1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: Andrea Smith is pretty computer savvy. I won an award 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: for computer programming in eighth grade. Okay, really computer savvy. 3 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: I like to be told this is the raw data, 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: this is the end product. I need you to produce, 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: do it anyway you want, and then just leave me alone. 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 1: She grew up in Queens, New York, but moved to 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: rural South Carolina twenty years ago. She has long gray 8 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: hair that she usually pulls back into a ponytail. She 9 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: has epilepsy and doesn't drive. She's been to stay home 10 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: mom since her son was born. He's nineteen now. He's 11 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: the kind of kid who you know, if he sees 12 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: somebody struggling, he'll help them. He'll hold doors for people. 13 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:46,959 Speaker 1: As long as he knows that he's doing the right thing. 14 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,840 Speaker 1: He's absolutely prepared to He's absolutely prepared to raise all 15 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: kinds of holy hell. And I love that about him. 16 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: In the early two thousand's, when he was still a toddler, 17 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: she spent some of her free time putting around on 18 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: the Internet trying to reconnect with folks back home. This 19 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: was pre Facebook. She learned that one of her old 20 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: friends had a child with a diagnosis she had never 21 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 1: heard of s m A, or spinal muscular atrophy. Andrea 22 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: looked it up. Baby is born with the most severe 23 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: form of s m A, never sit up or feed themselves, 24 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,119 Speaker 1: and usually die by their second birthday. It was something 25 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: I just could not stop thinking about. I'm sitting here 26 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: with a fourteen month old and I'm looking at my son. 27 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: Tears came to my eyes and I was just like 28 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: overwhelmed with emotion, thinking, my goodness, what does this. In 29 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: January of two thousand four, she sent a message to 30 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: a support group for s m A and offered to volunteer. 31 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: I've got some free time. I don't have money. I 32 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: I can't send you cash, but I'm available to help 33 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: you with whatever you need. She helped with their newsletter 34 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: and organized conferences. She became their insurance bulldog fighting on 35 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: behalf of families denied claims. Not long after she started volunteering, 36 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: in two thousand and six, a new person popped into 37 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,519 Speaker 1: the parent chat group. She introduced herself as Connie de Lashmant, 38 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: mom to Drake. Drake had s m A. She discussed 39 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: his treatment plan, she sent pictures of him, and then 40 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: another woman joined the group named Megan, who was mom 41 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: to Brook. There was a small subgroup of moms that 42 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,839 Speaker 1: sort of had this little side chat going, and they 43 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: started noticing things that made them uneasy about Connie, small 44 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: inconsistencies about the things that Connie was saying about Drake 45 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: and his treatment, things that didn't make sense. And then 46 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: at some point somebody said, well, I don't you know, 47 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: Megan doesn't really sound right either, And because they came 48 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: into the chat and approximately the same time, there was 49 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: like this, there was this weirdness around the both of them. 50 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: Both Connie and Megan used the same turns of phrase, 51 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: and both were misspelling the same words in the same way, 52 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: like tomorrow with an A in the middle instead of 53 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,519 Speaker 1: an oh. Andrea and some of the other moms decided 54 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: to become amateur detectives, five or six of us that 55 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: were sort of the Little Little Scooby or Little Scooby 56 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: Doo Adventure group. She was Velma. We were convinced that 57 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: Connie and Megan were both frauds and they were the 58 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,559 Speaker 1: same person. So I have a friend who is a 59 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: computer whiz, and I wrote to him and said, is 60 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: there any way to tell if two different emails are 61 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: being generated by the same computer? And he said, yes, absolutely, 62 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: you need to look and see what the I P addresses. 63 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: And he explained to me how to expand the headers 64 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: on the email and look for the what they referred 65 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: to as the originating Internet Protocol address. Andrea was on it. 66 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: It didn't take her on to realize that both Connie 67 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: and Megan had the same IP address, their emails came 68 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: from the same computer, and the electronic breadcrumbs led her 69 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: to a woman named Sarah Sarah Delashmant whose mother happens 70 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: to be named Connie. Remember two thousand six was when 71 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: Sarah was at the beginning of her friendship with Aaron 72 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,799 Speaker 1: Johnson in California, when she pretended to have a sister 73 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:31,919 Speaker 1: named Gabby, Gabby who had sm A make believe Gabby 74 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:36,119 Speaker 1: died in January of two thousand six. Three months later, 75 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: the supposed Connie Delashman joined the s M A parent group. 