The story continues... <a href="http://bestevidence.fyi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bestevidence.fyi</a>

Closing Statements

Nope, that's not a typo: Best Evidence publisher Eve Batey joins me to talk about a movie that's still in "theaters," Most Wanted. Featuring Josh Hartnett's foxy 'stache and a breakout ugly performance from Jim Gaffigan, Most Wanted interrogates the role of budgetary concerns in law-enforcement corruption and/or incompetence...and we interrogate the crusading-reporter subgenre and whether it's true to life.  We do it twice, as a matter of fact, as our Cold Case topic is While The City Sleeps, a movie that references the William Heirens case but is actually about whether media's attempts to "make" a story is itself the story...or criminal. The 1956 thriller stars Vincent Price, Drew Barrymore's dad, and a realistically sodden Dana Stevens in a tale about a callow press scion using a string of murders to pit his top men (...uch) against each other for a plum job. We recommend it, and not just because it kiiiind of makes John Douglas look like an ass for claiming nobody knew how to profile properly before 1974, so hike your pants up to your pits and have a listen to The Blotter Presents, Episode 155.  SHOW NOTES  Where to watch Most Wanted  The Most Wanted/Target Number One Wikipedia page Reply All's Compstat episode  Stephen McHattie's Zodiac credit  Kill The Messenger  While The City Sleeps on Amazon  My Ripped From The Headlines review  Eater NY on Marchi's (and the Eater's Digest podcast) Wikipedia's William Heirens page  

Nope, that's not a typo: Best Evidence publisher Eve Batey joins me to talk about a movie that's still in "theaters," Most Wanted. Featuring Josh Hartnett's foxy 'stache and a breakout ugly performance from Jim Gaffigan, Most Wanted interrogates the role of budgetary concerns in law-enforcement corruption and/or incompetence...and we interrogate the crusading-reporter subgenre and whether it's true to life. We do it twice, as a matter of fact, as our Cold Case topic is While The City Sleeps, a movie that references the William Heirens case but is actually about whether media's attempts to "make" a story is itself the story...or criminal. The 1956 thriller stars Vincent Price, Drew Barrymore's dad, and a realistically sodden Dana Stevens in a tale about a callow press scion using a string of murders to pit his top men (...uch) against each other for a plum job. We recommend it, and not just because it kiiiind of makes John Douglas look like an ass for claiming nobody knew how to profile properly before 1974, so hike your pants up to your pits and have a listen to The Blotter Presents, Episode 155. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li>Where to <a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/most-wanted-2020" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">watch Most Wanted</a> </li> <li>The Most Wanted/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Number_One" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Target Number One</a> Wikipedia page</li> <li>Reply All's <a href="https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/n8hwl7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Compstat episode</a> </li> <li>Stephen McHattie's <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6294892/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_19" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zodiac credit</a> </li> <li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216491/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kill The Messenger</a></li> <li> While The City Sleeps <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B007QJ9SLA/ref=atv_dl_rdr?tag=justwatch09-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on Amazon</a> </li> <li>My <a href="https://blotterpresents.substack.com/p/michelle-carter-surviving-jeffrey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ripped From The Headlines review</a> </li> <li>Eater NY on <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2011/12/23/6627511/dont-ask-whats-for-dinner-at-82-year-old-marchis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marchi'</a>s (and the <a href="https://www.eater.com/eatersdigest" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eater's Digest</a> podcast)</li> <li>Wikipedia's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Heirens#Murders" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">William Heirens page</a> </li> </ul>

155: Most Wanted and While The City Sleeps

[CW: The episode reviews series that discuss sexual assault, harm to children, and suicide. Please listen with care.]  Omar Gallaga returns to discuss two very grim and infuriating properties, starting with Lifetime's Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, which centers the survivors of Epstein's monstrousness while also indicting a society that let him manipulate it with shocking impunity. It's a good docuseries that's also a difficult sit, and the rare discussion of the case of late that had the capacity to tell us something new.  The Con also told us something new, about a different kind of predatory behavior -- the outright frauds that led to the financial crisis of 2008. It's a straightforward narrative without a lot of production bells and whistles, but it's also a very careful accounting (so to speak) of all the different bad actors in the world of mortgage fraud, from inexperienced brokers to rapacious CEOs to the Wall Street traders who created the demand. The podcast may not be fast, but you'll be furious by the end of The Blotter Presents, Episode 154.  SHOW NOTES   Surviving Jeffrey Epstein My Primetimer review of Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich  Where to watch The Con  Guardian review of The Con   Omar at LEVEL and Terribly Happy  Check out Native deodorant and Hello Fresh! Best Evidence 

[CW: The episode reviews series that discuss sexual assault, harm to children, and suicide. Please listen with care.] Omar Gallaga returns to discuss two very grim and infuriating properties, starting with Lifetime's Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, which centers the survivors of Epstein's monstrousness while also indicting a society that let him manipulate it with shocking impunity. It's a good docuseries that's also a difficult sit, and the rare discussion of the case of late that had the capacity to tell us something new. The Con also told us something new, about a different kind of predatory behavior -- the outright frauds that led to the financial crisis of 2008. It's a straightforward narrative without a lot of production bells and whistles, but it's also a very careful accounting (so to speak) of all the different bad actors in the world of mortgage fraud, from inexperienced brokers to rapacious CEOs to the Wall Street traders who created the demand. The podcast may not be fast, but you'll be furious by the end of The Blotter Presents, Episode 154. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li><a href="https://www.mylifetime.com/shows/surviving-jeffrey-epstein" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Surviving Jeffrey Epstein</a></li> <li>My Primetimer review of <a href="https://www.primetimer.com/features/jeffrey-epstein-filthy-rich-is-more-filthy-than-rich" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich</a> </li> <li>Where to watch <a href="http://thecon.tv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Con</a> </li> <li>Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/aug/05/the-con-series-documentary-great-recession" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">review of The Con</a> </li> <li>Omar <a href="https://level.medium.com/@omarg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">at LEVEL</a> and <a href="http://terribly-happy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Terribly Happy</a> </li> <li>Check out <a href="http://nativedeo.com/blotter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Native deodorant</a> and <a href="http://hellofresh.com/blotter80" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hello Fresh</a>!</li> <li><a href="http://bestevidence.fyi/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Evidence</a></li> </ul>

154: Surviving Jeffrey Epstein and The Con

Wondery’s Even the Rich gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the stories of some of the greatest family dynasties in history. This season, three siblings — Gianni, Donatella, and Santo Versace — built one of the greatest fashion labels the world has ever seen. But when Gianni is murdered on the front steps of his Miami Beach mansion, the label loses its visionary. Can the House of Versace survive? On this four-episode series, we’ll dive into the origins of the Versace label and we’ll meet a few celebrities along the way, like Elton John, Princess Diana, and Madonna.   Listen to the full episode: http://wondery.fm/ETR_BlotterPresents

Wondery’s Even the Rich gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the stories of some of the greatest family dynasties in history. This season, three siblings — Gianni, Donatella, and Santo Versace — built one of the greatest fashion labels the world has ever seen. But when Gianni is murdered on the front steps of his Miami Beach mansion, the label loses its visionary. Can the House of Versace survive? On this four-episode series, we’ll dive into the origins of the Versace label and we’ll meet a few celebrities along the way, like Elton John, Princess Diana, and Madonna. Listen to the full episode: <a href="http://wondery.fm/ETR_BlotterPresents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://wondery.fm/ETR_BlotterPresents</a>

Wondery Presents Even The Rich: The House of Versace

Two guests, no waiting this week, as ...These Are Their Stories co-host Kevin Flynn joins me to talk about Ann Rule's Sleeping With Danger, starring Elisabeth "Serena Southerlyn" Röhm and Leslie "ME Rodgers" Hendrix. It's a thumbs-sideways from both of us on the movie, which is not quite good, but not all that bad, and has some anachronism issues and PSA pacing that undercut surprisingly decent acting. Grab a Smoothie Of Doom to fortify yourself for...  ...the second Most Wanted topic, Amazon's The Last Narc, a series Jessica Liese and I meant to talk about months ago, before Amazon yanked it unceremoniously. The case of what really happened to murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena premiered last week, with nearly as little fanfare, and while we're still not clear on why it got disappeared, it's a compelling and confidently shot four-parter featuring clear explainers and flavorful anecdotes. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't have changed anything...or that we weren't happy to hear Robert Stack in a voice-over. Brace yourself for more government malfeasance: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 153.  SHOW NOTES   Ann Rule's Sleeping With Danger  The Mets' starting catcher in 1978 The These Are Their Stories podcast WATCH Crime Writers On…   The Last Narc on Amazon Prime  "Midnight In The Garden Of East Texas," by Skip Hollandsworth Hector Berrellez alleges the CIA got the series taken off  Collider's interview with director Tiller Russell Jessica at Rob Has A Website  Check out Feals  Best Evidence 

