Hold My Sweet Tea

Ep. 65-The Savage Murder of Liese Dodd

Pearl & Holly Season 1 Episode 65

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0:00 | 42:49

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The brutal murder of Liese Dodd—a vibrant 22-year-old who was eight months pregnant—serves as a haunting reminder of how quickly domestic violence can escalate to unimaginable tragedy. Pearl and Holly navigate this heartbreaking case with compassion and purpose, revealing the warning signs that were visible yet ultimately unheeded.

Through their thoughtful discussion, we learn about Liese's life—her love for animals, her career aspirations in the medical field, and her excitement about becoming a mother to a baby girl she affectionately called "Baby Bean." Working and moving into her own apartment, Liese appeared to be creating a promising future despite her troubled relationship with Deundrea Holloway.

What makes this case particularly devastating is how many people recognized the danger. Liese's boss had witnessed Deundrea's violence firsthand. His own family acknowledged his mental health struggles and violent tendencies. Neighbors heard the fatal attack but, having grown accustomed to their arguments, didn't call police. The hosts explore these missed opportunities for intervention with nuance, examining both individual choices and systemic failures in mental health and domestic violence response.

The podcast doesn't shy away from the gruesome details of the crime—the decapitation, the disposal of evidence, Deudrea's bizarre behavior afterward—but treats these elements with appropriate gravity rather than sensationalism. Pearl and Holly connect the case to broader issues, including the challenges victims face when leaving abusive relationships and the inadequacies of our mental health system.

Pearl shares personal experiences with domestic violence situations, adding depth and urgency to the message. The host's emotional investment in the topic transforms what could be simply a true crime story into a powerful call to action against domestic violence.

Have you witnessed warning signs of abuse in someone you know? The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE) provides confidential support and resources, including text options for those who cannot safely make phone calls. Remember—reaching out could save a life.


Source Material:

Neumann, Sean, January 22, 2025, Pregnant woman set to give birth beheaded weeks before due date, Ex sentenced for murder, https://people.com/suburban-st-louis-man-sentenced-60-years-killing-decapitating-woman-8-months-pregnant-8778414

Fong, Jonathan, January 12, 2025,  After years of legal proceedings, Alton man gets prison time for gruesome murder of pregnant woman, https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/alton-man-sentenced-murder-pregnant-ex-girlfriend/63-d47096b9-96a5-461e-85a2-4fc20ecfc761

WRSP/WICS staff, June 15, 2022, Pregnant Illinois woman 'savagely' murdered by ex-boyfriend, police say, https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/pregnant-illinois-woman-savagely-murdered-by-ex-boyfriend-police-say-06-15-2022

Vidal, Gabriella, June 14, 2022, 'She was just a bright light':Family speaks after gruesome death of expectant Alton mother,  https://www.firstalert4.com/2022/06/14/she-was-just-bright-light-family-speaks-after-gruesome-death-expecting-alton-mother/

Cousins, Scott, May 26, 2023, Court decision on fetal homicide c

Introduction to Lisa Dodd's Case

Speaker 1

Today we're going to talk about a two-year-long domestic violence situation that ended in the death of a mother and her unborn baby. This is Hold my Sweet Tea. Thank you, Hello. I'm Pearl.

Speaker 2

And I'm Holly and we were just talking about what we're going to be doing for spooky season and I think we have some really Really good stuff lined up for everybody and, you know, some true crime, spooky cases and some Spooky, spooky cases, but we would, you know, really really really like some feedback. If anybody wants us to cover anything Specific, yes.

Speaker 1

Witchy Halloween, going to also try to go take that little trip to the.

Speaker 2

Yes, the Metairie Cemetery.

Speaker 1

Metairie Cemetery yes, and the coffee place?

Speaker 2

Yes, and we are going to, you know, take lots of pictures and post those on our Instagram and Facebook. And there's also in that same cemetery Anne Rice's tomb. So we'll make sure we'll get pictures of that as well. For sure, yep, because I know there's a lot of Anne Rice fans out there. The vamp queen.

Speaker 1

Yes, one place. We will not be going To the Mississippi.

Speaker 2

Yeah. There's some crazy stuff goings on over there that I have heard about and it's I I don't get it totally disturbing, very, and it's also disturbing how the police are just dismissing it and that makes me irate yeah, like how.

