Carol Costello Presents: Blind Rage

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In this podcast, journalist Carol Costello revisits the first big assignment she covered as a 22-year-old, novice reporter: Phyllis Cottles’ brutal attack. Psychologists call them “Triumphant Survivors,” but Phyllis Cottle was more than a survivor, she used this crime to better herself and the world around her. 

Evergreen Podcasts


    • Apr 18, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 17m AVG DURATION
    • 21 EPISODES
    • 1 SEASONS

    Ivy Insights

    The Carol Costello Presents: Blind Rage podcast is a compelling and haunting exploration of a tragic and brutal assault that took place almost 40 years ago. Hosted by journalist Carol Costello, the podcast delves deep into the story of Phyllis Cottle, offering listeners an in-depth look at the devastating impact of such a heinous crime.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the way in which Carol Costello skillfully weaves together various perspectives and recollections to tell Phyllis Cottle's story. The narrative structure is solid, allowing for moments of reflection and emotional impact to resonate with the audience. Costello's storytelling is both detailed and compassionate, giving voice to those forever affected by the crime while shedding light on the broader societal implications.

    While there are many strengths to this podcast, one potential drawback could be the heavy subject matter it covers. The details of the assault can be difficult to listen to at times, as they confront viewers with the harsh realities of human depravity. Additionally, some listeners may find it emotionally challenging to journey through such a traumatic experience alongside Phyllis and those closest to her.

    In conclusion, The Carol Costello Presents: Blind Rage podcast offers a poignant and thought-provoking examination of a tragic event that continues to reverberate through time. Through meticulous reporting and powerful storytelling, Carol Costello brings Phyllis Cottle's story to life in a way that demands attention and inspires reflection. This podcast is a must-listen for true crime enthusiasts looking for an immersive and impactful narrative experience.



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    Latest episodes from Carol Costello Presents: Blind Rage

    Why That Case? An Interview with The Ohio Innocence Project

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2024 28:06


    In this episode of Blind Rage, Carol gains insight into Samuel Herring's bid for exoneration from the man who heads Ohio's Innocence Project, attorney Mark Godsey.  Despite the initial intrigue, DNA evidence led to a perplexing ending: Herring's guilt was confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt. Godsey, a former prosecutor turned innocence advocate, explains how and why the organization took up Herring's case, reveals how DNA evidence was discovered, shares the history of the nationwide effort to overturn wrongful convictions, and addresses the emotional toll on victims' families. EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Producer - Chris Aiola Audio Engineer - Sean Rule-Hoffman Contributor - Nijah Golliday Production Director - Brigid Coyne Executive Producer - Gerardo Orlando Original Music - Timothy Law Snyder Guest: Mark Godsey (https://law.uc.edu/faculty/directory/mark-godsey.html) Ohio Innocence Project at Cincinnati Law (https://law.uc.edu/real-world-learning/centers/ohio-innocence-project-at-cincinnati-law.html) Ohio Innocence Project Application: (https://law.uc.edu/content/dam/refresh/law/pdfs-temporary/oip-inmate-screening-application.pdf) For additional information about Phyllis Cottle's case, please visit our website (www.carolcostellopresents.com), Carol's Facebook page (Facebook.com/CarolLMU) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/carolcostello). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Update: DNA Results | "I'm a Gun Man"

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2023 17:34


    Carol shares the results of DNA testing on newly recovered evidence in the case of Phyllis Cottle's brutal assault. The results are infuriating and…baffling. The Ohio Innocence Project prompted a forensic review of evidence, raising the possibility that Samuel J. Herring, the man convicted of the crime, may be innocent.  Herring, now 67 years old and wheelchair-bound, has spent nearly 40 years behind bars. He has maintained his innocence. Today we know the truth. And while it leads to a man who is definitely guilty, it also raises questions.   EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Producer - Chris Aiola Audio Engineer - Sean Rule-Hoffman Production Director - Brigid Coyne Executive Producer - Gerardo Orlando Original Music - Timothy Law Snyder Cleveland Channel 5's story on Samuel Herring: https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/investigations/new-testing-shows-dna-of-akron-rapist-found-on-victims-clothing The Marshall Project's story on Samuel Herring: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/12/06/dna-ohio-innocence-project-conviction-integrity-unit-prison For additional information about Phyllis Cottle's case, please visit our newly-launched website (www.carolcostellopresents.com), Carol's Facebook page (Facebook.com/CarolLMU) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/carolcostello). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Update: The Unthinkable

