Unheard: True Crime in Their Own Words – Details, episodes & analysis

In this deeply moving episode of Unheard, survivor and advocate Elizabeth Smart shares her experience of surviving kidnapping and navigating the long, complex journey of healing after trauma. Elizabeth opens up about how the legal system can retraumatize survivors, why forgiveness is deeply personal, and what recovery really looks like beyond the headlines.

This conversation explores trauma recovery, victim advocacy, consent education, body autonomy, and the critical role of family and support systems. Elizabeth also discusses grief, faith, public scrutiny, and how sharing survivor stories can create awareness, understanding, and change.

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses trauma, abuse, and recovery.

Topics include:

trauma recovery, sexual assault survivors, victim advocacy, forgiveness and healing, consent education, legal system challenges, post-traumatic growth, survivor stories, mental health

03:02 – Trauma and the Legal System

05:53 – Faith, Trauma, and Complexity

09:04 – What Forgiveness Really Means

11:56 – Turning Trauma Into Advocacy

15:02 – Why Justice Often Fails Survivors

18:08 – Understanding Victimhood

20:47 – Language, Consent, and Body Autonomy

23:54 – Living Beyond Survival

26:58 – Why Healing Is Not Linear

29:53 – The Power of Support Systems

33:14 – Strength and Resilience After Trauma

36:03 – Setbacks in Recovery

38:48 – Unfairness After Rescue

42:23 – Centering Victims, Not Headlines

43:56 – Family’s Role in Healing

45:00 – Life After Trauma

46:10 – Being a Public Figure After Trauma

47:15 – Returning to “Normal”

51:41 – What the Public Doesn’t See

01:01:45 – The Reality of Long-Term Healing

01:03:30 – Advice for Parents and Educators

01:05:05 – Finding Hope and Joy

01:06:03 – Elizabeth Smart’s Work and Writing

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Unheard: True Crime in Their Own Words is a groundbreaking true-crime podcast that hands the microphone back to those who were silenced. Hosted by investigative storyteller Justin Shepherd, Unheard goes beyond headlines and court transcripts to reveal raw, firsthand accounts from victims, survivors, and voices long overlooked by the justice system.

This trailer offers a powerful introduction to the heart of the series—stories told without filters, agendas, or sensationalism. These are not retellings. These are lived experiences, shared by the people who carry them.

🔎 What to Expect from Unheard:

🗣️ Stories Told Firsthand

Every episode centers the voices of those directly impacted—speaking in their own words, on their own terms.

🖤 Beyond the Headlines

Unheard explores the emotional aftermath, unanswered questions, and human cost that rarely make the news.

⚖️ Truth Without Sensationalism

This series prioritizes authenticity and respect over shock value, creating space for honesty and nuance.

🔦 Cases That Deserve Attention

From overlooked victims to stories buried by time, Unheard shines a light where silence once lived.

🎧 A New Kind of True Crime

Less narration. More truth. This is true crime stripped down to its most human form.

🔥 A Call to Listen Differently

Unheard challenges listeners to move beyond curiosity and toward understanding, empathy, and awareness.

If you think you know true crime—listen again.

Because some stories were never meant to stay silent.

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On July 6, 2024, Sonya Massey did what millions of Americans are told to do when they feel unsafe. She called 911 for help. She was alone in her home in Springfield, Illinois, and believed someone might be outside. Two sheriff’s deputies responded. Less than an hour later, Sonya was dead, shot inside her own kitchen by Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson. The body camera footage would later show Sonya apologizing, raising her hands, and trying to comply in the moments before the fatal shot was fired. Her death sparked national outrage, federal scrutiny, and protests across the country, but behind the headlines was a family left to live with the reality of what happened.

In this episode of Unheard: True Crime in Their Own Words, Justin Shepherd sits down with Sonya’s cousin, Sontae Massey, for a deeply personal and emotional conversation about who Sonya really was and what her loss has meant to those who loved her most. Sontae shares what Sonya was like beyond the news coverage, the moment the family learned she had been killed, and the painful aftermath that followed. She speaks openly about the investigation, the courtroom revelations, and the questions her family still carries. She also discusses the creation of the Massey Commission, formed in Sonya’s name to push for accountability, transparency, and systemic change.

