MURDERED: Kacie Woody

[00:00] Hi, Crime Junkies. It's Britt, and I have big news. One of my favorite seasonal shows, CounterClock, is back with a brand new season, and it is wild. Host Delia D'Ambra is digging into the 2008 Lane Bryant murders. I mean, this isn't just a recap. It is a reinvestigation. She's talking to law enforcement, people from the community, even sources who have never spoken publicly until now. And you know I love a show that asks all the questions. Listen to CounterClock Season 8 now wherever you get your podcasts. [00:30] Hi, Crime Junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. And I'm Britt. And today, I am introducing a new Crime Junkie Life Rule. Do not... [00:40] talk to strangers on the internet. And I'm sure all of you are like, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is an episode for young kids. Yes. Also, we're kind of strangers on the internet, Ashley. Yeah. Well, they're listening, not talking, right? So this is fine. But this isn't an episode just for like young kids. I feel like this is something you tell your kids. But this is an episode that's going to be preteen friendly if you have young kids that should hear this. But I think there's [01:10] by everyone because we all have this attitude of like, oh my God, stop being so dramatic. Nothing bad is going to happen to me. And [01:18] that applies to like people who are older, people who are online dating, young kids who are meeting people online. [01:24] How many of you were on Facebook today or swiping left or right on a dating app? We are confronted with strangers online daily, and the dangers are very, very real. And the second you leave your guard down, you can succumb to a predator, like the 13-year-old girl in our story did. And today's story...

[01:44] is about the tragic murder of Casey Woody. [02:14] . [02:18] Casey Woody was just 12 going on 13 at the time of our story in 2002. Casey was young and fun and bubbly. She liked music and sleepovers. She hated horses, but her room was lined with figurines. She kept them because they were her mother's. Her mother loved horses, but tragically, [02:48] were driving down Arkansas 287, which is a road, on the way home from a baseball game when two horses, wild horses, just ran into the middle of the street. And Casey's mom, in the passenger seat, died almost instantly when their car hit one of the horses. So have I told you that that's like one of my greatest fears? No, that seems like a very odd fear. And I would say it never happened, except for I know that doesn't a story. Yeah, like I'm afraid of a hooved animal being.

[03:16] like hitting them in my car and dying because of it. Well, so, and it's apparently a real fear to have. Her dad, Rick, said he always hoped that she never saw what happened since she was in the back. She was younger. She was sleeping at the time that they hit the horse. But Casey later told a friend that she actually... [03:34] did wake up, she heard her mom sigh, and when she saw all of the blood everywhere, she knew. Now, because of this, Casey had to grow up quickly. She was the only woman in the house now, and by no pressure from her family, she felt like she needed to step up. She did her own laundry, made her own dinners, did all of her homework without even being asked. She was incredibly mature. Casey lived in her home in rural Arkansas with her dad, Rick, her older brother, Tim, who [04:04] friend Eric, who was staying with them in 2002. It wasn't unusual for Casey to be home alone at night. Her dad, who was actually a cop, worked the night shift and her brother and his friend would often have class late or spend time in the library studying. So it got to be kind of lonely for Casey. And like most of us in 2002, Casey took to the internet to find new friends. Casey's [04:34] which she named after her favorite Disney movie, Model Behavior. And 63 was her brother's football number. I love it. I just see so much of Casey in us, Britt. Like in this, as the story unfolds,

[04:48] It could have so easily been one of us. So Casey gets online and she decides to join a young Christian chat room because it feels very safe. But Casey's friends, Samantha and Jessica said, I mean, call it what you want. At the end of the day, we wanted to talk to boys. And the conversations weren't based around religion. We just gravitated towards this chat room because we thought we would find good people in there. And our guards were down. In this chat room, Casey met a boy named Dave. [05:18] question I have not heard in a decade ASL yes uh so his Dave is 17 male from California he says he loves to surf of course and he was hot to these girls like blonde hair blue-eyed chiseled jaw looked like a surfer straight off of a magazine and I can just like hear the squealing now when the girls probably got his picture oh totally Casey and Dave hit it off right away and soon [05:48] talking on chat and eventually even talking on the phone. Casey didn't just want him to be stuck in like this online bubble though. She really wanted to incorporate Dave into her everyday life. So she introduced him to her other friends, got them talking online and on the phone. Dave was basically part of their little clique. And the crazy part was he had ties to Arkansas where she lived, even though he was out in California.

