S2: E2 - Blood Ties

[0] I'm John Walsack, host of the new podcast, Missing in Arizona.

[1] And I'm Robert Fisher, one of the most wanted men in the world.

[2] We cloned his voice using AI.

[3] In 2001, police say I killed my family and rigged my house to explode.

[4] Before escaping into the wilderness.

[5] Police believe he is alive and hiding somewhere.

[6] Join me. I'm going down in the cave.

[7] As I track down clues.

[8] I'm going to call the police and have you removed.

[9] Hunting.

[10] One of the most dangerous fugitives in the world.

[11] Robert Fisher.

[12] Do you recognize my voice?

[13] Listen to missing in Arizona every Wednesday.

[14] on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.

[15] The podium is back with fresh angles and deep dives into Olympic and Paralympic stories you know, and those you'll be hard -pressed to forget.

[16] I did something in 88 that hasn't been beaten.

[17] Oh, gosh, the U .S. Olympic trials is the hardest and most competitive meat in the world.

[18] We are athletes who are going out there, smashing into each other, full force.

[19] Listen to the podium on the IHeart app or your favorite podcast, platform weekly and every day during the games to hear the Olympics like you've never quite heard them before.

[20] This could be the craziest podcast pairing ever.

[21] The governor of California, Gavin Newsom and Super Bowl champ Marshaun Beast Mode Lynch are Politiccan.

[22] What does Politiccan even mean?

[23] There's bridge and gaps with no politics.

[24] Joined by their friend and agent Doug Hendrickson, it's going to be a wild ride.

[25] We can change the world.

[26] Podcast by podcasts.

[27] Listen to Politicin with Gavin Newsom, Marshaun Lynch, and Doug Hendrick.

[28] on America's number one podcast network.

[29] Eyeheart, open your free IHeart app and search Politicking and start listening.

[30] Topics featured in this episode may be disturbing to some listeners.

[31] Please take care while listening.

[32] I got out and stood by my car and I put my hands together like in prayer motion.

[33] I just said, God, please be with me. And I opened my eyes and I walked towards him.

[34] And I yelled at him.

[35] I yelled at him.

[36] I yelled so loud.

[37] I said, how fucking dare you?

[38] That's when he put his head down.

[39] And he wouldn't look at me after that.

[40] I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is betrayal.

[41] Episode 2.

[42] Blood ties.

[43] Ashley Litton discovered her husband was in possession of child pornography.

[44] With the help of her sister Anna, Ashley contacted law enforcement and reported him.

[45] On September 29th, 2021, it was a how did I get here moment for Ashley.

[46] Her life imploded.

[47] Her sense of safety for her children was gone.

[48] Like any of us, in the wake of betrayal, grief, destruction, and heartbreak, you revisit everything.

[49] I was going through some of our old photos and videos.

[50] I came across one specific one where he was teaching her to ride the bike.

[51] As she was driving away for the first time, she was yelling back, like, Daddy, look, Daddy, look.

[52] And he was kind of cheering her on.

[53] Jason's father shared the love of football with him.

[54] That's how they bonded.

[55] And Jason wanted to have that with his kids.

[56] Jason has been a Vikings fan his whole life.

[57] The story that I got was his father had gotten each one of his brothers a stuffed animal.

[58] And Jason happened to get the Minnesota Vikings stuffed animal, and his brothers got two other teams.

[59] So their whole life, so they cheered for those teams.

[60] I had been at work, and he'd been home with the kids, and the Vikings were going to play.

[61] And he had, like, a shrine of Viking stuff all over my living room.

[62] I mean, he had jerseys laid out.

[63] He had stuffed animals.

[64] He had other memorabilia.

[65] Navay was wearing one of his huge Vikings jerseys.

[66] And I was like, uh, what are you doing?

[67] From that moment on, every time the Vikings played, everyone was decked out in Vikings gear.

[68] That was our tradition.

[69] And he wasn't just a fan.

[70] Jason coached in the Little League football community.

