Every year for the past few years, tens of thousand of flytraps have gone missing – from the wild, from gardens, from nurseries. And, really, nobody knows where they go. What’s cropped up in rural North Carolina is essentially a Venus Flytrap crime ring -- with lackies, middle men, and a mysterious end buyer who’s perpetuating the market. 

Ep 5: Dropping Like Flies

On April 13, 2014, former KKK member Frazier Glenn Cross pulled into a Jewish Community Center and ambushed a grandfather and grandson, killing both.  He then killed another woman a short distance away.  What does the family left behind do when they are thrust into a national spotlight? How do they figure out what to disclose and what should be private?

Ep 6: We Lost Them

In 1977, a mild-mannered aeronautical engineer sideswiped a parked car in Compton, CA. He stopped his car to see the damage, and all of a sudden a man opened his car door, and jumped in the car. He said, "I'm about to save your life." What happened next would torture him for the rest of his life.

Ep 11: I'm About to Save Your Life

On July 17th, 1889, the residents of Clayton County, Iowa woke up to news of the worst crime in their history. A Civil War veteran and his young wife had been murdered in their bed in a grisly attack. Their two children escaped to raise the alarm. But something was off. There were no suspects. There were no clues. To quote the local newspaper, the whole thing was “surrounded in a veil of mystery."

To learn more about Criminal, visit thisiscriminal.com

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. 

Episode 16:  Poster Boy

Karen Miller met a man named Gil Harper on Facebook. They started flirting. The flirtation grew more serious. Eventually, they planned to meet in real life. Gil would travel from London to meet Karen for her birthday. With his arrival just a few days away, Karen's son scrambled to learn more about Gil's identity. But trying to determine whether someone is who they say they are turned out to be a whole lot more confusing and dangerous than Chris imagined. 

To learn more, visit us at thisiscriminal.com. We're on Twitter  @criminalshow.  Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. 

Episode 20: Gil From London

In the early 90s, a wealthy magazine publisher was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 18 months in a minimum security prison in Louisiana. But white collar criminals weren't the only people living there, and the other people inside had basically been forgotten about by the outside world, some of them for decades. 

Episode 27:  No Place Like Home

Sgt. David Mascarenas is the Dive Supervisor for the Los Angeles Police Department. He's been diving his whole life, and prides himself on never refusing a dive, no matter how treacherous. At least until the summer of 2013, when a murder investigation led him into unusually murky waters.

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. 

Episode 33:  Deep Dive

Michael Ross was the first person in Connecticut to be sentenced to death since 1960. He claimed that he wanted to die in order to atone for what he had done. One journalist spent twenty years trying to figure out whether his remorse was real.

Learn more about Martha Elliot's relationship with Michael Ross in her book The Man in the Monster. 

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

Episode 34:  The Stay

Jane Toppan was born in Massachusetts in 1857. She attended the Cambridge Nursing School, and established a successful private nursing career in Boston. Said to be cheerful, funny and excellent with her patients, nothing about "Jolly Jane" suggested she could be "the most notorious woman poisoner of modern times." 

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Visit us at thisiscriminal.com.  

Episode 38: Jolly Jane

As a law student, Bryan Stevenson was sent to a maximum security prison to meet a man on death row. The man told Stevenson he'd never met an African-American lawyer, and the two of them talked for hours. It was a day that changed Stevenson's life. He's spent the last 30 years working to get people off of death row, but has also spent the final hours with men he could not save from execution. He argues that each of us is deserving of mercy. 

Learn more about Bryan Stevenson in his book, Just Mercy. 

We're a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm. 

Say hello on Twitter @criminalshow or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsCriminal/


Episode 45: Just Mercy

There are more tigers in captivity in America than wild tigers in the entire world. The exact number of captive tigers in this country isn't known, because many of them live in people's backyards or unaccredited zoos, and the legality of their ownership varies widely by state and even by circumstance. We travelled to Louisiana to see a 550-pound Siberian-Bengal tiger who lives at a truck stop, and the man who's fought very hard to persuade Louisiana lawmakers he's not a criminal.

