Jeff tells the story of Ruth Ellis, an African-American LGBTQ+ rights activist and one of the oldest surviving openly lesbian women, living to the age of 101. Though she considered herself ordinary, her quiet courage, lifelong advocacy, and support of Detroit’s queer community made her extraordinary. From operating one of the few safe gathering spaces for LGBTQ+ people in the mid-20th century to inspiring generations of activists, Ruth’s legacy is one of resilience, dignity, and unapologetic authenticity.

Sam shares the story of Project MKUltra, an illegal human experimentation program designed and carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency during the Cold War. The program sought to develop techniques and drugs that could alter human behavior, including experiments involving LSD and other substances—often conducted without the knowledge or consent of participants. Decades later, declassified documents and testimony revealed the disturbing scope of the project and its profound ethical violations.

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Jeff’s Sources (Ruth Ellis):

• https://www.globalsociety.earth/post/a-century-of-courage-activism-and-legacy-ruth-c-ellis
• https://bentley.umich.edu/news-events/magazine/living-with-pride/
• https://pridesource.com/article/how-ruth-ellis-inspired-my-early-activism-helping-queer-at-risk-youth
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Ellis_(activist)

Sam’s Sources (MKUltra):

• MKULTRA: How the CIA Used the Cold War to Commit Horrors on US Citizens by Dawson M.
• https://safe.menlosecurity.com/doc/docview/viewer/docNBFC8F817A722e7b2e98174f84e8f35b0224aae7515b4ca0358577a181726d9320a24538f2a6f
• https://research.unc.edu/human-research-ethics/resources/ccm3_019064/
• https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/dnsa-intelligence/2025-10-30/top-secret-testimony-cias-mkultra-chief-50-years-later

Jeff shares the recent and harrowing story of a French woman/warrior named Gisèle Pelicot.

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Jeff's Sources

• Husband Who Let 72 Men Rape His Wife - The Case of Dominique Pelicot
• Gisele Pelicot Has Become a Feminist Hero
• Gisèle Pelicot’s Story by BBC News
• Rapes of Gisèle Pelicot - Wikipedia

Jeff tells the survival story of Sarah Brady, featured on I Survived (Season 2, Episode 10). Her story is one of resilience, instinct, and the will to live in the face of unthinkable circumstances.

Sam shares the story of Michael Peterson, who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his second wife, Kathleen Peterson, on December 9, 2001. The case, often referred to as “The Staircase,” became one of the most debated murder trials in modern true crime history.

In 2011, after eight years in prison, Peterson was granted a new trial and released when a judge ruled that a key prosecution witness had given misleading testimony. The legal twists and forensic controversies surrounding the case continue to fuel discussion to this day.

Visit us on Linktree for the collection of links, Instagram, or email us at jeffandsamshow@gmail.com.

Jeff’s Source: I Survived – Season 2, Episode 10

Sam’s Sources:

• https://attorneys.media/michael-peterson-staircase-legal-analysis/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Peterson_trial
• https://people.com/where-is-michael-peterson-now-the-staircase-11864013
• https://collider.com/the-staircase-what-happened-to-real-michael-peterson/
• https://attorneyatlawmagazine.com/stories/michael-peterson-what-happened-in-that-trial-could-not-happen-today
• https://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/tv-movies/warm-tv-blog/article313559828.html
• https://www.alcatrazeast.com/crime-library/famous-murders/michael-peterson/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2025/12/09/where-is-michael-peterson-now-the-bizarre-true-story-behind-the-staircase/