[06:18] He was really close with this aunt and this is something that brought him and Casey even closer together. He was able to talk about his dying aunt and Casey could talk about her mom with somebody and feel really understood and somebody who would comfort her. [06:34] While Casey gets to know Dave, she also meets another boy online. His name is Scott, and Scott's screen name is Taz2999. Scott was from Georgia, and he liked football and wrestling. He was 14 years old, and it didn't take long at all before he liked Casey too. And Casey, without even realizing it, was in this little love triangle, Scott or Dave, Dave or Scott, [07:04] beautifully 13 year old girl thing to do. Britt, do you remember the game in middle school where you would spell out your name and your crush's name and then each letter off the same letters? Well, each letter gets like a point value. And at the end, it's supposed to give you like a percentage of like how compatible you are based on your names. Totally know that. So that is what she did. And so because of this calculation, she decided that her and Scott were more compatible [07:34] girlfriend but she still talked to Dave as friends Dave even knew about Scott and Dave and Scott even talked on the phone a couple of times [07:44] But not everyone liked [07:46] Dave, particularly parents. As time went on, Scott told Casey that his dad flipped out when he heard him talking to Dave on the phone because his dad is like, this doesn't sound like a kid at all. And he told Dave, don't you ever call my house again? And of course, like eyes are rolling. You know, Scott and Casey are like, our parents are so dramatic. Of course, he's a teenager. We

[08:16] that to her dad. And even her dad is like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, 18. You have no business talking to an 18 year old. You are done with him. Like don't ever talk to him again. But of course, Casey wasn't done. Her dad didn't know what he was talking about. He didn't know Dave at all. How could he judge him based on his age? He didn't know that Dave had been there for her when she wanted to talk about her mom. Didn't know that Dave knew all of her friends. She thought her dad [08:46] She did not stop talking to Dave though. She still chatted with him and even called him sometimes still. One night when Jessica was sleeping over, the girls were alone in the house talking to Dave on the phone. [09:01] and all of a sudden they stopped. [09:03] They hear noises outside, and it sounds like it was someone walking on leaves and sticks. It was November now, and even though you couldn't see out the window, you could hear. Casey was known for keeping all the lights on in her house, so her window from the inside looking out was just like a black picture framed in her room. But from the outside, Casey and Jessica were perfectly framed clear as a photograph for anyone to see. [09:33] and Jessica scare themselves, getting more and more worked up over these noises. While they're still on the phone with Dave, she shoves her dresser in front of her bedroom door to like barricade herself into the room. [09:46] Then,

[09:47] They hear [09:48] a floor creak in the kitchen. Casey had this like loose board that anyone who was like 100 pounds or over, if they walked over it, that board would creak. And so Casey whispers to Dave on the phone, [10:01] I'm scared. There is someone in my house. And Dave says, no, no, no, there's nobody in your house. You're just imagining things. [10:11] The noises stopped after that, and Casey thought, like, wow, I'm... [10:16] Really paranoid. What am I thinking? I'm in the middle of Arkansas. Nothing bad can really happen to me. [10:24] you [10:25] Jessica wasn't a huge fan of interacting with Dave or other people that could [10:30] Casey met online and their other friend Sam liked Casey's relationship with these online boys even less. They would fight about whether or not what she was doing is safe and every time Casey would just wave them off. Their little arguments came to a head in early December when Sam noticed a picture in Casey's locker. And she's like, is that Scott? [10:53] And Casey's like, yeah, he mailed me a picture. Now Sam says, oh, I think he's hot. Casey swore Sam said fat, not hot, which ensues a middle school battle for the ages. And for the rest of the day, people were taking sides. Sam and Casey weren't speaking to one another. And by the next morning, a counselor had to step in. The counselor heard both sides of the girl's stories and brought them together to talk it out.

