Podcasts about in crime

A small Ohio city was stunned after a teen crashed her car into the side of a building, killing her boyfriend and a back seat passenger. Mackenzie Shirilla said she couldn't remember what happened before she slammed head-on into a brick wall at 100 MPH, but said the fatal collision was an accident. Classmates described Shirilla as a spoiled mean girl whose socials were filled with videos of her expensive taste in clothes, the latest TikTok trends, and clip after clip of her smoking marijuana. Investigators learned her relationship with Dominic Russo was volatile, and details of the crash weren't adding up. They believed the image-obsessed teen didn't black out behind the wheel…they thought she drove into the brick wall on purpose. The Netflix documentary “The Crash” recounts the 2022 case, examining evidence which suggests the high-speed collision was a purposeful act. Featuring interviews with the parents of all three occupants and with Shirilla herself, the film invites the audience to draw their own conclusions on whether the crash was intentional and why. The film looks at how Shirilla's online persona influenced the narrative around her, raising the question of whether investigators misinterpreted Gen Z culture with motivation for murder. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE CRASH" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: shave off the hair of...two bits! For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marcellus may be just an octopus, but he's very observant of what's happening around him in the aquarium. Tova the cleaning lady is considering selling her home. And when she sprains her ankle, cash-strapped Cameron takes a temp job helping clean. Marcellus can sense the deep sadness in each of them. Tova has questions about her son's mysterious death at sea and Cameron has come to town to confront the rich father he never knew. But from inside his tank, Marcellus has the answers both are searching for. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” stars Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, and Alfred Molina. The Netflix film keeps some of the mystery and all of the emotion from the best-selling novel about an octopus who can see things in the people around him that they can't see for themselves. What unfolds is a gentle story about loss, second chances, and the strange ways we find our way home. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: pud pulling. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2020, pathologist Caroline Muirhead swiped right on a gamekeeper from the Scottish Highlands. Her whirlwind romance with Sandy McKellar led to a quick proposal. But before the wedding, her fiancé confided that years earlier, he and his twin brother killed a man and hid his body. Muirhead was torn between her love for McKellar and her duty to turn him in. Her work with police to gather evidence only drew her further into their drug-and-booze fueled relationship. Muirhead found herself spiraling, as she raced to learn more about the crime before McKellar could catch on to her.  In the Netflix series “Should I Marry a Murderer?” Muirhead tells her story of romance, homicide, and self-destruction.  The show serves as both a tense procedural inside her efforts to uncover the details about the crimes of her fiancé, as well as a confessional for the lovestruck doctor about her mistakes along the way. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SHOULD I MARRY A MURDERER?" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: reel too real. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When their friend Nancy is murdered, Eleanor and Mary believe her secret lover “David” is behind it. But Eleanor becomes an early suspect in the case when her long-simmering feelings about the victim's husband come to the surface. Mary takes on the role of sleuth, hoping to unmask Nancy's lover. But her quest uncovers even more complications about the friends' decades-long relationship, as even more people in their social circle become persons of interest.  Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, and Kate Mara star in the Apple Original “Imperfect Women.” This domestic thriller tries to untangle the secrets among the women, their lovers, and the ghosts from their past to find the truth about the death of their socialite friend. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IMPERFECT WOMEN" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: pave it forward. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lucy Greenwell remembered a story from her childhood: in 1987, a newborn was abandoned off a country road near her home in Suffolk. Now a journalist, Greenwell tracked down Jess, who grew up wondering how she came to be a foundling. Jess eventually reached out to the young nanny who miraculously discovered her in a secluded field. As her suspicions about Jennifer grew, Jess would learn more about her rescuer's life. Meanwhile, Greenwell investigated whether a live-in nanny in this town could conceal her pregnancy and delivery, and discard a baby undetected. In the end, Jess understood that, all these years later, the impact of her abandonment rippled far beyond her own origin story.   From Tortoise Investigates and The Observer comes the podcast “Foundling.” Greenwell follows Jess's quest to learn the truth about her birth, her parents, and the impact that her search had on the many people unknowingly connected to her. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "FOUNDLING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: deep, deepfake. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

TV weatherman Clark Forrest convinces his friend and ASL interpreter to sign up for an anonymous hook-up app to spice up his life. Floyd Smernitch is cash-strapped, overweight, and dealing with his distant wife and troubled stepson. But after joining DTF St. Louis, Floyd's body is discovered in a pool house after a late-night rendezvous. Investigators examine Clark's relationship with Floyd's wife Carol, which leads to more questions about the sex lives and personalities of the suburbanites. While looking into whether friends, strangers, or lovers are behind his demise, a clearer picture of Floyd emerges: a man who longed for more than just a physical connection. Jason Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini star in the HBO Original “DTF St. Louis.” The series combines dark comedy and mystery with a meditation on the quiet desperation of middle-aged people. Are their mid-life crises really about sex — or a cure for their loneliness and disappointment? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DTF ST. LOUIS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: brow beat. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Dr. Christine Marie and her videographer husband moved to Utah, they befriended members of the polygamous FLDS church. With the community's former leader now in prison, Samuel Bateman claimed to be their new prophet and took on 20 wives. Concerned about the underage girls among them, Christine convinced Bateman to let them film a documentary about him. The couple recorded evidence that Bateman was trafficking the girls, but local police were reluctant to take action. Meanwhile, Christine worked secretly to convince the young wives — and the parents who allowed the marriages — that they were under the spell of a false prophet. The Netflix series “Trust Me: The False Prophet” provides a look at Bateman's crimes from the perspective of the filmmakers embedded in his home. Featuring their original footage along with new interviews, it shows Christine's efforts as a double agent, using the documentary to gather evidence while trying to free his devoted victims from his grip. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "TRUST ME: THE FALSE PROPHET" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: pick pocket. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Journalist M. Gessen's cousin Allen rubbed everyone in their family the wrong way, an annoying windbag who moved from one hustle to another. To win his custody dispute with his ex-wife, he tried to get her deported. He kidnapped their son and fled the country — twice. And finally, he was arrested by the FBI for hiring a hitman to kill her. With relatives holding different opinions on Allen's actions, Gessen decided to dig deeper into the family dynamic. After talking with the people at the center of the affair, Gessen came to the conclusion that Allen is an idiot. In “The Idiot” from Serial Productions and The New York Times, M. Gessen recounts what happened when their pompous cousin is implicated in a murder-for-hire plot. They offer a grim-yet-humorous look at a family dynamic punctuated by co-dependence and irritation. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE IDIOT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: I'm living on the air in Cincinnati.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Temp worker Anthony Norman has been hired to assist on a small company's staff retreat. CEO Doug Womack is about to turn over Rockin' Grandma's Hot Sauce to his son. But when Dougie Jr. makes a huge mistake, his father considers selling the family business to some shady investors. While smiling his way through bizarre seminars and twisted team building exercises, Anthony's suspicion of the investors' motives increases. But what he doesn't suspect is that both the business and the documentary they're shooting are fake — and everyone around him are actors. The Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated, Peabody Award-winning team behind “Jury Duty” returns with “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat.” This time, the hidden-camera, semi-scripted comedy has its hero provide emotional support to Rockin' Grandma's quirky staff, while trying to save this family business from corporate vultures. The show shoots for all the feels, simply by putting a regular person in a situation to do the right thing. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "JURY DUTY PRESENTS: CORPORATE RETREAT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: be kind, rewind. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Coffee, conversation, and crime analysis. ☕⚖️ In Crime & Coffee with Julie Grant, Julie and Retired FBI Agent Jen Coffindaffer break down the latest cases, key developments, and what they mean—bringing expert insight and real talk to the stories everyone's watching.#TrueCrime #CrimeAndCoffee #JulieGrant #BreakTheCase #CrimeNews #TrueCrimeCommunity #FBIJen

When Gabe Ortiz's brother was killed in 2023, the prominent Texas lawman had to deal with more than a murder investigation. He had to confront their different life choices. Faced with few prospects, young Gabe left town for the Air Force and the police academy. Meanwhile, his brother Larry stayed at home, where his best opportunity was selling drugs. While Gabe climbed the ranks in the Department of Public Safety, his brother climbed the ranks as a dealer and prison gang leader. But Larry had pulled himself out of The Game to live a more normal life before being gunned down. The question lingers: how did the siblings who were so close as children end up on such opposite paths? The podcast “The Brothers Ortiz” from Campside Media and iHeartPodcasts examines the lives of two men, bound by blood but living in distant worlds. Host Sean Flynn talks with the Ortiz family to learn why the brothers' paths diverged so widely and how they tried to connect despite living on opposing sides of the law. It's a story of how circumstance, choice, and the world around them steered the two men toward separate destinies. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE BROTHERS ORTIZ" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: Blue Man Dupe.   For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When San Diego police discovered fellow officer Ciara Estrada dead in her bathroom, they determined she shot herself with her own gun. At a New Year's party the night before, Estrada got drunk, fought with her boyfriend, and made many references to self-harm. But Estrada's family say police didn't go deep enough, claiming investigators were too quick to lay the blame on her. They say Estrada's tumultuous relationship with another cop was never explored. They believe the department protected the man who — directly or indirectly — is responsible for her death. In the podcast “One of Their Own” from KPBS, host Katie Hyson explores how the San Diego Police Department investigated the 2017 death of their officer. It looks into claims that Estrada was either shot by the fellow cop who was her boyfriend, or that their volatile romance drove her to suicide. It also asks what responsibility the department might have when two of its employees are in a problematic relationship. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ONE OF THEIR OWN" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: cold wallet. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

