Chapters
Shownotes Transcript
What's something that works so well that it's basically magic? It's summertime, so how about air conditioning? Noise-canceling headphones? Meeting-free Fridays? Well, what about selling with Shopify?
Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. From the "launch your online shop" stage, to the first "real life store" stage, all the way to the "did we just hit a million orders" stage, Shopify is there to help you grow. Whether you're selling trained detective t-shirts or advocacy gear, Shopify helps you sell everywhere.
From their all-in-one e-commerce platform to their in-person POS system, wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered.
What I love about Shopify is no matter how big you grow, Shopify grows with you. And they give you everything you need to take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial at shopify.com slash justice, all lowercase. Go to shopify.com slash justice now to grow your business no matter what stage you're in. Shopify.com slash justice.
In 2020, in a small California mountain town, five women disappeared. I found out what happened to all of them, except one. A woman known as Dia, whose estate is worth millions of dollars. I'm Lucy Sheriff. Over the past four years, I've spoken with Dia's family and friends, and I've discovered that everyone has a different version of events.
Hear the story on Where's Dear? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Voices for Justice is a podcast that uses adult language and discusses sensitive and potentially triggering topics, including violence, abuse, and murder.
This podcast may not be appropriate for younger audiences. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some names have been changed or omitted per their request or for safety purposes. Listener discretion is advised. My name is Sarah Turney, and this is Voices for Justice. Today, I'm discussing the disappearance of 11-year-old Madalena Kojikari. Last year, in December 2022, I posted a mini-sode about Madalena.
At that time, she'd only been missing for less than two weeks. We didn't know a lot about her case, mostly just that Madalina was reported missing weeks after she was last seen, which is never a good situation. You might know Madalina's case from the last known security footage of her getting off her school bus on November 21st, 2022. Now, video footage like that is so valuable. But in Madalina's case, we know that they were already behind.
This video is the last we know about Madalena's whereabouts, but she wasn't reported missing until weeks later on December 15th.
In True Crime, we hear a lot about how important the first 48 hours are after someone goes missing. But forget 48 hours, that's 23 days that she went without anyone looking for her. So by the time investigators began working the case, they were already way behind. It's now been over 100 days since Madalena was last seen. So I wanted to bring us back to her case to hopefully raise more awareness.
and talk about some major updates, including a trip her mother made to a very remote area just after Madalina was last seen. This is the case of Madalina Kojikari.
In November 2022, 11-year-old Madalena Kojikari was a 6th grade student at Bailey Middle School in Cornelius, North Carolina. This is about 20 miles north of Charlotte. At this time, she lived at home with her 37-year-old mother, Diana Kojikari, and her 60-year-old stepfather, Christopher Palmiter.
On Monday, November 21st, Madalena went to school like normal, then rode the school bus home. She was last seen on surveillance from the bus exiting the vehicle at 4.59 p.m. at her regular stop. The next day, Madalena did not go back to Bailey Middle School. None of her classmates or teachers have seen her since.
On December 12th, Madalena's school resource officer and the sixth grade school counselor went to her home to speak with her mother, but there was no answer at the door. So they dropped off a truancy packet and left.
Two days later, on Wednesday, December 14th, Diana called the counselor and asked to meet with her about the packet. During this phone call, she says she will bring Madalena to the meeting. So the next day, December 15th, Diana went to the school to meet with the counselor and the resource officer, but Madalena wasn't with her. During this meeting, Diana admits that she hasn't seen her daughter since 10 p.m. on the night of November 23rd.
She then officially reports Madalena missing to the school resource officer. Diana goes on to explain that on the night of Wednesday, November 23rd, she and her husband Christopher got into an argument. At around 10 p.m., while the argument was still happening, Madalena went to her room to go to bed. Christopher then decided to drive to Michigan to see some family members and to, quote, recover some items, end quote.
The next day is Thanksgiving, so there's no school. According to statements Diana made to the police, it wasn't until around 11.30 a.m. that she went into Madalena's room to check on her. She says this is when she found out Madalena was missing. But there's no report made to police, and there's no searches for Madalena. Diana told the officer that she waited three days until Christopher arrived home around 7 p.m. on November 26 to ask if he knew where Madalena was.
She went on to explain that Madalena doesn't have a phone, and she doesn't have friends or family that she'd likely be staying with because they're from the European country Moldova. Now, at some point after November 23rd and before December 15th, Diana even called her family in Moldova and told them Madalena was missing. And as you might expect, they urged her to call the police, but of course she didn't.
The school resource officer did ask Diana why she hadn't reported Madalena missing until now, and Diana says that she was worried it might start a, quote, conflict, end quote, between her and her husband. The officer then calls in Cornelius police detectives, who question Diana further. According to court documents, Diana told them, quote, she believed her husband put her family in danger, but did not know what happened to Madalena, end quote.
Next, on December 15th, Christopher was asked to go down to the school to speak with detectives. He says he last saw Madalena on November 16th, not the 23rd as Diana told police. According to court documents, Christopher says that when he returned home on the 26th, Madalena still wasn't there. So he asked Diana if she had hidden Madalena, but he says he wasn't given a straight answer.
He says it wasn't until they began discussing Madalena's whereabouts over the next few weeks that Diana admitted that she didn't know where Madalena was. He admits that neither of them called the police to report Madalena missing. Following these interviews, the FBI and the State Bureau of Investigation were brought in to work the case.
So investigators get to work trying to verify the last time Madalena had been seen by anyone other than Diana and Christopher, and they determine that no one had seen her since November 21st when she was captured on surveillance video exiting the bus. Finding this video evidence was key to the case, because remember, Christopher said he hadn't seen Madalena since November 15th.
While Diana said the last time she saw her daughter was on the night of November 23rd. Obviously, neither one of those days is November 21st. This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by Quince. I can't believe that we are rolling into fall, but we are, which means it's time to refresh your wardrobe. And luckily, Quince offers timeless and high-quality pieces that will not blow your budget.
Like cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and more. All Quince items are priced 50-80% less than similar brands. And they do that by partnering directly with top factories. That way they cut out the cost of the middleman and pass those savings on to us. At this point, I've tried a little bit of everything from Quince.
and I'm still in love with their ten-cell jersey fit and flare dresses. Especially in Arizona, it's really easy to dress them up or dress them down and add some layers if it gets colder.
Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high-quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash justice for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. That's q-u-i-n-c-e dot com slash justice to get free shipping and 365-day returns. quince.com slash justice
This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by June's Journey. June's Journey is a hidden object mystery game, and you step into the role of June Parker and search for hidden clues to uncover the mystery of her sister's murder. Basically, you engage your observation skills to quickly uncover key pieces of information that lead to chapters of mystery, danger, and romance.
Throughout your investigation, you also customize your very own luxurious estate island. You collect scraps of information to fill your photo album and learn more about each character. But my favorite part is chatting and playing with or against other players by joining a detective club and putting my skills to the test in a detective league.
So, there's kind of two times that I find myself playing June's Journey. One is kind of throughout the day when I just need like a little decompression break, I play a few scenes and get back to work. Or more often than not, when I'm laying down for the night, I tend to play then too. For me, it's a nice way to unwind, decompress, and get lost in a mystery. Discover your inner detective when you download June's Journey for free today on iOS and Android.
Investigators proceeded to conduct two searches of the family home. During the search, investigators discovered an area in the kitchen blocked off by plywood. When asked what this was about, Christopher said they planned to build a separate apartment. Investigators also dug up areas in the backyard of the home, but as of this recording, it's unclear if they found anything. Investigators then spread their search to the surrounding areas, including nearby lakes, but Madalena was not recovered.
On December 17th, Diana and Christopher were arrested and charged with failing to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement.