Speaker 1

How coincidental would it be for this rash of suicides by hanging right?

Speaker 2

doesn't make sense, but my thing is is is the one guy, Trey, literally had broken legs. He was beat up. There was bruising all over him.

Speaker 1

How'd he get up there?

Speaker 2

How did he hang himself? Yeah, no, foul play is what they're saying and I'm like no, that is all the foul play, that is the foulest of the play right there. Nothing but foul right there, right? So as that story unfolds, maybe we'll give you guys some updates on it, but if you want to look it up, it's in Mississippi. Yeah, crazy.

Speaker 1

His is in the Delta, mm-hmm. Then they have the other guy in like. Vicksburg yes, up in Vicksburg had the other guy, yeah, in like vicksburg, yes, up in vicksburg um he was which is not far.

Speaker 2

Homeless guy. It's super not far. I read that he was a homeless guy that was living in that area. So what did he do? Why? Who hung him?

Speaker 1

yeah crazy definitely definitely crazy.

Speaker 2

What do you got for us today? You gonna make me cry.

Speaker 1

Probably, okay, probably I don't cry, but still go ahead, you know at least make you feel like you might want to later I don't know probably make other people cry.

Speaker 2

I release a tear like once a year and I'm like enough of that, all right, let's go.

Speaker 1

I mean it's been a minute since this stuff happened I'm not going to say a really long minute, it's just been a few years but it's in Illinois, which I know is not the South. However, I really, truly have a soft spot for domestic violence situations for two reasons. I had a friend who passed away during like COVID stuff, who experienced this and I'm literally the only person she told and she didn't want to go to the police and I forced her. I told her it was not. I could not live with myself or the guilt I would feel if something terrible happened and she ended up dead right. So I literally went to her house crazy man still inside and told her to get in my car before I murdered her myself.

Speaker 1

Now, would I murder her myself? No, but she got in and he came like outside, acting like the big man that he is, and, of course, me and my anger and zero fear was like you want to step to someone, come, step to me, let's do it right here in the front yard. Yep, he turned around, walked in the house and shut the door and he got arrested later. Nice, so I'm just like Crazy stuff. Like he had that time. He had strangled her to the point that she blacked out. So I was like yeah, that's it.

Speaker 1

Nope, we're done, you're not gonna tell me a third time this is, this is the, this is where it ends. Yes, right here. Yep, and she was mad oh, I bet she was and she went a little kooky for a while with me but she like went and saw a therapist after all that and then was like forever grateful and, yes, was like I'm so sorry, I was like that to you. Thank you for saving my life, like you're welcome. Yeah, I was happy to make you pissed off at me, didn't care, you were alive and I didn't have to feel bad.

Speaker 2

But sometimes people have blinders on and they can't see what's going on in front of them that other people can see, and then you get people go. Well, why doesn't she just leave him? Sometimes it's just not that simple. No, unless you have been in those shoes.

Speaker 1

It is not that simple no, it's scary as shit it is. Because, like what happens if I tell the cops and they don't arrest him, and I'm still stuck here and I have nowhere else to go and he kills me tonight because of that, instead of three years down the road, which might have been what happened and then when there's children involved, then you have to think of them like so you have to.

Speaker 2

But I also knew like a plan.

Speaker 1

She had a very supportive family and I knew that, no matter what, her and her kids were always welcome at her parents' house and everything else. And I was like we're not doing this, so hate me if you want, but here we go. My other reason my stepsister, who was in a relationship with a girl who they were very much alike, very, very toxic with each other especially Some drugs were involved for a while. And then an argument ensued and it was Valentine's Day actually that year and late at night and my stepsister tried to remove herself from the situation, just walk outside to let things cool down, and her girlfriend shot her in the back of the head, yep, on her way out the door and she only got like 12 years in prison for that. Disgusting. Yeah, that is disgusting, she but I. She tried to set herself on fire at the police station. How she even had a lighter still, I don't know, but it was crazy, yeah. So there we are.

Speaker 2

So I take that this episode is about domestic violence, absolutely.

