1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: The cheerleaders at a gym in Buffalo have been recording 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: themselves to make a new documentary where the news reporters 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: because one year ago a mass shooting changed their lives. 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: He just walked around shot all the black people. The 5 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: cheer squad, most of whom are black, had to figure 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: out how to go on and how to compete. I 7 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: wanted to win for them more than anything this season. 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: Listen to the embedded podcast from NPR within the iHeartRadio app, 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Carol Fisher and 10 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: I'm hosting a podcast called The Girlfriends. It's Las Vegas, 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 1: it's the nineteen nineties, and it is time to find 12 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: a husband. There were four Jewish doctors who were felt 13 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: to be eligible bachelors. One of them was of the 14 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 1: Baron bat On paper he was perfect, but in reality, 15 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: this guy's a wacko. He shouted to the point went unconscious. 16 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: I would call him and I would say, I know 17 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: you killed my sister. You can listen to The girl 18 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: Friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you 19 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. You know Andy, in our twenty two 20 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: years of friendship, this has to be the most bizarre 21 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: thing we've ever done. I know. Our podcast My Vagina 22 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: Said What is a podcast where we ask our everyday 23 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: Vagina listeners to pull up a seat at the best 24 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 1: Friend's table as we share our most personal and humiliating 25 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: body stories. We are going to discuss all body things 26 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: like what exactly are we supposed to do with our pubes, 27 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: harry menopause or wack periods, and so much more. Listen 28 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,759 Speaker 1: to My Vagina Said What podcast on the iHeartRadio app, 29 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast what. These days, 30 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: more often than not, the success of a company is 31 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: attributed to its founder, but that's only part of the story. 32 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: My name is Noah Callahan Bever and I'm proud to 33 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: present Idea Generations All Angles, a Willpacker media podcast. We'll 34 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: be talking to all the key players from all your 35 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: favorite brains like WOUD Records, Ghetto Gastro and Earn your Leisure. 36 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: So join me each week as we dissect the most 37 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: dynamic companies and culture. Because the only way to truly 38 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: understand success is to look at it from all angles. 39 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: This new Idea Generations All Angles on the iHeartRadio app, 40 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to 41 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: The Pikedon Massacre, a production of iHeartRadio and Katie Studios. 42 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: Somebody pretty important in Ohio once asked me why I 43 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: was so vested and interested in this case and in 44 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: sex trafficking. I had to be honest with myself and 45 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: I had to say when I first heard it, I 46 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: didn't believe it. I didn't think it was widespread. And 47 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: ever since then it's been like, these women aren't lying 48 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: and they deserve all of our attention. This is the 49 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: Piketon Massacre. Returned to Pike County season two, Episode nine, 50 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: twenty five miles South, Part two. I'm Courtney Armstrong, a 51 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: television producer at Katie Studios with Stephanie Lydecker and Jeff Shane. 52 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: Throughout the series, we've examined abuses of power by authorities 53 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: in Ohio, from law enforcement officials to city councilmen. Investigative 54 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 1: reporter James Pilcher drew a through line in cases of 55 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: Pike County Sheriff of Charlie, Reader Michael Moran, and the 56 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: corruption that has infiltrated the Southern Ohio criminal justice system. 57 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: Why do I think this is happening in these kinds 58 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: of counties so much either a you had ineffectual or 59 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: corrupt or both law enforcement right you had a community 60 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: or a culture of lawlessness that has descended on upon 61 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: many places in rural America. And I think that's one 62 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: of the reasons nobody's watching, nobody cares to watch, not 63 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: to you know, enhance or blow up importance of journalists. 