EPISODE · Dec 12, 2025 · 1H 26M
What “The Preventionist” Left Out with Dr. Randy Alexander
from Nobody Should Believe Me · host True Story Media
In this episode, we close out our coverage of Serial’s The Preventionist with Dr. Randy Alexander, one of the most experienced child abuse pediatricians in the country and the former supervisor of both Dr. Deborah Jensen and Dr. Sally Smith. Randy explains how the media’s portrayal of CAPs as all-powerful fundamentally misunderstands how these cases work and ignores the layers of oversight built into the system. We also revisit the Amanda Saranofksy case, which The Preventionist casts as uncertain despite multiple conflicting stories and medical findings that simply don’t match the explanations given. These selective narratives don’t bring accountability. They undermine child safety by elevating fringe theories over decades of established research. This is our final episode on The Preventionist, but we’ll continue examining its consequences as we move into Season Seven. * * * Try out Andrea’s Podcaster Coaching App: https://studio.com/apps/andrea/podcaster Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy. Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show! Subscribe on YouTube where we have full episodes and lots of bonus content. Follow Andrea on Instagram: @andreadunlop Buy Andrea's books here. For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What this episode covers
In this episode, we close out our coverage of Serial’s The Preventionist with Dr. Randy Alexander, one of the most experienced child abuse pediatricians in the country and the former supervisor of both Dr. Deborah Jensen and Dr. Sally Smith. Randy explains how the media’s portrayal of CAPs as all-powerful fundamentally misunderstands how these cases work and ignores the layers of oversight built into the system. We also revisit the Amanda Saranofksy case, which The Preventionist casts as uncertain despite multiple conflicting stories and medical findings that simply don’t match the explanations given. These selective narratives don’t bring accountability. They undermine child safety by elevating fringe theories over decades of established research. This is our final episode on The Preventionist, but we’ll continue examining its consequences as we move into Season Seven. * * * Try out Andrea’s Podcaster Coaching App: https://studio.com/apps/andrea/podcaster Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy. Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show! Subscribe on YouTube where we have full episodes and lots of bonus content. Follow Andrea on Instagram: @andreadunlop Buy Andrea's books here. For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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What “The Preventionist” Left Out with Dr. Randy Alexander
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