Deep Cover

If you've ever wondered what goes into making an episode of Deep Cover, now's your chance. Join Jake Halpern and Jess McHugh for a live bonus taping of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah at WBUR's Boston CitySpace on December 19. Listen to never-before-heard recordings from interviews, go behind-the-scenes on Jake and Jess' reporting and storytelling process. Find more details and tickets here:&nbs...

Rosemarie Coffey helped Sarah Cavanaugh for years. As a community support specialist, her services were paid for by the Wounded Warrior Project. Rosemarie spent countless hours inside Sarah’s home. We wondered - what did Rosemarie see? And what did she learn when Sarah’s lies were exposed? Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to...

Seth Cole believed Sarah Cavanaugh was a wounded veteran, seeking healing through creative outlets. He believed her, in part, because that was his reality. Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with...

As the walls close in, Sarah finds herself alone—abandoned by friends, facing federal charges, and scrambling for a defense. She hires a lawyer, a fellow veteran, to make her case; but the evidence is overwhelming. In our series finale, Jake and Jess return to Sarah for a long, final conversation—seeking answers to the question that still haunts everyone: Why did she do it? Get early,...

One overlooked detail in Sarah’s story: she was married. Her wife, Nicole, never spoke to the press or the feds. She remained a mystery—until now. Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows w...

A former Marine and media personality asks questions and publicly challenges Sarah Cavanaugh’s credentials. Behind the scenes, law enforcement is already investigating Sarah; but the surge of media attention forces their hand. Fearing she might destroy evidence, federal agents move quickly to search Sarah’s home. Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About...

Jess and Jake speak with Sarah and learn about her past life. As a social worker, she really knew how to listen to people. But when Jake and Jess interview two of Sarah's former friends, a darker picture emerges. Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full...

In her home state of Rhode Island, Sarah builds her reputation as a celebrated war hero. But as her public profile grows, so do the quiet doubts. Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+....

A mysterious handwritten letter arrives from Sarah Cavanaugh. In it, she asks: What do you think of my crime? Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushki...

Sarah was everything people wanted her to be—until she wasn’t.  Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah is available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin Subscribe on Pushkin:  pushkin.fm/plus See omnystudio.com/lis...

Amy Gaines McQuade sits down with GOP donor and former Santos supporter Cathy Soref. Then Amy and Jake Halpern discuss some of the most serious charges that George Santos faced, and pled guilty to in federal court.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Santos pleaded guilty in federal court this week. Amy Gaines McQuade was in the courtroom. Amy and Jake discuss the proceeding and where things go from here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Santos takes office. His communications director, Naysa Woomer, walks us through her five months with Congressman Santos as she tries to manage the chaos and sort  fact from fiction. Author Mark Chiusano unpacks some of the most complicated allegations surrounding Santos’ personal narrative. For more on Mark’s reporting on George Santos, check out his book: The Fabulist - The Lying, Hustlin...

George Santos runs for Congress and wins. Then the stories he told on the campaign trail start to fall apart. Semafor’s Kadia Goba wants to figure out where his money is coming from. Saurav Ghosh, of the Campaign Legal Center, finds the Santos filings suspicious. As Santos’ criminal trial approaches, Producer Amy Gaines McQuade walks Jake Halpern through the moment when the cracks began to show.  ...

George Santos, the former Republican Congressman from New York, told a lot of stories about his life and his credentials. Many of which, it turns out, were not true. And now–in just a few weeks–Santos is scheduled to face a criminal trial.  Deep Cover Producer Amy Gaines McQuade, who grew up in Santos’ congressional district, speaks with insiders and experts to try to answer the question: Who is G...

Jake Halpern speaks with Jerri Williams, former FBI agent and host of the podcast, FBI Retired Case File Review about the case at the center of our series, The Nameless Man. Then, Beth Wilson Devlin, a founding partner at Edge Litigation Consulting, joins the show to analyze the verdict and discuss what prosecutors and defense attorneys look for when choosing a jury.    See omnystudio.com/listener...

Jake Halpern speaks with James Forman Jr., story consultant on Deep Cover’s fourth season, The Nameless Man. James Forman Jr. is the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School, and the author of Locking Up Our Own . We recommend listening to this episode after you’ve heard the whole series.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our season finale. What the jury decided and how the verdict sits with the federal agents, jurors, and Wood family today.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Witnesses testify. A vigorous defense is mounted. What will the jury decide? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An assistant prosecutor in Philadelphia prepares the case to be heard by a grand jury. Is there enough evidence to make an arrest, and bring the case to trial?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After nearly 20 years with no answers, the Wood family learns that police are investigating a new lead in Aaron’s death.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The alleged accomplice confesses. Investigators try to piece together who the victim might be from the scant details he remembers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two federal agents investigate a rumor about a decades old murder.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you solve a murder case when you don’t know who the victim is? Deep Cover: The Nameless Man launches April 22, with new episodes weekly. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the whole season at once. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2022, we released a series called Camouflage Bias that told the story of Ronnie Carrasquillo– a man who was loosely connected to a trial we covered in Deep Cover Season Two: Mob Land. At 18 years old, Ronnie was sentenced to 200-600 years in prison for the murder of a police officer. Today, we’re releasing this special episode with an update on Ronnie’s case, because after being incarcerated fo...