THE HUMAN MASK: THE LANDLORD WHO PLAYED GOD

Send us Fan Mail Weatherly/Freeland, Pennsylvania. 2016. A house fire at 234 Third Street looks like simple insurance fraud… until federal agents start pulling at one landlord’s life and uncover something far worse. Roberto Torner—a convicted felon turned “King of Weatherly”—ran a Pepto-Bismol-pink boarding house called The Cottage Hotel, collecting vulnerable tenants the way he collected distressed properties. Inside that world, fear was currency. Loyalty was demanded. And one man’s disappearance cracked the whole thing open. That man was Jose “Pepe” Herran—a Cuban immigrant, a father, and a confidential informant for the FBI. Torner called him “brother.” Then Pepe got into a van headed for the woods of Buck Mountain Road… and never came back. What followed was not just murder—it was domination. A cult-like kingdom built on threats, weapons, and control. And when investigators searched Torner’s properties after the fire, they found an arsenal, a trailer with blood hidden under oil-based paint, and a burn pit that would reveal the most haunting evidence of all: human skull fragments. This episode stays close to court testimony and investigative records—and when we infer, we’ll tell you. Content warning: graphic violence, desecration of a body, drugs, coercion, murder. WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE How a 2:00 a.m. fire in Weatherly triggered an ATF investigation that exposed a hidden “kingdom” The Pepto-Bismol-pink boarding house locals couldn’t ignore—and why tenants were too afraid to speak The eerie Buck Mountain Road property near “The Stone Couch” legend The “vampire disease” witness who watched Pepe enter a van and never return Dummy bullets, oil-based paint, bleach, and the chilling signs of premeditation How prosecutors built a first-degree murder case with no body—and still won The convictions and sentences that finally ended Torner’s control True crime, Pennsylvania true crime, NEPA, Weatherly Pennsylvania, Freeland Pennsylvania, Roberto Torner, Jose Pepe Herran, Cottage Hotel Freeland, Buck Mountain Road, ATF investigation, FBI informant, murder without a body, cult-like control, landlord crime, arson investigation Support the show CRIMERY Tip line & inquiries: [email protected] If you found this episode valuable, follow, rate, and review in your podcast app it really helps others find the show. Legal: Everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Content may include descriptions of violence. Listener discretion advised. ©2025 CRIMERY. All rights reserved.