64 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: But if you don't have some kind of watchdog or 65 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: somebody holding officials accountable, it doesn't always work well. In 66 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen, reporter Nicki Blankenship uncovered an affidavit filed by 67 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: the Drug Enforcement Agency. The document detailed an FBI investigation 68 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: into a Portsmouth, Ohio lawyer and former city councilman named 69 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: Michael Moran. It's and supported stories Nicki had long heard 70 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: from area women who claimed that Moran was involved in 71 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: sex trafficking and prostitution. It should be noted that Michael 72 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: Moran has strongly denied the allegations. So when I got 73 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: this affidavit, I immediately took it to my publisher, my editor, 74 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: and they want to prove that it was real, it 75 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: was authentic, and all of this was real, and so 76 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: I contact our private investigators that I knew, had them 77 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: look into the document. Further. I called people in course 78 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: systems that I knew and had them looking into it. 79 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 1: I verified it over and over and over, and ultimately 80 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: they said that no, we're not going to publish. I 81 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: gave my letter of resignation that day and I said 82 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: ethical differences and I left. During the course of her 83 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 1: reporting on sex trafficking in southern Ohio, the issue had 84 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: become personal for Nicki. She often spoke with the families 85 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: of Portsmouth women that had fallen into prostitution and others 86 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: whose family members had gone missing or been murdered. After 87 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 1: her resignation, Nikki had a crucial decision to make. I 88 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: had made a promise to the families. I'm tearing up 89 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: a little bit, but I promised these families and I 90 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: shouldn't have, as a journalist, promised them, but I did. 91 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 1: I promised them that I was going to scream until 92 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: someone listened. And so when I felt like I was 93 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: just repeatedly being shut down, I felt very helpless. I 94 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: had to do something. I had to put it out 95 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: there some way, and social media's last way. I knew, 96 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: even if only local families were able to see that. 97 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: I thought it might help them in some way and 98 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 1: give them something. And as a local journalists, a lot 99 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: of people locally were on my Facebook page. So I 100 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: went ahead and I published it and I went to sleep. 101 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 1: When I woke up the next morning, I had hundreds, 102 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: probably thousands of lights on that close already, not thousands 103 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: of shares and messages from everyone. But Carna went crazier 104 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: than I expected it too. When you saw the Daffi David, 105 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: what ran through your head? I was not a bit stunned, 106 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:23,600 Speaker 1: And people they want me to be stunned, but I wasn't. 107 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: That's Katie Lancaster speaking with producer Chris Graves. Katie's best 108 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: friend and sister in law, Megan Lancaster, went missing in 109 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: twenty thirteen. Katie alleges that Megan worked for Michael Moran 110 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: as a prostitute. Moran denies these allegations. What went through 111 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: my head is, oh, my gosh, like I'm not the 112 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: only one that sees this, you know, like the FBI 113 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: sees it. Like it was just so just a sense 114 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: of relief. News of the Affi David's spread. It soon 115 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: caught the attention of Cincinnati Enquirer investigative editor Bob Strictly, 116 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: who had once worked for the newspaper The portsmith Dale Times, 117 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: initially was a sports editor in Portsmouth and was elevated 118 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: to managing editor. And during my time there, there were 119 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: always these rumors about Michael Moran and the women that 120 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: he was around and the circles he ran in, and 121 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: it just at the time, early in my career, it 122 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: just seems so far fetched. Portsmouth, if nothing else, is 123 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: a rumor mill. So a lot of things get tossed 124 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: around without substantive evidence to back it up. But it 125 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: was quite surprising to receive word that there was something 126 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: that could actually back this up. We got a copy 127 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: of it ourselves and verified it through various attorneys and 128 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: our own legal counsel. And I went back and looked 129 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: through notes that I had taken, and because I never 130 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: throw away a notebook from my time working in Portsman, 131 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: I was like, Man, a lot of the tracks and 132 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: here's a government official saying so, and it's in a 133 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: sworn affter David, So it's time for the chips down 134 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: on the table and get involved. It's too big of 135 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: a story to ignore, even if it is a place 136 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: that is not traditionally in an area where my paper 137 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: covers it. I don't know if it initiated a sense 138 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,559 Speaker 1: of responsibility as much as it triggered a pretty huge 139 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 1: amount of guilt that motivated me to go pitch the 140 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: story to our bosses, despite the paper being two and 141 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: a half hours away from the subject that we were covering. 142 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: And luckily my bosses were hospitable enough to allow us 143 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: to explore and then go dig real deep in this 144 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: story and turn over some rocks that needed to be 145 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: turned over decades ago. Reporter James Pilcher was writing for 146 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: The Inquirer at the time. My boss came to me, 147 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: because I was the investigative reporter, and said, well, what 148 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: do you think about this? Do you want to take 149 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: a look. Is this guy trafficking women all over the 150 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: country from this little town, this burned out shell of 151 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:45,839 Speaker 1: a town. It's known as the epicenter of the opioid epidemic? 