This is a felony in North Carolina. At both of their bond hearings on the 20th, prosecutors told the judge that neither had any information on where Madalena could be, or any information about why she hadn't been reported missing for weeks. At Diana's bond hearing specifically, prosecutors said she reported Madalena missing, quote, begrudgingly, end quote, and had hindered the investigation into her disappearance.
The prosecution said that they have grave concerns that if Diana is released on bond, she'll continue to hinder the investigation and the search. After prosecution made their arguments, Diana's bond was set at $250,000, with the condition that she would be placed under electronic monitoring if she makes bond. Christopher's bond was set at $200,000 without electronic monitoring. That night, a candlelight vigil is held for Madalena.
The next day, December 21st, police return to Madalena's home. They're seen through the windows taking photos of the inside of the home. It's also believed that they were there with intent to collect physical evidence as there was a crime scene search truck parked outside.
The next day, Cornelius Police released a letter written by unnamed relatives of Madalina's. We don't know who these relatives are, only that they are not Madalina's mother or stepfather. The letter read in part, quote, We as a family are devastated and absolutely heartbroken to learn that Madalina is missing. We
We love Madalena and are shocked by these circumstances. Madalena is a beautiful, smart, kind 11-year-old with greatness in her future. We are desperate to find her now. She needs all of our help."
When I first told you about Madalena, this is pretty much where her story ended. Since then, Madalena's caregivers have gone back to court to discuss Bond, and the judge asked that both surrender their passports, and for Christopher Palmiter to also undergo electronic monitoring should he be released on Bond. Both agreed. The Cornelius Police Department also released this message to the public. Good afternoon. I'm Captain Jennifer Thompson of the Cornelius Police Department.
First, on behalf of our command staff, our town manager, and elected officials, I want to say thank you to all the agencies who are assisting us in our search for Madalena. Over the past 12 days, the Cornelius Police Department has led a massive investigation to find 11-year-old Madalena Kojikari. One of the challenges in this case, simply put, we were not notified she was gone. A delay of three weeks.
School officials had repeatedly tried to contact Madalena's parents. Finally, on December 15th, Madalena's mother walked into school and said her daughter was missing. We immediately called in partners from across the state and from the FBI. Since that Thursday, nearly two weeks ago, hundreds of agents, detectives, analysts, and other employees surged. In cooperation with the district attorney's office, we arrested Madalena's mother, Diana Kojikari, and her stepfather, Christopher Palmiter.
Thankfully, the state of North Carolina has a law that makes it illegal if someone fails to report a missing child to law enforcement. Here are some of the specifics. Investigators have developed and followed nearly 250 leads spanning across state lines and across the globe. We have interviewed hundreds of people in North Carolina and other states and again across the globe. We went door to door to at least 245 homes focusing on the Victoria Bay community where Madalena lives.
We canvassed businesses and scoured through hours of surveillance video from all over the area. We also led land and water searches around Lake Cornelius as a precautionary measure. Investigators obtained multiple search warrant for Madalena's home to make sure we legally gathered each and every possible piece of evidence to find Madalena. We know everyone has a lot of questions. We also have questions that are doing everything we can with proper legal authority to get those answers.
We know you understand us sharing investigative details could harm our efforts in finding Madalena. The Cornelius Police Department is so grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support. This is a serious case of a child whose parents clearly are not telling us everything they know. Please call us if you have eyewitness information. Thank you for your time and efforts to help us find Madalena.
On January 3rd, 2023, a grand jury indicted Madalena's mother and stepfather for failure to report her disappearance.
Now, despite Madalena's home being searched multiple times, twice before the arrest and once after, we don't know exactly what was found. In fact, the judge decided to have the warrants and phone records in Madalena's case sealed for at least 90 days, stating that the search warrant affidavits are quote, "...extremely detailed and may contain facts not available to the public." End quote.
