Crime Writers On...

Lizzie Borden struggles to thrive as a young woman in Gilded Age New England. With the help of a worldly housemaid, Lizzie devises a plan to rid herself of her inattentive father and repressive stepmother, and live life on her own terms. The gruesome axe murder of her parents leads to Lizzie’s arrest and America’s first “trial of the century.” The public is divided on whether a woman could commit...

Folks in Gainesboro, Tennessee were curious about who was scooping up large swaths of land in their tiny Appalachian hamlet. They were shocked to learn the buyers were venture capitalists with ties to Christian nationalists who planned on moving en masse and changing the town to fit their extremist views. Longtime residents banded together in fear of a far right takeover. As the newcomers became m...

True crime enthusiasts Eileen and Keen Umbehr convince an investigative journalist to cover the case of a woman they say has been wrongfully convicted for a double murder. Dana Chandler says she was in Colorado when her ex-husband and his girlfriend were killed in Kansas. After Chandler wins a retrial, reporter Joe Sexton looks into the problems with the state’s case and the conduct of prosecutors...

When Kayla Elliott agreed to be a surrogate mother, she thought she was helping a wealthy Chinese couple add a second child to their family. After the girl was born, the intended mother seemed indifferent. Only later did Kayla discover that Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang had been paying multiple surrogates to carry children to live in their fortress‑like mansion in Los Angeles. The pair had been exp...

In 2014, after law professor Dan Markel was murdered in his Florida home, investigators turned to his ex‑wife for answers. The pair were in a contentious custody battle, and Wendi Adelson wanted to move their children closer to her affluent parents and brother. Police arrested the shooter, whose ex‑girlfriend was on the payroll at the Adelson family dental practice. But evidence that any of the re...

Jacob Kingston was a member of “The Order,” an insular Mormon polygamist sect, when he built a biodiesel refinery. He partnered with shadowy Armenian businessman Levon Termendzhyan to ship the fuel overseas and take advantage of lucrative tax credits given to renewable energy producers. But the operations were largely on paper, as the company racked up big government checks for fuel never produced...

FBI rookie Alice Black believes the death of a billionaire’s son has been staged to look like an overdose. She goes on the hunt for a suspect. Catherine Grace is killing those involved in the underage prostitution ring, seeking revenge for being trafficked and for the death of best friend. While the case progresses, Alice deals with her own trauma as a domestic violence victim forced to work the c...

Six months after the 1996 murder of Angie Dodge, Idaho Falls police homed in on a suspect, who later implicated his friend in the crime. After a sham polygraph and 100 hours of intense questioning, Christopher Tapp confessed to his involvement in the killing, despite the lack of evidence implicating him. After Tapp’s conviction, Angie’s mother remained fixated on DNA at the scene pointing to an un...

Mica was a devout member of Myrtle Beach’s Solid Rock Church when she fell in love with Pastor JP Miller, 15 years her senior. Though she seemed to flourish as the pastor’s wife and singer in the church choir, signs began to emerge of her husband’s coercive control. Not long after she filed for divorce, Mica Miller’s body was found in a state park. Her death raised questions whether the church lea...

Two boys emerge from the woods into a Canadian town claiming to have grown up in the wilderness. What’s the real story behind their appearance? In this CWO Classic Rewind, we’re going back to our discussion from February 10, 2022 of the podcast “Chameleon: Wild Boys” from Campside Media and host Sam Mullins. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon . Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK...

On July 4, 2025, Aaron Parsley and his family were enjoying the holiday at their cabin on Texas’s Guadalupe River. But violent thunderstorms caused flash flooding, which swept the house down river with everyone inside it. After a night in which his family fought the current and dangerous debris, his 20-month-old nephew Clay was among the more than 130 people killed - including many children at sum...

A group of quirky characters goes on the hunt for millions of dollars in drugs buried somewhere in Puerto Rico. Their efforts to hit it rich go wildly wrong. In this CWO Classic Rewind, we’ll return to our June 10, 2019 review of the boundary‑breaking Netflix documentary film “The Legend of Cocaine Island,” recorded live in Nashville at PodX. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon . C...

