American History Tellers

Listen Now - Hollywood & Crime: The Cotton Club Murder

Dec 9, 2024

In the tragic tale of Roy Radin's murder, a search for fame spirals into chaos. His meeting with the enigmatic Lanie Jacobs sets off a chain of events involving a million-dollar cocaine heist. The podcast unfolds a chilling narrative of ambition and betrayal, exploring Hollywood's murky depths. A once-promising partnership becomes a gruesome tale of murder, intertwined with secrets from a troubled past. Investigators chase leads that stretch far beyond Tinseltown, revealing the dangerous dance between dreams and dark realities.

04:22

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Quick takeaways

The pursuit of success in Hollywood can lead to dangerous situations, as shown by Laney Jacobs and Roy Radin's tragic partnership.

Ambition in Hollywood often conceals dark realities, exemplified by Jacobs' desperate actions in the face of a substantial drug theft.

Deep dives

The Dark Side of Hollywood Ambition

The pursuit of fame and success in Hollywood can lead individuals down dangerous paths, as illustrated by the story of Laney Jacobs and the murder of TV producer Roy Radin. Jacobs, a cocaine dealer striving for acceptance in the Hollywood elite, faced severe consequences when a substantial amount of cocaine and cash went missing. With a street value exceeding one million dollars, the loss put her in a precarious position with her suppliers, who demanded payment regardless of the circumstances. This situation portrayed the perilous nature of ambition in an industry that often masks its darker realities behind a glamorous facade.

The Dark Side of Ambition: A Cocaine Theft in Hollywood

4min

On June 10th, 1983, the decomposing body of a well-dressed man was found in a desolate canyon near Los Angeles. John Doe #94 would soon be identified as missing variety show producer Roy Radin. He'd last been seen after meeting with a mysterious woman in a gold dress. Her name was Lanie Jacobs.

Jacobs and Radin were obsessed with becoming Hollywood movie producers. And when their paths collided, it led them to a tantalizing film deal promising fame and fortune. But then, a twisted script unfolded, plunging them into a million-dollar cocaine and cash heist, a tangled web of lies, and ultimately – murder.

The trail led investigators right to Hollywood's doorstep, linking former golden boy producer Robert Evans to the case and dredging up Radin's own troubled past.

But the case turned ice cold. It would take more than five years of dogged pursuit by the L.A. Sheriff’s Department detectives, a secret undercover witness, and another murder almost 3,000 miles from Hollywood – to unlock the truth.

This is the story of a doomed Hollywood partnership, a grisly murder and the search that stretched across the country for a killer – or killers.

From Wondery, and the team behind the hit series Hollywood & Crime: The Dating Game Killer, The Wonderland Murders, Death of Starlet, and the Execution of Bonny Lee Bakley comes a six part series that dives into the dark side of Hollywood through a shocking murder – fueled by ruthless ambition and desperate dreams. Co-hosted by Tracy Pattin and Josh Lucas.

Listen to Hollywood & Crime: The Cotton Club Murder: Wondery.fm/Hollywood_and_Crime_

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