LPM Featured Podcasts

•

Channel • 7 Shows

News

News

Series
News

News

Series
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated Daily
Books

Books

Updated Monthly
Self-Improvement

Self-Improvement

Updated Weekly
Daily News

Daily News

Updated Daily
Personal Journals

Personal Journals

Updated Weekly

2025-11-11

The Girls, Part 1: 'I need to tell you something'

In 2023, 17-year-old Abbie Jones and her family accuse her high school football coach, Donnie Stoner, of child sex abuse. Another Louisville woman, Alexis Crook, says she was abused by Donnie too, and his twin brother Ronnie, when they were coaches at her private Christian school almost 20 years earlier. Hearing stories like this one can bring up painful feelings and memories, especially if you're a trauma survivor yourself. If you need to talk, you can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE, or visit RAINN.org and click get help now for free, 24/7 support. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Learn more about preventing sexual misconduct and abuse by K-12 school employees (PDF) If you have information about this case, or you think there’s something we should know that we haven’t reported here, please contact Jess Clark at jclark@kycir.org or 502-814-6541. Our work is community funded. To help us keep digging, visit kydig.org and click donate.

2025-11-11

•

36 min
2025-11-11

The Girls, Part 2: ‘This isn’t ringing alarms to y’all?’

Over the years, two girls and one young woman report Ronnie Stoner for sexual misconduct and rape in a public middle school and high school. But Child Protective Services declines to investigate, and the school district, Jefferson County Public Schools, continues to promote him. Hearing stories like this one can bring up painful feelings and memories, especially if you're a trauma survivor yourself. If you need to talk, you can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE, or visit RAINN.org and click get help now for free, 24/7 support. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Learn more about preventing sexual misconduct and abuse by K-12 school employees (PDF) If you have information about this case, or you think there’s something we should know that we haven’t reported here, please contact Jess Clark at jclark@kycir.org or 502-814-6541. Our work is community funded. To help us keep digging, visit kydig.org and click donate.

2025-11-11

•

43 min
2025-11-11

The Girls, Part 3: ‘If it was your daughter’

17-year-old Aryalle Stoner runs away from home and tells the police that her father, Ronnie Stoner, has been sexually abusing her for years. The cursory investigation that follows is representative of a larger issue with child sex abuse investigations in Louisville. Hearing stories like this one can bring up painful feelings and memories, especially if you're a trauma survivor yourself. If you need to talk, you can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE, or visit RAINN.org and click get help now for free, 24/7 support. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Learn more about preventing sexual misconduct and abuse by K-12 school employees (PDF) If you have information about this case, or you think there’s something we should know that we haven’t reported here, please contact Jess Clark at jclark@kycir.org or 502-814-6541. Our work is community funded. To help us keep digging, visit kydig.org and click donate.

2025-11-11

•

47 min
2025-11-11

The Girls, Part 4: ‘This is my story to tell’

Alleged victims of the Stoners find each other online and band together to demand justice. But they find themselves running up against police and prosecutors who want them to stay quiet. Hearing stories like this one can bring up painful feelings and memories, especially if you're a trauma survivor yourself. If you need to talk, you can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE, or visit RAINN.org and click get help now for free, 24/7 support. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988.Learn more about preventing sexual misconduct and abuse by K-12 school employees (PDF)If you have information about this case, or you think there’s something we should know that we haven’t reported here, please contact Jess Clark at jclark@kycir.org or 502-814-6541.Our work is community funded. To help us keep digging, visit kydig.org and click donate.

2025-11-11

•

56 min
2019-12-05

Prosecution Declined

Episode 1: Jen Sainato reported a rape to Louisville police in January 2018. She didn’t feel like they believed her. Jen’s case puts a spotlight on police response to rapes, the prosecutors’ unusual role in rape cases here in Louisville, and how it feels to the people who report. (Note: There are descriptions of a rape, and audio from a police body camera on the scene of a rape investigation, throughout this episode.) Donate to support this and future seasons of Dig.

2019-12-05

•

25 min
2019-12-05

Prosecution Declined, Part 3: Harder to Prove

Episode 3: Louisville officials say rape cases are hard to prosecute. They are not wrong. But we talked with police, prosecutors and experts from around the country who told us it’s not impossible — you just have to be willing to lose a few trials. (Note: This episode includes a series of brief descriptions of sexual violence from courtroom recordings throughout the 14th and 15th minutes, and again in the 17th and 18th minutes.) Donate to support this and future seasons of Dig.

2019-12-05

•

21 min
2019-12-05

Prosecution Declined, Part 2: The Wizard of Oz

Episode 2: Jen Sainato reported a rape to Louisville police in January 2018. In this episode, we hear about her attempts over the next two years to follow up on her case. And we ask LMPD why cases like Jen’s seem to be taken to the prosecutor’s office so early - sometimes before suspects have even been interviewed. (Note: This episode includes brief descriptions of multiple rape reports.) Donate to support this and future seasons of Dig.

2019-12-05

•

22 min
2020-03-06

Prosecution Declined, Update: The Hearing

Jen Sainato had been waiting for this day for a long time. She’d woken up early, put on her black striped suit, and drove five hours to attend the Louisville Metro Council’s public safety committee meeting. The council had called the police to answer questions about their handling of rape cases, in the wake of our story about Jen’s case. When Jen walked into the council chamber, the police were already settled in at the front of the room: two press people, a few men in suits, and Lt. Shannon Lauder — the head of the special victims unit, who’d been called by the council to explain why her department clears so few rape cases by arrest, and so many “by exception.” The eight metro council members in attendance were seated as well, looking out at the room from their elevated seats. And in the audience sat the survivors — women who had reported a rape to the Louisville Metro Police Department. Women who were inspired by Jen’s story to come out and seek their own answers. For most of them, this hearing was as close as they would get to their day in court. Visit kydig.org and donate to support this and future seasons of Dig.

2020-03-06

•

27 min
2019-12-05

Prosecution Declined, Part 4: Cleared By Exception

Episode 4: In the final episode of this investigation, we learn more about Jen Sainato’s rape case - why it was closed, and how much evidence the police really had against the man she says raped her. (Note: This episode includes description of a rape and injuries sustained from a rape.) Donate to support this and future seasons of Dig.

2019-12-05

•

19 min
2021-10-18

The Model City, Part 1: The Eye of the Storm

Barbecue chef David McAtee, the man they called Yaya, was a staple at 26th and Broadway in Louisville’s predominately Black West End. He was a friend to everyone who stopped by for a meal — including many police officers. For years, Louisville had claimed to be building bridges between police and Black communities. Yaya was one of those bridges. Here’s what happened to him, and how.

2021-10-18

•

26 min

Driveway moments aren't just for driveways anymore! Louisville Public Media podcasts go wherever you go, to keep you informed, inspired and entertained. Here are some of our best and boldest offerings.

Website

LPM Featured Podcasts

Top Shows

Top Episodes

About