Crime Writers On...True Crime Review

He was a colorful showman who ran a sketchy zoo filled with big cats. She was the animal activist dogged by murder rumors who wanted to shut him down. That’s when Joe tried to have Carole killed. We’ll revisit our March 30, 2020 review of the series that changed pandemic television habits: Netflix’s “Tiger King.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "TIGER KING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL SIX MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In 1995, morning TV anchor Jodi Huisentruit was abducted from the parking lot of her Mason City, Iowa apartment. Among those the police questioned was her friend John Vansice who said she’d been at his home watching a videotape of the surprise party he recently threw for her. After a TV show in 2022 highlighted the mystery, Jodi’s best friend said the sketch of a suspect looked like her ex-husband, who’d also been fixated on Jodi. A cold case detective refocused his investigation on Brad Millerbernd, even searching a plot of land where the victim could have been buried. The three-part series from ABC News Studios “Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit,” now on Hulu, follows an investigator as he examines four potential suspects, including a serial rapist and a serial killer. Instead of re-hashing the past investigation, viewers follow Detective Terrance Prochaska as he picks up the fresh lead, interrogates a new suspect, and sends cadaver dogs to a potential burial site. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HER LAST BROADCAST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: caught like a mouse. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

A Mississippi man sits on death row for decades after being tried six times for a quadruple murder. But an investigative team uncovers evidence he didn’t do it. We’ll go back to our May 11, 2018 review of probably the best true crime podcast of all time: season two of “In the Dark.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IN THE DARK" BEGIN IN THE FINAL FIVE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Devon DeWitt ventures to a seaside estate to collect her estranged sister, now the indispensable personal assistant to an idiosyncratic socialite. She finds Simone has changed her image, and her presence on the island threatens to upend the new persona Simone has crafted. Devon disrupts plans for Kiki Kell’s annual summer gala, pleading with Simone to return home and care for their ill father. But she finds Kiki’s influence on her sister and the island’s high-society ladies strangely cult-like, and rumors swirl about why the billionaire’s first wife is unaccounted for. The Netflix comedy-drama “Sirens” features Emmy nominee Meghann Fahy, Julianne Moore, and Kevin Bacon. Filled with lavish settings and costuming, the tone of the series veers from farcical to deeply dark as the story explores themes of class, power, and trauma. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SIRENS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: pain in the grass. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

A punk rocker is shot in 1982, then his body disappears. A journalist explores whether their mother’s claims of a cover-up are true. We’ll go back to our April 15, 2019 review of the classic podcast series “The Ballad of Billy Balls.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE BALLAD OF BILLY BALLS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL SIX MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

When teenage Abbi finds herself pregnant, her parents pressure her to go to a maternity home run by Liberty University. There, she’s promised free medical care, college tuition, and counseling on whether to keep her baby or give it up for adoption to a Christian family. But once at the facility, Abbi feels controlled and cut off from her boyfriend - and starts reconsidering her adoption plans. She finds that in the Liberty Godparent Home, keeping her baby is not an offered choice. The Wondery podcast “Liberty Lost” tells the story of women who sought help for their unplanned pregnancies, only to feel coerced into adoptions. Journalist T.J. Raphael explores the resurgence of religious-based maternity homes in a post-Roe world, whether laws there are being broken, and the emotional toll on young mothers and fathers told God believes they don’t deserve to be parents. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "LIBERTY LOST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: snakes on a plane. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Investigative reporters journey into the darkest part of the dark web in pursuit of a child pornographer. We’ll go back to our November 25, 2019 review of “Hunting Warhead” from CBC Podcasts and Norwegian newspaper VG. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HUNTING WARHEAD" BEGIN IN THE FINAL FIVE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

