New Season of Pretend Podcast to cover true crime mogel Ladonna Humphrey
LaDonna Humphrey, a luminary in the realm of writing and advocacy, has garnered acclaim as a writer, documentarian, podcaster, and non-profit leader dedicated to championing the cause of crime victims. LaDonna stands as a beacon of advocacy and justice within the true crime community, esteemed for her unwavering commitment to giving a voice to those silenced.
But in the depths of darkness, some people are unrecognizable—strangers even to those who thought they knew them.
Tune in to the unfolding narrative of Pretend Podcast as it unveils its new season titled Who's Afraid of Ladonna Humphrey? June 4th—where the unseen will be brought to light, and the masks will fall away.
Pretend is a true crime podcast hosted by investigative journalist Javier Leiva. The show delves into the world of real people pretending to be someone they’re not. Leiva dives into swindlers, snake oil salesmen, undercover FBI agents, cult leaders, and more. One of his seasons covers Frank Abagnale, known for his infamous exploits as depicted in the film 'Catch Me If You Can.'
Leiva’s investigative reporting has garnered attention from major players in the entertainment industry, and he has been featured in respected publications like the New York Times and BBC. He was also featured in the Netflix documentary 'Don’t Pick Up The Phone.' Pretend has consistently ranked as one of the top true crime podcasts in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia on the Spotify Charts.
[Pictured above L to R: Patti Rush, Alecia Lockhart, Anthony Christopher]
Javier Leiva’s most recent production, “Who's Afraid of Ladonna Humphrey?” centers around Humphrey. The episodes slated to drop first include Humphrey's former colleague, Patti Rush, who worked alongside Humphrey during the early years of her investigation into the Melissa Witt case; Alecia Lockhart, Humphrey's former co-host of Deep Dark Secrets Podcast and co-writer of “Strangled” (now pulled from publication); Humphrey's former boss, Anthony Christopher, who recently had a landmark win in his a court case against Humphrey to the tune of $3.57M and a permanent restraining order for Christopher extending to his family and attorneys.
[Benton County, Arkansas Case No.: O4CV-18-2961]
Every enthralling installment introduces a new voice woven into Humphrey’s past, each carrying their own Deep Dark Secrets about Humphrey, culminating in an interview with Humphrey herself.
[Photo via public records- The Circuit Court in Anthony Christopher's case ordered Humphrey to serve 10 days in jail for contempt for “active and aggressive spoliation of evidence.” Benton County, Arkansas Case No.: O4CV-18-2961]
Catch the first few episodes of 'Pretend: Who's Afraid of LaDonna Humphrey?' Tuesday, June 4th anywhere you stream your podcasts.
Get a 10 minute glimpse into the first episode on Spotify here.
Humphrey's works include:
Book - The Girl I Never Knew: Who Killed Melissa Witt
Book - Strangled with Alecia Lockhart (Melissa Witt Book 2, pulled from publication)
Book - Connected by Fate (Melissa Witt Book 3)
Documentary - Uneven Ground: The Melissa Witt Story
Podcast - Deep Dark Secrets
Podcast - Extinguished
Podcast - The Roommate
Nonprofit - All the Lost Girls, co-founder, Media & Event Manager
Nonprofit - Oasis of Northwest Arkansas, Executive Director
Nonprofit (previous) - Let's Bring Them Home
Yearly Convention - True Crime Fest NWA, co-founder