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A woman said she was lured on a first date with a man who pretended to own a wiener dog. She later saw his mugshot on a murder-mystery Facebook page.

Mar 19, 2022, 01:09 IST
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Woman hiding under the blanketed and using smart phone at late night on bed - stock photoOscar Wong/Getty
  • The podcast "Am I Dating a Serial Killer?" recounts true stories of romance turned abusive and potentially deadly.
  • In episode 2, Dylan says she went on a first date with a man and later saw his mugshot on a Facebook murder-mystery page.
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Dylan was young, newly single, and ready to go on as many dates as possible when she saw Zach, a 27-year-old with Tom-Cruise looks and an adorable dachshund, on a dating app. She knew she had to swipe right.

Years after their first date, which Dylan said she left early out of fear, she saw Zach's mugshot on a murder-mystery Facebook page, which said he was arrested for killing a man outside of his apartment and then shooting rounds from a gun on a highway, injuring at least two. Dylan shared her story on an episode of the Audible and XG Productions podcast "Am I Dating a Serial Killer?"

Every week, a new guest shares a story from their dating life with host Gabi Conti, and an expert discusses potential underlying psychological motives.

Dylan, who omitted her last name and Zach's for privacy reasons, told Conti she believes her young age and low self-esteem factored into her decision to go on the date, which she said ended with Zach following her on the highway and harassing her for two weeks over text message.

"Looking back on this, I definitely see myself as just being naive, so it's not a shock to me that I found myself in kind of an icky situation," Dylan said on the episode.

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Zach pretended to own a dachshund, then said he lied about it a few hours later while on their first date

Dylan said she and Zach met for a first date on the same day they matched after only a few hours of texting. She said in retrospect, that was the first red flag.

She said they bonded over pictures he had with a dachshund, the dog breed she grew up with, and he asked her on a date, saying he'd bring the pooch along.

According to Dylan, she didn't ask Zach to bring his dog. He just offered, she said. She was confused, then, when he showed up without a dog.

"So I asked him, of course. And he was like, 'Everybody always just wants to get me for my dog. I don't understand,'" Dylan said. She added that she found Zach's comment manipulative because moments later, he said that the dog in the photos wasn't his.

Dylan said she saw Zach's mugshot on a Facebook page she followed

On the date, Zach kept looking at her in a "predatory" way, Dylan said. When he kept persisting she leave with him, Dylan lied, and said she had to leave on her own to meet up with friends. That's when Zach said he'd walk her to her car.

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Dylan said she agreed out of fear. She didn't want to anger Zach. Once they got to her car, Zach "planted this massive kiss on me, just stuck his tongue down my throat," said Dylan, adding that it left her speechless and terrified.

After she pulled away, she said Zach followed her in his car for 10 minutes. For the next two weeks, he texted her, often in the middle of the night, ranting and suggesting she used him for his dog.

A few years later, Dylan, a true-crime fan, saw Zach's mugshot on a Facebook murder-mystery fan page called Murderino. The post claimed he'd been arrested for killing a man outside his apartment and shooting a gun on a highway, she said. Dylan also said she saw videos of Zach's arrest on Snapchat, where he appeared to act erratic.

Trust your gut in these situations, says an FBI agent who worked on the Ted Bundy case

On the podcast episode, Jana Monroe, a retired FBI special agent of 22 years who worked on infamous serial killer Ted Bundy's case, weighed in on Dylan's story.

According to Monroe, Dylan took proper action when she trusted her intuition and left the date after feeling uneasy. She said giving her phone number to Zach before meeting him first compromised her safety, and cautioned others from doing the same.

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Monroe said Dylan's characterization of him reminded her of Bundy. If a date is too forceful, or their words and actions don't add up, they could be dangerous, said Monroe.

She said Dylan did the right thing when she left after 30 minutes, and suggested all singles share their location with a trusted friend before a date. You could even make up an excuse to check in via text during the date, Monroe said.

Most importantly, don't worry about coming off as nice and accommodating if your gut is sending you warning signs, said Monroe.

"If you're on a date with someone and you're getting all of those indicators, that's the time to leave and not be polite. You don't have to get up and cause a scene, but there are ways to extricate yourself, and I think you should at that time," Monroe said.

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