A fifteen-year-old boy leaves in a car on a cold night in Cheshire, England, heading to a “special place.” By the time his friends realize something is wrong, the first thing they encounter isn’t the truth. It’s noise, rumors, fake accounts, and a trail built to misdirect.

This episode follows the case of Alex Rodda and the digital evidence that helped expose what happened, and the role friendship played in preserving the truth when the story online started to spiral.

Note: Some friends connected to the search were underage at the time. To respect UK reporting restrictions and privacy, this episode identifies certain individuals by role in Alex’s life rather than full names.

Content warning: grooming, coercion, homophobic threats, violence, and death. Listener discretion advised.

Hosted by Frank Battiston. Produced by Daniel Urdanivia. A PowerTale Podcasts production.

Stay Aware · Stay Present · Stay Safe.

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