to
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  Speaker 1: the expert disclosures that were revealed up at Moscow. Exhibit
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  Speaker 1: S three Amended supplemental expert disclosure Taylor Maychack. The State
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  Speaker 1: hereby discloses Taylor Maychack Forensic Scientist three as an expert
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  Speaker 1: witness in the field of forensic DNA, which includes, but
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  Speaker 1: in no way is limited to DNA extraction, quantification, amplification analysis,
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  Speaker 1: and interpretation analysis, including but not limited to STR data,
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  Speaker 1: why STR data, an STR mix, probabilistic genotyping. The State
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  Speaker 1: hereby incorporates its previous response and attachments filed on December eighteenth,
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, and is hereby supplementing its response as follows.
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  Speaker 1: Taylor Maychack currently employed as a Forensic Scientist three with
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  Speaker 1: the Idaho State Police Forensic Services, specifically in forensic DNA.
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  Speaker 1: Her CV with further qualifications is attached. Particularly Maycheck can
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  Speaker 1: be expected to testify as to the testing of several
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  Speaker 1: lab items. She'll discuss the process of DNA analysis by
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  Speaker 1: utilizing PCR, which was used in this case to generate
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  Speaker 1: a short tandem repeat str profile. Additionally, maycheck may discuss
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  Speaker 1: lab testing protocols, procedures, and the consumption of evidence. Consumption
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  Speaker 1: of evidence is using an entire sample for DNA testing.
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  Speaker 1: This is typically utilized when a low level of DNA
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  Speaker 1: is anticipated. Maycheck previously testified in the case during grand
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  Speaker 1: jury proceedings and can be expected to testify in the
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: same manner. More specifically, maycheck will provide an explanation of
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  Speaker 1: what DNA is, how DNA can be collected, and how
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  Speaker 1: DNA can be used. DNA is genetic material contained in
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  Speaker 1: cells that may be utilized for human identification. DNA may
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  Speaker 1: be present on an item in the form of biological
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  Speaker 1: materials such as blood, semen, and saliva, or may be
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  Speaker 1: left on an item when it's handled. Biological evidence and
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  Speaker 1: possible potential DNA evidence is collected for preservation and may
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  Speaker 1: be sent for further testing by qualified analysts. DNA can
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  Speaker 1: be collected by swabbing an item or by taking a
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  Speaker 1: cutting directly from an item. Reference DNA samples can be
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  Speaker 1: collected directly from individuals. DNA can be used to identify individuals,
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  Speaker 1: link individuals to crime scenes, link crime scenes, as well
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  Speaker 1: as exclude individuals from DNA profiles that we obtain. Maycheck
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  Speaker 1: will explain the four steps of DNA analysis, such as
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  Speaker 1: one extraction of DNA from cells, two the quantification of DNA,
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  Speaker 1: how much DNA is present in a sample, three the
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  Speaker 1: amplification of DNA, generating copies of DNA, and for the
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  Speaker 1: generation of DNA profile for comparison. Maychek will explain how
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  Speaker 1: DNA str profiles are developed. One extraction add chemicals to
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  Speaker 1: break open the cells to release the DNA. Two quantification
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  Speaker 1: amount of DNA is measured within each sample. Three amplification
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  Speaker 1: copy the specific location of DNA using the chain reaction
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  Speaker 1: for developing DNA profile. Visualize the DNA profile which looks
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  Speaker 1: like peaksonograph. Once we have our DNA profiles, we can
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  Speaker 1: begin interpreting the data and making comparisons as applicable. Profiles
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  Speaker 1: may then be entered into the Combined DNA Index System CODIS.
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  Speaker 1: CODIS is a national collection of DNA profiles maintained by
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  Speaker 1: the FBI. It contains convicted offender profiles as well as
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  Speaker 1: profiles obtained from evidence, and can be used to identify
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  Speaker 1: a suspect, generate potential leads, or link crime scenes together.
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  Speaker 1: Upon entry, The profiles are automatically searched against the database
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  Speaker 1: and generate hits when a match occurs. In Idaho, individuals
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  Speaker 1: convicted of felonies and those placed on the Sex Offender
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  Speaker 1: Registry must be entered into COTIS. Idaho also allows for
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  Speaker 1: the entry of unidentified profiles generated from evidence associated with
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  Speaker 1: the crime when that profile is believed to be from
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  Speaker 1: the putative perpetrator. Idaho also allows for the entry of
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  Speaker 1: DNA profiles associated with unidentified human remains or living people
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  Speaker 1: unable to identify themselves. The profiles are entered by the
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  Speaker 1: reporting analyst and reviewed during technical review. Each state also
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  Speaker 1: has one CODIS administrator who is responsible for ensuring only
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  Speaker 1: approved profiles are entered. Maychek will discuss that length the
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  Speaker 1: generation of a DNA str profile from item one point
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  Speaker 1: one swab of front strap of night sheet, which Maychack
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  Speaker 1: concluded to be unknown male ultimately deemed MALA. There are
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  Speaker 1: str locations specific to the Y chromosome which only males have.
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  Speaker 1: When a peak is present at these locations, it indicates
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  Speaker 1: that one or more donors or mel. This conclusion can
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  Speaker 1: be found in Report number four. Maychack may also discuss
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  Speaker 1: her interpretation and conclusions regarding the mixture of DNA obtained
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  Speaker 1: from items one dot two swab of edges of handle
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  Speaker 1: portion of the knife sheaths, one dot three swab of
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  Speaker 1: edges of blade portion of the knife sheaths, and one
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  Speaker 1: dot four swabs of stains on back of nice sheets.