152 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 1: Is he doing this? Is it true? Can we prove it? 153 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: I really thought there was no way, There was no 154 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: way this could be going on for so long and 155 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 1: nobody did anything about it. The other interesting thing was 156 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: that the paper who got this wouldn't publish it. I mean, 157 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: it's a federal affidavit, and they still wouldn't publish it 158 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: right there in the hometown of Michael Moran. It takes 159 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: a big city newspaper from two hours away in Cincinnati 160 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: to come in and do this investigation. Now, granted, we 161 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: had the resources of USA Today behind us, but why 162 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 1: not if that had been published, or if the local 163 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: newspaper had been truly an independent arm or an independent eye, 164 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: would some of this stuff have gone on? I don't 165 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: think so. The first time I went to Portsmouth, I 166 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: didn't know what to expect, and they partnered me full 167 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: time with the photographer who was also bylined on the story. 168 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: Is she and I were just shooting some footage out 169 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: at the US Shoe factory and there was graffiti there 170 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: talking about prostitution and drugs and things like that, and 171 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,559 Speaker 1: this guy rides up on a bicycle saying, what you 172 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:47,319 Speaker 1: guys doing. We just kind of telling them it was 173 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: so by the way, do you know Michael Moreney says, Oh, yeah, 174 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: that guy runs women. At that point, We're like, oh 175 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: my god, everybody in town knows this. The guy on 176 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: the street knows this guy. We didn't even ask. In 177 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,199 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, Pilcher began the difficult task of locating area 178 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: women and asking them to open up to him about 179 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: their alleged experiences with Michael Moran. June of that year, 180 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: I got the first woman to come forward and say, 181 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: here's exactly how he did it. And then by July 182 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: we had one or two on the record. And if 183 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: these allegations proven true, this guy was in the seed 184 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: of power. He had these vulnerable women coming to him 185 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: for help from a legal perspective, and he offered them 186 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 1: the other way out. Do this and maybe I can 187 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: get these charges lesson for you, we heard that story 188 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: over and over again. Do this and you won't go 189 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: to jail. And how much of a worse abuse of 190 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: power could there being? You started this story not believing 191 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: this as possible. How does that make you feel? Six 192 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: seven to forty, I look like a cop, got a 193 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: big black coute where a black fedora. I'm not warm 194 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: and cuddley, and people don't immediately warm up. Now, I'm 195 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: a good conversationalist, but I was the government kind of 196 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: accountability reporter and getting women to open up and tell 197 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:10,599 Speaker 1: me these awful things that happened to them. That was 198 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: eye opening, and it was a new skill that I 199 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,319 Speaker 1: had to learn. I also had to be the reporter. 200 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: I also had to be the objective reporter. And the 201 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: hard part was I also had to fact check all 202 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 1: these women. I couldn't just take their word for it. 203 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 1: My publication's reputation was on the line. My reputation was 204 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,319 Speaker 1: on the line. I had to believe would be skeptical. 205 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: So when they would tell me, oh, I remember that 206 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: I got arrested in this particular place, and I have 207 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: to say, Okay, where when, what can you tell me? 208 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: I'd have to go look up the court records, all 209 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: of those things and try to make sure that the 210 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: timelines matched. Ever since then, it's been like, you know, 211 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: these women aren't lying and they deserve all of our attention. 212 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: The more Pilcher investigated, the deeper the ties into the 213 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: Portsmouth legal system grew. We reported several times the women 214 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: were saying that Moran would brag about his relationship with 215 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: former Yota County Common Police Court judge William Marshall. Now 216 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: William Marshall was one of the Marshall Boys. He and 217 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: his brother were the son of the former Judge Marshall 218 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,319 Speaker 1: in that county. So Bill Marshall took his dad's place 219 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: as one of two common Police Courts judges, which has 220 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: oversees all the serious cases and all the felonies and 221 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: all the high end civil cases at a county level. 