Peter McDonald

They wanted May to grow up knowing her birth mother. They embraced that there's no one definition of family. But in the fall of 2023, Sarah's mom called Tammy and told her that Sarah had been hospitalized and was on life support.

Tammy told me she can't stop herself from thinking that if Tara Lee had acted in good faith through the adoption process, it might have saved Sarah's life.

Tammy told me she can't stop herself from thinking that if Tara Lee had acted in good faith through the adoption process, it might have saved Sarah's life.

Tammy told me she can't stop herself from thinking that if Tara Lee had acted in good faith through the adoption process, it might have saved Sarah's life.

I spent almost a year investigating this story, and about halfway into my reporting, I felt I knew enough to reach out to Tara Lee. I wanted to talk with her.

I spent almost a year investigating this story, and about halfway into my reporting, I felt I knew enough to reach out to Tara Lee. I wanted to talk with her.

I spent almost a year investigating this story, and about halfway into my reporting, I felt I knew enough to reach out to Tara Lee. I wanted to talk with her.

Yes. Tara Lee was incarcerated in Federal Correctional Institution, Alliser, a women's prison in Alabama. I made calls, I wrote letters, but she turned me down. I'd hoped she wouldn't. I'd hoped that in the nearly five years since her sentencing, she'd had time to reflect on how much pain she'd caused. But maybe that's just how it works in the movies.

Yes. Tara Lee was incarcerated in Federal Correctional Institution, Alliser, a women's prison in Alabama. I made calls, I wrote letters, but she turned me down. I'd hoped she wouldn't. I'd hoped that in the nearly five years since her sentencing, she'd had time to reflect on how much pain she'd caused. But maybe that's just how it works in the movies.

Yes. Tara Lee was incarcerated in Federal Correctional Institution, Alliser, a women's prison in Alabama. I made calls, I wrote letters, but she turned me down. I'd hoped she wouldn't. I'd hoped that in the nearly five years since her sentencing, she'd had time to reflect on how much pain she'd caused. But maybe that's just how it works in the movies.

I'm not really surprised she declined, and neither are some of her former clients like Courtney. Do you think she's capable of remorse?

I'm not really surprised she declined, and neither are some of her former clients like Courtney. Do you think she's capable of remorse?

I'm not really surprised she declined, and neither are some of her former clients like Courtney. Do you think she's capable of remorse?

I keep circling back to the question of why Tara Lee did it. It caused people so much emotional pain, exploited people's desire to start a family, and took advantage of women making one of the hardest decisions of their lives. And this was not a crime of passion. It took an incredible amount of time, focus, deceit, and a staggering absence of empathy.

I keep circling back to the question of why Tara Lee did it. It caused people so much emotional pain, exploited people's desire to start a family, and took advantage of women making one of the hardest decisions of their lives. And this was not a crime of passion. It took an incredible amount of time, focus, deceit, and a staggering absence of empathy.

I keep circling back to the question of why Tara Lee did it. It caused people so much emotional pain, exploited people's desire to start a family, and took advantage of women making one of the hardest decisions of their lives. And this was not a crime of passion. It took an incredible amount of time, focus, deceit, and a staggering absence of empathy.

Hunting for the right word to describe what Tara Lee had done, Judge Friedman called her evil. A few days after this podcast releases, the Bureau of Prisons will transfer Tara Lee to a residential reentry center in Detroit. Due to credits she earned in prison, she'll be released in October of 2026. about three years early. And she's appealed for an even earlier release for medical reasons.

Hunting for the right word to describe what Tara Lee had done, Judge Friedman called her evil. A few days after this podcast releases, the Bureau of Prisons will transfer Tara Lee to a residential reentry center in Detroit. Due to credits she earned in prison, she'll be released in October of 2026. about three years early. And she's appealed for an even earlier release for medical reasons.

Hunting for the right word to describe what Tara Lee had done, Judge Friedman called her evil. A few days after this podcast releases, the Bureau of Prisons will transfer Tara Lee to a residential reentry center in Detroit. Due to credits she earned in prison, she'll be released in October of 2026. about three years early. And she's appealed for an even earlier release for medical reasons.

She says she's pre-diabetic, takes medication for high blood pressure, and has an injured ankle. She attached medical records to back it up. Her latest appeal reminded me of her unsubstantiated claim to the Mathinis that she had a concussion, to Courtney that she had breast cancer, and to others that she'd had a heart attack.