Not Over Yet | EP 15

Episode of Love Trapped · July 9, 2026 · 48 min

Stephanie Young follows Clayton Echard and Greg Gillespie through hearings where Laura Owens's plea deadline was extended again, plus her parents' troubled bankruptcy case.

Summary

Stephanie Young reported on two late-June 2026 hearings in State of Arizona v. Owens, in which Laura Owens faces 14 felony charges including fraud, forgery, perjury and theft by extortion. At a public settlement conference on June 26, Commissioner Jonathan Simon explained Owens's sentencing exposure, prosecutor Ed Leiter said the state's case rested on terabytes of digital forensic evidence, and defense attorney Christian Luters said he needed more time to review it. Victims Clayton Echard and Greg Gillespie objected to further delays.

At the June 29 status conference, Judge Reuter allowed Owens to travel to California over the victims' objections, and a new settlement conference was set for August 28, 2026. Echard relayed that prosecutors told him Owens would have accepted a plea if it carried no jail or prison time, and that they refused to drop incarceration. Echard described feeling powerless and angry at the pace of the justice system, while his attorney Gregg Woodnick argued that the delays were normal and necessary to ensure a fair trial that would hold up on appeal.

Young also covered Laura's extension to appeal the dismissal of her restraining order against Michael Marraccini, and a July 1 bankruptcy hearing for her parents Ron and Jan Owens. Judge Madeleine Wanslee refused a simple dismissal, demanded a full accounting of Ron's GoFundMe, said Jan was in contempt for failing to produce records, and denied an extension of the automatic stay after the U.S. Trustee called the filing bad faith. Foreclosure was expected at the end of July 2026.

Chapters

2:17
Cold open: eye contact in court
Clayton Echard heads to court and describes Laura Owens holding his gaze for the first time.
4:31
The June 26 settlement conference
Young explains the charges and why the plea deadline was extended again, introducing the public settlement conference.
Linked moment · 7:15Skip to 7:15 using a listen link in the info box.
7:15
Sentencing exposure explained
Commissioner Simon lays out probation, prison ranges and the theoretical maximum for Owens's 14 felonies.
9:49
Prosecution on delays and digital evidence
Prosecutor Ed Leiter describes victims' frustration and terabytes of digital forensic evidence, and names a third victim.
13:53
Victims address the court
Echard challenges the defense's need for more time and Luters responds, followed by Gillespie's concern about new attorneys.
24:14
A changed look from Laura
Echard describes in detail the eye contact he felt showed fear and remorse.
25:58
June 29 status conference and travel request
Judge Reuter permits Owens to travel to California over the victims' objections.
30:07
What happened in chambers
Echard relays that Owens's hard line is no incarceration and that prosecutors set a final August 28 deadline.
32:25
Frustration versus due process
Echard voices anger at the system while Woodnick defends the delays as normal and necessary for a fair trial.
41:58
DVRO appeal and parents' bankruptcy
Young updates the Marraccini restraining order appeal and Ron and Jan Owens's voluntary dismissal attempt.
44:04
The July 1 bankruptcy hearing
Judge Wanslee demands a GoFundMe accounting, finds Jan in contempt and denies extending the automatic stay.
56:03
What's next
Young outlines July deadlines, questions about Ron's health, and the August settlement conference.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Ed Leiter
Leiter said the core of the state's case against Owens is voluminous digital forensic evidence from her cloud account and phone extractions.
“the vast majority of our evidence against her is digital forensic evidence derived largely from Her cloud account, cell phone extractions, among others”
Listen from 10:48 · Digital forensic evidence
Jonathan Simon
Commissioner Simon said denying the defense time to review all evidence could open the case to an appeal and retrial.
“I think it would open the case up for potentially an appeal and possibly going back to trial on that”
Listen from 11:50 · Right to counsel and due process
Ed Leiter
Leiter said Stormy Mitchell, whose ultrasound Owens allegedly used, is a third victim who feels exploited.
“there's also Stormy Mitchell, who is the woman whose ultrasound was used by Ms. Owens. That is actually a third victim”
Listen from 12:53 · State of Arizona v. Owens
Clayton Echard
Echard argued the defense's request for more time was an extension of Owens's history of delay tactics.
“I'm all for due process, but to me, this just feels like an extension of her tactic carried out by him to extend it”
Listen from 14:31 · Plea bargaining
Gregg Woodnick
Woodnick said the court will eventually push the case along but should never deprive Owens of the ability to defend herself.
“the court is never going to say that in a way that deprives Laura of the ability to defend herself”
Listen from 23:15 · Right to counsel and due process
Clayton Echard
Echard described Owens's look in court as resembling a scared child, mixing fear and apparent remorse.
“she was looking at me and it was almost like a scared child. So it was fear, but it was also a mix of like, I'm sorry”
Listen from 25:28 · State of Arizona v. Owens
Clayton Echard
Echard said he objected to Owens's travel because she faces no inconvenience despite felony charges.
“There needs to be something inconveniencing her because as of right now, there is nothing inconveniencing her”
Listen from 28:38 · Crime victims' rights
Clayton Echard
Echard relayed that Owens's lawyer said she would already have accepted a plea if it carried no jail or prison time.
“Laura's lawyer said if there was no jail time or prison time that could be attached to the plea, she would have taken the plea already”
Listen from 30:45 · Plea bargaining
Clayton Echard Came true
Echard predicted Owens would wait until the final August 28 deadline to decide on the plea.
“She's going to wait until the last minute because she's just wants to drag this out because she knows that it only harms us”
Listen from 31:46 · Plea bargaining
Clayton Echard
Echard said he feels powerless and views the justice system as broken and glacially slow.
“Maybe we just see it for what it is, a system that's broken that is still moving forward at a glacial pace”
Listen from 33:13 · State of Arizona v. Owens
Gregg Woodnick
Woodnick argued the delays so far are normal and that the court, prosecutors and defense are all doing their jobs.
“The delays that we've dealt with, I think, are very normal delays involving the professionals and the process and assuring that there's due process for Laura”
Listen from 34:09 · Right to counsel and due process
Gregg Woodnick
Woodnick said victims continuing to attend court sends a message that they will persist regardless of trial timing.
“The victim showing up sends a message that we're here, we will be here, we will be here no matter what”
Listen from 36:32 · Crime victims' rights
Madeleine Wanslee
Judge Wanslee said a large GoFundMe sum received within the last year could be an asset recoverable for creditors.
“that seems to be an asset that could be potentially recovered for the benefit of creditors”
Listen from 45:01 · GoFundMe
Jan Owens
Jan Owens claimed the GoFundMe started in 2024 had been virtually exhausted by May 2025.
“it was started in 2024. It was all virtually exhausted by, I would venture to say, by May of 2025”
Listen from 46:21 · GoFundMe
Madeleine Wanslee
Judge Wanslee said debtors cannot take bankruptcy protections without meeting the obligations of transparency.
“It's not appropriate to file bankruptcy and park in bankruptcy and obtain the protections of bankruptcy and yet not fulfill the obligations”
Listen from 50:49 · Ron and Jan Owens bankruptcy case
Jennifer Giammo
Giammo said the U.S. Trustee viewed the filing as bad faith and noted about $191,000 in mortgage arrears.
“the U.S. trustee considered the case to be filed in bad faith. and an abuse of the system”
Listen from 53:18 · Automatic stay
Madeleine Wanslee
Judge Wanslee denied further extension of the automatic stay because the debtors had not perfected their papers.
“this court can no longer continue to extend the automatic stay. The court's going to deny that requested relief”
Listen from 54:56 · Automatic stay

