Horizon - Talina Zar E8

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Speaker 38 This is Andrea Gunning from Betrayal.

Speaker 39 Are there two sides to every story?

Speaker 38 Academy Award nominee Robin Wright stars in The Girlfriend on Prime, a psychological thriller that will make you question everything.

Speaker 38 Laura has the perfect life and a son she'd die for, but when he brings home his new girlfriend Cherry, played by Olivia Cook, Something feels off.

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Speaker 1 Sometimes the truth is just a matter of perspective.

Speaker 40 A heads up to listeners, this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence. Please take care while listening.

Speaker 40 In the summer of 2020, that first COVID summer, a few months after Talina went missing, Before anyone had been arrested, a licensed realtor in Mina, Arkansas gets a phone call.

Speaker 40 The person on the other end of the line is a woman eager to buy some land in the area, but not just any land, a specific parcel. Here's how she later described that call, as read by a voice actor.

Speaker 41 When I answered the phone, she said there was a piece of property she wanted to buy.

Speaker 40 The realtor looks up the property on her computer. It's a four-acre plot of undeveloped forest in Arkansas.
She asks the woman if she wanted to be shown the property. They could do a tour?

Speaker 41 And she said, no, she'd already looked at it. She'd walked every step of it and she just loved it.

Speaker 40 Weird, but okay.

Speaker 40 Then the woman says, she's planning to live there. But the realtor can see from the plot's description that that might be difficult.

Speaker 41 And I said, you do understand there's no utilities, there's no water, no electric, nothing there.

Speaker 40 The woman is undeterred.

Speaker 41 And she said, well, I'm going to live there and I'm going to buy this piece of property and I want to buy it today.

Speaker 40 A sale is a sale. So the realtor pulls up some forms and asks for the woman's information.

Speaker 41 She said her name was Deb Bomley or something like that. Her first name was Corey, but she said she didn't use that name.
She used the name of Deb.

Speaker 40 Even though it's getting late in the day, the realtor prepares a contract for the sale of the property, and Corey signs it just after midnight.

Speaker 40 But the contract is rejected by the seller because of financing issues. The realtor updates Corey.

Speaker 41 I talked to her several times and we text back and forth because it was rejected. And she said she still wanted to buy it.

Speaker 41 And I asked her how she wanted to do that and she said she was going to sell some stuff and just come pay cash for it.

Speaker 40 The realtor follows up to check on the progress of Corey's cash flow.

Speaker 41 I called her and I never got a reply. So that was the end.
I just filed everything away.

Speaker 40 The property remains unsold.

Speaker 40 Seven months later, police will descend on this unassuming plot of land off a dead-end logging road called Woody Lane.

Speaker 40 From iHeart Podcasts, I'm Melissa Gelson, and this is what happened to Talina Czar.

Speaker 41 We could solve what happened. We could fix it, maybe.
The first thing that happened, she gets bad migraines.

Speaker 43 By then, we all had a suspicion that something bad had happened. We're armchair investigators over here, so we just didn't know something like that could have happened to Tolina.

Speaker 45 He was like, I've been talking to Corey, trying to get her to tell me what happened.

Speaker 41 So what happened in a nutshell? And then Sherry told me the exact story of what had happened.

Speaker 47 If you suspected something like that happened, who would be the people you would suspect the most?

Speaker 43 All of a sudden, boom, Artie's gone. No explanation.
No, this is what happened.

Speaker 41 I don't know if she was willing to forgive him for whatever had happened or maybe he had paid her back. Oh my God.

Speaker 43 this just certainly can't possibly be what happened.

Speaker 41 I come back in crying.

Speaker 41 And everybody's like, what happened?

Speaker 40 Episode 8.

Speaker 40 Horizon.

Speaker 40 I want to take you back to this moment when Talina's body is found. It's the dead of winter.
in a forest in Arkansas, and a deputy is standing over a white box freezer.

Speaker 40 He opens the lid to find visible human remains. But standing just a few paces behind him is a woman watching all this unfold.
She's the woman who found the freezer and called the police.

Speaker 40 She's also the woman who, seven months earlier, saw a suspicious truck and trailer drive down Woody Lane and Park.

Speaker 40 At that time, she wrote down the license plate number of the truck on a small piece of paper. Even though it's been been seven months, she still has it.

