EP13 | Catfish

On the morning of November 25, 2022, while the city of Riverside, California, buzzed with families gathering downtown for the annual Festival of Lights, a far darker scene was unfolding just miles away. A house fire had broken out in a quiet neighborhood—and when first responders entered the home, they uncovered a horrific crime. Three members of the Winek family—Mark, Sharie, and their daughter Brooke—had been brutally murdered. The suspect: a former Virginia state trooper who had developed an inappropriate relationship with Brooke’s teenage daughter online, then driven across the country to abduct her—leaving devastation and death in his wake.

The Wineks were a close, loving family—deeply rooted in their community and cherished by all who knew them. Their lives were a testament to the values of community, kindness, and love—a stark contrast to the lurking dangers that they were unwittingly exposed to from the insidious depths of social media.

In this harrowing episode of Sword and Scale, we unravel the twisted story of how a disgraced law enforcement officer exploited a child and destroyed an entire family and crumbled a community. Through interviews with Riverside police and fire personnel who were first on the scene, we piece together the timeline of events and the chilling moments they encountered. With insight into online grooming and digital evidence, we explore the calculated deception that led to this tragedy—and the lingering impact on a community still searching for answers.

Crew

Host: Mike Boudet (@SwordandScale/@MBoudet)

Creator: Ash Patiño (@AshesToAshTV)

Director: Mark Serao (@Peacemaker_Picture_Society)

Director of Photography: David Patiño (@DavidPatino)

Producer: Dana Serao (@Peacemaker_Picture_Society)

Camera/Audio: Nicholas Goncalves (@NicholasAntonioGoncalves)

Additional Crew Listed on Episode