Crime Adjacent Live Episode 583: The Ridge Hollow files

Crime Adjacent Live Episode 583: The Ridge Hollow files

From Crime Adjacent by Chase Patrick

June 17, 2026 · 37 min · Episode 583

About this episode

This episode recounts a reporter's investigation into a decades-long sex trafficking operation in a small Colorado town.

It was late at night on July 5, 2019, when the phone suddenly rang in the empty Ridge Hollow Recorder newspaper in Ridge Hollow, Colorado. Reporter Penny C. Johnson casually answered the phone, thinking it was a caller perhaps angered over a typo -- that happened with surprising frequency. This late night phone call was anything but ordinary. It was a watershed moment.  It was the moment Johnson first heard of a sex trafficking operation that had operated in this tiny southern Colorado town for quite literally decades, involving the most powerful townspeople. This episode of Crime Adjacent recounts the week-long newspaper series Johnson was able to piece together following this phone call -- a series that revealed cover-ups, conspiracies, and at least one a murder. And what's worse, this case is still ongoing.  As of 2026, there are allegation that the powerful men in this forgotten town are doing everything they can to keep the one person who knows all of their secrets from testifying. I guarantee you, this case will shock and enrage you. This is Crime Adjacent episode 583: The Ridge Hollow files, told live in Los Angeles during our tour. OK, profilers. Can you solve…

People in this episode

Host: Chase Patrick

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Crime Adjacent

Places: Ridge Hollow, Colorado, Los Angeles

More episodes of Crime Adjacent

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Crime Adjacent podcast page.