Crime Writers On...True Crime Review (Partners in Crime Media)

The 1970 shooting of a Wisconsin man should have been an open-and-shut case - but it led the victim’s niece on a decade’s long search for the truth. On this CWO Classic we’ll revisit our epic April 12, 2021 review of MANslaughter.

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Having eluded authorities for 17 years, the criminal known as the Unabomber is ready to make a deal. If newspapers will print his manifesto, he’ll stop killing people. But his anti-technology rants sound familiar to the family of Ted Kaczynski. When the disheveled cabin dweller is arrested, it confirms everyone’s suspicion the culprit was a mad man. But how did he go from mathematics professor to serial bomber? And were there other ways the story could have gone?

Produced by Pineapple Street Studios, the Apple Original podcast “Project Unabom” tells the story of a nation and a family coming to grips with what was happening inside a tiny cabin in the Montana woods. Host Eric Benson digs into Kaczynski’s personal papers, and talks to key people from the investigation…including those first suspected of being the Unabomber.  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "PROJECT UNABOM" BEGIN IN THE LAST 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Your nose knows.

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Rebecca and Kevin start by addressing some back-end tech changes that could affect listeners’ experience. There are shout-outs to our newest listener. And the panel solicits input from the audience for our upcoming 200th episode celebration.

The Crime Writers review the new season of “Accused.” The eight-part series is a story of corporate malfeasance, wrapped in a missing persons case filled with conspiracy theories, family secrets, and government lies.

OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF “ACCUSED” CAN BE FOUND AROUND THE 33 MINUTE MARK.

Then they discuss Netflix’s "Don’t F**k With Cats: The Hunt for An Internet Killer." A gang of armchair detectives are looking for the person posting videos of animal cruelty. But before law enforcement takes the virtual manhunt seriously, the suspect turns his violent depravity on an unsuspecting man.

OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF “DON’T F**K WITH CATS” CAN BE FOUND AROUND THE 1:22:00 MINUTE MARK

Then in Crime of the Week, shoulda called a cab.

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In the new podcast series “Witnessed: Borderlands” from Campside Media, host Rob D’Amico recalls the story of a drug runner and a crooked lawman who moved pot and cocaine through West Texas and how their alliance culminated in a botched billion dollar coke deal.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "WITNESSED: BORDERLANDS" GO TO 20:50

The Netflix French import “The Women and the Murderer” recalls the manhunt for a serial killer who terrorized Paris. It's told from the point of view of the female detectives, reporters, and lawyers involved in the case.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE WOMEN AND THE MURDERER" GO TO 54:30

In crime of the week: take the money and run.

Stitcher's True Crime Week

Crime Writers On is featured on Stitcher's second annual True Crime Week. You can listen to our show and all the other True Crime Week podcasts on the Stitcher app or at stitcher.com/discover.

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California, September 1975. Within a span of 17 days and less than 90 miles, two women, working separately, tried to assassinate the president of the United States, Gerald R. Ford. These are the only two times we know of that a woman has tried to assassinate an American president. 

The first, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, was already infamous as a prominent follower of cult leader Charles Manson.

The second, Sara Jane Moore, was a 45 year-old housewife who infiltrated San Francisco's violent radical underground  working undercover for the FBI.

The story of one strange and violent Summer, this season on RIP CURRENT.

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Leading off...“The Orange Tree” revisits a crime which resonates with college students in Austin years later. What makes "The Orange Tree" different is the seven-part series is not the work of a major publishing house. It’s written and produced by students at the University of Texas.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE ORANGE TREE," GO TO 35:00

Then, from Serial Productions comes “Nice White Parents.” Host Chana Joffe-Walt looks at one Brooklyn majority-minority school where a new batch of white parents believe they are increasing opportunities for all, but are actually committing a kind of educational gentrification.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "NICE WHITE PARENTS," GO TO 1:07:00

In crime of the week: ham on the run.

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A racially-motivated attack on pedestrians was thwarted by the driver’s passenger: a man he picked up hitchhiking. He went simply by “Kai,” and the colorful way he described the incident became a viral sensation. Kai’s quirky personality and unlikely story made him Internet-famous. He declined TV offers in favor of going back off the grid. But months later, the carefree drifter the world thought was so charming when he struck a criminal with a hatchet would be implicated in a murder. 

The Netflix film “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker” recounts Kai’s rocky journey from meme to murderer, propelled by Hollywood and social media. Was the world so taken by the dude in the “smash smash smash” video they overlooked his violent tendencies which were in plain sight?  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE HATCHET WIELDING HITCHHIKER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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In True Crime Update: the latest on the murder of the rape defendant from "Carrie Low VS."

In 2017 Nikki Addimando shot her partner after a violent confrontation. Officials viewed her years of abuse not as a self-defense justification, but as her plan to commit murder. In Lemonada's podcast “Believe Her” host Justine van der Leun sheds light on a part of our justice system in which survival is criminalized.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BELIEVE HER" GO TO MINUTE 34:30

A man seeks out a psychiatrist to help him with his life...so the doctor takes over every aspect of it. Will Farrell and Paul Rudd star in the dramedy “The Shrink Next Door,” adapted by Apple TV+ from the hit podcast.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR" GO TO MINUTE 1:06:00

In Crime of the Week: all you can't eat.

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On June 3, 2017, two FBI agents arrived at the home of Reality Winner, an Arabic language translator with a top secret security clearance. While a team executed a search warrant, the pair gently quizzed the 25-year-old about documents she viewed and whether she may have mishandled classified material. The agents asked Reality whether she sent secret military documents to online journalists who published the leak. As she revealed more and more about her actions, the whistleblower said she felt the government was lying to the American people.

The script for the HBO film “Reality” is made entirely from the interrogation during the espionage case. Sydney Sweeney portrays Reality Winner as smoldering with fear and sadness, as Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis softly tug the thread on how and why she’d risk everything.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "REALITY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL [ ] MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Bad license photo.

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In 2000, a deputy was killed and another wounded in Atlanta’s West End while trying to serve an arrest warrant. Authorities said the gunman was Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, the leader of the local mosque and caretaker of the predominantly Muslim neighborhood. In the years before becoming Imam Jamil he’d been known as H. Rap Brown, a leader in the 1960s Black Power Movement accused by the FBI of inciting violence. West End residents did not think their spiritual leader was behind the fatal shooting and wondered if his arrest was motivated less by the contradictory evidence and more by his past as an outspoken activist.

From Campside Media, Tenderfoot TV and iHeartMedia comes “Radical.” Host Mosi Secret investigates the night of the shooting and attempts to find out who Iman Jamil really is. Is he truly a man of God? Is he a dangerous extremist? Or is the answer somewhere in the middle?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "RADICAL" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: fowl language.

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A foreign correspondent is pulled into the story of a Westerner whose account of joining ISIS is suspect. No, it’s not "Caliphate" - we’ll discuss “I'm Not a Monster” from BBC Panorama and Frontline PBS.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "I'M NOT A MONSTER" GO TO 37:00

Their father was a fertility doctor who used his own sperm for insemination. “Baby God” from HBO Documentaries follows some of his offspring as they come to terms with the truth of their conception and contemplate who they really are.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "BABY GOD" GO TO 1:06:00

In crime of the week: track meat.

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After a self-imposed exile, Perry Mason returns to criminal defense work, charged with defending two young Mexican men accused of murdering the son of a powerful businessman in 1930s Los Angeles. With the help of sidekicks Della Street and Paul Drake, Perry seeks justice for the defendants he fears will be railroaded. But victim Brooks McCutcheon was into some shady business: casino boats, oil drilling, and a new baseball stadium - not to mention his dangerous sexual predilections. While Paul seeks clues in LA’s mean streets, Perry and Della navigate the high society players who’d be happy to see the Gallardo brothers take the fall.

Matthew Rhys and an all-star cast return for the second season of the Emmy-nominated “Perry Mason.” Once again, the famous defense attorney must find how all the disparate players and opaque clues fit together hoping to reveal the real culprit and get a dramatic confession.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "PERRY MASON" SEASON TWO BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Justice is delivered.

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This year brought us podcasts that examined interesting characters - from the super famous to the terribly infamous. There were the meticulously investigated stories of people caught in a system stacked against them. And it provided us with many series told by hosts with very personal connections to the crimes they covered. 

But which titles truly stood out? All four crime writers present their top 10 podcasts for 2023.

In Crime of the Week: A lot of nerve swerve.

