Tornado | EP 5 | Saskia's Story

The trial of Mike Levengood looms. But at the eleventh hour, the prosecutor gets a call. Content Warning for tech-enabled sexual abuse, nonconsensual intimate image distribution, mental health struggles, chronic illness, and rape. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at [email protected] mailto:[email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod https://www.instagram.com/betrayalpod/?hl=en and @glasspodcasts https://www.instagram.com/glasspodcasts/. Follow our newsletter and join the Betrayal community at betrayal.substack.com. https://betrayal.substack.com/welcome For resources on sexual violence, visit rainn.org/betrayal http://www.rainn.org/Betrayal?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=betrayal_2026&utm_content=web_resource&utm_term=general. 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, and many counties also have resources available. If you’re looking for help, go onto your county’s website to see what resources are available locally, or search the web for your state’s domestic violence coalition. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• 2:06Speaker 01

  On December 18th, 2018, Mike Levin Good was charged with rape. The prosecutors spent the next year building the case against him. They were going to a jury trial, and the state wanted a conviction. So they ran toxicology, consulted with experts, combed through online chats, and analyzed every moment of the dozens of videos they were able to track down. In the end, they gathered over 30 videos Mike had filmed without Saskia's consent. In many of them, she was completely unconscious, and her husband was violating her.

• 2:50Speaker 01

  Mike was charged with 31 counts of illegal surveillance. And even though prosecutors had video evidence of what Mike did, in the end, they were only able to bring four counts of rape. Under Maryland law, it was legal to rape your unconscious spouse, just so long as it was done without force. If he was found guilty of every charge, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. That was Saskia's hope.

• 3:21Speaker 04

  I wanted him to be in jail. And I felt like testifying against him and holding him accountable would give me back some of my power.

• 3:34Speaker 01

  But if the jury questioned Saskia's story, Mike could walk free. For Ashley Enderforth, the lead prosecutor on the case, it was nerve-wracking.

• 3:44Speaker 05

  This isn't a scenario where it's a 50/50, and we gotta get it to 51%. The jury has to believe it beyond a reasonable doubt.

• 3:56Speaker 01

  In the final lead-up to the trial, Ashley had to pass the case off to another colleague.

• 4:02Speaker 05

  I had to go out on maternity leave.

• 4:04Speaker 01

  She was pregnant with twins, and they came early. In the months after they were born, she practically lived in the NICU.

• 4:13Speaker 05

  And I was sort of, you know, really not thinking about work, but this case was an exception.

• 4:20Speaker 01

  The day before Mike's trial was set to begin, Ashley was in the hospital. She was at her baby's bedside when her phone rang.

• 4:31Speaker 01

  It was Rebecca McFitty, the prosecutor, who took over Saskia's case. Ashley answered right away.

• 4:38Speaker 05

  She knew how much I cared about it, and she called me to make sure I was OK with what she was gonna do.

• 4:59Speaker 01

  I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is Betrayal, Season 5, Episode 5, Tornado.

• 5:09Speaker 01

  Saskia had just started working again after taking a year off to manage her trauma. That morning, she was sitting in a conference room, talking with her fellow social workers. But the only thing on her mind was tomorrow's trial. She was expecting a call from the prosecutor to let her know what time to be there the next day. Instead, she got a message, saying there was news.

• 5:36Speaker 04

  I said I had to excuse myself, and I went into the psychiatrist's office, because it was a bigger room. And I went and sat on the chair and was kind of shaking and just waiting to hear what happened, how we were proceeding.

• 5:49Speaker 01

  The minutes crept by. Then, after what felt like an eternity...

• 5:53Speaker 04

  I got the call, saying that he made this plea deal, and they wanted to accept it.

• 6:01Speaker 01

  Mike was pleading guilty. He would serve time and be on the sex offender registry for life. But...

• 6:10Speaker 04

  He only had to plead guilty for one count of rape. And it kind of felt like it discounted all of the times, all of the deceit, all of the manipulation. It was like it came down to one incident.

• 6:33Speaker 01

  For a year, Saskia had been preparing to take the stand, to make Mike answer for what he'd done to her in video after video. Now she learned, there would be only one charge, and there would be no trial.

• 6:50Speaker 04

  I felt that my chance to speak my truth was gone, and my emotions, all the lead up to that, just kind of drained out of me in tears.

