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Three Philadelphia Women Killed By Kensington Strangler · Murder Files Unsealed

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to another deep dive. And this one, well, this
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  one is going to be a tough one.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: You sent in this article on the Kensington Strangler, and
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  it's pretty heavy stuff. Twenty ten Philadelphia, right, a case
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  that really gripped the city, and we're going to try
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  to really get into it all the details and the
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  investigation and you know what happened to the families, of course, absolutely,
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  but I think the most kind of captivating, maybe disturbing,
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  is the unusual elements to this case. Yeah, the way
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  the victims were found and the necrophilia, which we'll get into.
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  It just adds this whole other level to an already
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  complex story.
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  Speaker 2: It does. And to really get it, you have to
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  understand Kensington, Philadelphia back then twenty ten, this area was
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  known as the bad Lands. Oh wow, and for good reason.
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  It was a drug epidemic was just ravaging the place. Yeah,
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  and it created this really harsh environment where people were
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  just vulnerable, especially those struggling with addiction, often overlooked, you know,
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  practically invisible. Yeah, it made them easy prey for someone
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  like the Kensington Strangler.
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  Speaker 1: Right, And this is where Elin go Oldburg's story begins.
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  She was twenty one years old, dreamed of becoming a nurse,
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  but of course struggling with opioid addiction. Right and her family,
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  they said she was so vibrant, funny, always ready with
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  a joke. You know. It just goes to show that
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  addiction really can touch anyone, absolutely, and sadly for Elane,
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  it led to her becoming the first victim.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Elaine's story really gets to you. Yeah, because she
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  was on the path to recovery. Oh wow, they were
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  even planning to celebrate a big milestone with the family. Oh,
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  but she was found murdered in a vacant lot, and
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  the way she was found on all fours really just
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  hit the investigator's hard.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. The article mentioned that the posing and how it
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  got to the investigators, even seasoned detectives, were pretty disturbed.
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  And it wasn't just the you know, the brutality of
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  it all, the strangulation and the blunt force trauma, but
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  the posing that just added a really chilling kind of
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  psychological aspect of the whole thing. The killer's motives.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that posing of victims, it's often a sign of
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  a serial killer, and here it points to this really
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  disturbing need for control. Dehumanization, like it's some sort of
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  you know, macab theater. And then of course you have
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  the autopsy revealed sexual assault both before and after death.
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  Oh god, just added another level of horror to a
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  really awful situation.
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  Speaker 1: That's horrible. So the investigation starts, but from what I read,
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  it was just met with silence. This no snitch culture
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  in Kensington made it almost impossible to find any witnesses,
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  even checking security cameras going to Elane's funeral hoping to
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  maybe spot the killer.
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  Speaker 2: Nothing. That no snitch code. It runs deep in these communities,
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  you know, especially places like Kensington where trust in law
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  enforcement is so low. It comes from a long history
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  of being marginalized socially and economically. Leads to a real
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  fear of retaliation, the feeling that cooperating will only bring
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  more trouble. Right this code, it lets criminals basically act
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  without consequence, makes investigations so difficult.
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  Speaker 1: And sadly, just weeks later, another victim, thirty five year
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  old Nicole Piacentini, and it was the same same story.
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  Speaker 2: Sadly yes, struggling with addiction. Yeah, found posed similarly, same
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  horrific sexual violence.
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  Speaker 1: Oh my god.
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  Speaker 2: The similarities between Elaine and Nicole were just striking. Both
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  vulnerable women battling addiction. Yeah, both meticulously posed, both sexually
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  assaulted before and after death. There was no denying it.
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  A serial predator. This is when the media dubbed him
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  the Kensington Strangler. Oh wow, and fear gripped the community.
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  Niicole's mother's statement is heartbreaking. She said she always knew
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  this day would come. Oh God, imagine living with that
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  kind of dread, and.
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  Speaker 1: It's just that's awful. But in all this there was
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  a bit of hope. A woman bravely came forward, Yes,
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  reported her own terrifying encounter was someone who fit the description.
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  Speaker 2: She was incredible, so brave attacked, chooped, unconscious, sexually assaulted.
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  She believed she only survived because her attacker, she said
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  his name was Anthony, thought he'd killed her. Oh wow.
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  Her testimony was critical. It validated the community's fears, but
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  it also gave investigators their first solid lead, a possible name,
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  and a sketch. Okay, Finally, the Kensington Strangler was taking
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  a more defined shape. This woman's willingness to come forward
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  really changed the game. But even with this breakthrough, the
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  story was far from over.
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  Speaker 1: You know, It's amazing how one person can be so
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  brave and it can make such a difference. You would
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  think with the name with the sketch, they would have
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  caught him that this case, oh man, so many twists,
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  it really does.
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  Speaker 2: And even with all this new information, tragedy struck again.
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  Casey Mahoney, twenty seven years old, wanted to go back
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  to college, became the next victim. Her friends, since she
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  was so sweet, full of life, just makes it that
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  much more devastating. You know, the fact that these killings
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  kept happening even after the sketch was out there just
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  put that much more pressure on the task force.
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  Speaker 1: God, it's just so sad to think about all the
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  potential all three of these women, you know, their dreams,
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  their families, and it was all taken away. It's awful
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  with each victim, I mean, the pressure must have been immense.
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  Did they get any closer to finding the guy after
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  Casey's murder?
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  Speaker 2: They did, and it came from some pretty unexpected places.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: A nurse reported a really frightening encounter with a man
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  who matched the sketch. Okay, and a little while later,
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  security footage surfaced showing someone who looked just like him
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  approaching women in the area.
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  Speaker 1: So they finally had some visuals. Yes, it seemed like
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  they're closing in.
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  Speaker 2: You would think, right, yeah. But here's where it gets
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  even more frustrating, honestly infuriating. Remember that DNA sample from
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  Elaine Goldberg. Yeah, it turns out it actually produced a
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  man weeks earlier. The DNA belonged to a twenty one
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  year old named Antonio Rodriguez.
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  Speaker 1: Wait, hold on, are you saying they had to match
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  the whole time they did.
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  Speaker 2: There was a backlog in the system, so his DNA
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  wasn't processed until weeks after they could have made the connection.
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  Speaker 1: Oh my god.
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  Speaker 2: It's chilling to think about how many lives could have
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  been spared if that backlog hadn't been there.
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  Speaker 1: It's just heartbreaking. It makes you wonder how many lives
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  could have been saved if the system had been better
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  and more efficient, And it raises questions about resources and
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  how these backlogs can have such serious consequences. So they
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  finally identified Antonio Rodriguez as the Kensington strangler. What was
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  he like when they found him?
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  Speaker 2: What really got to the investigators was how normal he
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  seemed Yeah, he didn't fit this profile they had in
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  their heads of a serial killer.
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  Speaker 1: Right.
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  Speaker 2: One detective even said that he could be someone you
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  passed in the grocery store and not even think twice.
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  Speaker 1: That's almost more terrifying. Yeah, this seemingly average guy blending
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  in but capable of such awful things makes you wonder
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  how someone can be so dark underneath a normal exterior.
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  So what happened when they confronted him?
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  Speaker 2: He confessed, and he did it quickly, almost casually, without
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  a trace of remorse. It was bone chilling how detached
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  he was, like he was talking about something totally ordinary,
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  not admitting to killing three women. This lack of emotion,
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  the complete lack of empathy, that's what really sets this
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  case apart.
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  Speaker 1: You know, it's so easy to just get caught up
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  in the procedures and the details, but we can't forget
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  that there were real people behind all of this, of course,
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  with families, Yeah, with loved ones whose lives were shattered.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, the impact of these crimes goes way beyond Kensington.
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  It leaves a scar of pain and trauma. Blane Nicole Casey.
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  They were daughters, ye friends, They had hopes and dreams,
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  and their lives mattered. Their loss was felt by everyone
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  who knew them.
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  Speaker 1: It's a harsh reminder that these cases aren't just about
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  catching the bad guy. They're about acknowledging the human cost
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  and supporting those who are left behind. So what happened next?
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  Did Rodriguez go to trial?
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  Speaker 2: He did, but it wasn't a jury trial face with
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  the DNA evidence his confession. He chose a bench trial,
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  so a judge alone would decide.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, what did the judge decide?
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  Speaker 2: Guilty on all counts? And when he was delivering this sentence,
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  the judge made a really powerful statement. Oh, he emphasized
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  the worth of each victim, Elaine Nicole Casey, and he
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  sentenced Rodriguez to three life sentences, one after the other,
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  with no chance of parole.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, it sounds like the judge was really trying to
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  send a message not just about how serious the crimes were,
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  but also about the value of the lives that were lost.
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  You think that resonated with the families.
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  Speaker 2: I think it did. It was a way to honor
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  their memory and make sure their stories weren't forgotten. It
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  was a statement that their lives didn't just disappear in
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  Kensington that they were seeing and that their absences felt.
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  Speaker 1: It's a powerful reminder that even with such terrible acts,
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  the system can still provide some closure, some validation. But
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  as we've seen in this case, there were some systemic
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  issues like that DNA backlog uses some serious questions.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, while we can hold individuals accountable, we also have
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  to look at the bigger picture, the social and systemic
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  issues that make people vulnerable and sometimes even get in
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  the way of justice being served. This case is a
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  perfect example of that.
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  Speaker 1: It's just it's unsettling to think that this whole thing,
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  this tragedy, could have been avoided if it weren't for
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  that backlog. Yeah, it really makes you think.
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  Speaker 2: It highlights a really important point about the justice system.
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  You know, we talked about law and order, but the
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  truth is much more complicated, and this case shows just
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  how vital forensic science is. It's not just about catching
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  the bad guys, but making sure investigations are accurate right
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  and that they happen quickly.
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  Speaker 1: And that often comes down to resources, giving enough money
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  and support to these forensic labstre the whole process, prioritizing
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  cases the right way. All of these things can mean
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  the difference between you know, solving a case quickly and
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  another life being lost.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, putting money into forensic science is like putting money
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  into justice itself. It's the silent partner in the system.
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  It provides the scientific proof that can put criminals away
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  and just as importantly clear innocent people.
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  Speaker 1: As we've been talking about this case, you know, I've
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  been thinking about the impact these kinds of crimes have
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  on a whole community. It's not just the victims themselves,
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  but the fear, the distrust that spreads. It can last
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  long after they catch the person.
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  Speaker 2: That's such an important point. These cases, they can really
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  tear a community apart. They leave this feeling of unease,
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  suspicion that's hard to shake. And getting that feeling of
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  safety back the trust it takes everyone working together, law enforcement,
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  community leaders, the people who live there.
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  Speaker 1: It brings us back to that question from before, How
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  can we as people, as communities do better to protect
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  those who are most vulnerable?
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  Speaker 2: Right? Such a tough question, no easy answers, right, But
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  I think it starts with awareness. Okay, we need to
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  see the signs of vulnerability, understand what people need, create
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  a culture where people care and support each other. That
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  means getting rid of the stigma around addiction and mental illness,
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  making it easier for people to get help without feeling.
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  Speaker 1: Ashamed, and being proactive. Yes, not just waiting for something
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  terrible to happen exactly, but actually working to make things safer.
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  Speaker 2: It's about being active bystanders, not ignoring injustice or suffering,
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  speaking up even when it's hard, and making sure those
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  in charge are held accountable.
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  Speaker 1: And you know, on a personal level, wouldn't you say,
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  it's also about taking responsibility for yourself, being more aware, absolutely,
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  encouraging people to pay attention to their surroundings, trust their
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  gut when something feels off.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, empowering people to take charge of their own safety,
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  be proactive and recognize potential danger. It's about creating an
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  environment where people feel comfortable reporting suspicious things and asking
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  for help when they need it.
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  Speaker 1: As we wrap up this deep dive on the Kensington strangler,
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  I'm left with a lot of well, a lot of emotions,
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  sadness for the lives that were lost, anger at how
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  brutal it all was, but also maybe a bit of hope,
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  Hope that by learning from these awful events, we can
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  work towards a future where they're less likely to happen.
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  Speaker 2: I feel the same way. I truly believe that by
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  having these tough conversations, by shining a light on the
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  darkest parts of our society, and by taking action, we
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  can create a world where everyone can live without fear,
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  without violence.
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  Speaker 1: To our listener, thank you for joining us on this
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  deep dive. We hope it's not only given you the
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  facts of this case, but also made you think about
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  the deeper issues we've talked about. Remember, knowledge is power.
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  The more we understand about crime, about justice, about what
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  it means to be human, the better we can make
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  the world a safer and kinder place.
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  Speaker 2: Until next time, stay curious, stay engaged, and stay informed.