76 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: After she got caught, Sarah was kicked out, Andrea might 77 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: have let the whole thing go had her Scooby Doo 78 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: group not made one more discovery. Sarah had worked her 79 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: way into a separate s M A nonprofit, this time 80 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: pretending she herself had the condition there's a charity out there, 81 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: cold Cole's Quilts, that makes these beautiful handmade quilts for 82 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: children with s m A or families of deceased children 83 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: with SMA, and you have to apply for the quilt. 84 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: You have to send some kind of proof of your diagnosis. 85 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: In the s m A community, Coal's Quilts are hallowed ground. 86 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: Sarah had duped the charity and gotten one. We were 87 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: outrage at the violation of one of our most sacred groups. 88 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: Cole's Quilt makers ask just one thing in return for 89 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: their labor, that you send a photo of you and 90 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: your quilt they can post on their website. Sarah did. 91 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 1: In the picture, she's lying on her bed, just her 92 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: arms and head peeking out from under the quilt. Her 93 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: hands are bent down at the wrists, back towards her body, 94 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 1: like someone who doesn't have a lot of muscle control, 95 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: something you see in pictures of people who actually have 96 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: s m A. She used her real name because a 97 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: lot of times people will stitch the child's name onto 98 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: the quilt, and she didn't want somebody else's name on 99 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: her quilt. When Andreas saw the photo, that's when we 100 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: were like enough with this girl. We need to do 101 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: something about her. We need to get that quilt back. 102 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 1: Something to know about Andrea. She's not exactly a timid person. 103 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: She once fought off a would be rapist. At nine point. 104 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: She campaign door to door for Bernie Sanders in the 105 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: reddest neighborhoods of South Carolina. She regularly takes insurance companies 106 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 1: to the wood shed. When she vowed to get the 107 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: quilt back, she was getting the quilt back. I had 108 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: her address, I had her phone number, I had a 109 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: picture of her house. Thank you Google Maps. I knew 110 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 1: everything about this girl. She was ready to go get 111 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: it herself. Instead, she called the FBI. The agent didn't 112 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: seem that interested just a quilt, you know, but said 113 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: she could call back. So Andrea did every week, to 114 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: the point that the agent seemed to be getting a 115 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: little annoyed. My voice was catching, I was I had 116 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: tears in my eyes when I said, and I said, well, 117 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: you did say I can call whenever I wanted, So 118 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: you know, I'm sorry. I will not bother you again. 119 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: Shortly afterwards, she got a message from a local police 120 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: officer in Highland, Illinois, Sarah's hometown. He had heard from 121 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: the FBI. The officer brought Sarah into the station, he 122 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: got the quilt and sent it back. Nobody filed charges. 123 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: The value of the theft seems small, and local police 124 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: thought that she was just a board and lonely college 125 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: student who didn't realize the seriousness of her actions. Andrea 126 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: had grown up watching cop shows. I was sort of 127 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: raised on Hill Street Blues and Barney Miller and NYPD Blue. 128 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: She knew there needed to be a record. Do some 129 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: thing wrong in your name needs to be in a 130 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: file somewhere, and that documentation about the stolen quilt would 131 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: sit buried in the Highland p D, largely forgotten until 132 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: the day fifteen years later in a courtroom when it 133 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: would come back into Sarah's life. I'm Laura Beale. You're 134 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: listening to Sympathy Pains. This is episode four Andrea. After 135 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: Sarah's surfaced in the s m A group after the 136 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: officer returned the quilt, she tried to slip back into 137 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: the organization again. That was enough for Andrea to fear 138 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: that she would never go away. She began tracking Sarah 139 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: year after year as she moved around the Internet. I 140 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: have a spreadsheet with all of her known elias Is. 141 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: One of her posts goes back to two thousand one, 142 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: when Sarah was in high school, writing on a chatboard 143 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: that she was the mother of two children with muscular dystrophy. 144 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: Andrea found that Sarah would assume whatever identity matched the 145 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,079 Speaker 1: group she was trying to slip into. If it was 146 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: a cancer group, she had acute lymphastic leukemia. If it 147 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: was a breast cancer group, she had breast cancer. She 148 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,559 Speaker 1: became an experienced chameleon. If it was a group where 149 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: they were talking about fertility issues, then she was wondering 150 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: about people's experiences with Cloe mid If it was a 151 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: group where there were moms of multiple she was expecting quintuplets. 152 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: If it was talking about muscular dystrophy, then she had 153 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: s n A. There was actually a post on a 154 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: costume board where she was looking for costumes to look pregnant. 155 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: As Andreas silently followed Sarah from Afar, she warned as 156 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: many nonprofits as she could. I said, watch out for 157 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: this girl. She's a problem. She is a scam artist. 158 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: By thousand nineteen, Sarah had been juggling multiple cons in 159 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: multiple places. Liz and Bethany didn't know Sarah's long history. 160 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: They were more concerned about where she might go in 161 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: the future. They tried to think of a solution that 162 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,359 Speaker 1: would go beyond trying to warn charities one by one. 163 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 1: Here's Liz and I recognized that she was really sick, 164 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: and this is a very serious scenario. That mental health 165 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 1: is an illness. They not only wanted to expose her, 166 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 1: they wanted her to get treatment. Dr Phil seemed a 167 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: way to do both. Liz sent an email to the 168 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: Doctor Phil producers. I asked her to read some of it. 169 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 1: She contacted me sometimes a hundred times a day, needing 170 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,960 Speaker 1: someone to listen or help with a panic attack. She 171 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: called after treatment to share how six she was, or 172 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: how she needs to be rushed to the hospital again 173 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 1: for blood transfusion. He seemed whenever informed Sarah had plans 174 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: with a friend or workman and scheduled she needed me 175 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: to which, of course I complied every time. Please help 176 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:01,719 Speaker 1: us get Sarah that helps she needs, prevent her from 177 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: purtting others into frauding worthy charities, and the closure we 178 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: need from this unfortunate event. Days later, Liz and Brian 179 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: were at the gym when the phone rang. It was 180 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: a producer from the show, and I said, can we 181 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: call you back in about ten minutes and let me 182 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: get my wife, and we would definitely like to talk 183 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: to you. So the ball started and started rolling Friday morning. 184 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: By Friday afternoon, they made the decision that yes, we 185 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: want to do this, and we are going to try 186 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: to get Sarah to participate. Sarah's family was willing to 187 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: help convince her. Sitting at home that evening, Liz and 188 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: Brian thought, what are we doing? Not a month earlier 189 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,319 Speaker 1: they had been taking Sarah out for a ride in 190 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: their boat. She had been in their hammock looking at 191 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: the stars, and now they were catching a Monday morning 192 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 1: flight to Los Angeles for a confrontation on national television. 193 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: It was March. That day, they told their stories on 194 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: tape for the show's producers. The next day, Brian and 195 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: I had to go for a walk in the canyon 196 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: to kind of get her head clear and like dial 197 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: down some of the nerves and feelings and emotion. And 198 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: on that day we found out later that Sarah and 199 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: her mother went to the Santa Monica peer like tourists, 200 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 1: took all kinds of pictures and had a really great 201 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: day Bethany had also flown in. We knew Bethany was 202 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: staying the same hotel, and we said, hey, why don't 203 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 1: we why don't we meet before we get in the 204 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: show and talk. So we did. We all met in 205 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 1: the hot tub and one of those giant ones at 206 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: a hotel that maybe twenty people could be in. Liz 207 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 1: and Brian got there first and soon saw Petite Brunette 208 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: making her way across the pool deck. She was carrying 209 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: a six pack of beer, and that actually made me 210 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: feel good. I think that we were we really to 211 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: see that she was, you know, calm, and she seemed kind. 212 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: It's like we found a kindred soul. So it actually 213 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: really felt good to find some on who had been 214 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: in a similar situation. So she had gone beyond all 215 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 1: the shock and horror and betrayal feelings that I was feeling, 216 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: and which is angry. She was about to get even angrier. 217 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: After a few days of filming their story and hanging 218 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:21,319 Speaker 1: out in l A, Brian, Liz, and Bethany were backstage 219 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: at Dr Phil perhaps a hundred people that are just 220 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 1: either moving rocks of clothes or carrying recording equipment. It's 221 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: it's really busy, really busy. They knew Sarah was somewhere 222 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 1: in the building, but they didn't know where. She and 223 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: her mom had stayed in a different hotel. The show 224 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,559 Speaker 1: staff took pains to make sure that they didn't accidentally 225 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: bump into her. After hair and makeup, they waited in 226 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: the green room. We could hear the other show they 227 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: were taping. I guess they taped two in the same day. 228 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: I could hear them screaming in the room next to us. 229 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 1: Liz where worried about what Dr Phil might say to her. 230 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: She's like, are you gonna judge me? Is he gonna 231 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: turn this story some hours from my fault? And I 232 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: was terrified that he was going to lamb based me 233 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: publicly on stage and somehow make me an enabler. Liz 234 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: was on the verge of backing out. Even the producers 235 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: knew that I was a basket case and and Bethany 236 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: was not. She was really composed, and that that brought 237 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: me a level of calm that I really needed. She's like, 238 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: this is okay. She's like, You're gonna be okay. Just 239 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: tell your story. With Bethany's help, Liz got ahold of 240 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 1: herself at this point, what outcome are you hoping for 241 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: with this whole thing. I wanted to get mental health treatment, 242 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: and so this was to help her. This was absolutely 243 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: to help her. And it was almost concerning for the producers. 244 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: And up to about thirty seconds before we went on 245 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: the show, they were coaching me. They were like, remember 246 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: how remember how mad she made you. It's like they 247 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: were taking a hot poker and sticking into my side 248 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: before they released me on the stage, because they knew 249 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: I was just sad and I felt bad. I remember 250 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: one of the producers trying to kind of hype me 251 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: up for it. I said, you know, I don't mean 252 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: to be offensive or disrespectful or anything. This is not 253 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: something that I want to do. I'm not here for myself. 254 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: I'm not here, you know, to get any sort of 255 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: accolade or anything. I think that's the only thing that 256 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: got me on that stage. I was thinking about how 257 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: she had violated all of those women. They heard the 258 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: introduction to their stories, segments from the tape that they 259 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: had filmed on Monday, and then the booming voice of 260 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: Dr Phil He's like, now we have you know, Brian, 261 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: Liz and Bethany. Then the curtain opens up, and we 262 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: just walked down the aisle to the stage. She shakes 263 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: your hand and introduces himself and it's the first time 264 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 1: you meet him and you you take your seat. Brian 265 00:15:57,560 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: held my hand. I know I was shaking. I was 266 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: will be wide as a ghost. We wanted to play 267 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: a little of the audio from this, but couldn't work 268 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: things out with a show anyway. Here's how things went down. 269 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: After their introduction, Liz and Brian walked out first. They 270 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: took their seats on stage and oversized wooden bar chairs 271 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: so high that their feet couldn't touch the ground. Liz 272 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: was wearing a dark blue dress that should bought a 273 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: few days before. Then Bethany joined and told her story. 274 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 1: The stage lights, their own bright little sons, bore down 275 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: on them. They felt the curious stairs of the audience. 276 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: It felt like an out of body experience, you know, 277 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 1: being there on that stage looking at this television personality 278 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: you see every once in a while, hearing his voice, 279 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:46,600 Speaker 1: and you know, seeing cameras all around you. This was 280 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,560 Speaker 1: three years in the making of me. To have a 281 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: one hour window to get some sort of closure, if 282 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: that was the goal, or to tell my story if 283 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: that was the goal, or to expose her, you know, 284 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: it just it felt very surreal. They methodically recounted their 285 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: experiences with a giant Sarah slide show behind them. Sarah 286 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: in her wig and scarf, Sarah in her wheelchair, Sarah smiling, 287 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: gripping the handlebars of her bike. We were all sitting 288 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: side by side with each other. It was me and 289 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 1: then Brian and Bethany, and I was in the chair 290 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: that was empty across from me. It was very obvious 291 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 1: that it was going to be Sarah. Dr Phil said 292 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: to Bethany, will know, you've never seen Sarah walk and 293 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: she said, you know, that's that's correct. She was always 294 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,679 Speaker 1: in a wheelchair. And then Liz, you've only seen you know, 295 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 1: you've never seen Sarah with hair, and of course we 296 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: had not, so, you know, there was something to the 297 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: effect of, well, you know, we're going to see her 298 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: for the first time or something, and he said, are 299 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 1: you ready to see her? And then I said, I 300 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: don't even know who the real Sarah is. He looked 301 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,479 Speaker 1: at one side of the room. A door opened, and 302 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,959 Speaker 1: there's she stood in a burgundy sweater, black slacks, and 303 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 1: gold earrings. Her dark hair sleekly styled. If we had 304 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: had happened to pass her on the street while we 305 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: are yelling California, we would not have known. We would 306 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: not have recognized her for a split second. Like I 307 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:19,719 Speaker 1: kind of looked at Brian, thinking like one of us 308 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: is going to say, this isn't her right, But I 309 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,119 Speaker 1: was kind of waiting for that validation from Brian and Liz. 310 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 1: Absolutely soulless expression, and I will never forget that absolutely soulless. 311 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: Slowly staring straight ahead, she marched towards the stage, toward 312 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 1: the one empty chair on the set, her arms barely swinging. 313 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 1: There's a long pathway. Um, if you've ever seen the show, 314 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 1: you can usually see they kind of use this pathway 315 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: where they open a door and somebody comes out, you know, 316 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: kind of in between the crowd, and you could have 317 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: heard a pin drop in that whole place for about 318 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 1: thirty seconds, not a single sound as she took the 319 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: ten seconds to walk to the chair. She had the 320 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: stage makeup on, but it still just didn't look like 321 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 1: her Her eyes were black. What I remember most about 322 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: her were her eyes. They were honestly just black. It 323 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: was like she didn't have a color to her eyes, 324 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:17,159 Speaker 1: and she looked right through me as if there was 325 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: honestly nothing behind it. Her brow did not move at all, 326 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,639 Speaker 1: her eyelids were heavy, and she just stared right at me. 327 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,159 Speaker 1: And I'm just looking in her, into her eyes, like 328 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:32,200 Speaker 1: trying to find some of the Sarah that I knew, 329 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 1: and I'm looking at her just an absolute disbelief, like 330 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: who are you? Sarah scooted into her seat, her eyes 331 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: darted around like she wasn't sure where to look. I 332 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 1: was a surprise to her that she came with the 333 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,680 Speaker 1: understanding knowing that Brian and Liz were going to be there, 334 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 1: but she didn't know I was going to be there. 335 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: Dr Phil kind, I guess. One on his he said, 336 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 1: I believe you know these people, and she said I do, 337 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 1: And he said, do you have anything to say to them? 338 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 1: And that's when she said, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for 339 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: what I've done and it didn't mean to hurt She 340 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: didn't mean to hurt you. She kind of just looks 341 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: like I had this very kind of pathetic, sad puppy face, 342 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: I guess, and just tried to offer an apology, saying 343 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: she didn't mean to hurt anyone. As soon as she 344 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: started in with her apology, I jumped in and cut 345 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 1: her off because I just thought that this is not real. 346 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: This is not a real apology, This is not how 347 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: this is going to go. Dr Phil was very quick 348 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: to point out that that's not a real apology. There's 349 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: not any empathy behind that statement. I said, Sarah, you 350 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: don't understand you ruined our life. I'm was the first 351 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 1: thing I said to her, with a stony expression. Sarah 352 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 1: turned to Dr Phil throughout the show should respond, offering 353 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 1: wandering explanations for what she had done. She talked about 354 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: the mental fortitude necessary to keep all her stories straight. 355 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: It was a very strange way that she phrased it. 356 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 1: It was something about playing hockey and wanting to hit 357 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: the puck but not being able to. And it wasn't 358 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: really too clear exactly what she was saying, But I 359 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: think the meaning behind that is she would be in 360 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 1: scenarios in situations where she wants to be able to 361 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 1: say something but she can't because she's been lying about 362 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: who she is. I think one of the things that 363 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 1: Talking Phil was trying to get with that was how 364 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 1: proud she was about all of the lies, and he 365 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: led her down this this road on the stage that 366 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: I don't think she realized she was getting led to. 367 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: And that's when he went to a clip showing her 368 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 1: being interviewed in which she's smiling talking about them. In 369 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 1: that clip, she said she didn't tell her first big 370 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: lie until she was twenty five years old. She said 371 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 1: that was the first time she lied about having cancer, 372 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: which would have been news to her college it's friends, 373 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 1: and she is kind of smiling back on stage at 374 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: Dr Phil. There was one time in particular that Sarah 375 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:19,120 Speaker 1: said that I've decided, uh song to the effect I've 376 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: decided to tell the truth now. And I responded to her, 377 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: when did that happen? And I didn't mean it to 378 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,239 Speaker 1: be a joke or funny, but the audience, you know, 379 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: laughed at that. The truth has only come out to 380 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: us for a couple of days. Bethany looked straight at Sarah, 381 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: steely eyed. She wouldn't make eye contact with