The new podcast highlights police quests in the rape kit backlog
USA Today’s exclusive podcast and an exclusive podcast from witnesses brings listeners in when detectives track sexual predators.
Listen to the first episode for free with the following players: Here’s how to listen to other episodes:
Emily Zabaros sat at a naked table in a windowless room waiting to be interviewed by the police. It was April 2020 and she was waiting to talk to the detective about a rape report she filed a month ago.
Zabaros had already spoken with police several times about the night Marshawn Curtis said he had raped her. However, detective Angela Carter asked Zabaros to come to the station and answer additional questions.
Their interviews were recorded both audio and video.
“So the reason I wanted to take you here is because I reviewed everything we have ever had. I spoke to Curtis and all of that,” Carter told Zabaros. “I reviewed video footage from the police. You told him something different than what I told him… You’ve got to literally step on me from when he got there when he left.
Carter wanted to know: Did Zabaros have a drink that night? How much did she have to drink? Why didn’t she ask him to leave? Why didn’t she do it? make Will he leave?
With all the answers, Zaballos’ voice became quiet. The pause between her answers became longer. Tears formed in her eyes.
And from Carter: “Let’s ask a serious question: do you want to indict this?”
Zaballos replied: “I don’t want him to think this behavior is okay, but I don’t want to kick this out.”
Carter interrupted: “So, how do you want to move forward? What do you want to do from here?”
Zabaros was crying now and blew his nose. “At this point, I don’t want to try again and again.”
“We need an answer,” Carter insisted. “Want to go to prison for him? Do you want to prosecute this?”
Zabaros sniffed. I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to go through this… this is too much for me right now.”
“So you don’t want to indict this?”
Another sniffle. Sigh. “No.” Pause. Whisper: “I want to erase it.”
“It’s okay. I feel like you’re upset. Do you have any more questions for me?”
“no.”
“So, at this point, there’s no basis for what will happen,” Carter told her. “It’s going to be closed, and no one should contact you about this. Understood?”
USA Today, a new podcast from USA Today, a true crime collection powered by investigative journalism, will be launched in collaboration with witnesses. As the story unfolds, Detective Annie Harrison discovers that the same man as Zabaros is linked by DNA to another rape complaint 800 miles away. She wins Zabaros’ trust and seduces her as an ally in the fight for justice. In five untested episodes, Harrison brings in listeners as he tracks suspected rapists from Georgia to Michigan, from prison to court.
Follow the links above to listen to all five episodes.
