1 00:00:15,356 --> 00:00:22,596 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Hey, it's Jake. I hope you enjoyed our season 2 00:00:22,796 --> 00:00:26,356 Speaker 1: The Truth about Sarah. We'll be having a live event 3 00:00:26,596 --> 00:00:29,916 Speaker 1: later this year. It's going to be a conversation between 4 00:00:29,996 --> 00:00:33,876 Speaker 1: me and my co host Jess McHugh, and we want 5 00:00:33,916 --> 00:00:37,396 Speaker 1: to hear from you too. What questions do you have 6 00:00:37,556 --> 00:00:41,516 Speaker 1: for us about this season? Send your questions to deep 7 00:00:41,636 --> 00:00:45,636 Speaker 1: Cover at Pushkin dot fm. That's deep Cover All one 8 00:00:45,716 --> 00:00:49,836 Speaker 1: word at Pushkin dot fm and stay tuned for more 9 00:00:49,876 --> 00:00:51,356 Speaker 1: details on this event. 10 00:00:56,636 --> 00:01:00,996 Speaker 2: Previously on deep Cover. I liked her. I liked her 11 00:01:01,036 --> 00:01:04,956 Speaker 2: a lot. She worked really hard and she was really humble. 12 00:01:06,796 --> 00:01:10,876 Speaker 2: Sarah says that she's going to have to have her 13 00:01:10,916 --> 00:01:17,516 Speaker 2: leg amputated, and I was blown away. She tells me that, like, 14 00:01:18,716 --> 00:01:22,396 Speaker 2: she just got diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. 15 00:01:24,316 --> 00:01:27,196 Speaker 3: Could you help me understand why? It says that you're 16 00:01:27,196 --> 00:01:31,116 Speaker 3: a corporal here and she's like, I was sexually assaulted 17 00:01:31,196 --> 00:01:37,236 Speaker 3: on ship by the commanding officer. The DoD ID number 18 00:01:38,556 --> 00:01:43,116 Speaker 3: for this D two fourteen belongs to a corporal so 19 00:01:43,276 --> 00:01:47,756 Speaker 3: and so, and it's a guy. Then fifty percent of 20 00:01:47,796 --> 00:01:50,676 Speaker 3: this document is altered. 21 00:02:00,116 --> 00:02:03,956 Speaker 1: Long before Sarah ever traveled out to Montana, long before 22 00:02:03,956 --> 00:02:07,436 Speaker 1: she met dex Or Tom or Natalie. She had a 23 00:02:07,476 --> 00:02:10,956 Speaker 1: life in Rhode Island. That's where she grew up, where 24 00:02:10,956 --> 00:02:13,156 Speaker 1: she went to high school, where she had made a 25 00:02:13,196 --> 00:02:17,636 Speaker 1: home for herself. Rhode Island is tiny. It's the small 26 00:02:17,796 --> 00:02:20,876 Speaker 1: estate in the nation. People like to say, in Rhode Island, 27 00:02:21,276 --> 00:02:24,876 Speaker 1: you can't go anywhere without bumping into someone you know. Now, 28 00:02:24,916 --> 00:02:27,476 Speaker 1: in such a small place, it seems like it'd be 29 00:02:27,516 --> 00:02:31,676 Speaker 1: hard for anyone to keep secrets. But that didn't seem 30 00:02:31,676 --> 00:02:32,916 Speaker 1: to stop Sarah Kavanaugh. 31 00:02:34,036 --> 00:02:38,716 Speaker 2: Sarah passed herself off as a veteran, specifically a former 32 00:02:38,836 --> 00:02:43,636 Speaker 2: US Marine who'd served in Iraq and Afghanistan, who'd been injured, 33 00:02:44,276 --> 00:02:49,156 Speaker 2: a decorated war hero. But none of this was true. 34 00:02:50,676 --> 00:02:54,516 Speaker 2: Was a story she told about herself, the sprawling lie 35 00:02:54,676 --> 00:02:58,436 Speaker 2: she lived for six whole years. You might think that 36 00:02:58,516 --> 00:03:03,196 Speaker 2: to pull this off, she played safe, avoid attention, like 37 00:03:03,716 --> 00:03:06,476 Speaker 2: not advertise the lie, because that'd be a great way 38 00:03:06,516 --> 00:03:12,836 Speaker 2: to get caught. Seems logical, right, Instead she did this. 39 00:03:13,396 --> 00:03:16,676 Speaker 4: Rhode Island is celebrating a national Purple Heart Day, and 40 00:03:16,716 --> 00:03:19,716 Speaker 4: there will be a heartfelt tribute for the brave women 41 00:03:19,836 --> 00:03:23,316 Speaker 4: and men who have been awarded this special medal. Here 42 00:03:23,356 --> 00:03:25,356 Speaker 4: to tell us all about it is a purple Heart 43 00:03:25,436 --> 00:03:28,636 Speaker 4: veteran Sarah Kavanaugh. Sarah, if you can tell us a 44 00:03:28,676 --> 00:03:32,116 Speaker 4: little bit about yourself, and you were awarded a purple Heart. 45 00:03:32,436 --> 00:03:34,516 Speaker 2: Yes, so, I served in the Marine Corps for about 46 00:03:34,516 --> 00:03:36,836 Speaker 2: eleven years. That was given at purple Heart for action 47 00:03:36,916 --> 00:03:40,756 Speaker 2: to Afghanistan. This is Sarah giving an interview on the 48 00:03:40,756 --> 00:03:44,916 Speaker 2: local news. She's speaking about the state's new Purple Heart Trail, 49 00:03:45,476 --> 00:03:48,476 Speaker 2: a network of roads dedicated to veterans who were injured 50 00:03:48,596 --> 00:03:51,556 Speaker 2: or killed in service. Yeah, it really is an honor 51 00:03:51,596 --> 00:03:52,236 Speaker 2: to be a part of this. 52 00:03:52,356 --> 00:03:54,476 Speaker 5: Being able to recognize it and be the voice for 53 00:03:54,516 --> 00:03:56,756 Speaker 5: other Purple Heart veterans who may not be comfortable is 54 00:03:56,796 --> 00:03:57,476 Speaker 5: really an honor. 55 00:03:58,716 --> 00:04:01,916 Speaker 1: Just a few days after this interview aired, Sarah attended 56 00:04:01,956 --> 00:04:05,956 Speaker 1: a dedication ceremony for the new Purple Heart Trail. I've 57 00:04:05,996 --> 00:04:08,716 Speaker 1: seen a photo of this event. Sarah wore a Marine 58 00:04:08,756 --> 00:04:14,276 Speaker 1: Corps uniform, pressed neat, immaculate metals gleaming. A sharp white 59 00:04:14,396 --> 00:04:17,916 Speaker 1: cap framed her face, her eyes kind of hidden under 60 00:04:17,956 --> 00:04:21,516 Speaker 1: the visor. She stood alongside the governor and made a 61 00:04:21,556 --> 00:04:26,636 Speaker 1: speech about patriotism and sacrifice. Sarah told the assembled crowd, 62 00:04:27,436 --> 00:04:31,236 Speaker 1: no one earns a purple heart alone. I earned mine 63 00:04:31,356 --> 00:04:36,276 Speaker 1: amongst eleven other marines. She added, I have long been 64 00:04:36,356 --> 00:04:39,356 Speaker 1: one of those veterans, the ones who wished to fly 65 00:04:39,476 --> 00:04:43,396 Speaker 1: under the radar, who merely did what was asked. 