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
Nov 20, 2025 • 1h 5min
A Preventable Tragedy
Criminal defense attorney Michael Foote joins The Knife to discuss the murder trial of Bricen Rivers. In July of 2024, 22-year-old Lauren Johansen was found dead in the trunk of her own car. Her ex-boyfriend, Bricen Rivers, is now charged with capital murder. Lauren’s father is fighting to change the system that ignored the warning signs and allowed Rivers to be released on bail. We speak with Michael Foote about the case and how the criminal justice system failed to protect Lauren. Listen to Michael Foote’s podcast, Brief Recess, wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 13, 2025 • 1h 7min
I Know Everything
When Heather Rovet met Jace Paratti, the chemistry was instant. And soon, they were making plans for the future. But when the relationship hit a rough patch, Heather wondered if maybe Jace was hiding something. What she discovered would thrust them both into international headlines and reveal that Jace Paratti wasn’t Jace Paratti at all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 6, 2025 • 46min
What Remains
The sudden passing of husband and father, Michael Cochran, in 2019, was initially a medical mystery. But when his widow, Natalie Cochran was convicted of fraud, a web of lies and a possible motive were revealed. By 2025 Natalie Cochran stood trial for his murder. Forensic Pathologist Dr. Paul Uribe walks us through the results of the autopsy he conducted on Michael Cochran’s remains and the role of his findings in Natalie Cochran’s shocking murder trial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 4, 2025 • 1h 5min
Special Episode: It’s Worse Than We Thought
In this crossover episode with lovelustfear, a podcast hosted by Jake Deptula, we hear a powerful story from a woman named Allyn. Allyn met a captivating man who swiftly declared his love, asked her to be his girlfriend, and even proposed. But as their long-distance relationship deepened, she uncovered his lingering connection with an ex, which led Allyn down a dark path of deception. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 30, 2025 • 1h 7min
Haunted
When Jaime and Ben bought their first home in Lamar, Arkansas, a charming 1800s fixer-upper with two chimneys and a wraparound porch, they were thrilled to start their new life. But soon after moving in with their kids, strange things began to happen. What started as small, unexplained events grew harder to ignore, leading the family to wonder if their dream home might be haunted. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 23, 2025 • 1h 14min
Am I Dating You?
For nearly two decades Alec Couros has been the target of scammers on the internet. A professor and public speaker from Canada, Alec discovered in 2007 that his photos were being stolen and used in romance scams. Since then, his face has been used thousands of times to con victims around the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 21, 2025 • 56min
Special Episode: Solving Cold Cases with DNA
Elin Lantz Lesser joins us to talk about a cold case that haunted Texas for more than four decades, the 1974 murder of Carla Walker. Recently solved through DNA and genetic genealogy, Elin, host of America’s Crime Lab, walks us through how new science finally brought answers to a case that had gone cold for over 40 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 16, 2025 • 1h 6min
Gone without a Warrant
Sarah and Josh were a young couple in Boston, raising two boys and building a happy life together. But one night, everything changed. After bringing their 3-month-old to the ER with a fever, a series of events spiraled out of control, ending with both their children taken from their home in the middle of the night, without a warrant. Their story exposes how a system meant to protect kids can tear a family apart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 9, 2025 • 1h 9min
The Knife: Off Record – 128
This week, Patia tells the story of the Trenchcoat Robbers, Ray Bowman and William “Billy” Kirkpatrick, a notorious duo who evaded capture for two decades. It’s believed they robbed at least 28 banks in the United States. Patia uncovers new details about their crime spree and even speaks with someone personally connected to the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 2, 2025 • 57min
The Night Ellen Was Kidnapped
When Ellen was in college, she was kidnapped after leaving her shift at Applebee’s. She recounts the terrifying hour that followed as she was driven around the city, unsure if she would make it out alive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