This conversation goes beyond the incident itself and explores the broader impact on a family, a community, and a country still grappling with issues of trust, justice, and accountability. It is a story about grief, resilience, and the determination to make sure Sonya Massey is remembered not just for how she died, but for who she was.

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In this episode of Unheard, Justin sits down with legendary journalist Ashleigh Banfield for an honest conversation about truth, trauma, and the media machine that shapes how the world sees tragedy.

Ashleigh reflects on her journey from small-town newsrooms to the center of history, including being in New York on 9/11, running for her life when the towers collapsed, and continuing to report in the aftermath. She opens up about the emotional toll of covering national tragedies like Sandy Hook, high-profile cases like Casey Anthony, and war zones around the world, and how those experiences permanently changed the way she approaches journalism.

The conversation explores the responsibility of reporters in moments of crisis, the harm caused by conspiracy culture, and why empathy is not optional when telling stories involving victims and survivors. Ashleigh also talks about her evolution beyond traditional news and her work today as the host of the podcast Drop Dead Serious, where she continues to examine complex cases with depth, integrity, and compassion.

This episode is a rare look behind the headlines and into the mind of someone who has spent a lifetime bearing witness to history.

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He used to be a police officer who believed in the system. He wore a badge, took an oath, and built a career around enforcing the law. Years later, he was on the other side of it, charged in a bank heist that cost him his freedom and permanently altered the trajectory of his life.

In this episode of Unheard, I sit down with Gary Sahlin to talk about how that transformation happened. Not in a motivational way. Not in a neatly packaged redemption arc. But in an honest, uncomfortable way that walks through the choices, pressures, and internal shifts that led a trained law enforcement officer to cross into criminal behavior.

We talk about what was happening in his life before the robbery, how he justified what he was doing at the time, and the moment everything finally collapsed. He speaks openly about the crime, the arrest, federal prison, and what it’s like to live with a decision you can’t undo. There’s no attempt to minimize the damage or rewrite history. He owns what he did and talks about the consequences that followed.

This is one of the most interesting stories you’ve probably never heard, not because it’s flashy, but because it exposes how thin the line can be between stability and self-destruction, between identity and illusion, and between who we believe we are and who we actually become.

The conversation isn’t about glamorizing crime. It’s about reality. It’s about accountability. And it’s about hearing directly from someone who has lived on both sides of the justice system.

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👤 FOLLOW THE HOST

Follow Just In The Nick of Crime for updates, behind-the-scenes content, and future episodes:

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DISCLAIMER: This channel covers news stories and current events. All information is presented for educational and informational purposes only. If you or someone you know needs support, visit the appropriate website(s) for resources and helpline information.

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The Columbine High School shooting changed everything, but what came after is a story most people don’t fully understand.

In this episode of Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine High School shooting, shares what happened after that day, how his family coped with unimaginable loss, and how Rachel’s story became a movement that has impacted millions.

This is not only a conversation about Columbine. It’s about what came next.

Darrell walks through the creation of Rachel’s Challenge, a program focused on kindness, compassion, and preventing violence in schools, which has now reached more than 30 million students and parents. Alongside Kristi Krings, we talk about bullying, mental health, forgiveness, and what schools, parents, and communities can actually do to change the culture for the next generation.

We also get into what people still misunderstand about Columbine, the long-term impact on families, and why Rachel Scott’s message continues to resonate decades later.

If you think you understand Columbine, this conversation will challenge that.

Make sure you subscribe as we continue bringing you real conversations with the people directly connected to the stories you think you know.

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What does it actually look like to chase fugitives for a living… and then have your life turned into a television show?

In this episode, I sit down with Justin Bihag, someone who didn’t just appear on Dog the Bounty Hunter… he lived it.

We get into what most people never saw. Not the edited version. Not the dramatized version. The reality of what it took to track people down, what those apprehensions actually felt like in the moment, and how quickly everything changed once cameras showed up.