Lara's Top Ten

1. Earwitness
2. Suspect: Five Shots in the Dark
3. The Retrievals
4. Blind Plea
5. Ghost Story
6. The Kids of Rutherford County
7. Fiasco: Vigilante
8. Verified: Full Disclosure
9. Overlooked
10. Admissible Sheds of Evidence

Toby's Top Ten

1. Fiasco: Vigilante
2. You Didn’t See Nothin’
3. Blind Plea
4. Earwitness
5. I’m Not a Monster season 2
6. Alabama Astronaut
7. Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch
8. Ghost Story
9. Chameleon: Dr. Dante
10. The Retrievals

Kevin's Top Ten

1. You Didn't See Nothin
2. Earwitness
3. I Am Not a Monster season 2
4. Fiasco: Vigilante
5. Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch
6. City of Tents: Veterans Row
7. Suspect: Five Shots in the Dark
8. Blind Plea
9. The Retrievals
10. Overlooked

Rebecca's Top Ten

1. You Didn't See Nothin
2. Earwitness
3. Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch
4. The Retrievals
5. Think Twice: Michael Jackson
6. Fiasco: Vigilante
7. Ghost Story
8. Blind Plea
9. Dear Alana,
10. The Dream season 3

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An intelligence analyst and a cunning assassin play a sexy game of cat and mouse. We’ll do a classic rewind to our June 8, 2018 review of BBC America’s “Killing Eve” starring Emmy winners Sandra Oh and Jody Comer.

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On this CWO Classic, we revisit our February 24, 2017 review of "Missing Richard Simmons," the first of six episodes dedicated to the groundbreaking podcast series. The panel heralded the arrival of Dan Taberski as a fresh, new voice  in the industry.

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After breaking up with longtime girlfriend Olivia Newton-John, Patrick McDermott set sail on an overnight fishing trip in June of 2005. When he didn’t get off the boat the next morning, officials presumed he fell overboard. But then the tabloids speculated whether McDermott had faked his death. Potential sightings of McDermott fueled the story. Journalists and private investigators scoured Mexico on tips he was living a new life. But were they reshaping the facts of an accident at sea for their own purposes - regardless of the cost to McDermott’s loved ones?

“Pseudocide'' is the term for faking one’s death. It’s also the name of the Spotify exclusive podcast hosted by Alice Fiennes and Poppy Damon. The team explores McDermott’s upbringing, his relationship with a superstar, and his fatal voyage at sea. They also question those who advanced stories about his secret whereabouts - often based on flimsy accounts.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "PSEUDOCIDE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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In 1990 Laurie Bembenek escaped from a Wisconsin prison through an open window. When the former Playboy bunny went on the lam, she became a media sensation and a folk hero. But did the former cop and calendar girl known as Bambi actually commit the crime she was in prison for - the murder of her husband’s ex-wife? The new show “Run, Bambi, Run” from Apple Podcasts looks back at the sexy-and-sexist case against Bembenek.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "RUN, BAMBI, RUN" BEGIN AROUND MINUTE 38:00

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Leon Benson says he’s innocent of the 1998 murder of Kasey Schoen, who was shot in his truck in Indianapolis. Despite his alibi, no motive, and a lack of physical evidence, Leon was convicted based on a cross-racial identification from 150 feet at night. Attorney Lara Bazelon looks for clues to winning Leon’s exoneration. Was evidence about alternative suspects withheld? And should Bazelon’s team approach the man they believe actually pulled the trigger?

“Suspect: Five Shots in the Dark” is season three of the acclaimed series from Campside Media and Wondery. In a break of format, host Matthew Shaer works with Bazelon in a side-by-side effort to clear Leon’s name. Will the one-two punch of lawyers and podcasters get him out of prison? And what does correcting this wrong mean for Schoen’s family? 

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SUSPECT: FIVE SHOTS IN THE DARK" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Chinese food take down.

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A charming jeweler and party host traveled through Southeast Asia in the 1970s trading gems and killing tourists. Can a lone Dutch diplomat capture him? We’ll talk about the docudrama “The Serpent” from Netflix and BBC One.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE SERPENT" GO TO 29:30

In 1970, a Wisconsin lawman was shot to death in his bedroom. In Wondery's "MANslaughter," his niece explores whether the confessed shooter really pulled the trigger and whether there were other victims.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "MANslaughter" GO TO 1:05:30

In Crime of the Week: love canal.

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When journalist Sam Anderson learned a high school friend was wanted for the murder of a Northern California pot farmer, he set off to prove his friend’s innocence. He discovered the infamous Emerald Triangle was not the hippie Shangri-la it was made out to be. Anderson tries to reconcile the friend of his youth with the man implicated in a fatal ripoff. He seeks answers as to what happened in the hills that drove Zach Wuester to violence.  

In “Crooked City: The Emerald Triangle,” Anderson makes his way through California’s strange and dangerous marijuana harvesting culture. Did Zach lead seven others to kill the farmer who ripped them off, or was he just an unwitting accomplice?  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE EMERALD TRIANGLE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL NINE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE

Crime of the Week: hotel parking.

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When Massachusetts State Police discover a chemist has been tampering with evidence at the drug lab, it opens a legal Pandora's box. Netflix’s four-part “How to Fix a Drug Scandal” follows the lawyers seeking answers, the prosecutors who tried to cover it up, and the troubled life of one of the chemists whose personal addiction up-ended the scales of justice.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF “HOW TO FIX A DRUG SCANDAL,” GO TO 29:00

In season three of Netflix’s “Ozark,” a drug war in Mexico has put additional pressure on Marty and Wendy Byrde to launder money in their new casino. But complications ensue with new arrivals, like cartel lawyer Helen Pierce and Wendy’s brother, Ben.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF “OZARK” SEASON THREE, GO TO 58:00

In crime of the week, back end data.

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After being booked, defendants in Nashville’s justice system must navigate a labyrinth of challenges. They include people whose mental illness gets them in trouble, an abuse survivor who finds herself both victim and defendant, a couple using jail as an opportunity to get clean from heroin, and teenagers facing life sentences for murder. There are also judges and corrections officials who acknowledge the system’s default setting is for incarceration, not rehabilitation. And they recognize the inadequate resources available for those who need help once they’re released.

The Max Original JUSTICE, USA is an insider’s view of Nashville's criminal justice system, going into the jails for men, women, and juveniles. The series features a variety of stories about inmates, lawyers, and judges who confront issues of incarceration, mental illness, and addiction.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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In 2009, nineteen-year-old Renee Bach said the Lord called her to go to Uganda and establish a charity to feed the hungry. But the Serving His Children clinic morphed into an intensive care unit for gravely malnourished babies and toddlers. Her work attracted Christian donors and filled her social media feed. But Bach became the target of Ugandan activists opposed to white missionaries using African children as props for their own agendas. And observers noted why starving babies continued to die at her clinic: Bach was personally directing the children’s care even though she had no medical training.

“Savior Complex” from HBO Documentaries uses video of the clinic shot by Bach to tell a story of white privilege and religious hubris. It also follows local activists drumming up opposition to Bach and other Westerners more interested in grabbing the spotlight than providing humanitarian relief.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SAVIOR COMPLEX" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: stick 'em up.

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For years, the mafia ran Youngstown, OH, providing the drugs, gambling, and prostitution the blue collar town was known for. As crime got worse, Jim Traficant ran for sheriff on a platform to kick out the mob…at the same time he was taking money from them. Even after the FBI arrested him, Traficant was a beloved figure in Youngstown. He was elected to Congress as a populist candidate who fought for his district - all while taking bribes and evading taxes.

“Crimetown” creator Marc Smirling is back with “Crooked City: Youngstown, OH.” This 15-part podcast brings the tales of the city’s mobsters as they maneuver for money and power, and how the colorful Traficant worked both sides of the law.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "CROOKED CITY: YOUNGSTOWN, OH" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 8 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: A little vab with do ya.

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Mommy-influencer Katie Sorensen went viral with a story of a couple who attempted to kidnap her kids in a craft store. When Sadie and Eddie Martinez saw their photos in the news, they knew they’d been racially profiled and falsely accused in the latest so-called “Karen” incident.

As it became clear Katie had exaggerated the event, police charged her with filing false reports. The criminal case turned into a litmus test on the online phenomenon of white women accusing people of color of criminal behavior for innocuous things. Did she make up the story to get clicks, or did other factors contribute to her allegation?