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023 12:45


    Carol shares a shocking development in the case of Phyllis Cottle's brutal assault, one that she knew might come. The Ohio Innocence Project has prompted a forensic review of evidence, raising the possibility that Samuel J. Herring, the man convicted of the crime, may be innocent.  Herring, now 67 years old and wheelchair-bound, has spent nearly 40 years behind bars. He has maintained his innocence.  Now DNA testing of recently unearthed evidence may reveal the truth. So, what if the justice system got it wrong? And if Herring is innocent, then who did it? EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Producer - Chris Aiola Audio Engineer - Sean Rule-Hoffman Contributor - Nijah Golliday Production Director - Brigid Coyne Executive Producer - Gerardo Orlando Original Music - Timothy Law Snyder The Marshall Project's story on Samuel Herring: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/11/09/after-nearly-40-years-behind-bars-in-ohio-dna-testing-is-finally-underway? For additional information about Phyllis Cottle's case, please visit our newly-launched website (www.carolcostellopresents.com), Carol's Facebook page (Facebook.com/CarolLMU) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/carolcostello). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bonus: Survivors and the Media

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2023 22:19


    Phyllis and her family felt ambushed by the media during what was an incredibly difficult and delicate time in her life. The relentless pursuit of her story interrupted her recovery at home. In this bonus episode, Carol interviews her former colleague, producer Ronni Berke, about what it's like to interview victims. Ronni is an award-winning journalist and producer, who spent 17 years at CNN covering some of the biggest stories, including the September 11th terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. She's also the Director Of Development And Communications for the LAM Foundation, the leading nonprofit in the fight against lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) - a rare lung disease affecting primarily women. EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Producer - Chris Aiola Audio Engineer - Sean Rule-Hoffman Contributor - Nijah Golliday Production Director - Brigid Coyne Executive Producer - Gerardo Orlando Original Music - Timothy Law Snyder Guest: Ronni Berke (www.ronniberke.com) The LAM Foundation (https://www.thelamfoundation.org/)  For additional information about Phyllis Cottle's case, please visit our newly-launched website (www.carolcostellopresents.com), Carol's Facebook page (Facebook.com/CarolLMU) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/carolcostello). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bonus: A Spiritual Awakening

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2023 19:19


    Phyllis Cottle nearly killed herself when she found out she would never be able to see again. She had a plan, and was about to follow through with it, until she felt a “warm hand on her shoulder,” one that she was convinced was divine. Was she right? Was God intervening? And, if so, what should she do with that sign from above?  In this bonus episode we explore those questions with Larry Vuillemin, Phyllis' good friend who says he also heard God speak to him after a pivotal, life-changing health scare. Larry is a former Senior Trial Attorney with the Summit County Prosecutor's office, an Akron City Councilman, and former Adjunct Professor at the University of Akron School of Law. In 1990, he co-founded Heart to Heart Communications, which focuses on personal and spiritual development as a foundational way empowering leaders and enriching workplaces  EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Producer - Chris Aiola Audio Engineer - Sean Rule-Hoffman Contributor - Nijah Golliday Production Director - Brigid Coyne Executive Producer - Gerardo Orlando Original Music - Timothy Law Snyder Guest: Larry Vuillemin, Attorney at Law  (https://www.ohiodefensefirm.com/about/lawrence-vuillemin) Heart to Heart Leadership: https://www.htohleadership.org/ For additional information about Phyllis Cottle's case, please visit our newly-launched website (www.carolcostellopresents.com), Carol's Facebook page (Facebook.com/CarolLMU) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/carolcostello). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bonus: Why Didn't You Scream?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2023 25:25


    Phyllis Cottle said if she “had just been raped,” she may not have gone to police. “I didn't want the hassle,” she said. But it was more than that: shame, blame, disbelief — reasons that still resonate with survivors today.  In this bonus episode, host Carol Costello sits down with Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh, who has created a campaign that aims to change the way society talks about sexual assault.  EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Producer - Chris Aiola Audio Engineer - Sean Rule-Hoffman Contributor - Nijah Golliday Production Director - Brigid Coyne Executive Producer - Gerardo Orlando Original Music - Timothy Law Snyder Guest: Sherri Bevan Walsh, Summit County Prosecutor (https://prosecutor.summitoh.net/pages/About-Prosecutor-Sherri-Bevan-Walsh.html) Start By Believing Campaign (https://startbybelieving.org/home/) For additional information about Phyllis Cottle's case, please visit our newly-launched website (www.carolcostellopresents.com), Carol's Facebook page (Facebook.com/CarolLMU) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/carolcostello). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Fight Continues

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2023 17:49


    The trial is over, but the hard work continues. Phyllis feels a newfound purpose in life, and manifests unexpected forgiveness. Her family continues her fight for justice, vowing to keep her convicted attacker behind bars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Happy Birthday