[11:23] they did work it out because in middle school one day the world's ending and the next day things don't seem so bad. Truly. But now... [11:30] On this day, December 3rd, Sam and Casey leave the counselor's office as BFFs again. But Sam has a sinking feeling. She knows they're in for another fight. Because what Casey didn't know is that in Sam's one-on-one with their counselor, she kind of threw Casey under the bus. She didn't want to get her in trouble, but Casey wasn't listening to all of her concerns. Like that picture she got from Scott, it came in the mail. [12:00] her home address. And she knew weird things had been happening, like those noises outside of Casey's house. Like Casey could be in danger. What if Scott wasn't who he said he was? So she tells all of this to the counselor. Now this counselor did end up pulling Casey aside and asking her about her interactions with people she met online. Casey did what a lot of kids would do, what I [12:30] she had never given her address or her number to somebody that her dad didn't approve of. And I mean, come on, my dad's a cop. I'm fine. And this did put the counselor's mind at ease a little bit. But she lectured Casey about the dangers of the internet. You don't know who you're talking to. They can be anyone. Be careful who you fall in love with and who you let in. Okay. [12:52] Her counselor could not have known how timely her warning was because within 12 hours of that conversation, Casey would be abducted

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[14:34] with just a few taps, saving users over $880 million in canceled subscriptions. So basically, this app gives you an easy, intuitive, and effective way to control your finances. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at rocketmoney.com slash crimejunkie. That's rocketmoney.com slash crimejunkie. [15:04] rocketmoney.com slash crimejunkie. [15:08] The confrontation about online dating from her counselor didn't cause another rift between Casey and Sam. In fact, Casey even wanted to have a sleepover. She asked Sam first if she could go stay the night with her at her house, but it was like a weeknight. There was no way her mom was going to go for that. They never did weeknight sleepovers. Casey then asked Jessica and then even another friend when Jessica said no. And that other friend said, no way, my mom's not going to let this fly. [15:38] But each girl would look back on that interaction that they had with Casey and wonder if she had some kind of sense that she shouldn't be alone that night. [15:46] Like she never asked to do sleepovers on weeknights. She never would like go from friend to friend to friend, seeming a little bit desperate. And they would wonder if anything would have been different if she had gone home with one of them. [15:59] But Casey didn't go home with any of the friends that night. She went back to her house. That night, on December 3rd, Casey had a brief interaction with her brother and his friend around 6 o'clock before they left. Eric, who's the friend, he had class, and her brother Tim was going to the library to study. Casey's night was the same as every night before it. She did homework. She showered, got in her comfy clothes, and then got online.

[16:29] waiting for her and IM's her right away. [16:32] I'll read the part of Scott and Britt, you can read the part of Casey. [16:38] Hey sweetie. Hey. [16:42] How are you my angel? [16:44] Okay, you? [16:48] Better now that you're on, sweetie. [16:51] Guess what, guess what, guess what? [16:55] 23 kids out of 130 were picked to sing in front of the school board and I am one of them. Ooh, and Wednesday I have band practice and Thursday I have choir practice. [17:08] Thank you. [17:10] that's excellent baby i told you you have the most beautiful voice i've ever heard now they go on to chit chat about school and life and casey tells scott that she actually is on the phone with dave right now trying to console him i guess dave's aunt is like probably going to pass away tonight is what she says and she says his aunt is going to meet my mommy they talk about this for a while and scott says i'm sure your mom will look out for her and the conversation steers [17:40] day. [17:41] So guess what I got? A lecture. [17:44] . [17:46] Oh, I'm sorry, baby. [17:49] On how you could be an 80-year-old rapist, LOL. [17:54] LOL. [17:57] And that picture was your grandson.

