Jess McHugh (Host/Narrator)

They often find emotional common ground with victims, even when that shared trauma is totally made up. And it worked.

They often find emotional common ground with victims, even when that shared trauma is totally made up. And it worked.

And by more, Sam means Sam and Sarah went from having a professional relationship to a friendship to a love affair. One that was really romantic. They started going on a ton of trips together.

And by more, Sam means Sam and Sarah went from having a professional relationship to a friendship to a love affair. One that was really romantic. They started going on a ton of trips together.

And it wasn't just a fling. Their lives became really entwined. Much of this I actually learned from other interviews. Sarah would talk about Sam as her partner so much that it got really confusing for us as we reported this. There were times I would talk to someone for this story and they'd mention Sarah's significant other. And I had to double check. Who did you think was Sarah's wife?

And it wasn't just a fling. Their lives became really entwined. Much of this I actually learned from other interviews. Sarah would talk about Sam as her partner so much that it got really confusing for us as we reported this. There were times I would talk to someone for this story and they'd mention Sarah's significant other. And I had to double check. Who did you think was Sarah's wife?

A woman named Sam or a woman named Nicole? Oftentimes people said Sam. Sarah was living a full-on double life with Sam. A second double life. Because she was still living with her actual wife at the time, Nicole. Still, Sarah found a way to spend lots of time with Sam. In fact, Sarah and Sam would socialize with Sarah's VFW pals. Sam met Sarah's mom and a brother.

A woman named Sam or a woman named Nicole? Oftentimes people said Sam. Sarah was living a full-on double life with Sam. A second double life. Because she was still living with her actual wife at the time, Nicole. Still, Sarah found a way to spend lots of time with Sam. In fact, Sarah and Sam would socialize with Sarah's VFW pals. Sam met Sarah's mom and a brother.

Sarah told Sam she was really close with her five siblings and talked about them all the time.

Sarah told Sam she was really close with her five siblings and talked about them all the time.

Wow.

Wow.

Sarah would show Sam pictures of her five brothers with their wives and kids, Brody, Joel, Oliver. She'd tell her about their marriage spats or what they were dealing with at work, about their childhood growing up in Georgia. One brother in particular was worrying Sarah, Joel. She told Sam that he was also a vet who now did private military contracting.

Sarah would show Sam pictures of her five brothers with their wives and kids, Brody, Joel, Oliver. She'd tell her about their marriage spats or what they were dealing with at work, about their childhood growing up in Georgia. One brother in particular was worrying Sarah, Joel. She told Sam that he was also a vet who now did private military contracting.

Sarah told Sam that while Joel was on this mission, he got shot and ended up in a coma and that her mom flew to the Middle East to bring him back to the U.S. But the doctors couldn't revive him. They told Sarah that he would never wake up. One day, Sarah tells Sam, I need to fly to Georgia now. I have to be the one to take him off of life support.

Sarah told Sam that while Joel was on this mission, he got shot and ended up in a coma and that her mom flew to the Middle East to bring him back to the U.S. But the doctors couldn't revive him. They told Sarah that he would never wake up. One day, Sarah tells Sam, I need to fly to Georgia now. I have to be the one to take him off of life support.

Sam was devastated for Sarah. Here was this woman, dealing with all of these injuries, and now this? And just to zoom out for a second, because it can be easy to get lost in Sarah's world. The people in those photos that Sarah shared, they were real people with real lives of their own. They just weren't Sarah's brothers.

Sam was devastated for Sarah. Here was this woman, dealing with all of these injuries, and now this? And just to zoom out for a second, because it can be easy to get lost in Sarah's world. The people in those photos that Sarah shared, they were real people with real lives of their own. They just weren't Sarah's brothers.

This version of Sarah, the person with the big military family from Georgia, it's someone only a few people saw. And my take is that maybe it's because she couldn't really let Sam into her family life because her whole family had watched her marry Nicole. They'd been to the home that she and Nicole still shared. But I think it's deeper than that.

This version of Sarah, the person with the big military family from Georgia, it's someone only a few people saw. And my take is that maybe it's because she couldn't really let Sam into her family life because her whole family had watched her marry Nicole. They'd been to the home that she and Nicole still shared. But I think it's deeper than that.