• 7:00Speaker 01

  The decision to go to trial wasn't hers to make, because the prosecutors don't represent Saskia like attorneys would in a civil case. They represent the state of Maryland and its citizens as a whole. And they had to be realistic. With the instructions given to the jury, would they convict? Remember, the law wasn't on Saskia's side. Force was required to prosecute spouses for rape.

• 7:29Speaker 06

  But the force was minimal, because she was completely incapacitated.

• 7:33Speaker 01

  That's Debbie Feinstein, head of the Special Victims Division at the state's attorney's office in Montgomery County. She supervised the case.

• 7:42Speaker 06

  We could see on the videos that he had moved parts of her body. And we planned to argue that was force. Would we have been successful? I don't know, because it's not conventionally what someone thinks of when they think of force.

• 7:56Speaker 01

  The burden of proof was incredibly high. Any doubt as to whether Mike's actions constituted forcible rape could throw the whole case out the window. He could walk free. The state's attorneys also had to think about Saskia. They were aware of Saskia's alcohol use, her dependence on prescription medications, her mental health history, and her dad's mental health history. These were all things that a defense attorney would use to turn a jury against her. Here's Ashley, the original prosecutor.

• 8:32Speaker 05

  They're going to be throwing out these things about this person to try to undermine their credibility. And that is a really hard thing for victims to deal with. And it makes it harder for us to prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt.

• 8:51Speaker 01

  Everyone at the state's attorney's office believed Saskia. They'd seen the evidence. This woman had been raped. But their belief in Saskia and their certainty that this was a crime wasn't enough to ensure a conviction. As Debbie told us...

• 9:09Speaker 06

  Unfortunately, mental health still has stigma around it that can impact a juror. It shouldn't, but it does.

• 9:19Speaker 01

  With all of this in mind, when Mike said he was ready to take a plea, the prosecutors said yes. With a plea deal, they'd avoid the risk of a jury acquitting Mike. They'd get a guaranteed guilty. When Ashley, the original prosecutor, got the news...

• 9:36Speaker 05

  I was really glad to hear it. Given all of the complexities with this case, I thought that him pleading guilty was the very best thing that could happen. I told my colleague that I was very pleased with what she had been able to work out.

• 9:55Speaker 01

  So, the decision was made. There would be no trial. But Saskia would still get her day in court because after Mike took the plea, he had a sentencing hearing. At this hearing, Judge Jill Cummins would determine exactly how long Mike would spend behind bars. Saskia walked down the center aisle into the courtroom with her sister, brothers, and friends by her side.

• 10:22Speaker 04

  We were just all so excited for at least this piece of this terrible process to be behind me and behind us and for him to at least be taken away in shackles for doing what he did.

• 10:36Speaker 01

  The courtroom was emptier than she'd imagined it. It was just a handful of spectators, some attorneys, some clerks, and the judge, sitting at the front of the room. Where the jury would have been, were 12 vacant chairs.

• 10:52Speaker 01

  Saskia, her friends and family took their seats in the gallery.

• 10:56Speaker 04

  We're just pretty dead silent, waiting for the case to be called and waiting for Mike to be brought in.

• 11:03Speaker 01

  And then, the doors opened. In walked Mike. Saskia's friend Bridget recalls seeing him that day. He was wearing a suit and brand-new white sneakers. At a glance, he was put together. But the outfit didn't fool her.

• 11:20Speaker 07

  He looked gaunt, and he had lost a lot of weight from stress, and that's only because he knew he got caught. You would think that you would put your head down, or just have some level of remorse or shame. And he didn't. He looked straight at me and then looked straight ahead. It gave me chills.

• 11:38Speaker 01

  Mike took his seat next to his two attorneys. The sentencing hearing was ready to begin. What we're about to play for you are real excerpts from that day.

• 11:48Speaker 08

  Call from case 135063, stand by on this Michael, all eleven dead.

• 11:54Speaker 09

  Good morning, all.

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  Head to Talkiatory.com/Betrayal to complete this short assessment and get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. That's T-A-L-K-I-A-T-R-Y.com/Betrayal to get matched in minutes. Talkiatory.com/Betrayal. Talkiatory.com/Betrayal. The hearing began with a statement by one of Mike's defense attorneys. He was determined to get the minimum possible penalty for his client, and he pulled out every stop to make that happen.

• 16:03Speaker 11

  Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future, and Mike, the great parts of him will continue and dominate for the rest of his life. In this particular case regarding the conduct here, Mr. Levin Good, I would stand that it is unacceptable, and I'm very confident as I stand here today that he has internalized that.

• 16:28Speaker 01

  The attorney had witnesses prepared to testify to Mike's strong character, and he had letters from Mike's family, friends, and coworkers, all saying the same thing: Mike was a good man.

• 16:40Speaker 11

  He has been kind to others, he has been empathetic to others, he has been non-self-centered, he has been a giving person, and an excellent dad, and an excellent employee and friend to dozens throughout his life.

• 16:56Speaker 01

  On top of that, Mike had been given a psych evaluation. It's commonly done in criminal cases to help inform sentencing decisions. Mike's evaluator said he was a low risk to society. He wasn't a danger to other women. As Mike's attorney argued, this crime was a misstep in an otherwise perfect life.

• 17:19Speaker 11

  When you get in the mix of the tornado and whirlwind of pornography addiction or pornography fixation, however you want to characterize it, it kind of twirls you out of control at certain moments. And again, there's nothing that takes away, in anything that I'm saying, from his own responsibility and his own agency and his own free will. But I do think that this was part of this kind of hailstorm or tornado, is the best thing I can think of, him being twirled into these, we would say, unacceptable criminal series of conduct.

• 17:55Speaker 01

  Mike's other attorney also made remarks. And of course, he brought up the marital exemption.

• 18:02Speaker 12

  Much of the most offensive behavior in this case was actually legal under the law, right? Which has no bearing on whether or not it's moral, appropriate, desired, or right. But as it was, this case was difficult because incapacitation is not a grounds of sexual assault with your spouse in marriage. And the hours of footage that were presented by the state were largely of somebody incapacitated.

• 18:33Speaker 01

  And then, he snuck in another argument.

• 18:36Speaker 12

  There were also hours and hours of footage of mutual, completely different conduct that was sexual in nature and was pornographic. It was completely within their marriage and completely within the two of them. And purely for their own private enjoyment.

• 18:52Speaker 01

  I want to underscore what's happening here. Mike was pleading guilty. According to his lawyers, he took full responsibility for what he did to Saskia. He was sorry. But in the same breath, Mike's defense team was trying to discredit Saskia. They were trying to convince the judge that Saskia did consent in hopes of getting Mike less time. This was all one big misunderstanding.

• 19:20Speaker 01

  You'll hear the judge's take on that later in the episode. But for now, back to Mike's attorney.

• 19:26Speaker 12

  Mr. Levin Good was in a committed marriage. He did not ever cheat on her, did not in any way stray from loving her. His commitment to her was real. And the things that he shared with her were real. However perverse and wrong and misguided and based on so many codependent and bad things, they were real. He has accepted responsibility for this position and he will accept the punishment and he will go to jail today. Someone who's never been in jail, who was successful, who was, while this was going on, making $200,000, $250,000 a year and living a life for him that was in many ways perfect, that was on paper, everything that you would want.

• 20:12Speaker 12

  His life will be ruined by this. He will be a lifetime registrant on the Sex Offender Registry. He will be instantly judged by anyone who meets him. He will be restricted on where he can live and so many other things.

• 20:25Speaker 12

  And he has gotten a lot of perspective himself from what is important from this whole thing. Losing everything can help you see the material matters that really matter to being happy and being safe and secure.

• 20:39Speaker 01

  With that, he asked the judge to give Mike the lowest possible sentence. And then it was the state's turn. The prosecutor, Rebecca McFitty, stood up before the judge.

• 20:51Speaker 13

  This is a familiar situation for the court in the sense that we have a defendant that during the light of day in all regards is looked at as a contributing member of society, somebody who is lovable and likeable. And that is exactly the aspect of the defendant's personality that allowed Ms. Inwood to fall for him, to love him and to trust him. But these types of crimes, as the court's seen over and over again, are not committed in the light of day. They are committed in darkness after that trust has been established. That is the reason that this betrayal is so intense for Ms. Inwood.