[18:01] how many times have you gotten that one hee hee um i lost count well then she's like do your parents know you talk to people you don't know and i was like yeah and she was like well be careful and don't agree to meet them unless your mom or dad is with you and i was like okay and she's like well remember this little talk and i was like okay [18:26] "Uh-oh, probably mean she's gonna talk to you again." I know. The conversation gets more middle school gushy even after this because it was their two-month anniversary. [18:39] But then, in the middle, Casey just stops responding. Scott sends her messages. He says, He he, I'll always be with you, my angel, because you're all I want to be with. [18:51] But she doesn't respond. [18:53] And he says, "He he, I put my screensaver as the picture I have in my locker." [18:57] She still doesn't respond. [19:00] You're the most beautiful angel in the world, Casey. [19:03] Still no response. So finally he says, are you okay, sweetie? [19:08] What Scott didn't know [19:10] What Casey didn't know is that while they were talking, [19:15] talking about not knowing who you're talking to on the internet. [19:20] Someone? [19:21] had pulled down Casey's isolated street [19:25] and was coming for her. [19:27] . [19:29] Scott's last message to Casey was, are you okay, sweetie? She hadn't responded in a while. Scott waited and waited. And at 941, he got an abnormally abrupt response from her. It just said,

[19:44] Yeah. [19:46] 9:41 would be the last message he got from Casey, or at least from someone pretending to be Casey, shortly before that "yeah" message was sent. [19:57] Something happened to Casey. [19:59] Someone could have knocked on her door, or they could have just walked in, because in the middle of nowhere Arkansas, Casey often didn't lock her doors, and maybe this person had been there before, and maybe they knew that. They put a chloroform rag over Casey's face and took her out of the house. The only sound to be heard was her chat window going off every time she got a message from Scott. [20:26] Are you busy, baby? [20:28] Hee hee, guess so. You there baby? Sweetie, are you okay? [20:34] Please talk to me, baby. [20:36] When you're ready to talk, sweetie, I'll be here. Are you mad at me, sweetie? [20:41] Please talk to me, baby. Are you okay, sweetie? [20:45] Scott tried calling, but no one picked up the phone. Around 1130, Casey's brother got home from class to find that there was no Casey, and he immediately called his dad who was on duty. Where is Casey? He asked, and Rick's like, at home. [21:02] And he says, no, she isn't. [21:04] Rick raced home. Everything about their house when he walked in gave him chills. It was December in the 30s. [21:13] Why was her coat still there? And her shoes? She would have needed her shoes if she left the house willingly. Rick called for backup and then started to call around to Casey's friends, none of whom knew where she was or...

[21:27] or that she was even missing. That's when they noticed the chat window on her computer, and Eric, her brother's live-in friend, messaged Scott from her account. [21:37] As soon as you get this, answer back, please. I have got to talk to you. [21:42] I'm on. What happened with you and Casey tonight? Did she just quit talking? [21:48] Yeah, just went silent. Did anything seem like something was wrong? [21:52] Nope, not at all. [21:54] What was the last time you talked to her? I need as close as a time as possible. [22:01] 9.41 was her last message. Okay, did she say anything out of the ordinary? [22:07] No, just quiet. I can send you her whole convo if you like. No, I already got it. I just need to know if she seemed like something has been bothering her or if she needed to talk to someone. [22:24] specifically about Dave. And Scott's response is, don't worry about Dave. He's just a good friend. I would have said something if I didn't think he was a good guy, but he's cool. [22:35] And he said this because he talked to him on the phone. He felt like he knew him. [22:41] Scott even felt safe with him. [22:43] By five o'clock in the morning, a full search was underway. Casey's friends couldn't wrap their minds around what was happening. How was everyone on the bus to school acting like this was just another normal day? Their best friend was missing. When they got to school, they were pulled aside by counselors and police, and they wanted to know everything about Casey's life. Who would want to

