Crime Writers On...True Crime Review

People are spending thousands of dollars to get the guidance of life coaches, so-called experts who promise to motivate clients, provide clarity to their problems, and set them on the path to financial reward. But often these gurus recruit new coaches, ensnaring them and their downstream clients in a multi-level marketing cycle. But who gets to say they’re an expert in giving life advice or promising prosperity to clients for the right fee? And why do people think these self-styled gurus can change their emotional and financial situations in the first place? In season three of “The Dream,” host Jane Marie explores the life coaching industry, and whether followers can transform themselves by altering mindsets or tapping into the universe. Jane makes the journey personal by discussing her feelings of dread and depression, and employing her own life coach to improve her outlook.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE DREAM" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1999, Great Britain was shaken when popular BBC news presenter Jill Dando was gunned down at her front door. In their search for the shooter, police examined loved ones, fans, assassins, political extremists, and connections to her popular TV show “Crimewatch.” After months of false leads, a neighbor caught the attention of authorities. Would a single particle of gunpowder be enough to convict a suspect of killing the nation’s most beloved television star…or put the wrong man in jail?The Netflix series “Who Killed Jill Dando?” explores the 1999 slaying of the journalist and the many twists and turns of the investigation. Why does her death continue to grip experts and the public all these years later?OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WHO KILLED JILL DANDO" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: hard rock. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When last we saw our heroes, temperamental actor Ben Gilroy had died on stage at the premier of Oliver’s new Broadway show. But a very-much alive Ben returns from the hospital, only to plummet to his death  in the Arconia’s elevator shaft. Who among the cast and crew would want Ben dead? Oliver fears the show will tank if it’s a cast member - like the alluring Loretta Durkin whom he’s crushing on. Charles is struggling with both his love life and the musical’s patter song. Meanwhile Mabel is leaving the Arconia and feels disconnected from the guys. As she moves forward on the podcast without them, can this trio solve the latest murder in the building?Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez return in season three of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.” Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd round out the cast. The show turns its focus away from true crime podcasts to musical theater, while providing another group of odd-ball suspects to investigate.    OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After a patient reported Dr Robert Hadden assaulted her in the exam room, many women came forward with similar accusations. But aggressive tactics by lawyers for the OB-GYN stymied the prosecution, ultimately resulting in a slap on the wrist. Survivors learned behind the hardball maneuvers was Hadden’s employer. For years, Columbia University ignored the complaints against the doctor, choosing to protect its brand instead of its patients.In the Wondery podcast “Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University,” “Dr. Death” host Laura Beil talks to survivors, advocates, and prosecutors about the decade’s long effort to hold a serial sexual predator accountable. The series also explores how elite institutions wield their influence to avoid responsibility. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "EXPOSED: COVER-UP AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Don't give a flying f*ck.Support Kevin's Walk a Mile in Their Shoes 👠 by donating here. Proceeds go to the Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Though thought of as a leading youth group for skills and character building, the Boy Scouts often attracted adults who preyed on children. For decades, the national headquarters cataloged these incidents in confidential files, but publicly they denied there was a problem. It wasn’t until a former scout sued that the files were disclosed, revealing leaders knew about, but never acted on, hundreds and hundreds of cases of abuse. And even today, after a multi-billion dollar settlement with victims, whistleblowers say the Boy Scouts are failing in their mission to protect its members.The Netflix documentary “Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America” looks into the cover-up behind the largest sex abuse case in history. Survivors, journalists, and insiders recount what happened when the organization that urged young men to be honest and trustworthy ignored its own ideals in favor of self-preservation.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SCOUTS HONOR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In December 2000, Florida’s Mike Williams disappeared in alligator-infested waters while duck hunting. His loss seemed to crush his wife Denise and his best friend Brian Winchester. While authorities ruled his presumed-death an accident, his mother Cheryl believed it was foul play. For years, she begged police and reporters to look into Denise’s involvement. It wasn’t until years later, when Denise got an insurance payout and married Brian, did investigators reopen Mike’s case.From Wondery comes “Over My Dead Body: Gone Hunting,” season four of the true crime podcast series. Host Jennifer Portman recounts the two decades-long investigation and her own reporting on whether Mike’s wife and best friend were involved in his disappearance.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "OVER MY DEAD BODY: GONE HUNTING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: weird science. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2019, Boulder, Colorado residents were shocked by the death by suicide of 24-year-old Alana Chen. The woman who once dreamed of being a nun had struggled with her sexual identity and was left scarred by conversion therapy. The reports intrigued Simon Kent Fung, who interviewed her mother and friends to learn more about Alana’s story. Exploring her inner life through the journals she left behind, Alana’s journey made Simon reflect on the parallels of his own struggles to reconcile his faith with his efforts to change his hidden sexuality.“Dear Alana,” from Tenderfoot TV, Aslept Audio, and the Center for Independent Documentary, traces the life of a young woman looking for acceptance in the Church by denying the truest part of herself. It’s also Simon’s self-study on the price he and Alana paid to balance the love of God with the love for themselves.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DEAR ALANA," BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

America was introduced to Ohio’s Bishop Sycamore High School during a nationally televised football game. When they lost 58-0, people first questioned how a team so clearly bad made it on to ESPN. But there was a bigger twist: the high school they played for didn’t exist! Coach Ray Johnson had dreamed up Bishop Sycamore just so he could put together a football team. Along the way, he flouted safety rules and sporting codes, while taking financial advantage of the players, creditors, and the government.The HBO Originals documentary “BS High” tells the story of the scam around a fake school and its gridiron team, as well as the conman-turned-coach. We hear from officials who tried to sound the alarm on the scheme and from the many Black, impoverished players who were led astray. It also explains why, despite the evidence, there’s nothing officials can do about a fictitious football team.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BS HIGH" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: The Big Sleep.   For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the 1990s, Carole Fisher started dating Doctor Bob Bierenbaum, but she broke it off with the charming physician after seeing his dark side. Carole created a kind of support group among Bob’s ex-girlfriends and talk soon turned to a strange part of his past: the doctor’s first wife disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Gail Katz vanished from New York City in 1985, around the time she told friends she was going to leave Bob. The case stayed cold for years, until detectives turned to Carole and her friends for help.The podcast “The Girlfriends” from Novel and iHeartMedia describes the sisterhood formed among Bob’s suspicious former lovers and how investigators used their knowledge to get an arrest. The women also meditate on their relationship with each other and the murder victim they never knew.OUR SPOILER-FREE EPISODES OF "THE GIRLFRIENDS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Teenager Sam Lipman-Stern started videotaping his eccentric co-workers at a chaotic New Jersey call center which raised money for police organizations. When his friend Pat Pespas discovered Civil Development Group was keeping most of the donations, the pair hoped to expose the fraud. Though the feds took down CDG, Sam and Pat wondered why the police organizations were never held accountable for their role in the scheme. A decade later, the pair resumed their investigation, only to meet resistance at every turn.The HBO Originals “Telemarketers” follows the ne'er-do-wells’ quixotic attempts to shake up a billion-dollar industry. It also shows Sam and Pat’s unconventional friendship from their wild days in the boiler room to their earnest demands for answers from police and politicians alike.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "TELEMARKETERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: wigged out! For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.