Independent journalists Kit Klarenberg and Tim Norman have conducted significant investigations into the alleged 2018 assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer turned British spy, and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England. The episode also covers the related death of Dawn Sturgess in nearby Amesbury, which was recently the subject of a UK inquiry. Skripal, who betrayed Russia for MI6 in the 1990s, was settled in Salisbury after a spy swap in 2010. On March 4, 2018, he and Yulia were found unconscious on a bench, allegedly poisoned by the nerve agent "novichok," which the British government attributed to Russian operatives. The official narrative claims this poison was smeared on Skripal’s door, though inconsistencies—such as the delayed onset of symptoms, the survival of the Skripals, and lack of definitive evidence linking the agent to Russia—raise doubts about the UK government’s story.Months later, Englishwoman Dawn Sturgess died after reportedly spraying herself with "novichok" from a sealed perfume bottle found by her boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, prompting further accusations against Russia. However, the apparently sealed bottle and the inability of scientists to confirm the nerve agent’s origin undermined the government’s claims. The British narrative was shaky and possibly propped up by intelligence-linked entities like Bellingcat and the Institute for Statecraft’s Integrity Initiative, which may have pushed disinformation. The recently concluded Sturgess Inquiry, designed to control the narrative, inadvertently exposed its weaknesses.To find out more about the people and music featured in today’s episode, visit the Assassinations Podcast website, www.AssassinationsPodcast.com You can find Tim’s work on the Propaganda in Focus website (https://propagandainfocus.com/author/h7_2q94aatnh5/) and UK Column (https://www.ukcolumn.org/writer/tim-norman), as well as on X.com @timtron2020Kit writes for The Grayzone website (https://thegrayzone.com/author/kit-klarenberg/), including on the Skripal/Sturgess case: https://thegrayzone.com/2025/01/13/british-inquiry-skripal-poisoning/. He’s also on X.com @KitKlarenbergYou can also contact the show through our website — we love to hear your comments, questions, corrections, and suggestions!And you can find us on X @AssassinsPodAssassinations Podcast was created by Niall Cooper, who researches and writes the show. Lindsey Morse is our editor and producer. Our theme music was created by Graeme Ronald. If you’d like to hear more from Graeme, check out his band, Remember Remember. You’ll find them on iTunes.

Jonathan Moyle, once an RAF pilot and editor of the specialist trade journal Defense Helicopter World, died under suspicious circumstances in Santiago, Chile, in 1990. Was his death linked to his investigation of an arms deal involving Carlos Cardoen and Saddam Hussein's Iraq, focusing on converting civilian Bell helicopters for military use? Moyle’s aggressive questioning at an arms fair seems to have made him a likely target. But was was there more going on? While his death was ruled a suicide, evidence — like a sedative injection — suggested it was in fact a murder. The British government seemed to cover up the case, first claiming suicide, then suggesting a sex game mishap, to obscure Moyle’s espionage ties.To find out more about the people and music featured in today’s episode, visit the Assassinations Podcast website, www.AssassinationsPodcast.com While there, you can check out our Bookstore, where we recommend some great episode-related books and reading material, or shop our Merch Store to nab a logo tee or tote bag. You can also contact us through the website — we love to hear your comments, questions, corrections, and suggestions!You can find us on Twitter @AssassinsPodAssassinations Podcast was created by Niall Cooper, who researches and writes the show. Lindsey Morse is our editor and producer. Our theme music was created by Graeme Ronald. If you’d like to hear more from Graeme, check out his band, Remember Remember. You’ll find them on iTunes.

With the US election upon us, host Niall takes a look at this year’s political drama, including two apparent attempts on the life of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Things often aren’t quite what they seem—especially in the world of high-level politics—and this might be no exception.To find out more about the people and music featured in today’s episode, visit the Assassinations Podcast website, www.AssassinationsPodcast.com While there, you can check out our Bookstore, where we recommend some great episode-related books and reading material, or shop our Merch Store to nab a logo tee or tote bag. You can also contact us through the website — we love to hear your comments, questions, corrections, and suggestions!You can find us on Twitter @AssassinsPodAssassinations Podcast was created by Niall Cooper, who researches and writes the show. Lindsey Morse is our editor and producer. Our theme music was created by Graeme Ronald. If you’d like to hear more from Graeme, check out his band, Remember Remember. You’ll find them on iTunes.

When the United States decided to extend its “manifest destiny” across the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines at the end of the 19th century, Antonio Luna helped to defend his country. His assassination at the hands of his fellow Filipinos dealt a mortal blow to the independence movement.To find out more about the people and music featured in today’s episode, visit the Assassinations Podcast website, www.AssassinationsPodcast.com While there, you can check out our Bookstore, where we recommend some great episode-related books and reading material, or shop our Merch Store to nab a logo tee or tote bag. You can also contact us through the website — we love to hear your comments, questions, corrections, and suggestions!You can find us on Twitter @AssassinsPodAssassinations Podcast was created by Niall Cooper, who researches and writes the show. Lindsey Morse is our editor and producer. Our theme music was created by Graeme Ronald. If you’d like to hear more from Graeme, check out his band, Remember Remember. You’ll find them on iTunes.

