Thinking Sideways Podcast

Karen wraps up this part of the Car Barn Murders series with her assessment of accomplices Walter Oliver and Robert Janney along with a breakdown of the statement of Francis Gregory. Please go to the Shattered Souls Facebook page for insider details and to render your verdicts on the case. Stay tuned for future episodes and a few surprises! Thank you for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After handing off her findings on William Clarke to you, the public jury, Karen details every factor and Clarke's criminal intent to put the final pieces together. She also uncovers the identity of Captain Vollten's confidential informants.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karen makes her opening argument against her primary suspect, William Clarke, based on the information provided in the 1935 reports and from Captain Vollten's confidential informants from 1954....but, who were the informants?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karen's friend, Stephanie White, cracked the identity of  DC Metro Police 'ex-Sergeant Greene", named numerous times in Captain Vollten's 1954 Addendum report. Who was this man and how did he play a role in the murders of Emory Smith and James Mitchell?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1954 Addendum report written by Captain Vollten provided all of the details needed to crack the case, but there were still unidentified persons involved in the murder that Karen has to identify to come to a conclusion.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Karen continues putting the pieces together, she finds out about an addendum report that was not included in the original files. She also discovers that there may have been evidence tampering by one of the original detectives. William Clarke's friend and alibi, James Weir, goes on the run.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prison letters between William Clarke and Mary Branch tell a sordid story of love and hate. Clarke also wrote to several other people from his prison cell, including a U.S. Senator and one woman who proved to be pivotal regarding a solution to the case.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The lid finally blows off of the case when Karen discovers a related crime that was not mentioned anywhere in the case file. Dead men tell no tales. Dead women, too.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karen delves into the police interviews of William Clarke and Mary Branch and finds marked discrepancies, an unnamed DC cop, as well as a direct link to another person of interest -- the only person left alive after the murders.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the political machine churned in the background, Detectives Vollten and Rodgers follow up on the information from DC Jail inmate Horace Davis and his claims about Walter Oliver's confession. Another name was dropped by Davis and Karen finds a treasure trove of information and a link that sets her wheels spinning toward a solution.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DC Jail inmate Horace Davis provided the first solid lead to investigate, but was he telling the truth? Karen has more names to investigate and finds the first bombshell from an unlikely source.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Detective Vollten kept interviewing suspects after breaking away from the investigation of Tony The Stinger Cugino, but nothing was panning out. Almost a year to the day after the Car Barn Murders, Vollten got a letter on his desk from a con who said he had intel.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A wormhole in Philadelphia? Gangsters are on the forefront of Detective Vollten's investigation and Karen follows their leads down a rabbit hole to find out if the Car Barn Murders were a gang hit.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The District of Columbia was dealing with rampant illegal rackets and Karen finds out just how much corruption was going on. The detectives start working with an informant, who finds out key information about the Car Barn Murder case.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

As the detectives followed lead after lead, nothing seemed to be panning out. Karen starts following leads of her own, including an attempted robbery of another ticket office that provided a suspect description.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Karen begins reconstructing the moments of the murders of James Mitchell and her great uncle, Emory Smith, which leads to difficult questions. Was it really an inside job like everyone thought?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Retired detective Karen Smith discovers that her father kept a family secret for decades. In 2002, her father revealed that Karen's great uncle, Emory Smith, was the victim of a heinous murder and that her grandfather had been held as a suspect. Karen begins her journey to solve her great uncle Emory's murder.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

'Shattered Souls: The Car Barn Murders' premieres March 22nd! What happens when a double homicide case lands in your lap? What if it is the oldest active cold case in the history of American true crime? What if your father held a family secret for fifty years before he confided in you that one of the victims was your great-great uncle and that your grandfather had been held as a suspect? What if the murders happened during the most corrupt era our nation has ever known? And what if you are a retired detective, like me, with the unique skill set needed to figure out an 87-year-old family mystery? Well, you put everything else on hold and set out to solve it. This is my story. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Karen shares two fun, strange, and lighthearted cases from Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, including an encounter with a "Jeff Spicoli in the flesh" surfer dude.

