At Jason Young’s 2nd trial for the murder of his wife Michelle, everyone’s cards were on the table. He’d been held responsible for Michelle’s death at a civil trial and the jury was hung at his 1st criminal trial. The information was all out there now. Would the prosecution do a better job with it this time?

Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating true crime story, where physical, spiritual, and emotional safety takeaways are waiting for us. If you are listening, I believe you have a unique calling—to become a different kind of PI, not a typical private investigator, but a person of impact! Discover how you can easily step into this role and make a profound difference in someone's life.

This is Season 4, Episode 26. This week we are wrapping up our three part series on Murder on Birchleaf Drive: The True Story of the Michelle Young Murder Case. The host of Murder Shelf Book Club Podcast, my friend Jill McCracken, is joining us again with more fascinating takes on this case. So let’s dive into our story at the intersection of faith and true crime!

In last week’s episode, we talked about the first attempt by prosecutors to get justice for Michelle Young and her loved ones. It didn’t exactly go as planned, because they didn’t really plan so well. The are the authorities we look to to keep us safe and get justice for victims. How do we handle it when it seems like they are falling down on the job?

Let's take a look at Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

I dogged prosecutors pretty hard last week for not being prepared, but this time justice was finally served. It’s certainly not always easy to get. That’s why I wanted to talk about this passage today. God wants us to give respect to those in authority. They are human just like we are and they do make mistakes. And some do make terrible decisions which is why it’s so important for us to support candidates for office who have proven that they have good character and a strong work ethic. And when we have information that authorities need to do their jobs, we need to be honest and forthcoming.

I hope we can all find a way to give some assistance or honor to a public servant this week and bless them if it’s in our power to do so. If they don’t do their jobs and if we don’t help them, many victims and their families will not find justice.

I know you’ve heard me say this before but it’s such an important point: I share these stories because they contain important takeaways for us ll. Even if you think that something will never happen to you, or that a serious safety issue couldn’t possibly exist at your church or your workplace, you need to be ready if it does. I hope that listening to the podcast, reading my books, and looking into my soon to be available church safety training resources make you as prepared as you can be.

If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests and you won’t want to miss their insights. You can also help someone else begin their journey as a different kind of PI - a person of impact, when you share the episode, and when you subscribe, give me a five star rating and a nice review.

In case you missed them, you can listen to part 1 here, and part 2 here.

Visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities.

If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.

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