222 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: It's an elected position. There were allegations that Moran was 223 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:31,439 Speaker 1: guiding them to have relations, promoted parties with Judge William Marshall. 224 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: It should be noted that Judge William Marshall has staunchly 225 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: denied these allegations or any illicit ties to Michael Moran. 226 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: Though a judge is mentioned in the Affidavid Marshall has 227 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: repeatedly insisted he is not the judge referred to as 228 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,199 Speaker 1: working in collusion with Moran and has not been charged 229 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 1: in connection with that probe. But the allegations made by 230 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: area women didn't stop at a local judge. One of 231 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: the women who did go on the record for that 232 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: first story told that she partied with the former police chief, 233 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: she partied with former members of the police department, all 234 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: because Moran set it up. These women came forward and 235 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: said these guys used their position to either traffick me. 236 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: One lady got sent up to Chicago not knowing what 237 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: she was getting into, and then turned into a prostitute 238 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: up there. And then other women were talking about how 239 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: the probation department, his brother, the guy ran the probation department, 240 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: was using his position to lessen her probation. That's how 241 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: deep this went. One of the best lawyers and a 242 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: politician and a sitting judge all possibly involved in this network. 243 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:38,960 Speaker 1: And that's when we knew we needed to get more 244 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: women who had been through this experience to talk about 245 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: what they'd been through. The following is audio from an 246 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 1: interview The Cincinnati Enquirer did with a woman named Heather Boots. 247 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:54,319 Speaker 1: She claimed to have been a sex trafficking victim in Portsmouth. 248 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: She went on the record about her alleged association with 249 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 1: Michael Moran lives if this isn't happening for decades because 250 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: the judges and the corruption here throw all of them. 251 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: It's another fact any but you can stop at any 252 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: house in the sale and that will tell you everything, 253 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: like it's a no secret. James Pilcher began further exploring 254 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: the Megan Lancaster case. Katie Lancaster thinks very strongly that 255 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: Michael Moran lured Megan into this life and it's his 256 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: fault she's dead or missing. Now whether he actually was 257 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: directly involved, all we know is she left behind a 258 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: heck of a lot of notes about all of her 259 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: different liaisons and all the people she would go to 260 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: for money. She kept all of it. Katie found it. 261 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: She has copies of everything. We called every single number 262 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: in that book. Some people acknowledge yeah, about sex from 263 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: her and she became like a slew of women went 264 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 1: Singer got killed that were addicted prostitutes, sex workers up 265 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: in Ross County and chill A Coffee, which is two 266 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: counties to the north. I mean, we're talking a dozen 267 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: more women so Megan. A lot of people theorize that 268 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 1: Megan might have been wrapped up in something that got 269 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: those women killed. But there's a lot of thought and 270 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: there's a lot of theory or rumor that know that 271 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: that was separate from what happened to her, and what 272 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: happened to her points back to possibly Michael Marian. Michael 273 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:35,479 Speaker 1: Moran has denied any involvement or responsibility in Megan Lancaster's disappearance. 274 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 1: Moran has stated numerous times in interviews that the only 275 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: involvement he had with Megan Lancaster was in a case 276 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: involving a former client where Lancaster acted as an informant. 277 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: He has said that he had no other relationship with 278 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: her and that she did not work for him. Additionally, 279 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: authorities have not brought any charges against him in the 280 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: case at this time, it's unclear whether they have questioned 281 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: him in the matter. Throughout twenty nineteen, the Cincinnati Enquirer 282 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: published a series of articles by James Pilcher and his 283 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: colleagues about Michael Moran and his allegedized to human trafficking. 284 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: Everything that was in that affidavit, we reported it out 285 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 1: as a rageous as it sounds. Allegations that he was 286 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: running women all over the country, he was promising women 287 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: drugs for sex, he had relationships with judges and with 288 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: members of law enforcement, all of it. So those allegations, 289 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 1: all of this is in the federal document, and yet 290 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: they never moved on Moran. Now, the DA says we 291 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: handed all the stuff about human trafficking over to the FBI. 292 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: The FBI says we're not going to comment on any 293 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 1: potential or ongoing investigation. So you can see how frustrated 294 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: we were with, like, Okay, why doesn't anybody move on him? 295 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: What's going on here? Bob strictly shared Pilcher's frustration. A 296 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: very important thing that the press does, when it's done 297 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: well is to shine lights and you know, and to 298 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: offer a vehicle for those people stepping forward, right do 299 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,680 Speaker 1: you find a sense of kind of responsibility of making 300 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:10,679 Speaker 1: sure those voices are heard? What said this one apart 301 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: was just the amount of women that stepped forward and 302 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: said something about this to us and talk to us 303 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: about it. And then also the apparatus that has to 304 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: exist around a person Michael Moran for an operation, as 305 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: we reported on, to exist in the first place, a 306 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: lot of people have to turn their heads. Kind of 307 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,880 Speaker 1: the damnability of people who just turned the other way 308 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,400 Speaker 1: and don't care about what's going on right in front 309 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 1: of them in their community is more prevalent than maybe 310 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: we all realized initially. We're going to take a quick 311 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: break here. We'll be back in a moment. I'm Carol Fisher, 312 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: and I'm hosting a podcast called The girl Friends. Back 313 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: in the nineteen nineties in Las Vegas, a few of 314 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: us dated the most eligible bachelor in town, Bob he 315 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:11,159 Speaker 1: spoke several languages, he did medical missionary work, and he 316 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 1: was Jewish. He was perfect on paper. But he wasn't. 317 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: He really wasn't, he shouted into the point she went unconscious. 318 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: Bob could lie about anything, but only takes the one 319 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: time when somebody ends up dead. Unfortunately for Bob, us 320 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: girlfriends know how to fight back. I wanted him to 321 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: pay for his crime. He needed to be put to justice. 322 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:37,199 Speaker 1: I'll be honest with you. If I saw him right now, 323 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: I'd spit on him. I would call him and I 324 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,360 Speaker 1: would say, I know you killed my sister. I will 325 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: always hound you and haunt you. You can listen to 326 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: the girlfriends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever 327 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts. In our twenty two years of friendship, Andy, 328 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: this has to be the most bizarre thing we've ever done. 329 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: I know, I love it. Our podcast, My Vagina said, 330 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: what is a podcast where we ask our everyday Vagina 331 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: listeners to pull up a seat at the best Friend's 332 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: table as we share our most personal and humiliating stories 333 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 1: and ask questions about women's bodies. We are going to 334 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: discuss all body things, like what exactly are we supposed 335 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: to do with our pubs. Oh my gosh, if you 336 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 1: could have a heart shaped pube that were bedazzled in 337 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:28,239 Speaker 1: pink rubies or perrymenopause, I feel right now justified. I'm 338 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 1: going to start my own personal movement. I'm going to 339 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: start blaming anything that goes wrong in my life on perrymenopause, 340 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: leg hair too long, don't have the will to clean, 341 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: perryopause exactly, our whack periods, boob issues, and so much more. 342 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 1: Listen to my vagina said, what podcasts on the iHeartRadio app, 343 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:55,400 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What Hi, 344 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: This is Paris Hilton. Some of the best times of 345 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:01,160 Speaker 1: my life have been spent inside of nightclubs, singing, dancing 346 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: and being free to truly be myself. And now I'm 347 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: the executive producer of a new show, The History of 348 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: the World's Greatest Nightclubs. I wanted a show that represented freedom, 349 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 1: joy and hope, and there is no one better to 350 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: host than someone who has inspired me for so many 351 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: years with her musical talent. I'm alternate and I've been 352 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:22,199 Speaker 1: in the music industry for three decades. I'm a singer, 353 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,160 Speaker 1: songwriter and musician and now I'm inviting you to join 354 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 1: me on this global nightclub journey. We'll dive into the 355 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 1: origins of genres that broke the industry and uncover the 356 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: stories of legendary DJs, all through the eyes of the 357 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,920 Speaker 1: people who partied at the height of club culture. Listen 358 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: to the history of the world's greatest nightclubs on the 359 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 360 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: This is the unbelievable but true story of George Ramus. 