Cocoa Crimes™️

The Illusion of Safety - Iyana Sawyer

This week on Cocoa Crimes, we discuss the heartbreaking story of Iyana Sawyer, a 15-year-old girl with big dreams, a close-knit family, and secrets that would eventually unravel into one of the most disturbing cases to come out of Jacksonville. This episode discusses grooming, manipulation, family betrayal, and the warning signs people sometimes miss until it’s too late.

Woman to Woman: The Story Of Kayla Hodgson

What happens when social media obsession goes too far? In this episode, we're talking about the tragic story of 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson, a sweet, soft-spoken young woman from South Florida who was just living her life, minding her business, and loving the people around her. But while Kayla was navigating her 20s, someone else was watching. This is a story about jealousy, obsession, and what happens when someone decides that access equals ownership. Buckle up...this one is heavy.

The Weight Of Rising: Vanessa Bearden /Olivia Moody

Content warning: This episode contains references to gun violence, homicide, grief, loss of a parent, parental substance abuse and abandonment, mental health, physical assault, and incarceration. This week, we’re switching things up to look at the heavy weights carried on both sides of a shared tragedy. On one side, a 19-year-old student striving to break family cycles; on the other, a young mother crushed by the burdens of caregiving and survival. It’s a story of how two beautiful lives were pushed until the vessel of resilience finally cracked. It didn't have to end this way. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Tuesday.

Family First: The Life and Legacy of Markeis McGlockton

What starts as a trip to the corner store ends in tragedy. In this episode of Cocoa Crimes, host Paula tells the story of Markeis McGlockton — a devoted father, artist, and partner from Clearwater, Florida — whose life was cut short on July 19th, 2018, when a self-appointed parking lot enforcer named shot and killed him outside a local Circle A food store in front of his five-year-old son.

An Enraged Entanglement - The Story of Latrese Curtis

The episode explores how carefully managed “secret lives” can run side by side until they collide in ways no one expects, setting a tense backdrop for the story of Latrese Curtis. When one night goes wrong, small decisions and hidden connections take on ominous weight. The story follows how those threads tighten, urging listeners to consider how control can masquerade as care until it’s too late.