While doing defense work, Ariel crosses paths with inmate Michael Thompson. Incarcerated for decades on murder charges, she finds him to be soft-spoken, educated, and spiritual. Ariel's intrigued by Thompson's life growing up on an Indian reservation, his claims of being wrongfully convicted, his time leading the brutal Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, and his quest for enlightenment. He dispenses wisdom as he recounts his violent past and deeds done to atone for them. But prosecutor Heather Brown finds Thompson's stories to be false or exaggerated, tales that shift as they suit his purpose. Whereas Ariel sees a reformed man worthy of a second chance, Heather believes him to be a slippery con artist intent on talking his way out of prison. In the podcast “Love + Radio: Blood Memory,” host Nick van der Kolk explores Thompson's life in a true crime series presented largely without narration. Through extensive interviews, it allows Thompson to tell his own life story, leaving it for the listener to decide whether he's credible. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "LOVE + RADIO: BLOOD MEMORY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: power vacuum.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After a routine domestic disturbance call at a Louisville home, Jeffrey Mundt and Joey Banis shocked police by revealing a dead body was in their basement. The ex-lovers each accused the other of killing a drag performer during a ménage à trois, and being forced to help bury the victim beneath the dirt floor. With one defendant an ex-con and the other into sadistic kinks, attorneys used their pasts to paint each other as liars and killers. But years after their trials, their community still revels in the salacious crime and questions of whether justice was served. “Murder in Glitterball City” from HBO Documentary Films looks at the 2009 case and tries to parse whether one - or both - of the suspects are responsible for the death of Jamie Carroll. It also uses a cast of unconventional community members reading aloud from a true crime book to explore themes of gay identity, toxic intimacy, and Old Louisville's quirky subcultures. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MURDER IN GLITTERBALL CITY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: Lion Wait. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2016, officials at England's The Countess of Chester Hospital began an inquest into what was causing a statistically high number of babies in the neonatal unit to die or require resuscitation. They found the cases all had one thing in common: night nurse Lucy Letby was on duty for all of them. Police accused Letby of killing the infants in a number of ways - including tampering with oxygen, feeding tubes, and insulin injections. But her lawyers said the outcomes were the result of poor care from the hospital, and the causes of death were medical, not murder.   The Netflix documentary “The Investigation of Lucy Letby” looks into the largest case of infant homicides in British history. It uses body cam and security footage to show how their probe came together and possible motives for the killings. The film also uses controversial AI technology to change the appearance of some contributors who wanted to remain anonymous. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE INVESTIGATION OF LUCY LETBY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: fowl odor.    For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Combing passages within the newly-built Providence Place mall, a group of local artists located an unused, overlooked space within the building. They sneaked in furniture and construction supplies, and fashioned a small apartment under the noses of management and security guards. Though the confederates used the space like a club house, they considered the project a political and artistic commentary on gentrification and consumerism. They filmed themselves for four years, but they could not avoid detection forever. The 2024 documentary film “Secret Mall Apartment” is now available on Netflix. It shows Michael Townsend and his crew building and maintaining the space. The film shows how the clandestine project was more than just a plucky urban legend, but also an artistic statement about community and capitalism.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SECRET MALL APARTMENT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Home (Alone) invasion. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sydney McDowell was preparing for the last steps in her fertility journey. But when she went to Nashville's Center for Reproductive Health for a final check-up, she learned the clinic was abruptly closing, and what would happen to her frozen embryos was unclear. Hundreds of families who'd paid thousands of dollars were left in the lurch, unable to recover their money or their embryos. As the would-be mothers compared notes, they said they missed many red flags that something wasn't right at this fertility clinic.From School of Humans and iHeartPodcasts comes “What Happened in Nashville.” Host Melissa Jeltsen brings the heartwrenching stories of those whose dreams of conceiving were dashed. She also explores the background of the clinic's owner-operator, attempts to hold him accountable, and the lingering deficiencies in regulating this kind of medicine.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WHAT HAPPENED IN NASHVILLE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: rolling in the dough. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A group of armed thieves force their way into a London investment firm which manages pension funds. In order to move billions of pounds into an offshore account, low-level office worker Zara Dunne is forced to complete the transaction with a gun to her head. DCI Rhys Covac thinks the heist isn't all that it seems, and is paired with forensic accountants and MI5 operatives to unravel the operation. As Covac investigates her co-worker Luke, Zara finds herself in the middle of a high-stakes caper, looking for a way out.The six-episode series “Steal” on Prime Video stars Sophie Turner. The thriller puts her character in the crosshairs of cold-blooded spies, crypto-robbers, and the cops looking for the missing billions. Was the theft of the workers' retirement money an inside job? Was it a cash grab or was it a political statement? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "STEAL" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: regrets only. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When police discovered an emaciated boy covered in wounds and duct tape, they learned he and his sister were being kept in the basement of Jodi Hildebrandt. She had built an online following by promoting harsh approaches to marriage advice and rigid child‑rearing strategies. The imprisoned children belonged to Ruby Franke, who abandoned her well‑known mommy vlog to collaborate with Hildebrandt on YouTube. As investigators dug into the case, they uncovered more about their methods…marked by domination, seclusion, and uncompromising demands for responsibility.The Netflix documentary “Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story” examines the notorious child abuse case through the lens of Franke's partner, accomplice, and enabler. It explores Hildebrandt's backstory, her controversial counseling techniques, as well as the ways she influenced the influencer…and its horrific consequences.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "EVIL INFLUENCER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: slipping the leash. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the 1980s, America was told Satanism was on the rise. Devil worshipers were responsible for kidnappings and blood sacrifices, and were coming for your children. Soon, police, teachers, and social workers were seeing Satanists everywhere. But why did the “satanic panic" take off in the first place? Were we really afraid of the devil? Or was it a way to explain the rising prevalence of societal ills and cultural shifts some saw as just as corrupting as Lucifer himself? In CBC's “The Devil You Know,” host Sarah Marshall hunts for the origins of the 80s satanic panic and why it took hold. She finds that mass media tropes and religious dogma - combined with the public's growing awareness of sexual abuse, queer-phobia, and changing mores - helped fuel a hysteria in which it was easier to blame the devil for our problems than ourselves.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE DEVIL YOU KNOW" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: rail fail. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After New Zealander Greg Wards married an American, she convinced him to open a cafe in a resort town. He'd learn that Lezlie Manukian forged bank documents, stole money, and made off with his parents' life savings. Years later, Kiwi journalist Ollie Wards examined his family's efforts to locate Lezlie. Wards picked up the search and discovered a trail of more fraud, cover stories, and victims. “Snowball” is from the Unravel Podcast team at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and is being redistributed in the feed for Pushkin's “Deep Cover” series. Part family profile, part shoe-leather investigation, “Snowball” follows Wards' attempt to reconstruct how his family was brought to financial ruin and what happened to the woman who caused it all.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SNOWBALL" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: We can work it out. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After being transferred to a new church, Father Jud Duplenticy meets the mercurial Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a domineering priest whose parish is filled with secrets. But when Wicks is murdered while alone in a closet in front of his most ardent parishioners, authorities bring in noted private detective Benoit Blanc to solve the case. Blanc and Father Jud dig into Wicks's past and his relationships with his followers to solve a quintessential closed-door mystery. The detective and the priest discover the murder is only part of a larger puzzle of deceit, wealth, and power.Daniel Craig and Josh O'Connor lead an all-star cast in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” now on Netflix. The sequel forces the renowned private eye and the earnest priest to join forces and sift through a bevy of suspects that includes the church secretary, a drunk doctor, a failed politician, a high-strung lawyer, and a struggling novelist. The film covers themes of morality, faith, and greed, wrapped in a classic whodunnit throwback the Knives Out series is known for.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WAKE UP DEAD MAN" BEING IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: The future's so bright. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the 2010s, “Totally Laime” wrote the blueprint for podcasts with hot takes, humorous advice, and an engaged audience. Among Elizabeth Laime and Andy Rosen's colorful group of listeners was one woman struggling with a relationship affected by her past stint as a model. A subset of listeners grew increasingly reliant on Laime's attention, and when tragedy struck, the hosts questioned what went wrong. But as they dug deeper into what happened, Laime and Rosen feared something more sinister was at play.The podcast “Beth's Dead” looks into the dangers of parasocial relationships and the mystery behind why Laime and Rosen ended their trailblazing show. "Armchair Expert"'s Monica Padman holds extended chats with the couple to recount their story and help them confront the unsettled questions of what really happened.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BETH'S DEAD" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Penny for your thoughts. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2016, Truman State University was rocked when two fraternity members died by suicide within weeks of each other. But officials were troubled that both students had close ties to Brandon Grossheim, the person who found each of their bodies. Grossheim called himself “The Peacemaker,” someone students could turn to in times of crisis. But as more deaths occurred, and his behavior grew more peculiar, those around him wondered if Grossheim had been steering his classmates away from self-harm…or encouraging it.The podcast “The Peacemaker” from Coolfire Studios and iHeartPodcasts explores a tragic suicide cluster and the one man connected to all the deaths. Host Ben Westhoff and producer Ryan Krull drill down into the unanswered circumstances around each incident, as well as Grossheim's proximity and preoccupation with death. It seeks to answer whether his actions were unsuccessful attempts to counsel people already in crisis or whether he nudged them along a path to self-harm.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE PEACEMAKER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Whoville are you? For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeremy Bamber was convicted of killing his parents, sister, and nephews in 1985. The Whitehouse Farm murders became England's most sinister case, cementing Bamber as the nation's most infamous criminal. And to this day, many remain convinced he is the cold‑blooded killer behind the massacre. But New Yorker reporter Heidi Blake looked into why police turned away from their original theory that the deaths were a murder-suicide at the hands of Bamber's schizophrenic sister. The investigative reporter found Bamber's relatives may have manipulated evidence, detectives altered the scene, and authorities may have suppressed evidence in an effort to get and maintain a conviction.From the team at In the Dark and The New Yorker comes “Blood Relatives.” The series reopens one of the country's darkest chapters with fresh scrutiny. Blake topples popular belief that Jeremy Bamber slaughtered his family by uncovering new evidence, including an interview with a dispatch operator who says his report about that night was forged.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IN THE DARK: BLOOD RELATIVES" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: party animal. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alex Murdaugh was part of a South Carolina legal dynasty, but the attorney was hiding secrets. He had been embezzling from his family's law firm to maintain a lavish lifestyle and his addiction to pills. Things start to unravel when his younger son Paul is involved in a fatal boating accident. A reporter turns up evidence of suspicious deaths and apparent corruption by members of the Murdaugh family. As his marriage falls apart and a civil lawsuit will surely expose his financial crimes, Alex Murdaugh contemplates drastic measures to avoid the consequences.  Hulu's “Murdaugh: Death in the Family” stars Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette. Adapted from the “Murdaugh Murders Podcast,” the miniseries focuses on Alex's financial scams, Maggie's unhappy marriage, Paul's boating crash, and Buster's connection to a cold case. It mines the emotional consequences of the characters' actions, all leading up to a double murder on the family's property.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MURDAUGH: DEATH IN THE FAMILY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: grizzly bear. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Straight-A student Paul Fisher dropped out of college to try his hand as a male gigolo in L.A. After a chance encounter with a mobster flush with cash, Fisher moved to New York and opened his own modeling agency to compete with the titans of the industry. The so-called “model war” changed the way stars are born in the fashion industry. But along the way, Fisher struggled with the excesses of the 80s, pushback from the old guard, and the shady figures who backed his agency.  The podcast “Model Wars” from Campside Media and iHeartPodcasts looks at the improbable rise and fall of a self-made libertine and the characters around him who disrupted the industry. Host Vanessa Grigoriadis lets Fisher tell his own story of making stars, making money, and making trouble in the world of high fashion during the 1980s.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MODEL WARS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Should have seen that coming.Our special fill-in guest is Ronald Young Jr. from the podcast "Weight for It." For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Attorney Steven Donziger spent his whole career on one case: suing an oil company for polluting villages in the Amazon rainforest. When he obtained a $9 billion judgment against Chevron, it was considered a win for the environment, for corporate accountability, and for Donziger himself. But Chevron never paid the judgement and shifted its legal strategy. They targeted Donziger and his propensity for pushing the limits of the law. In the end, the attorney found himself ruined, disbarred, and under house arrest.The podcast “Scorched Earth: Inside the Epic Battle Between Steven Donziger and Chevron,” available now as an Audible Original, looks at the multibillion-dollar lawsuit, an ethically-compromised attorney, and the lengths that Big Oil went to avoid responsibility. Host David Sirota raises questions about the weaponization of the law, about accountability in the climate change era, and about the line between advocacy and misconduct. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SCORCHED EARTH" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: six feet under from stardom. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1988, postal officials intercepted a package of heroin from China being sent to New York. DEA Agents followed the shipment to the door of a young mother living in Chinatown. Tina Wong told them she was paid by a high school friend to receive packages and pass them along to a street gang. Officials learned women in local mahjong parlors were being recruited to take part in a massive drug trafficking operation. Prosecutors leaned on Wong to betray her friend and take down the gang. But as they moved in on the Flying Dragons, its leader named “Onionhead,” fled to Hong Kong.From Pushkin Industries comes the podcast “The Chinatown Sting.” Host Lidia Jean Kott and co-reporter Shuyu Wang talk to key figures in the crime who've never spoken before. In addition to reviewing the investigation, they dig into the challenging cultural landscape faced by those growing up in New York's Chinese neighborhoods during the 1980s.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE CHINATOWN STING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Legal technicality. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With the sudden death of the President, Ambassador to the UK Kate Wyler is passed over as Vice-President. Grace Penn instead selects Kate's husband, Hal, to join her in the White House. The move forces Kate to choose between going to Washington with Hal as his Second Lady or staying in London as a diplomat. As the Wyler's marital relationship dissolves, so does the diplomatic relationship between the nations, as the US's role in the false flag attack on a British warship goes public. And when the Prime Minister won't cooperate with the Americans on a crisis involving a missing Russian submarine, Kate realizes Hal's solution could lead the strained allies to war.Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell return in season three of Netflix's “The Diplomat.” Kate is tested as personal and political power dynamics shift. In both affairs of state and of the heart, new alliances are formed, old ones are abandoned, and Kate contemplates what's best for her and the country.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE DIPLOMAT" SEASON THREE BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: fluffy nutters. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Returning to work after a family tragedy, FBI Agent Tom Brandis is put in charge of a task force to find who has been robbing drug stash houses run by the ruthless Darkhearts motorcycle gang. Robbie Prendergrast is out for revenge since the bikers killed his brother for sleeping with a leader's wife. But when a holdup turns deadly, Robbie leaves with the eight-year-old son of the people they just killed. Now both the bikers and law enforcement are looking for the stolen drugs and the kidnapped boy. Meanwhile, Tom fears someone on the task force is sabotaging the investigation.Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey star in the HBO Original drama “Task.” As Tom struggles with his shattered family, Robbie searches for a way out of his impossible situation. In addition to its gripping characters and gritty violence, the crime series is rich in themes of loss, vengeance, and redemptionOUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "TASK" BEGIN IN THE FINAL NINE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: I'm not lovin' it. JOIN US ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 AT 7PM ET FOR OUR LIVESTREAM DISCUSSING SEASON FIVE OF "ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING." CLICK HERE TO WATCH FOR FREE.For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Journalist Laura "Lo" Blacklock is invited on a cruise aboard a superyacht filled with Richard and Anne Bullmer's ultra-wealthy friends to raise money for the terminally ill woman's charity. On the first night, Lo hears a commotion from the cabin next door and spots a woman floating in the water. Lo believes it was the mysterious blonde she saw taking a shower in cabin 10. But with all of the crew and passengers accounted for, no one believes her sighting. The reporter snoops stem-to-stern looking for clues as to who the woman was and why someone would want to push her overboard.Based on the bestselling novel, the film “The Woman in Cabin 10” stars Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce and is streaming on Netflix. The nautical closed circle mystery finds its heroine doubting her sanity and sniffing out a murderous plot, as she tries to avoid becoming the killer's next victim.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10" BEGIN IN THE FINAL NINE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: terror alert.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fascinated by a 2000 unsolved local murder, Susan Galbreath decided to become a citizen sleuth. With the help of a British journalist, the Mayfield, KY homemaker identified Quincy Cross and five others of kidnapping and killing Jessica Currin, then raping her lifeless body and setting it on fire. While the press loved the story of an amateur detective cracking the case, serious problems were overlooked. The theory of the crime changed, evidence was circumstantial, and interrogation techniques were coercive. Witnesses have recanted their statements, and even Jessica's father thinks the wrong man is in prison. But what the world didn't know at the trial was that Galbreath had a reason to lead police to Cross and away from their original suspect.“Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County” from Lava for Good asks whether the made-for-movie tale of an average citizen solving a murder is too good to be true and the consequences of that fiction. Host Maggie Freleng picks apart the inconsistencies in the investigation and actions of investigators and journalists too eager to believe the information Galbreath was selling.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BONE VALLEY SEASON 3 | GRAVES COUNTY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: torts and treats. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

While studying in Italy, Amanda Knox and her boyfriend are arrested for the brutal murder of her British roommate. Although they convicted another man for killing Meredith Kercher, authorities also try Knox - relying on a coerced confession and compromised DNA evidence. She finds herself cartooned and slut-shamed in a Kafkaesque legal system. Despite an eventual acquittal, Knox remains vilified in the tabloids and pursued by prosecutors. Unable to fully clear her name and restart her life in America, she returns to Italy to confront the man who refuses to believe her innocence.Hulu's dramatic series “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” stars Grace Van Patten. Co-written by Knox and told largely from her point of view, the series recounts the many turns in the sensational case. It depicts its protagonist as powerless to control the events around her and her quest to reclaim her own narrative. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE TWISTED TALE OF AMANDA KNOX" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: horse collar. Click here to donate to Kevin's Walk-a-Mile in Their Shoes event to benefit NH's Thrive Survivor Support Center.For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ashley and Albert Debelbot had just put their newborn McKenzy to bed for the first time, but hours later rushed the infant back to the hospital after finding a bump on her forehead. When she died, police concluded the parents harmed her and charged them with murder. Facing an overzealous prosecutor, a partial judge, and ineffective defense attorneys, the Debelbots spent twelve years in prison trying to clear their names. But a new legal team uncovered evidence suggesting McKenzy died from a prenatal injury, not a beating.Season 11 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's investigative series “Breakdown: Three Days in May” looks into the Debelbots' complicated case. Hosts Bill Rankin and Tamara Stevens recount the investigative rush-to-judgment, the flawed trial, and the evidence pointing to a medical cause of the baby's death—not a criminal one.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BREAKDOWN: THREE DAYS IN MAY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THIS EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: going nuts! Click here to donate to Kevin's Walk-a-Mile in Their Shoes event to benefit NH's Thrive Survivor Support Center.For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A group of pensioners at a British retirement village have an unusual hobby: they gather weekly to ponder cold cases. But when its co-owner is murdered in the midst of a business dispute over closing the Cooper Chase facility, the elderly sleuths insert themselves in the mystery. With a mix of senior citizen charm and a lifetime of hidden expertise, the Thursday Murder Club digs into the shady backgrounds and dodgy business associates of the retirement community's remaining owners. As the bodies pile up, these armchair detectives find themselves in real-world peril as they get closer to solving the mystery. Based on the hit book series, “The Thursday Murder Club” stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley.  It brings the cozy murder trope into a quiet retirement village where the unlikely sleuths chase down a killer—and remind the world that experience, friendship, and love never grow old.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: I ain't saying she a gold digger™ For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thirteen-year-old Lauryn thought the cruel texts about her and her boyfriend were just another case of teenage cyberbullying. But the messages didn't stop. They escalated, becoming more vicious, graphic, and relentless. Everyone had a theory. Parents blamed classmates. Teachers suspected students. Police hit dead ends. Then a digital breadcrumb buried deep in the texts exposed the last person anyone expected.From Netflix and the director of “Abducted in Plain Sight” comes “Unknown Number: A High School Catfish,” a chilling dive into digital deception. Teen victims, shattered families, and stunned investigators retrace the damage. We also hear from the catfish, allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions about their actions and motives.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "UNKNOWN NUMBER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: A Dark Knight's sleep. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

At a Chicago hospital, labor-and-delivery nurse Clara Hochhäuser prepared to give birth to her own set of twins. But during her Caesarian section, her epidural never kicked in, subjecting her to feel the pain of the entire procedure. Despite her cries of agony, her own colleagues downplayed her suffering as routine discomfort. The incident forced an obstetric anesthetist to realize Clara's experience was not uncommon. Not only do the pain medications fail in a significant number of C-sections, but doctors often dismiss patients' complaints as anxiety or over-reactions. It set her on a crusade to change the way her profession perceives and addresses women's pain. In season two of “The Retrievals” from Serial Productions and The New York Times, host Susan Burton explores the under-reported horror of unmedicated C-sections and exposing how institutional neglect and cultural silence continue to shape the way women experience birth. It also follows the quest for systemic change in medical attitudes and procedures for dealing with women's pain.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE RETRIEVALS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Don't play it again, Sam. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In 1991, four teenage girls were found murdered inside a frozen yogurt store in Austin, Texas. The building had been set on fire, and the crime scene was compromised by the blaze. With no clear motive and little physical evidence, investigators struggled to make sense of what had happened. Years later, after coercive police interviews, a group of men pointed fingers at each other about the crime. Though their stories didn't completely match, two were convicted and one of them sent to death row. But their convictions were overturned, and new DNA evidence pointed to an unknown suspect. The case remains unresolved, leaving investigators and relatives to wonder what went wrong.From HBO Documentary Films comes “The Yogurt Shop Murders.” The series digs into the twists and turns of the homicide investigation. It also spends considerable time exploring the emotional toll the case has had on the accused, the grieving family members, and the detectives trying to get justice.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: well done. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Leaving their troubled past in New England behind, Sophie O'Neil's family moves to Texas, where she's invited into a friend circle of rich wives. The bougie ladies enjoy couture fashion, boozy brunches, and shooting rifles in the woods. Sophie's connection to group leader Margo Banks grows intense, stirring something more than friendship. As Margo's oil magnate husband plans to run for governor, the sheriff is dealing with two violent crimes. Sophie's secret life becomes entwined in a murder investigation. As the walls close in, Sophie finds she's not the only one willing to hide their secrets.The buzzy Netflix series “The Hunting Wives” stars Brittany Snow, Malin Åkerman, and Dermot Mulroney. It attempts to mix scandal, suspense, and obsession, all while serving up soapy mystery and plenty of skin.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE HUNTING WIVES" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: whole lotta faking goin' on. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Fire investigator Dave Gudsen is assigned a new partner to help capture two arsonists. One has been setting fires with milk jugs filled with gasoline and grease. The other has been taunting officials with a delayed-ignition device that's burning grocery stores. Dave draws on his experience to write a novel about a heroic arson investigator with unusual insight into his suspect's mind. To Detective Michelle Calderone, the book reads more like a confession. She begins to wonder whether her partner's uncanny ability to pinpoint these fires' origins is because he's been setting them himself.Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in the Apple TV+ series “Smoke,” inspired by the podcast “Firebug.” The show also features Greg Kinnear, John Leguizamo, and Anna Chlumsky. As Dave closes in on the other arsonist he's hunting, Michelle secretly collects evidence to learn whether the smoke surrounding her partner will lead to actual fire.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SMOKE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: milkin' it. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In the 1990s, Teen Mania Ministries aimed to compete with pop culture influences and reach Christian youth with rock concert-like worship events and international mission trips. The program became a pipeline for the Honor Academy, a religious education facility built on a curriculum of fundamentalist beliefs and unquestioning obedience. Founder Ron Luce aligned his group with conservative political organizations looking to create the next generation of evangelical Americans.  But his program would soon take on a militaristic tone, putting teens through brutal boot camps, glorifying martyrdom, and building an army of actual cultural warriors.“Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War” is season two of the hit series on Prime Video. Producers pivot away from the drama around reality TV family the Duggars and focus on the rise and fall of Teen Mania. It features alumni recounting how their membership went from joyful engagement to physical and spiritual abuse.  It also shows how the youth program fits into a larger political crusade to reshape the nation according to fundamentalist Christian values.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE: A TEENAGE HOLY WAR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: fresh, baked pizza. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In 1995, morning TV anchor Jodi Huisentruit was abducted from the parking lot of her Mason City, Iowa apartment. Among those the police questioned was her friend John Vansice who said she'd been at his home watching a videotape of the surprise party he recently threw for her. After a TV show in 2022 highlighted the mystery, Jodi's best friend said the sketch of a suspect looked like her ex-husband, who'd also been fixated on Jodi. A cold case detective refocused his investigation on Brad Millerbernd, even searching a plot of land where the victim could have been buried.The three-part series from ABC News Studios “Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit,” now on Hulu, follows an investigator as he examines four potential suspects, including a serial rapist and a serial killer. Instead of re-hashing the past investigation, viewers follow Detective Terrance Prochaska as he picks up the fresh lead, interrogates a new suspect, and sends cadaver dogs to a potential burial site.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HER LAST BROADCAST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: caught like a mouse. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Devon DeWitt ventures to a seaside estate to collect her estranged sister, now the indispensable personal assistant to an idiosyncratic socialite. She finds Simone has changed her image, and her presence on the island threatens to upend the new persona Simone has crafted. Devon disrupts plans for Kiki Kell's annual summer gala, pleading with Simone to return home and care for their ill father. But she finds Kiki's influence on her sister and the island's high-society ladies strangely cult-like, and rumors swirl about why the billionaire's first wife is unaccounted for.The Netflix comedy-drama “Sirens” features Emmy nominee Meghann Fahy, Julianne Moore, and Kevin Bacon. Filled with lavish settings and costuming, the tone of the series veers from farcical to deeply dark as the story explores themes of class, power, and trauma.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SIRENS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: pain in the grass. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

When teenage Abbi finds herself pregnant, her parents pressure her to go to a maternity home run by Liberty University. There, she's promised free medical care, college tuition, and counseling on whether to keep her baby or give it up for adoption to a Christian family. But once at the facility, Abbi feels controlled and cut off from her boyfriend - and starts reconsidering her adoption plans. She finds that in the Liberty Godparent Home, keeping her baby is not an offered choice.The Wondery podcast “Liberty Lost” tells the story of women who sought help for their unplanned pregnancies, only to feel coerced into adoptions. Journalist T.J. Raphael explores the resurgence of religious-based maternity homes in a post-Roe world, whether laws there are being broken, and the emotional toll on young mothers and fathers told God believes they don't deserve to be parents. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "LIBERTY LOST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: snakes on a plane. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Max travels from the Philippines to Thailand to take a high-paying job at a casino. But when he arrives, he's instead taken to a camp in the jungles of Myanmar and put to work in a call center running phone scams across the globe. His sister Charlie learns the only way to get him home is also to work for the syndicate.  In order to meet Max's quota, his brother joins the labor camp while Charlie tricks new recruits into the scam factory. With the hope of rescue slim, they're left with few options to win Max's freedom - either negotiate an impossible financial settlement or flee from armed guards into the wilderness. The Wondery podcast “Scam Factory” takes us inside the most dangerous call center in the world. Host Denise Chan tells Charlie's story of high-stakes fraud and moral dilemmas. It also features interviews with her victims conned into forced labor. It asks the question: how far would you go to save a loved one?OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SCAM FACTORY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Scooby-Doo, where are  you? For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In the 80s and 90s, athletes on the Ohio State wrestling team said Doctor Richard Strauss fondled them during physical exams and insinuated himself into their showers. His behavior seemed common knowledge among players and coaches, and the few complaints that were made were brushed aside by the school. Decades later, former athletes from different sports came forward with allegations of Strauss's abuse. University officials claimed to take the scandal seriously, but have tried to limit their liability. And victims remain frustrated that a powerful congressman, who had been an assistant coach, now says he was unaware the team doctor was a predator.The HBO Original documentary “Surviving Ohio State” looks at the case of Doctor Richard Strauss and how he was able to prey on students with impunity for years. It shows the ways The Ohio State University brushed aside concerns then, and how it downplays the impact today. It also focuses on efforts to get answers from firebrand politician Jim Jordan about what he really knew.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SURVIVING OHIO STATE" IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Double trouble. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Crusading magazine publisher Chloe Taylor discovers her husband Adam murdered on the floor of their Hamptons beach house. As suspicion turns to their teenage son Ethan, Chloe is reunited with her troubled sister Nicky, who has spent years battling addiction. But their family secret is revealed: before Chloe married Adam, he was married to Nicky and Ethan is her biological son. Is the murder related to Chloe's online stalker, Adam's legal work with a shadowy syndicate, or something more personal?Based on the bestselling book, Jessica Beil and Elizabeth Banks team up in “The Better Sister” from Prime. The estranged siblings attempt to navigate their family drama and personal demons to solve the case and exonerate the child they both consider their own.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE BETTER SISTER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: rocky road. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In the 1980s, David Sconce took over the family funeral home business and expanded it to offer crematory services. But questions were raised among industry rivals over how Sconce was able to cremate the amount of remains he did. Authorities learned Sconce was not only commingling bodies in the chamber, but also robbed families of their loved one's valuables - and worse. As the revelations came to light, attention shifted to how Sconce was said to deal with his competitors.The HBO Documentary Film “The Mortician” digs into the scandal that rocked the funeral home industry and shocked the public. It features interviews with Sconce, investigators, and grieving family members whose trust he betrayed.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE MORTICIAN" BEGIN IN THE FINAL NINE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: fake ID. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In 2000, a series of luxury homes built on the edge of a Phoenix mountain preserve were set ablaze. Graffiti left at the scene hinted that the fires were the work of eco-terrorists taking a stand against new construction and residential development. After a bombshell newspaper interview with the arsonist shook the investigation, police lured a potential suspect into a trap. He was known as an upstanding citizen, but cops enlisted the help of his best friend to get a confession.From Sony Music Entertainment and Novel Audio comes “The Arsonist Next Door.” “Emerald Triangle” host Sam Anderson talks to keep players in the 2000 hunt for the firebug. He also searches for the real motivation for the fires - one more personal than political.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE ARSONIST NEXT DOOR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL NINE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: trunk club. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.