In a short series from LAist Studios, “Imperfect Paradise: People vs. Karen” looks into the backlash against one white woman’s incrimination and the people who fought back against the racism and social media shaming. Reporter Emily Guerin also examines other things in the zeitgeist that may have led to her thinking her children were at risk.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IMPERFECT PARADISE: PEOPLE VS. KAREN" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Airing of the Grievances.

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Kansas resident Dan Day discovers his new friends belong to a militia group fixated on the Somali refugees in their community. That’s when he’s approached by the FBI, asking him to join the right-wing group and report on whether they’re planning violence. When the informant learns the extremists are drawing up an attack on Muslims, the investigation takes on a new urgency. Dan finds himself in the middle of a plot in which the lives of many hang in the balance…including his own.

ABC Audio’s five-part podcast, “Truth and Lies: The Informant,” takes us inside the probe of extremists in the heartland and the ordinary guy thrust into the middle of the investigation. Host Dick Lehr supplements interviews with residents, agents, and prosecutors with undercover audio tapes documenting the plans of a domestic terror attack.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "TRUTH AND LIES: THE INFORMANT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: wingin' it.

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Did former President Trump break the law trying to influence Georgia election officials? That monumental legal question will be answered by County D.A. Fani Willis. While Congress and the Justice Department investigate a nationwide effort to overturn the election, Willis is probing whether state law was violated in her county.

Breakdown season 9 from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is a real-time report on the progress of the Trump grand jury. Hosts Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman cover what for them is a local story.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BREAKDOWN" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: shakin' bacon.

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How did America law enforcement get to its present state of near-unaccountability? An examination of its history shows policing has its origins in running slave patrols, displacing indigenous tribes, and coercing organized labor. Once used as a tool by the powerful to maintain social order and protect their personal property, modern police have become a power unto themselves.

With the help of “tough on crime” politicians, law enforcement has only grown in strength and resources. And despite an onslaught of high-profile police brutality, murder, and misconduct cases, legal protections prevent most cops from being answerable for their actions.

The Netflix documentary “Power” is a deep dive into the history of policing in America and where it’s going in the future. Historians, academics, and critics discuss the problems of a system that demands unqualified compliance from its citizens. The film also asks whether the police - or the people that they serve and protect - ultimately hold the real power in America.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "POWER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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Sunset Mesa Funeral Home was a trusted business for bereaved residents in Montrose, Colorado. Director Megan Hess smooth-talked family members and offered steep discounts on cremations for those who donated their bodies to science. But the community was shocked when it learned the ashes in their urns were not those of their loved ones. Investigators discovered customers were being misled as to how their remains would be used. Hess was getting rich in the shadowy world of body dealing. In the backroom, she was dismembering heads and limbs to be illegally sold to medical companies for research.

From Sony Music Entertainment, Campside Media and Black Bar Mitzvah, comes “Cover Up: Body Brokers.” The podcast recounts how Hess and her mother harvested body parts from their funeral home while giving families cremains from a mixed pile of ashes. Host Ashley Fantz talks to investigators, Sunset Mesa employees, and loved ones affected by the scam. 

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "COVER UP: BODY BROKERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: By any other name.

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The panel discusses the new podcast/audiobook hybrid “Midnight Son” from Audible Originals. We’re taken to the Arctic to explore the crimes of an Alaska Native and to investigate his claim that while as a fugitive in the wilderness he was visited by mythic tribe thought only to exist in legend.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF “MIDNIGHT SON,” GO TO THE 41 MINUTE MARK

Then, we’re off to Louisville for season one of “Dig” from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. Host Eleanor Klibanoff finds prosecutors in that community are declining to seek charges and close many sexual assault cases, in a policy that may protect conviction rates and crime statistics more than it protects victims.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF “DIG,” GO TO THE 1:13 MINUTE MARK.

In crime of the week: Wakanda forever!

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Greetings from New Hampshire, where the Crime Writers will be among those casting their First in the Nation primary ballots. Hear them discuss the new text technology campaigns will be using to get your vote.

Leading off, USAToday Sports and For the Win is out with a podcast covering an unusual bank Heist. “The Sneak” tells us of a bizarre armored car holdup where a man disguised as a landscaper escaped down river on an inner tube. Host Nate Scott says there’s much more to the story.

OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF “THE SNEAK” BEGINS IN THE 26 MINUTE MARK OF THE SHOW.

The LA Times’s new podcast looks into the events that took down one of America’s most beloved figures. In “Chasing Cosby”, host Nikki Weisensee Egan uses archival tape and new witness interviews to show the long, difficult road to justice against a rich, powerful celebrity and the unlikely events - and incredibly brave victims - that led to Bill Cosby’s arrest and conviction.

OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF “CHASING COSBY” BEGINS IN THE 59 MINUTE MARK OF THE SHOW.

In Crime of the Week: drug reading dog.

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As he nears the end of his life, an aging hitman makes a confession to podcast host Marc Smerling. In 1978, he traveled to Rome to help the Italian mafia assassinate Pope John Paul I to cover up wrongdoings by the Vatican bank. Anthony Raimondi says he got into organized crime because his father was a ruthless mob enforcer. Instead of going to prison for killing a rival, he was recruited into a secret commando squad in Vietnam, and later instructed mobsters how to poison the Pontiff. The only problem for Smerling is he can’t verify anything he’s saying.

In “The Confessions of Anthony Raimondi,” Smerling walks us through the mobster’s tales and his proclaimed role in the secret killing of the head of the Catholic Church. As the “Crooked City” host tries to discern fact from fiction, he wonders if the exploits are real…or whether Raimondi believes they are.

OUR SPOILER-FREE EPISODES OF "THE CONFESSIONS OF ANTHONY RAIMONDI" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: no bones about it.

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Our first review is “Cool Mules” from Canadaland. Vice Canada music editor Slava Pastukhov believed the only way to advance at the gonzo news outlet was through more extreme journalism. A mix of greed and ambition led him to orchestrate a drug trafficking ring to Australia.

OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF “COOL MULES” BEGINS IN MINUTE 34

Next is a look at Netflix’s foreign-language series, “The Valhalla Murders.” This police procedural is the latest in the growing number of shows set in Iceland which try to capture their own version of Scandinavian noir. But does the story capture either that dark Scandi style...or the interest of streaming mystery lovers?

OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF “THE VALHALLA MURDERS” BEGINS IN MINUTE 1:03

In Crime of the Week: please don’t rollover.

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The newspaper story of a woman who crusaded against her attacker's light sentence unveiled a secret about a different person in the courtroom. In “Canary” from the Washington Post, we follow a three-year effort to flesh out the long-ago accusation and its effect on those directly and indirectly involved.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "CANARY" GO TO 34:00

An English village was rocked in 1985 when a woman murdered her parents and twin sons before turning the gun on herself. Authorities are eager to close the case as a murder-suicide, but something about the findings inside the isolated farm house doesn’t sit right. We'll discuss "The Murders at White House Farm" from HBO Max and ITV.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE MURDERS AT WHITE HOUSE FARM" GO TO 1:00:00

In Crime of the Week: milk shake.

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Ana Mendieta was a provocative performance artist. Her husband was the mercurial legendary sculptor Carl Andre. They were the It couple of the New York art scene, until 1985 when Ana mysteriously fell from their 34th floor apartment after an argument. Andre’s arrest for his wife’s death split the artistic community. Thirty-five years later, those who knew the couple remain tight lipped on what they think happened that night.

From Pushkin Industries and Somethin’ Else comes the podcast “Death of an Artist.” Host and museum curator Helen Molesworth revisits Ana’s death and the trial that followed, and examines the silence and the protests that have accompanied this story ever since.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DEATH OF AN ARTIST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 

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Through her Facebook friends in the London Sikh community, Kirat Assi met a charming man named Bobby Jandu. Though a series of health problems and other entanglements kept him away from Great Britain, the two began a long term, online romance. But their virtual relationship took a turn as Bobby became more cruel and controlling. When Kirat learned he was back in the UK and living with his ex, her confrontation with him ended in confusion.

In the Netflix documentary “Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare” Kirat, Jandu, and those close to them discuss the story in their own words. Based on the 2021 hit podcast of the same name, the film brings us inside the victim’s tale of credulity, coercion, and heartbreak.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SWEET BOBBY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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In 1988, twenty-two year old Jane Boroski was attacked at a soda vending machine. The seven-month-pregnant New Hampshire woman was stabbed 27 times and left for dead. Boroski is believed to be the last victim and only survivor of the Connecticut River Valley Killer, a suspect who murdered at least seven women between 1978 and ‘88. Decades later, the question remains why did he kill and where did he go?