[71] Julio Heist lives in Ashley's neighborhood.

[72] Jason was his son's coach.

[73] Jason actually asked me to assist coaching.

[74] We just clicked.

[75] Football brought us close.

[76] He is very passionate.

[77] And he actually really care about the kids.

[78] Like, it showed 100 % how much he cared.

[79] It was great.

[80] Jason also played.

[81] Played flag football.

[82] I went to all their games.

[83] Of course, my son played with him, too.

[84] Great athlete coach.

[85] While Jason was known for his love of football, friends also found him hilarious.

[86] Ashley's friend, Emmy.

[87] He was one of the funniest people I have ever met.

[88] You put Jason and my husband together.

[89] together and you had a couple cocktails in there, they would sing into a wooden spoon as they ran around the kitchen.

[90] They were just always so goofy and he was kind of that guy paired with my husband that, you know, reminded me that there are good men.

[91] They're still out there.

[92] Ashley had taken on adult responsibilities since she was a kid, taking care of her mother, raising her siblings, and early motherhood.

[93] She was ready for a partner, someone to help carry the weight.

[94] I think because I had spent so much in my life being the person that had to be in charge and make the decisions.

[95] When Jason came along, I deferred to him with everything.

[96] Everything I did.

[97] Even when we bought our house, I was like, listen, I don't give a shit what house we buy at this point.

[98] Pick house.

[99] Let's do it.

[100] I don't care.

[101] Like, you know best, so you do it.

[102] It doesn't matter to me. In marriage, Ashley finally felt part of a team.

[103] She loved it, sharing coffee with Jason in the morning, family dinners in the evenings when sports weren't taking the kids in three different directions.

[104] But after eight years of being married, their family dynamics started to change.

[105] From the outside looking in, we just had this picture perfect life.

[106] Beautiful home, wonderful kids.

[107] Both of us have careers.

[108] We're both like semi -young and in shape.

[109] But the reality was very different.

[110] Two years before COVID, Jason stopped interacting with us.

[111] Ashley's stepmother, Kathy Trujillo.

[112] She wasn't going to work.

[113] She was having money struggles, and they were kind of like living two separate lives.

[114] But you don't know what goes on in people's four walls.

[115] So you're like, you know, trying just to be supportive to Ashley.

[116] That's all, you know, we tried to do is be supportive.

[117] And if she wanted to hang in there and keep it going, then we were going to try to stand behind her.

[118] Jason was a talented tradesman when he showed up for work.

[119] Jason's former employer, Steve Ihausen.

[120] He liked to take a lot of time off, and he would say his children were sick or he had to go to school for something like that.

[121] And so he was using excuses that weren't true to take time off.

[122] off and do something for himself.

[123] It was actually putting their mortgage in jeopardy.

[124] And now, like, in retrospect, I'm like, was he just staying home and watching all of this stuff?

[125] Just went to work for a couple, two, three weeks at a time.

[126] And I'm sure it was not because he didn't have any work.

[127] He just didn't want to go to work.

[128] Jason also lost interest in spending time with friends and family.

[129] Ashley's family enjoyed Jason's company.

[130] She comes from a big family with siblings, step -siblings, nieces, and nephews.

[131] Any excuse was a good one for a family party.

[132] And John, Ashley's dad, loved to host.

[133] I mean, he didn't come to our functions anymore.

[134] It's like, man, where is that guy?

[135] Oh, man, you know.

[136] He would tell her family he needed to go to work.

[137] He told work he was prioritizing family.

[138] Most times, he was doing neither.

[139] Kavea traveled a lot for her competitive soccer league and he wouldn't come with us we went California, went to Colorado, went to Las Vegas, went to St. George we went to all these places and he wouldn't go.

[140] So Ashley took the kids and left Jason behind.

[141] We used to do so much together.

[142] We did.

[143] We were active.

[144] We were outside.

[145] We were at the movies.

[146] We were at the aquarium.

[147] We were in the mountains.

[148] Like we did things all the time with the kids.

[149] Ashley was to do.

[150] determined to keep going.

[151] I was like, we can't wait for you to live life with us.

[152] We can't not do anything.

[153] So I just started leaving him.

[154] If you want to come along with us, we want you to come, but we're not going to sit in this house and do nothing anymore.

[155] Eventually, Jason stopped bringing anything to the table.

[156] So I asked him for a divorce, and he told me that he'd give me a divorce.

[157] It's like, praise the Lord, you know, we cannot live like this anymore.

[158] But then COVID happened and all of a sudden, my Jason came back and he was being the man of the house type of thing.

[159] He was taking charge.

[160] Like, we need to make a plan and we need to get food and we need to make sure the kids are taking care of and, you know, make sure that we're safe.

[161] I was like, all right, so we just didn't talk about it again.

[162] But as lockdown orders were lifted and life returned to normal, Jason withdrew again.

[163] He would kind of revert back to being a hermit.

[164] We walked on eggshells with him every single day.

[165] We did everything we could to, like, not piss him off.

[166] We did everything we could to just not be noticed by him.

[167] All of us did.

[168] But for the most part, Jason stayed in our bedroom.

[169] But he wasn't showing any interest in Ashley there.

[170] Jason stopped showing any interest in sex or intimacy.

[171] I thought it was me. And I thought, I'm like, well, I had three.

[172] kids.

[173] So it's like a hot dog down a hallway maybe.

[174] And so I was like, I'm not going to do this to myself anymore.

[175] Ashley sought help from a therapist.

[176] And she learned that his behavior had nothing to do with her.

[177] I'd come to some self -realization.

[178] I'm like, I am beautiful.

[179] I'm a good mom.

[180] And I'm a good wife.

[181] And this problem isn't me. It's him.

[182] At that point, it kind of reinvested my time with God.

[183] And so I was like, I made this covenant with my husband and with God, but I was going to love him through sickness and health, and he would never leave me. And so I had decided that I wasn't going to get divorced.

[184] I was like, I'm going to love him harder.

[185] I'm going to love him more.

[186] I'm going to be there for him.

[187] I'm going to help him through this.

[188] And it's going to be okay.

[189] That's what I thought.

[190] I just thought he was insanely depressed.

[191] and I wanted him to go see a therapist.

[192] He went to his general family doctor.

[193] He's diagnosed ADD.

[194] He put him on Adderall and I think Prozac.

[195] And then like he thought he had it under control because he's like, well, I'm not going to take it on the weekend.

[196] And that's why he was sluggish on the weekend.

[197] That's what he'd say.

[198] It's not a good idea to take a medication vacation when you're on Prozac and Adderall without a doctor's consultation.

[199] Jason continued to isolate himself and became hyper -focused on a new hobby.

[200] I bought him a drawing table because he liked to draw.

[201] He would lose himself for hours in a sketchpad.

[202] I don't remember why we had stopped by, but we were outside and he was in the house, and he said, I'm getting into drawing now.

[203] Come in, I want to show you guys my drawings.

[204] I was like, go clean your bathroom.

[205] You know, what are you doing?

[206] Why are you sitting here drawing?

[207] In my head, I was like, what is he doing?

[208] Anna thought his drawings were bizarre.

[209] He's showing me these drawings, and I don't know if he had drew them himself or he outlined him from a printed off image or something, but they were like highly sexualized characters, very seductive clothing, huge boobs, all women.

[210] I just remember thinking like, what the fuck?

[211] What is he doing?

[212] This is not normal to me. And I remember telling Ashley, I'm like, you need to tell him to stop showing people this.

[213] It's fucking weird.

[214] He wasn't helped Ashley with anything.

[215] She came over here and fixed her brakes, fix her tires, whatever was, you know, and he, it was had some excuse.

[216] She worked overtime constantly.

[217] She changed jobs for a better opportunity.

[218] She gave and gave and gave and gave and gave.

[219] I'm John Walzac, host of the new podcast Missing in Arizona.

[220] And I'm Robert Fisher, one of the most wanted men in the world.

[221] We cloned his voice using.

[222] AI.

[223] In 2001, police say I killed my family.

[224] First mom, then the kids.

[225] And rigged my house to explode.

[226] In a quiet suburb.

[227] This is the Beverly Hills of the valley.

[228] Before escaping into the wilderness.

[229] There was sleet and hail and snow coming down.

[230] They found my wife's SUV.

[231] Right on the reservation boundary.

[232] And my dog flew.

[233] All I could think of is in the sniper me out of some tree.

[234] But not me. Police believe he is alive and hiding somewhere.

[235] For two years, they won't tell you anything.

[236] I've traveled the nation.

[237] I'm going down in the cave.

[238] Tracking down clues.

[239] They were thinking that I picked him up and took him somewhere.

[240] If you keep asking me this, I'm going to call the police and have you removed.

[241] Searching for Robert Fisher.

[242] One of the most dangerous fugitives in the world.

[243] Do you recognize my voice?

[244] Join an exploding house.

[245] The hunt.

[246] Family annihilation.

[247] Today.

[248] And a disappearing act.

[249] Listen to missing in Arizona every Wednesday on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.

[250] The podium is back with fresh angles and deep dives into Olympic.

[251] and Paralympic stories you know and those you'll be hard -pressed to forget.

[252] I did something in 88 that hasn't been beaten.

[253] Oh, gosh.

[254] The U .S. Olympic trials is the hardest and most competitive meat in the world.

[255] We are athletes who are going out there smashing into each other, full force.

[256] Listen to The Podium on the IHeart app or your favorite podcast platform weekly and every day during the games to hear the Olympics like you've never quite heard them before.

[257] This could be the craziest podcast pairing ever.

[258] The governor of California, Newsom and Super Bowl champ Marshaun Beast Mode Lynch are Politiccan.

[259] What does Politiccan even mean?

[260] There's bridge and gaps with no politics.

[261] Joined by their friend and agent Doug Hendrickson, it's going to be a wild ride.

[262] We can change the world.

[263] Podcast by podcast.

[264] Listen to Politicin with Gavin Newsom, Marshawn Lynch, and Doug Hendrickson on America's number one podcast network.

[265] Iheart.

[266] Open your free IHeart app and search Politiken and start listening.

[267] Okay, so I've read through.

[268] the initial report.

[269] I was hoping that maybe we could talk a little bit more in -depth how it all came about.

[270] On a day that felt completely surreal, Ashley Linton was finally sitting at the Riverton police station.

[271] Her husband was at his brother's house, hoping to hear from her.

[272] It was 10 at night, but the officer in charge of special victims wanted to talk right away.

[273] He had worked quickly to secure a search warrant an inventory what Jason had in the hidden file.

[274] Now, Ashley sat across from the detective, Jason Rue, in a small interview room.

[275] I went through, I've been through probably about 1 ,500 photos in that account that you told me about.

[276] I'm so disgusted.

[277] This is obviously serious stuff.

[278] Not only does he have child pornography on his thing, but he's...

[279] produced it, basically.

[280] Oh, my God.

[281] You're outside doing something with your plants, and he walks into...

[282] Oh, yes.

[283] Yeah, I assume she had a white shirt on.

[284] And so he's like, hey, where's your mom?

[285] And anytime she would turn around, and he's going up so you can actually see her breasts of her shirt multiple times.

[286] Oh, God.

[287] I'm so worried about my daughter.

[288] There were videos from their family trip to Disney as well.

[289] It was the only trip Jason had taken.

[290] taken with his family in two years.

[291] Detective Rue explains.

[292] The stepdaughter was getting out of the shower and told everyone, hey, don't look.

[293] And Jason had set up his phone to video record her coming out of the shower while she had no clothes on.

[294] And then he proceeded to act like he wasn't watching, although he was recording her.

[295] Legally, Aveo was Jason's stepdaughter.

[296] But he had raised her since she was two years old.

[297] She called him dad.

[298] Porn issues that you're aware of?

[299] Absolutely.

[300] Our whole marriage has been flooded with it.

[301] It was just always really awkward.

[302] I think we've had sex maybe five times in two and a half years.

[303] And I'm kind of like masturbating, like weird times.

[304] Like with me and my daughter, my eight -year -old, like she slept in our bed and he's like on the floor masturbating looking at his mom.

[305] And I'm like, what the fuck are you doing?

[306] Our family's here.

[307] Like, what's wrong with you?

[308] Ashley revealed other upsetting details about her marriage to Jason.

[309] He had an affair on me when I was five months pregnant with my youngest.

[310] And the girl he had an affair with, I think she was 18, but I knew that she had just graduated.

[311] Right.

[312] She was little.

[313] This was seven, eight years ago?

[314] Yeah.

[315] How did you find out about that?

[316] He left his phone one time at home.

[317] Look, an idiot.

[318] she had texted and I was so excited to see you tonight and he had come up with this huge elaborate story I mean he's a talker he could you know that stupid saying he could sell ice to Eskimos that's him and anyway so I called her and I was like do you know he's getting ready to have a baby and we're married and we have two children and she was like I'm sorry I'm sorry the conversation turned to the messages Ashley had been receiving from Jason I understand you're upset with me right now, and don't want to see me. I really want to talk to you when you're ready.

[319] I won't hassle you after this text message.

[320] I'm sorry.

[321] I've created this problem for our family.

[322] I love you, Ash.

[323] I'm so sorry.

[324] I know I need help, and I'm going to get it.

[325] I promise to work hard and make sure you guys are taking care of.

[326] But Detective Rue was skeptical about the attacks from Jason concerning the images.

[327] In my opinion, it's someone who just got caught doing something they know is not just wrong, but illegal.

[328] It starts going into manipulation saying, you know, I'm sorry I did this to our family.

[329] I'm a bad husband.

[330] Nothing about the victim, nothing about the wife.

[331] It's all about I've been caught.

[332] Now I need to say sorry and try to build this trust again.

[333] Later on, he says, I will get the help I need to quit ignoring my issues.

[334] And so, you know, he's throwing all these things out like negotiation.

[335] I will do this.

[336] I need to do this, and I'll do better if you don't say anything and just me and you do it together.

[337] That's how I read these text messages.

[338] Once Ashley reported the crime, Detective Rue moved quickly.

[339] We were able to get the correct paperwork to get a warrant to get into those photos a couple hours before he deleted them.

[340] Oh, so you did end up deleting them?

[341] A few hours later, yes.

[342] The police enlisted Ashley to help make the arrest.

[343] So basically how it would be, if we could get him somewhere where our guys can just bring him into me here, interview him here.

[344] I'd like to do it tonight, to be honest.

[345] I was just wondering if there's maybe a way that we could get him to leave the house and meet you somewhere and just come pick him up.

[346] Because I'd rather do that and go off on his brother's door.

[347] The Riverton police weren't keen to arrest Jason at another police officer's house.

[348] And it's easy to see why.

[349] There's a firearm on the premises.

[350] It's complicated.

[351] But Detective Rue was still irritated that Jason's brother didn't do the right thing.

[352] I don't care if you're a brother.

[353] You're in law enforcement.

[354] That is a no -no.

[355] Like, he could get himself in some trouble.

[356] He should be there first brother.

[357] I'm cool with that, but on the way here to talk to us about it.

[358] You know, like you screwed up royally, and this is probably going to be happening to you.

[359] The plan was a lot of it.

[360] to get Jason out of his brother's house to a neutral meeting spot, where he would believe he could make his case one -on -one with Ashley.

[361] I just told him, how about it lets me away from the house?

[362] I don't want the kids to know.

[363] Okay.

[364] Yeah, tell me 20, 25 minutes.

[365] Ashley was setting him up to be arrested.

[366] And I'm just going to wait here while they do that, and then once they get him, I want to try to talk to him.

[367] See if he wants to talk to him.

[368] I'll have to see if he wants to talk to him.

[369] I don't know.

[370] imagine what Ashley was thinking, driving from the Riverton Police Station to the Walmart parking lot.

[371] It must have been the strangest drive of her life.

[372] It was 11 .30 p .m. Jason pulls in and I could feel this like fire burning inside of me, thinking that he had filmed up my daughter's shirt and saw her bare breasts.

[373] Our daughter's shirt.

[374] So I had this like flash where kind of parked where people return their carts and there's, like, these big rocks.

[375] For a moment, she fantasized about vigilante justice.

[376] In my head, it played out.

[377] I'm like, I'm going to grab a rock, and I'm going to, like, smack him over the head, and then he's going to pass out, and then I'm going to kick him really hard, and then I'm going to, you know, like, all these terrible, violent things.

[378] Ashley felt so sad for his victims.

[379] I wanted to, like, take his eyes away from him so.

[380] he can never look at my daughter again.

[381] Look at anybody's daughter again.

[382] All those little girls that I saw in those photos, everything.

[383] I just, it was so awful.

[384] And so when I thought out, I didn't grab a rock, thank God.

[385] But I just started hitting him and he just let me and he was like, what are you doing?

[386] Ash, Ash, what are you doing?

[387] And then the police pulled up right after and they took him into custody right then.

[388] Just like that, it was done.

[389] He was on his way to the police station.

[390] His work truck was still sitting in the parking lot.

[391] You know, we're married, so this is my asset, too, so I should probably make sure that I don't just leave it in the Walmart parking lot.

[392] But I didn't have anyone to drive it anywhere for me. So I called his brother.

[393] It's like 12 o 'clock at night at this point.

[394] He was sleeping.

[395] And he was like, what did you do?

[396] What did you do?

[397] And I was like, I did what you couldn't do.

[398] I did what you were supposed to do that you didn't do.

[399] His brother agreed to pick up Jason's truck.

[400] Finally, after 14 hours, the hospital, a police interview, the longest and most awful day of Ashley's life had come to an end.

[401] I'm John Walsack.

[402] of the new podcast, Missing in Arizona.

[403] And I'm Robert Fisher, one of the most wanted men in the world.

[404] We cloned his voice using AI.

[405] In 2001, police say I killed my family.

[406] First mom, then the kids.

[407] And rigged my house to explode.

[408] In a quiet suburb.

[409] This is the Beverly Hills of the Valley.

[410] Before escaping into the wilderness.

[411] There was sleet and hail and snow coming down.

[412] They found my wife's SUV.

[413] Right on the reservation boundary.

[414] And my dog flew.

[415] All I could think of is getting the sniper me out of some tree.

[416] But not me. Police believe he is alive and hiding somewhere for two years.

[417] They won't tell you anything.

[418] I've traveled the nation.

[419] I'm going down in the cave.

[420] Tracking down clues.

[421] They were thinking that I picked him up and took him somewhere.

[422] If you keep asking me this, I'm going to call the police and have you removed.

[423] Searching for Robert Fisher.

[424] One of the most dangerous fugitives in the world.

[425] Do you recognize my voice?

[426] Join an exploding house.

[427] The hunt.

[428] Family annihilation.

[429] Today.

[430] And a disappearing act.

[431] Listen to missing in Arizona every Wednesday on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.

[432] The podium is back with fresh angles and deep dives into Olympic and Paralympic stories you know, and those you'll be hard pressed to forget.

[433] I did something in 88 that hasn't been beaten.

[434] The U .S. Olympic trials is the hardest and most competitive meat in the world.

[435] We are athletes who are going out there, smashing into each other, full force.

[436] Listen to The Podium on the IHeart app or your favorite podcast platform weekly and every day during the games to hear the Olympics like, you can see.

[437] never quite heard them before.

[438] This could be the craziest podcast pairing ever.

[439] The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, and Super Bowl champ Marshaun Beast Mode Lynch, are Politiccan.

[440] What does Politiccan even mean?

[441] There's bridge and gaps.

[442] With no politics.

[443] Joined by their friend and agent Doug Hendrickson, it's going to be a wild ride.

[444] We can change the world.

[445] Podcast by podcast.

[446] Listen to Politicin with Gavin Newsom, Marshawn Lynch, and Doug Hendrickson on America's number one podcast network.

[447] Eyeheart.

[448] Open your free Eyeheart app.

[449] and search Politican and start listening.

[450] You have the right to remain silent, so you don't need to say anything to me. Anything you say, a cannibal will be used against the UN court.

[451] You have the right to have a lawyer.

[452] While being read his Miranda rights, Jason explained that he'd never been arrested.

[453] He was polite.

[454] Do you understand each of these rights I've explained?

[455] I do, okay.

[456] Detective Rue tried to engage Jason in a conversation about the charges.

[457] Ashley contacted me. Sounds like you guys have had it pretty rough things.

[458] today yeah okay so that's some of the things that I was hoping to talk to you a little bit about trying to get better understanding what that's been going on things of that nature I'm willing to talk to you about whatever yeah if you are but if you prefer not to then we'll just end our conversation regardless of whether we talk or not tonight yeah I'm gonna have you booked into the South County Jail so as far as being just because I have no idea this process goes being booked into jail, am I just going to be stuck there?

[459] Or do I fail?

[460] Some of the charges that I'll book you in on, they're a little hefty, okay?

[461] So I don't know if they're going to just be like, hey, you're out tomorrow morning?

[462] I just feel like since I've never been in a situation before, I feel like I'd rather have an attorney presence just so I don't want doing something.

[463] I'm not supposed to be doing down.

[464] Okay, I understand.

[465] Jason understood he'd be sleeping in a jail cell that night, no matter what.

[466] He was behind bars.

[467] that was taken care of, but there were the kids and questions about where dad was.

[468] It's hard to imagine a day like this, managing putting one foot in front of another, let alone the micro and macro decisions that Ashley had to make for herself, her children, and the safety of others, the children in those photos.

[469] Not to mention in the wake of incredible trauma, she had been in the ER, the police station, and witness her husband be arrested all in the same day.

[470] And then there was the weight of this.

[471] Her husband had violated her eldest daughter, an innocent kid who called him dad.

[472] Ashley knew she had to face them, but the truth was too ugly to share.

[473] She wanted to protect them, especially Avea, all while feeling as though she failed them already.

[474] For the night, keeping it simple felt like the right decision.

[475] She needed to buy time to find the words.

[476] All of us knew that Jason had been struggling with his mental health.

[477] The kids saw it.

[478] So when Ashley told the kids that Jason was seeking help for his mental health issues, it made sense to them.

[479] Besides, she was exhausted and didn't have much time to recover.

[480] The very next morning, Ashley had to make a big presentation for work.

[481] There was a lot riding on it.

[482] Anna went with Ashley so she wouldn't be alone so soon after Jason's arrest.

[483] She hadn't told her boss what had.

[484] happened.

[485] And I remember her saying, I'm not going to let this ruin my fucking career.

[486] But I remember watching her do the presentation.

[487] And I was like, none of these people know what just happened to her.

[488] Like her life has blown up and look at her.

[489] She was up there making jokes and just confident and trying to engage the audience.

[490] And these people had so many questions for her.

[491] And she was just on it answering all these questions.

[492] And I remember thinking, you are a fucking badass.

[493] Like, I do not know how you're doing this.

[494] Your husband is in jail right now.

[495] Jason had been disengaging from the family, isolating himself.

[496] Ashley had grown stronger and more independent.

[497] I still am so proud of her.

[498] I don't know how she did it.

[499] I really think something psychological, like, happened for her to do that.

[500] And the work that she did the year prior, maybe that's what got her through it.

[501] Ashley felt strong enough to keep it all inside.

[502] She thought she could hold everything in.

[503] She was in protection and survival mode.