[23:09] Both of their minds went to the same person. [23:11] Scott. He was the one with her address. He was the newest boyfriend and they were infatuated with each other. There was no one else. It had to be him. Now it wouldn't be until after their first interview was over that both Jessica and Sam remembered Dave, the guy they'd all been friends with. Didn't he mention that he had a family here in Arkansas and hadn't he said he'd been coming [23:41] they know Dave was already on the radar for police. After they saw that chat conversation with Scott, they were trying to find the Dave. They found an old file in Casey's computer that listed a chat name as Jazzman underscore DF. The profile said he lived in San Diego and he registered his Yahoo account under Dave Fagan. Police decided they had to search for this Dave Fagan. They divided the [24:11] and south, and crews were dispatched to search everywhere. They were looking in every hotel, every motel for anyone named Dave Fagan or Dave F or even anyone with initials DF in general. 30 minutes into their search, a call comes in from the guy searching on the north side of town. A man named Dave Fuller had registered at a motel 6. His registration shows that he arrived on the

[24:41] a week. And the clerk there at the Motel 6 remembered him because he made sure to tell her, like, I want no maid service for the entire week. No one come in my room. Which to me is like, [24:55] A big red flag? [24:57] As a hotel clerk? [25:00] Yeah, especially in like the early 2000s where like it wasn't cool to conserve the ocean or whatever. Well, like even if I go to a hotel for a couple of days, I'm like, yeah, I'll reuse the towels. You don't need to make my bed. That's fine. But like a whole week, you probably need a new towel. Seems like a lot. Yeah. [25:14] He also stood out to her because he threw an adult-sized fit when he found out that the internet in his room didn't work and he would have to go to the county library to log on. This was feeling more and more like their guy. When they searched the room, they found everything neatly in place. The bed was unslept in, the bags were still packed, and he had this pair of camel-colored clothes and rubber gloves on top of his suitcase. [25:44] They... [25:45] had to find Casey and they had to find her right now. They could feel time running out on them. The next place detectives were sent were to rental car places. Sure enough, Dave Fuller had rented a minivan. The phone number that Dave Fuller put on his rental car registration was the same number Casey had called so many nights before. They officially had their guy. They had their guy.

[26:13] But where was he? [26:14] And where was Casey? [26:18] You guys, we are finally rolling into summer, and I am ditching the sweaters, packing away the coats, but I am still wearing quince. Because quince is quality I wear all year round, in the field, on stage, at the office, quince, quince, quince. Their clothing and accessories are timeless and long-lasting because they focus on high-quality, beautiful everyday essentials, like 100% European linen pants, dresses, and tops with styles starting at $32. [26:48] 80% less than similar brands. No lie, I have a silk skirt from a big department store and I have a silk skirt from Quince. And dead serious, my Quince one has held up way better and was way cheaper and machine washable because ain't nobody got time or money for dry cleaning, but I want to look like I do. So elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to Quince.com slash crimejunkie for free shipping [27:18] Crime Junkie for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash Crime Junkie. [27:26] Your college decision is personal. It's a serious choice that no one takes lightly. Well, Southern New Hampshire University is serious about helping you earn your degree your way. We're talking no set class times and 24-7 access to online coursework, so you can build a schedule that works for you. SNHU also understands that you're coming into college with a goal. Whether you're a career changer, an aspiring leader, or just getting started, they've got over 200 online programs to help you take your next step. And when it comes to paying for college, don't stress.

[27:55] SNHU has some of the lowest online tuition in the U.S., plus experienced student finance counselors to guide you through your journey. A college that takes your education as seriously as you do? That's SNHU. Visit snhu.edu slash crimejunkie to learn more. That's snhu.edu slash crimejunkie. [28:17] After tracking him to the rental car company, they were able to get copies of his credit card records. There was one charge that stood out and sent chills down their spine. Dave Fuller had rented a storage unit at a nearby facility. In their heart of hearts, they knew that is where he was keeping Casey. But whether he would be there with her or whether she was still alive was totally unknown. They just knew that they had to hurry. [28:46] surrounded the unlocked unit, and they banged on the door and demanded Dave come out with his hands up. [28:53] And that's when they heard it. [28:55] the blast of a gun. [28:57] For three hours, police and SWAT teams tried to make contact with Dave Fuller, but got no response from inside the storage unit. When they finally made their way inside, [29:10] It was a sight that would haunt their nightmares for years to come. A minivan was backed into the storage unit. In the back corner were the back seats that had been taken out of the van. David Fuller was slouched over in one of them, gun in hand, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head, self-inflicted.

[29:33] In the back of the van, [29:34] where Dave had been facing [29:36] was Casey laying on her back with her ankles and wrists chained to the van floor and [29:43] She had been shot as well, and they believed that she'd been sexually assaulted. [29:48] They believed that Casey had died a few hours earlier, likely when Dave turned on the radio. He had been turning on the radio to get the heat going, and he likely heard the broadcast about her abduction. And part of that broadcast, they said out loud to the public that they knew who they were looking for. And so then Dave knew his real identity again. [30:10] had been leaked and it was over. He had nothing to lose anymore. A search into Dave Fuller found that he was a grown man whose life was crumbling. At age 47, his wife had just left him, taking their two kids. There had been allegations of domestic violence. And in one report, his wife even accused him of inappropriate showers with their seven-year-old daughter, which she thought was inappropriate. And CPS looked into the claims saying, [30:37] They said these claims were unfounded, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a predator. Like he'd gotten in trouble for exposing himself in public to young girls. And police actually found out when they looked through all of his computers and his records that Dave was grooming three other girls in different parts of the country. Police aren't sure that Casey was his first victim.

[31:07] like he had done it before and they knew he'd gone to Arkansas at least twice before once to scout it out in October and another time in November when police think that he could have been planning to abduct her but something went wrong because he had bought the minivan in November he'd gotten the same storage unit in November but he ended up going back home now people often wonder if that [31:37] and heard that stuff in her home. [31:40] Maybe that was him trying to attack her while he was on the phone, because that's exactly what he did in December, attacked her while she was on the phone with him. But maybe that time, because she heard it coming, or maybe because Jessica was there, his plan didn't work, and he had to go back to California. [32:10] me. [32:11] When police finally got a hold of his remains, they took his DNA and entered it into CODIS to finally see if he really was connected to other cases. But it didn't hit on any unsolved crimes and they haven't been able to link him to any unsolved cases since. The night that Casey was found, her friends all got together for support. They sat on a front porch in the December cold crying and talking about their friend.

[32:40] for it to snow so long. She kept talking about it in the days before she was murdered. And as they all sat there on those steps... [32:48] it started snowing. [32:50] and her friends couldn't do anything but cry even harder for the loss of their friend [32:56] Casey's dad and her best friends, Jessica and Sam, even started the Casey Woody Foundation, which is a nonprofit dedicated to warning people against the dangers of the Internet. And I'm going to put a link to their nonprofit on the site if you're interested in learning more. And their tagline is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to saving our children. But I need everyone to hear me. Well, kids are the most vulnerable because they don't know what to look out for. [33:26] risk too. There have been [33:28] multiple people killed on Tinder dates or Bumble dates or by swiping this way, that way, people from Craigslist, people from other dating sites. Chatting with someone does not mean you know them. And listen, I was Casey. I 100% talked to somebody online for years who I now know wasn't who they said they were. I was lucky, but I didn't believe anyone when they told me something bad [33:58] in every single day. So please don't give your information out online. And there are signs to look for. Like online predators ask lots of questions. They make you feel very special, like you're their entire world. They want to see you in a vulnerable state. So they'll often ask, like, what's wrong? What's bothering you? They're trying to like- And be sympathetic towards you. Yeah. And they're trying to accelerate the process of gaining your trust. They're hoping that they'll be the person you tell something to that you haven't talked to anyone else about. Like,

