The Third Man | EP 8
Episode of Love Trapped · April 9, 2026 · 1 h 3 min
Stephanie Young tells Michael Marraccini's account of his 2016–17 relationship with Laura Owens, including alleged false pregnancy, cancer and abuse claims.
Summary
Host Stephanie Young opened by describing the June 2024 Maricopa County trial between Clayton Echard and Laura Owens, noting that two other men who had been subject to orders of protection filed by Owens — Greg Gillespie and Michael Marraccini — attended in support of Echard. The episode then turned to Marraccini, who said he met Owens on a dating app in San Francisco in 2016 and dated her for roughly a year and a half.
Marraccini recounted that Owens introduced him to her parents, San Francisco radio personality Ron Owens and Jan Black, on their third date, and that after he began to pull away she sent him a photo of a positive pregnancy test. He described months of shifting medical claims: repeated failed abortion attempts, a possible miscarriage, a possible twin pregnancy, and eventually a claim of stage 1A ovarian cancer supported by messages Owens attributed to a Dr. Chan at Sutter Health. Young reported that a digital forensic expert later authenticated the doctor's message as genuine, while Owens denied under oath at the 2024 trial that she had ever been diagnosed with cancer. Marraccini said Jan Black was present and corroborated the account of an ovary-removal surgery he found physically implausible.
Marraccini also described being offered a purported quarter-million-dollar radio co-hosting contract by Ron Owens, recording segments posted to the KGO website, and taking station-funded trips to Iceland and Dubai. Young, drawing on her own radio background, said such a salary for a newcomer was implausible. A witness declaration from Marraccini's brother-in-law, read aloud, stated that Ron Owens acknowledged his daughter exaggerated or made things up and asked Marraccini to delay the breakup for her safety.
The final section described how, after the relationship ended, Owens contacted Marraccini's new girlfriend with allegations that he had strangled, beaten and raped her, and filed a restraining order after he made a police report. Young recounted Owens's 2022 TEDx talk, "The Lifesaving Power of Kindness from Strangers," in which she described being abused on the December 2016 flight to Reykjavik and receiving a napkin note from a stranger, Karen Ilmberger. Attorney Gregg Woodnick said the video is how his team located Marraccini. Marraccini denied ever abusing Owens; Young presented contrary sworn statements from Jan Black and noted Ilmberger had not responded to repeated requests for comment.
Chapters
- 2:32
Three men in one courtroom
Stephanie Young describes the June 2024 Echard trial and introduces Michael Marraccini as the third man who came to testify.
- 5:26
Meeting Laura Owens in San Francisco
Marraccini recounts matching with Owens on a dating app in 2016 and the thoughtful early months of their relationship.
- 9:07
Meeting the Owens family and early red flags
Marraccini describes dinner with radio personality Ron Owens and Jan Black on the third date and Owens's rapid attachment.
- 11:05
The pregnancy test and the mistaken screenshot
After Marraccini begins pulling away, Owens sends a positive pregnancy test, and he accidentally texts her a screenshot asking how he can break up with her.
- 15:30
Months of abortion attempts and contradictory updates
Marraccini describes a barrage of texts about failed abortions, possible miscarriage and twins over the summer of 2016.
- 22:12
The ovarian cancer claim
Owens tells Marraccini she has stage 1A ovarian cancer and forwards messages attributed to her doctor; Young notes the message was authenticated while Owens later denied the diagnosis under oath.
- 27:43
The surgery scene with Jan Black
Marraccini visits Owens after an alleged ovary removal and finds no incisions, with her mother explaining the procedure left no marks.
- 34:40
The radio deal and Ron Owens
Ron Owens dangles a quarter-million-dollar radio co-hosting contract; Young explains why the figure was implausible.
- 41:06
The breakup meeting and Ron's plea
Marraccini brings a witness to a confrontation where Ron Owens concedes his daughter makes things up but asks him to stay with her.
- 45:37
Iceland and Dubai
Marraccini describes the distressing red-eye flight to Reykjavik, his attempts to leave, and a later station-funded trip to Dubai.
- 53:10
Allegations reach the new girlfriend
Owens encounters Marraccini with a new girlfriend, contacts her online with abuse and rape allegations, and files a restraining order after he calls police.
- 1:04:22
The TEDx talk and Napkin Lady
Gregg Woodnick describes discovering Owens's 2022 TEDx talk about the Iceland flight, which led his team to Marraccini; Young presents Jan Black's contrary sworn declarations.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Clayton Echard
Echard says simply having Gillespie and Marraccini present in the courtroom corroborated his account for the judge.
“All you need to do is just acknowledge that they exist. Because then the judge sees it and goes, these guys showed up. There's three of them”
Listen from 4:04 · Laura Owens v. Clayton Echard paternity trial
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini characterizes Owens's conduct as a long-running pattern rather than isolated incidents.
“I know what this woman's capable of, and though she might be small in stature, she's got a pattern of behavior that is just diabolical”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says Owens told him on their third date that her father was terminally ill and wanted to meet him.
“On the third date, she said that her father was terminally ill and she wanted him to meet me just in case something was to ever happen to him”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says he received a photo of a positive pregnancy test while away for his 29th birthday and found it implausible given they had used protection.
“I get the text and it's just a positive pregnancy test. The immediate thoughts are, oh my gosh, how is this possible? Because we had really only had like protected sex”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini believes his accidentally sent screenshot about breaking up prompted Owens to try to bind him to her.
“Me sending the screenshot was the instance that triggered her to try and lock me in”
Linked moment · 22:03Skip to 22:03 using a listen link in the info box.
Michael MarracciniMarraccini says Owens told him over the course of their relationship that she had two pregnancies and six abortion attempts.
“I remember in total, she had told me she had two pregnancies and six abortion attempts were made”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says a message purportedly from Owens's doctor told him he was wrong and needed to be a more supportive boyfriend.
“Then she had this doctor essentially respond to me and say, no, you're wrong. Laura's right. She definitely has cancer. You need to be a better boyfriend”
- Stephanie Young
Young reports that the doctor's message Owens forwarded was authenticated by a digital forensic expert, indicating Marraccini did not fabricate it.
“The message Laura forwarded Mike, allegedly from a Dr. Chan at Sutter Health, was later authenticated by a digital forensic expert, meaning Mike didn't fabricate the doctor's message”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says he saw no surgical evidence when visiting Owens after her claimed ovary removal and could not believe her mother would corroborate a lie.
“I was like, whoa, there's no way she's lying about this. No way her mom is gaslighting me right now about her daughter having cancer”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says Owens's parents repeatedly pressured him to stay in the relationship.
“Her mom and dad would always pressure me to try and stand by Laura. Like, our daughter is such a good person. Why can't you just make this work?”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says he was told the radio co-hosting contract with Owens was worth about a quarter of a million dollars a year for only a few hours of work a day.
“The contract we're talking about with Laura is like a quarter of a million dollars a year. You don't have to work that much. Maybe like a couple hours a day”
- Stephanie Young
Young, citing 18 years in radio, says a quarter-million-dollar salary for someone new to the industry was unheard of in 2016.
“no one new to the industry is paid a quarter million to get on the mic. The highest starting salaries for full-time work in 2016 would be about 60K”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says he never raised his voice on the Iceland flight and repeatedly asked Owens for space before retreating to the bathroom.
“I never yelled. I never raised my voice once. Never did anything. I was just annoyed. I just said, please just leave me alone”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says Ron Owens urged him to accompany Laura to Dubai on the grounds that women are not treated well in the Middle East.
“He was like, but she's going to a country in the Middle East. She definitely needs somebody because they don't treat women very well there”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says Owens sent his new girlfriend messages accusing him of strangulation, beating and rape.
“And it says all these really vile things about me that I took her within inches of her life. I would strangle her. I would beat her. that I raped her”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini flatly denies ever abusing Owens.
“I never abused Laura Owens. I can say that with 100% certainty”
- Michael Marraccini
Marraccini says Owens filed a restraining order against him after he made a police report, beginning seven years of lawsuits.
“She filed a restraining order against me and said that I had been harassing and stalking her and taking her within inches of her life. And that's when the next seven years of lawsuits begins”
- Stephanie Young
Young notes that Jan Black's sworn declarations detail alleged abuse but never mention her daughter having cancer.
“In all of her declarations, Jan never mentions her daughter having cancer”
People
In the conversation
- Stephanie YoungJournalist and host of the podcast Love Trapped
- Michael MarracciniSan Francisco-area real estate professional who dated Laura Owens from 2016 to 2017 and became involved in years of litigation with her
- Gregg WoodnickPhoenix family law attorney who represented Clayton Echard (referred to in the transcript as Greg/Craig Woodnick)
Discussed
- Laura OwensArizona woman who claimed she was pregnant with Clayton Echard's twins and was the petitioner in the paternity case
- Ron OwensLongtime San Francisco radio talk show host and Laura Owens's father
- Jan BlackSan Francisco radio personality and Laura Owens's mother, who signed sworn declarations supporting her daughter's abuse allegations
- Clayton EchardFormer star of The Bachelor and respondent in the Arizona paternity case
- Greg GillespieMan who had a prior legal dispute with Laura Owens and had a protective order matter with her
- Karen IlmbergerAirline passenger said to have passed Laura Owens a note on a napkin during the 2016 flight to Iceland
- Dave NealContent creator and unofficial leader of the Justice for Clayton online community
Topics
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From the publisher
Laura Owens didn’t start with Clayton Echard or Greg Gillespie. In 2016, Michael Marraccini met Laura on a dating app, and he’s never been the same. He dated Laura for a year and a half. The relationship left him with lifelong psychological scars, and a legal battle that’s impacted his everyday life. In this episode, we’re telling Mike’s story, which answers some of the biggest questions, like — what’s Laura’s endgame? Why does she do this? And maybe most interesting of all... what does her family know? If you would like to reach out to the Love Trapped team, email us at lovetrappedpod@gmail.com and follow along on Instagram @glasspodcasts . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.