Crime Writers On...True Crime Review

A pair of gay con men work their way up from financial scams to murder. We’ll review the podcast “True Crime News Presents: American Hustlers.”

Transcribed - Published: 24 April 2025

An eccentric detective tries to solve the murder of an usher in the living quarters of the White House. We’ll talk about the Netflix comedy-mystery series “The Residence.”

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2025

Police are allowed to get around standard procedures by saying one thing: their info came from a confidential informant. But those claims also can lead to abuses and fabrications. We’ll look into the corrupting influence of CIs on one Massachusetts community in the podcast “Spotlight: Snitch City” from The Boston Globe.

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2025

For years, police searched for who was dumping bodies on NY’s Gilgo Beach. How did they nab a suspect - and how did he evade detection for so long? We’ll talk about the Netflix series “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer.”

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

His caretakers thought he was in a coma, but he was alert the whole time. What did they say to him when they thought he couldn’t hear them? We’ll discuss the podcast “Blink.”

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2025

A new crop of troubled tourists travel to Thailand to confront sex, privilege, and death. We’ll talk about season three of HBO’s “The White Lotus.”

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2025

A cop patrols Philadelphia's mean streets looking for a serial killer…and her missing sister. We’ll talk about the crime series “Long Bright River” on Peacock.

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2025

Years ago he was a mob hitman. His son talks to him about his exploits…and his regrets. We’ll talk about the podcast “Crook County” from Tenderfoot TV.

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

It’s the most thought-provoking question of the Charles Manson case: how did he convince his followers to kill on his behalf? Did he get help from LSD and a secret government program? We’ll talk about the documentary “CHAOS: The Manson Murders” from Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2025

A teen is accused of murdering a classmate. How does the crime affect his community and family - and their understanding of his struggles. We’ll talk about the series “Adolescence” from Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

One was a YouTube mom praised for her parenting skills. The other was a life coach who promoted family values. Then - they were arrested for aggravated child abuse. We’ll talk about the Hulu docuseries “Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke.”

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2025

A con artist swindled Hollywood’s wealthy for hundreds of thousands of dollars, until he tried to bamboozle a former model selling tomato sauce. We’ll talk about “Once Upon a Con” from iHeartPodcasts.

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

A young woman’s life falls apart when she’s harassed on her phone and online. Is her professional mentor behind it? We’ll review the podcast “Stalked” from BBC Sounds.

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2025

A serial killer took to his grave the secrets of the many bodies buried on his property. Decades later investigators want to know: did he have help? We’ll review the series “The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer.”

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2025

A woman is accused of stabbing her stepdaughter to death in a bathtub. But no physical evidence of her involvement can be found. Do police have the wrong person? We’ll talk about the podcast “Murder on Songbird Road.”

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2025

Hot on the heels of ABC's adaptation of the story, we're revisiting our 2013 review of the podcast "Scamanda."

Transcribed - Published: 4 March 2025

She won praise, love, and lots of money from supporters touched by her battle with terminal cancer. But she was never sick. We’ll talk about ABC’s take on the hit podcast “Scamanda.”

Transcribed - Published: 3 March 2025

An unidentified body is pulled from the English Channel. How is the case tied to the hunt for one of Interpol’s most-wanted fugitives? We’ll talk about “Uncover: Sea of Lies” from CBC Podcasts.

Transcribed - Published: 27 February 2025

A young travel vlogger vanishes during a cross-country trip and her boyfriend won’t talk to police. The case sparks a national obsession. We’ll talk about the Netflix documentary series “American Murder: Gabby Petito.”

Transcribed - Published: 24 February 2025

French authorities say a mild-mannered professor now living in Ottawa was behind a 1980 bombing of a synagog. But Canadian officials aren’t so sure. We’ll talk about the podcast series “The Copernic Affair” from Canadaland.

Transcribed - Published: 20 February 2025

They were the most violent organized crime operation in the Lone Star State. How did authorities topple the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas? We’ll talk about “The Takedown: American Aryans” on Max.

Transcribed - Published: 17 February 2025

The man who executed IRA informers was a double agent for the British. Why did authorities turn a blind eye while he executed Irish informants to protect his own cover? We’ll talk about the podcast “Stakeknife” from BBC Sounds.

Transcribed - Published: 13 February 2025

A podcast host investigates what role his mother’s boyfriend played in a 1995 murder - and whether it’s connected to a self-styled Satanic cult. We’ll review “Lords of Death” from Tenderfoot TV.

Transcribed - Published: 10 February 2025

A mommy vlogger’s YouTube channel took off when she documented the adoption of a boy from China. But viewers became alarmed when the child abruptly disappeared from her videos. We’ll talk about the HBO Original series “An Update on Our Family.”

Transcribed - Published: 6 February 2025

Years after a woman was drugged and abducted by a mysterious doctor, she confronts her trauma by going back to the room she was held captive in. We’ll talk about the documentary “The Bunker” from Viaplay.

Transcribed - Published: 3 February 2025

An employee is gunned down after hours at a Bismarck liquor store. Who was responsible for the deadly holdup? We’ll review the latest podcast from “Dakota Spotlight: Homicide at House of Bottles.”

