Murderland Chicago: A Deep Dish of Death

This is part two of our conversation about the Ripper Crew, a group of young men who kidnapped, tortured, and murdered women for years in the early 1980s. In this episode we discuss the known victims, describe the interpersonal dynamics of the Ripper Crew and how they got caught, and finally, where all this fits into the national Satanic Panic of the 1980s. TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault, torture,...

This is the first of two episodes about the Ripper Crew, a group of young men who kidnapped, tortured, and murdered women for years in the early 1980s, but who are not well-remembered today. We discuss how and why the Ripper Crew averaged a victim per month for nearly 2 years without raising any sort of alarm for the police, media, or general public.      TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault, torture, m...

We wrap up our coverage of John Wayne Gacy with a discussion about why so many young men and boys went missing in Chicagoland without any repercussions, the locations that Gacy was known to cruise for sexual partners and for victims, and the long term impact that these crimes have had on Chicago. TW: Kidnapping, sexual assault involving minors, torture, murder     Research sources include: Wilkins...

This is the first of two episodes about John Wayne Gacy, a uniquely Chicago monster.  We re-examine who Gacy was using Chicago’s cultures and geography as a backdrop. Listen for our analysis of Gacy as a member of Chicago’s Polish community, a member of the Catholic faith, an active participant in local politics, and as a man who embraced cruising in the days just before the AIDS crisis hit Chicag...

In the prior episode, we talked about how a racist law enforcement system put three innocent men on trial while Brian Dugan remained free for 2 years. Today we're going to talk about the additional crimes that were enabled by this circus, and we're going to get into what happened when we decided to visit Dugan in prison. TW: Sexual assault, murder, wrongful convictions, and the death pen...

Part two of our series on Brian Dugan, who terrorized Chicagoland in the 1980s. In this episode we discuss how a racist law enforcement system let a killer go.  TW: Sexual assault, murder, abduction, wrongful conviction, death penalty Research sources include: “The Legacy of Brian Dugan (Timeline).” Chicago Tribune , https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-brian-dugan-murder-timeline-20141212-html...

In this episode we talk about Brian Dugan, who killed at least 3 people in west suburban Chicago in the 1980s. Dugan's crimes were made possible in part by the collapse of blue collar job opportunities alongside the simultaneous population growth of Latinos. This combination of factors helped Dugan to fly under the radar while xenophobia focused the fear and blame onto innocent men, which res...

Why are we making a true crime podcast? What makes it special?  Why should you add it to your rotation? And, what should you expect from season 1? Co-hosts Jonathan Sanchez Leos and Meridith Halsey answer these questions and more! Follow us on Instagram @deepdishofdeath_podcast Find us on BlueSky @deepdishofdeath.bsky.social Email us at deepdishofdeath@gmail.com