We're a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm. Say hello on Twitter @criminalshow or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsCriminal/

Episode 46: Tiger

To celebrate Criminal's 50th episode, we check in with some of our most memorable guests including Fran Schindler from Episode 17: "Final Exit," Dan Stevenson from Episode 15: "He's Neutral," Corporal Scott Foster from Episode 29: "Officer Talon," and Marian Tolan from Episode 18: "695-BGK."

We're very excited to announce that we're taking the show on the road this fall, visiting Washington D.C., Durham, Philadelphia, Anaheim, Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, Iowa City, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Toronto. We'd love to see you. Learn more at http://thisiscriminal.com/live/. 

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. 

Episode 50: This is Criminal

When Axton Betz-Hamiton was 11 years old her parents' identities were stolen, but at that time consumer protection services for identity theft victims were basically non-existent.  So the family dealt with the consequences as best they could.  But then when Axton got to college she realized that her identity had been stolen as well. Her credit score was in the lowest 2%.  As she was working to restore her credit, she inadvertently discovered who had stolen the family's identity. It would change everything forever. 

Episode 51: Money Tree

When Melinda Dawson was seven years old, she learned that she was adopted under mysterious circumstances. As she got older and had children of her own, she tried to learn something about her biological parents. And when she went to the county courthouse and asked to see a copy of her birth certificate, she discovered that she was an unwitting participant in something much bigger and more complicated than she could have imagined.

We are going on tour! We will be in Washington, Durham, Philadelphia, Anaheim, New York, Boston, Chicago, Iowa City, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto. Learn more at thisiscriminal.com/live/.

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

Episode 53: Melinda and Judy

SPOILER WARNING: Please listen to Episode 53: Melinda and Judy before you listen to this one.

Melinda Dawson found out on the same day in 1998 that her adoptive mother had been killed and that her husband Clarence was being charged with the murder. Clarence was convicted in 1999 and given two life sentences. Left alone with her two sons, no money, and no experience, Melinda set out to try and prove that he was innocent. She started with a suspect list. 

Special thanks to David Massar, who is currently working on a film about Melinda's life story, Miss America (http://www.missamericamovie.com/)

We are on tour! We will be in Chicago, Iowa City, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto. Find out more at http://thisiscriminal.com/live/

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

Episode 54: Melinda and Clarence

Since 1938, a weekly African-American owned newspaper called The Evening Whirl has covered crime in St. Louis with a style all its own, using alliteration and rhyme, and often omitting the usual crime-reporting words like "accused" or "alleged." The paper has been widely criticized for its casual approach to fact-checking and sensational writing style. But the paper's owner, Anthony Sanders, who has been helping out with it since he was 18 years old, doesn't have any plans to change it. As the pages of The Whirl have said: “If that’s too much for you, pick up the Times and read the theatre reviews.” 

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

Congratulations to our fellow Radiotopia show The Heart, which just won first prize at the Third Coast International Audio Festival for their story "Mariya." You can listen here: http://www.theheartradio.org/solos/mariya

We have new T-shirt designs! And one of them *glows in the dark*. All of the designs were created by Julienne Alexander, who makes illustrations for each episode of Criminal. We've also restocked our sticker and magnet supply, so there is lots to check out in the Criminal shop: http://criminal-show.myshopify.com/

Episode 56: Don't Let Me See You In The Whirl

In 2010, Michael McIntosh's son was incarcerated at the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in the small town of Walnut Grove, Mississippi. One Sunday, McIntosh went to visit his son and was turned away because, he was told, prison officials "did not know" where his son was. He spent the next six weeks searching for his son, only to find him in the hospital with severe injuries. And McIntosh's son wasn't the only one who had been hurt at the facility. Walnut Grove was such a violent prison that one Federal Judge called it "a cesspool of unconstitutional and inhuman acts." Today, we have the story of an especially troubled youth prison, the for-profit corporations that managed it, and the small town that relied on it. 
 