Two guests, no waiting this week, as ...These Are Their Stories co-host Kevin Flynn joins me to talk about Ann Rule's Sleeping With Danger, starring Elisabeth "Serena Southerlyn" Röhm and Leslie "ME Rodgers" Hendrix. It's a thumbs-sideways from both of us on the movie, which is not quite good, but not all that bad, and has some anachronism issues and PSA pacing that undercut surprisingly decent acting. Grab a Smoothie Of Doom to fortify yourself for... ...the second Most Wanted topic, Amazon's The Last Narc, a series Jessica Liese and I meant to talk about months ago, before Amazon yanked it unceremoniously. The case of what really happened to murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena premiered last week, with nearly as little fanfare, and while we're still not clear on why it got disappeared, it's a compelling and confidently shot four-parter featuring clear explainers and flavorful anecdotes. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't have changed anything...or that we weren't happy to hear Robert Stack in a voice-over. Brace yourself for more government malfeasance: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 153. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> Ann Rule's <a href="https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/sleeping-with-danger" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sleeping With Danger</a> </li> <li>The Mets' <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stearjo01.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">starting catcher</a> in 1978</li> <li>The <a href="http://www.lawandorderpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">These Are Their Stories</a> podcast</li> <li>WATCH <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3207451605941778" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crime Writers On…</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Narc-Season-1/dp/B08D11X73N" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Last Narc</a> on Amazon Prime</li> <li> <a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/midnight-in-the-garden-of-east-texas/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Midnight In The Garden Of East Texas,"</a> by Skip Hollandsworth</li> <li>Hector Berrellez alleges the CIA <a href="https://meaww.com/the-last-narc-amazon-prime-docuseries-kiki-camarena-murder-torture-hector-berrellez-interview" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">got the series taken off</a> </li> <li>Collider's <a href="https://collider.com/the-last-narc-director-tiller-russell-interview/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">interview with director</a> Tiller Russell</li> <li>Jessica at <a href="https://robhasawebsite.com/author/jessicaliese/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rob Has A Website</a> </li> <li>Check out <a href="http://feals.com/blotter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Feals</a> </li> <li><a href="http://bestevidence.fyi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Evidence</a></li> </ul>

153: Ann Rule's Sleeping With Danger and The Last Narc

Is this the widest gulf in quality between the two shows under discussion in Blotter history? Maybe! But Netflix's new three-part series on the "Commission Case" that brought down the New York Mob is disciplined, compelling, and reminds me and guest Jeb Lund that Rudy Giuliani didn't always completely suck at everything...and that barbers really have a challenging job sometimes.   The Perfect Murder, meanwhile, is also compelling, but risibly acted, weirdly production-designed, and hilarious in a way that brings to mind a certain [ploop!]. It's so memorably bizarre that at least it "honors" Gavin Smith by stamping his case indelibly into our memories, but we really shouldn't be giggling at a true-crime story. Wear a crop top to the cop shop for The Blotter Presents, Episode 152.  SHOW NOTES    Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia   Brian Tallerico's review at RogerEbert.com  The NatGeo series whose junket found SDB sitting next to Michael Franzese  The Perfect Murder S05.E09, "Jump Shot"   "The Ploop Incident" The Quaid In Full podcast Jeb Lund on Twitter   

Is this the widest gulf in quality between the two shows under discussion in Blotter history? Maybe! But Netflix's new three-part series on the "Commission Case" that brought down the New York Mob is disciplined, compelling, and reminds me and guest Jeb Lund that Rudy Giuliani didn't always completely suck at everything...and that barbers really have a challenging job sometimes. The Perfect Murder, meanwhile, is also compelling, but risibly acted, weirdly production-designed, and hilarious in a way that brings to mind a certain [ploop!]. It's so memorably bizarre that at least it "honors" Gavin Smith by stamping his case indelibly into our memories, but we really shouldn't be giggling at a true-crime story. Wear a crop top to the cop shop for The Blotter Presents, Episode 152. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81053936" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fear City</a>: New York vs. The Mafia </li> <li> <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fear-city-2020" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brian Tallerico's review</a> at <a href="http://RogerEbert.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RogerEbert.com</a> </li> <li>The <a href="https://www.natgeotv.com/za/shows/natgeo/inside-the-american-mob" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NatGeo series</a> whose junket found SDB sitting next to Michael Franzese</li> <li> The Perfect Murder S05.E09, <a href="https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/the-perfect-murder/full-episodes/jump-shot" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Jump Shot"</a> </li> <li><a href="https://audioboom.com/posts/7620351-149-i-ll-be-gone-in-the-dark-and-murder-made-me-famous" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Ploop Incident"</a></li> <li>The <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/quaid-in-full/id1476993962" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Quaid In Full</a> podcast</li> <li>Jeb Lund <a href="http://twitter.com/mobute" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on Twitter </a> </li> </ul>

152: Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia and The Perfect Murder S05E09

Filmmaker and baseball-Twitter-improver Randy Wilkins joins me to talk about Netflix's The Business Of Drugs, a six-part series hosted by Amaryllis Fox that tries to take a value-neutral look at the economics of black-market substances. But is it TOO neutral? Does it try to do too much in each episode? Might it have been better off only following a single figure through each drug's "story"? And what do coverage of cocaine cartels and MLB have in common?  Later, we dig into Spike Lee's Summer Of Sam: why it was rejected by critics, how Lee uses local detail to get at universal truths, and whether Lee would come back to the chaotic summer of 1977 and David Berkowitz in a documentary format. All the nefariously used stuffed animals and Reggie Jackson crackpot theories you could ask for: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 151.  SHOW NOTES   The Business Of Drugs  Where to watch Summer Of Sam   Summer Of Sam reviews on Rotten Tomatoes  Randy Wilkins on Twitter  Randy's website, pamsson.com  Extra insight from Randy and Spike Lee about Dear… "Spike Lee" from The Root   Views From 314 Ft.  BestEvidence.fyi   SPONSORS   Native   Green Chef  

Filmmaker and baseball-Twitter-improver Randy Wilkins joins me to talk about Netflix's The Business Of Drugs, a six-part series hosted by Amaryllis Fox that tries to take a value-neutral look at the economics of black-market substances. But is it TOO neutral? Does it try to do too much in each episode? Might it have been better off only following a single figure through each drug's "story"? And what do coverage of cocaine cartels and MLB have in common? Later, we dig into Spike Lee's Summer Of Sam: why it was rejected by critics, how Lee uses local detail to get at universal truths, and whether Lee would come back to the chaotic summer of 1977 and David Berkowitz in a documentary format. All the nefariously used stuffed animals and Reggie Jackson crackpot theories you could ask for: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 151. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80199963" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Business Of Drugs</a> </li> <li>Where to <a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/summer-of-sam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">watch Summer Of Sam</a> </li> <li> Summer Of Sam <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/summer_of_sam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">reviews on Rotten Tomatoes</a> </li> <li>Randy Wilkins <a href="http://twitter.com/pamsson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on Twitter</a> </li> <li>Randy's <a href="http://pamsson.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website, pamsson.com</a> </li> <li>Extra insight from Randy and Spike Lee <a href="https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/first-look-in-apple-tv-s-dear-spike-lee-talks-hiri-1843827482" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">about Dear… "Spike Lee"</a> from The Root </li> <li> <a href="https://viewsfrom314ft.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Views From 314 Ft.</a> </li> <li><a href="http://BestEvidence.fyi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BestEvidence.fyi</a></li> </ul> SPONSORS <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.nativedeo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Native</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://greenchef.com/blotter80" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Green Chef</a> </li> </ul>

151: The Business Of Drugs and Summer Of Sam

[content warning for discussions of child sexual abuse, suicide]  Stephanie Green ventures back into the grim case against Larry Nassar with me this week, this time with Netflix's Athlete A, which sets itself apart from other properties by also making a case against USA Gymnastics, the Karolyi Ranch, and the messed-up ways we think about child athletes. If you watched At The Heart Of Gold, do you "need" to watch this one? And will you want a follow-up in a year's time?  Later, we delved into the case of Scott Menaged as told by S13.E06 of American Greed. Despite Stacy Keach's gusto-rrific voice-over and a pretty decent explainer on recession-market house-flipping, Stephanie and I still had questions about Menaged's credit-card scam...and his terrible jeans. Come for the indictment of abusive coaches, stay for the elision of scam process: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 150.  SHOW NOTES   Athlete A Stephanie and I talk about At The Heart Of Gold   30 For 30's "Heavy Medals" podcast season, on the Karolyi empire   American Greed S13E06  CNBC on "the risks of house-flipping" StephanieEarlyGreen.com Feals.com/blotter  bestevidence.fyi   

[content warning for discussions of child sexual abuse, suicide] Stephanie Green ventures back into the grim case against Larry Nassar with me this week, this time with Netflix's Athlete A, which sets itself apart from other properties by also making a case against USA Gymnastics, the Karolyi Ranch, and the messed-up ways we think about child athletes. If you watched At The Heart Of Gold, do you "need" to watch this one? And will you want a follow-up in a year's time? Later, we delved into the case of Scott Menaged as told by S13.E06 of American Greed. Despite Stacy Keach's gusto-rrific voice-over and a pretty decent explainer on recession-market house-flipping, Stephanie and I still had questions about Menaged's credit-card scam...and his terrible jeans. Come for the indictment of abusive coaches, stay for the elision of scam process: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 150. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li><a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81034185" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Athlete A</a></li> <li>Stephanie and I <a href="https://audioboom.com/posts/7349273-095-at-the-heart-of-gold-and-cold" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">talk about At The Heart Of Gold</a> </li> <li>30 For 30's <a href="http://www.espn.com/espnradio/podcast/archive/_/id/19472136" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Heavy Medals" podcast season</a>, on the Karolyi empire </li> <li> American Greed <a href="https://www.nbc.com/american-greed/video/the-house-flipping-reality-star-fraudster/4029182" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">S13E06</a> </li> <li>CNBC on "the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/13/reality-star-turned-fraudster-highlights-the-risks-of-house-flipping.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">risks of house-flipping</a>"</li> <li><a href="http://stephanieearlygreen.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StephanieEarlyGreen.com</a></li> <li><a href="http://Feals.com/blotter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Feals.com/blotter</a></li> <li> <a href="http://bestevidence.fyi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bestevidence.fyi</a> </li> </ul>

150: Athlete A and American Greed S13.E06

[content warning for sexual assault, neonaticide, truly egregious Foley design]  When the subject is the Golden State Killer, the guest is Mike Dunn, who's back to talk about the first three episodes of HBO's I'll Be Gone In The Dark. Directed by Oscar-winner Liz Garbus and others, the six-part docuseries seems to struggle to integrate two narrative styles: a straight-ahead true-crime tale, and a "crimoir" about the wearing effects of researching monsters and the abysses they call home. Does Michelle McNamara's untimely death create a halo effect? Are some Capote comparisons more apt than others? And will we keep watching?  In the Cold Case section, I went looking for a Garden State case to pair with the Golden State Most Wanted section...and what I found was so hilarribly bad, tacky, overacted, and downright bizarre that I fully expected Mike to end our friendship after watching it. Murder Made Me Famous S04.E06 covers the Melissa Drexler/"Prom Mom" case in pitilessly cringey detail, including a splash neither of us will ever forget, and when we go to hell for laughing at this trash-isode, it's this show we'll have to watch for all eternity. Collect all your most irrelevant details for the voice-over: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 149.  SHOW NOTES  HBO's I'll Be Gone In The Dark page  Mike's and my first convo about the case in Ep 048  My IBG piece for Primetimer   Filmmakers' "responsibility" to McNamara/her materials Murder Made Me Famous S04.E06  Mike on Twitter The Best Evidence newsletter 

[content warning for sexual assault, neonaticide, truly egregious Foley design] When the subject is the Golden State Killer, the guest is Mike Dunn, who's back to talk about the first three episodes of HBO's I'll Be Gone In The Dark. Directed by Oscar-winner Liz Garbus and others, the six-part docuseries seems to struggle to integrate two narrative styles: a straight-ahead true-crime tale, and a "crimoir" about the wearing effects of researching monsters and the abysses they call home. Does Michelle McNamara's untimely death create a halo effect? Are some Capote comparisons more apt than others? And will we keep watching? In the Cold Case section, I went looking for a Garden State case to pair with the Golden State Most Wanted section...and what I found was so hilarribly bad, tacky, overacted, and downright bizarre that I fully expected Mike to end our friendship after watching it. Murder Made Me Famous S04.E06 covers the Melissa Drexler/"Prom Mom" case in pitilessly cringey detail, including a splash neither of us will ever forget, and when we go to hell for laughing at this trash-isode, it's this show we'll have to watch for all eternity. Collect all your most irrelevant details for the voice-over: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 149. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li>HBO's <a href="https://www.hbo.com/ill-be-gone-in-the-dark" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I'll Be Gone In The Dark page</a> </li> <li>Mike's and my first convo about the case <a href="https://audioboom.com/posts/7349365-048-the-golden-state-killer-it-s-not-over-and-i-ll-be-gone-in-the-dark" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in Ep 048</a> </li> <li>My <a href="https://www.primetimer.com/features/who-is-ill-be-gone-in-the-dark-for" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IBG piece for Primetimer</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/ill-be-gone-in-the-dark-liz-garbus-michelle-mcnamara-golden-state-killer-docuseries-interview-1234620745/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Filmmakers' "responsibility" to McNamara</a>/her materials</li> <li>Murder Made Me Famous <a href="https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/514491/s04_e06_prom_mom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">S04.E06</a> </li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/mikeywmfree" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mike on Twitter</a></li> <li>The <a href="http://bestevidence.fyi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Evidence</a> newsletter</li> </ul>

149: I'll Be Gone In The Dark and Murder Made Me Famous

How to describe Miles Hargrove's documentary about his father's kidnapping by FARC guerrillas in 1994 -- a kidnap memoir? Found footage meets ransom procedural? It's all of that, and it's unique in the genre; my guest Jeb Lund and I don't know when you'll be able to watch it, but if it comes to VOD or Independent Lens, Jeb and I agree that you should check it out.  We're less of a mind about Netflix's exploration of questionable forensics disciplines from last year, Exhibit A. I liked it for the sugar-free talking-head interviews and the snarky structuring of the episodes; Jeb wished Netflix had a 1.5-speed setting while he was watching it. But we agree on this: 1) Dexter shouldn't be anyone's favorite show, and 2) you should listen to The Blotter Presents, Episode 148.   SHOW NOTES   Miracle Fishing's website   "Adventures In The Ransom Trade" by William Prochnau (the VF article that became Proof Of Life)  Exhibit A on Netflix  The Charley Project's page on Bianca Lily Jones, which sheds a different light on D'Andre Lane That New Yorker article on Cameron Todd Willingham, by the great David Grann  Episode 023 on The Confession Tapes  Dave And Jeb Aren't Mean Quaid In Full Visit Feals.com to snag that promo code The Best Evidence newsletter   

How to describe Miles Hargrove's documentary about his father's kidnapping by FARC guerrillas in 1994 -- a kidnap memoir? Found footage meets ransom procedural? It's all of that, and it's unique in the genre; my guest Jeb Lund and I don't know when you'll be able to watch it, but if it comes to VOD or Independent Lens, Jeb and I agree that you should check it out. We're less of a mind about Netflix's exploration of questionable forensics disciplines from last year, Exhibit A. I liked it for the sugar-free talking-head interviews and the snarky structuring of the episodes; Jeb wished Netflix had a 1.5-speed setting while he was watching it. But we agree on this: 1) Dexter shouldn't be anyone's favorite show, and 2) you should listen to The Blotter Presents, Episode 148.  SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> Miracle Fishing's <a href="https://www.miraclefishing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&amp;aid=36&amp;dir=2010/January/Monday18" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Adventures In The Ransom Trade"</a> by William Prochnau (the VF article that became Proof Of Life)</li> <li> <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80245117" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Exhibit A</a> on Netflix</li> <li> <a href="http://charleyproject.org/case/bianca-lily-jones" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Charley Project's page</a> on Bianca Lily Jones, which sheds a different light on D'Andre Lane</li> <li>That New Yorker <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/07/trial-by-fire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">article on Cameron Todd Willingham</a>, by the great David Grann</li> <li> <a href="https://audioboom.com/posts/7349397-023-the-confession-tapes-and-unraveled" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 023</a> on The Confession Tapes </li> <li><a href="https://daveandjebarentmean.libsyn.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dave And Jeb Aren't Mean</a></li> <li><a href="https://quaidinfull.fireside.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Quaid In Full</a></li> <li>Visit <a href="https://feals.com/blotter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Feals.com</a> to snag that promo code</li> <li>The <a href="http://bestevidence.fyi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Evidence</a> newsletter </li> </ul>

148: Miracle Fishing and Exhibit A

The true crime worth YOUR time, reviewed weekly. Sarah D. Bunting, desk sergeant.

You will die of poisoning. Please ask her to control this! I usually just skip her episodes but those featuring her are becoming more and more frequent. Please. It’s so Guy Ritchie era Madonna.

Drink every time Eve says “sort of”

These two ladies are self righteous witches &amp; ruin the topics with their condescending comments. Don’t waste your time!

