LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The August of 2016 continues to traumatize the Newell family after what John Meehan aka 'Dirty John' put them through.
Resembling the thrilling accounts of psychopaths only found in horror films, Debra Newell was manipulated to the point where she put her own daughters in danger because of her love for John Meehan.
NBC's 'Dateline' will be delving into the truth behind the infamous con man now known as 'Dirty John' in a rerun episode called 'The Women and Dirty John'. The episode will air on Friday, September 8, 2023, at 9 p.m. ET.
How did Debra Newell get involved with 'Dirty John'?
Debra was quite blinded by love when she met John and it did not help that the abuser was problematic in more ways than one.
She was 59 years old and alone when she stumbled upon John's profile on a dating website that connected people over 50 for potential romantic relationships.
Before this, Debra had had extremely hard luck with love as she went through four failed marriages. But, she was able to build a business empire called Ambrosia Interior Design which allowed her to be a strong and financially independent woman. She also had four children out of her previous marriages. The only thing missing in her life was a lover.
And John walked in right when she needed him to. The two progressed quickly in the relationship, presumably because of John's manipulative tendencies. Within months of knowing each other in 2014, the couple signed their marriage contract in Las Vegas.
Debra Newell discovers the 'real' John Meehan
Things eventually worsened as John's past drug abuse and involvement in drug theft from hospitals he worked was discovered by Debra. His anesthetist license was also revoked in the past which he didn't reveal to his wife and her children. He didn't tell them about his 17-month prison sentence either.
Debra was only able to step back from her relationship when John started affecting her daughters to the point that he harassed them. He eventually attempted to kidnap one of the daughters named Terra. But things didn't quite turn out in his favor.
Terra, in an attempt to defend herself, was able to attack John using his own knife 13 times. He was left brain-damaged after the multiple blows.
"I stabbed him in his forehead, and the last (stab) was through his eye, which is the softest point of entry to the brain which was the one that made him brain-damaged," Terra told Fox News, "I pushed him off of me. I tossed the knife away from his body, so he couldn't grab it, and then studied a way to get away from him."
John died a few days after the incident.
Debra Newell and family after John Meehan's death
While the Newell family continues to be traumatized from what John Meehan had put them through, they decided to make their story public, to reach out to as many people as possible.
Newells, especially Terra, have been involved in multiple true crime podcasts like LA Times' 'Dirty John' and even the Netflix show of the same name which is based on the difficult time they endured as John wrecked their lives.
"People need to know that bad things can happen, and you should never let those things hold you back or get you down. The most important thing I have learned is to keep going and stay positive," Terra told Fox.
On the other hand, Debra went on to expand her business in Henderson, Nevada, under the same company called 'Ambrosia Home'.
