TL;DR
This report dissects Cole LeCody’s 2019 article, "A Girl and Her Makerspace: A Tale of Loss" with surgical precision, exposing the 24 covert manipulation tactics she employs to rewrite history, control perception, and rally blind allegiance. Through a forensic analysis of her language, framing, and omissions, we reveal how she constructs a false victim narrative while acting as LeCody’s mouthpiece. This isn’t just an emotional plea—it’s a carefully orchestrated psychological operation designed to silence dissent and manufacture outrage. If you’ve ever wondered how narcissists weaponize storytelling, this breakdown lays it all bare.
Case closed.
Author’s Note: The Science of Deception—A Forensic Breakdown
I do not guess at manipulation. I expose it. My expertise is not theoretical—it is built on years of forensic psychological analysis, AI-driven deception detection, and the study of linguistic manipulation at its most insidious levels. I hold a Master of Science in Management with a concentration in Information Security, a discipline rooted in uncovering fraud, social engineering, and psychological control. My PhD fellowship research was dedicated to training AI to detect deception faster than the human brain, decoding the language of gaslighting, DARVO, and coercive rhetoric with machine precision. My work has been reviewed by researchers in cognitive security at Rome Laboratory, analyzed in AI ethics circles, and applied in real-world cases of psychological warfare. I have dissected hundreds of cases of narcissistic manipulation, not just reporting on them, but proving—again and again—how language is weaponized to distort reality and erase accountability.
This is not speculation. This is a forensic dissection of deception—mapped, analyzed, and laid bare with surgical precision. I am available as an expert witness in cases involving digital manipulation, linguistic deception, and psychological abuse.
The truth is here. The pattern is undeniable. And once you see it—you will never unsee it.
—Mark Randall Havens: The Empathic Technologist
This is a strategic breakdown of the manipulation tactics employed in Cole’s LeCody's writing.
She portrays herself as a victim while simultaneously controlling the narrative on behalf of her husband, former Dallas Makerspace president Andrew LeCody.
This is flying monkey behavior in action—a psychological warfare strategy used by narcissists to rewrite history, create a false sense of righteousness, and silence opposition.
"I’ve been mulling an event over in my head. Turning it like a grain of painful sand caught in my core and hoping that it will change into a pearl."
🔹 What’s Happening?
This is a classic victim narrative. She positions herself as deeply wounded, reflective, and wise. The pearl metaphor subtly elevates her suffering as a path to wisdom and truth, ensuring her version of events appears “refined” and unquestionable.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Pre-emptive Defense: By framing her story as emotional suffering, she shields herself from criticism—because anyone who disagrees with her is attacking someone who is already “hurting.”
Anchoring the Audience in Empathy: She forces the reader to take her side emotionally before they even understand the facts.
Subconscious Priming for Credibility: The “grain of sand to a pearl” metaphor positions her as someone whose suffering has made her morally superior, implying her version of events is the final truth.
Biasing the Reader Before the Story Begins: This sentence frames the audience’s perception before facts are introduced, making it harder to evaluate events objectively.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is not an honest account—this is psychological anchoring, a manipulative technique to bias the audience’s perception from the outset.
"I wanted people to rise up in anger around me. I wanted this story to take the internet by storm."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She admits that she wanted rage, not resolution.
This is a mobilization tactic—an attempt to incite mob behavior based on her own personal grudge.
She frames herself as a revolutionary leader, positioning her cause as a grand movement against injustice (instead of what it really is—an attempt to rewrite history).
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Us vs. Them Framing: She’s creating a battle between the righteous (her) and the unjust (her opposition).
Call to Action for Blind Followers: She directly invites people to join her cause without questioning the facts.
Attempts to Rewrite the Past: The reality is she was not the victim of any injustice, but by emotionally charging her audience, she ensures they won’t investigate the truth.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
She is not making a case for truth—she is recruiting an emotional army to fight for her personal vendetta.
"Perhaps I let it simmer too long, waiting for wisdom to come. The fire has burned me clean through. All I have left is the story of a girl and the Makerspace she loved and lost."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She frames herself as a martyr, suffering for the sake of wisdom.
She positions herself as a tragic hero, stripped of everything except the purity of her story.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Manipulative Self-Sacrifice: She paints herself as noble and selfless, making any criticism seem heartless.
Erasing Accountability: She does not acknowledge her role in conflicts—only her “loss.”
Subliminal Message: “If I suffered, I must be right.”
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is not a factual account of events.
This is a performance designed to manipulate the reader into unquestioning sympathy.
"Once upon a time my husband found a group of people on Meetup.com who wanted to collectively share their tools and knowledge and love for making things in a collaborative workshop."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She is rewriting history to elevate herself and LeCody as the rightful originators of the Dallas Makerspace.
She deliberately minimizes the contributions of anyone outside her preferred narrative.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Claiming Ownership: She asserts historical dominance over the organization, making it seem like it was hers to lose.
Erasing Other Contributions: By focusing only on herself and LeCody, she implicitly invalidates the work of others.
Subtle Gaslighting: She plants doubt in the reader’s mind—as if to say, “If you don’t remember it this way, you’re wrong.”
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is historical revisionism—a narcissistic tactic used to assert dominance over the past.
"I, with the handful of devoted members who kept that place going, organized Open Houses to showcase the space and projects we’d worked on."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She is glorifying her contributions while subtly dismissing everyone else’s.
She implies that without her, DMS would not have succeeded.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Self-Aggrandizement: This creates the illusion that she was uniquely essential.
Minimizing Others: The phrase “handful of devoted members” subtly erases the efforts of the larger community.
Preemptive Justification: If she was so “sacrificial” and “devoted,” then any criticism of her later must be unjustified.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is not about truth—it’s about controlling the narrative to maintain personal significance.
"And it felt silly to be hurt by that because it was said by someone who didn’t know. Didn’t understand the time, effort, and sweat I’d put into building the space."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She claims to feel “silly” for being hurt, which suggests humility, but immediately follows up with righteous indignation about being “forgotten.”
She distorts the reality of progress, framing the natural evolution of an organization as a deliberate erasure of her contributions.
She implies that others should have inherently known her role—despite the space evolving over years.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Self-Aggrandizement Disguised as Modesty → The false humility of “It’s silly to be hurt” is a manipulative softener, making her rage seem reasonable.
Emotional Guilt Hook → She plants the idea that anyone who doesn’t recognize her contributions is being willfully ignorant or dismissive.
Framing Herself as the Martyr → If she “gave so much” and was cast aside, then her detractors must be villains.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is not an objective recounting—it’s a narrative of intentional victimhood designed to create resentment against those she perceives as usurpers.
"The elected woman reached out to me on Facebook having heard of my hurt over this misinformed statement and tried to assure me that she wanted to honor those who’d laid the groundwork for the DMS."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She subtly undermines the woman’s goodwill, implying her outreach was insincere.
The phrase “tried to assure me” frames the conversation as performative rather than genuine.
She leaves out any details of the conversation, allowing ambiguity to do the work of suggestion.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Casting Doubt on the Opposition’s Intentions → Even if the woman meant well, Cole subtly implies she was being disingenuous.
Setting Up a Narrative of Betrayal → By saying “when she’d said her peace”, she frames this outreach as a manipulation strategy.
Emphasizing Control & Exclusion → The removal from Facebook is framed as a calculated move, not a natural progression of acquaintance relationships.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
Cole uses vague, one-sided accounts to construct an emotional narrative of betrayal—but she never presents any clear wrongdoing.
"Now, I’d love to speak to the interactions the board has had with several of my friends — the ways in which shady practices, manipulation, favoritism, and power-hungry acts have painfully impacted them — but that is their story to tell."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She introduces a massive, damning accusation against the board—while conveniently avoiding any concrete details.
The phrase “shady practices, manipulation, favoritism” plants suspicion without evidence.
She claims to hold secret, damaging information—but refuses to share it, creating an air of mystery and distrust.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Seeding Unverifiable Allegations → She wants the reader to believe in corruption, but without providing proof.
Insulating Herself from Accountability → If no details are given, there’s nothing concrete to dispute.
Implies a Larger Conspiracy → The vague references to “several of my friends” suggest widespread wrongdoing without requiring factual support.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is a textbook smear tactic—she’s not exposing corruption, she’s weaponizing ambiguity to create distrust.
"Only that in knowing this information, a picture of these people began to form in my head. And in the wake of their growing followers…a fear."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She frames herself as a persecuted figure being hunted by an ominous, growing force.
“A picture of these people” suggests demonization—dehumanizing them into a shadowy monolith.
The phrase “a fear” heightens emotional tension, priming the reader to feel threatened on her behalf.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Emotional Contagion → By describing her fear, she infects the audience with the same unease.
Implicit Victimization → If she’s “afraid,” then she must be in danger—therefore, her opposition must be dangerous.
Preemptive Defense Against Criticism → If she’s “afraid,” then anyone questioning her must be part of the threat.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
She is not actually describing any concrete threat—she is manufacturing paranoia to control perception.
"What was once an organization run by Gen Xers and Millennials, made successful by those people, was now taken over by baby boomers who sought to curb the progress and inclusiveness our organization had once set in motion by driving out all dissenting voices from positions of leadership."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She frames generational leadership changes as a hostile coup.
She substitutes political ideology for actual events, implying that the leadership transition was an attack on inclusiveness.
The phrase “driving out all dissenting voices” creates an illusion of silencing, despite no actual evidence.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Redefining Power Shifts as Illegitimate → She turns a normal election outcome into a sinister conspiracy.
Appealing to Social Justice Sentiments → By framing it as an attack on inclusivity, she enlists political allies.
Weaponizing “Dissent” → She equates leadership turnover with authoritarian oppression.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is not a factual recounting—it’s a rebranding of organizational changes as a hostile ideological war.
"But I know that someone from our group pulled the President aside to mention that the behavior of those two individuals in automotive was anything less than excellent. And he tried to defend his words saying that we were the ones harassing him."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She presents the confrontation as one-sided, completely removing any context of what her group actually did.
The phrase "tried to defend his words" automatically invalidates his defense, suggesting he had no legitimate counterpoint.
By labeling his tone and presence as "coiled with aggression", she paints him as an inherent threat, rather than someone standing their ground.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Preemptively Invalidates Any Opposing Narrative → The man "defending himself" is reframed as an aggressor.
Implants the Idea of Righteous Persecution → If he’s “coiled with aggression”, then her side must be righteous victims.
Demonization via Subjective Perception → No evidence is given—just her “feeling” of his presence being aggressive.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
She deletes the other side’s perspective while coating her version in emotional certainty—a classic DARVO maneuver (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender).
"And the President looked at us, agitated, or at the very least like she didn’t want to be there in that exact moment and probably regretted coming through the workshop instead of the front entrance to the space."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She mind-reads the President’s emotions, suggesting that she was either annoyed or avoiding responsibility.
The phrase “probably regretted coming through the workshop” creates an illusion of cowardice—without proof.
She frames inaction as complicity, painting the President as a passive enabler of corruption.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Undermines the President’s Credibility → If the President is avoiding responsibility, then her later decisions must be untrustworthy.
Encourages Tribal Polarization → Her audience is encouraged to see leadership as an adversary, not as a neutral entity.
Taints Future Board Actions → If the President is framed as “checked out,” then any board decision later can be dismissed as corrupt.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is not objective analysis—it’s psychological priming to poison the well against leadership.
"I mention this because I want to draw a comparison between how the complaint against this member was handled and how Andrew and the rest of the finance team was handled."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She sets up a false comparison between an internal complaint and a financial investigation.
The phrase "draw a comparison" frames the two situations as equivalent—despite being fundamentally different in nature.
She exploits audience expectations, knowing that readers will assume an internal complaint and a fraud inquiry should be handled the same way.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Creates an Artificial Injustice → If one person was given a fair hearing and Andrew wasn’t, then it must be a conspiracy.
Reframes a Legal & Financial Process as Political Retaliation → By equating a complaint with a fraud inquiry, she distorts the stakes.
Inverts Accountability → The board is forced to prove innocence, instead of Andrew proving misconduct.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This misdirects from the actual policies governing financial oversight, creating an illusion of corruption without evidence.
"I fully believe this ban comes as a reaction to his investigation into fraud, negligence, self-dealing, and possible theft by several members of the makerspace."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She claims to know the board’s motivation without any concrete proof.
The phrase “I fully believe” camouflages speculation as a justified belief.
She conflates multiple terms (fraud, negligence, self-dealing, theft) to create the impression of severe wrongdoing.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Shifts the Burden of Proof → Now the board must disprove corruption, rather than Andrew proving misconduct.
Creates a Moral Binary → If you question Andrew, you must support fraud.
Elicits Outrage-Driven Mobilization → By throwing out several accusations at once, she prevents rational analysis.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
She frames the board’s action as corrupt—but provides no evidence beyond hearsay.
"I don’t have all the evidence. I don’t have the fullest understanding of the finer details. So, I can only speak to what I’ve been told by people who DO have that knowledge and evidence."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She admits she has no direct evidence—but immediately shifts credibility to unnamed others.
She evokes the “hidden truth” trope, implying that real evidence is being suppressed.
