The Alien Beauty Cult

On July 31, 2022, a car slammed into a brick building at nearly 100 miles per hour in Strongsville, Ohio, killing 20-year-old Dominic Russo and 19-year-old Davion Flanagan. Behind the wheel was 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla, who survived the crash. What initially appeared to be a tragic accident would eventually become a shocking double-murder case.This week on Pod Candy; Cults, Crimes, and Killers, Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John Mayer dive into Netflix's true-crime documentary The Crash, examining the disturbing evidence, Mackenzie's volatile relationship with her boyfriend, and the warning signs that may have been ignored.From toxic teenage relationships and questionable parenting to entitlement, accountability, and the devastating grief of two families, the conversation raises some uncomfortable questions. Did Mackenzie deliberately drive into that building? Could someone have intervened before tragedy struck? And what happens when parents refuse to acknowledge their children's behavior?Join Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John Mayer for a candid, emotional, and sometimes heated discussion about a case that challenges the line between a terrible accident and intentional murder.Source Documentary: "The Crash" on Netflix

What happens when the person you trust most is the one stealing millions from you?At the height of his comedy career, Dane Cook was selling out arenas and making millions, while his own half-brother and business manager, Darryl McCauley, was secretly stealing nearly $12 million right under his nose.This week on Pod Candy: Cults, Crimes and Killers, Stacey and Dori dive into the documentary Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story, exploring a shocking case of family betrayal, greed, and financial fraud.Joined by forensic psychologist Dr. John Mayer, the hosts unpack the psychology behind the deception. Was Darryl driven by jealousy, entitlement, or an addiction to money? How much did his wife, Erica, really know? And how did Dane Cook manage to cope with such a devastating betrayal without letting it destroy him?Of course, it's not all serious. From debating Dane Cook's sex appeal to sharing their own secret cash-hiding spots (including some VERY unconventional suggestions), Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John bring plenty of laughs to a story about what happens when money and family collide.Millions stolen. Trust shattered. And a whole lot of money hidden in some very strange places. Let's get into it!

How does a bitter custody battle turn into a murder-for-hire plot? And what happens when a wealthy, seemingly successful family believes the rules simply don't apply to them?This week on Pod Candy: Cults, Crimes and Killers, Stacey and Dori dive into Hulu's four-part true crime docuseries, Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel. The shocking case follows the 2014 murder of a Florida State University law professor whose contentious divorce and custody dispute ultimately exposed a deadly conspiracy involving members of the powerful Adelson family.Joined by forensic psychologist Dr. John Mayer, the hosts unpack the toxic family dynamics, entitlement, greed, and psychological denial that may have fueled the crime. From Donna Adelson's controlling influence to Charlie Adelson's shocking downfall, they explore how money and manipulation can create a dangerous sense of invincibility.Stacey and Dori debate Hollywood casting choices, disastrous dating experiences, and just how much money it would take to commit an unthinkable act.It's a disturbing story of family loyalty gone horribly wrong—and a reminder that sometimes the most dangerous people are the ones convinced they'll never get caught.

In this episode of Pod Candy: Cults, Crimes & Killers, Stacey, Dori, and forensic psychologist Dr. John Mayer unpack Netflix’s Death of the Pastor’s Wife and the troubling story of Micah Miller.The gang digs into coercive control, grooming, religious manipulation, church power, mental health, and the psychological dynamics surrounding Micah’s marriage and death. They also examine the lack of accountability inside powerful religious organizations and the unanswered questions the documentary leaves behind.It’s a heated, emotional, and sometimes darkly funny Pod Candy discussion about faith, control, abuse, and what Dr. Mayer calls “psychological slavery.”

In this episode of Pod Candy: Cults, Crimes & Killers, Stacey and Dori break down Netflix’s The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare, the investigation into the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, and the evidence that led authorities to Kohberger.Forensic psychologist Dr. John Mayer joins the discussion to explore Kohberger’s behavior, isolation, obsession with criminology and the possible psychology behind the crime.The University of Idaho murders shocked the country, and even after Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty, one question still haunts the case: why?This episode is a compelling look at Bryan Kohberger, the Idaho murders, true crime, forensic psychology, criminal psychology, psychopathy, stalking and one of the most disturbing college murder cases in recent history.