In 2020, 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled to Seattle’s Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone, a several block encampment that demonstrators declared to be a police-free area. But one night, Mays was shot to death in a stolen Jeep while protestors and journalists livestreamed the aftermath. Protestors said the group’s internal security forces shot in self-defense, while video shows someone approa...

She was a music superstar, a national treasure, and a surprising cultural touchstone. On this special CWO Classic Rewind, we’re going back to our November 4, 2019 review of “Dolly Parton’s America,” from NYC Studios and OSM Audio and host Jad Abumrad. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon . Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser . Sign up for our newsle...

Neurosurgeon John Henry Schneider was known for his extreme confidence and the cowboy boots he’d wear in the OR. But more and more patients were complaining of botched operations and unbearable pain. Whenever authorities would examine his work or threaten his license, Schneider would start over in a new location, leaving a trail of shattered trust and long-term injury. In season five of the Audibl...

An American woman found in a Syrian refugee camp says her family was tricked by her husband into joining the Islamic State. A British journalist tries to fact‑check whether she was a militant or just a mother. In this CWO Classic Rewind, we’re returning to our January 11, 2021 review of season 1 of the podcast “I’m Not a Monster” from BBC Panorama and PBS’s Frontline with host Josh Baker. For excl...

In 2016, Angela Connell started getting threatening emails from someone invoking the persona of a vengeful demon from Jewish mythology. Her husband, US Marshal Ian Diaz, told cops the messages were sent by his ex-girlfriend, Michelle Hadley. Despite a restraining order, the threats continued, including a plan to trick men into attacking Angela, believing she had a rape fantasy. After things turned...

It was the hit DIY podcast that became the definitive telling of the crime of the decade. It was a true crime sensation — but was it any good? On this CWO Classic Rewind, we’re going back to our October 18, 2021 review of the legendary podcast recorded at Mandy Matney’s kitchen table, “Murdaugh Murders.” For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon . Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-M...

Paula’s cybersex session with cam boy Trevor is interrupted when he’s abducted on screen. Police believe the kidnapping is a scam. But when the divorced mom tracks him down, Paula finds Trevor’s been murdered by a ruthless assassin who’s now looking for her. As Paula looks into the cam boy and his associates, she gets pulled deeper into a web of blackmail and violence - all while trying to be a su...

It was the ride‑along show that entertained America and influenced how law enforcement behaved — on television and in real life. On this CWO Classic Rewind, we’re returning to our May 6, 2019 review of the series “Running from COPS” from Headlong and host Dan Taberski. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon . Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser . Sign...

They’re a cry for help, a counting of grievances, and a call to action. The manifesto is the tool of the dreamer and of the deranged, documents meant to scold and to inspire. The founding fathers, modern activists and mass murderers alike have used them to explain themselves and their views on what’s wrong with the world. Dan Taberski wants to champion the powerful and misunderstood form of the ma...

She was the daughter of an infamous serial killer. Then the woman teamed with a journalist to investigate what other crimes her father committed. On this CWO Classic Rewind, we’re going back to our August 5, 2019 review of “The Clearing” from Pineapple Street Media and Gimlet with host Josh Dean. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon . Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN T...

In 2008, teenage twins Elise and Marissa Giammanco were stunned when police said their dad was secretly the prolific bank robber known as the Boonie Hat Bandit. A single father, Keith Giammanco said their family was constantly on the edge of financial ruin, so he robbed a dozen banks to pay the bills and hold off foreclosure. Law enforcement and the public were not sympathetic to his claim that he...

It was the biggest true crime book of the decade…and played a role in the capture of the Golden State Killer.  In this CWO Classic Rewind, we’re going back to the days of lockdown and our review from June 29, 2020 of the HBO six‑part adaptation of Michelle McNamara’s true crime book “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.”   For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon . Click here to donate to Kevin's...

In 2022, defense attorneys in Ohio were stunned when prosecutors rolled out a cutting-edge tool to place defendants at the scene of a crime. Cybercheck claimed to use AI and historical digital data to identify suspects. But when lawyers examined the technology for themselves, they couldn’t figure out how it worked. Attention turned to Cybercheck’s creator and expert witness Adam Mosher. The Canadi...