PRETEND

A mother kills her autistic son. Why? Because he asked her to.The mother claims he used facilitated communication to ask her to help him die. This case is just one of many tied to the controversial method that claims to give a voice to non-speaking autistic individuals. But what if the voice wasn’t theirs at all?Share Your Thoughts:Have you listened to The Telepathy Tapes? What do you think about the claims it makes? We want to hear from you! Send a voice memo with your thoughts to javier@pretendradio.org, and your message might be featured in an upcoming episode.Resources Mentioned:➜    Learn more about Amy Lutz’s work and her book Chasing the Intact Mind.https://amzn.to/4gg9Mbe➜    Read Zaid Jilani’s articles on Facilitated Communication and The Telepathy Tapes on his Substack, The American Saga.https://www.theamericansaga.com/ ➜   Explore the history of Facilitated Communication in the documentary Tell Them You Love Me (available on U.S. Netflix).https://www.netflix.com/title/81783064Stay Connected:Follow PRETEND on social media and subscribe to the podcast for more stories exploring deception and the human condition.➜ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pretendpod.bsky.social➜ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pretendpod/➜ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pretendpod➜ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pretendpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Telepathy Tapes podcast shot to the top of the charts, making bold claims about telepathic abilities in non-verbal autistic children. But are the claims rooted in science—or something else entirely? In this episode of PRETEND, we take a closer look at the phenomenon, the controversies, and the skepticism surrounding these extraordinary claims.We’ll discuss:➜ The premise of The Telepathy Tapes and the experiments it presents.➜ Scientific skepticism surrounding telepathy claims.➜ Ethical concerns, including the history of Facilitated Communication and its controversies.➜ Voices from parents, experts, and critics, including Zaid Jilani and Amy Lutz.Resources Mentioned:   Learn more about Amy Lutz’s work and her book Chasing the Intact Mind.https://amzn.to/4gg9Mbe   Read Zaid Jilani’s articles on Facilitated Communication and The Telepathy Tapes on his Substack, The American Saga.https://www.theamericansaga.com/   Explore the history of Facilitated Communication in the documentary Tell Them You Love Me (available on U.S. Netflix).https://www.netflix.com/title/81783064Share Your Thoughts:Have you listened to The Telepathy Tapes? What do you think about the claims it makes? We want to hear from you! Send a voice memo with your thoughts to javier@pretendradio.org, and your message might be featured in an upcoming episode.Stay Connected:Follow PRETEND on social media and subscribe to the podcast for more stories exploring deception and the human condition.➜ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pretendpod.bsky.social➜ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pretendpod/➜ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pretendpod➜ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pretendpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello PRETENDERS! I'm excited to announce that the new season of my other podcast, Criminal Conduct Season, is here! To listen to the rest of the story, search for Criminal Conduct and subscribe.____________________Buffalo Jim Barrier was a wrestling promoter, mechanic, and Las Vegas icon. He faced off against Rick Rizzolo, a powerful strip club owner with alleged mob ties. Their feud lasted decades. Days after Rizzolo’s release from house release, Buffalo Jim was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a motel room. Evidence is missing, and there are anonymous threats. Questions remain unanswered. Criminal Conduct Season 5 unravels a story of corruption, crime, and one man’s fight for justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DNA evidence is often seen as the gold standard in criminal investigations—a scientific fingerprint that can definitively prove guilt or innocence. But what happens when the science behind it is mishandled or manipulated? In this episode of PRETEND, we explore two shocking cases: the Garrett Coughlin triple homicide and the wrongful conviction of Josiah Sutton. Both cases reveal how sloppy forensic work and unethical practices can set guilty criminals free and, worse, imprison innocent people. Through interviews with victims' families, experts, and journalists, we unravel the myth of DNA as infallible evidence and expose the devastating consequences of a broken system.Featuring insights from Kathy Eppler and a special contribution from Celisia Stanton of the Truer Crime Podcast, this episode serves as a sobering reminder: DNA is only as reliable as the people interpreting it.Credits: Special thanks to Celisia Stanton from Truer Crime Podcast for her contributions to the Josiah Sutton case segment. Additional reporting and analysis from Hidden Killers Podcast and forensic scientist Dan Krane. Pitch to Truer Crime Podcast:If you're intrigued by the case of Josiah Sutton and want to dive deeper, check out Truer Crime Podcast hosted by Celisia Stanton, where she explores the complexities of DNA evidence, justice, and wrongful convictions with a sharp and compassionate lens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey sparked public panic and wild conspiracy theories including the absurd claim that birds are government surveillance drones. The discussion humorously unpacks the origins and beliefs of the 'Birds Aren't Real' movement, revealing its satirical nature. It highlights the interplay between satire and genuine conspiracy theories, examining how this peculiar theory encourages us to critically assess the information we consume. The absurdity of the situation mirrors real societal beliefs, opening up entertaining dialogues about truth and misinformation.

