Ep 93: Surviving Dirty John with Debra Newell

In this episode, Laura interviews survivor and shero Debra Newell from the podcast “Dirty John,” Bravo show of the same name and Oxygen documentary, “Dirty John, the Dirty Truth,” which Laura served as consultant producer on.

Now Debra has written a book called “Surviving Dirty John” to set the record straight about what really happened. Laura and Debra discuss how Debra went to four different police stations, desperate for help. Despite Debra’s 319-page report about John’s history, the police told her it was a civil matter and to go home. This is exactly why Laura and Debra have been lobbying for coercive control law reform and a register for serial perpetrators in America. 

Laura unravels coercive control including the red flags and her indirect assessment of John Meehan using the Psychopathy Checklist Re-visited. Debra shares her investigation into her sister Cindi’s murder and reads out the message she sent police the day before her daughter, Terra Newell, was attacked by John Meehan. You won’t want to miss this.

Trigger warning: Listener discretion is advised. This episode may be upsetting and/or triggering and it will be angry making.

You can buy Debra Newell’s book here:

https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Dirty-John-Story-Murder/dp/1953295509

Sign the petition to Criminalize Coercive Control in America

https://www.laurarichards.co.uk/dv-law-reform/

Sign the petition to Criminalize Coercive Control in Australia

https://www.change.org/p/criminalise-coercive-control-in-australia

Complete the Victims Voice Survey if you have experienced coercive control:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LLW6XZ3

You can follow Laura and her work on Instagram @crimeanalyst @laurarichards999

TikTok @crimeanalystpod and Twitter @thecrimeanalyst @laurarichards999

#DebraNewell #DirtyJohn #CoerciveControl #CindiVickers #TerraNewell #CrimeAnalyst #Expert #Analysis #Behaviour #TrueCrime #Podcast #MaleViolence #Femicide 

Clip

Dirty John, the Dirty Truth

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