Phoebe Judge

Karen also learned that Gil had been evaluated by court psychologists twice while in jail.

Their notes were in his file.

In 2009, Karen and Vinny started trying to merge their real identities with the fake ones they'd made 20 years earlier.

How hard a process is that?

It seems very complicated.

They went to the IRS first.

An agent listened to Karen explain what had happened with Gil.

The agent told them the first thing they'd need to do was get their Social Security numbers corrected.

For a while, they didn't hear anything.

And then they got news from the Social Security office.

Karen says it took a few years to get everything completely straightened out.

Karen Vinnie and her daughter's fake names are now their real names.

They've all changed them legally.

She says that after so long, she's gotten used to being Karen.

Thank you.

Julian Alexander makes original illustrations for each episode of Criminal.

You can see them at thisiscriminal.com.

Karen Palmer's memoir is called She's Under Here.

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