As a holiday treat, Amanda of Wine & Crime, Javier of PRETEND, and Whitney of Navigating Advocacy sit down to chat true crime, being in the podcasting industry, cases that haunt us, dream collaborations, and more! Enjoy this bonus conversation and check out all of these amazing shows wherever you get your podcasts! Javier Leiva - PRETEND, Criminal Conduct, Ponzi PlaybookAmanda Jacobson - Wine & Crime https://open.spotify.com/show/5OeKXVPomhbejM9v7CDqxJ?si=4451247ce3704a0aWhitney - Navigating Advocacyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6I09OWnoDtibLjE7rfQqrH?si=9265b522586d4727 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's Christmas episode, we delve into the story of David Ellisor, a man whose grand Christmas scheme left the city of Miami in disbelief. Ellisor, a real-life Grinch, planned to host "Christmas From Around the World," a supposed once-in-a-lifetime event promising the presence of ambassadors, live reindeer, and a spectacle of global traditions. But the event never happened. He collected the cash and made a run for it. This is a Christmas caper for the ages.Plus, listeners tell their own Christmas con stories.Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! And I wish all of you a Happy New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The true crime podcasting community has come together for the holiday season to discuss all things true crime podcasting. Over the next two weeks, ten shows will be dropping bonus episodes sharing these conversations. In this episode, I'm joined by Alvin Williams (Affirmative Murder) and Josh Hallmark (True Crime Bullsh**) to discuss how we started our shows, true crime as an industry, how we've grown and lessons we've learned, cases we've covered, monetizing true crime, television, the future of our shows, and more.Check out Josh's and Alvin's shows:Affirmative MurderTrue Crime Bullsh** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the IRS knocked on John Coutu's door, demanding $80,000, his girlfriend, Jennifer Mitchell, offered to help with his taxes. It seemed like a simple gesture of support.But John would soon find himself caught in a troubling situation. Unbeknownst to him, his taxes were never filed, and a series of lies began to unravel. As John speaks out, his story reveals a strange and complicated web that extends beyond his own experience.Today, we explore what happens when trust, love, and taxes collide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So, I've got to tell you about this crazy rabbit hole I slipped into. It's about that bizarre olive lady from the Maury show. Remember her? Olives freaked out Sally because they reminded her of, get this, dead people's eyes. Wild, right?I always wondered... Was Sally for real or just putting on a show for the cameras? This question led me to Anthony Freire, a guy who used to produce for Maury Povich.Man, the stuff I learned while putting together this episode! It’s like peeling back the curtain on daytime TV and finding a whole other world. Turns out, there are many mind games and behind-the-scenes tricks that go into making these shows. Anthony spilled the beans on how they get people to react a certain way or amp up their emotions for the audience.It's not just about Sally and her olive phobia. This episode digs into the bigger picture of how these TV shows mess with people's heads, both the guests and us viewers.If you're into the psychology used in reality TV shows or love a good behind-the-scenes story, you must check this out. It's not your average episode of PRETEND.I can't wait to hear what you all think. Tune in, and let's get our minds blown together! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices