Senseless with Erika Mahoney
A podcast about moving forward after the unthinkable.
Senseless is a podcast about how we, as human beings, cope and carry on when life completely changes in the blink of an eye… and nothing makes any sense. It follows Erika as a journalist, mom and survivor as she tries to come to terms with what happened.
This podcast tells the story of Erika’s journey from the day of the shooting to the high-profile trial and the years in between as she grappled with trauma and grief.
We follow Erika as she finds herself on the other side of a big news story, in the depths of denial, seeking connections with other survivors, searching for meaning as she meets with a medium and goes on a grief retreat, and making a bold decision to move back to Boulder as the trial takes place.
“Why I made this podcast”
In March 2021, my dad went to the grocery store and never came home. I was six months pregnant. Senseless began as a way to say his name, to honor the ten lives taken in Boulder, and to sit with others in their hardest chapters. It’s for anyone who refuses to look away—and still believes in what we can build together. It’s for anyone who wants to feel the urgency of this moment and embrace the hope of what we can change together.
What People Are Saying
“Love that you’re doing this. I just listened to episode one. Beautiful. And sad. And cute. Hopeful. And happy. Real. Really, real.
I also felt intense emotions listening to your retelling. Tears fell down my face several times. It’s been years, but my deepest condolences to you, your mom, your brother and your husband.”
— David Begnaud, CBS News correspondent
“I just listened to the first episode, and learning more about your dad as well as your story had me moved to tears. It truly was a wonderful listen…”
— Jen Douglas, a survivor and interviewee
“That podcast had me in sobs. Love her voice, audio quality, scratched that true crime itch, written and performed really well too.”
— Sahar Assifi
“Raw, powerful and deeply human.”
— Pavle Sholto
“I wanted to share how tearfully impactful your every intentional word, supreme sensitivity and open creativity came through – in every single word and thought. It's a therapeutic gift to a world of survivors who have to attempt to live beyond loss. YOU clearly honor your dad as the “one of a kind” he modeled so deeply for you.”
— Debbie Kaplan
“Your ability to clearly articulate the process of getting through such a horrifying event is truly incredible, and I know that I am forever changed by getting such an intimate, first person account of this tragedy. I have so much more understanding of it, and I know it gives me yet more reason to try to work towards some type of solution to stop these things from happening. I am also so inspired by the way you talk about your incredible Dad, as it not only reminds me to tell those I love how I feel about them more often, but also inspires me to try to be the kind of Dad, husband, and person that he was everyday in my community. ”
— Joey Revier
“It is so heartbreaking and so moving. I can’t wait for the rest of the season. ”
—Elysia Mann
“I’ve listened to hundreds of hours of podcasts. An embarrassing amount of time spent doing so. I’m true to my middle-aged lady demographic and listen to a lot of true crime. Never in all those hours have I shed secondhand tears of grief for the victims and their families until now. Your words describing your dad in all the episodes, including the heartbreaking trial episode, so clearly demonstrate what a wonderful dad and man he was.”
— Jamie Fry