Crime Writers On...

Authorities in Malibu arrest a drifter for a campsite murder and a spree of sniper shootings, but right away questions emerge whether the evidence actually points to Anthony Rauda. The podcast "Lost Hills" offers investigators, families, as well as some of Malibu’s colorful locals in an attempt to pull back the curtain on the embattled L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and the city’s sunshine façade. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "LOST CITY" GO TO 38:00 Wealthy parents whose kids could not get into the elite school of their choice turned to Rick Singer. For the right price, he could get them admitted as fake collegiate athletes to low-profile sports programs at high-prestige universities. Netflix's “Operation Varsity Blues” is part-true crime documentary/part-dramatic re-creation, shining a light on the college admissions scandal. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "OPERATION VARSITY BLUES" GO TO 1:10:00. In Crime of the Week: crap trap.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive cont

In Netflix's "Murder Among the Mormons," a pair of deadly bombs in Salt Lake City appear connected to unearthed historical documents that could rock the Mormon church and make collectors rich...but only if they're authentic. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MURDER AMONG THE MORMONS" GO TO 28:10. An NPR reporter finds a source in a prisoner serving a life sentence. Their 20+ year relationship changes when he's unexpectedly released. In "Suave" from Futuro Media, the ex-con must navigate the challenges of being on parole while the journalist must confront her own objectivity when her subject becomes her close friend. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SUAVE" GO TO 1:03:00 In Crime of the Week: fishy alias. Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia 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 informati

Wealthy Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard threw lavish parties in the Bahamas that were just a pretext to lure and rape women. The CBC spent years trying to land the story of his decades of sexual assaults and intimidation in four countries. The podcast "Evil by Design" tells the stories of victims, advocates, and journalists in the Nygard case. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "EVIL BY DESIGN" GO TO 37:30 Despite Mia Farrow's claims Woody Allen molested their adopted daughter, the filmmaker spun a narrative about false accusations that preserved his career. HBO's "Allen v. Farrow" provides in-depth interviews, court documents, and other uncovered evidence to refute that narrative and generate a re-examination of this celebrity scandal. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ALLEN V FARROW" GO TO 1:19:00 In Crime of the Week: hard feelings. Note: we'll be discussing two stories about sexual abuse, but we will not be describing the assaults.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive

Jermain Charlo left a Missoula, Montana bar, walked down an alleyway, and vanished. In Gimlet’s new podcast “Stolen: The Search for Jermain,” host Connie Walker continues her work documenting crimes against Indigenous women. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "STOLEN: THE SEARCH FOR JERMAIN" GO TO 29:00 Eight-year-old Relisha Rudd had been missing from a Washington DC family shelter more than two weeks before anyone noticed. Police would find the shelter’s janitor and his wife dead, but never located child. In WAMU’s “Through the Cracks,” host Jonquilyn Hill explores how the system let the family down every step of the way. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THROUGH THE CRACKS" GO TO 1:03:00 In Crime of the Week: caught orange handed.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia 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.

00In Dateline NBC’s newest podcast “Mommy Doomsday,” Keith Morrison picks up where he left off with “The Thing About Pam,” applying his unique reporting style to a true crime mystery. Where are Lori Vallow’s missing children? Why have so many people around her suddenly died? And does her religious cult focused on the apocalypse have anything to do with it? FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MOMMY DOOMSDAY" GO TO 27:00 In 2017, a Swedish journalist was last scene departing with a man in his homemade submarine. When the sub is scuttled and the man says he buried her at sea after an accident, police take on the impossible task of scouring the ocean to disprove the alibi. The six-part Danish-language series “The Investigation,” now on HBO, is a dramatic take on one of Scandinavia’s most bizarre crimes. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE INVESTIGATION" GO TO 56:00 In Crime of the Week: free flow of commerce. Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patre

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.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon

They were the famous male exotic dancers that made the ladies scream. But behind the scenes the story of Chippendales is filled with drugs, backstabbing, and even murder. We'll preview the new podcast "Welcome to Your Fantasy." FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WELCOME TO YOUR FANTASY" GO TO 34:40 In 1974 a new three-wheeled car promised to change the automotive industry. But both the car - and the high-profile businesswoman running the company - were not what they seemed. We’ll review the HBO documentary “The Lady and The Dale.” FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE LADY AND THE DALE" GO TO 1:08:00 In Crime of the Week: no bones about it.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia 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 1980, California cops found themselves outgunned at a deadly bank robbery firefight. “Norco 80” from LAist Studios revisits the heist and chase which set law enforcement down the path to the modern militarized police force. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "NORCO 80" GO TO 30:00 In the new film "The Little Things," Deputy Sheriff John Deacon returns to his old homicide squad during a string of high-profile killings. Is their case related to the unsolved murders which derailed his career and marriage? That’s when a peculiar repairman with an unusual fascination with local crime captures their attention. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE LITTLE THINGS" GO TO 1:03:00 In crime of the week: dolled up.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia 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 ab

