Memories of Murder

When a Taiwanese celebrity’s daughter is kidnapped the country is in a state of shock. The police quickly scramble to hunt down the criminals responsible and free the young girl while the nation holds its breath. But as the case drags on hopes begin to fade and little does the Taiwanese public know that this is just the beginning. The murder of Bai Xiao Yen plays out like the plot of a Hollywood movie, with multiple twists and villains appearing in not just the criminals, but also the media and the police themselves. Writer / Host / Producer – Arglit Boonyai Original Music – Craig Lopez Theme – "Scarlet" by Zak Audio

For almost two years a serial killer stalks Seoul completely unnoticed. For his first kills he focuses on killing old, wealthy couples, bludgeoning them to death with a hammer. But following some bad experiences with the women in his life he soon turns his anger and hatred towards prostitutes and masseuses, strangling them to death before dismembering them and eating their organs. After killing more than twenty people, Yoo Young Chul is finally caught and dubbed The Korean Cannibal. Writer / Host / Producer – Arglit Boonyai Original Music / Mix – Craig Lopez Theme – "Scarlet" by Zak Audio

Magic and animism are still widely practiced across Asia and practitioners command both fear and respect in what is still a highly superstitious region. So when a popular singer turned Bomoh, or Shaman is arrested for murder in Malaysia the country is not just in shock, it’s terrified. Soon Mona becomes a kind of boogieman, the Charles Manson of Malaysia and the tales of witchcraft and black magic still haunt the country to this day. Writer / Host / Producer – Arglit Boonyai Music / Mix – Craig Lopez

A serial killer is stalking rural China. He kills at random, in ones and twos, or sometimes entire families. But Chinese authorities are oblivious to his crimes. Without a properly centralized policing system no one is able to connect the dots and pin all the murders on person. When he is finally caught it is found that Yang Xinhai is responsible for 67 murders, from then on he becomes known as The Monster Killer. Writer / Host / Producer – Arglit Boonyai Music / Mix – Craig Lopez

When a beautiful Mongolian socialite’s body is found in the dense Malaysian jungle, blown apart by C4 explosives, people are left scratching their heads as to what happened. The police investigation that followed would reveal a tale of not just murder, but political intrigue involving naval submarines, hired killers and blackmail. It was a case that rocked the Malaysian government and continues to threaten political stability to this day.

When police discover a dismembered body skewered on a crowbar by the side of a busy Jakarta street, they initially believe it to be a one off crime of passion. But as the investigation proceeds it soon turns into one of the most fascinating cases in Indonesia’s history, filled with sex, religion, a homemade graveyard and finally, the country’s most infamous serial killer, one that would release a pop album from behind bars and become known as The Singing Serial Killer.

On the evening of November 25th 1988 Junko Furuta is cycling home from her part time job when she is suddenly attacked. Her would-be saviour Hiroshi Miyano, is far from the white-knight he appears to be. Junko soon finds out her resucer is an infamous member of the Yakuza, and together with his gang they subject her to 44 days of pain and torture that ultimately ends with Junko dead and Japan asking "how could we let this happen?"

In Hong Kong, a killer taxi driver stalks his victims. Under the belief that God has told him to kill, he methodically butchers young, vulnerable women while filming the deed for his collection. When the police finally catch up with him he becomes cemented in history as Hong Kong's first serial killer. But because of the gruesomeness of his crimes the public remembers him as The Jars Murderer.

What to expect from the upcoming Memories of Murder launch.

Host Arglit Boonyai (The History Channel’s Crimes That Shocked Asia) presents Memories of Murder: An Asian True-Crime Podcast. From the Jars Murders to the Korean Cannibal each episode will explore the history and context of some of the most shocking crimes from across Asia. Hosted / Written / Produced: Arglit Boonyai This podcast is powered by Pinecast.