This is I Fear You, Babe — Bonus Episode.

In December 2021, Lauren Smith-Fields, a 23-year-old Black woman from Bridgeport, Connecticut, was found dead in her apartment after a man she had met the night before called 911.

Within hours, police publicly suggested there was no foul play.

No full investigation.
No preserved crime scene.
No immediate answers for her family.

This bonus episode examines how quickly Lauren’s death was categorized—and how that decision shaped everything that followed. We walk through the initial police response, the failures in evidence handling, the role of bias in early assumptions, and the long fight her family endured simply to be heard.

This is not a whodunit.
It’s an examination of process, power, and what happens when the system prioritizes closure over truth.

This episode exists because some stories demand space outside the usual structure—when the crime isn’t just what happened in a room, but what failed to happen afterward.

Show Notes / References

• Bridgeport Police Department incident reports
• Medical Examiner preliminary and amended findings
• Family attorney statements and filings
• Connecticut State Police review documentation
• DOJ civil rights inquiry announcements
• Associated Press investigative reporting
• New York Times coverage
• Public statements from the Smith family

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In this episode of I Fear You, Babe, Dino Malvone examines the disappearance and murder of Jennifer Dulos, a Connecticut mother of five who vanished in May 2019 after years of documenting fear inside a contentious divorce.

This episode traces the full arc of the case — from the warning signs inside Jennifer’s marriage, to the financial and custody pressures surrounding the divorce, to the investigation that followed her disappearance. Dino walks listeners through how law enforcement built a murder case without ever recovering Jennifer’s body, using blood evidence, surveillance footage, cell phone data, and behavior that could not be explained away.

The episode also examines the role of Fotis Dulos, his death before trial, and the conviction of Michelle Troconis, whose actions after the murder became central to the case.

This is a story about control, motive, and how truth is proven through patterns — even when someone believes they’ve erased it.

References / Sources

• Connecticut State Police
  Official investigation updates, arrest records, and evidence summaries
• New Canaan Police Department
  Initial missing person response and coordination with state investigators
• Connecticut Superior Court
  Charging documents, trial proceedings, and conviction records related to Michelle Troconis
• Associated Press reporting on the Jennifer Dulos disappearance, forensic evidence, and legal proceedings
• The New York Times coverage of the investigation, divorce proceedings, and aftermath
• NBC News reporting on surveillance footage, arrests, and trial outcomes
• Public court filings, arrest affidavits, and statements from Jennifer Dulos’ family and attorneys

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On May 1, 2023, Jordan Neely, a 30 year old New York City subway performer experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness, died after being placed in a prolonged chokehold by fellow passenger Daniel Penny aboard an F train in Manhattan.

This episode examines the verified facts of the case, including what occurred on the subway, the medical examiner’s findings, the criminal charges and trial, and the verdict. It explores the intersection of mental illness, homelessness, civilian intervention, and public safety in New York City.

All information presented is drawn from court records, eyewitness testimony, medical examiner determinations, and established reporting. No speculation.

Show Notes / References

• Wikipedia — Killing of Jordan Neely
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Jordan_Neely
  
  
• PBS NewsHour — Daniel Penny acquitted in NYC subway chokehold case over Jordan Neely’s death
  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/daniel-penny-acquitted-in-nyc-subway-chokehold-case-over-jordan-neelys-death
  
  
• Associated Press — Former Marine acquitted in NYC subway chokehold death
  https://apnews.com/article/daniel-penny-jordan-neely-subway-chokehold-verdict
  
  
• Reuters — Daniel Penny acquitted in subway chokehold case
  https://www.reuters.com/world/us/daniel-penny-acquitted-jordan-neely-subway-death
  
  
• ABC News — Trial spotlighted homelessness and mental illness
  https://abcnews.go.com/US/daniel-penny-trial-spotlighted-issues-homelessness-mental-illness/story
  
  
• NBC New York — Daniel Penny verdict and Jordan Neely subway death
  https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/daniel-penny-not-guilty-verdict-trial-jordan-neely-chokehold
  
  
• The Guardian — The system that failed Jordan Neely
  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/12/jordan-neely-new-york-social-services-support-mental-health
  
  
• The New Yorker — How New York failed Jordan Neely
  https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/05/22/the-system-that-failed-jordan-neely

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