The Dirty Truth

Most of us are at least peripherally familiar with the story of John Meehan, a.k.a the infamous “Dirty John,”  the con-artist who terrorized women across the United States. But when the news broke of what happened to John during his final moments, the infamy surrounding his abusive escapades strangely led to several international TV deals, docuseries, and was even the basis for some of the most successful investigative true-crime podcasts ever created. Fortunes were made as a result of his long history of domestic violence and abuse, but the victims of the traumatic events were of the few who never saw a substantial pay day. In this episode we interview Terra Newell - the woman who finally put an end to the despicable “Dirty John.” She provides an eye opening look inside the strangest kind of limelight, discusses ethics and monetization in true crime, and explains what life’s really like after being involved in a homicide that captivated the world.  

Written by Michael Dunphy Jr., Executive Produced by Michael Ojibway. 

Special Thanks to Terra Newell.

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Written/Audio Sources: 

• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing - Wikipedia
• Dirty John True Story Complete Timeline - John Meehan's Real Life Explained
• TerraNewellSurvival.com
• Terra Newell (@terranewell) • Instagram photos and videos
• The Brutal Killing That Rocked Debra Newell's Family Decades Before 'Dirty John' Entered The Picture
• "I Killed Dirty John." - Interview with Terra Newell About Overcoming Trauma
• The chilling true story behind 'Dirty John'
• Meet The Women Drawn Into The Real-Life Mystery Of ‘Dirty John’ | Megyn Kelly TODAY
• How Debra Newell Married A Scammer Despite Warnings
• John Meehan’s First Wife Tonia Reveals Shocking Details She Learned About ‘Dirty John’ from His Mom
• Watch Terra Newell's Newest TikTok Videos
• Terra Newell Tik Tok: "I Murdered My Step Dad In Self-Defense"
• Meet The Women Drawn Into The Real-Life Mystery Of ‘Dirty John’ | Megyn Kelly TODAY
• The chilling true story behind 'Dirty John'
• Meet The Real Life Victim Of The 'Dirty John' Con Artist
• The Untold Truth Of Dirty John
• Local woman shares the story behind 'Dirty John'

Music & Sound Effect Sources

• Opening Track: “Contact” by Panda Music
• Closing Track: “Zilch” by Jobii

Music & Sound Effect Sources

All music and sound effects used with express permission under unlimited blanket license authority from Epidemic Sound ® and SoundStripe ®. Individual sources are available via request at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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