The opinions expressed in the following episode do not necessarily reflect those of the minds of madness podcast.

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A Scottish mother and daughter uncovered a horrifying conspiracy within the pharmaceutical industry,

a drug company literally being paid to kill participants in a clinical stem cell trial,

and the government was in on the cover-up. But because of an iron clad confidentiality clause,

participants and their families couldn't tell anyone anything without facing a 20-year prison sentence.

The would-be whistleblowers would keep their secret as long as they could, but in May 2013,

the mother and daughter were discovered bleeding to death in a cheap hotel just miles from their home.

Join me now as we take a look into a cruel and elaborate hoax that devastated an entire family, ending in tragedy.

You'll learn the motivation behind the twisted scam and the lengths a con would go for the final payoff.

It's been estimated that more than one-third of all newly married couples met online using dating websites, apps or other social media,

and researchers predict those numbers will reach as high as 50% over the next decade.

Now, if you haven't met someone online, you at least know of someone who has.

And while we've all heard of cases where the outcome ends in a fairy tale wedding, many also end in complete disaster.

Sometimes, a nightmare that never seems like it'll end.

Meeting strangers online is always a gamble, as was the case for Michael McDonough, a royal Air Force corporal in his early 30s,

stationed in Lossimouth Air Force Base on the northeastern coast of Scotland.

Looking for love, Michael thought he'd try his luck, setting up a profile on an online dating website, plenty of fish,

and it appeared he'd hit the jackpot when he received a message in May 2012.

Stephanie Wilson was a young attractive blonde in early 20s, studying at the University of Edinburgh, or at least, that's what the profile stated.

Right away, Michael was taken by her photo and responded immediately.

Right off the bat, it was a whirlwind romance, with the two texting so often,

...