Transcribed - Published: 30 January 2025

A Northern Irish doctor was known for his care of elderly patients - and for winding up in their wills. Was he responsible for more than a hundred deaths? We’ll talk about the podcast “Assume Nothing: A Deadly Diagnosis” from BBC Radio Ulster.

Transcribed - Published: 27 January 2025

A spiritual leader’s followers continue to die after putting her in their wills. We’ll talk about the podcast “Scary Terri” from Sony Music Entertainment.

Transcribed - Published: 23 January 2025

When a mob hitman leaves witness protection and moves to Arizona, his son launches a drug ring, crossing horns with a pill pusher from Liverpool. We’ll talk about the Max Original documentary “Sons of Ecstasy.”

Transcribed - Published: 20 January 2025

A team of scientists and activists attempt to return the captive orca from “Free Willy” to the ocean, but doing so isn’t as easy as in the movies. We’ll discuss the podcast “The Good Whale” from Serial Productions and The New York Times.

Transcribed - Published: 16 January 2025

Missing money, a meddling neighbor, a curious cop, and another vanished husband. Are the Garveys up to it again? We’ll discuss season two of Apple TV+’s “Bad Sisters.”

Transcribed - Published: 13 January 2025

A series of calamities befall a couple awaiting the birth of their twins. Is it bad luck - or something else? We’ll review the podcast “The Unborn.”

Transcribed - Published: 9 January 2025

A Scotland Yard detective returns to her native Jamaica to confront her past and solve a missing persons case. We’ll talk about the HBO crime series “Get Millie Black.”

Transcribed - Published: 6 January 2025

This year, the small screen brought us deliciously wicked characters, in-depth documentaries, and several shows where truth itself was left for interpretation. We’ll each give our list for the Best TV of 2024.

Transcribed - Published: 2 January 2025

Hard hitting investigations, historical reconsiderations, whodunnits, and a bit of hysteria - there was something for everyone in our top ten lists. We’ll reveal the best podcasts of 2024.

Transcribed - Published: 30 December 2024

A mobster, a security guard, and a sap farmer plan an elaborate heist to steal millions of dollars in maple syrup. We’ll talk about “The Sticky” from Prime.

Transcribed - Published: 26 December 2024

An Elvis impersonator obsessed with black market organ harvesting is accused of sending ricin to the President. But it’s only half the story. We’ll talk about Netflix's “The Kings of Tupelo.”

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2024

For decades, the mysterious death of a nuclear power whistleblower has fascinated the public. Now a pair of veteran reporters get their hands on new evidence that might crack the case. We’ll review the podcast “Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery.”

Transcribed - Published: 19 December 2024

Inmates who’ve demonstrated rehabilitation are offered a chance at parole. But does the severity of their original crimes forever disqualify them in the eyes of the parole board? We’ll discuss the documentary “Nature of the Crime.”

Transcribed - Published: 16 December 2024

Her grandfather invented missiles for the Nazis. Decades later, a reporter sets off to learn about his role in the Third Reich and the Allied revenge bombing that killed her grandmother. We’ll discuss the podcast “The Man Who Calculated Death.”

Transcribed - Published: 12 December 2024

It’s the most extreme haunted house in America. But where is the line between entertainment and cruelty? We’ll talk about the podcast “Inside McKamey Manor.”

Transcribed - Published: 9 December 2024

A woman makes a dying request to a podcaster: find the truth to her sister’s 1969 murder. We’ll review “Denise Didn’t Come Home” from truth.media and Sony Music Entertainment.

Transcribed - Published: 5 December 2024

It was the famous study that proved how unchecked power can lead to abuse of authority. But was the study manipulated to achieve its shocking results? We’ll discuss the new series “The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth.”

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 2024

Researchers believed hyperactive school children could benefit by taking stimulants. Decades later, the business of ADHD remains as controversial as ever. We’ll review the second season of “Backfired: Attention Deficit” from Audible.

Transcribed - Published: 28 November 2024

A young woman becomes a secret IRA operative during The Troubles. How much is she willing to sacrifice for the cause? We’ll discuss “Say Nothing” from FX on Hulu.

Transcribed - Published: 25 November 2024

She fell in love with a man on Facebook. When they met in real life, why did he say he didn’t know her? We’ll review the documentary based on the hit podcast “Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare.”

Transcribed - Published: 21 November 2024

Can the American ambassador prove the Prime Minister is behind the terror attacks pushing his country toward war? We’ll talk about season two of the Netflix political thriller “The Diplomat” starring Keri Russell.

Transcribed - Published: 18 November 2024

Plot points for a horror film about a boogeyman in the mirror were inspired by real events. What does the movie tell us - and what does it leave out - about the conditions in Chicago’s housing projects? We’ll review the podcast “Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder.”

Transcribed - Published: 14 November 2024

A writer mined her own health struggles and personal challenges to create memorable television episodes. But like the TV show, it was all a work of fiction. We’ll talk about the Peacock series “Anatomy of Lies.”

Transcribed - Published: 11 November 2024

An investigative team hacks into a dark web site where people can buy a hitman. Can they convince police and the potential targets that someone’s out to kill them? We’ll review the podcast “Kill List” from Wondery and Novel.

Transcribed - Published: 7 November 2024