The Vampire of Mercy Notch Pt. 1

In the gripping episode of "Rotten Mango," Stephanie Soo and her co-host dive deep into the chilling story of Abby Choi, a renowned Hong Kong model whose grisly murder stunned a close-knit community and ignited a firestorm of speculation and sorrow. As they analyze the events leading to Abby's disappearance and the subsequent discovery of betrayal and familial treachery, Stephanie uncovers the darker side of wealth's allure and the lengths to which greed can distort human nature.

With the once-revered sheriff's family at the center of a nexus of suspicion, "Rotten Mango" exposes the compelling dynamics of a luxury-addicted mindset against the backdrop of a beloved figure's altruistic legacy. As Stephanie takes listeners through the twists and turns of the investigation and the stark cultural reflections it has provoked, she pays homage to Abby Choi's spirit. This episode not only dissects a tragic tale but makes an impassioned plea for justice, leaving a poignant impact and a community's resolve to remember Abby's life, as opposed to the condemnable acts of her accused.

In an episode that seeps into the darkest corners of the human psyche, "Rotten Mango" hosted by Stephanie Soo along with her co-host, dives deep into a narrative that shocked South Korea. An unimaginable scheme carried out by eight middle-school children culminated in the fatal strike of Econ, an innocent delivery man — revealing a side of youth delinquency that crosses into cold-blooded crime. Throughout this episode, Stephanie stitches together the harrowing reality behind the tragic loss and the shockwaves it sent through the community, inciting debates on juvenile justice and societal norms that many have taken for granted.

The case unraveled by "Rotten Mango" shines an unforgiving light on the shortcomings of South Korea's juvenile justice system. Stephanie Soo's gripping storytelling not only portrays the brazen attitudes of the young perpetrators and their chilling displays of indifference but also underscores the emotional toll on the victim's family. Amid the societal uproar and demand for reform, Soo compels listeners to confront the grim implications of a legal loophole that has left the country's youth seemingly above the law, and questions the responsibility of a society that too often looks the other way. With calls for legal reform growing louder, this episode is a poignant reminder of the importance of vigilance and the collective push for change.

A little girl growing up alone in the lush marshes of the North Carolina coast. A young woman who falls in love and experiences the anguish of a broken heart. A promise of marriage. A betrayal that leads to death. In Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens reveals these moments along Kya Clark’s journey to survive after her family abandons her as a child. Owens’s prose is as lush as the environment she describes, making you feel you are with Kya every step of the way. As Kya deals with discrimination and torment by the local townspeople, she must also navigate matters of the heart and decide if opening her heart is worth the risk when all she’s known is loss.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a poignant story about a man named Eddie’s journey after death. In heaven, he meets five people who teach him about the meaning and value of his own life. Through their stories and lessons, Eddie learns about connection, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love.

Through this book, you’ll have the chance to imagine your own life’s purpose and the lives you’ve touched along the way. The author is Mitch Albom, best-selling author of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto.

In Murder, Mystery & Makeup, speaker Bailey Sarian dives into a spine-chilling narrative of a neighborhood tragedy from 1998. The story takes a deep look into the disappearance of young Maddie Clifton and the revelation of her body hidden under the waterbed of 14-year-old Joshua Phillips. Balancing the harrowing account of this crime with looking at Joshua's household circumstances, Sarian offers listeners a nuanced perspective of a horrific event.

Not only does Sarian share the chilling details of the crime and the subsequent investigation, she even explores the complex environments that might have shaped such a distressing scenario. Moreover, this episode challenges listeners to scrutinize the evidence, contemplate Joshua's life behind bars and communicate their thoughts on a justice system that presents a life sentence to a minor. Fans of true crime and psychological complexities will find this unnerving tale a compelling listen.

Over a half-century after the civil rights movement sought justice for African Americans, prominent movements such as Black Lives Matter continue fighting to expose and resist injustice. In this social landscape, Bryan Stevenson’s message is timely: The US justice system consistently denies justice to society’s most vulnerable members.

In his 2014 book, Just Mercy, Stevenson examines the justice system’s pervasive failures toward marginalized populations, especially Black Americans. To illustrate these failures, Stevenson discusses numerous criminal cases, most prominently the 1989 case of Walter McMillian, a Black man wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Alabama.

In this guide, we’ll discuss Stevenson’s analysis of the McMillian case and his evidence of extreme punishments doled out more broadly by the justice system. Moreover, we’ll consider Stevenson’s diagnosis of the root problems with the American conception of justice and his suggestions for repairing it. We’ll also examine arguments from other sources about how to improve the justice system and provide further context for the cases that Stevenson cites.

Alan Dershowitz is an acclaimed lawyer—known for defending the rich and famous—with a controversial record. Allegations of sexual abuse leveled against him during the Jeffrey Epstein scandal have only added to the controversy surrounding him.