You Can’t Make This Up

The show “Unsolved Mysteries” sparked America’s obsession with cold cases and the paranormal from 1987 to 2010. For decades, the series captivated audiences with true tales & first-person accounts of inexplicable murders turned to cold cases, missing persons, and chilling encounters with the supernatural. It was one of the first shows of its kind to call on viewers for clues to help solve a real-life mystery.According to the Unsolved website, “Out of more than 1000 cases profiled in 230 episodes, over half the cases featuring wanted fugitives have been solved, most as a result of viewer tips.”Now, a decade after the last show premiered, the cultural phenomenon is back on Netflix on July 1st!Subscribe to the podcast ‘You Can't Make This Up’ for access to a special 6-part-mini-season dedicated to every single new episode featured on Unsolved Mysteries.As Robert Stack, the original Unsolved Mysteries host used to say, "For every mystery, there is someone, somewhere, who knows the truth."

Ten inmates, ten lifelong sentences, ten episodes featuring prisons across the United States. In season 2 of the docuseries I Am A Killer, streaming on Netflix, every episode recounts one prisoner’s memories of the events that led to their crime, underlying motivations, and how they make sense of their lives now. Interviews with victims, their families, and detectives uncover multiple layers to the stories and reignite the debate about rehabilitation and restitution in America’s criminal justice system. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Danny Tipping, the executive producer of the docuseries. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

Jeffrey Epstein is a name that has been attached to headlines for years. Billionaire, American financier, convicted sex offender, now a dead man.Streaming on Netflix, the docuseries Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich focuses on the survivor's perspectives as we hear their painful stories.The series also examines how Epstein evaded the law with his wealth, powerful connections, and network of co-conspirators. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with director Lisa Bryant and executive producer Joe Berlinger.Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in a studio. Thank you for understanding the change in audio quality.

Were these six highly televised and dramatic cases defined by headlines, or determined by them? Now streaming on Netflix, the docuseries Trial by Media explores how news coverage and public conversation around high profile crimes have had a lasting impact on United States criminal justice systems and culture.In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On…) speaks with CNN’s Chief Legal Analyst, staff writer for the New Yorker, and Executive Producer of Trial By Media, Jeffrey Toobin.There will be spoilers so make sure to watch all of the episodes on Netflix before listening here! A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in a studio. Thank you for understanding the change in audio quality.

In the final episode of our miniseries about The Innocence Files, host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Academy-award winning director, Alex Gibney (Going Clear; The Inventor). Alex’s episodes focus on how individual prosecutors can corrupt the whole justice system, examining cases from Philadelphia, Houston, and rural Michigan.

This is the second episode in the miniseries about the Innocence Files. Host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On..) speaks with returning guest Academy-Award nominated director Liz Garbus (Lost Girls). Liz's block of episodes investigates the misuse of eyewitness testimony and how a person can be swayed into pointing to an innocent bystander.

This is the first episode of a mini-series about The Innocence Files, a documentary series about wrongful convictions, made in consultation with the Innocence Project. Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Academy-award winning director, Roger Ross Williams (God Loves Uganda, Music By Prudence). He directed the first three episodes about bite mark evidence and exonerees Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer, and Keith Harward.

After nearly a decade of working for Massachusetts State Drug Testing labs, two chemists were found to have tampered with evidence connected to tens of thousands of cases against people accused of drug trafficking and possession. How To Fix a Drug Scandal, which is now streaming on Netflix, brings to light the investigation behind the corruption and cover-ups of these cases.In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers on…) speaks with Director and Producer Erin Lee Carr about why she chose to tell the stories of chemist’s Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan, discusses the lives of those affected by the chemist’s choices, and about her own journey to sobriety.There will be spoilers so watch all of the episodes on Netflix before listening here! A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in a studio. Please forgive the change in audio quality.

In 2013, Joe Exotic had two husbands, a dedicated staff of misfits, and over 200 tigers in his private zoo. But Joe also had a rivalry with fellow big cat owner, Carole Baskin. When their feud spun out of control, Joe found himself in a cage of his own. In this episode, host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On…) will be speaking with co-directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin. There will be spoilers so make sure you’ve watched all 7 episodes! A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in studios. So there will be a change in audio quality. 

Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On..) talks with director Liz Garbus about her film Lost Girls. Based on the book Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker. The film follows Mari Gilbert (Amy Ryan) as she searches for her missing daughter Shannan. Meanwhile, the police uncover four more bodies and suspect a serial killer is on the loose. There will be spoilers, so make sure you've watched the whole film before pressing play.