Protected On Paper: The Story of Mariah Samuels

Protected On Paper: The Story of Mariah Samuels

Content warning: this episode contains detailed discussions of domestic violence, strangulation, gun violence, and intimate partner homicide. In this week's episode of Cocoa Crimes, we tell the story of Mariah Samuels: a vibrant mother, athlete, and adventurer from Minneapolis, Minnesota who was known for lighting up every room she walked into. Mariah was a devoted mother of two sons who was her absolute world, but behind the warmth and life she poured into everything around her, she was navigating a dangerous situation that would force her to repeatedly reach out to law enforcement and the courts for protection. This episode is a deeply important conversation about intimate partner violence, institutional failure, and what happens when a woman does absolutely everything right and the systems designed to protect her still fall short.

A Life Worth More - Samuel Johnson Jr.

This episode explores the murder of Samuel Johnson Jr., a kind and hardworking father from San Antonio, Texas, told through the lens of family dynamics, manipulation, and greed.

The Illusion of Safety - Iyana Sawyer

This week on Cocoa Crimes, we discuss the heartbreaking story of Iyana Sawyer, a 16-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.