They add that if the search warrants were released, they could interfere with the rights of the suspects. The ruling from the judge to seal the records reads in part, quote, Given the current level of media attention, release of the search warrants in the above-referenced matter at this time into public domain could interfere with the rights of Diana Kojikari and Christopher Pomatter to a fair trial.
Furthermore, release of the search warrant affidavit into the public domain at this stage may interfere with the ability of detectives to recover additional untainted information from witnesses, and could hinder the efforts to locate Madalena Kojikari. End quote. But then, less than a week later on January 9th, the judge reverses part of her decision.
and six partially redacted warrants were released. These warrants outline the timeline of the investigation, and give us a little more insight into what exactly they were looking for in Madalena's house.
They were authorized to search the home, vehicles, and basically anything on the property. The language is really vague and broad, which isn't uncommon. It seems investigators were looking for travel documents, Madalena's clothing, and any possible DNA samples. Ultimately, 24 items were seized from the home, but 21 of those items listed have been redacted from the reports released to the public.
All that's left unredacted is the seizure of three iPhones. We also learn that search warrants were executed to review Diana Kojikari and Christopher Palmiter's cell phone records.
So that would account for at least two of the three phones taken. Because remember, it's believed that Madalena did not have her own cell phone. So this next part really caught my attention. In the Cornelius Police Department's application for a search warrant for the family home, and specifically Madalena's caregiver's cell phones, they wrote, quote,
Based upon this applicant's training and experience, persons who commit crimes often change the phone numbers they use to communicate following their commission of a crime. However, these individuals often continue to communicate with associates through alternative means, including newly established cellular telephone numbers." So it seems like the police could believe that the third phone was a new phone acquired after Madalena went missing.
The last thing that caught my eye was investigators state that they do plan to look for biological evidence such as hair, blood, saliva, and blood stains. They were also looking for weapons or anything believed to be a weapon. But that's all we really learn.
Then, in January 2023, police announced one of the largest updates the case has seen to date. Multiple witnesses come forward to say that they saw Diana Kojikari's light green Toyota Prius in the days after Madalena was last seen. She was spotted in some pretty remote areas in the North Carolina mountains.
One witness said she saw Diana's car on Tuesday, November 22nd, the day after Madalena was last seen in that footage getting off the bus. According to this witness, she saw that car in Weaverville. Now, this was corroborated by another resident that says they saw the same car at a Weaverville IHOP restaurant on November 25th. Weaverville is just over a two-hour drive from Cornelius where the family lived.
The next witness says she saw Diana's car parked near Lonesome Mountain. She says it stuck out to her, because later, the same vehicle caught up with her and sped past her. Not only that, Diana's Prius is this really distinguishable seafoam color. It's hard to miss. Now, Lonesome Mountain is north of Weaverville. You basically run right into it 22 miles up the road.
Unfortunately, we don't know the date of this sighting, so it's hard to say that if this was Diana if she visited the area several times over a few days, or just stayed in the area from at least the 22nd to the 25th. But I think we have good reason to believe that it was Diana's Prius that was seen, because law enforcement confirmed to Inside Edition that they made contact with Diana near Lonesome Mountain after Madalena went missing.
We don't know what the nature of this contact was, but we know that Madalena was not with her.
So let's break this down. Christopher Palmiter says he last saw Madalena on November 16th, 2022. On November 21st, we get the last verified sighting of Madalena leaving her school bus. On the 22nd, Diana is seen in Weaverville, and Madalena does not attend school. The 23rd is the day Diana says she last saw her daughter around 10 p.m.,
The 24th is Thanksgiving Day. On the 25th, Diana is seen in Weaverville. And on the 26th, Christopher Pomatter returns home from his trip to Michigan.