Poorly Done

The Blotter Presents

Paula Zahn

Ryan Ferguson

On The Case With Paula Zahn returns for its 16th (!) season, and Dan Patrick Brady returns to the podcast for a reminiscence of...well, how we used to use the show as a sleep aid. Assessing the show's coverage of the 1989 Roundy/Gray case in Idaho Falls, we complain about inaccurate auto re-enactments; marvel at the piddling insurance payouts that murderers are motivated by; and theorize that Paula Zahn has never been in the same room as her interview subjects. (We are NOT crackpots.) Later, we talk about 48 HRS's take on the Ryan Ferguson case, and whether, in light of many recent documentaries on false confessions and vacated convictions, it's more relevant than ever. And could someone figure out who DID kill Kent Heitholt, maybe? All this and stupid spouse tricks on the latest The Blotter Presents.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On The Case With Paula Zahn returns for its 16th (!) season, and Dan Patrick Brady returns to the podcast for a reminiscence of...well, how we used to use the show as a sleep aid. Assessing the show's coverage of the 1989 Roundy/Gray case in Idaho Falls, we complain about inaccurate auto re-enactments; marvel at the piddling insurance payouts that murderers are motivated by; and theorize that Paula Zahn has never been in the same room as her interview subjects. (We are NOT crackpots.) Later, we talk about 48 HRS's take on the Ryan Ferguson case, and whether, in light of many recent documentaries on false confessions and vacated convictions, it's more relevant than ever. And could someone figure out who DID kill Kent Heitholt, maybe? All this and stupid spouse tricks on the latest The Blotter Presents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Episode 34: 029: On The Case With Paula Zahn and The Ryan Ferguson Case

When Michelle McNamara passed away unexpectedly in 2016, Mike Dunn and I both made sure to pre-order the book she'd left unfinished -- I'll Be Gone In The Dark, on a prolific rapist turned serial killer operating in two areas of California in the late '70s and early '80s. The book showed up at our houses a couple weeks ago, so we decided to turn the pod into a book club for an episode and discuss it...and then Investigation Discovery dropped its two-night, four-part take on the case, The Golden State Killer: It's Not Over, so we looped that in too.  Did the show need four parts and three total hours to get its work done? Is its attitude towards "internet sleuths" a little weird? And do you need to watch AND read the book? We dug into the show, the strength of its contributors, and whether it's a good supplement to McNamara's work. Later, I got frustrated at the writing tics an editor should have honored McNamara by cutting, and we talked about pacing, McNamara's skill at setting a scene, and whether Tom Hanks could have committed these crimes. (Ron Howard: "He couldn't have.") Let us know what you think of the show, the book, and the overall investigation on the forums after you listen to an all-new The Blotter Presents.SHOW NOTES Watch The Golden State Killer: It's Not Over on Investigation Discovery   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Michelle McNamara passed away unexpectedly in 2016, Mike Dunn and I both made sure to pre-order the book she'd left unfinished -- I'll Be Gone In The Dark, on a prolific rapist turned serial killer operating in two areas of California in the late '70s and early '80s. The book showed up at our houses a couple weeks ago, so we decided to turn the pod into a book club for an episode and discuss it...and then Investigation Discovery dropped its two-night, four-part take on the case, The Golden State Killer: It's Not Over, so we looped that in too. Did the show need four parts and three total hours to get its work done? Is its attitude towards "internet sleuths" a little weird? And do you need to watch AND read the book? We dug into the show, the strength of its contributors, and whether it's a good supplement to McNamara's work. Later, I got frustrated at the writing tics an editor should have honored McNamara by cutting, and we talked about pacing, McNamara's skill at setting a scene, and whether Tom Hanks could have committed these crimes. (Ron Howard: "He couldn't have.") Let us know what you think of the show, the book, and the overall investigation on the forums after you listen to an all-new The Blotter Presents. SHOW NOTES <ul><li>Watch <a href="https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/golden-state-killer-its-not-over/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Golden State Killer: It's Not Over</a> on Investigation Discovery</li></ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

048: The Golden State Killer: It's Not Over And I'll Be Gone In The Dark

For those of us who wished Bad Blood would never end, it's a new podcast from ABC Radio.

For those of us who wished Bad Blood would never end, it's a new podcast from ABC Radio.

Brief 31: The Drop Out: The Rise And Fall Of Elizabeth Holmes's Theranos

Toby Ball FINALLY returns to his dedicated spot on the Blotter HQ sofa to talk about the latest limited series from Joe Berlinger for Oxygen, Unspeakable Crime: The Killing Of Jessica Chambers. It's better than we expected, but we're still waiting for it to address certain issues teased in the opener -- inconsistent racism; the classism we're not sure we're supposed to note, or object to; the Heisenberging of the case by the internet -- and wondering whether the occasional meta moment is intentional. With bonus references to at least a dozen other crime properties both accoladed and annoying! Later, we talk about Kennedy-assassination conspiracy journey The RFK Tapes, and what it says about the human drive to bring order out of chaos by seeing conspiracies in what might be straight-ahead murders. Toby adds to Sarah's history-book reading list, Sarah can't unknow Bugliosi sounds like a Simpsons character, and more as we discuss whether this well-regarded podcast is about Robert Kennedy's death, or about the listener. (Corrections department! I mispronounced RFK host Zac Stuart-Pontier's last name at least once, and I apologize; pretty sure it's actually "Pon-tee-ay." As well, I guessed the wrong Kennedy as director of HBO docu Ethel; it's Rory, not Kerry.) SHOW NOTES   Unspeakable Crime: The Killing Of Jessica Chambers Katie J.M. Baker's "Troll Detective" on Buzzfeed  The RFK Tapes   Dallas, 1963   American Journey: The Times Of Robert Kennedy Prior discussions of Joe Berlinger's work: Ep 017 (Gone); Ep 032 (Cold Blooded); and Ep 058 (Wrong Man)  Ethel   Crime Writers On and Ball's Deep Dive 

Toby Ball FINALLY returns to his dedicated spot on the Blotter HQ sofa to talk about the latest limited series from Joe Berlinger for Oxygen, Unspeakable Crime: The Killing Of Jessica Chambers. It's better than we expected, but we're still waiting for it to address certain issues teased in the opener -- inconsistent racism; the classism we're not sure we're supposed to note, or object to; the Heisenberging of the case by the internet -- and wondering whether the occasional meta moment is intentional. With bonus references to at least a dozen other crime properties both accoladed and annoying! Later, we talk about Kennedy-assassination conspiracy journey The RFK Tapes, and what it says about the human drive to bring order out of chaos by seeing conspiracies in what might be straight-ahead murders. Toby adds to Sarah's history-book reading list, Sarah can't unknow Bugliosi sounds like a Simpsons character, and more as we discuss whether this well-regarded podcast is about Robert Kennedy's death, or about the listener. (Corrections department! I mispronounced RFK host Zac Stuart-Pontier's last name at least once, and I apologize; pretty sure it's actually "Pon-tee-ay." As well, I guessed the wrong Kennedy as director of HBO docu Ethel; it's Rory, not Kerry.) SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.oxygen.com/unspeakable-crime-the-killing-of-jessica-chambers/crime-time/preview-unspeakable-crime-the-killing-of-jessica-chambers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unspeakable Crime</a>: The Killing Of Jessica Chambers</li> <li>Katie J.M. Baker's <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/who-set-jessica-chambers-on-fire-the-internet-is-trying-to-f" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Troll Detective"</a> on Buzzfeed</li> <li> <a href="http://rfktapes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The RFK Tapes</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dallas-1963-Bill-Minutaglio/dp/1455522090" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dallas, 1963</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/American-Journey-Times-Robert-Kennedy/dp/0151910707/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1536693769&amp;sr=1-5&amp;keywords=plimpton+stein" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">American Journey</a>: The Times Of Robert Kennedy</li> <li>Prior discussions of Joe Berlinger's work: Ep 017 (<a href="https://theblotterpresents.fireside.fm/17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gone</a>); Ep 032 (<a href="https://theblotterpresents.fireside.fm/39" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cold Blooded</a>); and Ep 058 (<a href="https://theblotterpresents.fireside.fm/65" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wrong Man</a>)</li> <li> <a href="http://www.ethelmovie.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ethel</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.crimewriterson.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crime Writers On</a> and <a href="https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ball's Deep Dive</a> </li></ul>

068: Unspeakable Crime: The Killing Of Jessica Chambers And The RFK Tapes

Leah Remini

Jeb Lund is back to put the third season of Leah Remini's eponymous confrontation of Scientology "on the cans," and we don't mean to be entheta about it, but why not change the format to include some expert analysis from psychologists, debriefers, or forensic auditors? Why isn't Mike Rinder using his counter-PI-terrorism skills to find Shelly Miscavige? Why is dental floss apparently suppressive? And why doesn't Remini ever drive?  Folded into that conversation is a "celebration rundown" of Lawrence Wright's outstanding very-long-form "The Apostate" from 2011; it's the New Yorker article that became Going Clear, and it's a triumph of information-gathering, context, and chilly shade. Along the way, Jeb and I discuss Bobby Knight, Sauron, the road to German fascism, GOP county executives, spotted dick, and Iyanla. Obviously. SHOW NOTES   Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath   "The Apostate"   Dave and Jeb Aren't Mean   Ian Kershaw   Support the pod/site on Patreon! Special Guest: Jeb Lund.

Jeb Lund is back to put the third season of Leah Remini's eponymous confrontation of Scientology "on the cans," and we don't mean to be entheta about it, but why not change the format to include some expert analysis from psychologists, debriefers, or forensic auditors? Why isn't Mike Rinder using his counter-PI-terrorism skills to find Shelly Miscavige? Why is dental floss apparently suppressive? And why doesn't Remini ever drive? Folded into that conversation is a "celebration rundown" of Lawrence Wright's outstanding very-long-form "The Apostate" from 2011; it's the New Yorker article that became Going Clear, and it's a triumph of information-gathering, context, and chilly shade. Along the way, Jeb and I discuss Bobby Knight, Sauron, the road to German fascism, GOP county executives, spotted dick, and Iyanla. Obviously. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.aetv.com/shows/leah-remini-scientology-and-the-aftermath" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/02/14/the-apostate-lawrence-wright" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Apostate"</a> </li> <li> <a href="http://daveandjebarentmean.libsyn.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dave and Jeb Aren't Mean</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Kershaw#The_Nazi_Dictatorship:_Problems_and_Perspectives_of_Interpretation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ian Kershaw</a> </li> </ul> Support the pod/site on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/blotterpresents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>! Special Guest: Jeb Lund.

078: Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath And "The Apostate"

The Huffs and I thought, based on the customary punnish titling of Love And Hate Crime, that we were in for predictable filler-y fare. We...were very much not, as a BBC-produced look at the murder of trans teen Mercedes Williamson by her much older Latin King boyfriend in rural Mississippi doesn't shy away from harsh crime-scene photos, even harsher language, and an unblinking look at the hypocrisy and denial of the community, not to mention Mercedes's killer.  Fortunately, Allison unearthed A Murder On Orchard Street, ABC News's clever repurposing of a 15-year-old non-fiction show to look at an NYC cold case. 1010 WINS, the pronunciation "demeanuh," hacky-sack bros, and peeks behind the process curtain make this unique "video podcast" -- there's also an actual podcast that goes with it -- a fast-paced and fun sit that we could totally let rock. See the Show Notes to check it out for yourself, then grab some breakfast with Jimmie for an all-new The Blotter Presents.  SHOW NOTES  Love &amp; Hate Crime on the BBC site  A Murder On Orchard Street on Hulu Gothamist (welcome back, y'all!) on A Murder On Orchard Street  The NYC Tenement Museum    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Huffs and I thought, based on the customary punnish titling of Love And Hate Crime, that we were in for predictable filler-y fare. We...were very much not, as a BBC-produced look at the murder of trans teen Mercedes Williamson by her much older Latin King boyfriend in rural Mississippi doesn't shy away from harsh crime-scene photos, even harsher language, and an unblinking look at the hypocrisy and denial of the community, not to mention Mercedes's killer. Fortunately, Allison unearthed A Murder On Orchard Street, ABC News's clever repurposing of a 15-year-old non-fiction show to look at an NYC cold case. 1010 WINS, the pronunciation "demeanuh," hacky-sack bros, and peeks behind the process curtain make this unique "video podcast" -- there's also an actual podcast that goes with it -- a fast-paced and fun sit that we could totally let rock. See the Show Notes to check it out for yourself, then grab some breakfast with Jimmie for an all-new The Blotter Presents. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05r3vw3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love &amp; Hate Crime on the BBC site</a></li> <li> <a href="http://https//www.hulu.com/watch/1177790#i0,p0,d0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Murder On Orchard Street</a> on Hulu</li> <li>Gothamist (welcome back, y'all!) on <a href="http://gothamist.com/2017/10/10/2003_orchard_street_murder_gets_the.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Murder On Orchard Street</a> </li> <li><a href="http://www.tenement.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The NYC Tenement Museum</a></li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Episode 53: 046: Love And Hate Crime And A Murder On Orchard Street

Casey Anthony

Investigation Discovery's three-night Casey Anthony event is our lead topic this week as Crime Writers On's Toby Ball and I consider misleading quotes, goofy re-enactments, and the court of public opinion. We also talked about the first chapter of the Paradise Lost documentaries, how the film's aged, and what makes an outsider.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Special Guest: Toby Ball.

Investigation Discovery's three-night Casey Anthony event is our lead topic this week as Crime Writers On's Toby Ball and I consider misleading quotes, goofy re-enactments, and the court of public opinion. We also talked about the first chapter of the Paradise Lost documentaries, how the film's aged, and what makes an outsider. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a> Special Guest: Toby Ball.

Episode 5: 005: Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery

Dr. Marcia Chatelain joins me for the first time to talk about a first for Showtime: the network's foray into the true-crime-series space with Murder On The Bayou. The five-part series looks at the so-called "Jeff Davis 8" -- their lives, their deaths, what connected them and what didn't -- as well as at small-town class divisions, the economies of addiction, and the pointlessness of task forces.   Later, we discussed Betting On Zero, the 2016 documentary about Herbalife, and financier Bill Ackman's attempt to kill the MLM off by short-selling the stock. It's hard to say what the real difference is between an illegal pyramid scheme and a legal MLM...and what the ethical difference is between exploiting "the downline" for profit, and exploiting government intervention to back up an investment gamble. Does the doc answer those questions? Listen and find out what we thought on The Blotter Presents, Episode 112.   SHOW NOTES    Murder In The Bayou: https://www.sho.com/murder-in-the-bayou   Betting On Zero: https://www.netflix.com/watch/80108609  The Waves podcast on Slate: https://slate.com/podcasts/the-waves  Support the podcast on Patreon, get extra eps and reviews!: http://patreon.com/blotterpresents  

Dr. Marcia Chatelain joins me for the first time to talk about a first for Showtime: the network's foray into the true-crime-series space with Murder On The Bayou. The five-part series looks at the so-called "Jeff Davis 8" -- their lives, their deaths, what connected them and what didn't -- as well as at small-town class divisions, the economies of addiction, and the pointlessness of task forces.  Later, we discussed Betting On Zero, the 2016 documentary about Herbalife, and financier Bill Ackman's attempt to kill the MLM off by short-selling the stock. It's hard to say what the real difference is between an illegal pyramid scheme and a legal MLM...and what the ethical difference is between exploiting "the downline" for profit, and exploiting government intervention to back up an investment gamble. Does the doc answer those questions? Listen and find out what we thought on The Blotter Presents, Episode 112.  SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> Murder In The Bayou: <a href="https://www.sho.com/murder-in-the-bayou" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.sho.com/murder-in-the-bayou</a> </li> <li> Betting On Zero: <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/80108609" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.netflix.com/watch/80108609</a> </li> <li>The Waves podcast on Slate: <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/the-waves" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://slate.com/podcasts/the-waves</a> </li> <li>Support the podcast on Patreon, get extra eps and reviews!: <a href="http://patreon.com/blotterpresents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://patreon.com/blotterpresents</a> </li> </ul>

112: Murder In The Bayou and Betting On Zero

Laci Peterson

As the 15th anniversary of Laci Peterson's disappearance approaches, A&amp;E interrogates the case against her widower Scott with The Murder of Laci Peterson -- and Kim Reed returns to interrogate the rationalizations of Scott's defenders (and make fun of Nancy Grace). Kim's also got another crime tale with a personal connection as we dig into a Forensic Files about a Southern Tier black widow.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the 15th anniversary of Laci Peterson's disappearance approaches, A&amp;E interrogates the case against her widower Scott with The Murder of Laci Peterson -- and Kim Reed returns to interrogate the rationalizations of Scott's defenders (and make fun of Nancy Grace). Kim's also got another crime tale with a personal connection as we dig into a Forensic Files about a Southern Tier black widow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Episode 20: 020: The Murder Of Laci Peterson And The Stacey Castor Case

Evelyn Smith

Sometimes I feel like I should retitle this podcast The Joe Berlinger Review Hour, because he's back on Netflix with Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, and first-time guest Piper Weiss joins me to discuss the male gaze of the miniseries; Carol DaRonch's bitchin' Camaro; and the things about Bundy that it's not possible for us to understand. Later, we dug into the death of John Belushi -- specifically, Cathy Evelyn Smith, the woman who allegedly gave him the speedball that killed him, and whether she did time for administering those drugs because someone had to do time for something. Would Belushi have died the same way anyway? Is there any groupie who isn't, in some sense a victim? And can Erin Lee Carr please tell Smith's story? So many questions, so many muddled '70s non-answers in an all-new The Blotter Presents. SHOW NOTES   Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix  The Stranger Beside Me and other Ann Rule essentials    You think Zac Efron playing Bundy is nuts? Dig THIS    The 20/20 interview with Cathy Smith  Rolling Stone's piece on Belushi and Smith  Wired on YouTube  PiperWeiss.com   Special Guest: Piper Weiss.

Sometimes I feel like I should retitle this podcast The Joe Berlinger Review Hour, because he's back on Netflix with Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, and first-time guest Piper Weiss joins me to discuss the male gaze of the miniseries; Carol DaRonch's bitchin' Camaro; and the things about Bundy that it's not possible for us to understand. Later, we dug into the death of John Belushi -- specifically, Cathy Evelyn Smith, the woman who allegedly gave him the speedball that killed him, and whether she did time for administering those drugs because someone had to do time for something. Would Belushi have died the same way anyway? Is there any groupie who isn't, in some sense a victim? And can Erin Lee Carr please tell Smith's story? So many questions, so many muddled '70s non-answers in an all-new The Blotter Presents. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80226612" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes</a> on Netflix</li> <li> The Stranger Beside Me and other <a href="http://www.the-blotter.com/golden-ann-rule-essentials-from-the-godmother-of-true-crime/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ann Rule essentials</a> </li> <li> You think Zac Efron playing Bundy is nuts? <a href="http://www.the-blotter.com/five-actors-whose-ted-bundy-imdb-credits-might-surprise-you/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dig THIS</a> </li> <li> The <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/john-belushi-mystery-woman-catherine-evelyn-smith-15835623" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">20/20 interview</a> with Cathy Smith</li> <li> <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/john-belushi-wrong-time-wrong-place-wrong-people-62730/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rolling Stone's piece</a> on Belushi and Smith</li> <li> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHRaZdFOVvs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wired</a> on YouTube</li> <li> <a href="http://www.piperweiss.com/book" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PiperWeiss.com</a> </li> </ul> Special Guest: Piper Weiss.

082: The Ted Bundy Tapes And Cathy Evelyn Smith

Garrett Phillips

Nancy Grace

...Why is Nancy Grace so successful? What is the point of her new Oxygen joint, Injustice With Nancy Grace, a show that complains about the very rushes to judgment in which she usually specializes? Does she make these grand banal pronunciamentos about pure evil at home, like after she walks through a spiderweb or something? Lani Diane Rich is back to help me tackle those questions.  Later, we preview Who Killed Garrett Phillips?, and while we may not get an answer to the titular question, we CAN tell you with authority that Liz Garbus's latest project is a well-structured, organized, suspenseful, and deeply compassionate look at a case's interminable toll on an entire community. This one doesn't air 'til next week, so you may want to put a pin in this podcast for now...and go set your DVRs, because while this one's maddening too, that's thanks to effective storytelling. Oh, and also idiot cops. Clichés, bad law-enforcement math, and much more in The Blotter Presents, Episode 104.  Get even more true-crime content reviewed: support the pod/site on Patreon, and sign up for the newsletter, Best Evidence!  SHOW NOTES    Injustice With Nancy Grace: https://www.oxygen.com/injustice-with-nancy-grace    Who Killed Garrett Phillips?: https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/who-killed-garrett-phillips/about    A Dangerous Son: https://amzn.to/2lKZ9YE (or try HBO Go)   All of Lani Diane Rich's projects at Chipperish: https://chipperish.com/    And don't forget, we've got an actual tipline! 919-75-CRIME  Special Guest: Lani Diane Rich.

...Why is Nancy Grace so successful? What is the point of her new Oxygen joint, Injustice With Nancy Grace, a show that complains about the very rushes to judgment in which she usually specializes? Does she make these grand banal pronunciamentos about pure evil at home, like after she walks through a spiderweb or something? Lani Diane Rich is back to help me tackle those questions. Later, we preview Who Killed Garrett Phillips?, and while we may not get an answer to the titular question, we CAN tell you with authority that Liz Garbus's latest project is a well-structured, organized, suspenseful, and deeply compassionate look at a case's interminable toll on an entire community. This one doesn't air 'til next week, so you may want to put a pin in this podcast for now...and go set your DVRs, because while this one's maddening too, that's thanks to effective storytelling. Oh, and also idiot cops. Clichés, bad law-enforcement math, and much more in The Blotter Presents, Episode 104. Get even more true-crime content reviewed: support the pod/site on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/blotterpresents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>, and sign up for the newsletter, <a href="http://bestevidence.fyi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Evidence</a>! SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> Injustice With Nancy Grace: <a href="https://www.oxygen.com/injustice-with-nancy-grace" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.oxygen.com/injustice-with-nancy-grace</a> </li> <li> Who Killed Garrett Phillips?: <a href="https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/who-killed-garrett-phillips/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/who-killed-garrett-phillips/about</a> </li> <li> A Dangerous Son: <a href="https://amzn.to/2lKZ9YE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/2lKZ9YE</a> (or try HBO Go)</li> <li> All of Lani Diane Rich's projects at Chipperish: <a href="https://chipperish.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://chipperish.com/</a> </li> <li> And don't forget, we've got an actual tipline! 919-75-CRIME</li> </ul> Special Guest: Lani Diane Rich.

104: Injustice With Nancy Grace and Who Killed Garrett Phillips?

Adnan Syed

Another look at the case Serial made super-famous, plus a podcast about a predator guru Adnan Syed's case is back in the headlines (if we can say it's ever really left, post-Serial), and back in the true-crime-review discussion with HBO's four-part series The Case Against Adnan Syed. Eve Batey joins me to talk about the Amy Berg-directed docuseries, which, while it's well made, seemed to have a number of loose ends and missed opportunities. And it really isn't about the case against Adnan...but should it be? It isn't the case for Serial and Reddit sleuths, either...but should it be that, too/instead?  Later, we go back to the middle of last year for ESPN's podcast "season" on Bikram Yoga's eponymous founder, who's apparently also a huckster, an intellectual-property thief, and a serial rapist. What is it about certain kinds of "belief communities" that allows a predator to flourish? Why is this story arc so disturbingly familiar? And can we add "co-founding the man bun" to our list of grievances against Bikram? All these questions and more in the latest The Blotter Presents.  Support the pod/site on Patreon!  SHOW NOTES   The Case Against Adnan Syed on HBO  30 For 30 Bikram   Avenues Dry Goods   Special Guest: Eve Batey.

Another look at the case Serial made super-famous, plus a podcast about a predator guru Adnan Syed's case is back in the headlines (if we can say it's ever really left, post-Serial), and back in the true-crime-review discussion with HBO's four-part series The Case Against Adnan Syed. Eve Batey joins me to talk about the Amy Berg-directed docuseries, which, while it's well made, seemed to have a number of loose ends and missed opportunities. And it really isn't about the case against Adnan...but should it be? It isn't the case for Serial and Reddit sleuths, either...but should it be that, too/instead? Later, we go back to the middle of last year for ESPN's podcast "season" on Bikram Yoga's eponymous founder, who's apparently also a huckster, an intellectual-property thief, and a serial rapist. What is it about certain kinds of "belief communities" that allows a predator to flourish? Why is this story arc so disturbingly familiar? And can we add "co-founding the man bun" to our list of grievances against Bikram? All these questions and more in the latest The Blotter Presents. Support the pod/site on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/blotterpresents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>! SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.hbo.com/the-case-against-adnan-syed/part-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Case Against Adnan Syed</a> on HBO</li> <li> <a href="https://30for30podcasts.com/bikram/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">30 For 30 Bikram</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.avenuesdrygoods.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Avenues Dry Goods</a> </li> </ul> Special Guest: Eve Batey.

088: The Case Against Adnan Syed and 30 For 30 Bikram

The Preppy Murder is Sundance's five-part look at the murder of Jennifer Levin by Robert Chambers, and how it gripped New York City for years starting in August of 1986. Guest Piper Weiss and I remember those headlines well, but the miniseries corrects our memory on some points -- though we're still not sure why this is coming out now, or why Linda Fairstein's participation isn't asterisked in some way. In the Cold Case section, Piper and I revisit one segment of Zeman and Mills's Killer Legends, with Piper theorizing on why the "call coming from inside the house" urban legend gained traction and both of us recommending Zeman's Cropsey. We also talk about ghost apps, snack diplomacy, and more in The Blotter Presents, Episode 120.  SHOW NOTES    The Preppy Murder: Death In Central Park: https://www.sundancetv.com/shows/the-preppy-murder-death-in-central-park/season-1/episode-01-woman-down-in-central-park  The book I loaned to Piper: https://www.amazon.com/Wasted-Inside-Robert-Chambers-Jennifer-Murder/dp/1504030370  Michael Stone's NYMag cover story: http://nymag.com/news/features/crime/48262/   Killer Legends: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B00M4QPDMI/ref=atv_dl_rdr?autoplay=1  Contemporary coverage of Janett Christman's murder: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3930183/janett_christman_1950_missouri/  Mueller's suit against local law enforcement: https://openjurist.org/203/f2d/797/mueller-v-powell  Piper's book You All Grow Up And Leave Me, now in paperback: https://www.amazon.com/You-All-Grow-Leave-Obsession/dp/006245658X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=   