[34:28] In this story, Casey did not open up about her mother's death to any of her friends, but she did to Dave and like created this bond. Other things that they'll do are they'll try to like turn other people in your life against you or you against them. So that way their relationship seems even more valuable. They'll often make up stories or they do things that don't make sense. For example, in this specific story, so many of the young kids that talked to Dave on the phone [34:58] he talked didn't [35:00] like make sense with how they talked. They didn't sound like any other 13 year olds or even 18 year olds that they knew. He would use words like groovy or wicked stuff they would expect their parents to say. And this is like a red flag. They knew something wasn't right, but they tried to make excuses for it. Like, oh, he's just from California. Maybe that's how they talk out there. He's older than us. [35:21] Like maybe he's just cooler than we are. Predators will often ask you to lie and pressure you to meet up. And often they'll make up some kind of tragedy to bond you to them. And this often happens, especially if you're trying to pull away or they feel like they aren't getting all of your attention. And this is exactly, again, what Dave did with making up this sick ant in Arkansas. [35:51] others. If you're an adult and you have kids or you're an adult and you see this in your friends, or even if you're a young kid, but you see this in another young friend, I encourage everyone to go take a look. This does happen to real people. Casey Woody was a real girl who should be my age right now with a job and maybe a spouse. So please be safe.

[36:11] Please be vigilant and share this story with other parents or teens or anyone you know who might be interacting with people they don't know online. It is a scary place out there. [36:24] again for links to all of that you can go to our website crimejunkiepodcast.com and be sure to follow us on twitter at crimejunkiepod and on instagram at crimejunkiepodcast and join our facebook group we have a discussion post every single week where we talk about every monday's [36:54] next week with a brand new episode. [37:18] you [37:20] *music* [37:23] *music* [37:25] Crime Junkie is an AudioChuck production. So what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve?

[37:48] All right, Brett, I'm taking the mic back, which warning to everyone means it's going to be a little bit of a sad story. Yeah. [38:03] and this is the story that she said I'll just read it straight because I'm probably gonna cry Jocko has a long and loving story that sadly will be coming to an end shortly I'm crying my eyes out as I type but I want someone besides my family to know how special our little boy was he was the joy that came out of dark times I bought Jocko from our local shelter 10 years ago using the inheritance [38:33] But my dad was very adamant that we were not getting another dog. And she puts in parentheses, at the time, we had one dog already. But of course, when you walk into a shelter, there's no way you're leaving without falling in love. [38:47] Girl after my own heart. Yeah. My dad would find something wrong with every dog until he saw Jocko, who was at the time named Cotton. He was skinny, thin-haired, covered in fleas, and had terrible dandruff. But the moment I saw him, I just knew. Through all the fleas and the dandruff was the cutest, most lovable dog in the world. [39:17] but he always looked like a little bit of a black fox to us. We were able to go sit in his kennel room with him and he immediately came right up to me, let me pick him up and fell asleep in my arms like a baby. Even my dad couldn't argue against that. So after that, he was vaccinated and we were able to bring him home. When we took him to the vet to get his skin problems helped, even the vet said that he was one of the cutest dogs he had ever seen. And I don't want to like rain on her parade. I think every vet says that.

[39:47] Jocko was my best friend growing up. He was my dog, but he loved all of my family. And as I grew up and became more independent, Jocko started to love everyone equally. But after my dad was diagnosed with cancer, that's when Jocko really became my dad's dog. Jocko was always so good at telling when someone didn't feel good and made sure to give them lots of snuggles and kisses to help. [40:17] side jocko eventually went blind and my dad would joke that he was his seeing eye todd which because i i assume her dad's name is todd but i love it it's so cute [40:28] Oh, Jocko always bumps into walls, but even when he boops his own little nose, he always has a goofy grin on his face as if telling us, oops, and we can't help but laugh. Now that my dad has recovered from his health issues and is now cancer free, he takes Jocko to work and everywhere else with him. Jocko loves car rides and he's the best little passenger. He even has his own little bed in the truck. [40:58] And they text me cute pictures of him all the time. He still looks like the cute little boy we adopted 10 years ago. Just with a little more gray around his muzzle. Oh, God. Jaco has really started to slow down recently. Yeah. [41:12] Mm. [41:13] And the pictures are more and more frequent. I'll spare you the heartbreaking details. Thank you. Of his decline. You good? Yes. We hate having to acknowledge that his time has come.

[41:27] Bye. [41:28] So we're holding on to every last moment we have with him. I hope that this is comprehensible. I was having a very hard time writing all this out. I know you'll appreciate his story, though. [41:44] Jocko was the best little boy in the whole world, and he will always live in our hearts and memories. So, Britt, we got that message. I'm crying. We decided that Jocko was going to be Prevot of the Month. [41:58] Do you want me to take over? Yeah. Okay. So, um, if you don't know, when we reach out to our prep owners, um... [42:08] We try to do that before we feature their dogs. And so earlier this week, I reached out to Jocko's mom and she gave us a little bit of an update. And Ashley, I send it to you. But if you want me to read it, I can. [42:24] Okay, hang on. Let me try it. So she was very sweet and just said she was, you know, so excited that we reached out and [42:33] you know, she loves the podcast and she said, okay, now for Jocko. As much as it breaks my heart, we had to put him down two days after I sent my submission. [42:43] My dad and I didn't work for those two days. [42:47] I love you. [42:49] So they spent every last second holding and petting him and telling him how he was the best little boy in the whole world.

[42:58] They've had more than their fair share of death and sickness through the years, but there's something different about being in the room when it happens. [43:07] - Shh. [43:08] Kira said she knows it's terrible and morbid, but it's true. He had his family with him until the very end, just as it should be. And it's so true. I'm a little bit... I mean, I don't think any of our private owners would do this, but I'm a little bit shocked at how many people... [43:24] like aren't in the room when you have to put your dog down and I can't imagine like so scary. [43:29] for the pups. Okay, so moving on. Kira said that the submission she sent us was essentially the most condensed version of the 10 years of love that they had with Jocko, and she feels like if she added anything more, it would have... [43:46] she would have just had to write a book to include everything. And she also sent us some pictures, which of course we'll post everywhere, along with a letter that she actually wrote to the Humane Society where they got Jocko. [43:56] Oh, yeah. And it's like, it's a great because who I assume is seeing eye Todd, they're like on a kayak together. There's Jocko is outside. He's inside. He's like on the bed. He's smushed in between his couch. It looks like Jocko had a really great life, which is at the end of the day. I'd also like to say hi to Kira's parents because she told them that they would be listening to this episode purely for the Jocko love. So hi guys. Thanks for giving Jocko the best life in the world. [44:24] Thank you guys. And we'll be back next month with another prophet story.

[44:30] I'll let maybe Brick take it back so it's not so sad. I just, I gravitate to these sad ones because... [44:36] You know, it's someone's best friend. And like she said, even if someone else in the world acknowledges that they were the best pupper in the world, I think it means something. [44:49] Okay, crime junkies. You know I absolutely love a twist and a turn, especially when it comes to people who turn out to be someone they're not. That's why I have been obsessed with the podcast Chameleon. [45:06] How did they get away with that? [45:07] It is truly one of my favorite podcasts right now and I've been listening for years. [45:11] I think you'll love it too. [45:12] Listen to Chameleon wherever you get your podcasts.