This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by CB Distillery. If you're anything like me, my medicine cabinet was filled with things that just didn't help me. I still couldn't sleep, I was still in pain, and I was still stressed out. So I gave CB Distillery a try, and it has been a real change. And in two non-clinical surveys, 81% of customers experienced more calm.
and 90% said that they slept better with CBD. And I'm a part of that 90%. I've had trouble sleeping for most of my life. And after trying every tea, every pill that I could get my hands on, CBD distilleries' deep sleep gummies have actually worked for me. It not only helps me fall asleep, but it helps me stay asleep, which has been my big problem in the past.
So if you struggle with a health concern and haven't found relief, make the change like I did to CB Distillery. And with over 2 million customers and a solid 100% money-back guarantee, CB Distillery is the source to trust. I have a 20% discount to get you started. Visit cbdistillery.com and use code JUSTICE for 20% off. That's cbdistillery.com, code JUSTICE. cbdistillery.com
This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by Ibotta. Are you planning your dream vacation but dreading the cost?
With Ibotta, you get cash back on all your purchases, so you can spend more time making memories and less time dreaming about them. Ibotta is a free app that lets you earn cash back every time you shop. You can earn on hundreds of items you buy every day, from groceries to beauty supplies and even toys. The average Ibotta user earns $256 per year.
That's a plane ticket, a shopping trip, or even a fancy dinner. And they have so many brands, over 2,400. Lowe's, Macy's, Sephora, Best Buy, and more. I've been using Ibotta for a really long time. It's one way that I make every penny stretch. And right now, Ibotta is offering our listeners $5 just for trying Ibotta by using the code CRIME when you register.
Just go to the App Store or Google Play Store and download the free Ibotta app to start earning cash back and use code CRIME. That's I-B-O-T-T-A in the Google Play Store or App Store and use code CRIME.
On Valentine's Day 2023, investigators tweeted out a never-before-seen picture of Madalena in hopes of generating more leads. Now, I know an 11-year-old, and it breaks my heart to see this picture. Her hair is in a single braid, and she's wearing one of those black plastic tattoo choker necklaces that were really, really popular when I was growing up in the 90s. She has this kind of sly smile on her face, like she's confidently taking this picture.
At this point, Madalena has been missing for 85 days, and it's only been 61 days since the Cornelius Police Department began their investigation. But it's hard to say exactly what's going on in the investigation today. According to reporting by WCNC Charlotte...
When they spoke to the FBI field office in Michigan, they confirmed that they were assisting the Cornelius police with Madalena's case. But when local publication Cornelius Today asked police chief David Baucom, quote, is there an investigation where the stepfather traveled in Michigan, end quote, the chief said, quote, there is not an investigation in Michigan that I am aware of, end quote.
So I hope this means they've concluded their investigation as opposed to not investigating why Christopher Pomatter went to Michigan shortly after Madalena was last seen. Now, in that same interview with Cornelius today, the chief is also asked if there were any domestic calls made to Madalena's home in the past. And we learn that no, there weren't. Quote, I checked our call history and there have been no prior calls for service of that type. End quote.
He's also asked if Madalena's birth father has been interviewed, and the chief responds with, quote, my understanding is that her birth father is in Moldova, and I am not aware if he has been located, end quote.
Okay, listen, I'm not saying Madalena's biological father had anything to do with her disappearance. We just don't have any evidence to point us to that conclusion. But isn't interviewing the biological parents of a missing child like one of the first things the police usually do in these cases? I mean, at the very least, they could just eliminate the possibility that he was involved altogether. In a best-case scenario, he might have information that could help.
I mean, that's if he even knows Madalena is missing. I mean, if they can't tell us if he's been located, I have to wonder if he's even been notified. But to be fair, the chief did say he isn't aware if he's been located, just like he's not sure if they investigated this trip Madalena's stepfather made to Michigan.
so I can't say for sure what they have and haven't done. I just wish maybe Cornelius Police Department sent someone who could answer those questions. Or if they can't tell us, just say that. Because the public is left wondering if these things have actually been investigated.