Personal Connections to Domestic Violence

Speaker 1

Absolutely so. It's. I'm sure a lot of people have heard, seen it, but it's the Lisa Dodd case. She was eight months pregnant, oh no.

Speaker 1

The guy she was. It says ex-boyfriend and everything but apparently they had been on and off again for like two years, like they would always break up because they'd get an argument, he would do something to her and then they'd split up, but they'd always come back around and end up back together again like it was just over and over. Um, she actually had worked at Dairy Queen after she had graduated in 2017. And her boss there kind of started seeing all the stuff that was happening. She'd come in with black eyes and things of that nature. Yeah.

Speaker 1

You know all the all the stuff and things of that nature. Yeah, you know all the stuff. Like even at one point and the only time I think she ever went to the hospital was a broken nose that happened during an altercation with him. The Dairy Queen boss had actually visually seen him punch her in the face before. Oh wow, and she begged her not to call the cops, and that's why I say what I said in the beginning like that happens more often than not, like they're like, yeah, I know you saw what you saw, but it's my, you know. Like this is the excuse I did this and blah, blah, blah.

Speaker 1

You don't deserve getting punched in the face regardless nobody does so you know she would make excuses, miss a lot of work. So her boss there kind of knew what was up. Obviously her mom knew, like she was telling her about stuff he would do sometimes. Now she kept it a good secret in the beginning but everybody kind of came around to knowing that this was happening and that stuff would get violent, including his own sister and his name is DeAndre Holloway. This was happening and that stuff would get violent, including his own sister, yeah, and his name is deandre holloway. His own stepdad even had said they they consistently tried to get him help because they knew of his violent nature and his mental illness. But our system when it comes to caring for people with mental issues is really broken. Oh, absolutely. And they literally kind of told him we can't force him to be here unless he does something.

Speaker 2

And then in most cases it's too late right and that's by the time.

Speaker 1

By the time you get around to doing something about it, there's nothing left to to to manage because, he's done, lost his whole mind and is in jail and still not getting the treatment he needs.

Speaker 1

So she was born August 14th 1999 in Alton, illinois. I already said she was the class of 2017 at the Jersey Community High School. She was a hard worker, always had a smile to share with her customers and she worked at the Dairy Queen, but she also worked at Nick's Pancake House in Jerseyville. She had a tremendous love for animals, so much that even for one of her birthdays like when she turned 10, she asked people to make donations to the Riverbend Humane Society instead of buying her presents. Oh, that's so sweet.

Speaker 1

And like even her neighbors that in the apartment she lived in were like she's such a sweet girl, you know, like nobody ever had anything bad to say about her at all and she would love to go on drives with no real destination, just for the peace that it brought her. And no matter the time or the place, if Lisa was around, pictures were being taken Like her family is beyond grateful for the fact that she was just like a crazy picture taken person, right, selfie time, you know, whatever. Lots of selfies, so there's. There was like just a ton of memories for them left behind. When she wasn't here anymore, her mom, heidi noel, described her as a bright and loving soul. She said that she had the biggest heart and really cared for everyone, that she would always go out of her way to help others. Lisa had just moved into the home in Alton and was trying to save money because she wanted to go into the medical field like her mom, because her mom's a nurse, and so she was like you know what I think?

Speaker 2

that's what I want to do too, and she was working two jobs and like working hard and had goals and I mean, if she's loved that well by her customers, I'm sure she would have had an amazing bedside manner.

Speaker 1

Oh, absolutely, she would have had an amazing bedside manner. Oh, absolutely. She was expecting her first baby and it was going to be a girl, and they hadn't really figured out what she wanted to name her yet, so they would call it Baby Bean when they would talk about her.

Speaker 1

Her mom had just finished sending out invitations for her baby shower. You know things were in a positive way for her. But a couple days before the tragic end of her life her and DeAndre had kind of what she referred to as a weird day and he left that evening and was supposed to come back that night but never did so. He left at like 6 45 ish in the evening and nobody knew where he went, who he left with and he had left his phone so there was no getting in touch with him. He was just poof gone.