In the podcast “Dark Valley'' from Crawlspace Media and Glassbox Media, Jennifer Amell looks back at the murders along the Vermont/New Hampshire corridor. The host accompanies Jane as she reexamines the lasting impact of the attack on her life, all the while seeking new information on who the Valley Killer - or Valley Killers - were.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DARK VALLEY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: cowabunga!

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When a Texas Ranger asked Larry Driskill if he could help solve a cold case, he agreed to talk to him. But Ranger James Holland accused him of killing Bobbie Sue Hill in 2005. After two days of intense interrogation, Driskill wondered if maybe he did do it and walked into a confession. Holland is revered for his talent at getting confessions, even though he uses questionable techniques like deception, suggestion, and forensic hypnosis. Did the detective known as the “serial killer whisperer” ensnare an innocent man?

In the latest season of “Smoke Screen: Just Say You’re Sorry,” host Maurice Chammah asks what happens when suspects are convinced they can’t trust their own memories to defend themselves. It does a deep dive into Holland’s interrogation of Driskill, as well as those of other suspects subjected to his unorthodox questioning style.  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SMOKE SCREEN: JUST SAY YOU'RE SORRY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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An aging detective with a failing memory struggles to solve the kidnapping case that has haunted him his whole career. On this CWO Classic Rewind, we'll revisit our February 4, 2019 and March 4, 2019 reviews of HBO's "True Detective" season three.

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As the self-proclaimed Prophet of the FLDS, a fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon church, Warren Jeffs used the lure of eternal salvation to manipulate his followers. He arranged polygamous marriages and coerced families to offer their girls as child brides within the secretive sect, while authorities did little to stop him.

The Netflix series “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey'' paints a disturbing picture of the modern subjugation of women and the effects of tyrannical control dressed up as religious obedience. It presents many women who fled their underaged marriages and the outsiders who worked to expose the FLDS’s illegal actions.  

OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEWS OF "KEEP SWEET: PRAY AND OBEY" BEGIN IN THE LAST 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: car accident. 

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The ubiquity of the Web means people can be whomever they want, wherever they want. That cloak of anonymity makes it easy to steal identities, spread hate speech, and make threats against the unsuspecting. But beyond the criminal acts, the nefarious use of the Internet opens the doors for more pernicious problems - like the erosion of truth or the overreach of a government attempting to strike back.

The Netflix documentary series “Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet” shows a series of digitally-based crimes - like swatting, sextortion, hate speech and fraud. It also pivots to the ripple effects of these acts - like misogyny, intrusions of civil liberties, police accountability, and the destabilization of our society.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WEB OF MAKE BELIEVE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE PODCAST.

In Crime of the Week: anticipation.

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As the team moves to its biweekly summer schedule, enjoy this rewind of a classic CWO review.

In season two of CBC’s Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo, Connie Walker searches for a Cree girl who vanished after being adopted into an American family. Will she skillfully tie the tale to the heartbreaking story of Canada's "Sixties Scoop"? What did the crime writers think of it?

TO SKIP TO OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF FINDING CLEO, JUMP TO THE 34th MINUTE.

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When we left off with “I’m Not a Monster” from BBC Panorama and PBS Frontline, Samantha Elhassani was wanted by the FBI. In the final episodes, Josh Baker returns to Syria to fact-check her claims she was an ISIS prisoner, not an ISIS soldier.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF THE FINALE OF "I'M NOT A MONSTER" GO TO 37:30.

When a Canadian tourist disappeared from her downtown LA hotel, video of her on an elevator seem to show her hiding from someone. It was a critical clue for police and a source of wild speculation among online crime fans. Netflix's "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" explores the dark history of this Skid Row tourist trap.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "CRIME SCENE: THE VANISHING AT THE CECIL HOTEL," GO TO 1:11:30

In Crime of the Week: ☹.

A portion of this episode was recorded as part of a podcast-a-thon fundraiser for The Charley Project. Click here to donate to the cause.

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Doctor Serhat Gumrukcu had been hailed as a genius whose experimental treatments for cancer and AIDS made a half-billion dollars for Enochian Biosciences. But the researcher seemed to have two obsessions: one was performing magic tricks and the other was a penchant for secrecy. Financial investors turned up troubling information on Serhat. His diplomas and other credentials were phony, and he’d left a trail of white collar crimes. They’d soon learn, on the other side of the country, a man in a business dispute with Serhat was lured from his home, murdered execution-style, and left in a snowbank. 

“Dr. Death: Bad Magic” is season four of Wondery’s hit podcast series. Host Laura Beil tells the tale of the amateur magician and professional con artist who fooled financiers, scientists, and patients - and now faces murder-for-hire charges. Was Serhat the medical pioneer he claimed to be or was it all an illusion?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DR. DEATH: BAD MAGIC" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of The Week: Cocaine bears.

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In this episode: two investigations that touch on spycraft and show business.

First, he was a professional gambler in-and-out of trouble with the law. He was also the father of future-actor Woody Harrelson. But in 1979, Charles Harrelson was charged with slaying a federal judge. The new podcast “Son of a Hitman,” explores Harrelson’s life of crime with the help of his son, Brett. Was he involved in the most famous assassination in history?

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "SON OF A HITMAN," GO TO 26:00

Was the power ballad “Wind of Change” an artistic commentary on the end of the Cold War or western propaganda designed to weaken Soviet influence? The podcast “Wind of Change” investigates whether the CIA was responsible for The Scorpions’ iconic hit.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "WIND OF CHANGE," GO TO 56:00

Then in Crime of the Week, Mack truck and cheese.

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The Navajo Nation is the only tribe that runs its own police academy, training officers for an understaffed force patrolling the largest reservation in the US. The latest class of about two dozen Navajo recruits must go through a rigorous 28 week boot camp to prepare them for the rigors of the job.

But Class 57 begins to dwindle, with recruits dropping out or being dismissed for misconduct. Yet those who graduate find themselves unprepared for the emotional reality of patrolling a reservation filled with poverty, addiction, and violence which mirrors their own experiences growing up Navajo.  

The HBO Original documentary series “Navajo Police: Class 57” takes us inside the academy of a police force desperately trying to fill its ranks and into the complicated lives of those seeking to wear the uniform. It reveals how the NPD is a microcosm of the Navajo Nation itself…revealing its history, uncertain future, and its resiliency.  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "NAVAJO POLICE: CLASS 57" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

Plus, the Crime Writers read a statement regarding toxicity in podcasting.

In Crime of the Week: Mamas boys.

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Though we took last week off for Thanksgiving, we didn't feel right about not putting anything in the feed this week. So we're offering up this classic rewind of our 2015 discussion of "The Jinx" and "The Staircase."

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The HBO Max documentary “Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults” traces the group’s founding in the 1970s through the Internet age to explain the origins of the largest mass suicide in US history. The four-part series takes a serious look at a religious group dismissed as space cadets.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "HEAVEN'S GATE: CULT OF CULTS" GO TO 30:00

When New York City police arrested Dominique Straus-Kahn for raping her in his hotel room, the story shook two continents. The Netflix series “Room 2806: The Accusation” looks at what happens when one of the world’s most powerful men must defend himself from a working-class woman of color.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "ROOM 2806: THE ACCUSATION" GO TO 58:00

In crime of the week: walk the walk.

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Omar Navarro has offered Marty and Wendy Byrde a plan to finally walk away from their debt to the Mexican cartel. All they need to do is help the drug kingpin go legit and receive immunity from prosecution in America.

Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and two-time Emmy winner Julia Garner return for season four-part one of “Ozark.”  The series again finds the Byrdes dealing with complications large-and-small to protect their family and get out of the money laundering business.  

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS GO TO THE 43:00 MINUTE.

In Crime of the Week: torch song.

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With the crime writers taking another week off, enjoy this rewind of a classic podcast review.

From September 2018, the panel digs into the hit "Dr. Death" from Wondery. Billed as the successor to "Dirty John," reporter Laura Beil recalls the case of a doctor who performed a string of botched surgeries while the system was unable - or unwilling - to stop him.

TO JUMP TO OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF DR. DEATH, FAST-FORWARD TO THE 25th MINUTE.

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People are spending thousands of dollars to get the guidance of life coaches, so-called experts who promise to motivate clients, provide clarity to their problems, and set them on the path to financial reward. But often these gurus recruit new coaches, ensnaring them and their downstream clients in a multi-level marketing cycle. But who gets to say they’re an expert in giving life advice or promising prosperity to clients for the right fee? And why do people think these self-styled gurus can change their emotional and financial situations in the first place? 

In season three of “The Dream,” host Jane Marie explores the life coaching industry, and whether followers can transform themselves by altering mindsets or tapping into the universe. Jane makes the journey personal by discussing her feelings of dread and depression, and employing her own life coach to improve her outlook.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE DREAM" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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They thought they were on a vision quest retreat with a leading self-help teacher. In the end, three were killed in a make-shift sweat lodge. We learn what happened in Wondery’s new hit, “Guru.”

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "GURU" GO TO 34:00

The new 30 for 30 podcast “Heavy Medals” looks at the story of Bela and Martha Karolyi, who made champions through motivation, manipulation, and masochism. The famed coaches elevated American women’s gymnastics, then created the situation which has nearly destroyed it.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "HEAVY MEDALS" GO TO 1:06

In crime of the week: beware of the dark side.

VIEW THIS PODCAST ON FACEBOOK WATCH!

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JeAnna Anderson says Officer Anthony Armour sexually assaulted her during a traffic stop. Frances Salazar went to prison over Armour’s false testimony.  And fellow officer Abby Dennison says Armour drugged and raped her.

At the time, Armour was on something called the Brady List, a catalog kept by Arizona prosecutors of cops who shouldn’t be called to the stand - cops whose history of lying or misconduct could impeach their testimony. And that evidence was never disclosed to the women.

In the latest season of “Verified: Full Disclosure” host Natasha Del Toro looks at how Arizona failed to hold disreputable cops accountable or track them from job to job. Piggybacking on the work of an investigative reporter, Del Toro explores a system in which cops can lie and no one needs to know.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "VERIFIED: FULL DISCLOSURE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: shag doll.

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A small-time Atlanta numbers runner named Chicken Man is given a big-time opportunity: throw a party for all the bosses of the Black mafia after Muhammad Ali’s comeback fight. But a group of robbers holds up the partygoers, making off with nearly a million dollars in cash and jewelry. Detective JD Hudson is tasked with finding the violent robbers - that is unless “Black Godfather” Frank Moten finds them first. Chicken Man finds himself in the crosshairs of both the police and the mob, needing to convince both he had nothing to do with the heist.

“Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” from Peacock is based on the podcast about the 1971 real-life caper. Kevin Hart leads an all-star cast that includes Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle, and Samuel L. Jackson. The crime drama goes beyond the holdup, focusing on the characters’ dreams of what life in a modern Atlanta could be.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "FIGHT NIGHT: THE MILLION DOLLAR HEIST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: The G.O.A.T. of goats.

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After the 1984 murder of Brenda Lafferty and her baby, Detective Jeb Pyre learns the woman married into a prominent and devout Mormon family. But her modern outlook soon clashed with her five brother-in-laws’ views on marriage, religion, and the government. As conflicts arose among their wives, their community, and their church - the Lafferty brothers explored Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints teachings about polygamy, taxation and atonement. Now Detective Pyre must question his own faith as he pursues men willing to spill blood in the name of God.

Andrew Garfield stars in the FX on Hulu series “Under the Banner of Heaven,” based on the book by John Krakauer. The story flashes between the murder investigation, the evolution of the Lafferty’s extremist views, and scenes from Mormon history that informed the religious overtones of the crime.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN" BEGIN AROUND THE 45th MINUTE.

In Crime of the Week: I love the sea life. I've got to boogie.  

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In one of LA’s fanciest neighborhoods, homeless military veterans erect a tent city. While some volunteer to help the vets, others want to see the encampment demolished and its occupants moved along. The camp sits along a fence to the local VA hospital, the place where services for them are offered. But some don’t qualify or can’t get into their programs. Others choose to remain on the street. But if the vets don’t find another place to live, the sheriff will ensure the tents come down.

From KCRW comes “City of Tents: Veterans Row.” Reporter Anna Scott brings us into a world where the desires of activists, officials, neighbors, and vets themselves are often at cross purposes. It examines the larger issue of homelessness and the half-measures employed to solve the problem.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "CITY OF TENTS: VETERANS ROW" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: mummy issues.

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Filmmakers follow officers in a troubled Michigan city to confront the challenges of policing, race relations, politics, and what it means to be a community. We’ll go back to our 2018 review of the documentary series “Flint Town.”

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Organizers of Woodstock ‘99 set out to recreate the vibe of the original concert, all while turning a profit. But the three-day festival was beset by broken toilets, contaminated water, endless garbage, and corporate sponsors price gouging the concert goers. Meanwhile, the organizers failed to appreciate their headline acts were thrash-rock bands who whipped up the oversexed, over-drugged audience into a frenzy - which culminated in a fiery riot.

The Netflix documentary series “Trainwreck: Woodstock ‘99” replays the music festival catastrophe through the eyes of staff, musicians, and concert goers. This docuseries goes behind the scenes to reveal the greed, naiveté, and music that fueled three days of utter chaos.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "TRAINWRECK: WOODSTOCK '99" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE SHOW.

In Crime of the Week: A world of laughter, a world of tears.

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In this episode, Kevin begins with a thank you to the listeners. THANK YOU. We love you a lot.

In 1975, West Yorkshire police discovered the body of a woman who’d been brutally murdered, the first in a series of killings that rocked Northern England. The British press could not resist the similarities between this criminal and London’s most famous killer. Netflix’s “The Ripper” explores the killing spree of Peter Sutcliff, dubbed “The Yorkshire Ripper.”

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE RIPPER" GO TO 33:00

Several female advocates for left-wing British causes find love among the men who’ve come to protest beside them. At the same time their relationships deepen, their groups’ political actions are increasingly foiled. “Bed of Lies” explores how far the government will go to keep tabs on political protesters.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "BED OF LIES" GO TO 1:04:00

In Crime of the Week: bird dog.

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Candy Montgomery seems to have it all: loving husband, adorable kids…and friends from church like Betty Gore. But to fight the mundanity of suburban life, Candy propositions Betty’s husband, Allen. After the affair runs its course, Candy and her husband Pat are closer than ever. But a visit to Betty’s house turns deadly when the women fight over an ax.

Elizabeth Olsen stars in the Max Originals “Love and Death,” chronicling the 1980 murder that captivated the nation - and spawned a different miniseries about the case on Hulu less than a year ago. Why would Candy kill Betty with 41 blows from a three-foot ax? Was it the affair…or did she just snap?  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "LOVE AND DEATH" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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When Maya Lin Sugarman was cleaning out her grandmother’s home, she discovered some screenplays written by her late uncle. Galen Yuen was in a Chinese street gang before becoming a small-time actor. Maya had no idea the script about his life story was made into the 1997 movie “Crazy Six.” By the time Hollywood was finished with the semi-biographical thriller about an Asian crack addict looking to rip off some Oakland drug dealers, it featured Rob Lowe trying to steal plutonium from Eastern European gangsters. The screenplays send Maya on a quest to uncover her uncle’s true life story, find the real people who inspired the characters, and learn how his movie got whitewashed in the first place.

The Apple Original podcast “Magnificent Jerk,” produced by Pineapple Street Studios, is the true story of the fake story of a real life. The host takes a journey into the colorful past of the uncle she thought she knew and finds a tale about identity, ambition, and family.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MAGNIFICENT JERK" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Paying your debt to society.

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While conducting a routine firearms background check, a federal agent hears a rumor about Thomas Gibison that dated back to high school. He’d bragged that he and a friend shot a Black man to earn a skinhead spider web tattoo. Investigators get accomplice Craig Peterson to confirm 15 years earlier they killed a random pedestrian in Philadelphia. But with no name, date, or open case to work from, the agents are at a loss as to how to solve this crime. They’re able to match the details to the unsolved death of Aaron Wood, the victim of a random shooting in 1989. But can prosecutors win a conviction for a real life hate crime working off of loose talk and old memories?

“Deep Cover: The Nameless Man” is the fourth season of the investigative podcast from Pushkin Industries. Pulitzer Prize winner Jake Halpert talks to investigators, jurors and family members about the crime and its implications. How were the authorities’ questions answered about who was their victim and the family’s questions about who was the shooter?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DEEP COVER: THE NAMELESS MAN" IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE PODCAST.

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In 2014, a letter emerged detailing an elaborate plot by Islamic extremists to infiltrate schools in Birmingham, England.  It became known as The Trojan Horse Affair. When journalism student Hamza Syed met podcaster Brian Reed, he told him about the scandal and the unexplored question of the author’s true motives.  They teamed up to investigate where the ham-fisted letter came from in the first place - and if there was no extremist plot, what was the writer actually hoping to achieve?

From Serial Productions and The New York Times comes “The Trojan Horse Affair.” We follow Hamza and Brian’s frustrating journey to explore whether the letter was more about a labor dispute than an extremist conspiracy - and would proving its mundane origins upend the official narrative used as a pretext for a lasting, hardline government response?

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVEIWS OF "THE TROJAN HORSE AFFAIR" GO TO THE 42:00 MINUTE MARK.

In Crime of the Week: thrown to the wolves.

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A cult takes over an Oregon town, then resorts to violence to keep their community…built on love. We'll return to our March 28, 2018 review of Netflix's "Wild Wild Country." 

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A group of young girls prepare for a special Daddy-Daughter dance with their incarcerated fathers at a Washington, D.C. jail. For most, it’s the only time they’ll be able to touch or hug their dads until they’ve completed their sentences. The inmates must first complete a course on the meaning of fatherhood and contemplate their relationships with their children. But after the tearful last dance, the men grapple with how to be part of their daughters’ lives either in or out of jail.

The Netflix documentary “Daughters” looks at the collateral damage of the criminal legal system through the eyes of four girls growing up with a father behind bars. It shows the men coming to terms with the effects of their incarceration on their children. It also follows the daughters long after the dance to see whether the event had a lasting impact on their relationships.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DAUGHTERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL ELEVEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE

In Crime of the Week: golden opportunity.

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New York’s police department says its mission is to protect and serve, but its long forgotten origin story says something different. Before they carried weapons and wore uniforms, the city’s loose affiliation of constables and watchmen hunted escaped enslaved people and made arrests for a fee. New York eventually formed a police force, one less focused on solving crime and more to serve the mayor’s political interests. In the 150-plus years that followed, police reforms and counter reforms shaped how the NYPD uses its authority.  But the debate continues on how modern law enforcement interacts with the community.

From Wondery, Crooked Media and PushBlack, comes the podcast “Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD.” Peabody Award winner Chenjerai Kumanyika recounts the lost history of Gotham’s police, and brings his personal experiences as a second-generation police reform advocate.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "EMPIRE CITY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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Defense attorney Frank Carson was a rough courtroom brawler, unafraid to accuse police and prosecutors of corruption to win cases. But the disappearance of a small-time thief led investigators to focus on Carson. Was the criminal attorney as violent as his clients...or was it a vendetta by cops and lawyers to bring down their pugnacious foe?

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE TRIALS OF FRANK CARSON" GO TO 30:00MINUTE.

Two Stanford students proposed a safer way to give smokers their hit of nicotine without the harmful carcinogens of cigarettes: a product that would eventually be called “Juul.” But a series of design flaws, marketing missteps, and a failure to anticipate unintended consequences only made the problem worse.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE VAPING FIX" GO TO 1:07:00

In crime of the week: and I've been working like a dog.

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He went from NFL tight end to having three murder charges. Could his rags-to-riches-to-ruin story have been different?

In this CWO Classic, we’ll revisit our October 29, 2018 review of "Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football, Inc." from Wondery and the Boston Globe Spotlight team.

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In the 1960s, Ronald Pellar performed as nightclub hypnotist “Dr. Dante.” He thrilled crowds, mixed with celebrities, and even married a movie star. But Dante was a prolific con man, accused of stealing and attempting to have a rival hypnotist murdered.  

After prison, Dante expanded his stage act to include seminars, self-help tapes, tattooed makeup, and a collegiate diploma-mill. He made millions of dollars on false claims and was comfortable telling reporters all about them. When it seemed an elderly Dante was ready to retire from his life of deception, he planned a comeback.

Campside Media is out with season five of “Chameleon: Dr. Dante.” “Wild Boys” host Sam Mullens recounts the many lives of the hypnotist who used his powers of persuasion to be one of the greatest con men in history.  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DR. DANTE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: stuffing sausages.

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Robert Berchtold seemed the perfect neighbor and close friend to the Broberg family. But his fixation on their daughter Jan led him to abduct the girl and flee to Mexico. Parents Bob and Mary Ann were left confused as to why their trusted friend would take their child. But long after their return, Berchtold continued to hold Jan under his spell, keeping each parent at arm's length through blackmail. His diabolical scheme to possess Jan lasted years and threatened to tear the Broberg family apart.

Jake Lacy, Anna Paquin, and Colin Hanks star in the Peacock mini-series “A Friend of the Family.” The show recounts the story first told in the shocking documentary “Abducted in Plain Sight.” The dramatization focuses on the interpersonal dynamics between its players while highlighting the bizarre crimes. It’s a cautionary tale on what happens when a master manipulator befriends the easily fooled.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Love you to the moon and back.

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When researchers found that providing stimulants to hyperactive children improved their behavior in school, educators, pediatricians, and drug manufacturers helped build interest in identifying and treating a new condition: Attention Deficit Disorder. Some saw it as a breakthrough in treating learning disabilities. But the implications of medicating children drew a backlash from advocates. Plus, doctors could not agree on concrete tools for identifying ADHD, prompting suspicions of over-diagnosis. And Big Pharma’s attempts to expand the market has resulted in unintended consequences.

“Backfired: Attention Deficit” is the latest season of the podcast from Prologue Projects and Audible Originals. Hosts Leon Neyfakh and Arielle Pardes explore the origins of ADHD, public reaction to its treatment, and the unforeseen outcomes of diversifying the customer base for stimulants first intended for children.

OUR SPOILER-FREE EPISODES OF "BACKFIRED: SAY NOTHING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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Wrongful convictions, political investigations, and colorful characters were BIG this year. We’ll each give our lists for the Top Ten Podcasts of 2022.

Lara

1. Bone Valley
2. Motive: Blind Spot
3. Burn Wild
4. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's
5. Accused: The Impending Execution of Elwood Jones
6. The Sunshine Place
7. Imperfect Paradise: The Sheriff
8. The Letter
9. Chameleon: Wild Boys
10. Smokescreen: Puppy Kingpin

Toby

1. Chameleon: Wild Boys
2. Bone Valley
3. Burn Wild
4. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's
5. Cover Story: Seed Money
6. Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis
7. Death of an Artist
8. Will Be Wild
9. Project Unabom
10. Suspect season 2

Kevin

1. Bone Valley
2. The Trojan Horse Affair
3. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's
4. Chameleon: Wild Boys
5. Will Be Wild
6. Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis
7. Project Unabom
8. Breakdown: The Trump Grand Jury
9. Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin
10. Motive: Blind Spot

Rebecca

1. Bone Valley
2. Will Be Wild
3. Chameleon: Wild Boys
4. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's
5. Cover Story: Seed Money
6. The Letter
7. Motive: Blind Spot
8. The Trojan Horse Affair
9. Burn Wild
10. Run Hide Repeat

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American ambassador Kate Wyler believes the Prime Minister orchestrated a false flag operation to rally the nation and thwart a Scottish secession movement. As British forces hunt the Russian fixer behind the attacks, Kate takes a risk hiding a politician with inside knowledge of the plot. Kate sets aside her attraction to the Foreign Secretary to help expose the PM. Meanwhile, her politically-savvy husband, Hal, tries to convince his reluctant wife to embrace the offer to replace the sitting Vice President on the presidential ticket. 

Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell return for season two of Netflix’s Emmy-nominated political thriller “The Diplomat.” Kate and her staff navigate personal and professional relationships, all while trying to expose a conspiracy and ease geopolitical tensions.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE DIPLOMAT" SEASON TWO BEGIN IN THE FINAL 8 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: bearly legal.

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A young woman from a posh English family sought clarity about her sexual orientation from therapist Anne Craig. She convinced Fipsi her issues were a result of childhood abuse at the hands of her family - abuse Fipsi had no recollection of. Anne convinced her to cut ties with them and focus instead on their sessions. Anne diagnosed most of her well-to-do patients as victims of an underground pedophile ring. The women spent years estranged from their families. It left their parents convinced Anne brainwashed their daughters and unsure of how to get them back.

The podcast “Dangerous Memories” from Tortoise explores the work of the self-styled counselor who convinced women of privilege they were victims and lured them into isolation and dependence. Host Grace Hugh Hallett talks to former clients and their families about Anne’s cult-like hold on them and the efforts to stop her. 

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DANGEROUS MEMORIES" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: digital downloads.

Here's the GOURDS article from McSweeney's!

And here's the one from the Baroness Von Schraeder! 

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In 2010, a group of students at Sarah Lawrence College was surprised when a co-ed’s father began sleeping on the couch in their dorm. One by one, Larry Ray became a confidant and mentor to the young men and women, eager for his worldly knowledge. 

After Ray and the students moved into a Manhattan apartment, his paternal guidance morphed into coercive control - complete with corporal punishment, sex trafficking, and group paranoia that evil forces were targeting them. For ten years, Ray exerted his influence over them, until authorities broke up what they labeled “a cult.”

The three-part Hulu documentary “Stolen Youth” brings us inside the so-called Sarah Lawrence College cult, with exclusive interviews from the former students and homemade video from inside their psychological prison. It then jumps to the present day to chronicle the remaining cult members’ struggle with the consequences of their pasts.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "STOLEN YOUTH" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 8 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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Are the crime writers eating well? Some of them are.

Leading off: A woman dies under mysterious circumstances with a list of names in her shoe. Are they in danger? And does it have anything to do with a coven of witches in an English village? The two-part adaptation of “The Pale Horse” from BBC One and Amazon Prime veers from Agatha Christie’s novel, keeping its supernatural overtones but leaning more on domestic suspense than its murder-for-hire origins.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE PALE HORSE," GO TO 24:00

Up next: Atlanta was enjoying an economic and cultural resurgence, but in 1979 African American boys began disappearing from its streets. “Atlanta’s Missing & Murdered: The Lost Children” from HBO tugs at the threads of the Wayne Williams case. The series is part historical-and-cultural retrospective, part investigation into the system perhaps too quick to put the case behind them.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "ATLANTA'S MISSING & MURDERED," GO TO 54:00

In Crime of the Week: take one down, pass it around.

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In 1987, Jennifer Pandos vanished from her Virginia home after a quarrel with her father. Her mother discovered a suspicious note from someone claiming Jennifer had willingly left with her, though she never returned.

After odd behavior, flunked polygraphs, and accusatory handwriting analysis, Stephen Pandos believed his parents were involved in her disappearance and had covered up the crime for years. But his mother insisted she knew nothing and now only wants her son back in her life.

Eight years in the making, the HBO series “Burden of Proof” follows Stephen’s journey to solve his sister’s cold case by getting his parents to confess. With a team of cops, private eyes and other experts in tow, can the answers to Jennifer’s disappearance be found within his family - or somewhere else?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BURDEN OF PROOF" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: bathroom break.

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A therapist discovers the mysterious clinic where she works is treating war vets by erasing their memories. We’ll go back to our Dec 30, 2016 review of Gimlet’s “Homecoming” starring Catherine Keener and Oscar Isaac.

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In 1981, Fred Roehler’s family was anchored on their luxury yacht when he convinced his wife and stepson to venture on a dory to nearby Bird Rock. Roehler said the family dog lunged and swamped the boat, sending the trio into the water. At first, the deaths of Verna and Doug were ruled accidental. Police wanted to know more about the strange incident at sea…and more about what happened to Roehler’s first wife. 

In season two of “Lost Hills: Dead in the Water,” host Dana Goodyear tells a story of swingers, money, and the Malibu vibe of the 1970s. It also re-examines the question of whether the deaths were a cold-water accident or a cold-blooded murder. 

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "LOST HILLS: DEAD IN THE WATER" GO TO MINUTE 48:00

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Homicide detectives respond to the shooting of a woman in a car on a dark North Hollywood street. The killing does not appear to be random and the lead suspect is the victim’s husband, actor Robert Blake. Complicating the investigation are the revelations about the victim’s past. Before her marriage, Bonny Lee Bakley spent decades as a con artist, cavorting with criminals and celebrities alike, leaving a long trail of enemies.

From Wondery comes the latest series from the podcast “Hollywood & Crime”... “The Execution of Bonny Lee Bakley” rehashes the 2001 Robert Blake case. Hosts Tracy Pattin and Josh Lucas provide all the narration and dramatic dialogue.  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE EXECUTION OF BONNY LEE BAKLEY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: sleeping under the stars.

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Welsh police sergeant Jill Evans thinks she’s found the man of her dreams. Dean Jenkins is attentive and a bit mysterious. What she doesn’t know is that Dean has been supplementing his income as an armed robber. After his arrest, Jill's colleagues are suspicious of her claims she didn’t know Dean was a bandit. Now it’s more than just her career on the line.

From Wondery and Novel, comes “Stolen Hearts.” Host Kerry Godliman mixes true crime and rom-com for a breezy look at a very British scandal.  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "STOLEN HEARTS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 8 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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In 2005, Kevin Jones discovered his girlfriend bludgeoned to death in her Russellville, Arkansas apartment. Police zeroed in on Jones, thinking the murder of former beauty queen Nona Dirksmeyer was an open-and-shut case. Despite a strong alibi and critical evidence pointing to an unknown assailant, prosecutors would not alter their theory of the case. And years after a jury would decide Jones’s fate - and DNA from the scene was linked to Nona’s violent neighbor - many would not change their minds about what happened in apartment 12.

From Dateline NBC comes their latest podcast, “Murder in Apartment 12.” Host Keith Morrison looks back at his two decades of covering the case. While still employing his famous droll delivery style, this Dateline mystery does not get wrapped up in a bow at the end.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MURDER IN APARTMENT 12" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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Donnie Dunn, an aspiring stand-up comedian, extends a courtesy to a distraught pub customer. Martha Scott becomes a friend and a regular at the bar, but her fixation on Donnie starts crossing boundaries. He tries to push away, but a spurned Martha begins an unrelenting stalking campaign which upends his life. The stress of the stalking triggers repressed feelings of Donnie’s own sexual assault at the hands of an influential television writer. As things continue to spin out of control, Donnie struggles to understand himself and decipher the woman who’s obsessed with him.

Netflix’s buzzworthy dark comedy-slash-searing drama “Baby Reindeer” stars Richard Gadd and is based on his autofictional one man show. The series mines deep emotional territory, with performances that are fiercely raw and often unsettling.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BABY REINDEER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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With the crime writers taking some more summer R&R, enjoy this classic rewind.

Every once in a while, other podcast comes along and seems like the heir to "Serial." Few live up to the anticipation. Is it possible that the Cincinnati Enquirer's "Accused" podcast has replicated the secret sauce: a truly compelling murder mystery and the transparent, obsessive reporting which goes into the story? It sure is.

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Looking to get a break in show business, struggling actress Sheryl Bradshaw appears on “The Dating Game.” The first two bachelors are either shallow or lascivious, but bachelor number three has an easy charm that makes him the clear favorite. But Rodney Alcala is more than a smooth-talking photographer looking for love. He’s spent the past decade murdering unsuspecting women and eluding detection. How could Sheryl - or the TV audience - know she was about to go on a date with a serial killer?

The Netflix thriller “Woman of the Hour” dramatizes Sheryl’s real life encounter with a predator. Lead actress and director Anna Kendrick ratchets up the tension with a character resigned to 1970s misogyny and its lurking menace, all while showing us in parallel what Rodney is capable of. 

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WOMAN OF THE HOUR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: ice to see you.

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It was founded on a curriculum of hard work, discipline, and emotional counseling for out-of-control adolescents. The iHeartRadio podcast “Camp Hell: Anneewakee” explores the sordid history of the Anneewakee Treatment Center, sold to parents as a solution for their children's problems, but was actually a breeding ground for sexual abuse.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "CAMP HELL: ANNEEWAKEE" GO TO 34:51

When a young mother is murdered, a small town detective's investigation threatens to upend her tiny community - and destroy her career and personal life. Starring Kate Winslet, HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” explores the dark side of a close community and examines how family and past tragedies can define our present.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "MARE OF EASTTOWN" GO TO 1:06:09

In Crime of the Week: 2 - 1 = 0.

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The Cliftons have not seen their mother in years. She ran off with David, the boyfriend who controlled her money and her life. What’s his connection to Rob, a supposed MI-5 agent who in 1996 took a trio of college kids into hiding, claiming they’d been targeted by IRA assassins?

