Triggered - The True Crime Podcast · Chantal + Ashley

Resilience: Judy Malinowski

January 13, 2026·51 min·20 clips

The episode opens with the hosts sounding like they have already been talking for a while. They joke about the year, the internet, and how hard it is to tell what is real anymore. There is a side rant about tiny house pigs that are probably fake. They also mention a possible serial killer in Texas before moving toward Judy. Once the case starts, the tone changes quickly. The hosts treat it as a warning about how bad a relationship can get when the signs are there and nobody gets out in time. They make clear that the point is not to blame Judy. They say she was going through it and probably wanted affection. They say she was trying to believe the best in somebody. Judy’s mom comes up as the person who tried to say something was off, and the hosts take that warning seriously. They keep coming back to how often people ignore what is right in front of them until it turns dangerous. The relationship is toxic. The escalation is steady. Police keep getting involved. The fights turn loud and violent. Judy tries to defend herself and tries to leave. Michael keeps calling the police himself, and the hosts read that as control dressed up as concern. They make a blunt point that this is why people need to do their homework before letting someone new into their life. They say to dig, ask, check, and listen. They note that this is easier in the States than in Canada, but the larger point stays the same. Do not ignore the warning signs. The episode keeps Judy at the center even when the hosts get loud about what happened around her. Their anger gives the story heat and keeps the abuse from feeling abstract. It ends by pushing back against forgetting, with the show still asking for Judy’s name to be remembered.

As heard by us

A heated, human account of abuse escalation that keeps Judy at the center.

Triggered treats Judy Malinowski's story as a hard warning about how abuse can deepen when the signs are brushed past. It stays in the tense middle ground: the relationship curdling, Judy's mom sensing something is wrong, the repeated police involvement, and the way control can…

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want rage, fallout, and a story that keeps Judy central.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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