me unless 382 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 1: I was speaking directly to her, and almost had to 383 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: kind of force her to look at me, and even 384 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: then I could tell she was looking beyond me. I 385 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: remember one of the claims that Sarah made was that 386 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 1: she had a hard time making friends, and Bethany was 387 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 1: very quick to say, well, that's not true, because you 388 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:11,680 Speaker 1: know they became friends quickly. As he walked around the set, 389 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,959 Speaker 1: Dr Phil looked at Sarah and asked her if she 390 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: realized when she was lying and was unable to stop it. 391 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 1: He framed it as an irresistible impulse versus an impulse 392 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: not resisted. She said she couldn't stop it, that she 393 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: feels an urge to lie and it just takes over 394 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 1: an irresistible impulse. So Dr Phil answered, you have no 395 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,880 Speaker 1: ability to choose right and wrong. You are a total sociopath. No, 396 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: I think, I don't know, She stammered, she did know 397 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: right from wrong. So he said, it is a choice 398 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: and not an irresistible impulse. Yeah, she said quietly. He 399 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: said she lacked empathy for others, that she didn't realize 400 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: how much she had broken people like Liz and Bethany. 401 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: Toward the end, they cut to one last commercial break. 402 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: I remember when when it came back, he said, I'm 403 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:17,199 Speaker 1: going to tell you what I think you need, not 404 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: what I think you deserve. I've lined up treatment facility 405 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,320 Speaker 1: for you. I think that you need to get some help. 406 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:30,399 Speaker 1: The intensive impatient care had lined up. Was in Calabasas, 407 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 1: a tony Los Angeles suburb. The facility was on tranquil 408 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:38,399 Speaker 1: wooded grounds that looked like a luxury resort. He said 409 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: he considered it the best care in the country, but 410 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: added they do not mess around. The show was done, 411 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: the camera's shut off. Brian, Liz, and Bethany were ushered 412 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,679 Speaker 1: off in one direction and Sarah in the other. The 413 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: show pays for a treatment, and you know, she readily agreed, 414 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 1: and I believe that she left neiately from the show 415 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: to go there. I do remember walking off the stage 416 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: with Lizzie and and there were a lot of the 417 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,359 Speaker 1: audience members that I did make eye contact with, and 418 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 1: there are there are some tears I could see in 419 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 1: eyes and also um kind of that those gestures of 420 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:21,879 Speaker 1: you know, like we're really sorry this happened to you. 421 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: Did you go to the nearest bar in order of 422 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,919 Speaker 1: martini after that? Yes, that's exactly what we did. And 423 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 1: I remember that conversation just feeling like we had one 424 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: little moment of success with this that you know, we 425 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,199 Speaker 1: could all fly home feel good about what we were 426 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:40,159 Speaker 1: able to say, feel good about Dr Phil's responses and 427 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,159 Speaker 1: how it was going to be, so for her to 428 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: actually leave set, grab her suitcase and go straight to 429 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: treatment in southern California was a big deal. We all 430 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: sat and we really just exhaled because at that point 431 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: we thought we had taken care of the problem. We 432 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 1: thought we we accomplished what we had, you know, come 433 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: to do. But that feeling of accomplishment was about to 434 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:10,920 Speaker 1: be shattered. The show aired in April two thousand nine. 435 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 1: Shortly afterwards, Andreas Smith was at home in South Carolina 436 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: sitting at her computer scrolling through Facebook. She saw that 437 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: she had been tagged in a post by someone she 438 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 1: knew from her work with s m A. I said, Hey, 439 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,399 Speaker 1: doesn't this sound like our old friend Sarah? And it 440 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: was a link to the Doctor Phil show. And as 441 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:33,680 Speaker 1: soon as she came on the screen, I said, holy crap, 442 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 1: that's her. The show hadn't revealed anyone's last names, but 443 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: Andrea had no doubt. She immediately dived into the comments 444 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 1: section and I started writing and said, everybody beware sour 445 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: Delashman this woman. I started writing the story in in 446 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 1: in the comments, and as soon as I wrote that, 447 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: the minute I had sent Liz Hiccox's responded to me, 448 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:03,680 Speaker 1: and then Bethany Turner responded to me saying, you know, Sarah, 449 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: like what happened? She said, I've been tracking her for 450 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,199 Speaker 1: twenty years. And then we really started piecing together a 451 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 1: lot of the details where Andrea was talking about family 452 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,679 Speaker 1: members she had talked to and how she had the 453 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: FBI involved back in two thousand six. It wasn't just 454 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 1: camp summit or breath cancer charities. The common thread I 455 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: found was that she always infiltrated groups of