361 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,920 Speaker 1: You might know him as a character from Boardwalk Empire 362 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: or as the inspiration for Jay Gatsby. He was an 363 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,680 Speaker 1: eccentric and genius lawyer who figured out how to game 364 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 1: the system during Prohibition. Remus is in the whiscue business, 365 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 1: and Remus is the biggest man in the business, while 366 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:18,120 Speaker 1: living the life of luxury with his glamorous and ambitious 367 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 1: wife Imogene. Daddy, I am so glad you are here. 368 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 1: But George Remus's wild existence took a dark and shocking turn, 369 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: leading to betrayal. She had Remus just exactly where she 370 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: wanted him revenge. Feel this muscle. I got this for Remus. 371 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: I could crush him like an egg and one of 372 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: the most sensational murder trials in American history. We the jury, 373 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:46,400 Speaker 1: find the Defendant, Join me Abbott kaylor As we traced 374 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: George Remus's transformation from bootleg King to alleged madman. Listen 375 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 1: to Remus the Mad Bootleg King every Tuesday on the 376 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,959 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 377 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: As part of his reporting, Pilcher tracked down Michael Moran 378 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: to get his side of the story. Moran vehemently denied 379 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 1: all the allegations about being involved in any prostitution or 380 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: sex trafficking rings. I've talked to Michael Moran three times 381 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:22,439 Speaker 1: at length. We first talked to him because said, are 382 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:25,119 Speaker 1: you a sex trafficker? People have said you're a sex trafficker. 383 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 1: It says here in this affidavit you're a sex trafficker. 384 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 1: What do you say to that? He tried to play 385 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: the dumb country lawyer. The following is an audio recording 386 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:36,679 Speaker 1: from that interview with Michael Moran. I don't even know 387 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: what to say. Give me the definition of a sex trafficker. 388 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,640 Speaker 1: So then we get all these women lined up. Would 389 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: come back to him and say, Okay, we've got these 390 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: women now saying that you're the guy, and he says okay, 391 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: and then he was more angry. He would not go 392 00:22:53,119 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: on camera with us a second time. During one conversation, 393 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: Pilcher asked Moran specifically about Megan Lancaster. Moran denied being 394 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: her pimp or being involved in any of that kind 395 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: of activity, but when James Pilcher brought up the possible 396 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 1: whereabouts of Megan Lancaster, he got a shocking response. Pilcher 397 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: relaid the story to producer Jeff Shane. He joked with me, Hey, 398 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: maybe season in my basement. Maybe season in my backyard. 399 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: He thinks it's a joke because he knows what the 400 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:26,719 Speaker 1: rumors are. Wait, what so you asked him directly about it? Oh? Absolutely, 401 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:28,640 Speaker 1: I said, you have anything to do with Megan Lancaster 402 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 1: and he said no, but you can check my basement. 403 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,120 Speaker 1: Everybody else wants to, you can check out him back. 404 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: He said, I've invited the cops in to take a look. Well, 405 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:39,360 Speaker 1: I'm not going to surmise whether he's trying to get 406 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: away with anything, because I don't know whether or not 407 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,680 Speaker 1: he had anything to do with her disappearance. I really 408 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 1: don't are reporting didn't lead down those paths. But he 409 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: had this attitude that he thought he was smarter than you, 410 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,359 Speaker 1: that he thought he was smarter than anybody. And I 411 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: think what probably from my reporting in my history on 412 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:01,879 Speaker 1: all this is that I read a lot of stuff 413 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: about him and leading up to him, and I'd see 414 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: stories here and there, But nobody but NICKI Blankenship kept 415 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:12,640 Speaker 1: at him. Nobody kept on him. And I can tell 416 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: you that we never went away. The photographer person that 417 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,400 Speaker 1: I worked with, was always in the courtroom bugging him, 418 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 1: you know, was bugging him that she was there. She 419 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: was always taking pictures or getting video of him in 420 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: action in the courtroom. We just never went away. In 421 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty, authorities finally made their move. Police rated the 422 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,199 Speaker 1: home of a well known lawyer suspected of running a 423 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: national sex trafficking ring for years. March twenty fifth, state 424 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 1: and local police raid Michael Moran's house with a search 425 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: warrant in dave Yos. The Attorney General was personally present 426 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: for that en Portsmouth. When you get the state Attorney 427 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,400 Speaker 1: General showing up to serve a search warrant, you know 428 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: that there are some very important people watching this case. 429 00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: I'm looking at the story I did, and you can 430 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 1: see Moran is sitting on his porch in his stocking 431 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: seat while police are searching his office slash house. Now 432 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:08,920 Speaker 1: the thing you got to remember too, which is interesting. 433 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,359 Speaker 1: He has his brick two story house that sits on 434 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: the corner right across from the courthouse and right across 435 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: the Catycoiner from the local prosecutor's office. So he literally 436 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 1: can walk back and forth from his house slash office 437 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 1: to the courthouse and walk right in front of the 438 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 1: prosecutor's office. Just seven months later, it all came crashing 439 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: down from Michael Moran. Now, longtime defense lawyer and former 440 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 1: city councilman, has been arrested in an alleged sex trafficking operation. 441 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: So on Friday, October twenty three to twenty twenty, stayed 442 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 1: in local police teamed up and arrested Michael Moran. This 443 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: comes nearly seven years after that initial affidavit issued by 444 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: the DA for Nicky Blanketship. It was a day that 445 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,440 Speaker 1: marked the culmination of years of tireless work and a 446 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: victory for dozens of Portsman women when my friend was 447 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: arrested on October to my third He was arrested on 448 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: the eighteen charges that included sex trafficking, racketering, co copelling, 449 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:12,639 Speaker 1: and promoting prostitution. When that came out, that was a 450 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 1: really exciting day for me. I was screaming. I read 451 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,960 Speaker 1: for the house, screaming because I worried that no one 452 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 1: was ever going to check. No one wasn't really ever 453 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: going to look into it. I really worried. I know 454 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: that the Cincinnati enquire they had to do their own investigation, 455 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 1: but it was approximately a year before they started releasing things, 456 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 1: and when they released things, I still didn't know if 457 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 1: anything was ever going to happen. And so finally I 458 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: was like, Okay, at least somebody's finally checking. Did it 459 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 1: kind of validate the journey you had started on? Yeah? Yeah, 460 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: it definitely did. There were also a lot of people 461 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: who were saying he's a great man, and I worried 462 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: about that. I'm like, did I make a mistake? Am 463 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: I wrong? And there's no way I could have seen that. 464 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 1: I was at this point, I'm like, I have so 465 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: much evident, but still I can't. I don't want to 466 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:06,680 Speaker 1: hurt anyone's I like that. So yeah, I was like, okay, 467 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: something it was valid and everything I've worked on for 468 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:15,160 Speaker 1: for a decade. Is valid. Yeah. Katy Lancaster also felt 469 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: a great sense of relief and was struck by the 470 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:21,439 Speaker 1: uncanny timing of Marian's arrest. Mariana was arrested October twenty 471 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: third of twenty twenty, the day before Megan's thirty third birthday. 472 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: I mean, I was on my way to Columbus and 473 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: I about jumped out of the damn car while it 474 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: was moving. I couldn't speak, I couldn't talk, I couldn't 475 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: tell anybody what was going on. I was just like, 476 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,719 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Like I just couldn't 477 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 1: believe it. And before that happened, the day that it did, 478 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 1: it was almost like a sense of Okay, now I 479 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:49,879 Speaker 1: know this is a god thing, Like this happened the 480 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 1: day before Megan's birthday, almost eight years into it, Like 481 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: it could not have come at a better time. It 482 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: was like, oh my gosh, we did it. We got 483 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: this far, Megan, look what you have done. Like I 484 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: so just wanted five minutes with her to say, book 485 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 1: that you've done. Let's stop here for another quick break. 486 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: We'll be back in a moment. Just three days after 487 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,399 Speaker 1: his arrest, Michael Moran appeared in court. He was arraigned 488 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:35,159 Speaker 1: on October twenty six, implied not guilty, and then he 489 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: posted a three hundred thousand dollars bond and was released 490 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: five days after his arrest. He was also suspended by 491 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:44,959 Speaker 1: the state Bar Association, so he's not allowed to practice 492 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: law at all, both from the bar perspective but also 493 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: from his bond agreement. But that didn't stop Moran from 494 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: trying to pull off an audacious legal maneuver. So Michael 495 00:28:55,560 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: Moran actually initially filed to defend himself in court. He 496 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: had the intimate knowledge things that these women would never 497 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: want to know publicly, and he could cross examine them 498 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 1: on the witness stand. So I actually talked to the 499 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 1: Attorney General about this, and he said there's no way 500 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: they were going to let them do that. They strongly, 501 