For most of her life, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was in a wheelchair. She had a feeding tube, an oxygen tank, and a list of diagnoses long enough to fill a binder.

Then, in 2015, her mother was found stabbed to death in their home, and the world found out Gypsy could walk. 

The story became a documentary, a TV series, a household name. Case closed. 

But did she fake it all? 

In this new series from PRETEND, host Javier Leiva investigates the online world that formed around the case, where no one is a reliable narrator. 

This is part one of The Gypsy Rose Obsession. Listen to PRETEND wherever you get podcasts.

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If you liked this past season of Deep Cover, The Family Man, you'll enjoy this episode from another Pushkin podcast, Heavyweight. It's a great companion to our bank robbery story from this season. Heavyweight, hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, creates space for difficult conversations and resolving long-standing regrets and unanswered questions. In this episode: A young man had just turned 14 when he took his father’s shotgun, skipped school, and robbed a bank for $40,000. Now, 33 years later, he wants to apologize to the people he harmed that day.

Find Heavyweight wherever you get your podcasts.

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When Keith Giammanco started robbing banks in 2007, he sought to minimize his legal risk. Keith says he never carried a weapon, and he confessed to the authorities the same day he was arrested.  But, ultimately, he faced two prosecutions - federal and state. And he served nearly two decades in prison.

Jake sits down with legal scholar James Forman, Jr. to unpack how this all unfolded, why a lawyer never tries to "manifest success,” and what justice looks like in a case like this.

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Mike Walton was shocked to learn his lifelong friend, Keith, had been living a double life as the Boonie Hat Bandit. He’d seen reports about the serial bank robber on the news, but never recognized him. Jake speaks with Mike about their friendship and why, sometimes, it’s hard to see the thing right in front of you.

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Keith’s daughters, Elise and Marissa, face new trials on their own while Keith serves his time. After decades in custody, Keith nears his release date, and the Giammanco family grapples with the past and the choices they’ve made. 

To learn more about Keith’s story, check out Bank Notes Revisited, co-written with Caroline Giammanco. 

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Federal and county prosecutors all want to hold Keith accountable for his crimes. Against the advice of his counsel, Keith takes his case to trial, hoping a jury will show him and his family some mercy. In the courtroom, his victims tell their side of the story. 

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Keith’s arrest makes national news, forcing Elise and Marissa to defend their dad to the world. Their mother makes a surprise reappearance, moving in and bringing new troubles along with her.

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The Boonie Hat Bandit robs a 12th bank. And things don’t go according to his plan. His teenage daughters, Elise and Marissa, are left to pick up the pieces. They wonder: how had he managed such an elaborate deception? And what’s going to happen to their family now?

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In 2008, Keith Giammanco, also known as the Boonie Hat Bandit, went on a crime spree. Today, he lives in a remote cabin somewhere in the Ozarks. What choices led him here? And what was the original gamble that set it all in motion?

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One night in 2008, Elise and Marissa Giammanco were home, wondering where their dad was and why he hadn’t answered any of their texts. Then the police showed up. Suddenly, the seventeen-year-old twins had to question everything they thought they knew about their father. 

Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.

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Every family has its secrets. On the new season of Deep Cover, Jake Halpern tells the story of the crimes one man committed in the name of fatherhood–and what happened when his daughters discovered he was living a double life. 

New episodes drop May 18. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.

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Jake sits down with his Season 6 co-host Jess McHugh at WBUR CitySpace for a live conversation. They discuss the value of trust, share some never-before-heard tape, and give an update on what’s happened with Sarah since our season ended.

If you’d like to support Patrol Base Abbate (https://www.pbabbate.org), follow this link: https://donate.pbabbate.org/give/373840/#!/donation/checkout.

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Jake sits down with Snowball creator Ollie Wards to discuss how a family mystery became an international hit. They trace Ollie’s journey from the first recorded conversation with his dad – recorded under a hotel duvet – to the heart-pounding moment he found himself face-to-face with the con artist herself: Lezlie Manukian.

Along the way, they touch on the challenges of reporting on family, the psychology of scammers and their victims, and the strange kind of closure that comes when truth is messier than justice.

Listen to Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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After the confrontation in the supermarket carpark, Ollie is left feeling confused — has he been
charmed just like everyone else in this story?

Lezlie left promising Ollie she would meet for a proper interview the next day. Will she turn up... or
leave him and his family hanging?

More details come to life about the consequences of Lezlie's reckless lifestyle and how little she has
prospered. Ollie asks himself if he should be feeling sorry for her.

Listen to Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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Ollie and Simon have criss-crossed California to find themselves parked in their American muscle car
staking out exits from a supermarket they think Lezlie works in. They may only have one shot to talk to
her and finally get some answers.

In preparation, Ollie speaks with psychologist and professional poker player Maria Konnikova, who tells him the real meaning of the term "con artist". Her most potent tip is to beware the charm offensive...and be prepared to use it in return.