In fact, one of the only two comments on this article is from Barb H., who says, quote, they didn't check Michigan? That's pretty strange, end quote. And I'm right there with you, Barb. This interview left me wondering what is going on in this investigation. Now, Madalena's caregivers had court scheduled for March 2nd, 2023, the week this episode comes out. It's listed on the docket for, quote, homicide day, end quote.
When I saw this, it was pretty jarring. I thought it was maybe some type of indication that her mother and stepfather were being charged with murder. But officials with the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office released a statement to clarify this verbiage. Quote,
I have to say this statement does give me hope. But as the County District Attorney's Office has asked, I will draw no conclusions from this statement. This is Jessica Knoll, host of the new series, Back in Crime.
If you're a follower of true crime, you're probably familiar with some of the most shocking stories from our history. Horrific tragedies like the Columbine Massacre. And notorious criminals like cult leader Charles Manson.
In a scene described by one investigator as reminiscent of a weird religious rite, five persons, including actress Sharon Tate, were found dead at the home of Miss Tate and her husband, screen director Roman Poliansky. But what if we were to turn back the hands of time and relive these events as they unfolded? Follow along each week as we take a fresh look at crimes from the past. Back in Crime is available now.
March 1st, 2023 marked 100 days since Madalena Kojikari was last seen. Madalena's mother, Diana Kojikari, and her stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, remain in jail on charges for failing to report her missing. They have never been officially charged with any crime in connection to Madalena's case. The Cornelius Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI continue to work her case.
While Diana Kojikari and Christopher Pomatter were scheduled to appear in court on March 2, 2023, that has since been pushed back. That's basically where Madalena's case is today.
You know, I usually save discussions about how I feel about these cases for the after show, but I think this is important for everyone to hear in the main episode. I just don't understand why Madalina's case isn't being discussed more. This is the type of case that the true crime community usually eats up. A missing child whose parents look extremely suspicious, but no justice has been served.
I have seen extreme outrage and calls for justice for so many similar cases. Summer Wells, Harmony Montgomery, Michael Vaughn, Kaylee Anthony, my own sister. Maybe we just aren't being loud enough about Madalena. She is an 11-year-old child who is missing. These kids don't just vanish into thin air. Someone saw something or knows something.
Now, I know the judge has been concerned about media coverage, but I'm not seeing Madalena anywhere on social media. My social media right now is flooded with the Murdoch trial. I mean, that's almost all I see. I had to go dig for these updates. So, with how little attention her case seems to be getting, I don't think it's that surprising that her picture and her story just hasn't hit that right someone yet. That right person with that one puzzle piece to find out what happened to Madalena and get her justice.
You may not think sharing her story will do much, but there are tens of thousands of you that listen to this show each week. If everyone shared her story, it would make a huge impact.
Callahan Walsh with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children told WCNC News in Charlotte, "...there are absolutely things the public can do to help locate this girl. All it takes is one person to see her image and say, oh, I remember this, I remember that, I saw her here or I saw her there. The public should stay vigilant. They shouldn't give up hope."
Which brings me right to our call to action. Authorities have asked that people share Madalena's FBI poster with everyone you know. They also want to pinpoint precisely when Madalena disappeared, so they are looking to speak with anyone who may have seen her after November 21st. And here is their newest call to action.
They are asking anyone who may have seen Diana Kojikari's light green Toyota Prius in the Madison County area between November 22nd and December 15th to contact authorities.
As a reminder, the last verified independent sighting of Madalena was on November 21st, 2022 in Cornelius, North Carolina. She was not reported missing until December 15th. Madalena is 11 years old, 12 in April 2023. She is white,
4 feet, 10 inches tall, weighs 90 pounds, and has brown hair with brown eyes. She was last seen wearing jeans, pink, purple, and white Adidas shoes, and a white t-shirt and jacket. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773. But as always, thank you, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time.
