Dirty John
The riveting, true-crime series that accompanies the viral ‘Dirty John’ podcast.
Published on November 6, 2017
Dirty John: The Real Thing
LOS ANGELES - Their first date was at Houston's, a restaurant in Irvine where he opened the door for her and put her napkin on her lap. Candles flickered along the polished-mahogany bar; jazz drifted from speakers; conversation purred. Debra Newell h
Part 1: Debra, a successful businesswoman, meets John, a handsome anesthesiologist, on an online dating site — and falls for him fast. But Debra’s children immediately dislike John, and warn her that his stories don’t add up.
Dirty John: Newlyweds
LOS ANGELES - After church one Sunday, Debra Newell walked into the living room with her husband to find a woman she did not recognize. The stranger sat trancelike before the big window that overlooked Newport Harbor, a thin, weathered woman in her l
Part 2: Strange things start happening after John and Debra move in together, and Debra wonders if John is spying on her. Debra’s family starts digging into John’s background, and what they find is shocking.
Dirty John 3: Filthy
LOS ANGELES - He had lavished her with compliments, and now he savaged her looks. He had entered the marriage broke, and now he demanded half her wealth. He had been gentleness itself, and now he threatened her with "long-lost relatives" in the mob.
Part 3: John’s mysterious past is revealed, including how he got the nickname “Dirty John.” From his hospital bed, John begs Debra to take him back.
Dirty John: Forgiveness
LOS ANGELES - The private investigator told Debra Newell how to make herself a difficult target. Change hotels every few nights. Study the crowd before she entered a room. Ditch her stylish clothes for bland ones. Get a wig to cover her conspicuous b
Part 4: Debra goes into hiding, disguising herself, while John apologizes and tries to explain the accusations against him. Debra’s family fears she will meet the same fate as her sister Cindi, who was killed by her husband decades ago.
Dirty John: Escape
LOS ANGELES - This couple is all wrong, the lawyer thought. There sat the husband, John Meehan, glowering wrathfully as he plotted legal mayhem on his enemies. There sat the wife, Debra Newell, soft-voiced and love-struck and helplessly in his grip.
Part 5: After isolating her from her family, John goes after Debra legally, claiming she has victimized him. Debra’s lawyer believes her life is in danger, and Debra plots her escape.
Dirty John: Terra
LOS ANGELES - John Meehan bragged frequently about his supposed ties to organized crime, and claimed to trace his bloodline to the prolific East Coast hit man who had run Murder Inc. itself. In a life laden with lies, nothing he said could be believe
Part 6: Debra’s daughters Jacquelyn and Terra suspect that John is spying on them and plotting something sinister.