66 00:04:46,076 --> 00:04:50,796 Speaker 2: So yes, Sarah really did this. She stood next to 67 00:04:50,796 --> 00:04:53,676 Speaker 2: the governor and talked about the meaning of the purple heart, 68 00:04:54,476 --> 00:04:58,356 Speaker 2: a purple heart by the way that she bought online. 69 00:04:58,596 --> 00:05:02,116 Speaker 2: Part of me wonders, if you're Sarah, why agree to 70 00:05:02,196 --> 00:05:05,916 Speaker 2: do this? Because Sarah grew up in Rhode Island and 71 00:05:05,956 --> 00:05:09,836 Speaker 2: still had family there, classmates from high school, people who 72 00:05:09,916 --> 00:05:13,676 Speaker 2: knew full well that she was no war hero. And 73 00:05:13,716 --> 00:05:16,236 Speaker 2: if any of them had seen her making this speech 74 00:05:16,996 --> 00:05:19,556 Speaker 2: or watched her on the local news, they could have 75 00:05:19,596 --> 00:05:24,356 Speaker 2: started asking questions, and Sarah's lies could have unraveled so easily. 76 00:05:25,396 --> 00:05:30,236 Speaker 1: But Sarah's lies survived, thrived, in fact, even as she 77 00:05:30,276 --> 00:05:35,116 Speaker 1: took risks, reckless risks, risks that seemed destined to backfire, 78 00:05:35,756 --> 00:05:40,676 Speaker 1: especially within the tiny context of Rhode Island. But Sarah, 79 00:05:40,756 --> 00:05:44,676 Speaker 1: she navigated well in small spaces, and as the walls 80 00:05:44,716 --> 00:06:07,316 Speaker 1: closed in, they just keep getting smaller. I'm Jake Halburn 81 00:06:07,916 --> 00:06:12,076 Speaker 1: and I'm Jess Mchughe, and this is Deep Cover Season 82 00:06:12,156 --> 00:06:31,636 Speaker 1: six The Truth About Sarah, Episode two, The Poster Child. 83 00:06:37,996 --> 00:06:42,236 Speaker 1: Sarah's lies didn't just happen overnight, but slowly, over the 84 00:06:42,236 --> 00:06:46,556 Speaker 1: course of many years, she gradually won people over, won 85 00:06:46,596 --> 00:06:51,236 Speaker 1: their trust, won their admiration, and far as we can tell, 86 00:06:51,796 --> 00:06:55,596 Speaker 1: all of this really started back in twenty sixteen with 87 00:06:56,116 --> 00:06:56,676 Speaker 1: this guy. 88 00:06:57,516 --> 00:07:01,396 Speaker 6: So people may forget my name, but though, oh hey, 89 00:07:01,396 --> 00:07:05,116 Speaker 6: do you know Dave. Dave, Oh, the guy with a 90 00:07:05,116 --> 00:07:08,156 Speaker 6: handlebar mustache. Oh yeah, I know him. 91 00:07:08,716 --> 00:07:12,836 Speaker 1: That's Dave Ainslie. He's an Army vet served over twenty years, 92 00:07:13,196 --> 00:07:15,956 Speaker 1: including time in Iraq, where he earned a purple heart 93 00:07:16,236 --> 00:07:20,356 Speaker 1: and a bronze star. In the army, Dave always had 94 00:07:20,356 --> 00:07:23,836 Speaker 1: to keep a close shave, so when he finally got out, 95 00:07:23,916 --> 00:07:25,916 Speaker 1: he returned home to Rhode Island. 96 00:07:25,876 --> 00:07:29,596 Speaker 6: And I was like, I'm gonna try this facial hair thing. 97 00:07:30,116 --> 00:07:33,796 Speaker 6: So I had everything from mutton chops to a goatee 98 00:07:33,836 --> 00:07:36,516 Speaker 6: to well, let's try a handlebar mustache. 99 00:07:37,276 --> 00:07:40,436 Speaker 1: And that look worked for him. Came like his calling card, 100 00:07:40,436 --> 00:07:43,596 Speaker 1: as he put it, so that if you lived anywhere 101 00:07:43,636 --> 00:07:46,556 Speaker 1: near his town in Rhode Island, you knew that Dave 102 00:07:46,916 --> 00:07:49,836 Speaker 1: the guy with the handlebar mustache. He was the dude 103 00:07:49,836 --> 00:07:53,036 Speaker 1: in charge. Of the local VFW post one point fifty two. 104 00:07:54,396 --> 00:07:57,716 Speaker 2: DFW, by the way, stands for Veterans of Foreign Wars. 105 00:07:58,116 --> 00:08:00,476 Speaker 2: It's kind of like a club for veterans where they 106 00:08:00,516 --> 00:08:04,716 Speaker 2: can kick back, swap stories, and support each other. Dave 107 00:08:04,836 --> 00:08:07,956 Speaker 2: was the commander of this post and his ongoing goal 108 00:08:08,156 --> 00:08:11,436 Speaker 2: was to modernize the place. He says, when he first 109 00:08:11,556 --> 00:08:14,556 Speaker 2: arrived in twenty ten, the vibe was kind of like 110 00:08:14,716 --> 00:08:18,316 Speaker 2: what you might expect, as he put it, smokey bar, 111 00:08:18,836 --> 00:08:22,156 Speaker 2: bunch of old guys. Dave loved those old guys, but 112 00:08:22,556 --> 00:08:25,316 Speaker 2: he also wanted to open up the doors create an 113 00:08:25,436 --> 00:08:29,396 Speaker 2: environment where any and all veterans would feel welcome, especially 114 00:08:29,476 --> 00:08:32,916 Speaker 2: the younger generation. So he upped their game on social media, 115 00:08:33,796 --> 00:08:36,916 Speaker 2: focused on doing community service, and he set the tone 116 00:08:36,956 --> 00:08:42,196 Speaker 2: with his welcoming personality. Then in twenty sixteen, he meets 117 00:08:42,236 --> 00:08:45,396 Speaker 2: Sarah Kavanaugh and apparently she was struggling. 118 00:08:46,636 --> 00:08:51,596 Speaker 6: She explained to me that she just got out of 119 00:08:51,716 --> 00:08:55,636 Speaker 6: the Marine Corps and she needed help with some car 120 00:08:55,676 --> 00:09:02,196 Speaker 6: payments because she was waiting for VA disability to kick in. 121 00:09:02,196 --> 00:09:04,916 Speaker 2: In other words, Sarah said there'd been some kind of 122 00:09:04,956 --> 00:09:07,996 Speaker 2: delay that she was supposed to be getting financial support 123 00:09:08,036 --> 00:09:11,796 Speaker 2: from the VA. The Department of Veterans Affairs, but there 124 00:09:11,836 --> 00:09:15,956 Speaker 2: was a hold up. Indeed, he understood this kind of thing. 125 00:09:17,476 --> 00:09:22,396 Speaker 6: So we've all been there before. The VA is great organization, 126 00:09:22,476 --> 00:09:27,516 Speaker 6: but not always perfect. We wanted to help her. 127 00:09:28,356 --> 00:09:30,596 Speaker 1: So many of the charities that help veterans in the 128 00:09:30,676 --> 00:09:34,236 Speaker 1: US operate just like this. They try to compensate for 129 00:09:34,276 --> 00:09:38,636 Speaker 1: all the government's inefficiencies and shortcomings, and they do this 130 00:09:38,796 --> 00:09:42,316 Speaker 1: by jumping in and helping veterans right away when they 131 00:09:42,356 --> 00:09:45,916 Speaker 1: need it most. And here was Dave trying to do 132 00:09:46,116 --> 00:09:46,796 Speaker 1: exactly that. 133 00:09:47,716 --> 00:09:49,636 Speaker 6: So I said, hey, we're getting ready for the Veterans 134 00:09:49,676 --> 00:09:51,516 Speaker 6: State Parade. Meet us over there. 135 00:09:52,196 --> 00:09:55,756 Speaker 1: They were gathering in a parking lot when Sarah shows 136 00:09:55,836 --> 00:10:00,276 Speaker 1: up to join them. It's all pretty informal except for 137 00:10:00,476 --> 00:10:01,676 Speaker 1: one bit of paperwork. 138 00:10:02,676 --> 00:10:04,876 Speaker 6: I said, I need to verify that you're a veteran. 139 00:10:04,956 --> 00:10:07,716 Speaker 6: So she showed me what every service member gets when 140 00:10:07,716 --> 00:10:10,476 Speaker 6: they leave the service. A two fourteen. 141 00:10:11,636 --> 00:10:16,796 Speaker 1: Add two fourteen. It's actually a very important document in 142 00:10:16,836 --> 00:10:19,676 Speaker 1: the story. You may recall us talking about it in 143 00:10:19,716 --> 00:10:24,596 Speaker 1: the last episode. It's the official military discharge paper explaining 144 00:10:24,716 --> 00:10:28,476 Speaker 1: how and when someone left the service, and it's what 145 00:10:28,636 --> 00:10:32,276 Speaker 1: proves that Sarah is apparently a veteran. 146 00:10:33,036 --> 00:10:35,756 Speaker 6: I looked at it. I said, yep, okay, you're a veteran. 147 00:10:35,796 --> 00:10:38,436 Speaker 6: Thank you very much. And I was actually excited to 148 00:10:38,436 --> 00:10:44,596 Speaker 6: have her because here is a younger veteran and she 149 00:10:44,796 --> 00:10:47,436 Speaker 6: seemed very genuine and she's like, Okay, I'm going to, 150 00:10:47,916 --> 00:10:50,076 Speaker 6: you know, be a part of this organization. I'm going 151 00:10:50,116 --> 00:10:51,036 Speaker 6: to be a part of this now. 152 00:10:52,556 --> 00:10:55,996 Speaker 1: So right there on the spot in the parking lot, 153 00:10:56,156 --> 00:10:59,276 Speaker 1: with Sarah standing there, Dave calls for a vote. 154 00:11:00,276 --> 00:11:03,516 Speaker 6: It was a voice vote. Okay, here's this veteran. Here's 155 00:11:03,556 --> 00:11:07,836 Speaker 6: her proof. She wants to become a member of our post. 156 00:11:07,996 --> 00:11:11,956 Speaker 6: She needs help. Here's story. Can we give her the 157 00:11:11,996 --> 00:11:14,276 Speaker 6: eight hundred and whatever dollars it was that she needed 158 00:11:15,636 --> 00:11:18,716 Speaker 6: all in Favorsay, I eyes have it. Okay, hey, we're 159 00:11:18,756 --> 00:11:20,076 Speaker 6: in the parade. You want to march with us? 160 00:11:20,076 --> 00:11:20,396 Speaker 5: Sure? 161 00:11:21,876 --> 00:11:25,156 Speaker 1: And like that, Sarah was marching in the annual Veterans 162 00:11:25,196 --> 00:11:29,796 Speaker 1: Day parade. I've seen a video of this parade from 163 00:11:29,836 --> 00:11:33,196 Speaker 1: a different year, but the mood is timeless. People are 164 00:11:33,236 --> 00:11:36,236 Speaker 1: waving flags, the members of a local high school band 165 00:11:36,276 --> 00:11:40,236 Speaker 1: are playing their drums and trombones. Veterans are walking down 166 00:11:40,276 --> 00:11:43,636 Speaker 1: West Main Street together waving the Boy Scouts are there too, 167 00:11:43,876 --> 00:11:47,476 Speaker 1: marching past the package store and the antique dealer and 168 00:11:47,556 --> 00:11:53,076 Speaker 1: the quilting shop. It's classic America and right there in 169 00:11:53,116 --> 00:11:56,716 Speaker 1: the middle of it all was Sarah Kavanaugh, the newest 170 00:11:56,756 --> 00:12:00,596 Speaker 1: member of Post one P fifty two. 171 00:12:08,276 --> 00:12:10,916 Speaker 2: As far as Dave concerned, the day was a win. 172 00:12:10,996 --> 00:12:14,516 Speaker 2: Win got to help vet need and he also got 173 00:12:14,516 --> 00:12:17,996 Speaker 2: a new member, a fresh face, and a woman too. 174 00:12:18,836 --> 00:12:21,636 Speaker 6: I was excited to have a female veteran be part 175 00:12:21,676 --> 00:12:27,756 Speaker 6: of our organization because that helps open us our organization 176 00:12:27,956 --> 00:12:29,516 Speaker 6: up to another demographic. 177 00:12:29,956 --> 00:12:32,636 Speaker 2: And it wasn't just that Sarah was a woman. She 178 00:12:32,716 --> 00:12:35,956 Speaker 2: had a great energy about her. She seemed to embody 179 00:12:36,076 --> 00:12:39,676 Speaker 2: the new, younger VFW that Dave wanted to build. 180 00:12:41,036 --> 00:12:48,796 Speaker 6: She was the post A child because she was pretty blonde. Um, 181 00:12:49,676 --> 00:12:55,876 Speaker 6: she was openly a lesbian, and again that is an 182 00:12:55,916 --> 00:13:01,796 Speaker 6: aspect of people who have served that doesn't get represented 183 00:13:01,836 --> 00:13:04,796 Speaker 6: well you know what I mean. So she was the 184 00:13:04,916 --> 00:13:09,676 Speaker 6: post A child for lack of a better term. 185 00:13:10,036 --> 00:13:12,876 Speaker 2: Not to mention, she was also a wounded combat veteran. 186 00:13:14,796 --> 00:13:17,596 Speaker 2: This didn't come out right away or in a super 187 00:13:17,636 --> 00:13:21,556 Speaker 2: public manner. She would make references to her injuries and 188 00:13:21,676 --> 00:13:25,356 Speaker 2: later to the medals that she'd won. Eventually, she showed 189 00:13:25,436 --> 00:13:29,796 Speaker 2: up to VFW meetings with purple heart license plates, and 190 00:13:29,836 --> 00:13:31,636 Speaker 2: she seemed remarkably resilient. 191 00:13:33,556 --> 00:13:37,876 Speaker 6: I liked her story that she was a survivor and 192 00:13:37,916 --> 00:13:41,796 Speaker 6: that she served as a beacon of hope for other 193 00:13:41,876 --> 00:13:44,116 Speaker 6: veterans who could have been in that same place. 194 00:13:45,556 --> 00:13:49,356 Speaker 2: When folks actually talked to Sarah, she was relatable, even 195 00:13:49,396 --> 00:13:52,116 Speaker 2: to the other veterans, the old school guys. 196 00:13:53,356 --> 00:13:55,396 Speaker 6: She could talk to these other veterans and the other 197 00:13:55,516 --> 00:13:58,516 Speaker 6: veterans were like, Okay, yeah, I'm going to put aside 198 00:13:58,516 --> 00:14:01,316 Speaker 6: all these other aspects that I may not agree with 199 00:14:01,836 --> 00:14:05,556 Speaker 6: about her sexual preference, but I'm going to recognize that 200 00:14:05,956 --> 00:14:09,236 Speaker 6: she served. 