(Edinburgh, UK / October 29, 2025) – Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey brings expert psychological insight to the Vinnie Politan Investigates episode “Fatal Fetish Murder Case,” now streaming on Court TV.
The episode explores the death of 56-year-old Michael Dale during a paid fetish session with OnlyFans model Michaela Rylaarsdam, who now faces murder charges. Dale allegedly paid $11,000 for extreme BDSM play involving plastic wrap, humiliation and asphyxiation.
“It sounds like it wasn’t a well-formed out scenario in the first place, and that she didn’t really know what she was doing – not that there is any safe way to do this. There is not,” said Bisbey. “Also, with his level of intoxication, he wouldn’t have been in any position to give any kind of recognizable consent.”
Bisbey, a clinical psychologist, accredited advanced GSRD therapist and sex & intimacy coach with more than 30 years of experience, also offered context on the fantasy itself: “Being mummified… and the degrees of asphyxiation, which we would normally call ‘breath play,’ is much more common. But I suspect that he didn’t really have a sense of what it would be like once it was actually happening.”
On Rylaarsdam’s motivations, Bisbey added: “I doubt it’s just for the money… the pleasure might have been related to taking money off of him and the power that gave her.”
Speaking about her involvement in the Court TV episode, Bisbey said: “This is a complicated case, and I’m deeply appreciative to have been invited onto Vinnie Politan Investigates to share my perspective. These are difficult conversations, but they’re essential when it comes to understanding where fantasy, consent and responsibility collide.”
Watch Vinnie Politan Investigates: Fatal Fetish Murder Case now on CourtTV.com and streaming platforms.
To learn more about Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey’s work, visit DrLoriBethbisbey.com and her Linktree.
ABOUT DR. LORI BETH BISBEY:
Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey is a clinical psychologist, accredited advanced GSRD therapist, sex/intimacy coach, author, speaker and podcast host based in Edinburgh. With more than 30 years helping people create and sustain meaningful and exciting relationships, Dr. Bisbey specialises in GSRD (gender, sexuality, relationship diversity), is consensual non-monogamy and kink BDSM knowledgable and helps traumatised people to move from victim to survivor and back into life.
On a mission to create an open dialogue about sex, relationships and authenticity, Dr Bisbey is the Specialist Relationship Therapist on Open House: The Great Sex Experiment on Channel 4, and host of the weekly podcast The A to Z of Sex®, as well as a passionate speaker, dynamic workshop facilitator and sought-after expert in the media on the topics of sex, sexuality, intimacy, relationships and sexual trauma.
Dr. Bisbey is the author of Chopping Wood, Shaping Metal & Other Erotic Stories, Dancing the Edge to Reclaiming Your Reality: Essential Life Skills for Gaslighting (and Trauma) Survivors and Dancing the Edge to Surrender: An Erotic Memoir of Trauma and Survival, and identifies as a queer consensually non-monogamous leather woman, and is in a full-time authority transfer-based relationship with her husband. To learn more, visit DrLoriBethBisbey.com.
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