The Knife: A True Crime Podcast
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts
The Knife: A True Crime Podcast is a weekly true crime podcast from journalist/producers Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton.It's a show about people who’ve been dropped into a story they didn't start, but are left to finish. In-depth interviews take the listener behind the punchy headlines to hear what really happened from the people who lived it. The Knife reveals the ripple effect of crime.Through empathetic, solution-oriented journalism, Hannah and Patia find the untold stories of people who’ve been touched by crime. They’re not breaking news or solving cases, they’re cutting to the heart of the experience through gripping, first-person storytelling.Follow The Knife on Instagram @theknifepodcast and on Bluesky @theknifepodcast.bsky.social.The Knife is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including true crime, comedic interviews, news, science, pop culture and more. The network is home to My Favorite Murder hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, This Podcast Will Kill You, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, Buried Bones and more.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 24, 2025 • 49min
Rent-A-Hitman: Murder, Interrupted
Bob Innes never set out to stop murders. But when his satirical website, RentAHitman.com, started attracting real requests for contract killings, he found himself in an unusual predicament. What, if anything, should he do about it? Now, he spends most of his spare time trying to intercept murder-for-hire plots, including an entire family wanted dead over an inheritance. But it turns out trying to stop a murder before it happens is tricky, especially when you aren’t in law enforcement. www.rentahitman.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 17, 2025 • 1h 6min
The Knife: Off Record – 116
Hannah and Patia sit down with Anna Sinfield, the producer and writer behind the first two hit seasons of The Girlfriends, to talk about why the world needs more stories of women winning. Stepping into the host seat for The Girlfriends: Spotlight, Anna shares what it’s like to dive headfirst into a story, the emotional toll of true crime, and what to expect from the highly anticipated new season, The Girlfriends: Jailhouse Lawyer. Also, Hannah shares an update on the Brenda Andrew case, including a U.S. Supreme Court opinion issued in Jan 2025. Recommendations Netflix Documentary: The Twister: Caught in the Storm Podcast: Big Time (Apple/Campside Media) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-girlfriends-spotlight/id1695875823 Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Only Woman on Oklahoma Death Row: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-only-woman-on-oklahoma-death-row-confirming-admission-of-prejudicial-gendered-evidence-can-violate-due-process-rights See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 10, 2025 • 1h 2min
The Mother’s Day Attack
Tennyson and Kyle felt safe in their quiet, rural community—until their lives were shaken by not one, but two violent home invasions. It wasn’t random. The attacks were targeted, and Tennyson was the focus. Even more chilling: it all happened on her very first Mother’s Day as a new mom. We speak with Tennyson about the events of that day and the long road of healing that followed. The Mother of All Days: https://www.amazon.com/Mother-All-Days-Break-Unexpected/dp/0997692375?ref_=ast_author_mpb Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/north-bend-intruder-may-have-planned-sexual-assault-deputies-say/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 26, 2025 • 44min
The Knife: Off Record – 114
Patia shares a conversation she had with Shileshia and Eric Milligan, a couple who became victims of adoption fraud in 2019 after self-matching through a Facebook group. What began with hope quickly turned to fear when the teen birth mother claimed she was in danger. Then, Hannah unpacks the story of Tara Lee, the woman behind a multi-million dollar adoption scam that operated out of Michigan. National Council for Adoption: How to Avoid Adoption Scams: https://adoptioncouncil.org/article/howtoavoidadoptionscams/ Recommendations: “Couples Therapy” documentary series Adoption Scam Artist Sentenced to Federal Prison: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2020/02/26/macomb-co-adoption-scam-artist-tara-lee-sentenced-federal-prison/4879858002/ Couples Therapy Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmmIoCQ40hs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 19, 2025 • 1h 1min
Hijacked
On November 23, 1985, Jackie Pflug took her seat aboard EgyptAir Flight 648. When the plane reached flying altitude, several men forcefully took control of the plane. Jackie’s flight was being hijacked. Jackie miraculously survived, but many others did not. Decades later, she tells a story of bravery, profound loss and hope. Sydney Morning Herald – https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/from-the-archives-1985-massacre-on-hijacked-egyptair-flight-648-20191122-p53d4w.html Miles to Go Before I Sleep, by Jackie Pflug – https://www.amazon.com/Miles-Before-Sleep-Survivors-Terrorist/dp/1568388373 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 12, 2025 • 1h 2min
The Knife: Off Record – 112
A listener sends in a tip about an international conman, Chadwick Hauser – who is still on the run. Through an interview with his ex-wife, Hannah tells Patia the story of a man whose scams have ruined lives across the world and whose victim list is still growing. For Chad’s ex-wife, Jordana, the end of their marriage was just the beginning. When the man she thought she loved vanished with her children, she would stop at nothing to get them back. Victims of Chadwick Peel Hauser Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/505870920516958/ Associate for the Recovery of Children – https://www.recoveryofchildren.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 5, 2025 • 55min
The Kill List
Susan was going about a normal day at work when an FBI Agent showed up with terrifying news. She was on a hit list. A notorious terrorist organization wanted her dead. Susan tries to find out why she of all people would be targeted. As she tries to answer this question, she must also work to protect herself. Articles referenced in the episode: The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/man-suspected-of-killing-3-in-king-county-will-not-face-the-death-penalty/ Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/maryland-man-charged-interstate-transportation-stolen-vehicle See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 29, 2025 • 51min
The Knife: Off Record – 110
Hannah and Patia discuss the 1996 murder at Mountain Park Baptist Boarding Academy, where 16-year-old William Futrelle—new to the school—was killed by fellow students. They unpack the trial of Joseph Burris, who was charged with Futrelle’s murder, and examine the disturbing environment that enabled the crime. We also cover what happened with Bethesda Home for Girls, Bob and Betty Wills’ earlier “troubled teen” program in Mississippi, which was eventually shut down by the state. LA Times - https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-oct-04-me-39141-story.html https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-oct-05-mn-39651-story.html Bethesda Home for Girls: https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/bethesda-home-girls-stolen-babies/ Cult Education Institute: https://www.culteducation.com/group/1059-mountain-park-baptist-church-and-boarding-academy/14571-insiders-tell-of-boarding-school-past-and-present.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 22, 2025 • 1h 3min
Mountain Park
Meg Richter was branded a “troubled teen” and sent by her parents to Mountain Park Baptist Boarding Academy. But the rural Missouri facility wasn’t focused on education—it was more like a juvenile detention center masquerading as a Christian reform program. With no licensed therapists and a heavy reliance on corporal punishment, Mountain Park operated like a militaristic cult, where some students stayed well past their 18th birthdays. Links: I Survived A Cult: https://www.madeofmillions.com/articles/i-survived-a-cult-now-i-m-using-my-voice-to-make-a-difference Mountain Park Survivors: https://www.mountainparksurvivors.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 15, 2025 • 49min
The Knife: Off Record – 108
Patia shares the story of a string of bizarre robberies in Edwardsville, Illinois—cracked not by cops, but by the sharp-eyed owner of a local spa. One of the weirdest discoveries? A Walmart-style basement packed with stolen “trophies.” Then, Hannah dives into the rise and fall of Doc Gallagher, a Texas preacher and radio host who weaponized faith to run a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Links: Texas Department of Insurance Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-texas-insurance-podcast/id1557773249 AARP podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-perfect-scam/id1362050907 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-03-27/texas-preacher-doc-gallagher-stole-24-million-with-ponzi-scheme Recommendation: The Telepathy Tapes podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
