What Came Next

Content Warning: domestic violence, murder, and missing persons.  Dr. Kelli Boling and Dr. Danielle Slakoff join us today to discuss their impactful research about the creation and consumption of true crime media. They both bring years of experience and expertise to their work in hopes of inspiring true crime to be a more equitable healing space for victims and co-victims. The Broken Cycle Media team has long admired their work and is honored they would join us to talk about their research discoveries and how we can all work to improve the genre for those at the center of crime. Dr. Kelli Boling: https://kelliboling.com/ Dr. Danielle Slakoff: https://daniellecslakoff.weebly.com/ Sources:  Boling, Kelli S.. ““It’s that ‘There but for the Grace of God Go I’ Piece of It”: Domestic Violence Survivors in True Crime Podcast Audiences.” Mass Communication and Society 26 (2022): 991 - 1013. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/%E2%80%9CIt%E2%80%99s-that-%E2%80%98There-but-for-the-Grace-of-God-Go-I%E2%80%99-of-Boling/f938790522bc62fa985351bc951e3ce0e3ded9ac Boling, Kelli S. “True Crime Podcasting: Journalism, Justice or Entertainment?” Radio Journal:International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, Intellect, 1 Oct. 2019, intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/rjao_00003_1#cited Boling, K. S., & Hull, K. (2018). Undisclosed Information—Serial Is My Favorite Murder: Examining Motivations in the True Crime Podcast Audience. Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 25(1), 92–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/19376529.2017.1370714 Boling, K. S., & Slakoff, D. C. (2025). “What an invasion, an immense invasion”: Examining the adverse effects of true crime media on co-victims. Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/17416590251371618 Slakoff, Danielle C., and Kelli S. Boling. 2025. “‘Media Pressure Is What Makes Law Enforcement Move’: Insights from Co-Victims About the Positive Impacts of True Crime Media Attention.” Mass Communication and Society, August, 1–17. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15205436.2025.2549719 Slakoff, D.C., Boling, K.S. & Tadros, E. “I just couldn’t cope with it, you know? I just couldn’t believe that she was gone”: The Portrayal of Co-victims’ Grief in True Crime Podcasts about Missing (but Presumed Killed) Women. J Fam Viol 39, 303–313 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-022-00471-w Slakoff, D. C., & Brennan, P. K. (2017). The Differential Representation of Latina and Black Female Victims in Front-Page News Stories: A Qualitative Document Analysis. Feminist Criminology, 14(4), 488-516. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557085117747031 (Original work published 2019) “True Crime Obsession: Sleuths, Streamers, and Serial Killers.” YouTube, Vice News, www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsO_iynpH1E For a list of additional resources and related non-profit organizations, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources Thank you again to StoryWorth and Wondery's Scamfluencers for sponsoring this episode. Don't forget that right now you can save $10 or more during StoryWorth Memoirs holiday sale when you go to storyworth.com/wcn. And be sure you subscribe and listen to Wondery's Scamfluencers now wherever you get your podcasts.

Content Warning: sexual assault, rape, image-based sexual abuse, strangulation, domestic violence, and attempted murder. As shared in part one of her story, Kelly Sutliff is a survivor, founder of the nonprofit Kelly’s K-9’s: Tails of Courage, and a licensed professional counselor from New Jersey. In 2018, after a devastating grief journey, Kelly decided to return to her search for a life partner. It wouldn’t be long before she met a government contractor promising her the future she desired. However, her entire life changed on December 16th, 2019, when the loving relationship she had been cultivating with her new husband ended violently. After surviving an alleged attempted murder, Kelly has made it her mission to bring awareness and advocacy through her non-profit and sharing her story in the media. The Broken Cycle Media team is so very grateful for Kelly’s transparency, expertise, warmth, and listenership and support throughout the years. Kelly's K-9's: Tails of Courage https://www.kellysk9s.org/ Kelly's K-9's on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellys_k9s_tailsofcourage/ Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/real_talk_with_kelly/ IDtv's 'Toxic': https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/show/toxic-investigation-discovery-atve-us For a list of additional resources and related non-profit organizations, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources  Thank you again to Quince for sponsoring this episode. Don't forget to go to quince.com/wcn for free shipping on your order, and 365 day returns now available in Canada!

Content Warning: sexual assault, rape, image-based sexual abuse, strangulation, domestic violence, and attempted murder. Kelly Sutliff is a survivor, founder of the nonprofit Kelly’s K-9’s: Tails of Courage, and a licensed professional counselor from New Jersey. In 2018, after a devastating grief journey, Kelly decided to return to her search for a life partner. It wouldn’t be long before she met a government contractor promising her the future she desired. However, her entire life changed on December 16th, 2019, when the loving relationship she had been cultivating with her new husband ended violently. After surviving an alleged attempted murder, Kelly has made it her mission to bring awareness and advocacy through her non-profit and sharing her story in the media. The Broken Cycle Media team is so very grateful for Kelly’s transparency, expertise, warmth, and listenership and support throughout the years. Kelly's K-9's: Tails of Courage https://www.kellysk9s.org/ Kelly's K-9's on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellys_k9s_tailsofcourage/ Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/real_talk_with_kelly/ For a list of additional resources and related non-profit organizations, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources Thank you again to Cash App for sponsoring this episode. Download Cash App Today: [https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/394eb6t5] #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Cash App Green, overdraft coverage, borrow, cash back offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

Content Warning:  verbal abuse, physical abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, and suicidal ideation. Janelle Hill is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and survivor from Montana. She and I first had the chance to meet each other at an intimate dinner celebrating the survivor-founded non-profit, The Army of Survivors, and their newest evolution: a full rebranding as The Athlete Survivor's Assist. Janelle currently proudly serves on their advisory board, and shared a bit of her story that evening. I was deeply moved by her strength, expertise, and ability to encapsulate her difficult experiences with grace and relatability. The Broken Cycle Media team is grateful Janelle took the time to share her story of survivorship and about her advocacy work with our audience in the following two episodes. Sources: Janelle Hill. “Reclaiming Boundaries: Breaking The Silence of Sexual Abuse In Sports.” YouTube, TEDxOmaha, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT2phpQoZVQ. Resources: The Athlete Survivor's Assist: https://theathletesurvivorsassist.org/ The Athlete Survivor's Assist on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theathletesurvivorsassist/ For a list of additional resources and related non-profit organizations, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources Thank you again to Storyworth and Lola Blankets for sponsoring this episode. Right now, save $10 or more during their Holiday sale when you go to storyworth.com/wcn! And don’t forget to give the gift of softness this holiday season with Lola Blankets. For a limited time, our listeners are getting a huge 40% OFF their entire order at LolaBlankets.com by using code [WCN] at checkout!

Content Warning:  verbal abuse, physical abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, and suicidal ideation. Janelle Hill is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and survivor from Montana. She and I first had the chance to meet each other at an intimate dinner celebrating the survivor-founded non-profit, The Army of Survivors, and their newest evolution: a full rebranding as The Athlete Survivor's Assist. Janelle currently proudly serves on their advisory board, and shared a bit of her story that evening. I was deeply moved by her strength, expertise, and ability to encapsulate her difficult experiences with grace and relatability. The Broken Cycle Media team is grateful Janelle took the time to share her story of survivorship and about her advocacy work with our audience in the following two episodes. The Athlete Survivor's Assist: https://theathletesurvivorsassist.org/ The Athlete Survivor's Assist on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theathletesurvivorsassist/ For a list of additional resources and related non-profit organizations, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources Thank you again to Scamfluencers and Cash App for sponsoring this episode. Don't forget to listen to Scamfluencers now wherever you get your podcasts. Download Cash App Today: [https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/394eb6t5] #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Cash App Green, overdraft coverage, borrow, cash back offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.