[504] But then there was this.

[505] Somebody texted her and said it's in the news.

[506] And a man from Riverton has been arrested for 100 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after someone came forward after helping 40 -year -old Jason Linton set up a Venmo account.

[507] And then she just let out this horrible.

[508] horrible scream.

[509] And I just remember looking at her and her whole body was like shaking.

[510] Almost like convulsing.

[511] I've never seen it before.

[512] And then she just was like rocking back and forth and like putting her head and her knees.

[513] Like she looked like a crazy person.

[514] I don't even remember what I said to her to try to calm her down.

[515] Like I didn't know what to do.

[516] And I've never seen my sister like that.

[517] I don't ever want to see her like that.

[518] ever again.

[519] Detective Rue.

[520] I try to prepare him a little bit for the next morning when they wake up.

[521] I'll let them know, like, hey, these cases, the news pick these cases up quick.

[522] In my mind, I'm talking to these victims and these family members, and I'm explaining things, but sometimes when you're in that situation, most of it's maybe going over your head or in one and out the other, just because you just got railroaded by your husband, you're so focused on, I don't even know what's going on.

[523] Ashley was already managing the feelings of grief, anger, and betrayal.

[524] The added shame that came when Jason's crimes became public, it was unbearable.

[525] When this hit, any ounce of pride or ego that I had went right out the door.

[526] It was gone.

[527] I literally felt like I was just naked.

[528] and there was nothing to hide.

[529] There's nothing to even try to explain away or make better.

[530] I was just like, okay, I understand.

[531] It didn't take long for the word to spread.

[532] Avea found out from a friend's mom.

[533] She had called her and was like, did dad take videos on me or what happened?

[534] Because the news mentioned that he had taken, and I don't know if they said a video or videos of his daughters.

[535] Anna couldn't believe an adult would be so thoughtless with Avea.

[536] She's like, did your dad take videos of my daughter?

[537] That's how she found out.

[538] It was out.

[539] Her husband was that guy.

[540] The guy you warn your kids about.

[541] Her kids knew, her friends knew.

[542] Everyone knew.

[543] There was no controlling it.

[544] It was a runaway train.

[545] On the next episode of Betrayal, I am driving and I just somehow see him in his car.

[546] I called my mom because he's in the same area.

[547] He drives in those same roads as me every single day.

[548] A veil will have her day in court and Jason will try to remain a free man. As a disclaimer, Ashley told her story about her conversation with Jason's older brother to police.

[549] And it was included as part of the affidavit of probable cause that led to Jason's arrest.

[550] This older brother's conduct as a police officer was investigated by the authorities.

[551] And ultimately, it was determined that there was insufficient evidence of any violations of law by him.

[552] If you would like to reach out to the betrayal team, email us at BetrayalPod at gmail .com.

[553] That's Betrayal P -O -D at gmail .com.

[554] To report a case of child sexual exploitation, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Cyber Tip Line.

[555] At 1 -800, The Lost.

[556] If you or someone you know is worried about their sexual thoughts and feelings towards children, reach out to Stop It Now .org.

[557] In the United Kingdom, go to stopitnow .org.

[558] These organizations can help.

[559] We're grateful for your support.

[560] And one way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts.

[561] And don't forget to rate and review Betrayal.

[562] Five -star reviews go a long way.

[563] A big thank you to all of our listeners.

[564] Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group and partnership with IHeart Podcasts.

[565] The show was executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Fasin.

[566] Hosted and produced by me, Andrea Gunning.

[567] Written and produced by Carrie Hartman.

[568] Also produced by Ben Fetterman, associate producer, Kristen Malkyuri.

[569] Our I -Heart team is Ali Perry and Jessica Kreincheck.

[570] Special thanks to our talent Ashley Lytton and production assistant Tessa Shields.

[571] Audio editing and mixing by Matt Dalbekio.

[572] Trails theme composed by Oliver Baines, music library provided by Mide Music.

[573] And for more podcasts from IHeart, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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