Crime Writers On...True Crime Review

Documentarians are granted unfettered access to a civil trial and the deliberations of its jury. The panel includes Ronald Gladden, who takes his role earnestly. What he doesn’t know is that the judge, the lawyers, and his eleven fellow jurors are all actors. On this CWO Classic Rewind, we go back to our May 15, 2023 review of the format-breaking, heart-warming hidden camera series “Jury Duty.” 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 Montana, a man puts up a gate blocking access to a private road. Two Florida women feud over a strip of grass each claims is on their own property. And an Indiana man is aggrieved when his suburban neighbor raises livestock in the backyard. While their grievances are both odd and petty, so are the people at the center of the conflicts. Their oversized personalities are only matched by those of their neighbors’, and by the lengths they’re willing to go to annoy one another. HBO’s “Neighbors” delivers a cavalcade of high-strung people and their low-stakes disputes over fences, security cameras, and general resentments about the people living next to them. The series uses the idiosyncratic disputes to make a statement about our modern world of rage, suspicion, and incivility. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "NEIGHBORS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

Marty, Wendy and Ruth are back, trapped between the mob, the Mexicans, the FBI, and the Snells. Jason Bateman and Laura Linney in its follow up season to the Netflix hit drama that combines white collar crime and redneck gothic. On this CWO Classic Rewind, go go back to our Sept 13, 2018 review of season 2 of “Ozark.” 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 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.

In 1977’s Moscow, Americans Bea Grant and Twila Hasbeck learn their husbands have died during a secret mission in Soviet Russia. Determined to learn why, they convince the CIA station chief to let them return to the US embassy to complete their husbands’ covert operation and uncover why it went wrong. Bea and Twila find themselves helping a young Russian leak secret Soviet technology. But they’re drawn in deeper when Bea catches the eye of a ruthless KGB officer who’s been gathering kompromat. Now they must complete their dangerous mission before the Russians figure out that American women can also work as spies. In Peacock’s breezy, buddy spy thriller “Ponies,” Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson star as CIA widows who become operatives and find themselves in a high stakes game of international espionage. The unlikely pair try to balance romance, friendship, double-crosses, and a Cold War conspiracy in which the role of women is greatly underestimated. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "PONIES" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

Thabo Bester, South Africa’s so-called “Facebook Rapist,” was serving a murder conviction when he died by suicide in his prison cell, setting his bed on fire. But authorities later revealed the victim had been killed before the fire began. The story took another turn when celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana attempted to claim Bester’s body. Investigators looked deeper into the connection between the inmate and the social media influencer. Then the media questioned whether Bester had faked his death and escaped with Magundumana’s help. The three-part Netflix series “Beauty and the Bester” recounts the extraordinary investigation into South Africa’s most notorious criminal, his relationship with a celebrity, and what happened next. Featuring extensive interviews with Magudumana's family and investigative journalists, the series shows how a bizarre prison death turned into a national sensation. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BEAUTY AND THE BESTER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

In 1998, Deputy Jon Aujay went for a run in the California desert and never returned. After a weeklong search, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department determined he went to the Devil’s Punchbowl to commit suicide - a conclusion that did not sit right with some of his fellow deputies. Given the area’s reputation for meth labs, colleagues suspected Aujay stumbled across something he wasn’t supposed to see. They point to dealers who’ve claimed to kill a cop in the desert. And the accusations against one of Aujay’s fellow deputies who was investigated for his ties to a violent meth dealer. The podcast “Valley of Shadows” digs into the disappearance of Jon Aujay and whether it’s tied to the ruthless drug trade run out of the Southern California desert. Hosts Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd take listeners on a journey that includes cover-ups, dirty cops, Bigfoot, and a meth dealer who looks like Santa Claus. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "VALLEY OF SHADOWS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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 2006, University of Miami football player Bryan Pata was shot outside his apartment coming home from practice. On the ten-year anniversary of the death, police invited ESPN to look into the cold case. The reporters found cops had many viable suspects, including a teammate with a compelling motive and shaky alibi. But the journalists also came to find their law enforcement sources to be unreliable partners, and eventually their story turned into both a quest to find Pata’s killer and an investigation into the investigation. From ESPN’s 30 for 30 Podcasts comes “Murder at the U.” Host Paula Levine takes listeners through her team’s exhaustive multiyear reporting into Pata’s death and its many suspects. With a murder trial about to begin in Florida, the podcast also focuses on the police and prosecutors who started as collaborators on their reporting, but eventually became impediments. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MURDER AT THE U" BEGIN AT THE TEN MINUTE MARK. 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.

