It is Monday, April 14 2003 when co-workers of Maria Cruz become concerned. 35-year-old Maria was always a dependable, conscious employee who would just not show up for work. A few of her employee friends decide to swing by her apartment to check on her. They arrive at her home where they are greeted by a stack of newspapers on her front door. They knock on the door and no one answers it. Clearly, Maria is not home and has been gone for longer than just a day or two but they are sure she would have told them if she were planning a trip. One of her friends contacts her uncle who lives in nearby Queens and he immediately calls the police to report her missing and file a missing person’s report on Maria. What happened to Maria Cruz?



Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘The Fake Doctor: Dean Faiello.’

Our listener discretion is by the incredible Edward October from @octoberpodVHS.

Our music, as well as our executive producer, is the remarkable Nico @wetalkofdreams.

Sources:
Special thanks to one of my favorite writers, Bryan Burrough who wrote a fantastic piece on Faiello for Vanity Fair which is where I found the case: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/200406/burrough200406
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/25/nyregion/25doctor.html
https://prisonlectionary.net/contributors/dean-faiello/
https://web.archive.org/web/20000303020427/http://www.skinovations.com/hairRemoval.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/nyregion/17mbrfs-001.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/27/nyregion/fake-doctor-is-arrested-in-costa-rica.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/black-hairy-tongue/symptoms-causes/syc-20356077