Seth Tobias was found dead in his backyard pool, initially suspected to be an overdose or drowning due to his history of cocaine use and alcohol consumption. The coroner pronounced him dead at the scene, but the definitive cause of death required further investigation through an autopsy.
Billy Ash was a self-proclaimed psychic who claimed to have advised celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and Nancy Reagan. He became involved with Seth Tobias' wife, Phyllis, charging her $2,500 a month for readings. He later attempted to extort $156,000 from Seth, threatening to expose his personal secrets if he didn't pay.
Billy Ash accused Phyllis Tobias of murdering Seth by crushing Ambien into his spaghetti sauce and drowning him in their pool. He claimed Phyllis confessed this to him and even alleged she paid a voodoo priestess to hex Seth. However, investigators found his story unreliable due to his criminal history and lack of evidence.
Seth Tobias' will, written before his marriage to Phyllis, left his $25 million estate to his family, excluding Phyllis. However, Florida law entitled her to the entire estate as his spouse. Seth's family contested this using the Slayer Statute, but the case was eventually settled privately, with no public details disclosed.
Gina Marie Marks was a psychic scammer who preyed on vulnerable individuals, claiming to remove curses in exchange for money. She used tactics like cold reading and fabricated rituals, such as a bloody egg trick, to convince victims of curses. She scammed over $65,000 from multiple victims, including a doctor and a professional athlete.
Bob Nygaard, a private investigator and former NYPD officer, specialized in exposing psychic scams. He gathered evidence against Gina Marie Marks by interviewing victims and presenting the case to authorities. Despite initial reluctance from prosecutors, his persistence led to her arrest, conviction, and eventual imprisonment for fraud and violating probation.
Gina Marie Marks pleaded guilty to fraud charges and was sentenced to six years in prison. She was also ordered to pay restitution to her victims. Despite her release, she continued her scams under different aliases, but Bob Nygaard's efforts ensured she faced legal consequences multiple times.
The Slayer Statute prevents a murderer from financially benefiting from their crime. Seth Tobias' family invoked this law to block Phyllis from inheriting his $25 million estate, alleging she was involved in his death. However, the case was settled privately before a definitive legal ruling was made.
As Abe Lincoln once said—or possibly some guy named Peter Drucker, depends on who you ask—the best way to predict the future is to create it. But for a lot of us humans, that’s a little too loosey-goosey. We’re not big fans of the unknown, and we tend to seek out people who claim they can tell us what to expect from the future. Americans, for example, spend billions a year on psychics. A lot of these are legitimate businesspeople who genuinely want to provide counseling and comfort for their clients. But there’s also a bustling trade in psychic fraud—run by people who have no qualms about taking advantage of you at your most vulnerable and desperate. Today we’re gonna tell you about two of those cases. Case 1: The Mysterious Death of Seth Tobias. Case 2: Psychic Scammer Gina Marks
Sources:
New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/business/04tobias.html
ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=4279324&page=1
New York Magazine: https://nymag.com/news/features/43914/
The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/article/hunt-for-tiger-the-go-go-boy-after-seth-tobiass-death-5n923qml8pf
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/12/bob-nygaard-private-investigator-psychic-fraud
NBC: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/maryland-psychic-sentenced-to-6-years-for-scamming-clients/155294/
TV show "Pink Collar Crime," episode "The Psychic Didn't See Him Coming"
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