The 1991 trans culture documentary “Paris is Burning” featured Venus Xtravaganza, a vogue performer who was murdered before the film premiered. Decades later, the Pellagatti family embark on a journey to solve her death while learning more about the way she lived her life. Her brothers take up the unfinished business of legally changing Venus’s name and closing her cold case. But are they ready to hear that their loving acceptance of their sister might have been far too late for her. Now on Netflix, the documentary film “I’m Your Venus” explores the themes of trans visibility, chosen family, and loss. It follows the Pellagattis as they try to get justice and acceptance for their lost sister. It also features her ballroom family - the House of Xtravaganza - as they seek recognition for the trailblazing performer they called their own. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "I'M YOUR VENUS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 15 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Who’s ready for a “number two”? America’s favorite true crime teenagers return to investigate who is the Turd Burglar? We’ll go back to October 7, 2018 for a classic rewind to our review of season two to the Peabody Award-winning comedy series “American Vandal.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "AMERICAN VANDAL" SEASON TWO BEGIN IN THE FINAL FIVE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Max travels from the Philippines to Thailand to take a high-paying job at a casino. But when he arrives, he’s instead taken to a camp in the jungles of Myanmar and put to work in a call center running phone scams across the globe. His sister Charlie learns the only way to get him home is also to work for the syndicate. In order to meet Max’s quota, his brother joins the labor camp while Charlie tricks new recruits into the scam factory. With the hope of rescue slim, they’re left with few options to win Max’s freedom - either negotiate an impossible financial settlement or flee from armed guards into the wilderness. The Wondery podcast “Scam Factory” takes us inside the most dangerous call center in the world. Host Denise Chan tells Charlie’s story of high-stakes fraud and moral dilemmas. It also features interviews with her victims conned into forced labor. It asks the question: how far would you go to save a loved one? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SCAM FACTORY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: Scooby-Doo, where are you? For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In 1989, Canadian serial killer Clifford Olson initiated contact with two journalists, sparking a series of recorded phone calls. Peter Worthington and Arlene Bynon aimed to unravel the psychology of a man who not only murdered eleven children but also persuaded the government to pay him $100,000 in exchange for the locations of their bodies. Suspecting there may be more unidentified victims in the US and Canada, the reporters spent years secretly talking with Olson, learning his M.O. and picking apart his inconsistencies. They learned he was charming, confident, and even from behind bars he was dangerous. “Calls from a Killer” is the latest season from CBC’s “Uncover.” Worthington’s grandson teams with Bynon to rewind the secret tapes and revisit their investigation into Olson. In addition to interviews with investigators and his victims’ loved ones, the podcast leans heavily on Bynon’s recordings of her conversations with the serial killer. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "UNCOVER: CALLS FROM A KILLER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In the 80s and 90s, athletes on the Ohio State wrestling team said Doctor Richard Strauss fondled them during physical exams and insinuated himself into their showers. His behavior seemed common knowledge among players and coaches, and the few complaints that were made were brushed aside by the school. Decades later, former athletes from different sports came forward with allegations of Strauss’s abuse. University officials claimed to take the scandal seriously, but have tried to limit their liability. And victims remain frustrated that a powerful congressman, who had been an assistant coach, now says he was unaware the team doctor was a predator. The HBO Original documentary “Surviving Ohio State” looks at the case of Doctor Richard Strauss and how he was able to prey on students with impunity for years. It shows the ways The Ohio State University brushed aside concerns then, and how it downplays the impact today. It also focuses on efforts to get answers from firebrand politician Jim Jordan about what he really knew. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SURVIVING OHIO STATE" IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: Double trouble. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