The U.S. Department of Justice Investigation of the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility:
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2012/04/09/walnutgrovefl.pdf
 
The Southern Poverty Law Center Lawsuit
https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/d6_legacy_files/downloads/case/cb_v_walnut_grove_complaint.pdf
 
The U.S. Department of Justice Memo Re: Reducing the Use of Private Prisons
https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/886311/download
 
Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

If you haven't already, please review us on iTunes! It's an important way to help new listeners discover the show: iTunes.com/CriminalShow.

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Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 58: Walnut Grove

In 1849, abolitionist and attorney Wendell Phillips wrote: "We should look in vain through the most trying times of our revolutionary history for an incident of courage and noble daring to equal that of the escape of William and Ellen Craft; and future historians and poets would tell this story as one of the most thrilling in the nation's annals, and millions would read it, with admiration of the hero and heroine of the story." Unfortunately, almost 170 years later, William and Ellen Craft aren't well known anymore. Today, we have the story of this couple's incredible escape. 

Read the Craft's book: Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom
Running http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/585

Barbara McCaskill wrote about William and Ellen Craft in Love, Liberation, and Escaping SlaveryWilliam and Ellen Craft in Cultural Memory
http://www.ugapress.org/index.php/books/love_liberation_escaping_slavery


Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

If you haven't already, please review us on iTunes! It's an important way to help new listeners discover the show: iTunes.com/CriminalShow.

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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions: http://thisiscriminal.com/how-to-listen/

Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 59: In Plain Sight

People have faked death to escape criminal convictions, debts, and their spouses. In 2007, a man named Amir Vehabovic faked his death just to see who showed up at the funeral (answer: only his mom). It's an appealing soap-opera fantasy, but actually disappearing requires an incredible amount of planning. How do you obtain a death certificate, a believable new identity, or enough money to start a new life? Today -- the answers to those questions, stories of fake death gone wrong, and a man who spends his life bringing back the dead.


Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud, by Elizabeth Greenwood: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Playing-Dead/Elizabeth-Greenwood/9781476739335
 
 
Steven Rambam's Investigative Agency, Pallorium, Inc.: http://www.pallorium.com/
 
 
Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
 

If you haven't already, please review us on iTunes! It's an important way to help new listeners discover the show: iTunes.com/CriminalShow.


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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions.


Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 61: Vanish

Kim Dadou says she wishes she had a nickel for every person who has asked why she didn't leave her abusive boyfriend. They stayed together for four years. And then, in the middle of the night on December 17th, 1991, Kim's entire life changed. 

This episode contains descriptions of physical violence against women. It may not be suitable for everyone. Please use discretion.


Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

 
If you haven't already, please review us on iTunes! It's an important way to help new listeners discover the show: iTunes.com/CriminalShow.

 
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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions.

 
Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 63: Rochester, 1991

Skidmore, Missouri is a very small town. In the '70s, there was only one bar, one grocery store, and one bully. Ken McElroy was so ruthless and intimidating that even law enforcement looked the other way. He terrorized the town for decades, until they finally fought back. 


We spoke with Harry MacLean, author of In Broad Daylight.


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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions.


Special thanks to Chelsea Korynta.

Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 66: Bully

The “body farm" at Texas State University is a place almost no one except researchers and law enforcement are able to see, because it's one of very few places in the world that deliberately puts out human bodies to decompose in nature. Forensic Anthropologists observe decomposition in order to help law enforcement discern when and how someone may have died. We asked if we could visit, and they agreed.


Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

 
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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions.

 
Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 68: All the Time in the World

Shortly after David Brown was sworn in as the Dallas Chief of Police, his son shot and killed a police officer. Just before he retired as chief, 5 Dallas officers were shot and killed in what was said to be the deadliest attack for law enforcement since September 11th, 2001. Today on the show, we ask David Brown how he's changed after 33 years of policing.

 

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

 

If you haven't already, please review us on iTunes! It's an important way to help new listeners discover the show: iTunes.com/CriminalShow.

 

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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions.