Rebecca returns to the host's chair in time to talk about “Chicano Squad” from Frequency Machine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. To deal with a crime spree in a Latino community that no longer trusts them, Houston police create a special unit of Spanish-speaking officers to solve its toughest cases. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "CHICANO SQUAD" GO TO 34:00 Then, the Netflix documentary “Crack: Cocaine, Corruption, and Conspiracy” shows the falling dominos from a burgeoning drug economy and its unchecked violence, to the societal backlash and a political movement whose legislation disproportionately affected communities of color. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "CRACK" GO TO 1:02:00 In crime of the week: half a roof is better than none.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz comp

After Rebecca calls in sick at the last minute, Kevin is pressed into hosting duties. He, Lara, and Toby talk about Netflix's new documentary, "Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer." The series largely removes the killer from the frame, focusing instead on the crimes and those affected by the case. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "NIGHT STALKER" GO TO 28:00 A lowly janitor at the Louvre concocts a plan to steal Marie Antoinette’s necklace, but this janitor is more than he seems. In Netflix’s surprise French-language hit “Lupin” we follow a gentleman thief, seeking revenge, who styles himself after a famous book character. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "LUPIN" GO TO 56:00 In crime of the week: here's Johnny!Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia 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 fo

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.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co

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.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia 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 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.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com

While the team enjoys the holiday vacation, here's a classic rewind of their original discussion from January 2016 of "Making a Murderer." Lara loses her mind over the ethics of Dassey's defense, Toby is skeptical but sympathetic, Rebecca goes out on a limb, and Kevin gives his wife a terrible anniversary card. Plus, the Crime of the Week!Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A string of femicides in a Mexican border town dating back to the 1990s has claimed the lives of hundreds of women. Were the women snatched by a serial killer...or by a network of people who knew they could get away with it? We review the podcast, “Forgotten: Women of Juárez.” FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "FORGOTTEN: WOMEN OF JUÁREZ," GO TO 32:00 In 1991, a woman claimed her jealous husband tried to kill her with the rattlesnakes he used in his Pentecostal church services. In the HBO Max documentary “Alabama Snake,” we see Glenn Summerford’s hard-knock, hard-drinking life leading up to him fashioning the serpents as weapons. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ALABAMA SNAKE," GO TO 1:07:00 In Crime of the Week: license to ill.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia 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.a

With such a fantastic finale, the crime writers dig into episode four of "Murder on Middle Beach." Taken as a whole, this documentary exceeded expectations...by a lot! After being arrested in 1983 for a petty theft in London, a homeless Irishman killed his cellmate for snoring too much. When grilled by detectives, Kieran Patrick Kelly unexpectedly confessed to a series of unsolved murders. The RTÉ podcast "The Nobody Zone" separates fact from fiction. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE NOBODY ZONE," GO TO 35:30 In "The Flight Attendant," hard partying Cassie Bowden wakes up next to a dead body and no memory of what happened. Can this hot-mess-turned-sleuth solve the case, elude the Feds, take down a mysterious cabal, and get her life under control? FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT," GO TO 1:01:00 In Crime of the Week: golden ticket? Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia For exclusive podcasts

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.Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sig

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."  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.

As Lara gets closer to her pet detective graduation, the panel's got some great things from Netflix to talk about. Sean Ellis won a new trial decades after being convicted of murdering a Boston policeman. What he didn’t know then was Detective John Mulligan was a dirty cop and his partners steered the investigation away from their own illegal activity. In “Trial 4,” Ellis prepares to go back to court and prove he was railroaded to close a case that would expose police corruption. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "TRIAL 4," GO TO 39:00 In "The Queen's Gambit," an orphan learns chess from the custodian and quickly climbs the ranks in a sport dominated by men. Beth Harmon focuses on beating the Cold War Soviet grandmasters, but the cocktail of pills and alcohol that fuel her strategic vision threaten to take over her life. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT," GO TO 1:12:00 In crime of the week: lakeside getaway. Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Pat

Doctor Farid Fata was Michigan’s go-to oncologist, but clinicians who got a closer look at the medicines he was administering became suspicious. Wondery's out with season two of the hit podcast "Dr. Death." FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "DR. DEATH" GO TO 22:00 Then, from famed documentarian Alex Gibney comes “Crazy Not Insane,” a look at Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis’s career and the controversy around violent offenders with dissociative identity disorders. Is it a breakthrough or junk science? FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "CRAZY, NOT INSANE" GO TO 1:01 In Crime of the Week: Crap Full of Nuts. Click here to get the Crime Writers On After Show, plus more exclusive content, on Patreon.: https://patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia 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.