Episodes

  • Trailer

    Trailer
    Jul 12 2021

    You can listen to The First Wife: John Meehan's Reign of Terror full podcast on Thursday, July 22.

    Many people listened to the Dirty John podcast, about a scheming psychopath who infiltrates the life of a woman and ultimately dies at the hand of her daughter. But there was an overlooked story, now being told in full, for the first time. Tonia Bales, John Meehan’s first wife, recounts the harrowing story of her life as John’s wife and mother of his two daughters. Tonia reveals the abuse she suffered from the man who started as her soulmate and became a terrifying emotional terrorist. Through new interviews with the people who knew her and John best and exclusive archival materials, Tonia learns that there’s a lot about her traumatic marriage that she never knew, including one bombshell that will change her and her daughters’ lives forever.
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    1 min
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Episode 1: Filthy John Meehan

    Episode 1: Filthy John Meehan
    Jul 22 2021
    As Tonia prepares to begin the podcast about her life with John Meehan, her daughter Abby gets a Facebook message from a man claiming to be John’s long-lost son, allegedly conceived during Tonia and John’s engagement. The revelation prompts Tonia to re-investigate her marriage to John, and discover what else she doesn’t know about him and their relationship. She remembers their storybook courtship and marriage, and how it began to fall apart.
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    37 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Episode 1: Bonus Episode

    Episode 1: Bonus Episode
    Jul 22 2021
    Criminal Behavioral Analyst Laura Richards joins Tonia Bales for a deep dive into "Episode 1: Filthy John Meehan".
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    15 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Episode 2: I’m Very Frightened

    Episode 2: I’m Very Frightened
    Jul 22 2021
    Tonia learns that John is leading a double life and using drugs that he steals from his job as a nurse anesthetist. She digs more, and discovers he has a long history of criminal activity. When she confronts him about it, he begins to terrorize her and her family. Tonia gets a restraining order, but John shows up at her house with a weapon and things take a terrifying turn.
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    20 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Episode 2: Bonus Episode

    Episode 2: Bonus Episode
    Jul 22 2021
    Criminal Behavioral Analyst Laura Richards joins Tonia Bales for a deep dive into "Episode 2: I’m Very Frightened".
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    12 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Episode 3: We Got the Evidence

    Episode 3: We Got the Evidence
    Jul 22 2021
    At their divorce proceedings, John tries to prove to the judge that Tonia is a criminal and drug addict. Tonia must dig for evidence to prove him wrong. She receives a devastating call from John’s sister, who reveals he’s done something which shakes Tonia to her core. Meanwhile, John has unsupervised visitation with their children, and his behavior becomes increasingly threatening.
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    30 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Episode 3: Bonus Episode

    Episode 3: Bonus Episode
    Jul 22 2021
    Criminal Behavioral Analyst Laura Richards joins Tonia Bales for a deep dive into "Episode 3: We Got the Evidence".
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    12 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Episode 4: Exactly Like a Terrorist

    Episode 4: Exactly Like a Terrorist
    Jul 22 2021
    When somebody reports John’s drug abuse history to the Indiana board of nursing, he loses his license and becomes more unhinged. John blames Tonia and starts threatening her and her family. John is arrested on a drug charge, but runs away before he is to report to prison, forcing Tonia and her daughters to go into hiding. When police catch up to John, it leads to an over the top chase and imprisonment.
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    29 mins
    Free with 30-day trial