Sympathy Pains
iHeartPodcasts
Hosted by Laura Beil (Dr. Death, Bad Batch), Sympathy Pains is a six-part series from Neon Hum Media and iHeartRadio. For 20 years, Sarah Delashmit told people around her that she had cancer, muscular dystrophy, and other illnesses. She used a wheelchair and posted selfies from a hospital bed. She told friends and coworkers she was trapped in abusive relationships, or that she was the mother of children who had died. It was all a con. Sympathy was both her great need and her powerful weapon. But unlike most scams, she didn’t want people’s money. She was after something far...
Introducing: Forgive Me For I Have Followed
Hi Sympathy Pains Fans! Take a listen to the trailer of our newest show, Forgive Me For I Have Followed. About the show: Join Jessica Acevedo, the Executive Producer of Netflix’s explosive docu-series, Dancing For The Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, and Kailea Gray, marketing strategist and former 7M Films member, as they further expose the core of 7M Films and Shekinah Church. Forgive Me For I Have Followed embarks on a gripping journey into the hidden truths behind this high control group. Through
Sep 13, 2024 • 1:40
Introducing: The Burden
Detective Louis N. Scarcella was a legendary figure in New York City during the '90s. In a city overrun with violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. But the story changed when a group of convicted murderers-turned-jailhouse lawyers made a startling discovery that linked all their cases: Scarcella was the cop who helped put many of them away. They made a vow: Take down Scarcella. And with the help of a relentless New York Times reporter, they did just that.
Mar 23, 2024 • 2:35
Introducing: The Godmother
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Jan 15, 2024 • 2:56
Case #12: Chris
After going through a challenging divorce and relocating cross country, Chris was struggling with depression and anxiety. For a while, he simply ignored his GI symptoms as they progressively got worse. His bowel issues were soon preventing him from living the life he loved: hiking, attending concerts, and participating in activities with his kids. The situation deteriorated to the point where he had to be rushed to the ER multiple times, sure he was having a heart attack. However, the reality wa
Nov 14, 2023 • 32:06
Introducing: Queen Havoc and Her Murder Cult
Hi, Sympathy Pains fans! Dive into how South African cult leader Cecilia Steyn leads her followers to kill 11 innocent people over the course of four years. Join host and filmmaker Kurt Kubicek as he travels to Krugersdorp, SA - a small mining town rocked by these brutal serial murders. Listen to Queen Havoc and Her Murder Cult now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! About Queen Havoc and Her Murder Cult: Serial Cult murders in South Africa bring on a deep, winding, decade-
Jun 12, 2023 • 2:26
Introducing: Betrayal Season 2
Ashley Lytton was a typical mom and wife in suburban Utah with three children until she discovered her husband’s horrifying secret. It was a shocking crime that would alter Ashley’s life and jeopardize the safety of her children. This season Betrayal will focus on one mother’s fight to find justice for her daughter and protection from a predator too close to home. Listen to Betrayal Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-betrayal-95
May 18, 2023 • 2:05
Introducing: Bad Seeds
Hi, Sympathy Pains fans! The biggest black market you’ve never heard of might be blooming right under your nose. Bad Seeds explores a variety of cases involving illegal plant poaching and the larger environmental impact of plant smuggling. Listen to Bad Seeds now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! About Bad Seeds: “Bad Seeds” explores a variety of cases involving illegal plant poaching - from the US Fish and Wildlife catching obsessives stealing cacti to the Gibson Guitar
Apr 12, 2023 • 1:51
Introducing: Bone Valley
In 1987, 18-year-old Michelle Schofield was found dead in a phosphate pit in Florida. Two years later, her husband Leo was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Fifteen years later, previously unidentified fingerprints matched Jeremy Scott--a violent teenager who lived nearby. Jeremy has since confessed to Michelle’s murder. Yet Leo Schofield remains behind bars. In this groundbreaking podcast, Bone Valley host Gilbert King uncovers startling new evidence that Jeremy is responsible for a st
Oct 10, 2022 • 3:18
Justice
Laura gets a call from a relative who provides insight into Sarah's past. Sarah has her day in court. Her victims have the chance to say their piece, but still struggle to make sense of what happened to them. The judge issues a surprising sentence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 4, 2022 • 29:11
Truth
Across the country, people who have known Sarah see the Dr. Phil show and learn the scope of her lies. Victims call police, who say they cannot prosecute Sarah because “it’s not a crime to fake cancer.” Soon, federal prosecutors learn of crimes they can prosecute Sarah for. But should her mental state be considered in the search for justice?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 27, 2022 • 38:35
Andrea
Liz, Brian and Bethany confront Sarah on national television. Dr. Phil arranges psychiatric care for Sarah, after she leaves the set. Meanwhile, Andrea Smith, a stay-at-home mom in South Carolina, has been tracking Sarah across the internet for 20 years, warning non-profits not to allow her into their communities. Andrea even went to the police when Sarah was in college. Sarah’s past is about to catch up with her.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 20, 2022 • 37:00
Liz
Liz Hickox works in financial services and volunteers for a breast cancer charity. At a bike ride for young survivors, she meets Sarah, who says she has stage 4 metastatic disease. Liz and her husband Brian welcome Sarah into their winter home in Florida and help her train for a triathlon– her single goal before she dies. After they discover the truth, they find other victims of Sarah’s scams and together vow to get her help, turning to an unlikely person: Dr. Phil.See omnystudio.com
Apr 13, 2022 • 35:45
Erin
This time, at a summer camp in California, Sarah Delashmit is a counselor. She becomes fast friends with Erin Johnson, a 23-year-old woman who was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Over the next decade, Erin supports Sarah, from afar, through setback after setback: a brain tumor, an Ebola infection, and multiple children born prematurely and dying. Erin mourns Sarah’s losses as if they were her own, and ultimately faces an even greater devastation.See omnystudio.com/listener
Apr 13, 2022 • 37:17
Bethany
Sarah shows up at a Texas camp for people with disabilities in the fall of 2015 in a power wheelchair, seemingly unable to move her body. During the week of camp, counselor Bethany Turner takes care of Sarah’s every need, bathing her, and even changing her menstrual pads. After camp is over, they speak almost daily. Then one day, Bethany gets a shocking call from the camp.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 13, 2022 • 30:59