• 21:39Speaker 13

  As defense counsel mentioned, this resolution is a compromise under the current state of Maryland law. If the state was not precluded from going forward on rape charges under the incapacitation theory, the state would be looking at hours and hours of more footage, countless more counts of second-degree rape, as the defendant himself admits, repeatedly engaging in sexual acts while Ms. Inwood was completely unconscious. Defense counsel referenced that this is a tornado of pornography addiction. But a tornado comes and goes in moments. From October 28, 2017, until October 25, 2018,

• 22:23Speaker 13

  about a year, the defendant that we know of videotaped Ms. Inwood while she was unconscious or inebriated over 30 times. That is not a tornado. That is a year of perpetuating, discontinual betrayal of trust over and over again with the person he was supposed to protect the most.

• 22:50Speaker 01

  Rebecca then described the contents of one of the videos Mike took, because the charges on paper could never capture what was in those videos. It feels important to Saskia and to us for people to know the extent of Mike's crimes. But if you'd like to skip hearing these details, you can fast-forward one minute.

• 23:14Speaker 13

  In one of the videos that the state provided to the court, Ms. Inwood is asleep, unconscious, however you'd like to say it. About 14 minutes into her being unconscious, she pushes the defendant away. And it looks like she mouths the word "stop." After that happened, the defendant continues to perform sexual acts with her, including digital penetration of her vagina, inserting sex toys in her vagina. And at the end, you see that he just leaves the camera on while she's unconscious in that bed.

• 23:58Speaker 13

  There is no doubt that over the course of the year, the defendant waited till she was unconscious to get online and chat and exchange pornographic videos for tokens or coins or payment of some sort.

• 24:16Speaker 13

  He perpetrated every woman's fear by taking away her voice, her choice in the matter, and he left her powerless to protect herself.

• 24:27Speaker 01

  Finally, Rebecca brought up the psych evaluation, the one given to Mike where the psychologist concluded that he was a low risk to society. She said there was one thing missing from that assessment.

• 24:41Speaker 13

  Dr. Dean in his sex offender evaluation was actually never given a copy of these videos. He was given descriptions by the defense as to what these videos entail. It is a dramatic difference from reading the words on the statement of charges to watching that betrayal, that abuse, and the disturbing acts that the defendant chose to record.

• 25:08Speaker 01

  And with that, the prosecutor concluded her argument. She asked the judge for the maximum possible sentence under the plea agreement. For Saskia, the speech was validating.

• 25:21Speaker 04

  It was like, yes, we've had to go through this painful process, but we didn't doubt that he was guilty.

• 25:30Speaker 01

  The prosecutor sat back at her desk. But before Judge Cummins could make her sentencing decision, there were still two people left to hear from.

• 25:39Speaker 13

  Her sister would like to speak and would like to be heard from. Absolutely.

• 25:44Speaker 01

  Saskia and her sister, Marissa, had prepared victim impact statements. It would be Saskia's one chance to address Mike on the record, and it would be her only opportunity to show the judge who Mike Levin Good really was. Marissa stood up and addressed the court.

• 26:03Speaker 14

  Michael Levin Good, you have no shame. You sit here and you deny your wrongdoing in the face of your futile evidence that you're a rapist.

• 26:13Speaker 14

  We, her family and friends, we know what you did.

• 26:18Speaker 14

  See the truth clearly. I know when it all started, even before the date was shared today. Because she was deteriorating mentally and physically right before our eyes and we had no explanation as to why. I went with her, with you sometimes, to multiple doctors and hospitals, trying to find out what was wrong with her. No one could answer how she could get well. I recall vividly one night, shortly after her mother died, which I'll share that that date was September 30th, 2017.

• 26:48Speaker 14

  Right before the videos began. When despite drinking no more than anyone else, she was suddenly and surprisingly so incapacitated that she could not walk. Everyone was so concerned what had happened, she was fine one minute and then not the next. We thought about taking her to hospital, but he was so calm. Always in charge, always in control, less concerned than others, and reassured me personally that she would be fine, that he was there to take care of her. And now I have to wonder, based on that date, did you drug her that night? Or did you just encourage her to drink? Did you set up her cameras and fondle and manipulate her body while she was not aware and could not physically resist you?

• 27:33Speaker 14

  I know in my bones that you did.