Speaker 1

So of course you know his family is all asking where is he, because she's lisa still looking for him too and she doesn't know where he is. So she reaches out to his sister, who she's only met one time, and his sister's like friending her on facebook and they're having a whole conversation and they figure out because there's cameras on their apartment building that maybe they should ask the landlord. Yeah. So she reaches out to her landlord, he looks up the camera footage and he sees when deandre left and he actually had left with his uncle is who they figure out is on the camera so he finally, the uncle finally reaches out and and lets Lisa know this is where he is.

Speaker 1

You know, I'm going to bring him back tonight. This is a whole day later after the whole freak out session and nobody's talking to anybody, and so I think at some point they arranged to meet, so she leaves to go pick him up, up, meet the uncle and pick him up. Okay, this whole time she's been chatting with her mom, of course, about the whole mess of the weirdness of the day and whatever, and she's like I think I got left.

Speaker 1

you know, like she just thought he broke up, like kind of ghosty broke up with her that time and her mom was, like you know, telling her well, maybe this is a blessing in disguise.

Speaker 2

Exactly Because her mom sees it.

Speaker 1

Yeah, Because she knows like this is just bad, you know, and she's like her mom's, like I felt a little relieved thinking that maybe if he really left and didn't come back, at least then her and her child would be safe. And, you know, even going to the extreme of saying, gosh, I hope he doesn't come back and bring you something that like an STD or something that could affect the baby and I know that this was the biggest question for me, so maybe it's the biggest question for everyone Is this baby his?

Speaker 2

baby? Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Is it his or somebody else's?

Speaker 1

Well, he was running around telling people in his family that it was his baby. However, according to Heidi Lisa's mom, it is not his baby. So I guess during one of the times that they were apart, yeah, one thing led to another and here's a baby. I don't know if this could have been a source of anger for him. Still, not Possibly.

Lisa's Life and Relationship History

Speaker 1

Still not an excuse, but an absolute possibility. Who knows? Only he knows Right and he's not sharing. So there is footage from the apartment that shows Lisa and DeAndre getting out of her car and going inside the apartment. There's several there.

Speaker 2

And this was, like I want to say, close to 10, like 945. This is after she went and picked him up, yeah, and then came back.

Speaker 1

And she text her mom and said you know we're going to talk, talk about stuff, try to work through this, figure this out. And I want to say, like somewhere a little after 10, her mom messages are you okay? She gets no message back and the neighbors in her little. It's like a fourplex.

Speaker 1

So a little small house that's cut into two apartments upstairs, two downstairs. Okay, so a little small house that's cut into two apartments upstairs, two downstairs, and she says it feels like the whole floor is vibrating. They're screaming over there, yelling, arguing with each other, but that this was like a common occurrence, like they were used to this happening. She's like it was scary because it got really really loud and like repetitive beating noises, like somebody was like hacking away, like if you were chopping wood, that beating noise, rhythmic beating, and she's like I just I didn't call the cops, because this happens all the time.

Speaker 1

So I kind of just called my friend, said you know, my neighbors are fighting, and because she felt scared to be by herself and so her friend comes over and then they go sit outside and she's like we fully expect to see one of them come downstairs, because usually once the fight ends somebody comes out.

Speaker 1

Somebody leaves, he probably leaves, or something like that yeah, one of them always leaves. Well, they didn't see anybody come out, but she's like it was quiet, but I kept seeing the lights go on and off, so obviously they're up there. So again, just didn't think anything of it. She's like okay, I guess fights over whatever they got, everybody goes inside. There's like several times where you see other people that either live there or know someone who lives there coming in and out. But just after midnight you see deandre come outside in a hoodie hat on underneath it, like his face is all covered with like a mask, like a covid mask, right type situation. Um, just like he's just trying to hide his face and he's carrying a laundry basket with stuff in it which you can't really make out what's in it. He comes out and he kind of turns away from the camera with the basket?

Speaker 2

Yeah, because he's aware that it's up there. Yeah.

Speaker 1

So his back is to the camera but he like the way the door opened. He had to like come out in the direction of the camera but he kind of turns himself so that you can't really see.

Speaker 2

But also you're a regular at that apartment, they know it's you. Yeah for sure.

Speaker 1

So he walks to her car like he was trying to get in it. He sets down the laundry basket on like the grassy curb and, I guess, is feeling for keys and realizes he doesn't have them. So he picks up the basket, goes back inside, comes back out again, walks over to the car, drives the car down a little back road there's like a place that's got some construction, some remodeling happening and he drives over there to this big red construction dumpster and tosses in the laundry basket. Oh no, and then he leaves. He ends up going to his mom's house banging on the door.

Speaker 1

It's like 2 in the morning at this point, so I don't know where he went for a couple hours, but I guess he would have driven around. Whatever. Decided to go to his mom's, gets them all woke up, comes inside, takes off his shirt and hoodie, goes in the bathroom, starts cutting off his dreadlocks and takes a shower, asks his mom for some clothes. So she brings him like some sweatpants that were his stepdad's and his sister, gives him a shirt and then he takes the clothes he was wearing outside and puts them in the trash at his mom's.

Speaker 2

Wow.

Speaker 1

Nobody has a clue what has happened. He's not talking about it, he's just being quiet and they don't think anything of it because he, like I said they are aware he has some mental issues doesn't seem quite himself, hasn't seemed quite himself in a long time, you know. So they're just kind of To them this is just another moody day and he's just having a hard time and they're just trying to let him have that hard time and give him his space, but not so much that they're not like are you okay?

Speaker 2

You know, whatever I mean you're cutting your dreads off, like what's going on?

The Day of the Murder

Speaker 1

He said, and I mean we can attribute the hair cutting like if we didn't already know what happened here to depression. I mean, because how many times do I just get in a bad way and go, you know what? I'm going to cut my hair off.

Speaker 2

I cut my bangs not too long ago.

Speaker 1

Sometimes it's just something that makes you feel better because you make something different and you think that's the solution to the problem. It's not. It's a temporary solution.

Speaker 2

Because then you look at your hair and you go God dang it. Why did I do it?

Speaker 1

Why did I do it? Yeah, so I mean like I guess they could have thought not a big deal.

Speaker 2

He's depressed Just going through it.

Speaker 1

Yeah, going through a thing. He does leave his mom's house the next day and, funny enough, ends up getting arrested because of a stolen bike in another county. And then they find marijuana on him. So that's what gets him initially arrested, not any of the things that have happened. So fast forward to daylight hours and Lisa's mom still hasn't heard from her at all. So she's worried and she decides she's going to drive to the apartment and see what's up, because she hasn't talked to her in 15 hours and she's not answering. So she's going to go see, because something just feels off. So she goes to the apartment, lets herself in and discovers her daughter's dead body on her bedroom floor.

Speaker 2

Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 1

Now there is a turban looking wrap on the floor, but she realizes there is no head in this turban. So her daughter had actually been decapitated and her head was not in the apartment.

Speaker 2

Oh, in the laundry basket, yeah, oh no, oh, in the laundry basket.

Speaker 1

Yeah oh, no. So while she's calling the police and getting all that started and she's outside completely distraught, there is a man working the construction down the street who's throwing away some drywall scraps and finds said laundry basket. Inside this laundry basket is bloody clothes, both men and women's clothing, her head, slippers, like just all kinds of random bloody stuff. And then he finds the knife. And when I tell you that, I look at the picture of the knife, it is a short knife like lengthwise, probably just barely longer than like a paring knife, is very short with a serrated blade. And this is, and it's full of blood.

Speaker 2

Like to cut somebody's head off with a small serrated blade. How long did that take?

Speaker 1

Yeah, so I mean arguments around 10.

Speaker 2

That was the rhythmic sound, then he was hacking. Yeah, that would be my guess Around 10. That was the rhythmic sound then he was hacking.

Speaker 1

Yeah, that would be my guess. It's the only thing that makes sense.

Speaker 2

And this is like horrible to even because I watched a lot of interrogation a lot of police video, just so much stuff that I was like physically ill, thinking that he could have spent like two hours, yeah, doing this and the baby and she was pregnant, oh my god.

Speaker 1

So he killed two people, yes, two and when the police come and the mom's like freaking out and they, they go in and see what's going on and then they're trying to like, at least you know, calm her as best they can, which there is no calming a mother who just no, absolutely not just walked in on that.

Speaker 1

it was one thing I mean I couldn't even imagine. It's one thing, going in and finding your daughter dead, but finding your daughter dead with no head, yeah, Like that's another level. So I mean her plea to the police officer obviously is please find her head.

