LaDonna Humphrey. Remember that name because she is central to this story. I've tried to sum up this tale quickly, but every time I attempt an elevator pitch, I fail. When friends ask me what this new series is about, I'm at a loss for words. It's impossible to explain in just a few minutes.
I'm about to retell the story the way I learned it: completely out of order. By the end, you'll need a suspect board like the ones in the movies. I've conducted over 20 interviews and counting, and you're going to hear some far-fetched allegations from many different people—strangers who share one common thread: they've all crossed paths with LaDonna Humphrey.
There's a lot of he said, she said in this story, and I'll do my best to prove or disprove each claim. This series is going to be a long one, unfolding in real-time as you listen. By the end, I hope I've done enough for you to make up your own mind and understand why so many people are afraid of LaDonna Humphrey.
***
Listen to PRETEND: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pretend/id1245307962
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42:44
True Story Media Presents: PRETEND
In the third installment of True Story Media Presents, Andrea sits down with Javier Leiva—host and creator of PRETEND. The two talk about how they first connected, their new partnership under True Story Media, and the overlapping themes in their work. They dig into the emotional toll of telling true crime stories, and Javier shares his path from local news and documentary filmmaking into the world of true crime podcasting, and how his show has become a space to unravel deception, trauma, and control.
Javier also introduces listeners to one of his latest series: The Internet Saves the Bachelor. It follows former Bachelor star Clayton Echard as he’s pulled into a web of deception by Laura Owens—including a fabricated pregnancy that spiraled into chaos.
***
Listen to PRETEND: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pretend/id1245307962
Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy.
Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!
Subscribe on YouTube where we have full episodes and lots of bonus content.
Follow Andrea on Instagram: @andreadunlop
Buy Andrea's books here.
For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com
The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Introducing: Dakota Spotlight
September 1998 brought a chilling moment in Bismarck, North Dakota, when 17-year-old Aimee walked into the police station. She suspected her boyfriend, Brian Erickstad, had harmed his parents. A welfare check was meant to set things straight — but it uncovered something far worse.
Episode 1, A Little Red Car, introduces Barbara and Gordon Erickstad’s case, a North Dakota true crime story that exposed violence hidden within a circle of teens.
***
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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41:43
True Story Media Presents: Dakota Spotlight
In this special crossover, Andrea talks with James Wolner, creator of Dakota Spotlight—another show in her True Story Media network—about how a rumor in a rural North Dakota bar led him to pick up a microphone in 2019 and start chasing the truth. Together, Andrea and James dig into what it means to practice ethical reporting in a medium with no rules.
James shares a case from season three of Dakota Spotlight: The House on Sweet and Seventh. A story of teenagers with a “Manson-esque” circle of loyalty and the brutal murder of two parents by their adopted son and his friend.
***
https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Listen to Dakota Spotlight: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dakota-spotlight-true-crime-cold-case-investigations/id1451783176
Join Dakota Spotlight’s Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/DakotaSpotlight/
Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy.
Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!
Subscribe on YouTube where we have full episodes and lots of bonus content.
Follow Andrea on Instagram: @andreadunlop
Buy Andrea's books here.
For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com
The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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1:11:02
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1:11:02
True Story Media Presents: Affirmative Murder
We’re kicking off our new series introducing the shows of True Story Media, Andrea’s ethical true crime network. In this conversation, Andrea sits down with Alvin, the host and creator of Affirmative Murder, to talk about the wild landscape of podcasting in 2025. They dive into questions of diversity and representation, the ethics of telling real-life stories, and what’s at stake when we shine a spotlight on tragedy.
From unpacking the recent P. Diddy trial and its ripple effects in the media, to reflecting on the bravery of Erica Pratt—a young girl who escaped a kidnapping—Andrea and Alvin explore how true crime intersects with politics, parenting, and the stories we choose to tell.
***
Listen to Affirmative Murder: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/affirmative-murder/id1296864488
Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy.
Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!
Subscribe on YouTube where we have full episodes and lots of bonus content.
Follow Andrea on Instagram: @andreadunlop
Buy Andrea's books here.
For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com
The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Author Andrea Dunlop is looking for answers. When her older sister was first investigated for Munchausen by Proxy abuse more than a decade ago, it tore her family apart. This catastrophic series of events sent Dunlop on a journey to understand this most taboo form of abuse. In this groundbreaking podcast, she talks to some of the top experts in the world to explore the criminology and psychopathology behind Munchausen by Proxy and to reveal the wide swath of destruction these perpetrators leave in their wake.
In each season, Dunlop investigates a case: speaking to friends, family members, doctors, law enforcement, child protection workers, and experts. Nobody Should Believe Me unravels these complex and terrifying stories, shedding light on an unspeakable crime.
"A rich and harrowing chronicle of the condition." --The New York Times
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Ireland