In the conclusion of our look at the assassination of John Lennon, we discover that it is a virtual impossibility that the man who has spent the last 44 years behind bars for the crime, Mark Chapman, could have done it. While Chapman confessed to the crime — and may truly believe he committed murder — the evidence simply does not support this, as Niall discusses with David Whelan, the author of Mind Games: the Assassination of John Lennon.To find out more about the people and music featured in today’s episode, visit the Assassinations Podcast website, www.AssassinationsPodcast.com There, you can find a map of the entrance area of the Dakota Building, taken from David Whelan’s book.You can order David’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Games-Assassination-John-Lennon/dp/B0CPMYSK9ZYou can also contact us through the website — we love to hear your comments, questions, corrections, and suggestions!And you can find us on Twitter @AssassinsPodAssassinations Podcast was created by Niall Cooper, who researches and writes the show. Lindsey Morse is our editor and producer. Our theme music was created by Graeme Ronald. If you’d like to hear more from Graeme, check out his band, Remember Remember. You’ll find them on iTunes.

In the first of a two-part look at the murder of John Lennon, we look at the life and work of the former Beatle, and the strange story of the man who was convicted of killing him, Mark Chapman. Host Niall speaks with author David Whelan about his fascinating new book Mind Games: The Assassination of John Lennon, which contains important and surprising fresh insight on the case.To find out more about the people and music featured in today’s episode, visit the Assassinations Podcast website, www.AssassinationsPodcast.com While there, you can check out our Bookstore, where we recommend some great episode-related books and reading material, or shop our Merch Store to nab a logo tee or tote bag. You can also contact us through the website — we love to hear your comments, questions, corrections, and suggestions!You can find us on Twitter @AssassinsPodAnd you can order David’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Games-Assassination-John-Lennon/dp/B0CPMYSK9ZAssassinations Podcast was created by Niall Cooper, who researches and writes the show. Lindsey Morse is our editor and producer. Our theme music was created by Graeme Ronald. If you’d like to hear more from Graeme, check out his band, Remember Remember. You’ll find them on iTunes.

Journalist Danny Casolaro delved into a US gov software contract conspiracy called 'The Octopus' before his mysterious death. His suicide raised doubts due to odd circumstances, lack of self-harm history, and threatening calls. The podcast explores his professional success, PROMIS software controversy, and legal battles involving Enzilal, Israeli intelligence, and political corruption.

Palestinian activist Alex Odeh and his tragic death in a bombing attack linked to a Jewish American terrorist cell. The podcast explores Odeh's activism for Arab causes and the challenges faced by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. It also delves into the controversial actions of the Jewish Defense League, including their role in bombings and assassinations, and the implications of Andy Green / Baruch Ben-Yosef's involvement in preventing aid to Gaza.

Erik Jan Hanussen, a mesmerist and clairvoyant, intrigued many with his alleged influence over Hitler and the Nazis. This episode delves into his mysterious life, the Reichstag fire, the allure of the occult in Berlin, and his support for National Socialism. The podcast also explores the control of the media landscape in Nazi Germany.

Blown up while sailing on his fishing boat along the coast of County Sligo in Ireland in 1979, the assassination of Lord Mountbatten resulted in international condemnation of the IRA, which claimed responsibility for the blast. Three other people — two teenaged boys and a woman in her eighties — were also killed. Many wondered why the IRA had chosen to kill Mountbatten, an old man who had long ago retired from public life, and who regularly summered in Ireland. It was especially strange that the Irish Republican group would choose to carry out the assassination on the same day as, and overshadowing, a bombing attack against a British Army barracks. Many years later, it was revealed that there was another aspect of Mountbatten’s life, quite apart from his royal status, that might have put a target on his back. A disgraceful secret that could have made him a liability to the British.To find out more about the people and music featured in today’s episode, visit the Assassinations Podcast website, www.AssassinationsPodcast.com. While there, you can also check out our Bookstore, where we recommend some great episode-related books — including Andrew Lowney’s biography of Mountbatten and his wife, Edwina — and shop our Merch Store to nab a log tee or tote bag. If you’d like to support the show, we have a Patreon page. We offer a variety of different support levels with lots of fun perks, including bonus episodes, stickers, merch store credit, and more! Find us at patreon.com/AssassinationsPodcast Assassinations Podcast was created by Niall Cooper, who also researches and writes the show. Lindsey Morse is our editor and producer. Our theme music was created by Graeme Ronald. If you’d like to hear more from Graeme, check out his band, Remember Remember. You’ll find them on iTunes.