Speaker 2

Obviously they do. They get a call and say hey, somebody found a head.

Speaker 1

Yeah, yes. So before they even realize, like that he's been arrested somewhere else. You know they're prepping themselves for this manhunt when they get a call from the other jail and they're like hey, we know, you guys are about to start looking for somebody, we might have him. And they try to interrogate him. Don't really get a lot from him. He keeps saying he wants a lawyer.

Speaker 1

He acts all kinds of psycho in the jail, like upon his arrest for the stolen bike situation and the cannabis.

Speaker 1

He's sitting there waiting and there's an officer who's talking to him, asking him if he would like some water, and he's like yeah, I'd absolutely like some water.

Speaker 1

You know, that's the like, some normal interaction, and he's he's even telling another cop how this officer has done everything right by him and and he's doing his job and he's, you know, treating him well and all this other stuff. And then he's like do you mind if I get up? And he's like oh, you need to pull up your pants or something. He's like yeah, but I also would like to pace, do you mind if I pace? And the other cop's like no, you cannot pace, you can pull up your pants and then I need you to sit back down in the chair and then he starts going off and he's like I can't sit in the chair because I'm handcuffed, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you know, just going whatever. And he's pacing back and forth the entire time Until he gets so agitated that he starts like slamming his head into the wall. So then they have to have like six cops come in and like hold him down and get him out of that room.

Speaker 1

Yeah, and it just was Put him in the strappy chair yeah and then they like, when they're trying to do like a virtual court thing, they go to get him out of his cell, which is like tore up from the floor up, let me tell you. And he's like literally got his pants down around his ankle and he's wearing his shirt, like wrapped around his waist it's the weirdest thing, oh gosh. And he's like just jumping around and he's like goes, just like like he's hyping himself up in preparation for these cops to come in and get him out, and he just goes berserko in there again. So again they're holding him down, strapping him to the chair, like having to restrain him. So initially they were like maybe right now he's not fit for trial. So then they give time for him to go get some mental help and wait.

Speaker 1

And then during this time, it is brought up that even at the point where he is fit to stand trial, they cannot seek the life sentence based on the. You know like saying there was two murders done. Yes, so they can't seek that because of the unborn child. There's a law in Illinois that does not allow you to use that as the second murder to seek the life sentence. Well, that's stupid. So, yeah, but in January of 2024, he does plead guilty and then he is not sentenced until this past January of 2025, where he got 60 years for her murder. You know, hiding a homicide like disposing of her head, yeah, and some other charges, but everything has to be served.

Speaker 1

You know, one right after the other, so there's no break. He's not eligible for parole until he has served at minimum 52 years.

Speaker 2

And his mental state.

The Gruesome Discovery

Speaker 1

I don't think he needs it at all yeah, and my thing, my thing is, is like I get that they went on and did this like let's get him mental health, until they can say you know he's fit for trial, which is why he went to trial or went and pled guilty in january, because then they were, he was deemed fit at that point. Um, and then the sentencing happened a year later. But I'm just like, holy crap, yeah on all of it. And then again, if he doesn't continue getting mental health, treatment is is he ever really going to be fit for to be out?

Speaker 2

no, not at all. And I mean, is he going to continue his mental health treatment when he gets out?

Speaker 1

probably not probably not, but I mean his, and it's crazy because his stepdad's on video and he's like. I'm not in any way advocating because he deserves what he's getting he's, but he said I just want everyone to realize how broken our mental health system is and that he he's like DeAndre is not a monster. Did he do a savage and monstrous thing? Yes, but he's like look at these pictures from before. He was like this, like before everything took the nasty turn and how happy and whatever. And you can see it. He's like. He is human. He's not a monster, he's not a thing, he's a human. He's like. I just want to advocate for getting people help when they need it, instead of waiting until something like this happens yes, to decide now. Let's help him. Like it's it's too late.

Speaker 2

Someone's died, so yeah, it's unfortunate and like I wonder what his, his trigger point was, and and that's why I was- wondering if it had anything to do with the baby at all.

