Dr. Lois Lee speaks with Morgan Hardman about the life and legacy of her mother, Deborah Hardman—an unsung hero who played a critical role in helping investigators during the Hillside Strangler murders.

Working courageously on the streets, Deborah helped protect young women involved in prostitution and became a trusted source for KNBC News during one of Los Angeles’ most terrifying crime sprees.

In this conversation, Dr. Lee also reflects on her own involvement in the case, including uncovering early clues about how the Hillside Strangler targeted victims and identifying a location connected to the murder of Kimberly Martin, one of the many victims. She recounts a chilling moment when she reported a missing young woman during the murders—only to be dismissed by LAPD with the words, “She’s just a prostitute.”

This episode honors the bravery, persistence, and humanity of women who fought to save lives when others refused to see their worth.

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Listen Now:

🎧 New episodes weekly on Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Podbean, and wherever you listen.

Follow & Support

🌐 Website: childrenofthenight.org

📲 Facebook & Instagram: @childrenofthenight

🕊️ X/Twitter: @LoisLee_COTN

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this podcast to help us reach more listeners and protect vulnerable children.

Doc came to Children of the Night at 16 years old. A gay teen and survivor of sexual abuse in the 1990s, he had already endured violence, rejection, and instability while trying to survive on the streets of Los Angeles.

Before finding Children of the Night, Doc lived in state-funded shelters where he faced anti-gay violence from other youth. He describes how any misstep—substance use, conflict, or rule-breaking—meant being immediately expelled, with no path back. With nowhere safe to go, he prostituted to survive.

Doc shares a moment that stayed with him for decades: arriving at Children of the Night in the only clothes he owned—soiled after fleeing violence and a hotel plumbing failure. Expecting judgment or dismissal, he instead received new clothing, toiletries, a private room, and a warm shower. Later that night, he found his original clothes freshly laundered and folded on his bed.

That moment represented something he had rarely experienced before: dignity.

In this episode, Doc reflects on how Children of the Night’s privately funded model allowed staff to offer second, third, and fourth chances—meeting youth where they were and showing them they mattered. Now nearing 50, Doc shares that he knows if he reached out today, Children of the Night would still show up for him.

Because once a child enters their care, they are always Dr. Lois Lee’s children.

Episode Highlights

• Coming to Children of the Night at 16
• Surviving anti-gay violence in state shelters
• Why state-funded shelters often allow only one chance
• The power of dignity in moments of crisis
• How private donations made long-term care possible
• Knowing support doesn’t expire—even decades later

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🎧 New episodes weekly on Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Podbean, and wherever you listen.

Follow & Support

🌐 Website: childrenofthenight.org

📲 Facebook & Instagram: @childrenofthenight

🕊️ X/Twitter: @LoisLee_COTN

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this podcast to help us reach more listeners and protect vulnerable children.

In this episode, Dayjah reflects candidly on how early childhood abuse shaped her adult relationships—and how long it took to recognize the pattern.

When Dr. Lois Lee tells Dayjah, “your picker is broken,” the moment opens a deeper conversation about why people who experience early harm are often drawn to unhealthy relationships again and again. Dayjah shares that both of her children’s fathers were dishonest or worse, and how she now wishes she had listened more closely to the guidance of her parents.

Today, Dayjah is taking a break from dating. As she explains, many of the men she has encountered have been dishonest, unfaithful, or abusive—and she recognizes that healing must come before choosing differently.

Dr. Lois Lee emphasizes that early abuse impacts adult decision-making in profound ways, and that changing these patterns requires time, self-reflection, and long-term healing. This episode offers an honest, relatable discussion about trauma, boundaries, and the work it takes to build healthier futures.

Episode Highlights

“Your picker is broken” — and what that really means

How early abuse influences adult relationship choices

Reflecting on parental guidance and missed warnings

Choosing to pause dating to focus on healing

Why breaking patterns takes years, not quick fixes

How self-awareness is the first step toward change

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Listen Now:

🎧 New episodes weekly on Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Podbean, and wherever you listen.

