Review of To Live and Die in LA - Season Finale Part 2 Elaine Park

Season Finale Part 2 Elaine Park Case

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“Though I like the podcast and generally think Neil’s thought process/verbal explanation, and less so but still somewhat Jayden’s, is clever and logical and sober, some things about this episode are particularly irksome to listen to. My gripes mainly revolve around the final summary of the case’s possible outcomes as discussed between Neil and Jayden at around 15 minutes left in the episode: -First, the manner in which you guys just declare something likely or not (done so with very little scientific explanation/logic at times) and then use that declaration as a stepping stone onto your next theory/thought is quite irresponsible/illogical at times -For example, even though, personally, I think suicide is close to the very bottom of the list, each theory (especially if you are going to spend airtime/audience member’s time mentioning it) needs to be explored scientifically/logically and some degree comprehensively; specifically when you guys are discussing the possibility of a water/ocean suicide and use the fact that the body was not found washed up on the shore as declarative evidence that this mode of death did not occur is ridiculous. Jayden (who is generally seen as likable and hardworking), being so emphatic that the lack of a washed up body is near irrefutable evidence against this particular suicide theory is ridiculous. Have you studied/thoroughly researched how drowned bodies behave? Or are you just shooting from the hip for better ratings?? Even if you have seen 8 such cases in your career (which sounds like a lot for 1 individual cop), that is by no means extrapolatable to the world at-large. The truth is that there is a growing body of evidence that drowned bodies behave very variably depending on many variables such such as the amount of gas in the body and the tide. It may have washed up on shore, it may not have. This is not a movie. -*Worse yet, when you guys (Neil and Jayden) are discussing Susan’s potential role and you mention the FBI’s finding that it was suspicious that in their conversation with her, Susan appears to have had a slip of the tongue and referred to Elaine’s case as “the accident,” HOW DO YOU NOT PRESS ON IN THIS LINE OF THOUGHT?? THAT SUSAN ACCIDENTALLY KILLED ELAINE. Instead you guys don’t even mention it again. Truly a head scratcher. It appears to be the most logical explanation and satisfies many of the known elements of the case including: the slip of the tongue with the FBI (which is very odd), the rarity of a mother killing a daughter, the very common finding that most such murders are committed by someone close, the fact that Elaine was an adult and therefore Susan was not financially or otherwise indebted to her (therefore the very common motive of money was ruled out) and also (but not only) all of the incredibly odd behavior that Susan has displayed/been connected to including the cadaver dogs’ findings at her house and getting rid of Elaine’s things. My money is on Susan having killed Elaine somewhat unintentionally. We have seen Susan’s proclivity for rage on display through text messages and events recounted. Really, who sends that many “!”’s?? That’s not normal. Not to mention telling your own daughter to “die.” It appears the two of them, unfortunately, had a very volatile relationship. One can imagine that they both knew how to push each other’s buttons and probably neither party was completely innocent—though I would add that Elaine was the daughter and a very young person and her mother should have been the one to protect her and behave like the “adult,” but Susan appeared far from a mature adult, hiding behind a thin veneer of purported propriety and of teaching lessons (e.g. money lessons). *It appears likely that the two of them got into a very heated argument (most likely about money) that escalated to the physical and maybe a Susan choked Elaine and did not stop in time or maybe something lead to Elaine getting hit on the head, etc. Though Susan probably led a tough life whose circumstances led her to where she is, that’s no excuse for having had a hand in your own child’s death. **If you expect an intelligent audience to keep listening and following, you should not have such holes in your delivery/presentation. It is flat out annoying to listen to you guys gloss over and assume and conclude. That being said, I’m still willing to listen to another of your productions, the good still outweighs the bad by a lot.”

GW NYC via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 06/16/22

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