Speaker 1

I I'm not sure. I mean nobody really knows what they were arguing about. I know there was points in time when they were together that they were like homeless. So I mean they've had a lot of struggle. They were living in a tent at a campsite near the lake and, like you know, just doing whatever they needed to do to survive. So I mean things had obviously improved and they're in an apartment. He, I guess, really didn't, I mean because they would break up and get back together so much. I guess he lived with her when they were together and then just lived wherever, like couch surfed or something when they weren't.

Speaker 1

So I mean I don't feel like. I feel like her situation was improving and his wasn't.

Speaker 2

Because she was ready to move. But it's always the let me come back, I'll change, I won't do this again. And then love bomb, love bomb, and then it happens again, right. And then you know, people prey on other people's mental health also. So you get that person gaslighting them and thinking that they're, maybe they're crazy, maybe, maybe they're overreacting, maybe I shouldn't do this, maybe I should give him a chance and all that. So it's, it's a vicious circle. It really really is. It is it's hard.

Mental Health and Legal Proceedings

Speaker 1

The whole thing is hard. It's not even just hard for the two people involved in the house that are combating one another at that point. It's really hard for both families because, like I said, her mom knows and she's trying to convince her to leave, but you can't really make anyone do anything. And the same thing on the other side. You know they're trying to get him mental health, but you can't make him do anything. And it's like you just feel so helpless and even hopeless when it gets to an extreme point, situation that maybe doesn't always end in death but could have just been like severe trauma or, you know, physical bodily harm that didn't end in death. It's just like I don't know. I wish there was like some magic way I know to to fix it and show you what's going to happen to you if you stay here.

Speaker 2

Like here's your future yeah.

Speaker 1

This is what you want. Yeah, and then would it even be enough to make someone go. I don't know. I don't know.

Speaker 2

I don't know, I don't know, I don't probably know, but it all depends on the situation. Absolutely Well, that was a very heartbreaking story. Yeah, or case, rather.

Speaker 1

Wrenching. Yeah, it was terrible, but if you are a victim of domestic violence, please, you or someone else needs to reach out for you. Yeah, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE, that's 7233. They have live chat on their website. You can also text the word start to 88788. Also just of note because I've been on the. When you go to the domestic violence website it will literally ask you if you need this to not be tracked in case someone's checking.

Speaker 1

You think someone's checking your history or anything else, and it tells you what to do if you think that may be the case.

Speaker 2

They do not want you to anger the person you're with, but they do want to help you and I think the texting thing is really cool now, because sometimes you you can't speak, you can't vocalize because that person's always nearby. So sometimes texting you can, you know, get a text out here and there, or something like excuse me, I have to go to the restroom with my phone that you don't notice that I have.

Speaker 1

Yeah, yeah, and it's just, it's crazy because I know I I can only imagine how often this whole situation is is accessed by people who do need help. Oh, yeah, and you know how many times it isn't, which is probably a lot more than the times it is. Yeah, so definitely, definitely, seek help. Let your friends help you. Don't tell people not to call the cops right.

Speaker 1

They can see what's going on, they know and they just want to help I mean you have, if you have a system and a support in a way. I know everybody hates feeling like they're dependent on someone else, but I'd rather be dependent on someone who isn't punching me in the face than dependent on someone who is Yep.

Speaker 2

So help is always out there somewhere.

Speaker 1

Help and hope and hope. Yep, how does one segue away?

Speaker 2

from that. I know that was so heavy hearted yeah.

Speaker 1

But lighter notes. Our theme music was created by Patti Salzetta she is light and hope she is. And she's always got motivational things that she posts. Yes, every day I read them all the time. Me too, I heart them, and if you have something you want to share, like we said in the beginning, we're looking for all the extra spooky stuff. Maybe we could do like a compilation if they're all little bits and pieces of spooky stories we can break out a Ouija board and have a seance.

Speaker 1

And talk to what's the ghost at the workplace.

Speaker 2

I forget her name all the time Lynette, lynette. Yes, we can talk to Lynette.

Speaker 1

Yep, you know, just send us a message yes, absolutely On our social medias or our email steeped at holdmysweetteacom.

Speaker 2

And Hold my Sweet Tea is a Drunken Bee production. Okay, sorry, I didn't say that. And you guys remember to stay safe out there. And just because we're dipping doesn't mean you can't keep sipping. Bye, thank you. Bye.