Crime Writers On...

Sheriff Alex Villanueva won office in 2018 campaigning as a reformer who’ll clean up the scandal-plagued L.A. County Sheriff's Department. After criticism he was doing the opposite, Villanueva doubled down on his efforts to abuse his power, vilify the press, and investigate his rivals.“Imperfect Paradise: The Sheriff” from LAist Studios examines the controversial head of one of the nation’s largest law enforcement agencies. Host Frank Stoltze interviews Villanueva and talks to his critics to learn how he wields his power, going from a progressive sheriff’s candidate to a right-wing media darling.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IMPERFECT PARADISE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: beef hot dog beef. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jonelle Matthews vanished after her school Christmas recital in 1984. Colorado investigators had no leads, until a detective homed in on Jonelle’s neighbor, a man said to have a fixation on young girls. The case remained cold for decades until Jonelle’s body was discovered. Then police got a tip about another man in the girl’s orbit: a true crime fan who for years said he had information…but was continually ignored by police.Season two of Campside Media’s “Suspect: Vanished in the Snow'' is currently on Amazon Music and is scheduled for broad release next year. Host Ashley Fantz examines the case and several of those suspected of the crime. The six-part series also covers the murder trial of the man police say did it.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SUSPECT" SEASON TWO BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE SHOW.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and

Giancarlo Granda was the pool boy at a Miami hotel when he was propositioned by Becki Falwell and her husband, the president of evangelical Liberty University, Jerry Falwell Jr. The couple lavished attention and money on Granda to keep the love triangle going and to keep it secret. Like his father before him, Falwell fancied himself a political kingmaker, influencing millions of evangelical voters. But if word of their arrangement with Granda came out it could damage Falwell's 2016 endorsement of candidate Donald Trump.In the Hulu documentary “God Forbid: The Sex Scandal that Brought Down a Dynasty,” Granda tells his side of the story. It also makes the case that keeping the couple’s kink under wraps changed the course of history.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "GOD FORBID" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Wish I could be part of that world.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz com

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.  For exclusive p

In 1983, 15-year-old Emanuela Orlandi disappeared after her music lesson. Her family were citizens of the Vatican. Men claiming to be her abductors promised her return if authorities would release the man held for shooting Pope John Paul II. Other theories of the crime emerged. Did the Soviet Union take her to blunt the Pope’s political influence in Poland? Were mobsters using her as leverage to recover money laundered by the Vatican Bank? Or was she spirited away by the Church to prevent the exposure of some secret?“Vatican Girl: The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi” explores one of Italy’s most infamous cases. With interviews in both English and Italian, family members and journalists recount the many theories surrounding the disappearance and question a man who claimed to be one of her kidnappers.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "VATICAN GIRL" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: it is what it is.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at c

Grace Williams has just lost her husband, John Paul. But her four sisters are not unhappy to see the man they called “The Prick” meet his demise. For months the Garvey girls had been plotting to kill the cruel and controlling spouse and get Grace out from under his thumb. Now that the deed is done, no one is suspicious - except for the life insurance agent with family secrets of his own.The Apple Original dark comedy series “Bad Sisters” features an Irish ensemble cast led by Sharon Horgan and Sarah Greene. Just how did John Paul die? How did he make an enemy of each of his in-laws? And will the nearly-broke insurance agents avoid paying on the policy by cracking the mystery?OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BAD SISTERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 7 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1982, authorities were baffled when seemingly healthy people were suddenly dying. They concluded the Tylenol they’d recently bought in Chicago-area stores had been laced with cyanide.  In the past forty years, the culprit has not been identified. Investigators had two strong suspects but could not pin the crimes on either one of them. In the podcast “Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders” from the Chicago Tribune and At Will Media, reporters Christy Gutowski and Stacy St. Clair dig through the files of the famous cold case. They also examine the two main suspects hoping to solve the mystery before it’s too late.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "UNSEALED: THE TYLENOL MURDERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: sneaky snake. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rachel McKibbens didn’t even know her father and brother were sick with COVID until it was too late. She grappled with how the two people she loved the most turned unrecognizable due to pandemic misinformation. But her search for answers only renewed questions about her family history, a life filled with both fear and love that she and her brother experienced. Were the deaths a result of contemporary forces, or was this personal tragedy set in motion years earlier?The podcast “We Were Three” from Serial Productions is an intimate look at one family’s ending that was both sudden and years in the making. Host Nancy Updike zooms in on one story about what the pandemic took away and what it revealed.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WE WERE THREE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: political positions. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o

Alan Strauss is kidnapped and chained in the basement of his new patient. Sam Fortner reveals he’s a serial killer and wants the therapist to help him change his violent ways. During his captivity Alan ponders his many regrets in life, all while attempting to cure Sam’s murderous urges. Alan knows if he’s unsuccessful and can't prevent his patient from killing again, he’ll surely become his next victim.In Hulu’s ten-part miniseries “The Patient,” Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson each give tightly wound performances. Both men struggle with how their pasts affect their present. Can Alan convince Sam to stop killing in the ultimate test of cerebral fitness?  OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE PATIENT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: the cost of kindness.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data fo

A Florida judge reaches out to author Gilbert King, saying an innocent man has been in prison for three decades. Leo Schofield was convicted of murdering his wife despite no physical evidence and thin witness accounts. Schofield maintains he was not the one who stabbed Michelle and left her body in a roadside canal.Gilbert learns authorities never examined fingerprints found on the hood of Michelle’s car, evidence that points to a different suspect. But rather than clear his name, authorities are not interested in correcting this miscarriage of justice and exonerating Schofield.Lava for Good presents the podcast “Bone Valley.” Gilbert and research assistant Kelsey Decker retrace the investigation into the 1987 Michelle Schofield murder and uncover surprising new evidence about the case. Can the new information convince an indifferent justice system to let Leo Schofield go?OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BONE VALLEY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon

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: Lov

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.   For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertisin

Immigrants and payday borrowers were receiving calls from the US government: either pay the money they owe or be arrested. But it was all an international scam, tricking people into turning over thousands of dollars to con men traveling the country.  But with the calls originating from India, authorities had little hope of finding the players and shutting the operation down. In season four of Chameleon from Campside Media, “Scam Likely” host Yudhijit Bhattacharjee talks to victims, investigators, and some of the phone operators behind an elaborate fraud on unsuspecting people. The team even travels to India in search of the masterminds behind the deception.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "CHAMELEON: SCAM LIKELY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: rest in pees. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data

In 1995, a pair of eight-year-old girls were kidnapped from the Belgian countryside. Later, two teens vanished after leaving a magic show. Then another set of girls disappeared. Hysteria gripped the country, while the police response seemed not up to the task. After questioning, Marc Dutroux would take investigators to his home where they discovered two of the girls being held in a dungeon. Dutroux’s arrest set in motion a controversy over police errors, government ineptitude, and accusations of cover-ups.In “Le Monstre: The Dutroux Affair” from iHeart Media and Tenderfoot TV, host Matt Graves looks into the crimes of Belgium's deadliest serial killer. It also explores the country’s institutional failures to protect children and the massive protest movement demanding reforms.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "LE MONSTRE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See p

In an effort to stop a ski resort expansion in Vail, Colorado, environmental activists set fire to several buildings. It was the work of the Earth Liberation Front, an extremist group that targeted companies they felt were damaging the environment. The FBI labeled the group eco-terrorists and the country’s greatest domestic terror threat. For decades, two of its leaders have been on the run. Now it’s time for them…and the rest of the world…to face the consequences of their actions.From BBC Sounds comes the new podcast “Burn Wild.” Host Leah Sottile of “Bundyville” and “Two Minutes Past Nine” turns her attention to a different kind of extremist. She poses the question, is it okay to do the wrong thing for the right reason?OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BURN WILD" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: dirty mouth. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform

In August 1996, 19-year-old Zach Snarr took his friend Yvette to a secluded reservoir to take photos of the moon. But their date was interrupted by “George” Benvenuto, a stranger who fatally shot Zach and wounded Yvette without provocation. Zach’s family wanted justice, hoping Benvenuto would rot in prison. But the years brought little comfort and grief turned to anger. That’s when the letter came.“The Letter” from Lemonada and KSL Podcasts looks at the effects of the murder on the Snarr family and their journey of restorative justice with the man who murdered their son. It’s an intimate portrait of those affected by the shooting and the unexpected ways they cope with it.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE LETTER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last week, after two decades in prison, Adnan Syed walked out of a Baltimore courtroom when his conviction for Hae Min Lee’s murder was vacated. Sarah Koenig's new episode 13 of “Serial” may play like an epilogue to Adnan's story, but its creation has sparked new consideration for what the famous podcast got wrong, its ongoing obligation to the subject, and whether making Adnan the world’s most famous wrongfully-convicted inmate was enough.Then...the Phoenix Goddess Temple said it was a house of worship, a place where the healing powers of feminine touch would bring about a sacred union. But police said it was a high-end brothel hiding behind religious protections. In the eight-part podcast “Witnessed: Mystic Mother,” Katie and Leah Henoch revisit the scandal. They also ponder the nature of sex work and what set the Phoenix Goddess Temple apart.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WITNESSED: MYSTIC MOTHER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Let's taco 'bout pizza.   For exclusive podca

John McAfee made hundreds of millions of dollars on his ubiquitous anti-virus software and retired to Belize. But after his neighbor was murdered in 2012, McAfee went on the run. Rather than keep a low profile, he let a camera crew film his every move. McAfee uses his unscrupulous methods and considerable wealth to escape his predicament in Central America. But when he gets into trouble in the US, a paranoid, drug-addled, and heavily armed McAfee invites cameras on his luxury yacht as he takes to the sea to avoid capture.The Netflix documentary “Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee” brings us inside the businessman’s never-ending flight from justice, through jungles, foreign court systems, and the high seas. It documents his downward spiral while on the lam - and asks questions about his controversial death.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL" BEGIN IN THE LAST 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewrit

To get to the top of the best-seller list takes more than just writing a good book. And going from acclaimed author to scandalous fraud can happen with the turn of a page. Like Kaavya Viswanathan - the young phenom whose book contained plagiarized passages. Or Dan Mallory, the author of The Woman in the Window whose life of adversity was an elaborate hoax played upon the literary community.The eight-part podcast series “Missing Pages” from The Podglomerate dives into stories of famous authors brought low by their misdeeds and misrepresentations. Host Bethanne Patrick also explores the industry culture and social biases that contributed to the controversies in the first place.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MISSING PAGES" BEGIN IN THE LAST 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: queen bee. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal

In the 60s and 70s, Synanon emerged as an experimental residential program dedicated to helping drug addicts into recovery. But its founder, Chuck Dederich, reclassified the organization as a church, manipulating followers with fear and intimidation. Synanon would soon be caught up in crime and  abuse, with Dederich espousing violence to maintain control.“The Sunshine Place” from C13Originals is hosted by Sari Crawford, the daughter of a former Synanon leader. While some credit the program for their sobriety, others say its messianic leader destroyed their lives. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE SUNSHINE PLACE" BEGIN IN THE LAST EIGHT MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.