When Ty’Rique Riley died after a brief stay in the Dauphin County Prison, his family blamed guards who beat and pepper sprayed him with a bag over his head. But the county coroner, best known for his embellished true crime TV show, declared the 29-year-old's death a routine medical incident. It was just the latest in a string of inmate deaths at the jail for which neither guards nor medical staff had been held accountable. As investigative journalists turned up the heat on county officials, outsiders ran for elective office with promises of reform. Both met stiff resistance from a system built on protecting a brutal status-quo. From Wondery and Penn Live comes the podcast “Death County, PA.” Host Josh Vaughn recounts his multi-year investigation into the prison and those who ran it with an iron hand. It also profiles the unlikely citizens who campaigned to change conditions inside the state’s most notorious corrections facility. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DEATH COUNTY, PA" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Crusading magazine publisher Chloe Taylor discovers her husband Adam murdered on the floor of their Hamptons beach house. As suspicion turns to their teenage son Ethan, Chloe is reunited with her troubled sister Nicky, who has spent years battling addiction. But their family secret is revealed: before Chloe married Adam, he was married to Nicky and Ethan is her biological son. Is the murder related to Chloe’s online stalker, Adam’s legal work with a shadowy syndicate, or something more personal? Based on the bestselling book, Jessica Beil and Elizabeth Banks team up in “The Better Sister” from Prime. The estranged siblings attempt to navigate their family drama and personal demons to solve the case and exonerate the child they both consider their own. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE BETTER SISTER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: rocky road. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Returning to the Edinburgh police after surviving a shooting, detective Carl Morck reluctantly takes a new assignment: re-investigate cold cases. He takes up the search for a homicide prosecutor who four years earlier disappeared from a ferry while traveling with her non-verbal brother. With the help of other misfit investigators, Morck digs into Merritt Lingard’s family, her enemies, her connections to a muckraking journalist and the powerful man she tried for murder. But the questions remain: is she alive, and if so, where would she be? Matthew Goode and Chloe Pirrie star in “Dept. Q” from Netflix. The nine episode series follows Morck’s cold case investigation, his complicated home life, and the emotional fallout from his own shooting. Can this damaged detective locate the victim…and find himself in the process? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DEPT. Q" BEGIN IN THE FINAL EIGHT MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In the 1980s, David Sconce took over the family funeral home business and expanded it to offer crematory services. But questions were raised among industry rivals over how Sconce was able to cremate the amount of remains he did. Authorities learned Sconce was not only commingling bodies in the chamber, but also robbed families of their loved one’s valuables - and worse. As the revelations came to light, attention shifted to how Sconce was said to deal with his competitors. The HBO Documentary Film “The Mortician” digs into the scandal that rocked the funeral home industry and shocked the public. It features interviews with Sconce, investigators, and grieving family members whose trust he betrayed. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE MORTICIAN" BEGIN IN THE FINAL NINE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: fake ID. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Three older women fell in love online with the same handsome man who popped up in their feeds. Using different names and cover stories, the Romeo scammed them for thousands of dollars, then disappeared. With broken hearts and empty pockets, the women scoured the internet looking for the man who ripped them off. But when they find him in Los Angeles they learn he’s a victim of the scam too. From ABC News Studios and Anchor Entertainment, the three part series “Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam” is now streaming on Hulu. The show recounts the ways each of the women were charmed and cheated and their unlikely connection to an unsuspecting makeup artist. It also follows the pursuit of the international networks of swindlers who have literally written the book on this kind of scam. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HEY BEAUTIFUL: ANATOMY OF A ROMANCE SCAM" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In 2000, a series of luxury homes built on the edge of a Phoenix mountain preserve were set ablaze. Graffiti left at the scene hinted that the fires were the work of eco-terrorists taking a stand against new construction and residential development. After a bombshell newspaper interview with the arsonist shook the investigation, police lured a potential suspect into a trap. He was known as an upstanding citizen, but cops enlisted the help of his best friend to get a confession. From Sony Music Entertainment and Novel Audio comes “The Arsonist Next Door.” “Emerald Triangle” host Sam Anderson talks to keep players in the 2000 hunt for the firebug. He also searches for the real motivation for the fires - one more personal than political. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE ARSONIST NEXT DOOR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL NINE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: trunk club. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Jerry Springer and his titular TV show became synonymous with trash entertainment, serving up daily episodes of sensational confrontations and bad behavior. But the host began his public life as a progressive local politician whose career was nearly derailed by a sex scandal. After a stint as a Cincinnati anchorman, Springer became one among a crowded field of new daytime talk shows. His program rose to the top, with its uniquely crude style of on-camera confrontations. Though it made him famous, Springer seemed indifferent to the show that bore his name…wishing to distance himself from its outlandish legacy and achieve something more positive. In the Audible Original and Prologue Projects podcast series “Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer,” host Leon Neyfakh recounts Springer’s unlikely journey from immigrant to politician to ring master in television’s trashiest show. It takes a nuanced look at the man and whether his program created - or merely reflected - a corroding culture of misbehavior, spectacle, and cruelty. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "FINAL THOUGHTS: JERRY SPRINGER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

At a maximum security prison in Licking, MO, a select group of inmates take part in a restorative justice program in which they make quilts for foster children. The incarcerated men work in a special sewing room, using donated material to make the intricate, customized blankets. In this quiet setting, the men support each other as they craft quilts of surprising artistry. Several say the project is more than an activity - it provides them an opportunity to atone for their crimes and give back to the community. Academy Award winner for Best Short Documentary, “The Quilters,” is now streaming on Netflix. The film takes us inside the South Central Corrections Center. We see the quilters take pride in their work and their contributions to children in need, all while processing their own struggles through the restorative power of art. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE QUILTERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: hot spot. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.