We break down the case that put everything on the map, the capture of Andrew Luster, and why that moment became bigger than just one fugitive. It shifted public perception of bounty hunting entirely and turned a dangerous, unpredictable job into something the world suddenly couldn’t stop watching.

But the part that stuck with me most isn’t the fame. It’s what came after it. Because when the cameras stop, life doesn’t.

Justin talks openly about the pressure, the personal struggles, the hits his life took behind the scenes, and what it’s like trying to rebuild when people think they already know your story. Addiction, scrutiny, relationships, identity, none of it wrapped up neatly when the show ended.

And then there’s the comeback.

We get into how he found his way back through music, why that outlet matters, and what it takes mentally to keep moving forward when you’ve already lived multiple versions of your life in the public eye.

There’s also something else in this conversation that I think people will connect with, the idea of resilience that isn’t polished or performative. It’s messy. It’s imperfect. And it’s real.

This isn’t just about reality TV. It’s about what reality actually looks like when the cameras aren’t rolling.

Follow and subscribe for more stories that deserve to be heard. These stories don’t get told unless people are willing to listen.

New episodes drop every Monday at 2:00pm Central

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In this episode of Unheard, I sit down with E. Monique Smith, a woman whose story almost defies belief.

As a baby, she was taken from her biological family and raised by people who were not who they claimed to be. She grew up without knowing her real name, her real identity, or where she came from. For decades, she lived without documentation, without answers, and while enduring severe abuse behind closed doors.

At 28 years old, everything began to unravel. What followed was a decades-long search for the truth that would take her through law enforcement agencies, national databases, and eventually DNA genealogy.

She became known as the longest living Jane Doe.

After more than 50 years, she finally uncovered her true identity and was reunited with the family she had been taken from as a child.

This is her story, in her own words.

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In this episode, our guest isn’t just telling stories about the music industry, he lived through some of its darkest moments.

Dewitt Gilmore, who is better known as Relentless Aaron, joins Unheard for a raw, unfiltered conversation about his personal experiences inside the world surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs, and what he says really went on behind the scenes.

From his early days trying to break into the industry to crossing paths with some of its most powerful figures, Aaron walks through moments that shaped his life, including violence, high-stakes confrontations, and the aftermath of events like the CCNY stampede that left lasting controversy.

This episode digs into the power dynamics that define the music business, the culture of silence that can protect it, and the personal cost of speaking out. Dewitt also opens up about his legal battles, the decisions that forced him to stand his ground, and how he turned those experiences into music, books, and a new chapter of his life.

This isn’t just about one person or one story, it’s about influence, accountability, and what happens when someone decides they’re no longer going to stay quiet.

Follow for more conversations like this, and if this episode hits you, share it. These stories don’t get told unless people are willing to listen.

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In 2001, Alissa Turney went missing from her home in Phoenix, Arizona. Her disappearance was quickly labeled a runaway case, and for years, it received little attention from law enforcement.

But her sister, Sarah Turney, refused to let Alissa’s case disappear.

In this episode, Sarah Turney shares the full story behind the disappearance of Alissa Turney, including the early failures in the investigation, the disturbing allegations of abuse and control inside their home, and the role their father, Michael Turney, played in the case. She explains how she began questioning the narrative she had been told and ultimately used social media and true crime platforms to bring national attention back to Alissa’s disappearance.

That renewed attention led to the arrest of Michael Turney in connection with Alissa Turney’s case. However, the trial ended without a conviction, leaving critical questions unanswered and Alissa Turney still missing.

Sarah Turney also discusses the emotional impact of the case, the challenges of navigating the criminal justice system, and the broader issues surrounding missing persons cases, child abuse, and investigative failures. Through her podcast Voices for Justice, she continues to advocate for Alissa Turney and other families seeking answers.

This episode covers the Alissa Turney case, Sarah Turney’s fight for justice, the investigation into Michael Turney, and the ongoing search for answers in one of the most well-known missing persons cases in true crime.

If you follow true crime, missing persons cases, or stories involving family advocacy and justice system failures, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

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