Caterham, England. February 17, 2014. Lorin LaFave was at a loss. Her 14-year-old son, Breck, hadn't been himself for a while. It all began when he joined an online gaming club, headed by Lewis Daynes, an 18-year-old unemployed computer engineer. Daynes's influence on Breck was powerful - he began skipping activities he once enjoyed, he isolated himself from his family and friends, he was constantly irritated and argumentative.

Lorin did everything she could to put an end to the friendship. She installed parental controls on their home computers and tried to ban Breck from using Daynes's server. She even called the police, fearing that Breck was being groomed by Daynes. But her efforts were in vain.

Those who had the power to help Breck failed to do so, and the consequences were devastating.

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Learn more about what The Breck Foundation is doing to keep young people safe online.

You can find sources for this episode here.

Music from Purple Planet Music

Cheshire, Connecticut. July 23, 2007. Cheshire has pretty much everything you'd want if you were looking for a quiet, peaceful place to raise a family. The houses are spacious, the lawns are well-manicured and leafy trees line the streets. But what's most attractive about Cheshire is that it's safe. At least, that's what Bill and Jennifer Petit thought - it seemed like the perfect place to raise their two daughters, Hayley and Michaela. And it was, until one night in late July 2007 when all hell broke loose. What Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes insisted was only going to be a home burglary, escalated into a frenzy of violence and ultimately, murder. What spurred the two men to carry out such heinous acts? And could the police have done more to stop them?

The Cheshire Home Invasion Murders (my blog post on this case)

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Sources for this episode:

The Cheshire Murders Documentary

Connecticut Murder Suspect’s Ex-girlfriend Speaks Out

Sister of Komisarjevsky Girlfriend Testifies about Concern Over Relationship

Komisarjevsky’s Religious Upbringing Detailed in Court

Petit murder suspect had long, troubled history of drugs, crime

Two Portraits of Triple Killer, Offered to Jurors, Are at Odds

Defense in Connecticut home invasion case aims to shift blame

Steven Hayes, once on death row for Cheshire triple killing, resentenced to 6 life terms in prison

Joshua Komisarjevsky, convicted in Cheshire triple killing, seeks a new trial

CT Supreme Court hears Cheshire killer Komisarjevsky’s argument for new trial

Steven Hayes from Death Row: ‘I just snapped’ at scene of Cheshire home invasion

Revisiting The Grisly Cheshire Murders

The Survivor

Connecticut town finds hope, healing 10 years after gruesome Petit family murders

Connecticut Home Invasion Convict Is Undergoing Gender Transition in Prison

The Petit Family Foundation

Music from Purple Planet Music

Bellevue, Washington. November 6, 2011. Sky Metalwala's short life was tragically sad. At just 2-years-old, he had already been through a lot. His parents, Julia Biryukova and Solomon Metalwala, were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle over him and his 4-year-old sister Maile. One morning in early November 2011, Sky woke up feeling unwell, so Julia decided to take him to the doctor. On the way there, she ran out of gas. She parked on the side of the road and walked to a nearby gas station, leaving Sky in the car. When she got back to her car, Sky was nowhere to be found. When Julia told the police her story, however, it didn't add up. They had a lot of questions, but Julia refused to talk. Eventually people began to wonder whether Sky had ever been in that car at all that morning...

Instagram: @talkmurderwithme

Facebook: @talkmurrderwithme

Sources:

Sky Metalwala’s disappearance still an active investigation after 3 years

Police: Missing boy not seen for 2 weeks

Sky Elijah Metalwala - The Charley Project

The Disappearance of Sky Metalwala

Missing Washington toddler Sky Metalwala

Police say they have new information in Metalwala case

Sky Metalwala Missing: Dad Thinks Boy's Mother, Julia Biryukova, May Be Involved in Disappearance

Kirkland resident Solomon Metalwala granted custody of daughter, son still missing

Mother of missing child has new baby, declared unfit mother

Music from Purple Planet Music

Limerick Township, Pennsylvania. September 10, 1995. Caleb Fairley was a deeply unhappy person. He was constantly taunted by his classmates and co-workers, and written off as a failure by his domineering mother. For these reasons, Caleb was happiest when he was by himself in his bedroom, playing role play games involving dragons and vampires. While this side of Caleb was largely innocent and harmless, he also had a dark, sadistic side. While working at his mother's business one Sunday in September, he unleashed his inner monster, resulting in devastating consequences.

Sources:

Caleb Fairley - Murderpedia

Caleb Fairley - Wikipedia

Medical Detectives (Forensic Files) - Season 6, Ep 30: Shopping Spree

William Lashner on Guilt

The Murder of Lisa and Devon Manderach – South Jersey/Philadelphia Crime

Murder Suspect Lived Life of Ridicule, Fantasies

Clerk Charged With Slaying Girl, Mother In Child's Clothing Store

Caleb Fairley Killed Woman, Daughter, Attorney Admits but Defense Lawyer Argues The Act Was Not Planned and Calls For A Finding of Third-Degree Murder

Fairley Guilty of Murder, Gets Life in Prison, Killers Detractors Give the Jury a Standing Ovation and Taunt Him

Fairley Gets Two Life Terms, No Parole Despite MontCo Murderer's Admission of Guilt, He's Taunted By Victims Relatives

Two-story slides and saucer swings: A wonderland like no other after 1995 murder of Limerick mother and infant

Murderer Caleb Fairley continues to seek new trial

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rejects Petition to Rule Death Penalty Unconstitutional