Cindy Paulson was, as she liked to say, running and gunning in the weeks and months after her escape from Robert Hansen. But she was running on the fumes of undiagnosed -- and untreated -- PTSD. In the process, she was also self-medicating. Cocaine was her main squeeze. And, of course, that worried the authorities. Sgt. Glenn Flothe was particularly worried. He even considered arresting her, just to keep her from getting into more trouble. The kind of trouble that would jeopardize their case against Robert Hansen. Because, in those early days, Cindy was their biggest gun.

And she had disappeared. Now was the time to get Cindy off the street. In was Cindy herself who called Flothe and said, "come get me." Yes, but... Cindy was still fighting. Her withdrawal symptoms took her from one safe house to another. And then finally -- finally -- she was in shape to testify. 

In this episode, Cindy goes deeper into her sudden disappearance. Leland, meanwhile, learns the error of his early assessments about Cindy's experiences. Fortunately, Cindy's memory is a steel trap.

Chapters

• (00:00:08) - Cindy Paulson on Her Escape From Serial Killer Robert Hansen
• (00:06:27) - Billy Joel on Flothi Serving the subpoena on Me
• (00:12:35) - The Rape of Cindy's Body
• (00:16:47) - Fluti on Her Time With the Pimp

Robert Hansen is confronted by the cops. Gets an attorney. Is served with an arrest warrant. Cindy Paulson, meanwhile, is served with a subpoena. Within days, she disappears. Sgt. Glenn Flothe is desperate to find her. She's not his entire case, but she's the biggest part. In this episode, Cindy explains what she was going through.

Chapters

• (00:00:08) - How Cindy Paulson Escaped From Serial Killer Robert Hansen
• (00:08:10) - Bob's Lie to Me
• (00:14:36) - Interviewing Sam Hanson
• (00:15:30) - Cindy's Prostitution Complaint
• (00:18:16) - Leaving the Pimps

Cindy's pimp did not accompany her back to Anchorage. She arrived alone. She tried working the streets again, but it was too stressful. What she needed was a place to land. And, because the sex trade is a floating collage of people moving on their own island, she soon met someone who offered help.

That's how Cindy ended up working a topless/bottomless club called Kitty's. There were new adventures, to be sure. Like the night Robert Hansen ended up at Kitty's. Or the night she stole a gold nugget from one of her tricks. 

More than that, though, there was the fact that, as a dancer she could now frequent the afterhours clubs reserved for the high rollers of the sex trade. It was there that she met Billy Joe, who owned a massage parlor named Gentlemen's Retreat. Finally -- finally -- Cindy could get off the street. 

In the days and weeks after her escape from Robert Hansen, Cindy once more found herself on the run. She and her pimp wanted out of Anchorage -- and as far away from Robert Hansen as they could. The first stop was Portland, Oregon, her pimp's hometown. Her recovery consisted of constant sleep. She was, in fact, experiencing the first flush of PTSD.

Her respite didn't last. Her pimp was running out of money. At least he'd been reunited with his Cadillac, which was too expensive to ship to Alaska. So... Yeah, he told her she needed to start turning tricks again. 

It was a disaster. She was arrested for soliciting on the streets of Portland. Not once but twice. Portland was nowhere to be. And then her pimp got another brilliant idea. He went gambling, won some money and then decided to sent Cindy back to Anchorage. Not the best of ideas, but at least there was money there. Lots of money.

And, it turned out, a fortuitous meeting.

Forty years on, Cindy recognizes her critical role in bringing Robert Hansen to justice. As Cindy herself notes, she was put on earth for that very purpose. She helped put an end to the killing. After Cindy, no more woman had to die.

Hers was not, however, a straight line from her youth in rural America to the heart of Anchorage, where Robert Hansen was on the prowl. A prostitute since the age of twelve, Cindy's life was the peripatetic existence inherent in the trade. The cops make it impossible to stay anywhere for long. And the customers -- the johns -- are always looking for someone new. As she notes, by the time you're "getting known," it's time to move on. And move she did.

From Seattle, to Portland. From Portland to Hawaii. From Hawaii to San Francisco. And then to places even farther afield, including Texas. Even the journey to Alaska was a bit of a lark. But there was a reason to go there. The money. It was always about the money.

NOTE: The Flothe and Flothe/Paulson interview audios are from the original 1984 tape recordings. We have cleaned them up as much as possible. Picture This: You are suddenly in the room where Robert Hansen's world starts to unravel...

Sgt. Glenn Flothe got the Robert Hansen case after the body of Paula Goulding was found on the Knik River in September 1983 -- the second body found in as many years. One of his first actions was to read the transcript of Cindy Paulson's interview with the Anchorage Police Department (APD). A veteran homicide detective, Flothe immediately knew that Cindy was a key witness. The problem was that, after her rough treatment at the hands of APD, Cindy had disappeared. Had, in fact, left the state. Flothe was determined to find her. 

With the help of a trusted APD officer, he did just that. And, in this episode, you will hear Cindy's voice as she reveals what happened to her at the hands of Robert Hansen. As Cindy herself notes, Flothe's calm demeanor reminds her of "Mr. Rogers." Be that as it may, it was the first time Cindy found herself taken seriously.

Cindy Paulson starts to tell her complete story, raw and unfiltered. Based on 100's of hours of interviews, this is the real deal. In this Episode we meet her just after she escapes serial killer Robert Hansen's basement.

Fearing for her life, Cindy Paulson's escape ultimately took her to the Anchorage Police Department. But instead of believing her, the police questioned her every word. They accused her of robbing the man who'd raped her on a bearskin rug. Accused her of demanding more money. Said they didn't think she'd even been there. 

In what should have been the biggest break in bringing this man to justice, Cindy was left with only one impression: Robert Hansen was best friends with these cops. They even wanted her to take a polygraph. They believed his story, not hers. 

Chapters

• (00:00:10) - Introduction
• (00:04:30) - Cindy Paulson Faces Police Questioning
• (00:12:13) - Cindy Paulson's Escape From Robert Hansen
• (00:18:09) - Robert Hansen Rescued by Beat Cops
• (00:24:20) - Cindy Summary