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
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
Jun 12, 2025 • 2min
American Criminal Season 15: NXIVM
In 2017, a little-known consulting firm called NXIVM became the center of an international scandal. One day, no one had heard of the group at all. The next, people were calling it a cult. There were accusations of a secret society, psychological manipulation, imprisonment, occult sexual abuse. Then there was the group’s founder, Keith Raniere – a self-styled genius whose followers worshipped him and called him “Vanguard.” Suddenly, everyone wanted to know: where had this group come from? Who was Keith Raniere? And how had he hoodwinked so many people in this day and age?
Subscribe to American Criminal in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 12, 2025 • 46min
To Kill A Cheerleader | How to Hire a Hitman in Channelview, Texas | 3
After her daughter Shanna was disqualified from the cheerleading tryouts, Wanda Holloway was seeing red. In her mind, there were two people responsible for Shanna not being a cheerleader: Verna Heath and her daughter Amber. And there was only one thing she could do. Both of them had to go, so it was time for Wanda to find a hitman.
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
Jun 5, 2025 • 45min
To Kill A Cheerleader | A Girl's Best Friend is Her Mother | 2
As Wanda Holloway married, divorced, and remarried, one thing in her life remained constant: her obsession with making her daughter a cheerleader. But when it came time for tryouts, Wanda discovered that the path to glory would be rockier than she expected.
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
May 29, 2025 • 39min
To Kill A Cheerleader | God, Glory, and Glamor | 1
It was a case that made headlines around the world: Texas mother hires hitman to kill her neighbor -- over cheerleading. But how did it get to that point? What was it that drove Wanda Holloway to believe that killing the mother of her daughter's rival would get her what she wanted?
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
May 22, 2025 • 1h 7min
Case File | Eyewitness History: Bill Ayers
In this engaging conversation, Bill Ayers, a former leader of the Weather Underground and current education theorist, shares his riveting journey from sheltered youth to a key figure in 60s activism. He delves into the complexities of violence in protest movements, discussing urgent actions against systemic oppression. Ayers also reflects on Fred Hampton's legacy within the Black Freedom Movement and the enduring impact of historical injustices. His personal insights remind us of the lived experiences that shape our understanding of history.
May 15, 2025 • 2min
American Criminal Season 14: To Kill A Cheerleader
In 1991, a small Texas town just outside of Houston was shocked to discover just how far one mother was determined to go to ensure her child’s success. When Wanda Holloway’s teenage daughter failed to make the cheerleading team, she became obsessed with the girl she felt stood in the way. In her mind, this other girl and her mother were cheats, and suck-ups. That meant they had to go.
Listen to American Criminal: To Kill A Cheerleader wherever you get your podcasts. To get early, ad-free access to the entire season first, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at AmericanCriminal.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