Speaker 40 The woman hands over the paper to investigators.

Speaker 40 Police run the plates and they match Talina's truck, the 2007 Dodge Ram that Corey later sold for scrap metal. This small piece of paper is the evidence that Detective Joel Weber has been waiting for.

Speaker 48 With this new information, investigators began looking again at the data retrieved from Corey Bomale's cellular phones on previous search warrants.

Speaker 40 They discover evidence from Corey's phone that she had been in the area of Arkansas where Talina's body was found multiple times in June and July.

Speaker 40 And they also find out that the very day that Talina's truck was spotted parked on Woody Lane, Corey tried to buy that exact property.

Speaker 48 Investigators found that Corey Bomaley had been attempting to purchase the very plot of land where the body was found from a realtor in MENA just hours after she was seen there.

Speaker 48 The realtor advised Corey was adamant about purchasing the land.

Speaker 48 Corey refused to meet the realtor to tour the land, but stated she had already walked on every foot of the property and demanded that she be able to purchase it.

Speaker 40 Now able to connect Corey directly to Talina's body, Wagner detectives jump into action. They apply for an arrest warrant for murder.

Speaker 40 Corey is currently living in Wisconsin with her mom, Janet, so the Wagner cops coordinate with the Dane County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin to track her down.

Speaker 40 On January 21st, 2021, a week after Tolina's body is discovered, a few squad cars are dispatched to Janet's home. With no immediate sign of Corey, police follow her mom as she goes about her day.

Speaker 40 We've recreated what happened based on police reports.

Speaker 47 Subjects seen departing departing the meadow road address on two separate occasions.

Speaker 40 Sometime in the afternoon, Corey's mom leaves her house once more and drives her Chevy Equinox to a mechanic.

Speaker 47 Subject parked in the parking lot for a number of minutes before a second subject was observed walking towards the Equinox and getting into the front passenger side seat.

Speaker 40 Corey gets in the car with her mom behind the wheel.

Speaker 47 The decision was made to attempt a traffic stop in the appropriate location and take Bomali into custody on the aforementioned warrant.

Speaker 40 But arresting Corey isn't going to be so easy.

Speaker 47 At approximately 2.42 p.m., I pulled behind the vehicle and activated my squad's emergency red and blue lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle. However, it did not stop.

Speaker 40 I don't know what the conversation was in the car between Corey and her mom, if she explained what was happening, or pretended to be clueless, or if they honestly didn't see the police car behind them.

Speaker 40 But they don't pull over. Corey's mom keeps driving.
So a deputy puts on his siren.

Speaker 47 And again, the vehicle did not pull over.

Speaker 40 One of the detectives in another squad car speeds up and cuts in front of them.

Speaker 47 He did begin to brake slightly, and it appeared as though the operator then saw my squad behind her, and she immediately pulled to the right shoulder of the road and stopped.

Speaker 40 Gun drawn, the deputy approaches Corey's side of the car and tells her to step out of the vehicle.

Speaker 49 Bomali asked, what am I under arrest for?

Speaker 47 And my response was, murder charges out of Oklahoma.

Speaker 40 Corey also wants to know,

Speaker 40 had they found her missing roommate's body?

Speaker 40 The next day, Wagner County District Attorney Jack Thorpe updates the public on Corey's arrest.

Speaker 46 I charged her with first-degree murder of Tolina Galloway, and we allege that those crimes did occur here in Wagner County, Oklahoma. Corey Bomalee is also charged with desecration of a corpse.

Speaker 46 She is presumed innocent of both of those charges, and that presumption will remain throughout the duration of this investigation and prosecution up to and if she is proven guilty by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Speaker 46 It is very important for me to note to you this: that this is still a very active investigation, and it will remain so for some time after today.

Speaker 46 If you do have any information or you may know of someone that has some relation or knows something about this case, please have that person contact the Wagner County Sheriff's Office.

Speaker 28 I would agree that I have never had a case involving these kinds of details.

Speaker 40 After her arrest for murder, Corey retains a lawyer, Janet Hudson, who defends her client in an interview with KTUL, a television station out of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Speaker 41 I think she's shocked. I think she's concerned.
Anybody who's been charged with such a serious offense

Speaker 41 should be shocked and should be concerned.

Speaker 40 Corey's lawyer adds that she's worried about her client getting a fair trial.

Speaker 41 I realize there are going to be those that see this as sensational.

Speaker 47 and frightening and have opinions.

Speaker 13 And I have to fight against that.

Speaker 40 Soon Soon afterwards, Corey is extradited from Wisconsin to Wagner. A short video taken by a local reporter shows her in handcuffs, being escorted by police into the station.

Speaker 40 She's walking with her head down, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt.

Speaker 49 Corey, what do you have to say about Talina's family?

Speaker 40 Corey says nothing. Doesn't even look back.

Speaker 40 More than four years later, as I write this episode in June 2025, Corey is still awaiting trial on these charges.

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Speaker 3 Bring the boom. X-Boom.

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Speaker 41 One day I was driving on the freeway, riding in the freeway with my husband, and we passed a trailer that had a freezer on it.

Speaker 40 The details of Talina's death, they'd be difficult for anyone to stomach.

Speaker 40 Here's Nicole, Talina's friend in Tennessee, who still feels the trauma long after receiving the news.

Speaker 41 And again, I just had a complete meltdown. I had to get him to pull over because I couldn't be next to that freezer on that trainer.

Speaker 40 Talina's friends have had a lot of time to ruminate on the events that occurred in the beginning of the pandemic. Here's Greg.

Speaker 42 To,

Speaker 43 you know, basically murder her and chop her up

Speaker 43 and put her somewhere where nobody would ever find her. It just

Speaker 43 like, how in the world can somebody

Speaker 43 even contemplate doing something like that?

Speaker 43 How evil can one person really be?

Speaker 43 Tolina was a good lady and she did not deserve what happened to her.

Speaker 43 For me to be involved in this whole situation just blows my mind. And like I said, I live a really boring life here in Oklahoma.

Speaker 43 And me and my wife, we watched crime stories, but for us to live, you know, live in one, it's totally different. And it makes us not want to trust anybody.

Speaker 43 It makes us look at people a little bit differently now and be a little bit more untrusting about what they're saying or what they're telling us.

Speaker 43 And I don't want to be that type of person because I feel like I'm a person of faith and I feel like I want to give everybody the opportunity to prove me wrong,

Speaker 43 you know, show me that they're bad. But, you know, through this corey situation i uh

Speaker 43 i i look at people a lot differently now

Speaker 40 for talina's oklahoma friends in particular it's hard to wrap their heads around what corey's been accused of within months of corey settling into wagner she had woven herself into their worlds eating dinner in their homes and sharing beers around backyard fires.

Speaker 40 Was she manipulating them the whole time?

Speaker 40 Was she waiting for just the right opportunity to enrich herself or to pull off some long-held devious fantasy?

Speaker 40 Neighbors are left re-examining every moment with her, wondering if she exploited their goodwill.

Speaker 40 For Greg, it's the mattress frame he discarded for Corey that bothers him the most. Did his actions help Corey get away with murder for a while, at least?

Speaker 43 I look back on that and I'm like, oh, I just feel at that point didn't even have a clue of what was transpiring, what had happened.

Speaker 43 She was that comfortable around us

Speaker 43 and doing the things that she was doing under our noses. You know,

Speaker 43 what else is she capable of or what has she done in the past?

Speaker 42 No one ever really prepares you for this moment. There's no amount of training that can prepare you for how to feel or what to expect.

Speaker 40 For Eris, she can't stop thinking about this moment. A week after Talina went missing, when she brought over a sausage that Talina had paid for, but Corey wouldn't take it.

Speaker 42 She looked at me and said, you guys should go ahead and take it. Our freezer is stuffed full of meat.

Speaker 42 I didn't find out about how she was found until obviously months, months, months, months after that interaction. But when I read the details of how her remains were found,

Speaker 42 I collapsed.

Speaker 42 Why I connected those two that conversation and that information together.

Speaker 43 Because why would you say that?

Speaker 40 Certain stories from Corey's past also take on new meaning, like the rumor she once worked at a coroner's office or how she told people she cut up her horse.

Speaker 40 Here's Rachel, Talina's friend and fellow animal lover.

Speaker 44 She had this horse die, and apparently had had this horse for years.

Speaker 44 Instead of calling somebody to come pick this animal up and or even finding somebody with a backhoe that could help her bury it, she cut it up like it was literally just a piece of meat.

Speaker 43 What?

Speaker 42 Who even knows how to do something like that?

Speaker 40 Whoever did cut up Talina's body appeared to have had practice.

Speaker 40 The Arkansas Arkansas medical examiner who performed Talina's autopsy said in court documents that the dismemberment appeared to be almost expertly done.

Speaker 40 The incision points were so clean, so precise, that there was only one cut mark on a bone, no saw or chop marks at all.

Speaker 40 The medical examiner added that the way it was done required some knowledge of how joints are structured so that they could be cut around and the limbs removed.

Speaker 40 As far as the cause of Talina's death, the medical examiner found that she died from blunt force trauma to the skull.

Speaker 40 Because of the lack of injuries on the rest of her body, he believed she was killed before she had a chance to defend herself.

Speaker 41 What do I think happened, like my theory?

Speaker 40 In the years since Corey's arrest, Jess, our internet sleuth in Minnesota, has had plenty of time to refine her theory of what exactly happened to Telina Czar.

Speaker 40 I asked her to lay it out from start to finish, her best guess, based on the research she's done and the people she's talked to.

Speaker 41 I think Talina found out that Corey had either opened a credit card in her name or had used one without her permission.

Speaker 41 And then once the pandemic hit, Telina was no longer traveling for work and she was home looking at the bills and that's when she found it.

Speaker 41 And I think she confronted Corey and told her she had to leave.

Speaker 41 But I think Corey also played to Tolina's feelings and was like, I have nowhere to go, give me some time.

Speaker 41 After speaking to her ex-husbands, I learned that Corey was all about waiting on end times of sorts. And I think she believed that that was coming.
When COVID hit, she thought, this is it.

Speaker 41 And that's when everything started to spiral.

Speaker 47 The mayor today calling the spread unpredictable and

Speaker 49 a grim new prediction. I get integrated.

Speaker 46 They

Speaker 41 I think that's when Corey started planning her murder. I think she either poisoned her over time to make her weak or slipped something into her food or drink that night to make her extra sleepy.

Speaker 47 She was going to lay down for a while and said that she would chat with her later.

Speaker 41 And once Talina was completely out, Corey probably hit her in the back of the head.

Speaker 41 I think she started cutting her up in the bathtub in the master bedroom because it was big. And then I think after that, she

Speaker 41 moved her into the garage and finished there because that's where the freezer was and it was closest.

Speaker 44 When we got to the kitchen, we noticed the freezer was not there.

Speaker 41 I think she then racked up Talina in garbage bags and put her in the freezer and waited.

Speaker 41 Eventually, she brought the freezer and the white trailer over to Billy's. and plugged it in to keep the body frozen.

Speaker 43 We drove by and saw an orange extension cord going into the back of this trailer.

Speaker 42 And I thought, well, that's weird.

Speaker 41 And then when she went to the interview with Weber, he asked her about the trailer and she freaked out. And that's why she sold it and rented the U-Haul.

Speaker 51 They said there was some sort of travel trailer in the driveway. Oh, a white cargo trailer?

Speaker 41 Yeah, it sold. She took the truck, hitched up the rented trailer with the freezer, and drove to Arkansas to the remote property she'd been looking at buying.

Speaker 41 And she said, well, I want to buy it today.

Speaker 41 After she returned, she scrapped the truck and tried to tie up loose ends, but the truck was in too good of shape to actually scrap, so it raised some alarms.

Speaker 41 As for the motive, Corey had nothing. She had no job, no money, no car.

Speaker 41 The car she was even driving, the G6, belonged to Tolina.

Speaker 51 So doing things as an executor before we know she's dead is presumptuous.

Speaker 41 And she realized she'd been caught and she started scrambling. And there's really nothing else.

Speaker 40 Jess has had little doubt about Corey's guilt pretty much from the beginning. But today, she is still unsure if Corey acted alone and if Marty was involved in any way.

Speaker 40 She even shared these concerns with the district attorney.

Speaker 41 I get the number for Jack Thorpe and I put Rosie on three-way on conference and I said, will you just mute yourself? and just be there, like emotionally, just so I know somebody else is there.

Speaker 41 And I can remember what's said later later on like i'm really upset and i said i think marty helped i literally told him i'm i i'm positive in my mind that he had something to do with all of this jess mentioned that she'd been communicating with marty regularly throughout this whole time she had a lot of material that could potentially be useful I shared an album with him on Facebook.

Speaker 41 I think the same one that I shared with you. I guess he wanted all of our screenshots, but two and two together.

Speaker 40 Still, after their call, Jess was left with a distinct feeling that the DA disapproved of how much she'd inserted herself into the case.

Speaker 41 He was kind of scolding me. I mean, he made me feel.
I'm sure he's really good at his job. I'm not saying he's not.
I'm saying his bedside manner maybe isn't that cool.

Speaker 41 He made me feel like I was responsible for something that

Speaker 41 I'm not the police. I'm not.

Speaker 41 I'm some girl. Just on the internet.
And I didn't know.

Speaker 41 I didn't know what I had until afterwards

Speaker 40 since Corey's arrest for Talina's murder she's also been charged with attempted murder in Wisconsin accused of trying to fatally poison her former neighbors Sherry and Mike Ziegler using homemade ricin

Speaker 40 we came home to

Speaker 49 stuff

Speaker 41 kitty litter or broken sheetrock material scattered throughout our house, especially on my side of the bed and in my underwear drawer. This was very personal, and I felt particularly scared.

Speaker 40 It's unclear why, but prosecutors decided Corey should face charges in Wisconsin first before standing trial for Talina's murder.

Speaker 40 The Ryson trial has been delayed for years, but finally, it's scheduled to take place in June 2025, just a week after this episode airs. I'll be attending and I'll update you all from Wisconsin.

Speaker 40 Still, Still, there's no trial date set for the murder of Telina.

Speaker 40 Her loved ones are waiting, clinging to the hope that a murder trial will bring long overdue answers about what really happened in the confusing, chaotic early days of the pandemic.

Speaker 40 There's no question that COVID hindered the efforts of the official investigation. made it harder to see people behind their masks.

Speaker 40 Isolation, fear, distraction, these were unprecedented challenges in a world gone mad for a while. And maybe that's exactly what the perpetrator was hoping for.

Speaker 40 Talina's family worries that the more time passes, the harder it may get to prosecute the case. That memories, evidence could be lost to the winds of time.

Speaker 43 There's the typical process of this. There's the murder,

Speaker 43 the investigation.

Speaker 43 Hopefully, you know, somebody is

Speaker 43 found, you know, and arrested,

Speaker 43 you know,

Speaker 43 and the family, you know, they bury their loved one.

Speaker 43 And then two, three years down the road, there's a trial, as typical, correct?

Speaker 43 That is not our case.

Speaker 40 Over many conversations, Talina's sister, Cheryl, told me that her family family was struggling with the fact that Talina's body wasn't yet cremated according to her wishes.

Speaker 40 They were unable to give her a final resting place.

Speaker 43 We do not blame authorities.

Speaker 43 What happened was they determined that they needed her body.

Speaker 43 This case is more circumstantial than evidence-wise because of the timeframe. She went missing.
The body wasn't found for several months, badly decomposed in a freezer.

Speaker 43 And so they said we need to keep the body.

Speaker 43 We haven't

Speaker 43 moved beyond the initial trauma.

Speaker 43 It's just that,

Speaker 43 when I woke up today,

Speaker 43 she is in pieces in a freezer in my mom.

Speaker 43 And we woke up today. She's in pieces in the freezer.

Speaker 43 When we woke up yesterday,

Speaker 43 she was in pieces in the freezer.

Speaker 43 And when we wake up tomorrow,

Speaker 43 she will be in pieces in the freezer.

Speaker 43 And that's our reality.

Speaker 43 We accept that this doesn't mean it's easy.

Speaker 44 In fact, it's gotten harder.

Speaker 43 Our biggest source of pain in a lot of ways is how much pain my mom is in.

Speaker 43 Her

Speaker 43 horrific

Speaker 43 grief that my poor mom, when she is in the worst pain for her entire existence, the worst pain anyone could ever feel.

Speaker 43 And we can't do anything to console her, and we know that.

Speaker 40 For many years after Talina's murder, her family did not speak openly about what happened.

Speaker 43 I have worked at my place of work for 18 years.

Speaker 43 I know many people I worked with them for

Speaker 43 years.

Speaker 43 And until about a year ago,

Speaker 43 a year ago,

Speaker 43 for the very first time, I uttered the words to someone outside the family. My sister was murdered.

Speaker 43 It took me that long to be able to say those words to someone else.

Speaker 43 She until, she said, you know, mom,

Speaker 43 I can't, I've never even talked about this

Speaker 43 until she said a couple of months ago, her good friend, she said, she was telling me about some mystery thing she'd seen on TV, a date line type of thing, you know, and she said, my aunt was murdered.

Speaker 43 The first time she had uttered those words. And all of this time,

Speaker 43 My

Speaker 43 oldest daughter, Cherie, she has never ever said anything outside the family.

Speaker 43 And my youngest daughter, Chelsea, her too. I know

Speaker 49 my mom outside of

Speaker 43 she has a small church group, so of course, you know, the news got there. Outside of that, no, nobody.

Speaker 43 We haven't

Speaker 43 been able to even say it

Speaker 43 outside of our own, in our own worlds.

Speaker 43 This is so raw and painful

Speaker 43 because of where we're

Speaker 43 trapped.

Speaker 40 Agreeing to do this podcast has meant that Cheryl has been able to talk more openly about Talina, to me, to the world, but also to her family.

Speaker 40 And those long, overdue conversations seem like the next step in a healing process.

Speaker 43 We haven't lost sight. We have the horizon.
We are still looking at the horizon. We know

Speaker 43 these days will come ahead. These times will come.
We will be able to gather, lay flowers, and remember. My mom, her biggest fear

Speaker 49 that she expresses is she says,

Speaker 43 I don't want her to be forgotten.

Speaker 43 And I know she says that because there is not a gathering place of remembrance yet for her.

Speaker 43 And for some reason,

Speaker 43 she fears that her daughter will just be forgotten.

Speaker 41 I'm just really grateful that you decided to do this for Telina. Not for me, but for her.

Speaker 41 Everybody's going to know, hopefully. I think they need to.

Speaker 40 When you tell people about this whole thing, like, how do you explain it to people, like, what you were involved in?

Speaker 41 I usually tell people I helped solve a murder because I do feel like the effort that I put forth, along with, you know, Nicole and all the people I talked to, did help catch Corey.

Speaker 41 Granted, I didn't arrest her or build a case that I could take to court. I don't take any credit for that.
And anybody with half a brain knows that a civilian can't do that.

Speaker 41 But I do say that I contributed to it because I truly feel like I did.

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Speaker 3 Bring a boom. X-Boom.

Speaker 12 There's a lot going on in Hollywood.

Speaker 13 How are you supposed to stay on top of it all?

Speaker 14 Variety has the solution.

Speaker 17 Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new Daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

Speaker 20 Where do you see the business actually heading?

Speaker 21 Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton.

Speaker 23 The only constant in Hollywood is change.

Speaker 24 Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Daily Variety, and listen now.

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Speaker 32 The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity, and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime.

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Speaker 37 Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

Speaker 38 This is Andrea Gunning from Betrayal.

Speaker 39 Are there two sides to every story?

Speaker 38 Academy Award nominee Robin Wright stars in the girlfriend on Prime, a psychological thriller that will make you question everything you think you know.

Speaker 38 Laura has the dream job, the perfect husband, and a son she'd die for. But when her beloved Daniel brings home his new girlfriend Cherry, played by Olivia Cook, something feels off.

Speaker 38 Is Cherry the sweet, innocent girl she appears to be? Or is there something more manipulative beneath the surface? And how far will a mother go to protect her son?

Speaker 38 Also starring Lori Davidson, the girlfriend is a twisted game of cat and mouse where nothing is what it seems and everyone has something to hide.

Speaker 38 Don't miss the girlfriend, streaming now exclusively on Prime.

Speaker 39 Sometimes the truth is just a matter of perspective.

Speaker 40 Jess is proud of the work she and the online sleuths did to bring Talina's case to a close.

Speaker 40 The true extent of how much they helped the investigation and any ways they may have unintentionally hindered it will likely come to light when Corey finally goes to trial in Oklahoma.

Speaker 40 Jess will be right in the middle of that, too.

Speaker 40 It's still early days, but the the defense has indicated it plans to subpoena Jess as a witness.

Speaker 40 In a court document, Corey's lawyer wrote that Jess would be expected to testify about documents she provided to the police and the DA and conversations she had with Nicole, Marty, Corey's ex, Alec Adams, and other Wagner folk like Eris and Greg.

Speaker 40 Jess would also be asked to testify about, quote, any credentials she possesses regarding a homicide investigation i do at this point feel like i'm almost a corey

Speaker 41 expert i mean when you stalk somebody essentially for almost five years you you know them i feel like i know who she is my obsession might be a problem this might be a problem

Speaker 40 this might be an issue a true crime obsession coupled with the isolation of early COVID is what got Jess and the online sleuths started down this path.

Speaker 40 But as time passed, Rosie, Brittany, and the others moved on, their real lives taking over the virtual ones they had created.

Speaker 45 I found out that I was actually pregnant, so I remember I messaged them. I was like, hey guys, I don't know how much help I'm going to be.
I'm going to have to take a step back a little bit.

Speaker 45 But I still follow all the updates and stuff all the time. And I'll message her and ask her about stuff.

Speaker 41 Slowly as time has gone on and this has sort of become less of a forefront in our lives, you know, we went from talking hours a day with each other to less and less and less.

Speaker 40 For Jess, this case, this calling, only became more central to her identity. The obsession grew, shifted focus.

Speaker 40 These days, the narrative Jess tells herself about what happened to Talina Czar is less of a whodunit and more of an epic tale of good versus evil.

Speaker 40 And what did you learn about yourself during this process, this five-year process?

Speaker 41 I've learned a lot about myself, some of it not so endearing. Keep thinking about how I lied, and these people are going to think I'm a bad person.

Speaker 41 I think the biggest thing I learned is that my sense of right and wrong is very...

Speaker 41 Black and white. I don't have much of a gray area anymore.
I'm even lumping myself in with the bad guys for being a

Speaker 41 liar.

Speaker 40 In this version of Jess's story, she's uneasy about some of the things she did in her search for the truth. But ultimately, the ends justify the means.
She took on a villain and won.

Speaker 41 Any regrets you have about getting involved? No, I think the only thing I would have done differently is I would have gone straight to Oklahoma.

Speaker 41 I think I would have just driven there and helped look for and confront Corey literally head on. I feel like,

Speaker 41 and I'm not saying I could, I just a feeling that I had is that I could have like provoked her enough to get angry and say she did it.

Speaker 41 I would have sat outside her house harassing her, literally, just sat there and stared at her house until she came out and blew up, and I could have got her in trouble for something.

Speaker 41 That's my only regret is that I didn't travel there.

Speaker 41 I don't regret this at all. I don't think I ever will.

Speaker 40 Talina's murder trial is still very far off. First, Corey must stand trial for attempted murder in Wisconsin.
And Jess will be there, of course.

Speaker 40 She is now friends with Sherry Ziegler and will be staying at her house, the house where Ryson was found, while she attends Corey's trial.

Speaker 40 Jess is eagerly anticipating the moment when she finally gets to see Corey in person.

Speaker 40 in handcuffs, being held to account.

Speaker 41 It would just be interesting to see how she acted in the courtroom and I could see her testify if she will. I read a couple books on reading body language and I'm by no means an expert.

Speaker 41 I read some books, but I feel like I could pick up something on her. I just wanna, I'd have to know.
I feel like it's a need. It's not even a want.
It's like I need it.

Speaker 41 You're looking at me like I might be crazy.

Speaker 40 Jess and Corey, their fates forever intertwined. Jess is convinced that Corey's got more to hide.

Speaker 40 That beyond Sherry Ziegler and Talina Zar, there might be other victims in other states, other bodies in remote forests. Who's gonna dig up that history if not her?

Speaker 41 I think there's so much more to Corey and so many more crimes. It feels like this isn't going to be over for years.
I'd really love to just, once she's convicted, sit down and be like, just tell me.

Speaker 41 Just tell me, what else did you do? So we can all stop wondering. Because I don't think this is ever going to be over for me.

Speaker 41 I know Corey's down more just from knowing who she is. I know she's done more.

Speaker 41 So you're not going to put it down?

Speaker 41 I don't think I can.

Speaker 41 I don't know if I want to.

Speaker 41 Is that terrible?

Speaker 40 A few weeks before the Wisconsin trial was scheduled to begin, I got a series of text messages from Cheryl, Talina's sister.

Speaker 40 After years of waiting, Talina's body had been cremated and her ashes sent back to her family in a box.

Speaker 40 Cheryl purchased a special urn, white with purple butterflies, just Talina's style, and sent it to her mother.

Speaker 40 When it arrived, Talina's mother placed the ashes into the urn by herself, alone in her apartment. She said it was her role to lay Talina to rest.

Speaker 40 Cheryl sent me a photo, and I have to admit, when I received this image, I was hit with an overwhelming sense of relief.

Speaker 40 I have felt for Talina's family, particularly Talina's mother, and how difficult it was not to have a place of memorial for her.

Speaker 40 I'm glad that they at least got that, even as they await answers on what happened to Telina during her final days. You can't see this photo, but I want to describe it to you.

Speaker 40 At the top of a bookshelf, Telina's urn sits between two framed photographs. On the right, a picture of Talina's brother as an infant.

Speaker 40 On the left, a photo of Telina and Cheryl as toddlers, dressed in matching white sweaters and matching bangs, smiling at the camera, looking very much like twins.

Speaker 40 On this top shelf, the family is together.

Speaker 40 Thank you for listening to what happened to Tolina Czar.

Speaker 40 Although this is our last full episode, we will be releasing bonus episodes from the Wisconsin trial and beyond, so make sure you're subscribed.

Speaker 40 I'm always looking for tips and feedback, so if you have anything to share, you can email me at mjeltsen

Speaker 40 at gmail.com.

Speaker 40 What Happened to Talinazar is a production of iHeart Podcasts. It's written, recorded, and hosted by me, Melissa Jeltson, with writing and story editing by Lauren Hansen.

Speaker 40 Our executive producer is Ryan Murdoch. For iHeart Podcasts, executive producers are Jason English and Carl Cadel.
Fact-checking by Maya Shukri.

Speaker 40 Zoe Denkla is our associate producer. Jeremy Thal is our editor.
Original music by Erin Kaufman with additional music by Jeremy Thal and Gideon Crevichet.

Speaker 40 Additional sound design by Marita Spe.

Speaker 40 Episodes are mixed and mastered by Carl Cadel. Voice acting by Lizzie Gore, Chris Berry, Stephanie Frame, Pete Monica, Ethan Richard, and Molly Maslin.
Our logo is designed by Ido Moore.

Speaker 40 Thanks so much for listening.

Speaker 2 Stop settling for weak sound.

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Speaker 4 And for a limited time, save 25% at lg.com with code FALL25.

Speaker 3 Bring a boom. X Boom.

Speaker 12 There's a lot going on in Hollywood.

Speaker 13 How are you supposed to stay on top of it all?

Speaker 14 Variety has the solution.

Speaker 17 Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new Daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

Speaker 20 Where do you see the business actually heading?

Speaker 21 Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton.

Speaker 23 The only constant in Hollywood is change.

Speaker 24 Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Daily Variety, and listen now.

Speaker 28 Tired of spills and stains on your sofa?

Speaker 36 WashableSofas.com has your back, featuring the Anibay Collection, the only designer sofa that's machine washable inside and out, where designer quality meets budget-friendly prices.

Speaker 33 That's right, sofas started just $699.

Speaker 34 Enjoy a no-risk experience with pet-friendly, stain-resistant, and changeable slip covers made with performance fabrics.

Speaker 31 Experience cloud-like comfort with high-resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing.

Speaker 32 The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity, and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime.

Speaker 30 Check out washable sofas.com and get up to 60% off your Anibay sofa, backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

Speaker 33 If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund.

Speaker 30 No return shipping or restocking fees.

Speaker 25 Every penny back.

Speaker 30 Upgrade now at washablesofas.com.

Speaker 37 Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

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Speaker 1 This is an iHeart Podcast.