The Preppy Murder is Sundance's five-part look at the murder of Jennifer Levin by Robert Chambers, and how it gripped New York City for years starting in August of 1986. Guest Piper Weiss and I remember those headlines well, but the miniseries corrects our memory on some points -- though we're still not sure why this is coming out now, or why Linda Fairstein's participation isn't asterisked in some way. In the Cold Case section, Piper and I revisit one segment of Zeman and Mills's Killer Legends, with Piper theorizing on why the "call coming from inside the house" urban legend gained traction and both of us recommending Zeman's Cropsey. We also talk about ghost apps, snack diplomacy, and more in The Blotter Presents, Episode 120. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> The Preppy Murder: Death In Central Park: <a href="https://www.sundancetv.com/shows/the-preppy-murder-death-in-central-park/season-1/episode-01-woman-down-in-central-park" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.sundancetv.com/shows/the-preppy-murder-death-in-central-park/season-1/episode-01-woman-down-in-central-park</a> </li> <li>The book I loaned to Piper: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wasted-Inside-Robert-Chambers-Jennifer-Murder/dp/1504030370" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Wasted-Inside-Robert-Chambers-Jennifer-Murder/dp/1504030370</a> </li> <li>Michael Stone's NYMag cover story: <a href="https://nymag.com/news/features/crime/48262/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nymag.com/news/features/crime/48262/</a> </li> <li> Killer Legends: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B00M4QPDMI/ref=atv_dl_rdr?autoplay=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B00M4QPDMI/ref=atv_dl_rdr?autoplay=1</a> </li> <li>Contemporary coverage of Janett Christman's murder: <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3930183/janett_christman_1950_missouri/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3930183/janett_christman_1950_missouri/</a> </li> <li>Mueller's suit against local law enforcement: <a href="https://openjurist.org/203/f2d/797/mueller-v-powell" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://openjurist.org/203/f2d/797/mueller-v-powell</a> </li> <li>Piper's book You All Grow Up And Leave Me, now in paperback: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-All-Grow-Leave-Obsession/dp/006245658X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/You-All-Grow-Leave-Obsession/dp/006245658X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr= </a> </li> </ul>

120: The Preppy Murder: Death In Central Park and Killer Legends

The Real Crime Profile team returns to TV with a three-part series on Oxygen that looks into the death of Caylee Anthony and the trial of her mother, Casey. The Crime Writers On team returns to The Blotter Presents in the person of Rebecca Lavoie, who does not think well of the The Case Of series; sexist assumptions about maternal grief; the prosecution's failure to execute on a narrative; or, well, Casey Anthony. Sarah D. Bunting also has some comments about Jim Clemente's hat and Jim Fitzgerald's linguistic analysis, but the good news is, we've ruled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out as a suspect!   Later, we look at the Victrola of true-crime TV, Confessions Of Crime, and how its bar-mitzvah-video production values might actually make the horrific story of Cindy Ray's abduction and murder...well, not palatable, but at least less grim. Is there value in just getting in and out of a crime story in 21 minutes? Can we feel grateful that at least today's shows know how NOT to talk about childhood abuse? And should we have watched the TV movie about host Theresa Saldana's story instead? We'll try to answer all these questions -- plus an UPDATE! on Dan Brady's Unsolved Mysteries spot -- in The Blotter Presents, Episode 56.SHOW NOTES   Watch The Case Of: Caylee Anthony and Confessions Of Crime  More on amazing survivor and activist Theresa Saldana  Listen to Crime Writers On and Real Crime Profile  Listen to the previous Caylee Anthony episode with Toby Ball  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Real Crime Profile team returns to TV with a three-part series on Oxygen that looks into the death of Caylee Anthony and the trial of her mother, Casey. The Crime Writers On team returns to The Blotter Presents in the person of Rebecca Lavoie, who does not think well of the The Case Of series; sexist assumptions about maternal grief; the prosecution's failure to execute on a narrative; or, well, Casey Anthony. Sarah D. Bunting also has some comments about Jim Clemente's hat and Jim Fitzgerald's linguistic analysis, but the good news is, we've ruled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out as a suspect! Later, we look at the Victrola of true-crime TV, Confessions Of Crime, and how its bar-mitzvah-video production values might actually make the horrific story of Cindy Ray's abduction and murder...well, not palatable, but at least less grim. Is there value in just getting in and out of a crime story in 21 minutes? Can we feel grateful that at least today's shows know how NOT to talk about childhood abuse? And should we have watched the TV movie about host Theresa Saldana's story instead? We'll try to answer all these questions -- plus an UPDATE! on Dan Brady's Unsolved Mysteries spot -- in The Blotter Presents, Episode 56. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li>Watch <a href="http://www.oxygen.com/the-case-of-caylee-anthony" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Case Of: Caylee Anthony</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-of-Crime/dp/B00YD59752" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Confessions Of Crime</a> </li> <li>More on amazing survivor and activist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_Saldana#Television" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Theresa Saldana</a> </li> <li>Listen to <a href="http://www.crimewriterson.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crime Writers On</a> and <a href="https://wondery.com/shows/real-crime-profile/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Real Crime Profile</a> </li> <li>Listen to the <a href="http://previously.tv/the-blotter-presents/blotter-005/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">previous Caylee Anthony episode</a> with Toby Ball</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

056: The Case Of: Caylee Anthony And Confessions Of Crime

Crimetown moves from Providence to Detroit; I try to put my finger on something in the age of Peak Podcast.

Crimetown moves from Providence to Detroit; I try to put my finger on something in the age of Peak Podcast.

Brief 11: Crimetown's Second Season

Aunt Diane

Oxygen starts 2018 with Final Appeal, which is basically MTV's Unlocking The Truth with different personnel and slower pacing. Did Patty Prewitt kill her husband? What's going on with the threatening phone calls? And was key evidence seriously just sitting in a sheriff's office storage locker for nearly 35 years?   We had a lot of questions about the Prewitt case, but not nearly as many as we still have after we've each watched legendarily unsettling HBO doc There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane several times. What exactly prompted supermom and cable exec Diane Schuler to down 10 shots and drive the wrong way on a highway? How does her avenging sister-in-law get her hair to do that thing it does? And is the fact that we'll never know for sure what makes this case so compelling?  Like Loni Coombs says up top, sometimes you don't get answers, but we're asking anyway in the latest The Blotter Presents.   SHOW NOTES  Watch Final Appeal   More background on the Prewitt case Watch There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane  Steve Fishman's piece on the Schuler tragedy for New York     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oxygen starts 2018 with Final Appeal, which is basically MTV's Unlocking The Truth with different personnel and slower pacing. Did Patty Prewitt kill her husband? What's going on with the threatening phone calls? And was key evidence seriously just sitting in a sheriff's office storage locker for nearly 35 years? We had a lot of questions about the Prewitt case, but not nearly as many as we still have after we've each watched legendarily unsettling HBO doc There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane several times. What exactly prompted supermom and cable exec Diane Schuler to down 10 shots and drive the wrong way on a highway? How does her avenging sister-in-law get her hair to do that thing it does? And is the fact that we'll never know for sure what makes this case so compelling? Like Loni Coombs says up top, sometimes you don't get answers, but we're asking anyway in the latest The Blotter Presents.  SHOW NOTES <ul> <li>Watch <a href="http://www.oxygen.com/final-appeal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Final Appeal</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/news/web-stories/community-justice-project-case-featured-on-final-appeal.cfm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More background</a> on the Prewitt case</li> <li>Watch <a href="https://play.hbogo.com/feature/urn:hbo:feature:GVU3eoAuW8VFvjSoJAYhG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane</a> </li> <li>Steve Fishman's piece on the Schuler tragedy for <a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/62043/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New York</a> </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

039: Final Appeal And There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane

Sundance continues staking out space in the prestige-true-crime space with No One Saw A Thing, a six-parter on the killing of Ken Rex McElroy in Skidmore, MO in 1981 and what that's meant to the town since then...but although it's well made, Allison and I agreed that both-sides-ism and a certain cynical willingness to let correlation be causation undermined the series overall. Are you better off with MacLean's In Broad Daylight?  Another small town struggles with the legacy of an unsolved case in BBC Scotland's The Doorstep Murder, a podcast series from last year that surfaces the story of Alistair Wilson's mysterious 2004 murder. The Beeb pedigree, and presenter Fiona Walker's authoritative accent, lulled us for a while into thinking the podcast was good storytelling, but alas, this story too is undermined by self-indulgent tape and nothingburger interview questions we're beyond tired of. Two good stories, both marred by narrative choices, in The Blotter Presents, Episode 106.  Get even more true-crime content reviewed: support the pod/site on Patreon (join the tipster team or up your donation by August 1 and get a tote bag!), and sign up for the newsletter, Best Evidence!  SHOW NOTES    No One Saw A Thing: https://www.sundancetv.com/shows/no-one-saw-a-thing    The Doorstep Murder: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/the\_doorstep\_murder\_alistair\_wilson    Allison Lowe Huff's author page at MHZ Choice: https://mhzchoiceblog.com/author/alhuff/page/1/    My review of In Broad Daylight at Best Evidence (free to all subscribers!): https://blotterpresents.substack.com/p/in-broad-daylight-leavenworth-kim   Special Guest: Allison Lowe Huff.