From Netflix, “The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Con Man” looks back at the exploits of Robert Freegard - accused of controlling, conning, and fleecing several women. Told largely by his victims, the docuseries also looks at the present day and asks whether he’s up to his old tricks.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE PUPPET MASTER," GO TO MINUTE 34:00

In Crime of the Week: a clean getaway.

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HBO is out with a reboot of “Perry Mason.” But this time, Mason is not a 1950s defense attorney. Instead, he’s a 1930s private eye, working for a lawyer and investigating the case of a kidnapping-gone-wrong. Will Mason find the answers in Hollywood’s underbelly...and will he get the case-clearing confession the character is known for?

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "PERRY MASON" GO TO THE 29th MINUTE.

In 2012, Gelareh Bagherzadeh was shot in her car outside her home. Police were stumped not only as to who the killer was, but why someone would want the graduate student and political activist dead. Dateline and NBC News are back with the new podcast “Motive for Murder.”

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "MOTIVE FOR MURDER" GO TO THE 61st MINUTE.

In Crime of the Week, nobody in here except us chickens.

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What do some of the most prominent Indigenous celebrities, politicians, and cultural leaders have in common? They’re not actually affiliated with the tribes they claim to have ties with. More and more so-called “pretendians” are being unmasked, accused of fabricating their native heritage. Some fake their ancestry to accumulate power, reshape their public image, or obtain benefits meant for Indigenous people. While motivations vary, risk of exposure or accountability remains low.

In “Pretendians” from Canadaland, co-hosts Robert Jago and Angel Ellis reveal unbelievable stories of audacious fraudsters and investigate the complex phenomenon of Indigenous identity theft.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "PRETENDIANS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE SHOW.

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When Valentino Rodriguez Jr. died at home, his family believed it had something to do with his time in an elite investigative unit inside New Folsom Prison. He’d been driven out of the job by other corrections officers Valentino believed were behind the abuse of prisoners. KQED reporters Sukey Lewis and Julie Small began to dig through reams of newly-released documents and interview tapes, hoping to shed light on what was happening in California’s most violent prison. Meanwhile, with guidance from Valentino’s mentor, Val Senior launched his own investigation into his son’s final days with the help of an insider.

Season two of KQED’s “On Our Watch: New Folsom” tells the tale of two corrections officers struggling with the pattern of violence and a culture of silence within the high-security facility. The hosts investigate the challenges they faced and follow in their footsteps to uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in the Golden State.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ON OUR WATCH: NEW FOLSOM" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

Note: This episode has been updated to correct an error in an earlier posted version.

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For years one of the world’s biggest pop stars was held captive to a conservatorship which controlled her money and her life. The Netflix documentary “Britney Vs Spears” reveals the undisclosed legal documents which trace how the singer’s father and a gaggle of lawyers leveraged the system to restrict her agency and make themselves rich.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BRITNEY VS SPEARS" GO TO 29:00

In October 2019, two men in a car ran over antifa protestor Sean Kealiher in Portland before fleeing. The podcast “Fault Line: Dying for a Fight” asks whether police won't solve the case because of the victim's left-wing, anti-law enforcement views.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "FAULT LINE" GO TO 1:07:00

In crime of the week: captivating review.

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In 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg was bludgeoned to death outside her Connecticut home. In HBO’s four-part “Murder on Middle Beach,” Madison Hamburg offers an intimate look at his mother's killing, his troubled family, and his own painful search for answers.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "MURDER ON MIDDLE BEACH," GO TO 36:00

Grace Fraser’s life is upended when the mother of a student at her son’s Manhattan private school is brutally murdered. Is it possible the man she married is a cold-blooded killer? We'll review HBO's six-part thriller, "The Undoing."

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE UNDOING," GO TO 1:07:00

In crime of the week: get the f*** out of here.

PLUS...Lara reveals a new podcast episode with a special cat-famous celebrity. Kevin explains how listeners can get a personal phone call from one of the crime writers.

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In 1989, Boston was stunned by a dramatic carjacking. Charles Stuart said his wife Carol was shot in the head and he was gravely wounded by a Black man who robbed them. While the media fought each other for the latest details, police launched an aggressive and prolonged manhunt in the adjacent Black neighborhoods. Within the Black community, the harassment and heavy handed arrests opened fresh wounds in a city with a checkered past on race relations. But police were so willing to believe Stuart’s account of the bizarre attack, few suspected he was behind it all along.

From HBO Documentary Films in association with The Boston Globe comes “Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning. The three-part series retraces the investigation into who killed Carol Stuart against the backdrop of a liberal city unable to reconcile its racist history. We also hear from reporters, activists, and local residents affected by the manhunt and an unapologetic cop who helped run it.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MURDER IN BOSTON: ROOTS, RAMPAGE & RECKONING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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In February 1978, the car of five men with either mental health or intellectual disabilities was discovered on a high mountain road, far away from their anticipated destination. By the summer it became clear where the group had gone, but what happened to them in those months remains a troubling mystery. 

The seven-episode podcast “Yuba County Five” from Mopac Audio recalls the missing persons case that still haunts Northern California. It asks the question of why the men took the detour and whether someone with bad intentions sent them into the wilderness to meet their fate.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "YUBA COUNTY FIVE" BEGIN AROUND MINUTE 19:00

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In 2006, a group of armed and masked men used kidnapping and precision to enter a money counting center, making off with £53 million in cash. The media buzzed over who was behind the largest heist in history.  The trail led to “Lightning” Lee Murray, a champion contender in the world of mixed martial arts. But Murray didn’t just make money as an ultimate fighting star. The middleweight remained connected to the street gang he grew up in...and now he’s on the run.

Showtime Sports Documentary Films presents “Catching Lightning,” looking at Murray’s rise in extreme sports and his role in the Securitas depot robbery. The four-part series uses jailhouse recordings of Murray, plus interviews with athletes and investigators to dissect why “Lightning Lee” turned to crime and how he was caught.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "CATCHING LIGHTNING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE SHOW.

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After a 24 hour standoff at a bank robbery, two armed men and their two hostages flee through West Germany. Later, they hold up a city bus and take more hostages. While the police stay back, the criminals instead open a dialogue with the press, calmly taking questions while brandishing weapons. With reporters following the bus through the country, conducting interviews at every stop, the hostage takers are growing more anxious about the situation. With no clear-cut path for a peaceful conclusion, the nation remains glued to the television.

Now on Netflix, the German-language documentary “Gladbeck: The Hostage Crisis” relies exclusively on footage shot by news crews who captured the 54-hour ordeal. For English-speaking audiences unfamiliar with the 1988 event, its close-up, real-time chronicle of this rolling standoff builds both suspense and dread.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "GLADBECK: THE HOSTAGE CRISIS" BEGIN IN THE LAST 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 

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Grifter Thomas Ripley is hired by a wealthy businessman to convince his prodigal son to return from his extended holiday in Italy. But instead he ingratiates himself with Dickie Greenleaf and shares in his host’s life of luxury. Once he overstays his welcome, Ripley hatches a plan to get rid of Dickie and assume his playboy identity.

Instead of Easy Street, Ripley finds himself living one step ahead of Dickie’s suspicious girlfriend, Marge, and an Italian detective investigating the missing bon vivant. Can the talented con man keep up the ruse and avoid getting tangled in the web of lies he’s spun?

Netflix’s series “Ripley” stars Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning, and is based on the book and movie “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” The moody black & white thriller is punctuated with rich symbolism, awe-inspiring scenery, and heart-stopping suspense, wrapped around a tour de force performance by Scott.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "RIPLEY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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He was the billionaire investor who hosted celebrities, politicians, and royalty. He was also a pedophile who used his enormous wealth to traffic young girls. Netflix’s four-part series “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich,” goes deep into the people and events around his life and provides a platform for his many victims, who are not afraid to name names.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "FILTHY RICH" GO TO 32:00

The Atlanta Journal Constitution is out with a multi-media investigation into a 1985 double murder and whether the right man is in prison. In a YouTube documentary on the case, “The Imperfect Alibi,” reporter Joshua Sharpe picks up the trail which leads to an alternate suspect.

FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE IMPERFECT ALIBI" GO TO 53:00

In Crime of the Week, license to dill.

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It was the scandal that took down a President…but it didn’t happen all at once. The road to Watergate was paved over time with small turns and little-known stories that need to be heard.

In this CWO Classic: we’ll revisit our December 8, 2017 review of the classic podcast “Slow Burn.”

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On this CWO Classic, we revisit our October 20, 2017 split-decision review of Accused season 2. 

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