• 27:37Speaker 14

  And what affects me most is your cockiness in those videos. How cool you felt, how powerful. To be able to do this.

• 27:47Speaker 14

  Without anyone knowing. To be able to pull it off time after time and then put on your good husband mask during the day. And reap the rewards of a beautiful home and a loving wife. Your Honor, even now I feel my words are probably lost on him. He has only been concerned about himself and his consequences and his future life.

• 28:09Speaker 14

  Don't let him, this place lay him onto his victim. Don't let other husbands or wives think they can do whatever they want to their spouses. Ensure that all people know that having sex with an unconscious person is called rape, even when you're married to that. Thank you, Your Honor.

• 28:24Speaker 01

  Thank you, ma'am.

• 28:29Speaker 01

  Then, after Marissa, it was finally Saskia's turn. With her paper shaking in her hand, she walked up to a table between the prosecution and the defense. Her body was angled towards the judge, but really, she wanted to deliver the speech to Mike.

• 28:47Speaker 04

  I knew not to expect any empathy or remorse, and I think that drove me even more. The only thing that I can get is for him to have to sit with what he did to me.

• 29:03Speaker 15

  Let me start by saying there's not enough jail time for you that will make me feel safe or give me back what I had before you victimized me. You deserve the maximum possible sentence. You pretended to be a loving husband, and yet you were my attacker. By posting pictures and videos of your crimes against my body on the internet for people to watch, I suffered embarrassment and shame that I don't deserve. I never deserve it. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about the hours and hours of those images being watched by strangers.

• 29:42Speaker 15

  Maybe the worst part was when I woke up to catch you filming me and then to finally see evil in your eyes, and that's exactly what I saw. No remorse, no caring, no sympathy, a cold and empty man.

• 29:58Speaker 15

  And at that point, I knew that no amount of money or personal discomfort would stop me from pursuing justice, so that you were not able to prey on other vulnerable women. You pretended to support me through my ups and downs, number one, flitting on that you were using me.

• 30:13Speaker 15

  I had no idea that the cause of my misbehavior was lying in the bed next to me. You deserve to go to jail with the people who are real dangerous to society. You're a dangerous person who preys on vulnerable and trusting people. You're a sexual predator, Michael Ovengood.

• 30:30Speaker 15

  You took away my ability to feel safe and to trust anybody more heartily. You took away from me my happiness, and I'll never be the same because of you.

• 30:43Speaker 09

  Thank you, Ms. Inwood.

• 30:47Speaker 01

  After Saskia, Mike was offered the last word. This would have been the moment to take accountability, or to apologize. He chose to say nothing.

• 31:01Speaker 01

  At last, it came time for Judge Jill Cummins to deliver Mike's sentence.

• 31:08Speaker 09

  I was very familiar with the statement of charges, knew what you were accused of. I'm very familiar with the facts of the case.

• 31:18Speaker 09

  But intellectually knowing the facts of the case is very different from watching those videos.

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• 35:29Speaker 01

  Judge Jill Cummins had been prepared for a full criminal trial. She'd presided over the case for months, during all kinds of motions and pre-trial arguments. At this point, she knew the case well. Much of the time at sentencing hearings, judges give brief explanations of their decision. Some judges give no speech at all. Judge Jill Cummins was no such judge.

• 35:57Speaker 09

  Mr. Levergood, what I will tell you is I've read every letter that everyone has submitted on your behalf, your letters from your daughters, your coworkers, your friends, your ex-wife. And everyone has the same impression of you as a fine, upstanding person. But interestingly, with the exception, I'd say, of your ex-wife, your friends, your coworkers, they don't know what happens behind bedroom doors and what people do in the privacy of their own homes.

• 36:28Speaker 09

  As you know, I've lived with this case for almost the last year now. And what I will say is, I was very familiar with the statement of charges. Knew what you were accused of. Had read it several times, every time you had appeared before me. For pre-trial statuses, a motion to everything. I'm very familiar with the facts of the case.

• 36:51Speaker 09

  But intellectually knowing the facts of the case is very different from watching those videos. Not easy to watch those videos, at all.

• 37:04Speaker 01

  The judge had only just seen those videos. In preparation for the sentencing, they shifted her entire understanding of the case.