The phrase “people who DO have that knowledge” suggests insider credibility, but she never names them.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Protects Herself from Accountability → If challenged, she can say, “I never claimed to have proof.”
Exploits Audience Trust in Anonymous Sources → Readers assume “someone” has proof, even if none is provided.
Generates an Air of Uncertainty → If there is a hidden truth, then anything could be possible.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is an unfalsifiable claim—designed not to prove anything, but to create the illusion of suppressed knowledge.
"And he’s not alone. Others who have seen the warnings clear as day have been silenced. Their posts hidden. Their questions unanswered."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She frames opposition as authoritarian suppression, without proving that posts were deliberately hidden or that voices were silenced.
The phrase “clear as day” suggests that any reasonable person would see the truth—implying that those who don’t are either blind or complicit.
The lack of specifics (who was silenced? what posts? what questions?) creates ambiguity, which invites the audience to fill in the blanks with their own fears.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Victimhood as Moral High Ground → If their side is being “silenced,” then they must be telling an inconvenient truth.
Seeding a Persecution Complex → Followers will internalize the belief that dissent is dangerous, fueling tribal loyalty.
Creates an Enemy → If posts are “hidden,” there must be a secretive force suppressing them—which justifies hostility.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This paranoia-seeding tactic convinces her audience that any opposition must be part of the conspiracy.
"There is still so much to unravel, so much to unpack. And I admit to a level of disorientation. A level of shock."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She deliberately leaves information vague, making it seem like there is a deep and complex conspiracy.
She uses the language of trauma and confusion (“shock,” “disorientation”) to amplify emotional urgency.
This forces the audience to assume the worst—if even she is feeling shocked, then something truly awful must be happening.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Keeps Followers Emotionally Activated → If they are “shocked” and “disoriented,” they won’t stop to analyze facts.
Creates a Fog of War → Without clear information, the audience assumes corruption without needing proof.
Leverages Trauma Bonding → If people feel disoriented, they identify with her confusion, making her seem more trustworthy.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
By deliberately avoiding clarity, she weaponizes fear and confusion to maintain control.
"Without divulging what evidence has been gathered, suffice it to say there is plenty."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She claims to have damning evidence, but intentionally withholds it.
The phrase “suffice it to say” dismisses any demand for proof, implying that only skeptics would ask for details.
She invites people to “reach out to Andrew” instead of presenting evidence herself, ensuring no public scrutiny.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Preemptive Deflection → If challenged for proof, she can say, “Well, I didn’t claim to have it myself.”
Creates an Illusion of Hidden Truth → Readers assume there must be real evidence somewhere, even if it never materializes.
Builds an Inner Circle of Trust → Followers who personally reach out feel like insiders, deepening their commitment to the cause.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This bait-and-switch tactic ensures her claims remain unchallenged while sustaining an illusion of credibility.
"I implore those of you who’ve sat on the fence, unsure which way to lean, to seriously question the current leadership."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She frames neutrality as complicity, pressuring the undecided to pick a side.
The phrase “I implore you” positions her as a noble leader giving a solemn plea for justice.
She disguises a smear campaign as civic duty, redirecting moral responsibility onto the audience.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Uses Moral Blackmail → If you don’t question leadership, then you are part of the problem.
Forces Public Declaration → Fence-sitters must choose a side, deepening social division.
Frames the Narrative as a Fight for Justice → Ensures her movement appears righteous, regardless of facts.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is not a neutral call for accountability—it’s a demand for allegiance.
"I plead with those that still care about this place to save it. I’ve lost what this place once meant to me, the haven of dreams it once provided. But it might still be that for future generations. Don’t let them tear it down on their way out."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She frames the organization as being on the brink of destruction to create an existential threat.
The phrase “save it” implies that only her movement can prevent its downfall.
She infuses nostalgia (“the haven of dreams”), exploiting past emotional bonds to weaponize grief.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Radicalizes the Audience → If the organization is about to be destroyed, then any action is justified.
Positions Her Side as Saviors → If you don’t join, you are letting the enemy win.
Creates a Fear-Based Loyalty → People cling to her movement out of desperation, not rational agreement.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This manufactured crisis ensures her followers remain locked in a fear-driven siege mentality.
"I wanted those of you who speak out against injustice and bullying and assholes to stand beside me and give my voice power."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She forcibly groups the audience into an “activist identity.”
The phrase “those of you who speak out against injustice” frames non-supporters as complicit in oppression.