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  Speaker 1: Maycheck will discuss how individuals or reference samples are excluded
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  Speaker 1: as contributors to a DNA mixture or source. Comparisons can
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  Speaker 1: be between evidence and reference samples to include or exclude
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  Speaker 1: an individual from a single source or mixture DNA profile.
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  Speaker 1: For exclusions to single source profiles, the exclusion can be
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  Speaker 1: made by visually comparing DNA profiles For mixture samples. A
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  Speaker 1: software tool SQR mix can be used to aid in
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  Speaker 1: the comparison. Maycheck will also discuss the partial DNA profile
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  Speaker 1: obtained from item one dot two, which indicates a mixture
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  Speaker 1: of three individuals, at least one of which is mail. However,
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  Speaker 1: due to low level results, no comparison could be made.
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  Speaker 1: Low level results or results with limited data that are
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  Speaker 1: not suitable for a comparison. Determining if a sample is
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  Speaker 1: suitable for a comparison is guided by ispf S policies,
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  Speaker 1: but analyst discretion may also be considered when appropriate. Per
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  Speaker 1: the isspf S Biology DNA Casework analytical methods, results that
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  Speaker 1: contain minimal data typically results at fewer than six loci
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  Speaker 1: should not be interpreted. Additionally, the interpretation of DNA results
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  Speaker 1: should take into account the DA results obtained, the nature
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  Speaker 1: of the sample, the condition of the profile, any forensically
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  Speaker 1: valid assumptions that were made and should be scientifically justifiable
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  Speaker 1: and based on collected experience and knowledge of the laboratory
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  Speaker 1: and scientific community. The guidelines outlined in the analytical methods
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  Speaker 1: are designed to provide a general foundation for interpretation, but
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  Speaker 1: may not account for all scenarios that will be encountered.
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  Speaker 1: In those scenarios, the forensic scientists and DNA technical lead
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  Speaker 1: will determine the course of action that is scientifically most appropriate.
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  Speaker 1: Maycheck may explain the partial DNA profile obtained from item
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  Speaker 1: one dot three, which indicates a mixture of DNA from
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  Speaker 1: at least two individuals, at least one of which is male. However,
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  Speaker 1: due to low level results, no comparison could be made.
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  Speaker 1: Maycheck may explain the mixture of DNA obtained from item
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  Speaker 1: one dot four. Additionally, maycheck will explain how a DNA
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  Speaker 1: str profile was generated from item eighty seven dot one
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  Speaker 1: out from a qtive style squab from one twenty seven
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  Speaker 1: Parkside Avenue, Blakeslee, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Police Department, which was
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  Speaker 1: taken from the trash from the Coburger residence at one
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  Speaker 1: nineteen Lambsden Drive, all Brightsville, Pennsylvania. Maychack determined that the
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  Speaker 1: DNA profile obtained from item eighty seven dot one was
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  Speaker 1: from an unknown mail ultimately deemed mail E. Maychak concluded
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  Speaker 1: mal E was not the source of DNA previously obtained
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  Speaker 1: from item one dot one. However, Maychak was able to
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  Speaker 1: conclude from the DNA profile obtained from item eighty seven
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  Speaker 1: dot one Mail E and that obtained from item one
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  Speaker 1: dot one mal A mail E cannot be excluded as
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  Speaker 1: being the biological father of Mala. Maychack made this conclusion
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  Speaker 1: using the single parentage index. The single parentage index for
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  Speaker 1: the low key examined was nineteen million, seventy thousand. Maycheck
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  Speaker 1: will discuss that at least ninety nine point nine nine
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  Speaker 1: nine eight percent of the male population would be expected
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  Speaker 1: to be excluded from the possibility of being the biological
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  Speaker 1: father of Mala. This conclusion can be found in Report seventeen.
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  Speaker 1: The single parentage index is a statistical value and compares
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  Speaker 1: two probabilities, the probability of seeing the child's genetic information
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  Speaker 1: if a tested individual is the biological parent of the
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  Speaker 1: child versus if a random individual, either man or woman,
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  Speaker 1: from the population is the parent. The calculation only uses
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  Speaker 1: one parent. For comparison, half of your DNA obtained from
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  Speaker 1: your mother and half from your father. Single parentage index
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  Speaker 1: for the loci means that we're only discussing the LOCHI
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  Speaker 1: tested in the case. Further, Maycheck compared several items in
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  Speaker 1: the case, including more items listed in Report seventeen bates
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  Speaker 1: pages five seven three to two, five seven, five eight.
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  Speaker 1: Maycheck may discuss the partial profile obtained from ninety three
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  Speaker 1: swab of duncan cup lid from one twenty seven Parkside Avenue, Blakesley, Pennsylvania,
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  Speaker 1: being consistent with Mel's E profile. Maycheck may also explain
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  Speaker 1: the low levels of mel DNA or no presence of
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  Speaker 1: mel DNA on other items in Report number seventeen. All right, folks,
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  Speaker 1: we're going to wrap up this episode right here, and
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  Speaker 1: in the next episode we're going to pick up with
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  Speaker 1: Exhibit number four Amended supplemental expert disclosure Tara Martinez. All
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  Speaker 1: the information that goes with this episode can be found
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  Speaker 1: in the description box