In 2011, Matt Leili told police his wife Nique left their suburban Atlanta home with nothing but her toothbrush a week before her naked body was discovered in the woods. Investigators learned that for years Matt had been surveilling his family in their home through hidden cameras. Through thousands of hours of tape, police pieced together Matt's coercive and abusive marriage with Nique, but the cameras stopped rolling the night she vanished. Investigators were left with the challenge of proving Matt was the killer when they had evidence of everything in their lives - except the murder. From Sony Music Entertainment and Wavland Media comes “Watching You,” the latest season from The Binge. Host Jonathan Hirsch walks listeners through the murder of Nique Leili. It illustrates the couple’s troubling relationship through recordings from inside their home. It also chronicles the journey of the couple’s children who took opposing sides in the case.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WATCHING YOU" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

The brazen kidnapping of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her bedroom captivated the nation. And when their main suspect died in custody, police feared they’d never learn her fate. But Elizabeth was still alive, being held in the woods, and facing daily abuse at the hands of her captors. Though investigators thought of it as a cold case, the Smart family continued their search. And a clue from Elizabeth’s younger sister about the kidnapper’s identity led to her dramatic rescue and emotional family reunion. In the Netflix documentary film “Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart,” we hear from Elizabeth herself about her nine month ordeal, as well as from loved ones and investigators who worked to bring her home. She explains how she survived in captivity, the physical and psychological abuse she suffered, and why she passed on earlier chances to escape.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "KIDNAPPED: ELIZABETH SMART" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

From no-knock warrants and phony police informants to civil forfeiture and international narcotics interdiction, the US war on drugs has affected more than just traffickers. Its highly provocative methods have caused the deaths of innocent bystanders, often with no consequences for those responsible. Animated by decades of political cries stoking fear and anger, police departments have gained more power in their tactics, which look more like combat than law enforcement. And the deaths of people caught in the crossfire are now accepted as necessary sacrifices in the quest for a drug-free America. In each episode of the podcast “Collateral Damage” from The Intercept, investigative reporter Radley Balko covers an unjust or avoidable death as a result of the government’s questionable enforcement policies and practices. The series distills the war on drugs down to the personal stories of bystanders who lost their lives or livelihood as collateral damage to the dangerous and quixotic goal of saving a nation from itself.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "COLLATERAL DAMAGE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

In 2001, a wealthy American couple moved to Costa Rica to build a multimillion-dollar home and wildlife sanctuary in the rain forest. In their lavish estate patrolled by armed guards, John and Ann Bender found themselves more isolated as the couple dealt with debilitating illness, bipolar disorder, and growing paranoia. When tragedy struck in 2010, authorities were left to wonder whether what happened was an accident, suicide, or murder. What followed was a legal saga which lasted years and grabbed the world’s attention. To this day, what happened that night at the Boracayan Estate remains the subject of debate.From Blanchard House, Exactly Right Media, and iHeartPodcasts comes “Hell in Heaven: A Mysterious Death in Paradise.” Host Becky Milligan traces John and Ann Bender’s lives in the Costa Rican jungle and seeks the truth about what happened in the couple’s opulent rain forest estate. The eight-part series explores how cultural differences, personal demons, and the estranging influence of the wild contributed to the tragedy.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HELL IN HEAVEN" IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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 1999, billionaire Edmond Safra died in his fortified Monaco penthouse after a chaotic sequence of events. His nurse, Ted Maher, was stabbed by intruders, and the fire he set to summon help consumed the penthouse, killing Safra who was hiding in the safe room. The paranoid Safra had made enemies of the Russian mafia, and his widow had already inherited a fortune from the death of another husband under suspicious circumstances. But authorities accused Maher of staging the break-in to look like a hero, an accusation that follows him to this day. Netflix’s “Murder in Monaco” looks into the circumstances around the death of one of the world’s richest men. It catalogues the many players and their possible motives to see Safra eliminated. It also puts Maher under the microscope, as new events force a re-consideration of his role in the tragedy.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MURDER IN MONACO" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

In 2010, when Anastasio Hernández-Rojas died after his arrest at a checkpoint, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was from a medical emergency. Even though video surfaced showing 20 officers beating and tasing him, none of the men were held accountable for his death. An investigative journalist and a former CBP agent noted a passing reference to the Critical Incident Team, an organization neither had heard of. They learn this secretive unit isn’t tasked with investigating lethal force incidents - their purpose is to prevent or short-circuit them.“Critical Incident: Death at the Border” from HBO Documentary Films looks into a shadow unit buried within U.S. Customs and Border Protection working to shield officers from lethal force investigations. It follows a reporter’s quest to uncover the Critical Incident Team and learn its true purpose, and tells the story of the family’s fight to get some measure of justice for Hernández-Rojas.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "CRITICAL INCIDENT: DEATH AT THE BORDER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

In 1997, armored car driver David Ghantt teamed with Kelly Campbell - a pretty former co-worker - and Steve Chambers - a small-time criminal - to steal from the Loomis Fargo vault in Charlotte, North Carolina. The well-planned heist netted $17.5 million, but things started to unravel once they got away. While Ghantt laid low in Mexico to avoid attention, Chambers couldn’t stop making high-profile purchases in stolen $20 bills. Soon Ghantt was dodging both the FBI and a hit man, all while his conspirators were flashing cash and making some pretty dumb moves.From SmartLess Media, Campside Media, Big Money Players and iHeart Podcasts comes “CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist.” Johnny Knoxville narrates the story of the second-largest bank robbery in US history, while regular show hosts Rory Scovel and Josh Dean provide commentary. Listeners hear from many of the key players in a story stranger than fiction, but just right for the big screen.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "CRIMELESS: HILLBILLY HEIST' BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

After her neighborhood is rocked by a gas leak explosion, Sarah Trafford discovers a young survivor has been erased from press coverage and stashed away by authorities. Sarah enlists a pair of private eyes to get to the bottom of what’s happened to the child. Zoë Boehm digs into how the effort to keep Dinah out of sight is connected to her own personal tragedy. But as she and Sarah get closer to the truth, they find themselves stalked by assassins linked to a mysterious operation run out of the Ministry of Defence.Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson star in the Apple TV thriller series “Down Cemetery Road.” The mismatched pair find themselves in a web of cover-ups and chaos. What is the government hiding? How does the child fit into their plans? And who are the figures they encounter trying to kill them and each other?OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DOWN CEMETERY ROAD" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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 2004, Dateline NBC rolled out a new segment. “To Catch a Predator" was a bait-and-switch operation where producers chatted online with men looking for sex with a minor, then lured them to a home where reporter Chris Hansen would confront them on camera. The undercover segments were billed as helpful to both police and victims, as America watched the would-be predators squirm in shame before getting arrested. But its legacy is complicated, as the show faced scrutiny for aggressive tactics, murky ethics, and entertainment masquerading as justice.Now airing on Paramount+, “Predators” looks at “To Catch a Predator"'s impact on due process, actual benefits to deterrence, and effect on those ensnared. It also looks at the new generation of vigilantes who entrap suspected pedophiles. Director David Osit questions whether the TV show’s goal was - as host Chris Hansen would claim - to understand why the men did what they did…or whether the goal was to humiliate them on national television.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "PREDATORS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

Financier Marissa Irvine discovers her son’s playdate was just an elaborate kidnapping. With the search underway, Marissa faces judgement from family and the press for Milo’s disappearance. Meanwhile, Jenny Kaminski struggles with her guilt for hiring the nanny who abducted the child. While police search for the nanny, tensions within the Irvine family grow, as secrets and resentments come to the surface. And loved ones turn on each other as they wonder what role they played in setting the crime in motion.Golden Globe nominee Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning star in “All Her Fault” on Peacock. The domestic thriller pivots between the missing person’s case and commentary on the societal pressures placed on women. In a race against time, the show exposes how fear, blame, and buried truths can shatter even the closest bonds.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ALL HER FAULT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

There was something for everyone on TV in 2025. Some shows shattered conventions, others re‑examined true crime classics as dramatic adaptations, and still others were returning favorites. But which TV shows and documentaries we reviewed truly stood out? We’ll hear from crime writers as they share their top ten picks for 2025. Lara's picks for best TV of 2025AdolescenceThe QuiltersShiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy WarUnknown Number Catfishing scam-Dept. QThe Diplomat season 3Only Murders in the Building season 5TaskThe Perfect NeighborThe Hunting Wives Toby's picks for the best TV of 2025Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy WarAdolescenceThe LowdownThe Diplomat season 3White LotusThe Perfect NeighborThe Yogurt Shop MurdersOnly Murders In the Building season 5CHAOS – The Manson MurdersThe Fox Hollow Murders Kevin's picks for the best TV of 2025AdolescenceThe White Lotus season 3Good American FamilyUnknown Number: A High School CatfishTaskShiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy WarThe Fox Hollow MurdersSurviving Ohio StateThe Perfect NeighborThe Bunker Rebecca's picks for the best TV of 2025The Diplomat season 3AdolescenceThe White Lotus season 3Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy WarThe Beast in MeThe Perfect NeighborUnknown NumberQuiltersOnly Murders In the Building season 5Murdaugh: Death in the Family The Crime Writers On Best of 2025 true crime documentariesShiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War (Prime)Unknown Number: A High School Catfish (Netflix)The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)The Quilters (Netflix)The Fox Hollow Murders (ABC News Studios)The Yogurt Shop Murders (HBO)Surviving Ohio State (HBO)CHAOS - The Manson Murders (Netflix)The Bunker (Viaplay)A Deadly American Marriage (Netflix) 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.

2025 was a solid year for podcasts. There were multiple investigative series, retrospectives on the history you thought you knew, and even some light‑hearted fare that was quirky and entertaining. But which titles truly stood out? We’ll hear from crime writers as they share their top 10 podcasts we reviewed in 2025. Lara's top 10 podcasts:Spotlight: Snitch CityLiberty Lost The PreventionistThe Retrievals season 2Not a Very Good MurdererWisecrackBreakdown: Three Days in MayUncover: Sea of Lies Scam FactoryBone Valley Season 3 | Graves County Toby's top 10 podcasts:Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves CountyScam FactoryFinal Thoughts: Jerry SpringerBreakdown: Three Days in MayUncover: Sea of LiesNot a Very Good MurdererWisecrackStakeknifeDirtbag ClimberLords of Death Kevin's top 10 podcasts:WisecrackSpotlight: Snitch CityStakeknifeFinal Thoughts: Jerry SpringerThe Copernic AffairNot a Very Good MurdererThe Retrievals season 2Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves CountyDeath County, PAThe Preventionist Rebecca's top 10 podcasts:WisecrackBone Valley Season 3 | Graves CountySpotlight: Snitch CityStakeknifeThe Retrievals season 2Not a Very Good MurdererDirtbag ClimberDeath County PAFinal Thoughts: Jerry SpringerLiberty Lost The Crime Writers On Best of 2025 Podcast ListWisecrackSpotlight: Snitch CityBone Valley Season 3 | Graves CountyNot a Very Good MurdererStakeknifeThe Retrievals season 2Final Thoughts: Jerry SpringerBreakdown: Three Days in MayScam FactoryLiberty Lost 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 the body of 18-year-old Sarah Zuber was found outside her home in 2019, the evidence suggested a variety of competing theories. Was it a murder, a hit and run, or Sarah’s own intoxicated misadventure? Her parents believed authorities bungled the case and are hiding information. Community members organized on Facebook pages and in action groups, spouting their own theories and suspects. The Zuber case also spawned a political movement targeting a mayor and the sheriff. But as answers to what actually happened still elude us, questions remain whether the attention has benefitted the case - or benefitted the people demanding results.Season two of the podcast from Oregon Public Broadcasting “Hush: Love Thy Neighbor” focuses on the Sarah Zuber case and why the available evidence supports the contrary conclusions of those throughout Columbia County. Host Leah Sottile and producer Ryan Haas examine how true crime culture and changes in media have altered how a case like this is consumed. They also leave listeners to wonder if the motives of Sarah’s greatest champions are completely altruistic.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HUSH: LOVE THY NEIGHBOR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.

Author Aggie Wiggs finds herself at odds with her new neighbor: wealthy property developer Nile Jarvis, who’s been living under suspicion since the disappearance of his first wife. But when the man who killed Aggie’s son in a drunk driving accident also vanishes, she wonders if Jarvis had a hand in it. Desperate for cash and encouraged by Jarvis, Aggie agrees to write about him. As he gives her more access into his life, Aggie is drawn into her mercurial subject’s mind games and fears what he is actually capable of.Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys star in the Netflix series “The Beast In Me.” The thriller features a cat-and-mouse game between the famous author and the infamous real estate scion. Aggie struggles with personal demons, her uneasy relationship with her rich neighbor, and whether the truths of the past could destroy them both.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE BEAST IN ME" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 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.