women, and 456 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: that it was always in a place where you would 457 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 1: never you would never walk into like a breast cancer conference, 458 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 1: for example. You would never walk into a camp for 459 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: adulty disabilities. You would never walk into certain scenarios and 460 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: feel like you need to question anyone. The most striking 461 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:49,159 Speaker 1: thing about the Dr Phil episode for me was the 462 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: section where they were talking just to her, like in 463 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 1: the green room. I guess it was not when she 464 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: was on stage where she was discussing her activities, and 465 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 1: the look in her eye when she's talking about it 466 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 1: and she's almost glowing. She's talking about it like it's 467 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 1: her life's work. When I visited Andrea, we sat down 468 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,880 Speaker 1: at her computer and she walked me through her Sarah 469 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:17,159 Speaker 1: Google drive, which by the way, is named fuck Sarah. 470 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: This is all Sarah. This is all Sarah's stuff, This 471 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: is everything. Here is Sarah. This is all Sarah, all 472 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: of this, all of this, all of this. So these 473 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: are pictures and posts and and full web pages that 474 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: I downloaded. This is just a terrifying amount of stuff. 475 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: You would still google her every now and then. Oh yeah, 476 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: I'm not an idiot. I knew she was still out there, 477 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: given her long history with Sarah. I thought Andrea might 478 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: know the answer to a question I've been asking myself 479 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:54,680 Speaker 1: for a while, the question on everyone's mind. Really, who 480 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 1: is Sarah. I don't even think she knows. Sarah makes 481 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: herself up as goes along. Sarah is an empty shell Sarah. 482 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:14,320 Speaker 1: I don't know what happened to her. She showed me 483 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: the picture of Sarah with her coals quilt, green quilt 484 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 1: with a care Bears theme, Cara, bears and frogs. That's 485 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: what she wanted. There's a profile on caring Bridge, a 486 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 1: site for people with illnesses to share their stories. She 487 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: created a post for her pretend son Drake, the one 488 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: from the s m A support group. When Drake was 489 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 1: born in November of two thousand two. I thought I 490 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 1: had the perfect although Drake surprised us by coming five 491 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 1: weeks early. He scored nine at one minute from the 492 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: get go. Drake was an easy going, happy and in 493 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,960 Speaker 1: May of two thousand and three, I noticed Drake wasn't 494 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,080 Speaker 1: standing up or sitting like most kids. On another website, 495 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: it wasn't enough for Drake to be gravely ill. He 496 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,720 Speaker 1: was kidnapped too, And it says Sarah, how is Drake 497 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: after the kidnapping? And then if you go down a 498 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 1: little bit, you'll see here where she says he's fine. 499 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: It's not as serious as it first sounded when they 500 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: called me about a kidnap. About a kidnapping? Yeah. The 501 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 1: posts on a cancer board when Sarah was in college, Hi, 502 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 1: every when. My name is Sarah and I was diagnosed 503 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 1: with a l L that's acute lymphositic leukemia two months ago. 504 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: I was just looking for another teens that have gone 505 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: or going through a similar thing. I would love to 506 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: hear about how this. On this tour through her Google drive, 507 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: Andreas stops on one other photo. This is supposedly Gabby 508 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:31,840 Speaker 1: Gabby who Aaron Johnson. Believed was Sarah's real sister. But 509 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: it's not Gabby, it's this girl. Andrea pulls up a 510 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: picture of a blonde girl in a red sweater smiling 511 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: for the camera. Sarah Schwegel, who was the m d 512 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: A Goodwill ambassador for like two thousand and one. So 513 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 1: she stole a picture of somebody with Spota muscular atrophy 514 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 1: and used it and claim this was her sister. Sarah 515 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: Schwegel was from the St. Louis area, near Sarah's hometown. 516 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: Off and on, there were photos ever in the newspaper. 517 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: After the Doctor Phil episode aired, her victims watched one 518 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: by one in disbelief. Aaron had known for almost three 519 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 1: years that Sarah wasn't disabled, that she didn't have multiple 520 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: children or sister named Gabby, but she had held onto 521 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: the hope that no matter how twisted everything else was, 522 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: Sarah's affection was real. But then it was a Doctor Phil, 523 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 1: so that made me sit up and go, okay, there 524 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: was no love in my friendship with her. On her side, 525 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: she was just a very very good actress. It was 526 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: the first time in years I was able to actually 527 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: see her eyes when she talked about all this and 528 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 1: explained all the people that she didn't so non tauntly 529 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: after Dr Phil, this story might have ended right here 530 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 1: with Sarah getting the psychiatric care she needed, but even 531 