Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
This episode tells the story of Chad Cullum, an 18-year-old from Colorado who met a Japanese art history student named Misaki during a road trip to Vancouver in 2006. After four years of long-distance dating, they married and had two children in Aurora, Colorado, but Misaki's behavior soon escalated into severe emotional, verbal, and physical abuse toward Chad and their children. When Chad sought help, he faced betrayal not only from Misaki and his best friend Anthony, who began living with Misaki, but also from the legal system itself. A court-appointed child and family investigator named Shannon McShane fabricated her credentials, lied about her PhD, and weaponized her position to sabotage Chad's custody case while collaborating with Misaki.
Chad's relentless detective work eventually exposed McShane's fraudulent background, leading to an investigation by the Colorado Attorney General's Office and a 15-count indictment against McShane, who ultimately pleaded guilty and received a four-year prison sentence. The episode details how men experiencing domestic abuse are often dismissed or disbelieved, and highlights the systemic failures that allowed a con artist to infiltrate the court system. Despite these harrowing betrayals, Chad eventually secured primary custody of his children and relocated to California to build a stable life.
The host opens the episode, introduces the show and warns listeners about sensitive content.
Chad’s 2006 road trip to Vancouver leads to meeting Misaki, setting the stage for their relationship.
Chad and Misaki develop a long‑distance relationship, plan to marry, and navigate cultural differences.
Misaki’s abusive behavior intensifies, culminating in physical violence and threats against Chad and the children.
Chad confronts the court’s appointed PRE, discovers her fraudulent credentials, and seeks a new evaluator.
The episode details Shannon McShane’s arrest, her plea, and the sentencing that followed.
Shannon’s falsified credentials were used to gain authority and weaponize power in custody cases.
The hosts discuss how Colorado’s court processes allowed Shannon’s fraud and highlight broader systemic issues.
A new P.R.E. recommends primary custody for Chad, with visitation for Misaki, and the court agrees.
The episode covers the children’s PTSD, therapy, academic progress, and extracurricular engagement.
After moving to California, Misaki’s protection order is lifted but communication remains tightly controlled.
The hosts emphasize the importance of thorough background checks and greater transparency to prevent abuse.
Meeting Misaki's Intimidating Fatherstory
Chad traveled to Japan to ask Misaki's father for his blessing to marry, walking into a dimly lit cabin resembling an interrogation room where her father imposed strict conditions.
Recording Domestic Abuse on Phonestory
Suspicious of Misaki's harsh treatment of their toddler, Chad left his phone recording in the kitchen and captured audio of her striking the child.
Arrest After Home Security Footagedata
When threatened with a false kidnapping accusation, Chad checked his newly installed security cameras and found three hours of footage showing Misaki attacking him.
Interrogated by Court Evaluatorinsight
Court-appointed investigator Shannon McShane immediately accused Chad of being a liar and gaming the system during their very first Zoom call.
Uncovering the Fake Email Imposterstrategy
Chad and his partner realized that an anonymous government employee emailing him warnings was actually Shannon McShane due to identical double-spacing and capitalization quirks.
Disproving the UK PhD Credentialinsight
After noticing letter grades on transcripts from a UK university that actually uses numbers, Chad contacted the institution and confirmed McShane never attended.
Indictment Against Fraudulent Evaluatordata
The Colorado Attorney General filed a 15-count indictment against Shannon McShane, including forgery, perjury, and attempting to influence a public servant.
“She started throwing things, like big things.”
“She put a hole in the drywall by throwing my oldest son's water bottle.”
“I don't think I got more than maybe a page into my memorization to where he was like,”
“We have another person who is absolutely trying to sabotage this.”
“The harm Shannon McShane caused is a lot deeper than just fabricating credentials.”
“She used those falsified documents to gain power and authority in Colorado's legal system.”
“The number one thing that people should take away from this is you should always do a background check on anybody who is important.”
“You don't hear it much, men saying that they're going through this, specifically when it comes to emotions and relationship things.”
When their home becomes unsafe for his sons, Chad turns to the court for help. But soon, he finds himself questioning whether the system designed to protect families can be trusted at all. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal team by emailing us at [email protected] mailto:[email protected]. You can also find us on Instagram at @betrayalpod https://www.instagram.com/betrayalpod/ and @glasspodcasts https://www.instagram.com/glasspodcasts/. To access our newsletter and additional content and to connect with the Betrayal community, join our Substack at betrayal.substack.com. If you are currently in crisis, please reach out to organizations that offer immediate support. We are including a few US-based resources here: 988 Lifeline. https://988lifeline.org/ If you or someone you know is in crisis or need to talk to someone immediately, please call or text 988 – the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline available 24/7/365. National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=domestic_violence. They offer 24/7 phone and chat support to help you create a personalized safety plan and connect you with local support. For resources on sexual violence, visit rainn.org/betrayal. You can also get free, confidential, 24/7 support through RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline. Text HOPE to 64673 or call 1-800-656-HOPE. Every state has a domestic violence coalition. If you’re looking for help in the US, search the web for your state’s domestic violence coalition. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10,919 words · 6 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated