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This is Dr. Joy Harden-Bradford from Therapy for Black Girls. Reading books gives you feelings. I mean, that's what they do. And with millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling for everyone. Like there's an awestruck, whoa, feeling you get when you read about a dragon flying across the sky. But that's different from the surprised, whoa, you get when you read that the best friend did it. And that's totally different than the hubba hubba, whoa.
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Text BVJOBS to 97211 to apply. Hey, girlfriends, just a heads up. In this episode, you'll hear themes of violence, murder, and of course, me swearing at times. So not much has changed, has it? Hi, Carol. Anna, why are you calling me on a random Wednesday morning? What's going on? Okay, look, don't shoot me, but I think I want you to investigate another cold case. What?
We must have a bad connection. I better hang up. You know that moment when someone comes into your life and you know it's never going to be the same again? The first time that happened to me was when I met a guy named Bob, who I thought was a total catch, but he turned out to be a fucking asshole who murdered his first wife, Gail Katz. Listen to the first series of The Girlfriends if you want to hear that story.
The second time someone turned my life upside down was when this adorable British woman randomly called me. She asked me to make a podcast about how myself and a group of incredible women investigated what happened to Gail. And well, I just couldn't say no to her. So my producer Anna became like one of the family, my new surrogate daughter. And within a few months of meeting, she flew out to stay with me in Las Vegas where I fed her constantly like the good Jewish mother I am.
I even got you kombucha. Oh my God, of course I drank kombucha. Look at me. I know my guests. I took Anna to meet my mom, who loved her. Did people tell you how beautiful you are? Huh? Your hair, your face, I mean, your skin. Show off. And she met my friends. I have no children. You could be my daughter. Thank you. I'm adopting you.
Together, we turned my tragic dating history into the number one podcast in six countries. No big deal. Turns out Anna's not finished with me yet. There's one mystery from the first series that we never managed to solve. Our lost sister.
What's her name? And more importantly, what's her story?
People want answers. I've received so many emails, comments, and calls. What's this about the torso? This is a loose end for this poor woman who never was identified. Whose torso is it? Who is this victim? And what's being done to try to identify her and seek justice?
But I have to admit, I'm worried. I mean, we spent a year working night and day trying to identify her already. We never got an answer. And what if we still can't? But what if we don't try? I feel like if we don't do this, nobody's going to try. We're the only ones left. And if anyone can do it, we can. The girlfriends. The girlfriends.
And that's how she gets me. She always lures me back in. But I'm right, you know? I'm really right. This is going to be really hard. But luckily, it's not just me and Anna. We have the whole Girlfriends gang to help us solve this case. There's Gail's sister, Elaine. You killed my sister, and I know you think you got away with it, but I will always hound you and haunt you. And there's my dear friend, Mindy. I hope that...
We can make something positive out of this. And between us, me, Mindy, Elaine, Anna, we don't just want to solve a case. We want to make a difference. We want to show why every woman's story matters. But if we're going to do this, we need your help too. So listen up, get your pen and paper out. This is all we know so far about the woman we're trying to identify.
On May 21st, 1989, her torso washed up in New York, just north of the Verrazano Bridge on Staten Island. The autopsy report said she'd been in the water for two to three months and DNA testing was limited back then. So the medical examiner compared some x-rays that showed similarities between the two. That sufficiently allowed them to change Jane Doe's torso on the death certificate.
to Gail Katz-Bierenbaum. She was then buried in the Katz family plot in Queens. And finally, I felt that I found my sister and she was safe. But that's not the end of the story. In the summer of 1998, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office exhumed the body from Gail's grave for DNA testing. And they said to me, the torso is not Gail. And after a string of curses, I said to them,
Then the torso seemingly vanishes. No one from Gail's case knows what happened to her. So if the torso is not Gail Katz-Bierenbaum, then who is she? And where did she go?
told you it wasn't going to be easy. And that's why, dear girlfriends, we need your help because we know that we are stronger together. Last series, by just passing the podcast between each other, you helped over 1,500 people connect with our charity Partner No More and get potentially life-saving advice regarding intimate partner violence.
So let's do it again. Let's work together. If you have any leads, ideas, or suggestions for how we can solve this 35-year-old cold case, how we can identify this missing woman, our lost girlfriend, please, please email us at thegirlfriends at novel.audio or you can reach out to me on my socials at carolafisher. That's carol with an e.
Our live investigation will be dropping on this feed in a few months' time. So if you haven't already, hit the follow button so you don't miss when we release the first episode. And please tell your friends we're back and that we need their help too. Until then, hold your girlfriends tight. That's perfect. Thank you, Carol. I can't believe we're fucking doing this again. And you're like sitting here. I'm like, what has happened in my life?
The Girlfriends is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel, visit novel.audio. The show is hosted by me, Carol Fisher, and our chief investigator is Mindy Shapiro. To find me on social media, search Carol A. Fisher. That's Carol with an E. The series is produced and written by Anna Sinfield and Lee Meyer.
Our assistant producer is Madeline Parr, who also fact-checked this episode. The editor is Joe Wheeler. Max O'Brien is our executive producer. Production management from Cherie Houston and Charlotte Wolfe. Sound design, mixing, and scoring by Daniel Kempson.
Music supervision by Anna Sinfield and Nicholas Alexander. Original music composed by Louisa Gerstein. The series artwork was designed by Christina Lemkuhl. Story development by Anna Sinfield. Willard Foxton is creative director of development.
Special thanks to Katrina Norvell, David Wasserman, Bethann Macaluso, Carrie Lieberman, Carly Frankel, and all the team at WME. And a special shout out to Vince Hayward, who's my partner, for taking on the role of girlfriend's confidant and lead tech support. I've got you.
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We want you to join our team. Brightview Senior Living is growing and actively seeking vibrant associates to join our community teams, including directors, health care, activities, hospitality, and dining. Apply today at careers.brightviewseniorliving.com. Equal employment opportunities. Text BVJOBS to 97211 to apply. Whether you're a newborn baby with delicate, dry skin, or a fully grown adult whose skin is a little parched,
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