Listen to Deep Cover Presents: Snowball ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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Ollie and Simon follow the trail of broken dreams and failed restaurants to Paso Robles, California. Ollie discovers his former sister-in-law has manufactured an image of a successful restauranteur in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe and New Zealand. Her exotic CV and exciting stories pull a new family into her web... with disastrous consequences.

Finally, they get a tip-off that might lead them directly to Lezlie. Her lies may be about to catch up to
her.

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Ollie turns to Lezlie's emails for clues of her whereabouts. Here, he uncovers a bizarre story involving a book deal, a ghost writer and a famous actress. Could this web of lies reveal Lezlie's motivations as a scammer? Ollie and Simon then take a flight to California and hit the road. When the trail runs cold, they decide to chase down a lead at Lezlie's first restaurant in the resort town of Lake Tahoe.

If you can’t wait to find out what happens, binge episodes of Deep Cover Presents: Snowball early and ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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The stories Lezlie Manukian has told people about her time in Hawaii usually end with murderous local mobsters running her off the island. But this is also coming from the tall tale telling Californian trickster we've heard can even swindle a bank. When Lezlie left New Zealand, never to be seen again, it seemed like the only way for Greg Wards to understand who he really married was to ask the Hawaiian police what really happened.

If you can’t wait to find out what happens, binge episodes of Deep Cover Presents: Snowball early and ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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What looks like a dream marriage for Ollie Wards' brother Greg soon morphs into a nightmare. With the whole family drawn into the mess, his parents go from a comfortable retirement to being homeless and squatting in the basement at his Aunty's house.

Even though she was on a tourist visa in New Zealand, Greg's American wife had secured a massive loan from the country's state-owned bank. After she flies off, never to be seen again, a box of documents from the bank transaction surfaces.

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Ollie Wards was MC at his brother's wedding. "It was a fun party," he recalls, "kind of rowdy. But inside I had a sense of unease. I couldn't explain it." He ignored the feeling. Greg met his bride while backpacking in London. He was in his twenties and partying hard. But he always had his eye on America. He loved everything to do with the place. So, when he met a dark-haired, older, well-travelled, fast-talking Californian woman named Lezlie Manukian he says he was 'a sitting duck'.

If you can’t wait to find out what happens, binge episodes of Deep Cover Presents: Snowball early and ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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In 2006, Greg Wards was your average Kiwi backpacker on an overseas adventure in the UK, working hard, playing harder — and falling head-over-heels in love. After a whirlwind international romance, Greg married Lezlie Manukian in New Zealand. Their new life started out by setting up a small business north of Auckland. But a snowball had started to roll the day Greg met Lezlie Manukian. It wasn't long before this ball of chaos gathered pace and crushed Greg and his family.

Starting November 3, binge episodes of Deep Cover Presents: Snowball early and ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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Last week, President Trump commuted George Santos’ prison sentence — a decision that’s prompted both surprise and reflection. Producer Amy Gaines McQuade walks Jake Halpern through the news and checks back in with people who knew Santos to hear their reactions.

For more on Mark’s reporting on George Santos, check out his book: The Fabulist - The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing and Very American Legend of George Santos.

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If you've ever wondered what goes into making an episode of Deep Cover, now's your chance. Join Jake Halpern and Jess McHugh for a live bonus taping of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah at WBUR's Boston CitySpace on December 19. Listen to never-before-heard recordings from interviews, go behind-the-scenes on Jake and Jess' reporting and storytelling process.

Find more details and tickets here: https://www.wbur.org/events/1046207/deep-cover-the-truth-about-sarah-live

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Rosemarie Coffey helped Sarah Cavanaugh for years. As a community support specialist, her services were paid for by the Wounded Warrior Project. Rosemarie spent countless hours inside Sarah’s home. We wondered - what did Rosemarie see? And what did she learn when Sarah’s lies were exposed?

Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.

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Seth Cole believed Sarah Cavanaugh was a wounded veteran, seeking healing through creative outlets. He believed her, in part, because that was his reality.

Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.

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As the walls close in, Sarah finds herself alone—abandoned by friends, facing federal charges, and scrambling for a defense. She hires a lawyer, a fellow veteran, to make her case; but the evidence is overwhelming. In our series finale, Jake and Jess return to Sarah for a long, final conversation—seeking answers to the question that still haunts everyone: Why did she do it?

Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.

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One overlooked detail in Sarah’s story: she was married. Her wife, Nicole, never spoke to the press or the feds. She remained a mystery—until now.

Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.

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A former Marine and media personality asks questions and publicly challenges Sarah Cavanaugh’s credentials. Behind the scenes, law enforcement is already investigating Sarah; but the surge of media attention forces their hand. Fearing she might destroy evidence, federal agents move quickly to search Sarah’s home.

Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.

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Jess and Jake speak with Sarah and learn about her past life. As a social worker, she really knew how to listen to people. But when Jake and Jess interview two of Sarah's former friends, a darker picture emerges.

Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.

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In her home state of Rhode Island, Sarah builds her reputation as a celebrated war hero. But as her public profile grows, so do the quiet doubts.

Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.

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A mysterious handwritten letter arrives from Sarah Cavanaugh. In it, she asks: What do you think of my crime?

Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.

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Sarah was everything people wanted her to be—until she wasn’t. 

Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah is available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.

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Amy Gaines McQuade sits down with GOP donor and former Santos supporter Cathy Soref. Then Amy and Jake Halpern discuss some of the most serious charges that George Santos faced, and pled guilty to in federal court. 

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George Santos pleaded guilty in federal court this week. Amy Gaines McQuade was in the courtroom. Amy and Jake discuss the proceeding and where things go from here.

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George Santos takes office. His communications director, Naysa Woomer, walks us through her five months with Congressman Santos as she tries to manage the chaos and sort  fact from fiction. Author Mark Chiusano unpacks some of the most complicated allegations surrounding Santos’ personal narrative.

For more on Mark’s reporting on George Santos, check out his book: The Fabulist - The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing and Very American Legend of George Santos. 

For more on how 9/11 has impacted first responders, and those who lived around Ground Zero, listen to Amy Gaines McQuade’s Frontline Dispatch episode: “The Weight of Dust.”

Note: George Santos is now expected to plead guilty, as first reported by Talking Points Memo.

This is a developing story. We will update listeners as more information becomes available.

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George Santos runs for Congress and wins. Then the stories he told on the campaign trail start to fall apart. Semafor’s Kadia Goba wants to figure out where his money is coming from. Saurav Ghosh, of the Campaign Legal Center, finds the Santos filings suspicious. As Santos’ criminal trial approaches, Producer Amy Gaines McQuade walks Jake Halpern through the moment when the cracks began to show.  

Note: George Santos is now expected to plead guilty, as first reported by Talking Points Memo.

This is a developing story. We will update listeners as more information becomes available.

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George Santos, the former Republican Congressman from New York, told a lot of stories about his life and his credentials. Many of which, it turns out, were not true. And now–in just a few weeks–Santos is scheduled to face a criminal trial. 

Deep Cover Producer Amy Gaines McQuade, who grew up in Santos’ congressional district, speaks with insiders and experts to try to answer the question: Who is George Santos… really? 

Welcome to Deep Cover: George Santos. Coming August 19th

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Jake Halpern speaks with Jerri Williams, former FBI agent and host of the podcast, FBI Retired Case File Review about the case at the center of our series, The Nameless Man. Then, Beth Wilson Devlin, a founding partner at Edge Litigation Consulting, joins the show to analyze the verdict and discuss what prosecutors and defense attorneys look for when choosing a jury. 

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Jake Halpern speaks with James Forman Jr., story consultant on Deep Cover’s fourth season, The Nameless Man. James Forman Jr. is the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School, and the author of Locking Up Our Own. We recommend listening to this episode after you’ve heard the whole series. 

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Our season finale. What the jury decided and how the verdict sits with the federal agents, jurors, and Wood family today. 

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Witnesses testify. A vigorous defense is mounted. What will the jury decide?

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An assistant prosecutor in Philadelphia prepares the case to be heard by a grand jury. Is there enough evidence to make an arrest, and bring the case to trial? 

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After nearly 20 years with no answers, the Wood family learns that police are investigating a new lead in Aaron’s death. 

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The alleged accomplice confesses. Investigators try to piece together who the victim might be from the scant details he remembers.

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Two federal agents investigate a rumor about a decades old murder. 

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How do you solve a murder case when you don’t know who the victim is?

Deep Cover: The Nameless Man launches April 22, with new episodes weekly. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the whole season at once. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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In 2022, we released a series called Camouflage Bias that told the story of Ronnie Carrasquillo– a man who was loosely connected to a trial we covered in Deep Cover Season Two: Mob Land. At 18 years old, Ronnie was sentenced to 200-600 years in prison for the murder of a police officer. Today, we’re releasing this special episode with an update on Ronnie’s case, because after being incarcerated for nearly 50 years, there is some big news.  

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This episode originally ran in 2022. We’re rereleasing it today along with an update on Ronnie’s story.

2022. After Ronnie Carrasquillo exhausts his appeals, he faces the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. But it seems each time Ronnie comes up for parole, he can’t escape the notoriety of his past. For a transcript of this episode, click here.

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This episode originally ran in 2022. We’re rereleasing it today along with an update on Ronnie’s story.

1978. A few months after the Aleman trial wraps up, the presiding judge, Frank Wilson, sentences a young man named Ronnie Carrasquillo to 200-600 years in prison for murder. But Ronnie’s lawyer claims there’s much more to the story. For a transcript of this episode, click here.

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In July of 1999, a young woman named Brooke Henson went missing from Travelers Rest, South Carolina. In this follow up episode to Deep Cover: Never Seen Again, Jake Halpern talks to Ben Ford, the chief of police in Travelers Rest about what we know and don’t know about her case, as the search continues. 

If you have any new information at all that might be helpful, please contact him at [email protected].

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