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 1: strongly objected, and Moran has since backed off of that. 502 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: He hired an attorney. It didn't take long for Moran 503 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:28,840 Speaker 1: to violate his bond agreement. As it turns out, Moran 504 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: represented somebody against the court order. He represented somebody in 505 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: municipal court and filed paperwork for somebody in municipal court 506 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 1: in Portsmouth. As part of his bond agreement, he was 507 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: supposed to have not represented anybody. Now the State Attorney 508 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: General's office, under the direction of Dave Jos the State 509 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: Attorney General, is prosecuting this case against Moran in association 510 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: with a prosecutor, Shane Keiman. So when they got this 511 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: they immediately filed with the court to have his bond agreement. 512 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: I don't think he takes anything seriously, and I don't know. 513 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 1: I don't think the court is really pushing him to 514 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: have to take any of this very seriously either, because 515 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 1: even though he violated the conditions of his bond, instead 516 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 1: of sending him back to jail, they put him on 517 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 1: the house arrests. Currently, Michael Moran is a waiting trial, 518 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 1: though a date has not been set. He continues to 519 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 1: maintain his innocence. If these allegations proven true, this wasn't 520 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: a one off, you did this many times and was 521 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 1: part of a network. This was a part of a 522 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 1: repeating pattern of criminal activity. He's looking at seventy years 523 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:43,640 Speaker 1: or more if convicted. In their concurrent sentences. I think 524 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,320 Speaker 1: in small communities like in southern Ohio that has just 525 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: been beaten with poverty, and drug addiction and so many things. 526 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: I think that it is just so easy to feel 527 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 1: helpless and powerless against these kind of men. Men like 528 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 1: us can get by with us and do whatever they want. 529 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: And I think people and areas pray on the community 530 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 1: areas like this. I think I've always said that all 531 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: the way down to the drug epidemics, that people come 532 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 1: in offering to help and really is they're just looking 533 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,480 Speaker 1: how they can profit. And there's a lot of wolves 534 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: in sheep's clothing. It makes it very hard to trust 535 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: your officials, your local government, your local law enforcement, because 536 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:27,959 Speaker 1: those people are supposed to be there to help you. 537 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:29,760 Speaker 1: They promise to be there to help you and to 538 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: fight these problems with you, and really they're taking advantage 539 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,760 Speaker 1: and profiting as much as they possibly can offer the 540 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:39,320 Speaker 1: issues that the rest of us have to battle every day. 541 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: If Megan was sitting in front of you right now, 542 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: what would you say to her? I would say to her, Megan, 543 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 1: we love you so much and we've missed you so bad, 544 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:55,360 Speaker 1: and oh boy, he's so wonderful. Boy he's doing great. 545 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: He's doing great things just like you. Or you play 546 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,400 Speaker 1: sports just like you did. You need to know the 547 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 1: great things or the great changes that you've prowed in 548 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 1: Saturda County and in Ohio and in the world for 549 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 1: that matter. Your story has reached London, England. You've done 550 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: great things and you will continue to do them because 551 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: I will continue to for you, and we love you 552 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: and we miss you always. Next week on The pikes 553 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: And Massacre Returned to Pike County. On December ninth, two 554 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 1: thousand and six, someone got into Curtain Jenny's home and 555 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:40,440 Speaker 1: shot a mother, both in the bed. On a special 556 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 1: bonus episode, a double homicide leaves another Pike County family 557 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: searching for answers. After fourteen years of being told we've 558 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:49,960 Speaker 1: went as far as we can go with this case, 559 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: you feel like you're never going to get justice, and 560 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: then that turns into kind of aggravation. Why isn't anything 561 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: being done? Why isn't this case parton? Why is it 562 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: my family important? More on that next time. For more 563 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:13,960 Speaker 1: information on the case and relevant photos, follow us on 564 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:18,719 Speaker 1: Instagram at Katie Underscore Studios. The piked In Massacre Returned 565 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: to Pike County is executive produced by Stephanie Lydecker and 566 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 1: me Courtney Armstrong, editing and sound designed by executive producer 567 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 1: Jared Aston, Additional producing by Jeff Shane, Andrew Becker, and 568 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 1: Chris Graves. The piked In Massacre Returned to Pike County 569 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio and Katie Studios. For more 570 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 571 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.