Sundance continues staking out space in the prestige-true-crime space with No One Saw A Thing, a six-parter on the killing of Ken Rex McElroy in Skidmore, MO in 1981 and what that's meant to the town since then...but although it's well made, Allison and I agreed that both-sides-ism and a certain cynical willingness to let correlation be causation undermined the series overall. Are you better off with MacLean's In Broad Daylight? Another small town struggles with the legacy of an unsolved case in BBC Scotland's The Doorstep Murder, a podcast series from last year that surfaces the story of Alistair Wilson's mysterious 2004 murder. The Beeb pedigree, and presenter Fiona Walker's authoritative accent, lulled us for a while into thinking the podcast was good storytelling, but alas, this story too is undermined by self-indulgent tape and nothingburger interview questions we're beyond tired of. Two good stories, both marred by narrative choices, in The Blotter Presents, Episode 106. Get even more true-crime content reviewed: support the pod/site on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/blotterpresents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> (join the tipster team or up your donation by August 1 and get a tote bag!), and sign up for the newsletter, <a href="http://bestevidence.fyi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Evidence</a>! SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> No One Saw A Thing: <a href="https://www.sundancetv.com/shows/no-one-saw-a-thing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.sundancetv.com/shows/no-one-saw-a-thing</a> </li> <li> The Doorstep Murder: <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/the%5C_doorstep%5C_murder%5C_alistair%5C_wilson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/the\_doorstep\_murder\_alistair\_wilson</a> </li> <li> Allison Lowe Huff's author page at MHZ Choice: <a href="https://mhzchoiceblog.com/author/alhuff/page/1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://mhzchoiceblog.com/author/alhuff/page/1/</a> </li> <li> My review of In Broad Daylight at Best Evidence (free to all subscribers!): <a href="https://blotterpresents.substack.com/p/in-broad-daylight-leavenworth-kim" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blotterpresents.substack.com/p/in-broad-daylight-leavenworth-kim</a> </li> </ul> Special Guest: Allison Lowe Huff.

106: No One Saw A Thing and The Doorstep Murder

Stephanie Early Green joined me for Ep 009 on Mommy Dead And Dearest, so it felt only right that she sit with me again for Gypsy's Revenge, a follow-up on the Gypsy Rose/Dee Dee Blanchard case from ID that, to our surprise, was pretty good and not superfluous. (Our conversation about Gypsy's father's sexy audiobook voice? Deeehhhfinitely superfluous.)  But before that, we dug into the eminently bingeable, utterly horrifying Dr. Death, Wondery's six-part look at the reign of surgical terror of Christopher Duntsch. What makes the pod so captivating -- Laura Beil's narration? nifty, understated details like Stella the dog? our own struggles with back pain? We talked about all that, plus what exactly Duntsch's problem is, willing accomplices, doing operations from YouTube instructional videos, and much more in Episode 074.  Support the pod/site on Patreon!  SHOW NOTES   Dr. Death   Gypsy's Revenge    Stephanie Early Green's blog    Our discussion of Mommy Dead And Dearest on TBP 009    The upcoming Dr. Death TV show    Get $5 off your first order at Poshmark with code "blotter5"  Special Guest: Stephanie Green.

Stephanie Early Green joined me for Ep 009 on Mommy Dead And Dearest, so it felt only right that she sit with me again for Gypsy's Revenge, a follow-up on the Gypsy Rose/Dee Dee Blanchard case from ID that, to our surprise, was pretty good and not superfluous. (Our conversation about Gypsy's father's sexy audiobook voice? Deeehhhfinitely superfluous.) But before that, we dug into the eminently bingeable, utterly horrifying Dr. Death, Wondery's six-part look at the reign of surgical terror of Christopher Duntsch. What makes the pod so captivating -- Laura Beil's narration? nifty, understated details like Stella the dog? our own struggles with back pain? We talked about all that, plus what exactly Duntsch's problem is, willing accomplices, doing operations from YouTube instructional videos, and much more in Episode 074. Support the pod/site on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/blotterpresents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a>! SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> <a href="https://wondery.com/shows/dr-death/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Death</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/gypsys-revenge/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gypsy's Revenge</a> </li> <li> Stephanie Early Green's <a href="http://stephanieearlygreen.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blog</a> </li> <li> Our discussion of <a href="https://theblotterpresents.fireside.fm/9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mommy Dead And Dearest on TBP 009</a> </li> <li> The upcoming <a href="https://deadline.com/2018/10/dr-death-podcast-in-works-tv-universal-cable-productions-patrick-macmanus-1202475224/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Death TV show</a> </li> <li> Get $5 off your first order at <a href="https://poshmark.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Poshmark</a> with code "blotter5"</li> </ul> Special Guest: Stephanie Green.

074: Dr. Death And Gypsy's Revenge

A couple weeks after everyone else laid the subject to rest, Kevin Smokler is back to talk with me about Wild Wild Country, Netflix's six-part series on the poisonings, beaver-shakes, and other crimes against traditional values perpetrated by a free-love "cult" in 1980s Oregon. It's eminently watchable, but at the same time noticeably incurious about certain aspects of its subjects -- do the Way brothers try too hard not to take a position on either side of the myriad debates the series describes (and creates)? Did they not know how to end the last episode? And is there really a relationship between the Rajneeshi and Jonestown?  Lifetime's 2015 take on the Novack murders, Beautiful And Twisted, goes down a lot easier -- but thanks to a certain fundamental unseriousness about the severe-beating deaths of two of its protagonists, it still got stuck in our craw a little bit. Lifetime movies have come a long way from the damp Victoria Principal starrers of a bygone era, but is there maybe not a middle ground between moistly self-serious and disrespectfully UN-serious? All this plus St. Elmo's references, baseball docus, and The Serial Problem in an all-new XL The Blotter Presents.SHOW NOTES   Wild Wild Country on Netflix  Beautiful &amp; Twisted on Amazon Prime  Brat Pack America: A Love Letter To '80s Teen Movies, by Kevin Smokler     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A couple weeks after everyone else laid the subject to rest, Kevin Smokler is back to talk with me about Wild Wild Country, Netflix's six-part series on the poisonings, beaver-shakes, and other crimes against traditional values perpetrated by a free-love "cult" in 1980s Oregon. It's eminently watchable, but at the same time noticeably incurious about certain aspects of its subjects -- do the Way brothers try too hard not to take a position on either side of the myriad debates the series describes (and creates)? Did they not know how to end the last episode? And is there really a relationship between the Rajneeshi and Jonestown? Lifetime's 2015 take on the Novack murders, Beautiful And Twisted, goes down a lot easier -- but thanks to a certain fundamental unseriousness about the severe-beating deaths of two of its protagonists, it still got stuck in our craw a little bit. Lifetime movies have come a long way from the damp Victoria Principal starrers of a bygone era, but is there maybe not a middle ground between moistly self-serious and disrespectfully UN-serious? All this plus St. Elmo's references, baseball docus, and The Serial Problem in an all-new XL The Blotter Presents. SHOW NOTES <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80145240" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Wild Country</a> on Netflix</li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Twisted-Rob-Lowe/dp/B00X4XG7SE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1524520511&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=beautiful+twisted&amp;dpID=51DSi4kAUTL&amp;preST=_SY300_QL70_&amp;dpSrc=srch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beautiful &amp; Twisted</a> on Amazon Prime</li> <li> Brat Pack America: A Love Letter To '80s Teen Movies, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brat-Pack-America-Letter-Movies/dp/1942600674/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1524520545&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=kevin+smokler" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">by Kevin Smokler</a> </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

053: Wild Wild Country And Beautiful And Twisted

Will ID's event series on a notorious 1989 Ohio abduction hold your attention?

Will ID's event series on a notorious 1989 Ohio abduction hold your attention?

Brief 24: The Lake Erie Murders

The Best Multi-Part Documentaries, with documentaries on Obama, Federer vs Nadal, the making of Star Wars, Netflix vs Blockbuster and more. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Multi-Part Documentaries

The best podcast episodes on global issues affecting everyone. Covering topics such as the #metoo movement, climate change, the impact of technology and some of the biggest global issues facing us right now. For anyone interested in learning more about the world, and some of the issues we're facing, pick an episode below and start listening! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!