You Can’t Make This Up

The mid-1980s was a period of terror in Southern California. A series of random home invasions, sexual assaults, and brutal murders were happening across the region. Men, women, and children of all races and walks of life were victims. Stranger yet, the horrendous methods of killings fit no particular pattern. Some victims were strangled. Some were shot. Some were beaten to death.Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer is the definitive portrait of one of the most disturbing and unpredictable serial killers in criminal history from the perspective of the two detectives leading the hunt to capture him. On the show this week, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Tiller Russell, the Night Stalker series director.  This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire film and then, listen on.

In the early 1980s, the crack epidemic tore through America like a tsunami, ravaging all in its wake. And the destructive effects on people's lives, families, and communities are still deeply felt decades later. “Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy” examines the drug’s devastation, shadowy origins, and the ongoing criminalization of Black and Brown people in U.S. prison and healthcare systems.Rebecca speaks with director Stanley Nelson. This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire film and then, listen on. 

Happy New Year! We are so ready to jump into 2021 but before we do, we want to take a look back at 2020. It really was a year of 'You Can’t Make This Up' moments, and the true-crime titles and conversations were no different.Netflix filmmakers and documentarians consistently delivered original content that intrigued and surprised. They forced viewers to take a second look at crimes that we thought we knew all about from news reports and pop culture.We have much more engaging true crime and criminal justice stories coming your way in 2021. We'll continue to share important conversations with groundbreaking filmmakers who take us around the globe, so stick with us. 

In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Trial 4's director Rémy Burkel. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening or reading on.Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was not recorded in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.Trial 4 is a timely, sweeping story about criminal justice, police power, and systemic racism in America. It documents the history of Sean Ellis, who faced three trials before he was found guilty of the 1993 murder of Boston police officer John Mulligan. He served 22 years in prison for the killing. It was a crime Sean says he never committed. In 2015, he was released on bail to await a fourth trial that would determine whether he would be proven innocent or sent back to prison for the rest of his life. A judge ruled that Sean was never given a fair trial. Prosecutors withheld information about a corruption scheme involving several detectives who were key players in his conviction.If you like You Can’t Make This Up, please rate, review, and share this show!

 In 1989, two-year-old Christopher Dansby and 19-month old Shane Walker were abducted from the same Harlem playground within months of each other.  Police and locals were put on high alert, but no trace of the missing toddlers was ever found. Three decades later their families have not given up hope."Stolen Kids" is the final episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with director Jessica Dimmock. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their own reactions to this episode.Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” Go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series.Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Trial 4.

On an icy, winter night nearly 10 years ago, police found 55-year-old JoAnn Romain’s abandoned car outside her church in a Michigan suburb. They assumed she drowned in a nearby lake by suicide. But her body was recovered 70 days later in the Detroit River 35 miles away from where police allege she had entered the water. Her family suspects foul play. They have a list of suspects and will not stop until they find the truth about what happened to their mother."Lady in the Lake" is the fifth episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with director Skye Borgman. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their own reactions to this episode.Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” Go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series.Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our final episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, "Stolen Kids."

Nearly ten years ago, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded devastated the northeastern coast of Japan.  It generated a tsunami that at its peak reached 131 feet high. Close to twenty-thousand lives were lost. Twenty-five hundred more remain missing. Then, in one of the worst-hit cities, people began to experience strange phenomena. Taxi drivers spoke of “ghost passengers.”  Some even talked of being possessed by lost spirits. A local Buddhist monk claims the tragedy enabled the people to “see what’s not supposed to be seen.”"Tsunami Spirits" is the fourth episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with another familiar voice, director Clay Jeter. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their own reactions to this episode.Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.” Go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series.  Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, "Lady in the Lake."

In 1965, repeat sex-offender Lester Eubanks confessed to killing 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener and was sentenced to death. However, Lester's sentence reverted to life in prison when a 1972 Supreme Court ruling abolished the death penalty. While in prison, he joined a program allowing inmates to leave the grounds. Around a year later, while on a Christmas shopping trip to the mall, Eubanks escaped. He remains a fugitive nearly 50 years later."Death Row Fugitive" is the third episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Unsolved Mysteries series executive producer and director of "Death Row Fugitive," Robert Wise. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their own reactions to this episode.Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.”If you have any leads on where Lester Eubanks is, go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips, or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series. Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, " Tsunami Spirits."

When a woman is found dead in a luxury hotel room in Oslo, Norway, it initially appears to be a suicide until several pieces of evidence begin to suggest otherwise. She has no identification. She registered at the hotel under a false name. There was no blood on her hand or the gun that killed her. No one even reported her missing. Who is this woman? Was she murdered? Could she have been part of a secret intelligence operation? Twenty-five years later all these questions, and more, remain unanswered. "Death in Oslo" is the second episode of Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Unsolved Mysteries series executive producer and director of "Death in Oslo",  Robert Wise. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...) as they discuss their reactions to this episode.  Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack, “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.”  If you have any leads on what might have happened to the unknown woman in Oslo 25 years ago, go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips, or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series. Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding.Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, " Death Row Fugitive."

For more than three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases have been solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, some of the most chilling mysteries are still waiting to be solved in Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 2, now streaming on Netflix. “Washington Insider Murder” is the first episode of Volume 2.In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Unsolved Mysteries series co-creator and executive producer Terry Dunn Meurer, where we get the inside story on reactions, viewer tips, and updates to the first set of cases covered in Volume 1. Later in the episode, we will hear Rebecca's conversation with "Washington Insider Murder" episode director Don Argott about the unexplained death of former White House Aide, John Wheeler. Rebecca will also dive into conversation with her husband Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On...)  as they discuss their reactions to the "Washington Insider Murder" episode.Loyal fans of Unsolved Mysteries might remember these words from the late and irreplaceable former host of the show, Robert Stack: “For every mystery, someone somewhere knows the truth. Perhaps that person is someone listening. Perhaps it’s you.”If you have any leads on what might have happened to John Wheeler, go to https://unsolved.com/home/ to share tips or to learn more about the extensive amount of other mysteries covered by the series.Note to listeners: This episode contains spoilers. So make sure to watch the entire episode before listening on. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our guests were recorded in their homes and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding. Stay tuned for our next episode on Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2, " Death in Oslo."