• 37:13Speaker 09

  It was clear to me that force was exercised in those videos. It was clear to me that Ms. Enwood was comatose. Not asleep, but comatose, unconscious, absolutely. It was clear to me that you were enjoying yourself. That you weren't just taping this on the laptop. It looked like you had to have on some, I couldn't describe it anything else, like a GoPro video thing, taping as you were maneuvering yourself and her.

• 37:55Speaker 09

  You added some extra cameras there for camera angles.

• 38:02Speaker 09

  So, reading the statement of charges and knowing the statement of charges was one thing. Watching those videos was something completely, completely different. What was clear to me was that was not consensual behavior.

• 38:17Speaker 09

  It was disturbing. And the life that you have led, I do not diminish that. Your education, your success that you've had in the business arena, that you have victimized Ms. Enwood.

• 38:35Speaker 09

  The damage done to her is probably irreparable, knowing that those videos are out there for the world to see.

• 38:46Speaker 01

  Then, the judge addressed the psych evaluation.

• 38:51Speaker 09

  After watching those videos, the very first question in my mind was, did Dr. Dean watch those videos when he rendered his evaluation? And Ms. McVitty answered that question for me this morning, and it was no. He didn't watch those videos. So, I now definitely take Dr. Dean's evaluation with a grain of salt, knowing that he didn't see the videos, to understand the conduct that makes up these charges.

• 39:23Speaker 09

  And I did have some concern when I read the evaluation, that there did seem to be some lack of acceptance or responsibility on your part for the crime that you pled guilty to. And as I read this evaluation, I didn't take this as you were saying that I was wrong, I shouldn't have done this. It was, we started down this path, and she told me that when she passed out, I could do whatever I wanted to her.

• 39:56Speaker 09

  That's not someone who's saying, "I know what I did was wrong." That's someone saying, "Well, she said I could do whatever I want to her when she was comatose." After watching those videos, I don't believe that that's what she said. So, I'm in the position of finding that you were not truly accepting of your guilt or responsibility in this case, Mr. Levin Good. You are a predator to Ms. Inwood. Mr. Levin Good, you have received the benefit of a plea agreement. Your guidelines are 4 to 9 years.

• 40:34Speaker 01

  She's referring to the sentencing guidelines for second-degree rape. If the case had gone to trial, these are the instructions the judge would have used to ensure fair sentencing.

• 40:46Speaker 09

  Your attorneys in the state have negotiated a very good range for you, based upon those guidelines.

• 40:55Speaker 09

  So, as to count one, second-degree rape,

• 40:59Speaker 09

  I'm going to sentence you to 15 years, suspend all but 18 months.

• 41:07Speaker 01

  Suspend all but 18 months. The judge believed Mike's crimes warranted a 15-year sentence. But his defense team had struck a deal with the state. As part of the plea agreement, they decided on a maximum amount of time Mike would spend behind bars: 18 months. 18 months is a magic number in Montgomery County. It meant that Mike would go to county jail instead of state prison. Saskia first heard that number on her call with Rebecca, the prosecutor. It was the same call where she learned there would be no trial. When she heard that Mike would only serve a maximum of 18 months, she was devastated.

• 41:51Speaker 18

  I can't tell you how wrong that felt.

• 41:57Speaker 01

  Her sister, Marissa, tried to help her see the positives of the plea.

• 42:01Speaker 18

  We tried to focus on the guilty plea, you know? He's a sex offender for life. These are big deals. But it didn't feel equivalent to like what he'd taken from her. He deserves more time. And it was a slap in the face that he didn't get more time.

• 42:18Speaker 01

  The prosecutors knew Saskia wanted Mike in prison for life. But victims' perspectives are only one element that they weigh in making plea agreements.

• 42:28Speaker 06

  We're constantly balancing, how are we going to hold the offender accountable for what they did? How are we going to try to help the victim get some closure on the criminal case? And then, public safety? What are we doing in terms of protecting the public from this offender?

• 42:44Speaker 01

  To the prosecutors, 18 months plus a guarantee that Mike would be on the sex offender registry for life was a win. On that day in court, when the judge handed down the sentence, Marissa was moved.

