Smoldering Embers
Joy Wellman, Lisa McVey and Susan Repogle
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1984 · Tampa, Florida
Lisa McVey
Abduction & survival
Lisa McVey survived an abduction and assault by Bobby Joe Long in Florida in 1984. After her release, her detailed observations helped investigators identify him. Her account and the Lifetime film Believe Me emphasize both her survival and the importance of being believed.
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The Story
When1984
WhereTampa, Florida
In this collection34 resources
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Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey
Lifetime
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
True Crime Conversations — Lisa McVey, in her own words
Apple Podcasts
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Blogs & Essays
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Katherine Ramsland · Psychology Today
Reflections on Rape
An essay reflects on Smoldering Embers, the book coauthored by Lisa McVey and fellow survivors.
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
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Books
1 itemsJoy Wellman, Lisa McVey and Susan Repogle
Smoldering Embers
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
BookCatalog / Availability
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
Lifetime
Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
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TV & documentaries
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Audiobooks
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Smoldering Embers
Search Audiobook Editions · paid linkJoy Wellman, Lisa McVey and Susan Repogle
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Lifetime
Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
14 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
True Crime Conversations — Lisa McVey, in her own words
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
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Murder With My Husband
116. Lisa McVey and the Tampa Bay Victims
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released June 13, 2022. About 54 minutes.
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Women and Crime
Lisa McVey
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released August 8, 2023. About 45 minutes.
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True Crime Conversations
Lisa McVey: Inside The Minds Behind The Viral Film 'Believe Me'
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released July 23, 2025. About 39 minutes.
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I Wish You Were Here
Abducted: The Full Story of Lisa McVey
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released September 16, 2025. About 41 minutes.
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United States of Murder
Florida: Lisa McVey and Lisa Spence
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released May 17, 2021. About 55 minutes.
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Inhuman: A True Crime Podcast
Episode 73: Lisa McVey and Florida's Most Horrific Serial Killer
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released February 10, 2022. About 49 minutes.
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Not Today
Episode 22: Lisa McVey
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released February 16, 2021. About 55 minutes.
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Wicked and Grim: A True Crime Podcast
Survival Story of Lisa McVey - Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released August 15, 2023. About 49 minutes.
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Wicked and Grim: A True Crime Podcast
Survival Story of Lisa McVey - Part 2
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released August 22, 2023. About 39 minutes.
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Burden of Proof
Case Number 80: Lisa McVey, Serial Killer Survivor Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released March 14, 2024. About 33 minutes.
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Wife of Crime
Not Me, Not Today! The survival of Lisa McVey and take down of Bobby Joe Long
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released December 8, 2021. About 60 minutes.
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MORD AUF EX
Lisa McVey: Wie man einen Serienmörder überlebt (inkl. Interview)
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released January 10, 2022. About 82 minutes.
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Burden of Proof
Case Number 80: Lisa McVey, Serial Killer Survivor, Part 2
Podcast coverage of the Lisa McVey case. Released March 21, 2024. About 66 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
3 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Open Library · Catalog / Availability
There but for the grace of God by Fred Rosen
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
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Open Library · Catalog / Availability
Smoldering embers : the true story of a serial murderer and three courageous women by Joy Wellman
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Smoldering Embers
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsthe-independent.com
Reporting on Lisa McVey
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
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Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
Tampa Bay Times · 2019-05-24 · Page A4
Lisa McVey recounts survival and her work in law enforcement
An interview revisits the evidence McVey gathered during captivity and her later career helping others.
Survivor testimony published around Bobby Joe Long's execution; contains accounts of sexual violence.
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Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
The Tampa Tribune · 1986-05-22 · Page 31
Investigators describe how Long was caught
Congressional testimony explains the investigation and the importance of Lisa McVey's account to identifying Bobby Joe Long.
Historical law-enforcement testimony; the newspaper includes graphic details of other victims' deaths.
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Internet Archive
1 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · Library record · 1997
Smoldering embers : the true story of a serial murderer and three courageous women
Wellman, Joy · McVey, Lisa · Replogle, Susan. A library catalog record for a book connected with Lisa McVey. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
2 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Related criminal caseArchive copy
Long v. State — related Virginia Johnson murder appeal
An appeal from a separate murder prosecution of Lisa McVey’s abductor, Bobby Joe Long. This concerns Virginia Johnson’s death, not an offense in which McVey died.
- Court / agency
- Florida Supreme Court
- Document date
- March 6, 1997
- Case / citation
- 83593
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Related criminal caseArchive copy
Long v. State — related Michelle Simms proceedings
A later Florida Supreme Court decision concerning Bobby Joe Long’s sentence for Michelle Simms’s murder. Listed as related criminal proceedings involving McVey’s abductor.
- Court / agency
- Florida Supreme Court
- Document date
- May 17, 2019
- Case / citation
- SC19-726
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
11 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
True Crime Conversations
Lisa McVey: In Her Own Words, On Surviving A Serial Killer
Video from True Crime Conversations covering the Lisa McVey case. Length: 1:14:50.
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Murder With My Husband
116. Lisa McVey and the Tampa Bay Victims
Video from Murder With My Husband covering the Lisa McVey case. Length: 51:16.
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True Crime Conversations
Lisa McVey: Inside The Minds Behind The Viral Film 'Believe Me'
Video from True Crime Conversations covering the Lisa McVey case. Length: 39:14.
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Investigation Discovery
After Evil: Lisa McVey Noland Family Life | Surviving Evil
Video from Investigation Discovery covering the Lisa McVey case. Length: 2:32.
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Investigation Discovery
After Evil: Lisa McVey Noland Changes Her Life | Surviving Evil
Video from Investigation Discovery covering the Lisa McVey case. Length: 3:25.
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Investigation Discovery
After Evil: Lisa McVey Noland Life Changes | Surviving Evil
Video from Investigation Discovery covering the Lisa McVey case. Length: 2:20.
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Show 5 more social media
Brooke Makenna
SURVIVED: Lisa McVey Escaped & Helped Catch Serial Killer
Video from Brooke Makenna covering the Lisa McVey case. Length: 39:07.
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10 Tampa Bay News
Serial killer survivor shares story of survival, strength
Video from 10 Tampa Bay News covering the Lisa McVey case. Length: 23:23.
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FilmRise True Crime
Forensic Files - Season 2, Episode 1 - The Common Thread - (In HD)
Video from FilmRise True Crime covering the Lisa McVey case. Length: 21:46.
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Reddit · r/netflix
Discussion: Just watched Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey
Public community discussion connected to Lisa McVey. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.
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Facebook · Creator channel
Wicked and Grim: A True Crime Podcast — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Survival Story of Lisa McVey - Part 1.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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