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 1: he seemed to doubt whether that would happen. On the show, 532 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 1: Sarah said she was ready to change her life. He shrugged, 533 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: we'll see about that. A few days after the show 534 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 1: was over, Liz was talking to Sarah's aunt. At the time, 535 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: they were still friendly, and she said, well, she's coming 536 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: home for Easter, so I guess we'll see her. Then 537 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 1: I said, what do you mean, she's coming home? Sarah 538 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: was already planning to leave treatment and the show hadn't 539 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 1: even aired yet. This was a turning point for Liz. 540 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: She had been willing to bear her humiliation in front 541 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 1: of a national television audience as a way to get 542 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: Sarah the help she needed. Help Sarah said she wanted, 543 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 1: and it had all been for nothing. And at that 544 00:32:56,160 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: point I was just furious because again she either had 545 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 1: checked herself out or she was kicked out, and either way, 546 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: at that point I said, I'm done. Now, I'm done 547 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: being compassionate, and now I'm piste off. And that's when 548 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 1: I turned the corner and said no, I'm not done 549 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 1: with this yet. I'm not letting this go. It became 550 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: an obsession because she she in my mind, she got 551 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:24,480 Speaker 1: me one more time. She managed to defraud me, deceive me, 552 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: betray me, but she still managed to win me over 553 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 1: one more time and still get some compassion for me. 554 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:33,320 Speaker 1: And that's when I said, no, I'm no, I can't. 555 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: This is no, I'm done with this. There's something you 556 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: should know about Liz. She's a native New Yorker who 557 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 1: worked in the Lower Manhattan financial district and lost friends 558 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 1: and colleagues. On nine eleven, she discovered her father at home, 559 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: dead of a heart attack when he was only fifty 560 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,280 Speaker 1: one years old. The first man she intended to marry, 561 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 1: an America's Cup Racer, was killed in a sailing accident. 562 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: So if she seems enraged that someone would fake their 563 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:08,960 Speaker 1: impending death, it's because her life has known far too 564 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: much real loss. On May three, two, nineteen, Bethany, Liz 565 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: and Andrea formed a group chet If Sarah wasn't going 566 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:23,399 Speaker 1: to stop, neither were they. Liz told Andrea were very 567 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:27,719 Speaker 1: interested in pursuing any avenue possible. She's checked herself out 568 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 1: of the facility and is already back in action with 569 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: a local cancer charity. The next day they got together 570 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:39,920 Speaker 1: on a call. Andrea told them the story of the 571 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:41,920 Speaker 1: quilt and that she had been in touch with the 572 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,960 Speaker 1: Highland Police in two thousand and six and now she 573 00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: was ready to call the cops again. They all were 574 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 1: at the Highland Police Department. Detective David Brynes was the 575 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,959 Speaker 1: one on the other end of that phone. And what's 576 00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 1: going through your mind when you're hearing this? Kind of 577 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: thinking this is, lady's a pretty good actor at this point, 578 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 1: and kind of also thinking that if if she is 579 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 1: pulling off all these I guess elaborate ruses like she is, 580 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,520 Speaker 1: What's what's running through this lady's head? What's you know, 581 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,720 Speaker 1: what's her motivation? Why would you do all this? Buddy 582 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:24,280 Speaker 1: had a problem. She had done something probably morally wrong, 583 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:28,399 Speaker 1: but probably not criminally wrong at that point until the 584 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: day he learned that she had committed actual crimes. Starting 585 00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:36,799 Speaker 1: was stolen racing bikes. At that point we had a 586 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:40,720 Speaker 1: federal crime and they started the process of learning more 587 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,880 Speaker 1: about who Sarah really was. I want to say we 588 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 1: executed the search warrant between seven and seven thirty in 589 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:50,760 Speaker 1: the morning, and so we were there, I mean roughly 590 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:54,720 Speaker 1: four to five hours that's coming up on Sympathy Pains. 591 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: Sympathy Paines is a production of Neon Hum Media and 592 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. I'm your host Laura Beale. I wrote 593 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:11,320 Speaker 1: and reported the episodes. Natalie Wrinn is the lead producer. 594 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:17,200 Speaker 1: Our editor is Katherine st. Louis. Associate producer is Rufaro Mazzarua. 595 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Jonathan Hirsch. Samantha Allison is our 596 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:27,840 Speaker 1: production manager. Fact checker is Jacqueline Colletti. Jesse Perlstein composed 597 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,440 Speaker 1: the theme song and music heard throughout the series. Additional 598 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 1: tracks are by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound. Scott 599 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:39,040 Speaker 1: Somerville is our engineer and sound designer. Special thanks to 600 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 1: Stephanie Serrano from I Heart Radio. Special thanks to Carrie 601 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:48,000 Speaker 1: Lieberman and Bethan Macaluso. Executive producer at I Heeart Radio 602 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:49,240 Speaker 1: is Dylan Fagin.