Summary
Overview
This episode chronicles the harrowing story of Priscilla, whose international romance with Alan Gessen turned into a nightmare of custody battles, alleged orchestrated attacks, and ultimately a murder-for-hire plot. After meeting in Zimbabwe in 2011, their relationship spiraled into a toxic cycle culminating in Alan kidnapping their son O from Russia in 2019. What followed was a years-long battle across three countries involving violence, imprisonment, and legal warfare, ending with Alan's arrest for attempting to hire someone to kill Priscilla.
The FBI's Early Morning Knock
In July 2022, the FBI arrived at Priscilla's door to inform her that her ex, Alan Gessen, had been arrested for murder-for-hire—specifically, for hiring someone to kill her. Priscilla, who initially feared she was being deported, could barely process the information. The news marked the culmination of years of escalating conflict that began with what seemed like a promising international romance.
- FBI knocked on Priscilla's door on July 28, 2022, informing her of Alan's arrest
- Priscilla initially thought she was being deported and was physically shaking
- FBI revealed Alan was arrested for hiring someone to murder Priscilla
- Priscilla lived in a safe house with an address that couldn't be easily found through public records
" I thought they were there for me. So I started, like, literally physically shaking. I started thinking in my head, it was just like, you're being deported, you're going to be deported. "
" You know when you run water through a sieve that's how I felt like I was receiving the information it came in and went out I didn't understand it. "
The Whirlwind Romance and Red Flags
Priscilla met Alan in 2011 at a party in Harare, Zimbabwe. He was charismatic, worldly, and working for a Ukrainian oligarch. Their relationship was exciting and fast-paced, filled with spontaneous trips and a lifestyle Priscilla found appealing. However, early warning signs emerged, including an uncomfortably intimate relationship between Alan and his mother Lena, and Alan's tendency to tell stories that seemed embellished or borrowed from others' experiences.
- Alan was very charismatic when Priscilla first met him in 2011 in Harare
- Their relationship was exciting with spontaneous trips and a fast-paced lifestyle
- Priscilla witnessed Alan lying on his mother's bed while she stroked his head after a fight, which she found very peculiar
- Alan told a story about escaping 9/11 that was actually another cousin's true story
" I think like most people that meet him the first time you meet him he's very charismatic. "
" You know when you hang out with a person for a while, at the beginning the story sounds original. And then after a while, it's like, oh my God, he's telling that story again. And this time it's got a little bit more added in it. "
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