• 42:58Speaker 18

  Oh, God, that was just an amazing... That was amazing. I feel like the judge just saw, you know? The judge saw everything. Even though we knew he was going to get 18 months, we knew that was going to be the outcome. We knew we were going to have a chance to speak and to tell him, "You did this, and we know you did this." I didn't realize that there was going to be that huge validation.

• 43:23Speaker 01

  Here's Saskia.

• 43:25Speaker 04

  I remember the attorneys and him whispering something to each other. And he got up and the bailiff went to meet him.

• 43:33Speaker 01

  Mike was handcuffed and let out the front doors.

• 43:37Speaker 04

  And my friend Bridget tried to snap a photo.

• 43:40Speaker 01

  Before Mike could get away, Saskia's friend Bridget pulled out her phone.

• 43:45Speaker 07

  I just wanted to record him getting handcuffed and walking off so that I could show Saskia he is where he needs to be. And I wanted her to be able to see that so that she could have that replay in her head and not have all these terrible memories replay in her head. I had pulled my phone up and I thought I was being inconspicuous, but he looked over at me and was like, "Your Honor."

• 44:08Speaker 01

  You're not supposed to take photos or videos in the courtroom. Saskia's other friend Colleen remembers Mike's reaction well.

• 44:16Speaker 19

  He looked around frantically for the judge to help him. His dismay at everyone watching him and recording him and the violation that he expressed was very ironic.

• 44:29Speaker 01

  Saskia wishes this moment of seeing her perpetrator taken to jail would have fixed everything.

• 44:36Speaker 04

  I thought it would heal a part of me. I thought it would heal me feeling like a helpless victim.

• 44:44Speaker 01

  She thought she'd be relieved. Instead...

• 44:48Speaker 04

  I just had anger and hatred. I had sadness and loss for the person that I thought he was, but that person died.

• 44:58Speaker 01

  Saskia had a lot of healing to do, but that healing had to happen beyond the courtroom. For perpetrators, jail or prison can be a final destination. But for victims, that jail sentence is just the beginning. It's something Ashley, the prosecutor, often tells victims.

• 45:17Speaker 05

  The result of the criminal case can't be the be all and end all. Even if we win and get every single count, somebody that you loved and cared about and married is going to prison for a long time. That's hard, too. Or there's an acquittal. You've internalized that a jury didn't believe you. So the criminal justice system can be a part of your healing, but it can't be all of it because it's not going to do it.

• 45:50Speaker 01

  Finally, Mike was in jail. But having him behind bars didn't mean he was out of Saskia's life.

• 46:00Speaker 04

  He was smart enough to know that this was gonna now be a family law case.

• 46:06Speaker 01

  The criminal matter was finalized, but the legal battle wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

• 46:22Speaker 01

  On the next episode of Betrayal.

• 46:26Speaker 12

  She was very depressed. There was no use on her part more than mine. When she starts drinking, she doesn't stop.

• 46:35Speaker 04

  I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. The fact that the judges were even listening to these things was blowing my mind.

• 46:51Speaker 01

  For resources on sexual violence, visit rainn.org/betrayal. That's R-A-I-N-N dot org slash betrayal. You can also get free confidential 24/7 support through Rain's National Sexual Assault Hotline. Just text HOPE to 64673 or call 1-800-656-HOPE. You are not alone. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal team or want to tell us your story, email us at [email protected]. That is [email protected]. Or follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod. To access additional content and to connect with the Betrayal community,

• 47:36Speaker 01

  join our Substack at betrayal.substack.com.

• 47:40Speaker 01

  We're grateful for your support. One way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review Betrayal. Five-star reviews go a long way. A big thank you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Fason, hosted and produced by me, Andrea Gunning, written and produced by Caitlin Golden. Our supervising producer is Carrie Hartman. Our story editor is Monique LaBord, also produced by Ben Fetterman. Associate producers are Olivia Hewitt and Lea Jablow.

• 48:23Speaker 01

  Production management by Kristen Melchiori. Additional support by Curry Richmond. Our iHeart team is Ally Perry and Jessica Krychek. Audio editing by Tanner Robbins with additional editing and mixing by Matt Dalvecchio. Special thanks to Saskia, her friends and family. And special thanks to Will Pearson and Carrie Lieberman. Betrayal's theme is composed by Oliver Baines. Music library provided by MyB Music. And for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 49:03Speaker 01

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