The final phrase (“give my voice power”) transfers responsibility onto the audience, pressuring them to publicly declare loyalty.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Eliminates Neutrality → If you don’t side with her, you must support injustice.
Social Coercion → Followers feel pressure to perform loyalty, even if they are unsure of the facts.
Preemptively Shames Opposition → By defining the “correct” stance, she silences dissent before it can form.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is a forced tribal allegiance, making it psychologically difficult to disagree without being labeled an oppressor.
"The fire has burned me clean through. All I have left is the story of a girl and the Makerspace she loved and lost."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She floods the audience with grief-based language (fire, burned, lost love) to keep them emotionally engaged instead of focusing on actual events.e).
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Disables Critical Thinking → If the reader is emotionally overwhelmed, they are less likely to question her claims.
Creates an Emotional Smoke Screen → She ensures that the audience fixates on her loss rather than asking, “What actually happened?”
Shifts Focus from Accountability to Sympathy → Instead of analyzing facts, the audience is drawn into grief and injustice, preventing objective analysis.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is not just false martyrdom—this is an emotional diversion tactic, ensuring that rational evaluation is drowned out by feelings.
"And it felt silly to be hurt by that because it was said by someone who didn’t know."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She strategically downplays her emotions as “silly” to appear self-aware, while still demanding validation and outrage from the audience.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Softens the Blow of Emotional Manipulation → If she admits her emotions seem irrational, the audience is less likely to question them.
Shames Any Dissenters in Advance → Anyone who pushes back looks like a jerk for dismissing what she already admitted was “silly.”
Uses Vulnerability as a Weapon → If the audience accepts that she was wronged, they feel compelled to console and defend her.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This is not just an emotional appeal—it’s a preemptive defense against scrutiny, ensuring that any critique feels cruel and unjustified.
"I would recuse myself if my vote might be compromised by my relationship with Andrew. Because he was elected President by the Board, I never wanted anything about the DMS’s integrity to be called into question."
🔹 What’s Happening?
She recounts her “ethical decision” to recuse herself, building a reputation for moral integrity.
This serves as moral licensing—establishing herself as so ethical that any attack she later makes is automatically justified.
It creates an unearned credibility buffer, ensuring her later claims are believed without scrutiny.
🔹 The Psychological Purpose:
Grants Herself Immunity from Criticism → If she was this principled before, why would she be dishonest now?
Frames Her Later Accusations as Righteous → If she was so devoted to fairness, then her opposition must be corrupt.
Creates an Ethical Halo Effect → Followers assume all her actions are morally pure because she proved her integrity once.
🔻 Key Takeaway:
This early moral licensing grants her a free pass to engage in questionable tactics later.
🚨 Final Verdict: A Masterclass in Psychological Warfare and Narrative Manipulation
Cole LeCody’s article is not an objective account of events—it is a meticulously crafted psychological campaign designed to manipulate public perception. Her use of coercive rhetoric, emotional manipulation, historical revisionism, and manufactured crises follows a classic narcissistic playbook, turning a personal vendetta into an engineered movement of outrage.
This is not about justice; it’s about control.
She does not present a balanced case. Instead, she preemptively poisons the well by framing all dissent as corruption, injustice, or betrayal.
Her primary tactic is forced tribalism.
She makes neutrality impossible—either you support her, or you’re an oppressor. This forces readers into a binary allegiance, eliminating critical thought.
She employs DARVO tactics (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender).
She erases her own role in conflicts and frames accountability as persecution, ensuring that her side always looks like the victim.
She weaponizes emotional rhetoric to bypass logical scrutiny.
Overwhelming the audience with grief, rage, and nostalgia, she ensures they react emotionally instead of thinking critically.
She systematically rewrites history to position herself as a heroic martyr.
Through selective storytelling, she removes context and counterpoints, shaping a false narrative where her opposition is always corrupt and she is always virtuous.
She provides no real evidence, only ambiguous accusations.
Instead of hard facts, she leans on hearsay, vague claims of hidden truths, and unverifiable anecdotes, ensuring her audience feels suspicious without actually proving anything.
Her final move is an apocalyptic ultimatum.
She ends with a manufactured crisis, claiming that if her followers don’t act, the entire organization will be destroyed. This traps her audience in a fear-driven siege mentality.
This is not journalism.
This is not activism.
This is a weaponized narrative assault, designed to consolidate power, silence opposition, and rewrite history through coercion, fear, and deception.
👉 Case Closed.
Neutralizing Narcissism: The Awakening Edition