Christmas is supposed to be a refuge—a pause from the chaos, a promise of peace. But for many families, Christmas doesn’t calm the storm. It traps it.

In this Dark Dialogue Distilled Christmas Special, John examines some of the most disturbing cases of domestic violence and family annihilation to occur on or around Christmas—not as isolated tragedies, but as part of a repeating and deeply uncomfortable pattern.

From the 1929 Lawson family murders in North Carolina, to the unresolved mystery of the Sodder children, to the Carnation family massacre, the Covina Christmas Eve Santa-suit attack, and modern cases where violence unfolded quietly behind closed doors, this episode strips away holiday mythology and confronts the truth:

Christmas doesn’t create abuse. It concentrates it.

Alcohol, financial pressure, forced proximity, isolation, and the expectation that everything should “look fine” collide—often with devastating consequences. These crimes were not spontaneous. They were escalations of control, resentment, entitlement, and fear that already existed long before the tree went up.

This episode is not about fear-mongering. It’s about honesty.

It’s about recognizing that holidays can be a high-risk moment for those already living with domestic violence—and that silence, tradition, and appearances can be deadly.

You’ll also hear a data-driven discussion that separates myth from reality: why December is not statistically the deadliest month overall, yet remains a documented danger window for escalation, emergency calls, and lethal outcomes.

We close with a Christmas victim tribute, honoring the lives lost—not for how they died, but for how they lived—and a reminder that checking in, listening, and refusing to look away can matter more than any tradition.

If this episode resonates with you, or raises concern for someone you love, please don’t ignore that feeling. Help is available. Reaching out is not weakness—it’s survival.

• Follow or subscribe to Dark Dialogue Distilled wherever you listen • Rate and review the show if your platform allows—it helps these stories reach the people who need them • Share this episode with someone who should hear it • Watch on YouTube, subscribe, and turn on notifications • Join us live on New Year’s night for the Dark Dialogue live show 👉 darkdialogue.com/live

On Thanksgiving 2018, Colorado mother Kelsey Berreth vanished without a trace. Her fiancé, Patrick Frazee, was later convicted of beating her to death and burning her remains. But this Distilled episode isn’t just about the murder — it’s about the woman who helped him cover it up.

This is the story of Krystal Lee Kenney. A rodeo queen. A nurse. A mother. And the only witness who knew every step of Frazee’s plan.

In this episode, we break down:

• The three failed “murder assignments” Frazee gave her
• The psychological grooming that kept her under his control
• The four-hour crime scene cleanup she performed alone
• The burning of Kelsey's remains that she stood by and watched
• Her deeply controversial plea deal and early release
• Why prosecutors called it “a deal with the devil”
• How her testimony secured Frazee’s life sentence
• The moral question: coerced… or complicit?

You’ll hear a long-form tribute to Kelsey — not as a victim, but as a mother, daughter, pilot, and woman who deserved a lifetime of moments she never got to live.

If you value the work: Follow, rate, review, and hit the bell — it truly helps the show reach more people. Support deeper investigations on Patreon, Ko-fi, and Substack, or send case suggestions to info@darkdialogue.com.

This is Dark Dialogue: Distilled. Stay curious. Stay relentless… and don’t let the truth go silent.

Distilled: Reopened — Episode 1

The Fire, The Lies, and the Vanishing of Brookelyn Farthing

Welcome to the brand-new evolution of Distilled — a sharper, more uncompromising format where I take cases back off the shelf, strip away old assumptions, correct past mistakes, and confront the evidence without a rigid structure or a co-host filter.

And today, we’re reopening one of the most infuriating unsolved disappearances I’ve ever covered: the 2013 disappearance of 18-year-old Brookelyn Farthing in Berea, Kentucky.

This episode digs deep into the contradictions, the suspicious house fire, the abandoned personal belongings, the bizarre timeline, and the single person who had the opportunity, proximity, and motive to make Brookelyn vanish — yet has never faced a day of scrutiny in court.

Inside this episode:

• A minute-by-minute breakdown of Brooke’s final known hours
• Why the cigarette-caused fire theory collapses under scientific reality
• The evidence left behind, and what it tells us about a forced disappearance
• The contradictions in Josh Hensley’s statements
• How later convictions revealed who he really was
• Why Kentucky’s homicide clearance rates matter — and how this case exemplifies systemic failure
• What likely happened to Brookelyn, based on evidence, behavior, and timeline
• What police could have done. What they should have done. And what they still can do.

This isn’t the old Distilled. This is Distilled: Reopened — where cases come back under the light, without excuses, without restrictions, and without hesitation.

If you know the case, you’re about to hear it in a way you’ve never heard before. If you don’t, you’re about to understand why so many people are furious it remains unsolved.

CALLS TO ACTION

If this episode matters to you, here’s how to support the work:

👍 Like, follow, and subscribe ⭐ Leave a review — it truly helps 🔔 Hit the bell so you never miss an episode 🕵️ Join the Dark Dialogue Collective, our boots-on-the-ground volunteer network for searches, advocacy, and victim support ❤️ Adopt-A-Victim — research, promote, and help keep a victim’s case alive 📬 Send tips, questions, or case suggestions: info@darkdialogue.com 🌐 Visit: www.darkdialogue.com 🤝 Support the show on Patreon, Ko-fi, or Substack