At 17 years old, David Garlock and his brother killed the man they say subjected them to years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.

The crime led to murder convictions and decades-long prison sentences. David ultimately spent more than 13 years behind bars before being released on parole.

Today, he is a criminal justice reform advocate, speaker, and survivor who openly discusses what he calls the "trauma-to-prison pipeline"—the connection between childhood trauma, violence, incarceration, and rehabilitation.

His story has drawn comparisons to the Menendez brothers, raising many of the same questions that continue to divide the public:

Can someone be both a victim and an offender?

How should courts evaluate years of abuse when a victim eventually becomes a perpetrator?

What does accountability look like after taking a life?

And can redemption exist after prison?

In this episode of Unheard: True Crime In Their Own Words, David walks through the abuse he says he endured, the events that led to the killing, his years inside prison, and how he rebuilt his life after release.

Whether you see his story as one of justice, tragedy, survival, or all three, it challenges many of the assumptions people hold about crime, punishment, and trauma.

Listen now and decide for yourself.

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