In this surprise lighthearted bonus episode, Karen recounts one of the more straightforward cases in which a perp discovers the hard way that she isn't as smart as Karen and her colleagues.

Who killed Kim Dorsey? As Karen and her co-workers forensically reconstructed the crime scene, the homicide detectives ran down lead after lead until they found the suspect and arrested him. Who was he and how did the crime really happen? What was the suspect’s story when he took the stand at the trial? Interviews with Detective Kim Long, Prosecutor London Kite, Detective Larry Kuczkowski and Sergeant Karen Dukes.

Kim Dorsey was found bludgeoned, stabbed and sexually assaulted in her own bedroom. The crime scene had been assigned to two new crime scene investigators the day before Karen and her co-worker, Kim Long, were summoned to help sort out the details of what happened to Kim early in the morning of October 28, 2012. It would prove to be the most challenging case of Karen’s career. Interviews with Detective Kim Long, Prosecutor London Kite, Detective Larry Kuczkowski and Sergeant Karen Dukes.

Jessie Bracelett was brutally murdered in the pre-dawn hours of December 17, 2012. As Karen and other detectives investigated the crime scene and related items they discovered bloodstain evidence that would reveal, indisputably, who murdered Jessie on that cold December morning.

Twenty two-year-old Jessie Bracelett was stabbed and left for dead in a dark parking lot in 2012. His friend, Maurice Johnson, also suffered a stab wound and called 911. . . and so did several eyewitnesses. Detectives would rely on the forensic reconstruction to detangle this twisted case. Detective Kim Long discusses the case with Karen.

Aubrey Joseph turned himself in after murdering his wife — but he told a much different story than the one told by evidence he left behind. It’s up to the detectives to make sense of the details, follow the evidence to find the lies, and give Trina Joseph a chance at justice.

Karen speaks with prosecutor Janeen Kirch who details her experiences in the State Attorney's Office and her most heartbreaking moment while working the Alexandria Williams case.

Trina Joseph’s tragic murder revealed a history of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband Aubrey. It’s not a whodunit, but the evidence from the crime scene would show the calculated, deliberate way that Aubrey killed her—especially one crucial piece of evidence that multiple officers, detectives, and forensic investigators nearly missed. Music: The New Real by Sam Johnson at www.samjohnsonlive.com

Karen speaks with one of her mentors, Detective Eileen Simpson, about her method for dealing with the emotional aftermath, along with more background information on the Roy Andrews and Moussa Maida cases.

After teenager Moussa Maida was gunned down in the cashier’s booth of his family’s store, his mother’s cries haunted Karen. The case languished for two years before investigators received the break they needed — but the cut-and-dried case threatens to crumble in the courtroom when the defense makes an argument that could let a killer walk free.

Who killed 19 year-old Moussa Maida in his family’s small shop? The killer left behind ample physical evidence. The entire crime was captured on video. It should have been an open-and-shut case, but Karen and the team hit wall after wall in bringing Moussa’s killer to justice. Karen shares the most anguishing moment of her career. Music by Sam Johnson

Roy Andrews spent his law enforcement career helping others but after his murder he needed the help of an adrenaline-fueled team of detectives to find the killer. From a callous confession caught on wiretap, to thoughts from homicide detective Eileen Simpson, who was listening as it happened, this episode takes listeners directly inside the investigation as a killer is brought to justice.

Shattered Souls is about understanding the emotional toll that investigative work takes on those in the trenches. Karen chats with her "work wife," retired JSO detective Kim Long, about their case files and experiences together. Kim details her most heartbreaking cases and explains how she has handled the emotional fallout.

Motive is the name of the game after the brutal and baffling murder of a long-serving police officer. Karen relives the crime scene, sifts through the evidence, and takes listeners on a roller coaster ride as she and her team meet several dead ends before locking a suspect firmly in their sights.

Karen speaks with Stacy Replogle’s mother to learn more about her daughter and what life has been like since her brutal murder.

After Stacy Replogle's nearly decapitated body was found at a remote construction site in Jacksonville, Florida, Karen and her team set out to identify the killer. Exhausted and frustrated, they found a clear link between the victim and the perpetrator in the most unlikely of places. With irrefutable evidence in hand, the race was on to find the suspect. Forensics told a clear story, but what would the alleged killer have to say when the case finally got to court?

On a cold and rainy morning in February of 2005, Jacksonville, Florida forensic detective Karen Smith responded to a troubling report of a body discovered in a wooded area. The unidentified young woman was in a puddle of mud at the bottom of an embankment, adjacent to a well-traveled road. Karen and her team faced tough terrain, poor weather, and other daunting challenges before they could even hope to identify the victim. Then Karen discovered the key to this case in the strangest of places. Fifteen years later, the victim continues to visit Karen in her dreams.

Devin from Thinking Sideways explains why they've partnered with CrimeCon to launch Shattered Souls: A Forensic Detective's Diary from retired detective Karen Smith. An exclusive sneak-peek trailer of the emotional first season follows.

A new episode! Joe tells you how to find it.

The Arkansas Ghost Trial: When a drifter came to a tiny town in Arkansas, murder followed. Then things got kinda weird.

Alfred Loewenstein, one of the world’s richest men, vanished from his private plane in July 1928 somewhere over the English Channel. And no one aboard the plane even saw him go.

Joe helps you discover your next binge-worthy, must-listen, true crime original: Call Me God: The Untold Story of the DC Sniper Investigation. Told firsthand by those key to solving the case, follow FBI agent brothers Jim and Tim Clemente as they lead listeners through the tangled path of discovery and evidence gathering only a select few had the vision to see.

Here’s a new podcast for you! You might know Adam Conover from his hit show “Adam Ruins Everything”, but now he’s going deeper as the host of the new show Factually!, where Adam interviews exceptional experts to reveal shocking truths and thought-provoking new perspectives. It’s a podcast for curious people who never stop asking questions. Factually! is out NOW - listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Marty Markowitz had his share of problems. His parents had recently died. He had troubles at work. A failing relationship. He needed someone to help him through this rough patch in his life. So he decided to get some professional help from a psychiatrist. What he did not count on, was what happened in his life over the next twenty-nine years.This is a story about power, control, and turning to the wrong person for help. Listen now at wondery.fm/sideways

The rumor that began with a Reddit post and metastasized into a tabloid sensation is... not true. Steve, Devin and Joe saddle up one last time to bring you the truth.

What happens when a seemingly-perfect marriage ends in a nasty divorce and someone ends up dead. Listen to Over My Dead Body today wherever you’re listening to this or wondery.fm/omdb

Lots of incredible things are being developed while we're way! Stay tuned to this feed for some great new stuff. In the meantime we've got a clip to share on the Menendez case from our good friends at Generation Why.

In Part II of our collaboration with Minds of Madness podcast, we identify a suspect in the strange death of Greg de Villers.

The Sideways Gang teams up with our friends at The Minds of Madness to discuss the murder of Greg de Villers.

This is the last episode of TSP and we wanted to have some fun with it. So here are the final bloopers from this years episodes. Oh, and there is a lot of swearing.

In the early 1970s Tatunca Nara, last Chieftain of the Ugha Mongulala, revealed the existence of his tribe’s greatest secret—the vast city of Akakor, hidden deep in the Amazon jungle. Several have died trying to find the lost city, but no Westerner has yet laid eyes on it. Why could that be?

In August 1971 a group of hippies were partying at Stonehenge when a freak lightning storm, accompanied by blue lights, took the group by surprise... and may have been the cause of their disappearance.