Seven-year-old Athena Strand was supposed to be safe at home in December 2022, just days away from going back to live with her mom, when a delivery driver dropping off a Christmas present changed everything. At the time, authorities said she was abducted and likely killed within an hour, her body found miles away. But what’s come out since then tells a far more disturbing story. Newly revealed evidence and trial testimony suggest those final moments were not what anyone originally believed. And now, with the man responsible already pleading guilty, the trial has shifted to whether he will spend the rest of his life in prison or be sentenced to death…
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If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow the show for weekly deep dives into the darkest true crime cases! To watch the video version of this episode, head over to youtube.com/@annieelise.
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📚 Episode Sources
Court TV

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🚨Disclaimers

1️⃣ Some links may be affiliate links, they do not cost you anything, but I make a small percentage from the sale. Thank you so much for watching and supporting me.
2️⃣ Sources used to collect this information include various public news sites, interviews, court documents, FB groups dedicated to the case, and various news channel segments. When quoting statements made by others, they are strictly alleged until confirmed otherwise. Please remember my videos are my independent opinion and to always do your own research.
3️⃣ The views and opinions expressed in this video are personal and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the creator(s). These views are subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time and are not to be held in perpetuity. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information on this video and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. It is the reader’s responsibility to verify their own facts.

On a summer afternoon in Circleville, a small city in Ohio, police surrounded 32-year-old Tara Lambert in a Walmart parking lot as she calmly pushed a cart full of dog food, showing almost no reaction as she was arrested for conspiracy to commit aggravated murder. But what shocked investigators even more was that she already knew exactly why they were there. Behind her picture perfect life, a bitter custody battle and a carefully hidden secret had been building for years, one that would unravel into a plot so disturbing it’s hard to believe it was real…
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If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow the show for weekly deep dives into the darkest true crime cases! To watch the video version of this episode, head over to youtube.com/@annieelise.
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🔎Join Our True Crime Club & Get Exclusive Content & Perks.
.
🎧 Need More to Binge?
Listen to both of my weekly true crime series 10 to Life & Serialously with Annie Elise wherever you get your podcasts on the Annie Elise Channel!
🍎 Apple Podcasts | Where you can also unlock access to 100+ and growing extra exclusive deep dives.
💚 Spotify
🔴 YouTube
🎙️ All Other Platforms
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📚 Episode Sources
Cleveland.com | Columbus Monthly | Daily Mail | The Columbus Dispatch | Inside Edition | Law & Crime | M7 Crime Storytime | Medium | Netflix Crime | NBC Chicago | People | QFM96 | Scioto Post | WOSU | WSAZ

••••••••••••••••••

🚨Disclaimers

1️⃣ Some links may be affiliate links, they do not cost you anything, but I make a small percentage from the sale. Thank you so much for watching and supporting me.
2️⃣ Sources used to collect this information include various public news sites, interviews, court documents, FB groups dedicated to the case, and various news channel segments. When quoting statements made by others, they are strictly alleged until confirmed otherwise. Please remember my videos are my independent opinion and to always do your own research.
3️⃣ The views and opinions expressed in this video are personal and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the creator(s). These views are subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time and are not to be held in perpetuity. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information on this video and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. It is the reader’s responsibility to verify their own facts.

After Netflix dropped Trust Me: The False Prophet, a chilling story is back in the spotlight, and it’s even more disturbing than you might remember. At the center is Samuel Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet who built a secretive cult within a cult, hiding shocking abuse, manipulation, and a network of followers willing to do whatever he asked. As new details emerge, including guilty pleas, kidnappings, and the unraveling of his inner circle, the question becomes how far his influence really reached and how so many people became entangled in it. Revisit everything we uncovered before, now with major updates and a deeper look at the documentary that’s bringing this case back into the public eye…
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If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow the show for weekly deep dives into the darkest true crime cases! To watch the video version of this episode, head over to youtube.com/@annieelise.
.
🔎Join Our True Crime Club & Get Exclusive Content & Perks.
.
🎧 Need More to Binge?
Listen to both of my weekly true crime series 10 to Life & Serialously with Annie Elise wherever you get your podcasts on the Annie Elise Channel!
🍎 Apple Podcasts | Where you can also unlock access to 100+ and growing extra exclusive deep dives.
💚 Spotify
🔴 YouTube
🎙️ All Other Platforms
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🚩Announcements
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Shop now at https://annieelise.com/collections/shop-all
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👗 Shop Annie’s Must-Haves!
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🫵🏻 Get Involved or Recommend a Case
About Annie: www.annieelise.com
For Business Inquiries: 10toLife@WMEAgency.com
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📚 Episode Sources
Trust Me: The False Prophet (Netflix)

••••••••••••••••••

🚨Disclaimers

1️⃣ Some links may be affiliate links, they do not cost you anything, but I make a small percentage from the sale. Thank you so much for watching and supporting me.
2️⃣ Sources used to collect this information include various public news sites, interviews, court documents, FB groups dedicated to the case, and various news channel segments. When quoting statements made by others, they are strictly alleged until confirmed otherwise. Please remember my videos are my independent opinion and to always do your own research.
3️⃣ The views and opinions expressed in this video are personal and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the creator(s). These views are subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time and are not to be held in perpetuity. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information on this video and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. It is the reader’s responsibility to verify their own facts.