Log in

goodpods headphones icon

To access all our features

Open the Goodpods app
Close icon
headphones
Marked for Life

Marked for Life

Alabama Astronaut

Cody Coots is a fourth-generation serpent handler. By age 6, he handles mock serpents with his sister, Trina, in the church, using leather belts for props. Cody secretly yearns for a normal childhood. He likes to ride his bike, play drums, and watch WWE wrestling with his father, Jamie. (Jamie is the world's most famous serpent-handling preacher.) A terrible act of violence befalls 8-year-old Cody, shocking the serpent handling community. A preacher pleads guilty to charges of deviant sexual abuse, but it's too late: Cody's innocence is shattered. Anger boils inside him, so he turns his wrath upon his parents, his church, and even his God. As he cruises the backstreets of Middlesboro, Ky, looking for nothing but trouble, Cody's sins begin piling up. But the consequences do, too. Is Cody beyond salvation? Or, is he as the community describes him: "Marked for life?"
bookmark
Share icon

All episodes

Best episodes

Top 10 Marked for Life Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Marked for Life episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Marked for Life for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Marked for Life episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Marked for Life - 11. "The Day My Life Changed"
play

03/10/24 • 7 min

Cody's life changes forever on a cold day in February.

Tragedy strikes the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name church, and Cody knows he must take charge.

But does he know how?

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Marked for Life - 9. "I Got Busted"

9. "I Got Busted"

Marked for Life

play

02/25/24 • 7 min

One night, up to no good, Cody starts Messaging people on Facebook.

It's a risk, but it's a good thrill.

Soon, his wife bursts into the room. His heart skips a beat.

"What have you been doing in here, Cody??" she yells. "Who were you Messaging online?!"

Cody, ashamed, blocks the computer screen, but realizes it's futile. His wife is laser focused. The other woman on Facebook must have notified her.

Needless to say, the two go "straight to fighting."

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Marked for Life - 4. "Coots vs. The Public School System"
play

01/14/24 • 18 min

The Bible passage "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man" from Deuteronomy means another life change for Cody. This child of the serpent-handling faith continues to suffer from the reverberations of a horrid abuse case... and now, this.

A real-life monster, behind bars, means Cody can now tune into his father's shepherding style. Jamie Coots is the beloved preacher from Middlesboro who leads the family church. Cody will pursue a friendship with his father.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Marked for Life - 21. "My Only Sister"

21. "My Only Sister"

Marked for Life

play

06/02/24 • 10 min

Cody gets word that his mother Linda Coots is looking for his sister, Trina.

"For some reason," she explains, "Trina is not answering her phone."

Meanwhile, Cody continues to express feelings toward Cassy. He asks her to drop everything and come be with him.

"I have done so much to disappoint my family," Cassy explains, standing in the church parking lot. Cody calls Andrew for advice.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Marked for Life - 24. "Nina Returns"

24. "Nina Returns"

Marked for Life

play

07/07/24 • 12 min

Cassy moves in with Cody, only to find an unexpected houseguest: "Nina."

Together, the newly minted duo drives the streets of Middlesboro escaping Nina, staying out until daybreak, staying far away from home for as long as they can.

Meanwhile, Nina gets worse day by day...

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Marked for Life - 11. (Part 2) "Thank you, Middlesboro."
play

03/17/24 • 15 min

The story of a snakebite that unites Middlesboro continues.

Cody and his buddies tend to Jamie Coots, the beloved preacher bitten by one of a gob of rattlesnakes he held in a Middlesboro, Kentucky worship service.

"My face is on fire," the preacher said, slumping to the floor of the church restroom.

Cody knows the trouble his father is in.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Marked for Life - 10. "Cody Goes to Court"
play

03/03/24 • 19 min

Cody and his dad Jamie are laid off from work, but they spend quality time together traveling the country and hunting snakes.

One "National T.V. Program" is more than willing to fit the bill, only if the two will travel to warmer climes to hunt snakes for a film crew.

In Tennessee, a series of cops pull the Coots' over, all under the guise of illegal window tint. Cody knows this has nothing to do with tint.

It has everything to do with the Coots family serpent boxes, which are all filled with rattlesnakes, riding in the back seat.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Marked for Life - 22. "Return to the House of Horror"
play

06/09/24 • 11 min

Cody takes a vacation from work, and decides to revisit the House of Horror.

As he strolls through the devastation of his former home, he also strolls down memory lane.

Though ghosts inhabit this place, Cody attempts to make peace with them all.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Marked for Life - 17. "Top of the World"

17. "Top of the World"

Marked for Life

play

05/12/24 • 10 min

Cody outsmarts a prostitute on a Middlesboro mountainside.

Pimps can set traps, stealing everything from unwitting "Johns." But Cody will not be robbed, beaten or killed. He knows the land too well.

Most importantly, on Top of the World, he will not be discovered by the people he loves most.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Marked for Life - 14. (Part 2.) "Another Stranger's Kindness"
play

04/21/24 • 8 min

Cody is life-flighted to the intensive care unit of the University of Tennessee Hospital. When the doctors wake him, his feel pain so excruciating, Cody welcomes the relief of death.

"This hurts so bad!!!" he scribbles on paper. "PLEASE DOPE ME UP 'TILL I PASS OUT!!"

Then, a stranger – a kind nurse – shows Cody and his wife a great kindness...

The very next Sunday, Cody's back in church. Will he keep his faith this time? Will he return to the backsliding life?

Will he ever handle a serpent again?

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Show more best episodes

Toggle view more icon

FAQ

How many episodes does Marked for Life have?

Marked for Life currently has 35 episodes available.

What topics does Marked for Life cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, Music, Music History, Podcasts and Memoir.

What is the most popular episode on Marked for Life?

The episode title '1 – 2. "The House of Horror"' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Marked for Life?

The average episode length on Marked for Life is 13 minutes.

How often are episodes of Marked for Life released?

Episodes of Marked for Life are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Marked for Life?

The first episode of Marked for Life was released on Dec 21, 2023.

Show more FAQ

Toggle view more icon

Comments