Season 5 of the true crime podcast Betrayal is drawing national attention while telling a deeply personal story rooted in Montgomery County.
The season centers on Saskia Inwood, a lifelong Montgomery County resident and 1996 graduate of Watkins Mill High School, who shares her experience of abuse and betrayal at the hands of her ex-husband who was living a secret life. Told in her own voice, the podcast documents both the crimes committed against her and the long, painful journey toward accountability and healing that followed.
Inwood was born and raised in Montgomery Village, growing up in the same townhouse throughout her childhood. She attended Watkins Mill Elementary School, Montgomery Village Middle School, and Watkins Mill High School, later living in several parts of the county before purchasing her own home in Gaithersburg. Her story is intertwined with the community she grew up in, a theme that carries throughout the season.
The podcast also features voices from her classmates and friends from Montgomery Village and Watkins Mill, who reflect on what it was like growing up together and help provide context for Inwood’s life before the abuse. Those perspectives add a layer of familiarity and grounding, contrasting sharply with the trauma she later endured.
Inwood said she did not initially plan to tell her story publicly. After watching earlier Betrayal documentaries and learning about other survivors who had spoken out, something shifted. She described the decision to reach out to the podcast’s producers as almost out-of-body, driven by a mix of recognition, courage, and a need to be heard. From her earliest conversations with the production team, she said she felt compassion and support that helped guide her through the difficult process of revisiting her past.
Recounting the relationship itself proved especially painful. Inwood spoke about the happiness, hope, and love she once felt, believing she had found a life partner and built a blended family. While anger over the crimes comes more easily now, she described the betrayal and loss of that imagined future as devastating.
Growing up in Montgomery Village, she said, helped shape her independence and resilience. She credited friendships, swim team memories, and the freedom of running around the neighborhood with giving her strength during a difficult childhood. Those long-standing friendships remained critical throughout her ordeal, particularly the group of friends who stood by her and also appear in the podcast. Their support, she said, made it possible to show the broader pattern of manipulation she experienced.
Inwood acknowledged that while her past hardships helped her compartmentalize and pursue justice, nothing could have prepared her for how difficult that fight would be. She described the legal process as retraumatizing, especially for victims with fewer resources, and said there are still not enough systems in place to support healing. She understands why many victims choose not to come forward, noting how hard it is for someone already broken to take on another battle.
Today, she says she is changed forever, but in some ways stronger. She spoke about learning to trust herself, recognize unhealthy relationships, and understand that self-love is necessary rather than selfish. Therapy and self-care now play a central role in her life, along with openness about her feelings instead of suppressing them.
A particularly painful part of her story involves discovering how incapacitated she had become during the final years of her relationship, and the realization that the person she leaned on for comfort may have taken satisfaction in her suffering. That realization, she said, felt like torture to revisit.
One of the most shocking aspects she learned during her case involved Maryland’s marital exemption law and how it affected her divorce proceedings, resulting in what she described as continued victimization even after the criminal case. Despite that, she said she does not regret pursuing justice. Her ex-husband is now a convicted felon and a lifetime registered sex offender.
Inwood said the response to the podcast has been overwhelmingly positive, from people who knew her growing up and from listeners hearing her story for the first time. She hopes her honesty helps others feel less alone and gives them courage. She emphasized that victims do not need to be perfect to deserve justice, and that predators intentionally prey on vulnerability.
Season 5 of Betrayal recently reached No. 28 overall on Apple Podcasts and No. 5 in the True Crime category, reflecting how widely Inwood’s story is resonating. Ultimately, she hopes listeners see her heart and values, and understand that while the darkness has not fully lifted, she is beginning to see more light. She wants to be that light for others, especially those still struggling to recognize their own worth.