People

In the conversation

Stephanie YoungJournalist and host of the podcast Love Trapped
Clayton EchardFormer star of The Bachelor and respondent in the Arizona paternity case
Gregg WoodnickPhoenix family law attorney who represented Clayton Echard (referred to in the transcript as Greg/Craig Woodnick)
Ed Leiter
Jonathan Simon
Madeleine Wanslee
Jan Owens
Jennifer Giammo

Discussed

Laura OwensArizona woman who claimed she was pregnant with Clayton Echard's twins and was the petitioner in the paternity case
Michael MarracciniSan Francisco-area real estate professional who dated Laura Owens from 2016 to 2017 and became involved in years of litigation with her
Stormy MitchellWoman whose ultrasound prosecutors say Owens used, named as a third victim

Topics

All the Best | EP 12
Love Trapped · May 7, 2026 · 1 h 10 min
In the Love Trapped season finale, Stephanie Young revisits the Laura Owens case with Clayton Echard, Mike Marraccini, an anonymous childhood friend, and online investigators while Owens's plea decision remains pending.
Where is Laura? | EP 11
Love Trapped · Apr 30, 2026 · 1 h 9 min
Stephanie Young follows the dismissal of Laura Owens's restraining order against Mike Marraccini, her seven new felony charges, her bankruptcy, and a pending plea deal.
Pregnant by the Effing Bachelor | EP 10
Love Trapped · Apr 23, 2026 · 1 h 3 min
Stephanie Young chronicles the police raid on Laura Owens's home, her seven-count felony indictment, the state's investigation report, and her renewed restraining order fight with Michael Marraccini.
#433 - Charlie Kirk's Autopsy, Egyptian Planes & Erika Kirk's Darkest Secret | Baron Coleman
Danny Jones Podcast · Sep 21, 2026 · 2 h 54 min
Danny Jones and lawyer-turned-podcaster Baron Coleman dissect doubts about the Charlie Kirk assassination, TPUSA, Erika Kirk, HIV criminal defense, and media narratives.
First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder (Rebroadcast)
20/20 · Jul 25, 2026 · 1 h 23 min
20/20 recounts the 2001 murder of Leslie Prier in Chevy Chase, Maryland, solved 23 years later when genetic genealogy and an airport DNA sting identified her daughter's ex-boyfriend.
Where Are You Jacob?
20/20 · Jul 18, 2026 · 1 h 27 min
Deborah Roberts revisits the 1989 abduction of 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling with his parents, survivor Jared Scheierl, blogger Joy Baker and investigators who ultimately identified Danny Heinrich.

From the publisher

Clayton Echard and Greg Gillespie attend the most recent hearings in Laura’s criminal case. After frustrating news about the plea deal, Clayton is determined to continue the fight for accountability. Plus, Ronn and Jan’s bankruptcy filing takes a surprising turn. For exclusive content, follow us on Instagram @glasspodcasts . If you would like to reach out to the Loved Trapped team or have a similar story to share, email us at lovetrappedpod@gmail.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: True Crime