Voices for Justice is hosted and produced by me, Sarah Turney, and is a Voices for Justice media original. This episode contains writing and research assistance by Haley Gray. If you love what we do here, please don't forget to follow, rate, and review the show in your podcast player. It's an easy and free way to help us and help more people find these cases in need of justice.
You can also support what we do here over on Patreon at patreon.com slash voices for justice. And for even more content, check out my other podcast, Disappearances, only on Spotify.
Welcome to the secret after show. The door is open, the dogs are in the studio, and I'm ready to talk. Honestly, I don't have a ton to say about this episode. I guess I just wanted to address what I alluded to when I said I wasn't going to say it in the after show. I started talking about my feed being flooded with the Murdoch murder trial, and I just wanted to clarify that, like,
Those victims deserve justice, too. You know what I mean? I'm not... I really hate comparing cases like I did in this episode. But I do think that when these larger-than-life cases like the Murdoch trial comes up, all these other cases tend to get forgotten. Oh, you can hear the full chaos from the studio today. I'm sorry, but, uh...
But yeah, I think that's what's concerning to me is when there's this huge case that's larger than life. We saw with the Idaho murders and with Gabby Petito and, you know, with the Murdoch trial. It's like everything else just falls by the wayside. It's almost it feels like anyway on social media that people just aren't talking about anything else. So when I went to look for updates in Madalena's case, I was like,
Why is no one talking about this? Are you kidding me? Why is no one talking about this weird trip to the mountains? And again, I stand by what I said. If this were Summer Wells or Michael Vaughn or Kaylee Anthony, this would have been everywhere. So why isn't this happening for Madalena? I don't know.
Other than that, I do have an announcement. I wanted to let you guys know that I am moderating a free event on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023 at 7.30pm Eastern. Now, this is a panel about navigating ethics and true crime, and it's being hosted by Season of Justice.
If you guys have been listening to me for quite some time, you know that I am on the board of Season of Justice. And just as a recap, Season of Justice is a non-profit. Basically, what we do is provide funding for investigative agencies and families to help solve cold cases. So we do things like give grants for DNA testing or give a grant for a billboard for a family. And the best part is this event is totally free, you guys.
Not only that, we have some pretty cool panelists, if I do say so myself. We have Ryan Backman from Project Cold Case. We have Arlene Harbison, which you guys must remember, you have to remember, from Leon Lorelis's episode. We have Aaron Habel from Gen Y, you guys. We have Jim Brown from Uncovered. And we have Delia D'Ambra from Counter Clock and Park Predators.
I just think it's going to be a really cool event to continue this conversation about ethics and true crime. So again, it is completely free. It is coming up just this next week, Wednesday, March 8th at 7.30 p.m. Eastern.
I would honestly also selfishly just love to see you guys there. I have only once before moderated a panel about ethics and true crime. I'm used to being on the panel, but now I'll be the one asking the questions, which is a whole other level of being nervous. So feel free to show up. Feel free to say really nice things in the comments. And as a side note,
If you do show up, please show some extra love to Arlene. This is the first time she's ever done a panel like this. She's still fighting for justice for Leon. And if you show up again, I would just love to see some love for Arlene in the comments. It is so important that family members like Arlene are...
are encouraged to do stuff like this and are kind of cheered on. I mean, you don't have to agree with what she's saying. Of course, please only do it if you feel like it's natural. But what I'm trying to say is we need more family members like her speaking out. It's not easy. It's extremely terrified. I can tell you the first time I did a panel about ethics and true crime, I was shaking.
But we need more representation in this space because I don't think that there's many other people in this space that can really tell you what it's like to be on this side of things. I mean, when you talk about ethics and true crime, you have to talk about who that actually affects, and that's mostly family members and the cases themselves, so the victims themselves.
So again, I know I'm so long-winded, you guys, but just go support me, support Arlene, support a great cause, you know, see some of your favorite creators, and hopefully we have a really great productive conversation that is also somewhat entertaining for you. But as always, thank you for tolerating my very long-winded-ness here. Anyway, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time.