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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In this episode of I Fear You, Babe, we tell the full story of Ajike “AJ” Owens — a 35 year old mother of four who was killed by her neighbor in Ocala, Florida.

You may have seen the Netflix documentary The Perfect Neighbor. This episode goes deeper.

We talk about who AJ was before she became a headline.
The neighborhood conflict that escalated over years.
The repeated 911 calls that went unaddressed.
The body camera footage that reveals more than it intends to.
And the strange, overlooked details — including how fear was framed, validated, and weaponized.

This is not just a story about a shooting.
It’s a story about community, race, power, and what happens when warning signs are documented but ignored.

We also talk about the children AJ left behind, the legal outcome of the case, and what this story asks of us — not as spectators, but as people who live next to each other.

This episode contains discussions of gun violence and may be difficult for some listeners.

Resources are included in the show notes.

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REFERENCES & SOURCES

Netflix Documentary

• The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix, 2024)
  Directed by Geeta Gandbhir
  Uses body camera footage, 911 calls, and trial context to document the killing of Ajike Owens.

Major Reporting

• People Magazine
  • “Who Was Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens?”
  • “Timeline of Events in the Killing of AJ Owens”
  • “Where Are AJ Owens’ Children Now?”
    (People provided extensive reporting on AJ’s life, her children, the neighborhood conflict, and the aftermath.)
• Associated Press (AP News)
  • Coverage of Susan Louise Lorincz’s arrest, trial, conviction, and sentencing
  • Reporting on Stand Your Ground arguments and prosecutorial response
• ABC News
  • “Florida Woman Sentenced to 25 Years in Fatal Shooting of Neighbor”
  • Courtroom reporting and victim impact statements

Court and Legal Coverage

• Marion County court records
  • Manslaughter with a firearm conviction
  • Sentencing documents (25 year sentence, November 2024)

Local Florida Reporting

• WCJB-TV (Ocala)
  • Long-term coverage of neighborhood complaints, 911 call history, and community response
  • Reporting on the Standing in the Gap Fund created by AJ’s family

Advocacy and Family Statements

• Pamela Dias (AJ Owens’ mother)
  • Public statements and interviews regarding AJ’s children and community impact
  • Founder of the Standing in the Gap Fund for families affected by gun and racist violence

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Hi babe. It is Dino. Tonight we are talking about the Tesla that went off Devil’s Slide and the family that somehow survived the fall. This is the case of Dharmesh Patel, the California doctor accused of driving his wife and two young children off a two hundred fifty foot cliff in their Tesla. Patel has pleaded not guilty, and the case is ongoing.

In this episode we explore the drive, the fall, the impossible survival, and the emotional collapse that prosecutors say may have been happening behind closed doors. We talk about fear, mental health, family pressure, and the quiet ways people can unravel long before anyone says something is wrong. And we keep the humanity at the center, because this isn’t a story about a car. It’s a story about the people inside it.

This is The Tesla Murder.

📚 REFERENCES

Public reporting and materials used to inform this episode.

Major News Outlets

Los Angeles Times — Coverage of the Devil’s Slide Tesla crash and subsequent criminal case

Associated Press — Criminal charges, allegations, and court updates

NBC Bay Area — Crash site reporting, rescue footage, and community interviews

ABC7 News Bay Area — Statements from investigators and first responders

CBS News — Prosecutors’ filings and case developments

CNN — Mental health context, legal analysis, and preliminary hearing coverage

Mercury News — Local reporting on San Mateo County proceedings and timeline reconstruction

Law Enforcement + Court Filings

San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office — Complaint filings and preliminary hearing statements

San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office — Press briefings and official investigative updates

Rescue + Technical Sources

California Highway Patrol — Initial scene assessment

Cal Fire San Mateo – Santa Cruz Unit — Rescue details and survival conditions

Coastside Fire Protection District — Information on extraction and medical response

Additional Public Information

Tesla crash data referenced in multiple media outlets

Public statements from friends and community members

Judge’s remarks during open court proceedings

❤️ RESOURCES FOR LISTENERS

If you or someone you love is experiencing fear, distress, or unsafe dynamics, please reach out. You are not alone.

Domestic Violence Support (United States)

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Call: 800 799 SAFE

Text: START to 88788

Chat: thehotline.org

Mental Health + Crisis Support

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988

NAMI Helpline (Mental Health Support + Education)

Call: 1 800 950 NAMI

Text: HELPLINE to 62640

International Resources

Hot Peach Pages

Global directory of domestic violence agencies

hotpeachpages.net

If you feel unsafe right now

Leave the situation if you can.

Call emergency services in your area.

You deserve help long before things become a crisis.

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In this episode of I Fear You, Babe, Dino takes you inside the disappearance of Ana Walshe, a thirty nine year old mother of three who vanished from her home on New Years weekend twenty twenty three. Her case triggered one of the most unsettling missing persons investigations in recent memory.

Ana was a Serbian immigrant who built a high powered career in commercial real estate in Washington DC while raising three boys and supporting a husband facing federal charges. Days before she vanished she asked her mother to come visit. That detail alone sets the tone for the entire story.

We explore:

Ana’s life before the headlines

Her upbringing in Serbia. Her move to the United States. Her rapid rise through the hospitality and real estate worlds. The pressure to make the American dream real. The subtle cracks her friends saw but did not know how to name.

The marriage

A relationship marked by financial imbalance, emotional strain, a past threat, and Brian Walshe’s ongoing legal trouble. We talk about jealousy, power, control, and the ways love can get tangled with fear.

The last night

New Years Eve twenty twenty two. Champagne. A handwritten message. A dinner with a friend. Late night phone calls that went unanswered. The last confirmed sighting of Ana.

The timeline that follows

Conflicting accounts. A missing person call from her employer. Surveillance footage. Hardware store purchases. Items found in trash bags. A digital trail full of dark questions.

The no body reality

The emotional weight of cases where remains are never recovered. How families grieve when there is no grave and no answers.

The trial happening right now

What prosecutors are alleging. What the defense argues. The testimony from friends, investigators, digital forensics, and Ana’s romantic partner in DC.

And what the jury has to decide.

What other shows miss

The immigrant experience. The kids. The mother who carries the guilt. The emotional math of leaving a harmful relationship. The quieter forms of fear.

Throughout the episode Dino brings the human side to the center of the story. Not the sensational details. Not the gore. The person. The family. The unresolved ache that sits inside every open case.

If you see parts of yourself in this story, resources are in the notes below.

RESOURCES AND SAFETY SUPPORT

Domestic Violence Support (United States):

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Call 800 799 SAFE

Text START to 88788

Chat at thehotline.org

International Support:

Visit hotpeachpages.net for a global directory of domestic violence resources in more than one hundred countries.

Missing and Exploited Children:

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

missingkids.org

Financial and Legal Advocate Resources:

WomensLaw.org

Free legal information for survivors navigating family court, immigration concerns, and protective orders.

Crisis Text Line:

Text HOME to 741741

Note: This case is ongoing. Brian Walshe is currently on trial and has pleaded not guilty to murder. He is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.

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In the premiere episode of I Fear You, Babe, Dino takes you through one of the most unsettling true crime stories of the year: the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship in early November. Found under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and life jackets, her death was ruled a homicide by mechanical asphyxiation. Dino unpacks the timeline, the known facts, the human dynamics, the complexity of crime at sea, and the emotional resonance of this case — all through his grounded, intuitive, observational voice. This episode is not sensationalist. It’s a compassionate deep dive into a real tragedy, an exploration of instinct, and a meditation on the fragility of safety.

⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS

This episode discusses:

Death of an 18-year-old

Asphyxiation

Homicide

Mention of a minor in proximity to a crime (with no speculation)

Family trauma

Crime scene concealment

Sensitive forensic detail (non-graphic)

Please listen with care.

📚 REFERENCE MATERIAL (CITED SOURCES)

Major Reporting Outlets

Associated Press (AP News): Coverage of the ruling of homicide and FBI investigation

People Magazine: Multiple reports including timeline, custody hearing statements, investigator updates

ABC News: Details on cause of death and mechanical asphyxiation findings

Fox News: Early reporting on autopsy status and investigative updates

New York Post: Public reporting on preliminary autopsy indications (non-speculative)

🛟 RESOURCES FOR LISTENERS

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline (even though assault was not indicated): 1-800-656-HOPE

FBI Major Case Contact Page (for crime tips or case updates)

Cruise Passenger Safety Resources: links to maritime safety info if desired

Mental Health Support: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Support the show