Follow & Support

🌐 Website: childrenofthenight.org

📲 Facebook & Instagram: @childrenofthenight

🕊️ X/Twitter: @LoisLee_COTN

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Dayjah’s journey is a powerful example of what long-term commitment makes possible.

After earning her GED through Children of the Night, Dayjah went on to college to complete an AI ethics certificate. Today, she works full-time for the county and is a devoted mother of two—focused on building a stable, opportunity-filled future for her children and breaking generational cycles.

In this episode, Dayjah reflects on the impact of education, consistency, and being believed in. She also shares her reaction to learning that Children of the Night’s scholarship fund supports not only graduates, but their children and even their children’s children.

Dr. Lois Lee explains why this multi-generational commitment is intentional. At Children of the Night, support does not end at adulthood or graduation. Once a child enters the program, they are family—supported for life, and across generations.

Dayjah’s story is a testament to what happens when care doesn’t have an expiration date.

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Episode Highlights

• Earning a GED through Children of the Night

• Continuing education and receiving an AI ethics certificate

• Working full-time while raising two children

• Learning about COTN’s multi-generational scholarship fund

• Why long-term, lifelong support changes outcomes

• Breaking cycles through education and stability

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Listen Now:

🎧 New episodes weekly on Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Podbean, and wherever you listen.

Follow & Support

🌐 Website: childrenofthenight.org

📲 Facebook & Instagram: @childrenofthenight

🕊️ X/Twitter: @LoisLee_COTN

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this podcast to help us reach more listeners and protect vulnerable children.

Caitlin entered foster care at age 13 and quickly learned how dehumanizing the system can be for vulnerable youth. Instead of protection, she encountered punishment—interactions with first responders, medical professionals, and law enforcement that treated her as a problem to be managed rather than a child in crisis.

Her experience is not unique.

In this episode, Caitlin shares how early system involvement shaped her life, and how being criminalized instead of supported deepened her vulnerability. Today, Caitlin is an advocate and a member of Children of the Night’s alumni committee, working from within the system to help humanize exploited youth and change how they are treated.

Dr. Lois Lee reflects on why so many systems fail children like Caitlin—and why compassion, trauma-informed response, and long-term support are essential to real recovery. Caitlin’s story is a powerful reminder that how we treat children in their most vulnerable moments can determine the rest of their lives.

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Episode Highlights

• Entering foster care at 13 • How punishment replaced protection • Interactions with first responders, doctors, and law enforcement • The long-term impact of criminalization on vulnerable youth • Caitlin’s journey into advocacy and leadership • Why survivor voices matter in reforming systems

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Listen Now:

🎧 New episodes weekly on Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Podbean, and wherever you listen.

Follow & Support

🌐 Website: childrenofthenight.org

📲 Facebook & Instagram: @childrenofthenight

🕊️ X/Twitter: @LoisLee_COTN

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this podcast to help us reach more listeners and protect vulnerable children.

Sireena’s story illustrates a reality Children of the Night has seen for decades: many youth return to the streets after rescue because there is rarely long-term support, and returning home or into foster care often does not create the safety or stability needed for recovery.

Her desperate mother searched everywhere for help before finding Children of the Night. With no witness protection system available for trafficking victims or their families, Sireena’s traffickers threatened her mother directly. Dr. Lois Lee paid to have her mother safely relocated, ensuring she would not be harmed for supporting her daughter.

Once safe, Sireena entered Children of the Night’s long-term care model—receiving stability, education, structure, emotional support, and scholarships that continue to benefit both her and her children today.

This episode underscores a critical truth: Rescue removes a child from danger, but long-term individualized care is what prevents them from returning. Education is what transforms their future—and the future of their children.

Episode Highlights

• Why many rescued youth return to the streets • Why home and foster care placements often break down • The absence of a witness protection system for trafficking victims • How Children of the Night relocated Sireena’s mother for safety • The role of long-term individualized care in preventing re-exploitation • How education and scholarships changed the trajectory of Sireena’s family

Follow & Support:

🌐 Website: childrenofthenight.org

📲 Facebook & Instagram: @childrenofthenightinc

🕊️ X/Twitter: @COTNight

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this podcast to help us reach more listeners and protect vulnerable children.