

American Criminal
Airship
The true crime history podcast that takes you inside the minds of some of our most notorious felons and outlaws, exploring the dark side to the American dream.Host Jeremy Schwartz will introduce you to the picture-perfect brothers who teamed up to kill their parents; the thief who stole babies and ruined countless lives; the crypto king who siphoned off billions in the name of saving the world—and plenty more. From assassins and gangsters, to killers and con artists, whatever the case, whoever the criminal, you don’t know the full story—until now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or to get early, ad-free access to the entire season first, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 14, 2025 • 45min
Lucas, Toole, and the Murder of Adam Walsh | Death and Texas | 3
After abandoning Ottis Toole once again, Henry Lee Lucas finds himself in Texas. There he commits a pair of horrifying murders that will open a Pandora’s Box of trouble for law enforcement around the country.
To listen to all four episodes of 'Lucas, Toole, and the Murder of Adam Walsh' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com
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Aug 7, 2025 • 44min
Lucas, Toole, and the Murder of Adam Walsh | The Head in the Canal | 2
When Ottis Toole meets Henry Lee Lucas outside of a homeless shelter in Florida, he’s overjoyed to have found a soulmate. But when one friend abandons the other, it leads to a crime that changes America.
To listen to all four episodes of 'Lucas, Toole, and the Murder of Adam Walsh' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com
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Jul 31, 2025 • 45min
Lucas, Toole, and the Murder of Adam Walsh | Fledgling Criminals | 1
Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole are two of history’s most prolific serial killers. Or they’re liars who aren’t to be trusted. Either way, they’ve both got red in their ledger – all stemming from their twisted beginnings.
To listen to all four episodes of 'Lucas, Toole, and the Murder of Adam Walsh' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com
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Jul 24, 2025 • 46min
Case File | The Cult Next Door
Mattie Lasiter and Ashleigh Teeter's father led a doomsday cult in Arkansas. Now they're sharing their stories and educating others about how to recognize a cult when you see one -- even from the inside.
To listen to all four episodes of 'NXIVM' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com
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Jul 17, 2025 • 1min
American Criminal Season 16: Lucas, Toole, and the Murder of Adam Walsh
On July 27, 1981, six-year-old Adam Walsh was kidnapped from a Sears parking lot in Florida. Just days later his remains were found in a drainage canal over 100 miles away. The case captivated America, and started a national conversation about how to respond to cases of missing children. But investigators had no leads and the case eventually went cold. Then, in 1983, drifter Ottis Toole confesses to the crime out of the blue. At the same time, Ottis’s friend Henry Lee Lucas is making some confessions of his own. He’s been telling police that he and Ottis have killed hundreds of times over the last few years. But as the number of deaths attributed to the men got higher and higher, some started to wonder just how trustworthy these two admitted killers were. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 17, 2025 • 52min
NXIVM | The Mighty Fall | 4
When Keith Raniere felt the women in his cult slipping out of his control, he came up with a way to keep them under his thumb. The secret group known as Dominus Obsequius Sororium, or DOS, was designed to turn women into his literal sex slaves. But it would also be his undoing.
To listen to all four episodes of 'NXIVM' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com
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Jul 10, 2025 • 50min
NXIVM | Sex, Lies, and Billionaires | 3
As Keith Raniere's company hits its stride, he lures billionaire heiresses and hollywood actresses into the fold. But not everyone is content to stay under his thumb, and when people speak out against him, Keith goes scorched earth.
To listen to all four episodes of 'NXIVM' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com
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Jul 3, 2025 • 52min
NXIVM | Laying the Foundation | 2
By the turn of the century, Keith Raniere had launched a new company that would not only bring him vast sums of money, it would also give him access to vulnerable people in search of ways to improve themselves. They’d willingly share their deepest secrets, their insecurities, and Keith would use that insight to control them all.
To listen to all four episodes of 'NXIVM' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com
We'd like to hear from you! Take a short survey about the show:
theshowsurvey.com/criminal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 26, 2025 • 49min
NXIVM | Growing Up with Keith Raniere | 1
Discover the shocking rise of NXIVM, a consulting firm turned cult, revealed through gripping conversations. Explore the dark corner of psychological manipulation where members sacrificed their secrets for acceptance. Delve into the chaotic upbringing of a boy burdened with caregiving, juxtaposed with Keith Raniere's ambitious yet predatory early ventures in multi-level marketing. Uncover how he transformed from a vulnerable young man into a manipulator, setting the stage for NXIVM's notorious legacy.

Jun 19, 2025 • 34min
Case File | God Hook: The Ohio Craigslist Killings
Obviously, most of us don’t use the internet as a search engine for murder. But there are bad apples in every bunch.
Richard Beasley was one of those bad apples. When he decided he wanted to kill people, he sought the desperate, the lonely, and the forgotten. And thanks to modern technology, there was one place he could go to cast as wide a net as possible: Craigslist.
On her show, The God Hook, journalist Carol Costello traces the origins of this serial killer, and the lives of the people touched by his evil.
To listen to all three episodes of 'To Kill A Cheerleader' right now and ad-free, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices