Sword and Scale

When 20-year-old Morgan Ingram tragically died in 2011, the family couldn't deal with their grief. What followed was a bizarre and prolonged Internet campaign of hate which has attempted to ruin the lives of at least a dozen people. Sword and Scale followed the rabbit hole to see where it would go, and we soon found that the pattern of behavior can be traced back to a mysterious individual named Sarah Afshar who interviewed Morgan's mom seems to have some sort of close relationship with. We dive head-first into this story and examine every aspect of it. No stone is left unturned. Morgan's family, and particularly her mother Toni Ingram, continues to claim that her daughter was stalked and killed, even though there is no evidence to support their claims. Toni has even publicly "outed" who she thinks is responsible on the web and on national television. Was Morgan really stalked and killed in the same house that her parents slept, did she commit suicide, or is there an even more sinister explanation to her unfortunate death like Munchausen by Proxy? We'll present you with the facts, but it's up to you to decide.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

26 Mar 20141h 14min

What happens when a family's grief slips into malice and madness, when a mother is so hell-bent on being portrayed as a victim that she begins victimizing everyone who doesn't see her as one? Welcome to the sad story of Morgan Ingram's untimely death and the circus of insanity that followed and continues to this day. When Morgan's car was keyed in 2011, a bizarre narrative began to unfold which consisted of a maniac serial-stalker who would terrorize the Ingram family for months. This methodical madman with unbelievable speed and agility was able to go undetected for months, according to Morgan Ingram's mother Toni, despite several attempts to catch him and an array of video cameras strewn around the Ingram household. Despite over nine calls to police, this psycho stalker, who Toni Ingram is convinced was a neighborhood boy, devised a plan to gain access to the Ingram home, subdue and murder Morgan with the same drug she was prescribed, and then make his exit without morgan's parents or two dogs noticing. She has publicly named this boy, and his girlfriend at the time, as the murderers of her daughter because she says they were jealous. She also watched his house for months, making note of when his car was in the driveway, driven by his workplace several times a day, and monitored his Facebook account looking for anything she could use to prove he was the killer, which would lead a sane person to question who the real stalker is.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

19 Mar 201458min

Any untimely death is a tragedy, but when the victim is young, beautiful, and an all-around wonderful person, the whole thing seems to be much worse. Unfortunately, there are two high-profile cases in the news this week that fit this too-familiar mold. We walk you through the backstory of both of them, told by those who knew the victims best. We also speak to high profile crime experts Levi Page, host of The Levi Page Show and frequents HLN contributor and Cathy Russon from CourtChatter.com. The first case is that of nursing student Holly Bobo, who was abducted from her home in 2011. The case made national headlines and the inspirational tale of how an entire town rallied around the search for Holly is truly inspirational. This three-year-old case had started to grow stale, until shocking news this week which suggest the perpetrator was someone that everyone in the community knew, including Holly. Next we travel to the crime-laden land of South Africa, which is hosting a murder trial which has the entire world captivated. It is that of Oscar Pistorius, who shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home on Valentines Day last year. According to Pistorius, he thought she was an intruder and he thought a home invasion was occurring when he shot Steenkamp, but his behavior leading up to the incident and the testimony of ear-witnesses who heard the incident that night tell a different story.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

12 Mar 20141h 10min

If you had to choose a method of execution for yourself, which would you choose? What if you learned that what is considered the most "humane" method of execution is probably the most painful? We discuss the controversy behind lethal injections, and why just about any other method may be a better option. Convicted murderer Dennis McGuire found out about this the hard way, and his botched execution left onlookers stunned and horrified. We also hear a bizarre murder confession caught on tape by a news crew that ends up becoming part of the story. It's clear that schizophrenia is a major problem that even the neighbors know about, but help for people like this is still somehow inaccessible until they end up hurting others. And if those stories don't wet your appetite, we'll also tell you about the last meals of convicted murderers, including some of the strangest requests ever made. All that, plus Part 2 of the Curtis Reeves bail hearing where we hear from the alleged killer himself. You'll want to hear this one.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

26 Feb 201451min

This week the true-crime media has been abuzz reporting the verdict of the Michael Dunn "Loud Music Murder Trial." On Sword and Scale we do things a little different, so we'll let you get your fill of that case from other media outlets while we break the case of Curtis Reeves, who like Michael Dunn allegedly shot and killed someone because he didn't like what they were doing and then tried to claim self defense afterwards. Instead of loud music, it was the simple act of texting at a movie theater. I know if someone uses a phone during a movie it can be extremely annoying, but texting isn't really that big of a deal unless you're sitting right next to someone with a particularly big and particularly bright phone. Even then, is it enough to get into an argument about, much less shoot someone? During former cop Curtis Reeves' bail hearing, we learn about all the details that led up to this senseless and tragic outcome where a man died for bad movie theater etiquette.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

19 Feb 20141h 4min

"White House Boy" Roger Dean Kiser tells us the story of his personal hell. To him, this world which anyone would consider a living hell was just normal everyday life. The way he describes this upbringing is so brutally honest and matter-of-fact, that it will chill your soul. Hundreds of other "White House Boys" have told the tale of the same experience, yet for over a century the institutional torture and sometime murder of children has been taking place right under our collective noses, and only now is this story coming to light. When you hear this story, just keep reminding yourself that you live in America, a country by the people and for the people. You may have to try extra hard to remind yourself because it will be easy to forget. This actually happened. It happened right here, in this country, and the worst part is there is no justice for the victims, not even the ones who are still living. It's absolutely sickening, and a wake up call for anyone who cares enough to listen.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

12 Feb 20141h 11min

This is the conclusion to a two part saga involving the organized abduction and abuse of children and ritualistic murders by satanic cults allegedly headed by the top levels of government at a mysterious all-male retreat known as Bohemian Grove. We tell the tale of what has become to be known as The Franklin Coverup and follow the trail of young Johnny Gosch and several other youngsters who were persecuted by the very system that was supposed to protect them, all for sharing their nightmare with us. Witness intimidation kept this story under wraps, but some individuals took the fall while countless others probably got away with outright murder.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

5 Feb 20141h 1min

Imagine a criminal conspiracy and cover-up so so massive in scale, involving the highest levels of government and industry, that it threatens the very fabric of the American system. Now imagine that the crimes of this criminal syndicate are so horrible, so horrendous, that the mere mention of them would be frowned upon in polite society, and the very idea of such a conspiracy being possible would be laughable and downright absurd. Yet, in September of 1982, the unexplained disappearance of a 12-year-old boy named Johnny Gosch, set a series of events into motion that would have earth-shattering ramifications to this day. In this episode of Sword and Scale, we'll delve into Part 1 of a series titled The Massive Cover-Up one of the strangest and most outrageous criminal conspiracy theories ever told, including audio from many of those who witnessed the story unfolding firsthand. We're also delve into all the bizarre side-stories that spin off like fractals into their own mysterious endings. The show concludes with a viral video that made headlines last week. In keeping with the theme, it is that of a sexual abuse victim named Jamie that decided that if the law wasn't going to help her, perhaps YouTube and the outrage of millions could. You won't want to miss this clip.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

29 Jan 201454min