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2023 19:20


    Now the defense makes its case. As witness Chili Mo enters the courtroom, prosecutor Bob Bulford notices something remarkable unfold before his eyes. Phyllis braces for the moment Samuel Herring takes the stand, a questionable move on the part of his attorney. Criminologist Casey Jordan breaks down the defense's lines of questioning. Will Herring's testimony be enough to convince the jury of his innocence? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Three Ring Trial

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2023 20:00


    Phyllis steels herself for the long-awaited trial. Law enforcement reaches out to a potential star witness. And prosecutors hope Phyllis' testimony sways the jury enough to overlook their lack of physical evidence, before she faces a rapid-fire cross examination. Episode Image ©Marcy Nighswander  – USA TODAY NETWORK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    What is There to Live For?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2023 21:14


    Phyllis receives a grave medical update, and begins to question her very existence. As she searches for a way out of the darkness, the media looks for her. And at the urging of her boss, Phyllis decides to take the narrative into her own hands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Blue House, Black Eagle

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2023 18:34


    Police continue their search throughout Akron for a blue house with a black eagle, which they hope will lead them to the scene of the crimes. But will Phyllis' descriptions prove accurate? And detectives dig deep to learn more about their suspect's past — but how will they link him to the crime scene? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    A Suspect

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2023 17:38


    Detectives zero in on their suspect, Samuel Herring, whose rap sheet stretches back to childhood. But how will they confirm he's their guy when Phyllis cannot see? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Manhunt

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2023 17:04


    Calls flood the hotlines as Akron PD conducts a citywide manhunt to find Phyllis' attacker. Phyllis' description of the house fuels the search, though police cannot ask her — blinded and still recovering — to point out the location. And a particular tip leads Detective Chris Contos to a group of witnesses and his first compelling suspect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Extended Interviews

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2023 16:54


    This week, we present a pair of extended interviews with two of the voices in our series: former prosecutor Emily Pelphry, and criminologist Dr. Casey Jordan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Who Would Do This?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2023 18:10


    Recovering in her hospital room, Phyllis mines her memory for any details that might help apprehend her attacker. Detective Chris Contos develops theories about what kind of perpetrator the Akron Police Department is dealing with. Carol talks to criminologist Dr. Casey Jordan about the mindset of such a criminal, and discusses the question that's on everyone's mind: who would do this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Living Homicide Victim

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2023 20:00


    In an emergency room at Akron City Hospital, medical staff tend to Phyllis while detectives attempt to interview her. The biggest question of all isn't whether she'll lose her vision, but whether her memory superpowers will be enough to catch the bastard who did this to her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Blind Rage

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2023 15:01


    Ninety minutes after her abduction, Phyllis, bound and lying down on the back seat of her car, is brutalized and left for dead. Good samaritans rush to her rescue. And host Carol Costello recounts how, as a 22-year-old reporter at WAKR/TV23, word of something strange in East Akron began to spread through the newsroom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Terror

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2023 18:11


    Phyllis' nightmare has only just begun. Crumpled onto the floorboard of her Buick, she begins to mentally catalog every detail she can about her knife-wielding attacker as he drives toward an unknown destination where she endures horrible consequences. But a request from the assailant and an eye-catching object provide her with the ammo she needs to not only survive, but to “fry the bastard.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    That Day

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2023 20:01


    March 20, 1984 started out as a promising spring day for a single mom from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It wouldn't end that way. Phyllis Cottle is assaulted in broad daylight as she leaves work, forced into her car at knifepoint, and left wondering why no one came to her aid. *We recommend you listen to the Prologue prior to this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Prologue: The Phyllis Cottle Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2023 9:57


    Veteran journalist Carol Costello introduces the story of Phyllis Cottle, examining the case itself and its unimaginable cruelty, as well as the story of the victim who became a determined, heroic detective in the pursuit of justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Coming Soon! Blind Rage: The Story of Phyllis Cottle

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2022 1:31


    In 1984, Phyllis Cottle was tortured, then left to die in a burning car, yet she survived. For one reason: “To fry the son-of-a-bitch.” Detectives called Phyllis a “living homicide victim” because she could not identify her rapist, but Phyllis was no victim. Throughout her hours-long ordeal she never panicked, opting instead to channel a sort of controlled rage to, as she put it, “catch the bastard.” As a reporter and former CNN anchor, I (Carol Costello) covered every kind of vicious crime imaginable. Most stories I was able to leave at work. But not this one. Phyllis gets under your skin. She was one badass woman. You must know her name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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