 

Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 69: Becoming Chief Brown

Amber Dawn was 20 when she moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Enumclaw, Washington. On her very first night, she began to notice strange sounds. And they didn't stop. 



Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.



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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions.



Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 71: A Bump in the Night

As long as 2,500 years ago, Native Americans placed the bones of the dead in giant mounds of earth in the shape of animals. The Effigy Mounds National Monument was created to protect the mounds - and the bones inside. But in 2011, a new superintendent discovered that the remains of 41 Native Americans had disappeared.
 
In this episode, we use the term "Native American" because the story refers to legislation that uses that term. The National Park Service now uses “American Indian”.

This episode contains language that may not be suitable for everyone.

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

If you haven't already, please review us on iTunes! It's an important way to help new listeners discover the show: iTunes.com/CriminalShow. 

Say hello on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for The Accomplice. If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions. 

Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 72: Bears, Birds, and Bones

At the turn of the century, Carry Nation was “America’s foremost lady hellraiser” and "the apostle of reform violence.” In her own words, she was "a bulldog running along at the feet of Jesus, barking at what He doesn't like." 

 
We liked her hatchet pins so much, we thought we'd try to make some of our own. They say "CRIMINAL" on the handle. Get yours here: https://criminal-show.myshopify.com/products/carry-a-nation-lapel-pin  
 
Thanks to everyone at the Kansas State Historical Society, and to Maya Goldberg-Safir. 
 
 
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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions.


Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 73: Carry A. Nation

In 1993, more than 1,000 levees broke along the Mississippi River, flooding thousands of acres. In most cases the floods were seen as an "Act of God." In one case, however, the flood was a crime: "knowingly causing a catastrophe." This story comes to us from Noam Osband. 

For more information, check out Adam Pitluk's book, Damned to Eternity. 

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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions.

Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 74: Catastrophe

"I keep saying 'where's the body? Kill someone,'" Marilyn Stasio told us. She reads at least 200 crime novels a year to determine which are worthy of her prestigious "Crime Column" in the New York Times Book Review. We talk with her about crime as entertainment - and why people are so addicted to the genre that she can't stay away from: "My fingers just itch when I see something that's says 'murder.'"

You can find more of Marilyn Stasio's thoughts on crime fiction in her column: https://www.nytimes.com/column/crime

We want to know what your favorite crime novel is. It can be new or old. Write to us on twitter @criminalshow, Facebook @ThisIsCriminal, or email us at hello@thisiscriminal.com
 
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If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions.

Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 75: The Gatekeeper

The Tennessee Walking Horse has a natural gait that's famously smooth. And, if trained in a certain way, it can perform a walk that's even more spectacular. But, there's a secret behind how, exactly, these horses are trained to do the crowd-pleasing step they're celebrated for. Mary Helen Montgomery brings us the story. 

 
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Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 76: The Big Lick

In 1962, two men managed to escape the one prison in America that was supposed to be inescapable. They were never found. More than 50 years later, their 82-year-old sister is still waiting for them to come home...and one U.S. Marshal is still on the case. 

 
 
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Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 77: The Escape

In 1993, a man in Steamboat Springs, Colorado was found dead in his home. He'd been burned with a stun gun, hit with a shovel, and shot several times. The victim's wife was the primary suspect, but she had an alibi for the estimated time of death. Investigators were at a loss, and turned to two very unlikely people for help. 



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Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 78: The Botanist

Helen Duncan was a famous medium who travelled around Britain in the 1940s performing séances. She claimed to speak to the dead, and even produce physical manifestations of their spirits. But when she seemed to know wartime secrets about the whereabouts of military ships, she caught the attention of MI5. And in 1944, a few months before D-day, she was convicted under a 200-year-old "Witchcraft Act".
 
 
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Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 79: Secrets and Séances

In 1988, a man in Hickory, NC was sentenced to life in prison based on evidence that experts would later call "junk science." It took him 24 years to convince someone to look at the evidence again. 


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Artwork by Julienne Alexander.

Episode 80: Photo, Hair, Fingerprint

Stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. 

Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

CriminalShow

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