201 00:14:08,316 --> 00:14:11,916 Speaker 1: A few months after she joined the VFW, Sarah got 202 00:14:11,956 --> 00:14:15,956 Speaker 1: engaged to a woman named Nicole. Nicole was originally from 203 00:14:15,956 --> 00:14:20,836 Speaker 1: New Mexico. She was very sporty, an avid hiker, played softball, 204 00:14:21,156 --> 00:14:23,956 Speaker 1: love the beach. The two of them seemed like a 205 00:14:23,996 --> 00:14:29,156 Speaker 1: great match, and of course Sarah's veteran buddy's rally to celebrate. 206 00:14:30,156 --> 00:14:33,436 Speaker 6: I think she asked me to organize the bachelorette party. 207 00:14:33,436 --> 00:14:35,396 Speaker 6: To be honest with you, sometimes I can be a 208 00:14:35,396 --> 00:14:39,036 Speaker 6: little gregarious, so it goes with the yeah, it goes 209 00:14:39,036 --> 00:14:42,356 Speaker 6: with a handle all mustache. So what we did was 210 00:14:42,836 --> 00:14:48,076 Speaker 6: we first met at a German American club up in Batucket, 211 00:14:48,116 --> 00:14:49,156 Speaker 6: had a couple of beers there. 212 00:14:49,796 --> 00:14:52,956 Speaker 1: Dave invited a bunch of VFW members, including an old 213 00:14:52,996 --> 00:14:56,796 Speaker 1: Vietnam Vet. They all enjoyed a few bruskies together. 214 00:14:57,676 --> 00:15:00,076 Speaker 6: And then we went down to Providence. We got a 215 00:15:00,116 --> 00:15:06,396 Speaker 6: hotel suite, we did some shots, and then we all 216 00:15:06,396 --> 00:15:08,956 Speaker 6: put TWU two's on just because you attitude two on. 217 00:15:09,196 --> 00:15:10,916 Speaker 2: Yes I did, because you're just sort of you're a 218 00:15:10,956 --> 00:15:11,436 Speaker 2: big dude. 219 00:15:11,556 --> 00:15:13,196 Speaker 6: Yes I am. 220 00:15:13,276 --> 00:15:16,836 Speaker 1: And for the record, these were rainbow colored two twos. 221 00:15:17,796 --> 00:15:21,476 Speaker 1: Once they were all two tuned up, it was picture time. 222 00:15:22,836 --> 00:15:26,636 Speaker 6: So outside of the hotel, we all posed like army men, 223 00:15:26,676 --> 00:15:28,556 Speaker 6: you know, like one person's on their knees and one 224 00:15:28,596 --> 00:15:31,036 Speaker 6: person's like pointing and everything else. So we all posed 225 00:15:31,076 --> 00:15:36,196 Speaker 6: like army green men. Then we went to a holl 226 00:15:36,276 --> 00:15:39,236 Speaker 6: oft the Moon type bar where the dueling pianos and 227 00:15:39,276 --> 00:15:42,396 Speaker 6: we were all singing songs. And then we all went 228 00:15:42,756 --> 00:15:43,916 Speaker 6: uh to a gay bar. 229 00:15:44,876 --> 00:15:50,356 Speaker 1: And there it was a modern day VFW celebrating in 230 00:15:50,396 --> 00:15:55,356 Speaker 1: two twos. It was the sort of VFW that Dave 231 00:15:55,476 --> 00:15:58,796 Speaker 1: had envisioned and it seemed that Sarah had played a 232 00:15:58,876 --> 00:16:02,076 Speaker 1: key role in making it happen. And the real proof 233 00:16:02,116 --> 00:16:06,556 Speaker 1: of this, the crowning proof, was that a few years later, 234 00:16:06,716 --> 00:16:10,236 Speaker 1: when Dave stepped down as commander of the post, it 235 00:16:10,396 --> 00:16:14,236 Speaker 1: was Sarah who took over. She became the next commander, 236 00:16:15,436 --> 00:16:19,076 Speaker 1: and then she really was the poster child of Post 237 00:16:19,116 --> 00:16:23,076 Speaker 1: one p. Fifty two. 238 00:16:30,956 --> 00:16:34,476 Speaker 2: Inside the VFW, there was an understanding that the awards 239 00:16:34,556 --> 00:16:39,636 Speaker 2: Sarah had won, the sacrifices she'd made, were fundamentally about service, 240 00:16:40,276 --> 00:16:43,556 Speaker 2: about doing her job, about having the backs of her 241 00:16:43,556 --> 00:16:47,876 Speaker 2: fellow marines. But in the civilian world, her acts of 242 00:16:47,956 --> 00:16:51,596 Speaker 2: valor made her something of a hero for people who'd 243 00:16:51,596 --> 00:16:55,436 Speaker 2: never seen a battlefield. Heroes were the stuff of Hollywood movies, 244 00:16:55,996 --> 00:16:59,756 Speaker 2: people you praised and admired. They certainly weren't people whose 245 00:16:59,756 --> 00:17:04,756 Speaker 2: credentials you questioned, And in the absence of that kind 246 00:17:04,796 --> 00:17:09,596 Speaker 2: of scrutiny, Sarah could truly be that storybook hero, perfect 247 00:17:09,596 --> 00:17:14,876 Speaker 2: blend of valor, tragedy and triumph. That's who Sarah was. 248 00:17:16,036 --> 00:17:19,396 Speaker 2: At her gym place called training for Warriors in Rhode Island. 249 00:17:20,036 --> 00:17:22,396 Speaker 2: We're going to take a deep dive here into the 250 00:17:22,396 --> 00:17:25,596 Speaker 2: world of her gym because if you've been wondering why 251 00:17:25,596 --> 00:17:28,276 Speaker 2: would Sarah do any of this, why would she take 252 00:17:28,316 --> 00:17:32,396 Speaker 2: such risks? What was in it for her? Well, the 253 00:17:32,436 --> 00:17:39,116 Speaker 2: story of her gym offers some very interesting answers. One 254 00:17:39,156 --> 00:17:41,796 Speaker 2: afternoon last fall, I sat down with one of the 255 00:17:41,876 --> 00:17:43,596 Speaker 2: Jim's most passionate members. 256 00:17:44,836 --> 00:17:48,236 Speaker 5: My name is Michelle. I'm from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, 257 00:17:49,116 --> 00:17:51,036 Speaker 5: and I teach fitness classes. 258 00:17:51,156 --> 00:17:52,556 Speaker 2: Do you have a favorite class to teach? 259 00:17:52,596 --> 00:17:52,676 Speaker 4: Oh? 260 00:17:52,756 --> 00:17:55,396 Speaker 5: Yeah, the boot camps by far Slam the rope, slam 261 00:17:55,436 --> 00:17:58,436 Speaker 5: the balls, get that aggression out. Yeah. 262 00:17:58,876 --> 00:18:02,196 Speaker 2: Michelle is in her early sixties with spiky blonde hair. 263 00:18:02,836 --> 00:18:04,916 Speaker 2: She reminds me a lot of the moms from where 264 00:18:04,916 --> 00:18:08,036 Speaker 2: I grew up outside of Boston. When you first meet 265 00:18:08,076 --> 00:18:10,596 Speaker 2: her her at it, it is kind of what the 266 00:18:10,636 --> 00:18:13,276 Speaker 2: hell do you want? Then she'll invite you into her 267 00:18:13,316 --> 00:18:16,476 Speaker 2: home and make you a peanut butter ball and you're in. 268 00:18:17,916 --> 00:18:21,316 Speaker 1: Michelle and Sarah met at the gym. Sarah presented herself 269 00:18:21,356 --> 00:18:25,716 Speaker 1: as a veteran, unemployed and struggling with some injuries. There 270 00:18:25,756 --> 00:18:28,636 Speaker 1: were even a few times that Sarah wore these clunky 271 00:18:28,716 --> 00:18:31,636 Speaker 1: hearing aids that looked like they were from the nineteen eighties. 272 00:18:32,396 --> 00:18:36,756 Speaker 1: Because she was partially deaf, or so she claimed to Michelle. 273 00:18:37,836 --> 00:18:40,356 Speaker 1: One day, Sarah was getting ready to start her workout, 274 00:18:40,716 --> 00:18:43,716 Speaker 1: Michelle noticed that Sarah's sneakers were untied. 275 00:18:44,076 --> 00:18:46,276 Speaker 5: And I was like, oh, your your shoes are untied, 276 00:18:46,836 --> 00:18:49,236 Speaker 5: and so she's like, oh, I can't. I'm not able 277 00:18:49,276 --> 00:18:51,396 Speaker 5: to tie them, and uncle, sit down, girl, we're tying 278 00:18:51,436 --> 00:18:52,396 Speaker 5: those bad boys up. 279 00:18:53,316 --> 00:18:57,716 Speaker 1: So Michelle's words, she became the primary shoe tire. On 280 00:18:57,756 --> 00:19:00,596 Speaker 1: many occasions, Michelle got down on her hands and knees 281 00:19:00,996 --> 00:19:05,156 Speaker 1: just tied Sarah's shoes because Sarah didn't have the dexterity 282 00:19:05,196 --> 00:19:06,756 Speaker 1: in her fingers to do it herself. 283 00:19:07,716 --> 00:19:09,396 Speaker 5: I just looked at her and said, just because you 284 00:19:09,436 --> 00:19:11,596 Speaker 5: ask for help doesn't mean you're helpless. Like, ask for 285 00:19:11,636 --> 00:19:15,396 Speaker 5: someone to help you, don't be silly. And that's sort 286 00:19:15,396 --> 00:19:19,996 Speaker 5: of the way I live my life. You just do you. 287 00:19:20,196 --> 00:19:22,636 Speaker 5: If you want help, ask for it. If you don't 288 00:19:22,636 --> 00:19:24,836 Speaker 5: want help, don't ask for it. And if you tell 289 00:19:24,876 --> 00:19:28,156 Speaker 5: me to keep a secret, I'm going to keep a secret. 290 00:19:28,636 --> 00:19:32,916 Speaker 1: Sarah would eventually tell Michelle a great many secrets about 291 00:19:32,916 --> 00:19:37,396 Speaker 1: herself and her tragic past, secrets that would draw Michelle 292 00:19:37,436 --> 00:19:38,956 Speaker 1: deep into Sarah's world. 293 00:19:40,156 --> 00:19:43,516 Speaker 2: Michelle, along with other members of the gym, came to 294 00:19:43,556 --> 00:19:47,756 Speaker 2: believe that Sarah was suffering from PTSD. Some days, out 295 00:19:47,796 --> 00:19:52,316 Speaker 2: of nowhere, she'd drop into the fetal position. Once, when 296 00:19:52,356 --> 00:19:56,916 Speaker 2: someone was taking pictures, Sarah was triggered. She told Michelle, 297 00:19:57,356 --> 00:20:01,236 Speaker 2: you see a camera, I see a gun. Michelle stepped 298 00:20:01,276 --> 00:20:04,116 Speaker 2: in and asked the person taking the pictures to move. 299 00:20:05,276 --> 00:20:08,236 Speaker 2: This kind of thing. It became a habit for Michelle. 300 00:20:09,156 --> 00:20:13,476 Speaker 5: Would kind of quietly make sure that when she was 301 00:20:13,476 --> 00:20:15,956 Speaker 5: in our environment at the gym, she was protected. 302 00:20:19,236 --> 00:20:23,596 Speaker 2: Sarah had other triggers too. Any surprises or loud noises 303 00:20:23,796 --> 00:20:27,636 Speaker 2: could make her jump literally, which is a real symptom 304 00:20:27,636 --> 00:20:31,996 Speaker 2: of PTSD for vets and for Sarah. Kids were also 305 00:20:32,036 --> 00:20:36,796 Speaker 2: a problem. Yeah. Kids. She told Michelle that she avoided 306 00:20:36,836 --> 00:20:38,436 Speaker 2: them and there was a reason. 307 00:20:39,236 --> 00:20:41,476 Speaker 5: She had told me that she had shot and killed 308 00:20:41,476 --> 00:20:46,916 Speaker 5: a twelve year old boy that was the enemy, and 309 00:20:46,956 --> 00:20:49,156 Speaker 5: she felt she had a lot of guilt related to 310 00:20:49,196 --> 00:20:52,356 Speaker 5: that and a lot of trauma related to that, where 311 00:20:52,356 --> 00:20:55,676 Speaker 5: she would wake up picturing herself shooting that young man 312 00:20:56,636 --> 00:21:00,156 Speaker 5: and just reliving that episode over and over again. 313 00:21:03,636 --> 00:21:06,596 Speaker 2: At this point in the interview with Michelle, my jaw 314 00:21:06,676 --> 00:21:10,236 Speaker 2: was on the floor, because of course this isn't true. 315 00:21:10,476 --> 00:21:14,196 Speaker 2: It's another fictional story Sarah told. But of all the 316 00:21:14,236 --> 00:21:18,396 Speaker 2: lies I'd heard Sarah tell, that one stands out. If 317 00:21:18,396 --> 00:21:21,796 Speaker 2: Sarah was going to make something up about killing someone 318 00:21:21,836 --> 00:21:26,676 Speaker 2: in combat, why say it was a child. It just 319 00:21:26,796 --> 00:21:30,876 Speaker 2: seems so bizarre, the kind of thing that would actually 320 00:21:30,916 --> 00:21:35,036 Speaker 2: put people off from her. But maybe it's because it's 321 00:21:35,076 --> 00:21:38,516 Speaker 2: the kind of story that really does not invite questions. 322 00:21:40,076 --> 00:21:43,956 Speaker 2: Michelle grew attached to Sarah, and their friendship really deepened 323 00:21:43,956 --> 00:21:47,836 Speaker 2: as they started spending time together outside of the gym. 324 00:21:48,236 --> 00:21:51,156 Speaker 2: They'd go for weekly walks in the woods and meet 325 00:21:51,196 --> 00:21:55,796 Speaker 2: for crapes. In those moments, Sarah opened up even more 326 00:21:55,876 --> 00:21:58,956 Speaker 2: about her past. She said she'd been hit by an 327 00:21:58,996 --> 00:22:03,196 Speaker 2: IED blast in Iraq, that she developed a traumatic brain 328 00:22:03,276 --> 00:22:08,156 Speaker 2: injury and damaged her lungs. All of this came out 329 00:22:08,396 --> 00:22:13,316 Speaker 2: piece by peace, one walk at a time, and despite 330 00:22:13,436 --> 00:22:19,876 Speaker 2: all she was facing, Sarah remained resilient, upbeat. Even her 331 00:22:19,956 --> 00:22:23,036 Speaker 2: nickname at the gym was actually Sunshine. 332 00:22:23,196 --> 00:22:27,916 Speaker 5: She was very likable, she was very charismatic, and then 333 00:22:27,996 --> 00:22:31,196 Speaker 5: on top of it, she was a veteran and badass 334 00:22:31,276 --> 00:22:34,876 Speaker 5: and had these injuries and she was coming back from them. 335 00:22:35,876 --> 00:22:39,316 Speaker 2: But a few years into Sarah and Michelle's friendship, Sarah's 336 00:22:39,316 --> 00:22:42,876 Speaker 2: health took a decisive turn for the worse. During their 337 00:22:42,876 --> 00:22:46,516 Speaker 2: walks in the woods, she couldn't catch her breath. Sometimes 338 00:22:46,516 --> 00:22:51,956 Speaker 2: she needs stop altogether. And one day Sarah tells Michelle why. 339 00:22:53,276 --> 00:22:55,276 Speaker 5: She's like, well, I found out why I'm short of breath. 340 00:22:55,356 --> 00:22:59,676 Speaker 5: I have terminal cancer. I have burn pit cancer, lung cancer. 341 00:23:00,196 --> 00:23:03,396 Speaker 5: So now I'm thinking, shoot, she has no depth perception, 342 00:23:03,516 --> 00:23:08,996 Speaker 5: she's deaf in one ear, she has tactile efficiencies, she 343 00:23:09,836 --> 00:23:13,716 Speaker 5: has steel plates in her shoulders, she's got a rod 344 00:23:13,756 --> 00:23:16,516 Speaker 5: in her leg, she's got PTSD, and now she's got 345 00:23:16,516 --> 00:23:18,916 Speaker 5: burn pit cancer. I'm like, how much more can one 346 00:23:18,996 --> 00:23:21,516 Speaker 5: person handle in their life? 347 00:23:23,396 --> 00:23:27,516 Speaker 2: The gym rallied to help Sarah. They raised thousands of dollars. 348 00:23:27,756 --> 00:23:31,316 Speaker 2: They cooked her meals and peanut butter balls. One couple 349 00:23:31,356 --> 00:23:35,076 Speaker 2: even got her brand new hearing aids. Whatever Sarah said 350 00:23:35,156 --> 00:23:38,756 Speaker 2: she needed, the gym community tried to give it to her. 351 00:23:40,476 --> 00:23:42,956 Speaker 1: And all of this was more than just a pet 352 00:23:43,076 --> 00:23:46,796 Speaker 1: charity was a moment that seemed to clarify what this 353 00:23:46,916 --> 00:23:50,316 Speaker 1: community was all about. It wasn't just someplace where you 354 00:23:50,436 --> 00:23:54,036 Speaker 1: did burpies and crunches. It was a place where people 355 00:23:54,156 --> 00:23:57,876 Speaker 1: showed up each day with and for one another, a 356 00:23:57,876 --> 00:24:01,916 Speaker 1: place where when someone was struggling a hero, someone who'd 357 00:24:02,036 --> 00:24:05,876 Speaker 1: served and suffered and still mustered a little bit of sunshine, 358 00:24:06,356 --> 00:24:10,276 Speaker 1: then damn it, you did something about it. Rallied not 359 00:24:10,356 --> 00:24:12,276 Speaker 1: just because it was the right thing to do, but 360 00:24:12,316 --> 00:24:15,716 Speaker 1: because it was an affirmation of who this community was. 361 00:24:16,876 --> 00:24:20,756 Speaker 1: It almost seemed like Sarah, with her needs, provided something 362 00:24:21,156 --> 00:24:22,956 Speaker 1: that the gym itself needed to. 363 00:24:39,276 --> 00:24:43,396 Speaker 2: The gym buddies showered Sarah with many gifts, and perhaps 364 00:24:43,436 --> 00:24:47,196 Speaker 2: the greatest of these was a wedding. Here's how it 365 00:24:47,196 --> 00:24:51,076 Speaker 2: went down. Sarah told people at the gym that she 366 00:24:51,196 --> 00:24:54,196 Speaker 2: was engaged to Nicole, and their main problem was that 367 00:24:54,236 --> 00:24:57,316 Speaker 2: they couldn't find a wedding venue. But there was this 368 00:24:57,396 --> 00:25:01,116 Speaker 2: couple from the gym, Kate and Mark Feudy. They're in 369 00:25:01,156 --> 00:25:04,756 Speaker 2: their mid fifties. Both had worked at Duncan Donuts headquarters 370 00:25:05,316 --> 00:25:07,676 Speaker 2: where they met and fell in love. That's a New 371 00:25:07,676 --> 00:25:11,236 Speaker 2: Englander's dream, if you ask me. They often took Sarah 372 00:25:11,276 --> 00:25:13,916 Speaker 2: out for dinner, let her use their pool as part 373 00:25:13,916 --> 00:25:17,796 Speaker 2: of her physical therapy. It became really close, almost like 374 00:25:17,836 --> 00:25:22,076 Speaker 2: a set of surrogate parents, Kate and Mark, also have 375 00:25:22,156 --> 00:25:24,876 Speaker 2: a place up in Vermont. Kay told us that one 376 00:25:24,916 --> 00:25:29,236 Speaker 2: day Sarah just kind of dropped the hint, told them. 377 00:25:29,116 --> 00:25:31,596 Speaker 7: Well, we want to get married. We just we can't 378 00:25:31,596 --> 00:25:33,916 Speaker 7: afford it, but we really want. And she almost like 379 00:25:33,956 --> 00:25:37,276 Speaker 7: it's almost like she knew that we had. We said, well, 380 00:25:37,316 --> 00:25:40,556 Speaker 7: you know, if you're willing to go to the Northeast Kingdom, 381 00:25:40,916 --> 00:25:42,956 Speaker 7: we could see what we could do. You know, if 382 00:25:42,956 --> 00:25:45,516 Speaker 7: you wanted to have a wedding, a backyard wedding, you know, 383 00:25:45,596 --> 00:25:48,116 Speaker 7: a small backyard wedding, we have a place up there. 384 00:25:49,396 --> 00:25:53,956 Speaker 2: They're underselling it, but gorgeous farmhouse originally built in eighteen 385 00:25:54,036 --> 00:25:58,276 Speaker 2: fifty one, kind of classic Vermont charm. 386 00:25:58,556 --> 00:26:00,236 Speaker 7: I said to them, like, we have so much like 387 00:26:00,396 --> 00:26:03,436 Speaker 7: farmhouse decor. I go, you should just don't waste money 388 00:26:03,476 --> 00:26:06,516 Speaker 7: on anything for the wedding, just use stuff from around 389 00:26:06,516 --> 00:26:07,276 Speaker 7: the house, you know. 390 00:26:08,236 --> 00:26:11,276 Speaker 2: So problem solved, right, Sarah and Nicole now had a 391 00:26:11,316 --> 00:26:16,556 Speaker 2: picture perfect venue for free. But for Sarah, there was 392 00:26:16,596 --> 00:26:21,396 Speaker 2: actually potential for disaster still lurking. In an act of 393 00:26:21,516 --> 00:26:25,636 Speaker 2: true boldness, Sarah had created a guest list that included 394 00:26:25,996 --> 00:26:28,676 Speaker 2: both people who believed her to be a war hero, 395 00:26:29,436 --> 00:26:33,396 Speaker 2: and people who knew damn well that she wasn't one. 396 00:26:33,516 --> 00:26:36,156 Speaker 2: You had her buddies from the gym in the VFW, 397 00:26:36,956 --> 00:26:40,116 Speaker 2: and then you had people like her own parents who 398 00:26:40,236 --> 00:26:43,476 Speaker 2: knew she'd never served a day in her life. And 399 00:26:43,476 --> 00:26:47,796 Speaker 2: if people started mingling and chatting, as wedding guests tend 400 00:26:47,836 --> 00:26:53,916 Speaker 2: to do, Sarah's lie would quickly be outed. Sarah's saving grace, 401 00:26:54,556 --> 00:26:58,876 Speaker 2: her insurance policy, if you will, hinged on yet another lie, 402 00:26:59,396 --> 00:27:01,916 Speaker 2: which she'd set in motion months before. 403 00:27:04,196 --> 00:27:08,516 Speaker 1: It all started. One night when Sarah arrived unannounced at 404 00:27:08,596 --> 00:27:09,756 Speaker 1: Kate and house. 405 00:27:10,996 --> 00:27:13,596 Speaker 7: She showed up in a panic at our house, you know, 406 00:27:13,676 --> 00:27:15,556 Speaker 7: knocked on the door. I let her in. I was like, 407 00:27:15,596 --> 00:27:17,796 Speaker 7: what's up, Oh my gosh, what are you doing? You 408 00:27:17,836 --> 00:27:20,076 Speaker 7: know I needed to just stop by because I just 409 00:27:20,396 --> 00:27:22,636 Speaker 7: bought my paperwork in the mail. Do you guys want 410 00:27:22,636 --> 00:27:23,036 Speaker 7: to read it? 411 00:27:24,316 --> 00:27:26,916 Speaker 1: The paperwork, which she hands to them, looks like an 412 00:27:26,956 --> 00:27:31,636 Speaker 1: official military document, with Sarah's account of a sexual assault 413 00:27:31,996 --> 00:27:35,276 Speaker 1: that Sarah claimed happened while she was in the military. 414 00:27:36,116 --> 00:27:39,036 Speaker 1: According to Sarah, the military had covered up the whole 415 00:27:39,076 --> 00:27:42,556 Speaker 1: thing and punished Sarah for it. Now she had the 416 00:27:42,596 --> 00:27:46,356 Speaker 1: paperwork detailing the whole ordeal, and it was clear that 417 00:27:46,436 --> 00:27:48,836 Speaker 1: Sarah wanted them to read it right then and there. 418 00:27:50,156 --> 00:27:51,876 Speaker 1: Kate didn't know what to say. 419 00:27:53,196 --> 00:27:55,956 Speaker 7: I said, I go, oh, Sarah, I'm like, that's really private, 420 00:27:56,316 --> 00:27:58,316 Speaker 7: you know, I'm not I don't know. And she goes, well, 421 00:27:58,396 --> 00:28:00,316 Speaker 7: you know, I can't talk to my mom about any 422 00:28:00,356 --> 00:28:02,996 Speaker 7: of this stuff because she can't handle it. She just 423 00:28:03,036 --> 00:28:05,436 Speaker 7: can't handle any of this stuff. Kate, and I know 424 00:28:05,556 --> 00:28:06,716 Speaker 7: you guys can handle it. 425 00:28:07,956 --> 00:28:10,236 Speaker 1: Mark and Kate thought it was odd that Sarah was 426 00:28:10,276 --> 00:28:13,996 Speaker 1: sharing this paperwork with them. They hadn't asked for corroboration, 427 00:28:14,796 --> 00:28:17,676 Speaker 1: but they felt Sarah's need to have someone be with 428 00:28:17,716 --> 00:28:21,116 Speaker 1: her in this moment. So Kate sits with Sarah on 429 00:28:21,156 --> 00:28:23,356 Speaker 1: the couch as Mark reads the report. 430 00:28:24,196 --> 00:28:27,596 Speaker 8: Here's Mark, I couldn't believe what I was reading. What 431 00:28:27,716 --> 00:28:29,556 Speaker 8: this guy did to her and how he beat her 432 00:28:29,876 --> 00:28:33,076 Speaker 8: to the point where she was passed out, crushed her face, 433 00:28:33,276 --> 00:28:37,396 Speaker 8: her cheekbones. I mean, it was it was horrific. And 434 00:28:37,556 --> 00:28:39,716 Speaker 8: did I believe it? Of course I believed. I was 435 00:28:39,756 --> 00:28:42,196 Speaker 8: reading it, and she's sharing this with me, so of 436 00:28:42,236 --> 00:28:44,196 Speaker 8: course I believed it. You know, it was just it 437 00:28:44,276 --> 00:28:47,476 Speaker 8: was very emotional to know that this this woman who's 438 00:28:47,476 --> 00:28:50,636 Speaker 8: sitting right here has gone through this horrific event in 439 00:28:50,636 --> 00:28:52,916 Speaker 8: her life. I could cry thinking about it right now. 440 00:28:54,356 --> 00:28:57,436 Speaker 1: As the wedding date approached, Sarah pulled Mark and Kate 441 00:28:57,476 --> 00:28:59,716 Speaker 1: aside and asked them for a favor. 442 00:29:00,916 --> 00:29:04,476 Speaker 7: Would you guys mind not mention anything about the military 443 00:29:05,116 --> 00:29:08,836 Speaker 7: at all to my parents? She was very specific, I 444 00:29:08,836 --> 00:29:09,516 Speaker 7: don't want to. 445 00:29:09,836 --> 00:29:10,476 Speaker 8: Ruin my day. 446 00:29:11,956 --> 00:29:15,756 Speaker 1: Mark and Kate they understood why Sarah had made this request. 447 00:29:16,036 --> 00:29:18,996 Speaker 1: They both remembered so vividly that night when Sarah showed 448 00:29:19,076 --> 00:29:21,636 Speaker 1: up at their door, when she showed them the paperwork 449 00:29:21,756 --> 00:29:25,116 Speaker 1: with all the details about the sexual assault and how 450 00:29:25,156 --> 00:29:28,036 Speaker 1: she was sharing it with them because her own family 451 00:29:28,116 --> 00:29:32,556 Speaker 1: couldn't deal with it. According to Sarah, that whole incident 452 00:29:32,676 --> 00:29:36,076 Speaker 1: was still extremely traumatic for her parents, so much so 453 00:29:36,516 --> 00:29:40,716 Speaker 1: that any mention of the military at all would upset them. 454 00:29:41,156 --> 00:29:43,596 Speaker 1: Sarah explained, they don't like to. 455 00:29:43,556 --> 00:29:45,836 Speaker 7: Talk about it, and if you don't mind, please don't 456 00:29:45,876 --> 00:29:46,716 Speaker 7: mention anything. 457 00:29:47,796 --> 00:29:51,076 Speaker 1: Sarah quietly made a similar request to others as well. 458 00:29:51,596 --> 00:29:54,836 Speaker 1: She will decide Dave, her buddy from the VFW, the 459 00:29:54,876 --> 00:29:58,316 Speaker 1: guy with the handlebar mustache. She mentioned that her father 460 00:29:58,436 --> 00:30:01,516 Speaker 1: was a former general, and then she warned. 461 00:30:01,996 --> 00:30:04,116 Speaker 6: Whatever you do. Don't talk to my dad about my 462 00:30:04,276 --> 00:30:07,356 Speaker 6: service because it's the source object and I want to 463 00:30:07,396 --> 00:30:10,236 Speaker 6: have the wedding. Nice didn't go well. I don't want 464 00:30:10,236 --> 00:30:10,796 Speaker 6: any drama. 465 00:30:17,596 --> 00:30:20,316 Speaker 2: They have their wedding. Mark and Kate played the role 466 00:30:20,396 --> 00:30:24,556 Speaker 2: of wedding coordinators. Basically, Mark actually cut down a birch 467 00:30:24,596 --> 00:30:27,236 Speaker 2: tree so we could build a pergola for Sarah and 468 00:30:27,316 --> 00:30:30,756 Speaker 2: Nicole to get married under. They set up the benches 469 00:30:30,796 --> 00:30:33,916 Speaker 2: in the backyard and draped tool over the pergola as 470 00:30:33,916 --> 00:30:38,276 Speaker 2: an altar. The wedding colors were blue and gold, the 471 00:30:38,356 --> 00:30:42,676 Speaker 2: Marine Corps colors. The veterans might appreciate this understated touch, 472 00:30:43,036 --> 00:30:46,596 Speaker 2: but it wouldn't tip off anyone else. And there were 473 00:30:46,636 --> 00:30:51,276 Speaker 2: sunflowers Sarah's favorite, in maple syrup buckets along the aisles. 474 00:30:52,556 --> 00:30:57,476 Speaker 2: And sure, people talked and chatted and joked and laughed 475 00:30:57,996 --> 00:31:00,356 Speaker 2: like they do at weddings when things start to get rowdy. 476 00:31:00,916 --> 00:31:07,476 Speaker 2: But somehow Sarah's world stayed separate, or just separate enough 477 00:31:08,116 --> 00:31:12,796 Speaker 2: that her lies hell. And if this seems hard to believe, 478 00:31:13,876 --> 00:31:24,196 Speaker 2: it is this moment, this wedding was something that Jake 479 00:31:24,236 --> 00:31:27,676 Speaker 2: and I were both obsessed with. How was it that 480 00:31:27,756 --> 00:31:30,476 Speaker 2: no one's drunk uncle asked Sarah about her time in 481 00:31:30,516 --> 00:31:33,756 Speaker 2: Iraq that no cousins started chatting too much to the 482 00:31:33,836 --> 00:31:38,356 Speaker 2: VFW guys and figured out sarah charade. But none of 483 00:31:38,396 --> 00:31:43,396 Speaker 2: this happened. It was a pretty perfect summer wedding. Sarah 484 00:31:43,396 --> 00:31:47,836 Speaker 2: emerged from it unscathed. She lived those two lives for 485 00:31:47,876 --> 00:31:51,436 Speaker 2: another three and a half years until January of twenty 486 00:31:51,476 --> 00:31:55,636 Speaker 2: twenty two. That's when Charity started getting suspicious of Sarah's 487 00:31:55,636 --> 00:32:00,556 Speaker 2: claims and reached out to the authorities to investigate. Rumors 488 00:32:00,596 --> 00:32:05,316 Speaker 2: started circulating that Sarah was an impostor. Word quickly got 489 00:32:05,356 --> 00:32:08,956 Speaker 2: back to Dave that the commander of his VFW post 490 00:32:09,516 --> 00:32:13,156 Speaker 2: might be a fraud, and right away Dave picks up 491 00:32:13,156 --> 00:32:13,516 Speaker 2: the phone. 492 00:32:15,956 --> 00:32:21,476 Speaker 6: I contacted Sarah and I said, hey, what's going on, 493 00:32:21,636 --> 00:32:25,756 Speaker 6: Like I'm hearing this, and she says, yes, some people 494 00:32:25,756 --> 00:32:28,076 Speaker 6: are coming after me. And then she started crying and 495 00:32:28,116 --> 00:32:32,996 Speaker 6: she's like, whatever you do, don't believe them that they're 496 00:32:33,036 --> 00:32:39,156 Speaker 6: trying to mar or you know, disparage me or do whatever. 497 00:32:42,076 --> 00:32:45,116 Speaker 6: I'm like, well, okay, is there anything you need, Like 498 00:32:45,236 --> 00:32:46,116 Speaker 6: can we help out? 499 00:32:46,156 --> 00:32:49,116 Speaker 2: And she says no, just. 500 00:32:52,076 --> 00:32:54,236 Speaker 6: Don't worry about it. I'm dealing with it. 501 00:32:55,716 --> 00:32:59,836 Speaker 2: But the rumors kept going online. There was chatter people 502 00:32:59,916 --> 00:33:05,116 Speaker 2: speculating questioning Sarah's credentials started to snowball. 503 00:33:06,196 --> 00:33:11,236 Speaker 1: As all of this was unfolding. Initially, wasn't too worried because. 504 00:33:11,876 --> 00:33:14,556 Speaker 6: I have the proof that says she's a service member. 505 00:33:15,956 --> 00:33:20,476 Speaker 1: And that proof was the DD two fourteen, Sarah's discharge 506 00:33:20,516 --> 00:33:24,156 Speaker 1: papers from the military, the document that Sarah first presented 507 00:33:24,196 --> 00:33:27,596 Speaker 1: to Dave at the parade six years earlier when she 508 00:33:27,676 --> 00:33:31,836 Speaker 1: first joined his VFW post. And now after hearing these 509 00:33:31,916 --> 00:33:35,996 Speaker 1: rumors in this story from Sarah, Dave is like. 510 00:33:37,276 --> 00:33:39,756 Speaker 6: Hmm, I don't know what's going on, So I'm going 511 00:33:39,836 --> 00:33:42,276 Speaker 6: to get this proof. And then so I call up 512 00:33:42,716 --> 00:33:45,956 Speaker 6: the person a records keeper, and I say, hey, I 513 00:33:46,036 --> 00:33:52,156 Speaker 6: need a copy of her DD form two fourteen. He said, ooh, 514 00:33:52,476 --> 00:33:55,556 Speaker 6: she just left my house two hours ago. She came 515 00:33:55,636 --> 00:33:57,476 Speaker 6: here to the house to come get it. 516 00:33:58,116 --> 00:34:00,196 Speaker 1: What's your reaction When he says that to you. 517 00:34:00,756 --> 00:34:05,036 Speaker 6: That's when I start thinking something's not right here. 518 00:34:06,116 --> 00:34:11,236 Speaker 1: Definitely not right. And Dave's proof had just vanished because 519 00:34:11,276 --> 00:34:19,916 Speaker 1: apparently Sarah was one step ahead of him. 520 00:34:20,076 --> 00:34:24,436 Speaker 9: Next time on deep Cover, I've always been told I'm 521 00:34:24,436 --> 00:34:27,716 Speaker 9: a really good listener, right and I maximized that while 522 00:34:27,716 --> 00:34:33,356 Speaker 9: I was lying right, people when you create space, people 523 00:34:33,396 --> 00:34:34,236 Speaker 9: fill that space. 524 00:34:44,556 --> 00:34:47,996 Speaker 1: Deep Cover The Truth About Sarah was produced by Amy 525 00:34:48,036 --> 00:34:53,516 Speaker 1: Gaines McQuaid and Tally Emlin, Additional production support by Sonya Gerwit. 526 00:34:54,076 --> 00:34:58,036 Speaker 2: Our show is edited by Karen Chakerjee. Our executive producer 527 00:34:58,076 --> 00:35:01,316 Speaker 2: is Jacob Smith, mastering by Jake Gorsky. 528 00:35:02,036 --> 00:35:05,556 Speaker 1: Original scoring in our theme were composed by Luis Gara. 529 00:35:06,196 --> 00:35:09,996 Speaker 1: Our show art was designed by Sean Carney, fact checking 530 00:35:10,116 --> 00:35:11,356 Speaker 1: by Anica Robbins. 531 00:35:12,156 --> 00:35:16,556 Speaker 2: Special thanks to Sarah Nis, Izzy Carter, Daphne Chen, Jake 532 00:35:16,596 --> 00:35:21,876 Speaker 2: Flanagan and Greta Cone. Additional thanks to Vicki Merrick, I'm 533 00:35:21,956 --> 00:35:22,756 Speaker 2: Jess McHugh. 534 00:35:23,356 --> 00:35:48,676 Speaker 1: And I'm Jake Halpern. My co host, Jess McHugh is 535 00:35:48,716 --> 00:35:51,836 Speaker 1: currently researching a book on female con artists.