Episodes

  • Forever Six: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey? Part One of Three.

    Forever Six: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey? Part One of Three.
    Dec 26 2025
    On the morning after Christmas 1996, six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey vanished from her family's lavish Boulder home—only for her parents to discover a bizarre, three-page ransom note demanding $118,000 and threatening her life. Hours later, her body was found in the basement, beaten, strangled, and bound in a scene that launched one of America's most enduring mysteries. We dive into the haunting details of this case: the infamous ransom letter written on the family's own notepad, the botched police response that contaminated the crime scene, and the swirling theories. With fresh DNA testing and interviews advancing the investigation nearly 30 years later, part one of this two-part series explores the media frenzy, the cultural obsession, and the endless questions that still grip the public. Perfect for true crime fans, this episode unpacks why this tragedy remains unsolved—and why it refuses to fade away. Like, subscribe, and follow us. Here's how:
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    Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

    Producer: Tim Rogers

    Editor: Mitch Silver
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    59 mins
  • The Knoxville Horror: The Brutal Murders of Channon Christian & Christopher Newsom

    The Knoxville Horror: The Brutal Murders of Channon Christian & Christopher Newsom
    Nov 28 2025

    In January 2007, 21-year-old Channon Christian and 23-year-old Christopher Newsom were carjacked at gunpoint after sharing a kiss in a Knoxville apartment building parking lot. What began as a robbery quickly turned into 24 hours of unimaginable physical and sexual assault and eventually murder at the hands of five strangers. Eighteen years later, this remains one of the most sadistic crimes in modern American history. In our final episode of the fall season we tell Christopher and Channon's story. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

    Secret Passage Podcast will return after the holidays.

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    Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

    Producer: Tim Rogers

    Editor: Mitch Silver
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Starved, Abused, and Failed by the System: The Murder of 5 year-old Kinsleigh Welty

    Starved, Abused, and Failed by the System: The Murder of 5 year-old Kinsleigh Welty
    Nov 21 2025

    Five-year-old Kinsleigh Welty spent the last months of her life locked in a feces-covered closet, starved to 21 pounds by the mother who called her a demon. Despite repeated removals for abuse and neglect, Indiana DCS kept handing her back due to policies that prioritize family reunification. Text messages between her mother and grandmother reveal chilling cruelty and apathy. We unpack the massive failures that led to this preventable death. Listener discretion strongly advised.

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    Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

    Producer: Tim Rogers

    Editor: Mitch Silver
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Alcohol Addiction, Porn Distraction, and a 109° Death: The Preventable Loss of Parker Scholtes

    Alcohol Addiction, Porn Distraction, and a 109° Death: The Preventable Loss of Parker Scholtes
    Nov 14 2025

    In this episode we examine the tragic hot-car death of 2-year-old Parker Scholtes in Marana, Arizona, on July 9, 2024. Her father, Christopher, a stay-at-home dad struggling with alcohol addiction, left Parker in a parked SUV for three hours while he drank beer, watched porn, and played video games—leading to her fatal heatstroke at an internal temperature of 108.9 °F. We explore the role of addiction, the distraction of explicit content, the family's response, and Christopher's suicide days before sentencing. Ultimately, this is a cautionary story about the lethal dangers of alcohol, inattention, and the false sense of security that "it can't happen to us".

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    Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

    Producer: Tim Rogers

    Editor: Mitch Silver
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Youthful Offender or Future Killer? The Jesse Mack Butler Case

    Youthful Offender or Future Killer? The Jesse Mack Butler Case
    Nov 7 2025

    In this week's episode, we dive into the disturbing case of Jesse Mack Butler, an 18-year-old Oklahoma high school baseball player convicted of raping and strangling two teenage girls he had been in relationships with, nearly killing one. Butler received a light sentence with no jail time after he was given youthful offender status. The victims, victims' families, and the commmunity are outraged. We explore why the lenient outcome sparked outrage and what it reveals about prosecuting rape. Listener discretion advised.

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    Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

    Producer: Tim Rogers

    Editor: Mitch Silver
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Haunted: Gothic Elements & Intergenerational Trauma in The Shining

    Haunted: Gothic Elements & Intergenerational Trauma in The Shining
    Oct 31 2025

    In this week's Halloween episode we discuss Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. We love this movie! We look at this masterpiece through the lenses of the Gothic, addiction, narcissism, and intergenerational trauma.

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    Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

    Producer: Tim Rogers

    Editor: Mitch Silver
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Female Pedophilia: Psychological Insights from the Christina Formella and Mary Kay Letourneau Cases

    Female Pedophilia: Psychological Insights from the Christina Formella and Mary Kay Letourneau Cases
    Oct 24 2025
    This week we discuss female pedophiles examining the cases of teachers Christina Formella, 30, accused of abusing her 14-year-old student and Mary Kay Letourneau, who groomed 12-year-old Vili Fualaau, bore his children, and married him post-prison. We look at cultural biases that result in lighter sentences for female perpetrators and the underreporting of abuse of male victims. We question arrested development, impulsivity, and the emotional motivations behind these crimes. Like, subscribe, and follow us. Here's how:
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    Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

    Producer: Tim Rogers

    Editor: Mitch Silver
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • From Aspiration to Accusation: The Influencer's Faustian Bargain

    From Aspiration to Accusation: The Influencer's Faustian Bargain
    Oct 17 2025

    In this episode we look at social media influencer culture, focusing on the tragic case of Emilie Kiser whose young son drowned in the family pool. We explore the intense public backlash Kiser faced upon returning to social media, highlighting the toxic dynamics of parasocial relationships and the attention economy. We unpack the costs of influencer fame and the toll of living under public scrutiny. Join us for a thought-provoking look at empathy, blame, and the blurred lines between authenticity and artifice in the digital age.

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    Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

    Producer: Tim Rogers

    Editor: Mitch Silver
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    1 hr and 22 mins