For the first time ever, Pod Candy is on video! Now you can finally see Stacey, Dori and Dr. John in the flesh as the show enters a whole new era!  See the full episode on Youtube!This week, Stacey, Dori and Dr. John dive into Gloriavale, the secretive Christian commune in New Zealand featured in the Paramount+ docuseries about life inside the controversial community founded by Neville Cooper, aka “Hopeful Christian.” Stacey and Dori admit the documentary made Gloriavale seem surprisingly less disturbing than some of the cults they’ve covered before. Dr. John strongly disagrees, arguing that the series may have downplayed the abuse and control happening beneath the surface.We answer questions about free will, indoctrination, child labor, religious control, abuse, why people stay, and what finally makes some people leave.  And it wouldn't be a proper episode of Pod Candy without  a few detours involving questionable fashion, attractive shepherds and a possible investigative trip to New Zealand.Content Warning: This episode discusses sexual abuse, including abuse of minors.Source Docuseries: "Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal" on Paramount+

In this special Best of Pod Candy episode, Stacey and Dori revisit some of their most unforgettable psychological deep dives, with forensic psychologist Dr. John Mayer helping unpack the minds, motives and behaviors behind the stories.From the astonishing nine-year catfishing deception at the center of Sweet Bobby and the disturbing abuse scandal explored in Surviving Ohio State, to the mysterious disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley, the mother behind Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, and the lasting effects of childhood trauma on former child star Corey Feldman, this mashup explores just how complicated human behavior can become.The conversation also revisits the elaborate Hollywood fraud of Zach Horowitz in Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scamand the horrifying double life of Jared Fogle, examining how predators, manipulators and con artists gain trust, create convincing alternate realities and sometimes hide in plain sight.It’s a collection of some of Pod Candy’s most compelling conversations about true crime, psychology, trauma, deception and the darker side of human behavior... all in one episode.

In this episode of Pod Candy: Cults, Crimes and Killers, Stacey and Dori unpack Maternal Instinct on Netflix; the shocking documentary about a Texas woman named Taylor Parker, who in 2020 murdered 21-year-old Regan Simmons Hancock and cut her unborn child out of Regan's body to claim it as her own.  The team examines the elaborate web of lies Parker created, the warning signs noticed by friends and family, and the devastating consequences of ignoring the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Forensic psychologist Dr. John Mayer joins the conversation to discuss manipulation, factitious disorder, borderline personality traits, delusional thinking, and how Parker was able to deceive so many people for so long.The episode also explores the unimaginable trauma suffered by Raegan’s family and asks an unsettling question: Could this tragedy have been prevented if more people had trusted their instincts and acted on the red flags?

Six cults. One episode. And for the first time ever, we let Dr. John skip the green room and join us right at the top — no donuts, no punchki, no waiting his turn.In this special Best Of, we're revisiting the cult stories you loved most: the Duggars and IBLP in Shiny Happy People, Warren Jeffs and the FLDS in Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, spiritual influencer Teal Swan in The Deep End, Harvey Weisberger's journey out of an ultra-Orthodox sect, the tantric nightmare of Twisted Yoga, and the one that started it all — Gwen Shamblin and The Way Down. From weight-loss churches to sex cults to prophets running the show from prison, Stacey and Dori bring the outrage and the laughs while Dr. John Mayer brings the diagnosis — psychological murder, sublimation, grooming, narcissism, and why any of us could get pulled in.Content warning: this episode includes discussion of sexual abuse, child abuse, and other sensitive topics. Please listen with care.New here? This is the perfect place to start. Longtime Candy? Consider it your greatest-hits reel.

In this episode of Pod Candy, Stacey, Dori, and Dr. John Mayer dive into the bizarre and unsettling story behind Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult, the HBO docuseries about Frederick von Mierers and his doomsday cult, Eternal Values.The hosts unpack how charisma, confidence, vulnerability, beauty, fame, and manipulation created the perfect conditions for people to follow a man whose beliefs became increasingly extreme. Dr. John Mayer breaks down the psychology of cult leaders, the power of control, why interventions often fail, and how people can become trapped in belief systems that seem impossible to understand from the outside.Our hosts explore the role of Jackie and Fabio in helping expose and escape the group, the impact of AIDS on von Mierers’ final years, and how Hoyt Richards, one of the first male supermodels of the 1980s, spent nearly 15 years under Von Mieres' control inside Eternal Values.