Crime Writers On...True Crime Review

Thirteen-year-old Lauryn thought the cruel texts about her and her boyfriend were just another case of teenage cyberbullying. But the messages didn’t stop. They escalated, becoming more vicious, graphic, and relentless. Everyone had a theory. Parents blamed classmates. Teachers suspected students. Police hit dead ends. Then a digital breadcrumb buried deep in the texts exposed the last person anyone expected. From Netflix and the director of “Abducted in Plain Sight” comes “Unknown Number: A High School Catfish,” a chilling dive into digital deception. Teen victims, shattered families, and stunned investigators retrace the damage. We also hear from the catfish, allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions about their actions and motives. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "UNKNOWN NUMBER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: A Dark Knight's sleep. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Three neighbors put their true crime fandom to the test in a real life mystery. But they won’t solve just any crime…only murders in the building. We go back to our September 6, 2021 review of season one of the Hulu classic starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selina Gomez, "Only Murders in the Building." OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL SEVEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

At a Chicago hospital, labor-and-delivery nurse Clara Hochhäuser prepared to give birth to her own set of twins. But during her Caesarian section, her epidural never kicked in, subjecting her to feel the pain of the entire procedure. Despite her cries of agony, her own colleagues downplayed her suffering as routine discomfort. The incident forced an obstetric anesthetist to realize Clara’s experience was not uncommon. Not only do the pain medications fail in a significant number of C-sections, but doctors often dismiss patients’ complaints as anxiety or over-reactions. It set her on a crusade to change the way her profession perceives and addresses women’s pain. In season two of “The Retrievals” from Serial Productions and The New York Times, host Susan Burton explores the under-reported horror of unmedicated C-sections and exposing how institutional neglect and cultural silence continue to shape the way women experience birth. It also follows the quest for systemic change in medical attitudes and procedures for dealing with women’s pain. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE RETRIEVALS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: Don't play it again, Sam. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

He forced a standoff with the federal government over grazing rights, then gave the world a peek into his follower’s radical vision for America. We’ll revisit our August 3, 2018 review of season 1 of Bundyville from Longreads, Oregon Public Broadcasting and host Leah Sottile. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BUNDYVILLE" 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.

In 1991, four teenage girls were found murdered inside a frozen yogurt store in Austin, Texas. The building had been set on fire, and the crime scene was compromised by the blaze. With no clear motive and little physical evidence, investigators struggled to make sense of what had happened. Years later, after coercive police interviews, a group of men pointed fingers at each other about the crime. Though their stories didn’t completely match, two were convicted and one of them sent to death row. But their convictions were overturned, and new DNA evidence pointed to an unknown suspect. The case remains unresolved, leaving investigators and relatives to wonder what went wrong. From HBO Documentary Films comes “The Yogurt Shop Murders.” The series digs into the twists and turns of the homicide investigation. It also spends considerable time exploring the emotional toll the case has had on the accused, the grieving family members, and the detectives trying to get justice. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: well done. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

A Chicago accountant flees to the backwoods to launder money and pay his debt to a Mexican drug cartel. We’ll revisit our August 18, 2017 review of season one of the crime-thriller classic “Ozark.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "OZARK" BEGIN IN THE FINAL FOUR MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Leaving their troubled past in New England behind, Sophie O’Neil’s family moves to Texas, where she’s invited into a friend circle of rich wives. The bougie ladies enjoy couture fashion, boozy brunches, and shooting rifles in the woods. Sophie’s connection to group leader Margo Banks grows intense, stirring something more than friendship. As Margo’s oil magnate husband plans to run for governor, the sheriff is dealing with two violent crimes. Sophie’s secret life becomes entwined in a murder investigation. As the walls close in, Sophie finds she’s not the only one willing to hide their secrets. The buzzy Netflix series “The Hunting Wives” stars Brittany Snow, Malin Åkerman, and Dermot Mulroney. It attempts to mix scandal, suspense, and obsession, all while serving up soapy mystery and plenty of skin. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE HUNTING WIVES" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: whole lotta faking goin' on. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

A journalist investigates an unsolved murder along Canada's infamous Highway of Tears…and sheds light on an overlooked epidemic of violence against Indigenous women. We’re going back to our December 2, 2016 review of the CBC’s groundbreaking podcast “Missing and Murdered” with host Connie Walker. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "MISSING AND MURDERED" BEGIN IN THE FINAL FOUR MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Fire investigator Dave Gudsen is assigned a new partner to help capture two arsonists. One has been setting fires with milk jugs filled with gasoline and grease. The other has been taunting officials with a delayed-ignition device that’s burning grocery stores. Dave draws on his experience to write a novel about a heroic arson investigator with unusual insight into his suspect’s mind. To Detective Michelle Calderone, the book reads more like a confession. She begins to wonder whether her partner’s uncanny ability to pinpoint these fires’ origins is because he’s been setting them himself. Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in the Apple TV+ series “Smoke,” inspired by the podcast “Firebug.” The show also features Greg Kinnear, John Leguizamo, and Anna Chlumsky. As Dave closes in on the other arsonist he’s hunting, Michelle secretly collects evidence to learn whether the smoke surrounding her partner will lead to actual fire. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SMOKE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: milkin' it. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

She raised millions of dollars to build a machine that could conduct dozens of diagnostic tests from a single drop of blood…but it was all a lie. We’ll return to our Feb 11, 2019 review of the biotech-con podcast “The Dropout.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE DROPOUT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL FOUR MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

In the 1990s, Teen Mania Ministries aimed to compete with pop culture influences and reach Christian youth with rock concert-like worship events and international mission trips. The program became a pipeline for the Honor Academy, a religious education facility built on a curriculum of fundamentalist beliefs and unquestioning obedience. Founder Ron Luce aligned his group with conservative political organizations looking to create the next generation of evangelical Americans. But his program would soon take on a militaristic tone, putting teens through brutal boot camps, glorifying martyrdom, and building an army of actual cultural warriors. “Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War” is season two of the hit series on Prime Video. Producers pivot away from the drama around reality TV family the Duggars and focus on the rise and fall of Teen Mania. It features alumni recounting how their membership went from joyful engagement to physical and spiritual abuse. It also shows how the youth program fits into a larger political crusade to reshape the nation according to fundamentalist Christian values. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE: A TEENAGE HOLY WAR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: fresh, baked pizza. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

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.