Crime Writers On...

A Canadian woman goes undercover to get her brother-in-law to confess to sexually assaulting her years earlier. We’ll discuss the CBC podcast “Personally: Agent Layla.”

How did Ted Kaczynski go from Harvard math prodigy to domestic terrorist? Was a college experiment in psychology to blame? We’ll talk about the Netflix film “UNABOMBER.”

An American freelancer disappears while covering the war in Syria. Years later, after the regime falls, a journalist scours the country in search of him. We’ll discuss “I’m Not A Monster Presents…Where is Austin Tice?”

She became America’s most famous axe murderer. But was all that anger a product of the oppression of women? We’ll take a whack at Netflix’s “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.”

Residents are shocked to learn the people buying up real estate in their Appalachian town are Christian nationalists hoping to build a new community based on their far-right beliefs.

A journalist follows two armchair detectives trying to prove an innocent woman is in prison for murder. We’ll talk about the HBO documentary series “A Killer Story.”

These surrogate mothers were stunned to learn they were all carrying babies for the same couple. Why was a Chinese businessman and his young wife willing to pay so much to bring more than 20 children into the world? We’ll discuss the podcast series “The Journey” from In The Dark and The New Yorker.

A law professor is killed after a contentious divorce. Police spend a decade investigating their lead suspects: his ex-in-laws, the Adelsons. We’ll review the Hulu true crime series “Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel.”

One was a devout polygamist in an insular Mormon sect. The other was a shady Armenian businessman known as “The Lion.” Together they pulled off a near‑billion‑dollar tax scam. We’ll review the podcast “Kingdom of Fraud” from Novel and iHeartPodcasts.

An FBI agent tracks a woman whose killings are disguised as overdoses. Her targets: the men who sex trafficked her as a minor. We’ll discuss the series “Furious” on Hulu.

After the murder of an 18-year-old woman, investigators get accusations and confessions among a group of friends. But with the DNA pointing to an unknown suspect, the victim’s mother believes there’s been a wrongful conviction. We’ll discuss the podcast “The Snare” from ABC Audio and 20/20.

When a woman’s body is discovered in a state park, suspicion falls on her estranged husband — the charismatic pastor of a South Carolina church. Was this controlling spiritual figure responsible for her fate? We’ll discuss the Netflix documentary “Death of the Pastor’s Wife.”

Two boys emerge from the woods into a Canadian town claiming to have grown up in the wilderness. What’s the real story behind their appearance? We're talking about the classic podcast “Chameleon: Wild Boys.”

He lost his nephew when a flash flood swept him and his family down the Guadalupe River. Now, a reporter explores what happened that night to himself, his loved ones, and his community.

A group of quirky characters goes on the hunt for millions of dollars in drugs buried somewhere in Puerto Rico. Their efforts to hit it rich go wildly wrong. We talk about the boundary‑breaking Netflix documentary film “The Legend of Cocaine Island."

In 2020, a teen was killed inside Seattle’s police‑free protest zone. A team of reporters reopens the unsolved case to identify the shooter. We’ll review the podcast “We Keep Us Safe” from NPR’s “Embedded.”

She was a music superstar, a national treasure, and a surprising cultural touchstone. We’ll revisit our review of the classic podcast “Dolly Parton’s America.”

This surgeon was known for his swagger and the cowboy boots he wore in the OR. But those who tried to critique his work were the ones he trained his scalpel on. We’ll talk about the latest season of “Dr. Death: The Cowboy.”

An American woman found in a Syrian refugee camp says her family was tricked by her husband into joining the Islamic State. A British journalist tries to fact‑check whether she was a militant or just a mother. We talks about the podcast “I’m Not a Monster” from BBC Panorama and PBS’s Frontline with host Josh Baker.

A man and his new wife become the focus of a chilling mix of online harassment and escalating violence. They think it's his ex-girlfriend, but what’s really going on? We’ll talk about the documentary “A Toxic Love Story” from Netflix.

It was the hit DIY podcast that became the definitive telling of the crime of the decade. It was a true crime sensation — but was it any good? We'll discuss the podcast series “Murdaugh Murders.”

When she witnesses an online sex worker get kidnapped, a single mom is thrust into a world of blackmail, murder, and girl’s soccer. We’ll review the Apple TV comedy thriller “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.”

It was the ride‑along show that entertained America and influenced how law enforcement behaved — on television and in real life. We're talking about “Running from COPS” from Headlong and host Dan Taberski.

Revolutions don’t begin with action. They begin with somebody writing everything down. One of podcasting’s best takes us through the history of those written calls to action in “Dan Taberski’s Manifesto!”

She was the daughter of an infamous serial killer. Then the woman teamed with a journalist to investigate what other crimes her father committed. We discuss “The Clearing” from Pineapple Street Media and Gimlet with host Josh Dean.

A single dad turns to robbing banks to save his struggling family. In the end, his actions destroy it. We’ll review the podcast “Deep Cover: The Family Man” from Pushkin.

It was the biggest true crime book of the decade…and played a role in the capture of the Golden State Killer. We're discussing the HBO six‑part adaptation of “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.”

Prosecutors say this program can put suspects at the scene of the crime. Defense attorneys think the software and its creator are frauds. We discuss "Uncover: The Expert Witness" from CBC Podcasts.

Police had two suspects in a young woman’s murder. Did their interpretation of the DNA lead them to arrest the wrong man? We’ll revisit our review of the classic true crime podcast “Suspect.”

The mayor tries to turn his small island town into a tourist destination…which is hard to do when the entire place is cursed. We’ll talk about the Apple TV comedy-horror series “Widow’s Bay” starring Matthew Rhys.

He was the investor-to-the-stars who provided more than just financial advice. How was he able to lure and rape young women with no consequences for so long? We’ll revisit our review of the classic true crime podcast “The Mysterious Mr. Epstein.”

With their client weeks away from execution, a group of lawyers seeks new evidence to win him a stay and prove his innocence. We’ll talk about the podcast from Serial Productions, The New York Times, and The Marshall Project, “The Last 12 Weeks.”

OnlyFans changed the economy of online sex work, but what has it revealed about the nature of human intimacy? We’ll talk about the Audible Original podcast “OnlyFantasy.”

When a mother and her newborn arrive at a hospital, doctors determine the woman was never pregnant. So where did the baby come from? We’ll talk about the Netflix documentary film “Maternal Instinct.”

Journalists and police search for a retailer who’s been selling a powerful poison to those on an online forum looking to end their lives. We’ll discuss the CBC podcast “Hunting the Suicide Salesman.”

A father tries to protect his son after he witnesses a brutal crime. Will the hunt for a serial killer bring them closure - or more pain? We’ll discuss the Netflix dramatized series “The Witness.”

After murdering a woman in a London park, the culprit left behind a witness: her two-year-old son. Can the little boy help police catch his mother’s killer before he strikes again? We’ll review the Netflix documentary film “The Murder of Rachel Nickell.”

After a woman’s body was found alongside a rural Oklahoma highway, one law enforcement agency said it looked like an accident. Another agency said it looked like a murder. We’ll discuss the podcast “Blunt Force Trauma.”

Just when she thinks she’s solved her small town’s biggest mystery, one of her friends goes missing. Pip is back in season two of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” on Netflix.

She was the citizen sleuth celebrated for cracking a cold case and nabbing a killer. But her son says Susan Galbreath had an ulterior motive, and sent the wrong man to prison. We’ll talk about the podcast “My Mother’s Lies” from Sony Music Entertainment and Message Heard.

After their son was murdered in 2002, a couple set out to improve Aurora, only to find a city eager to discuss change but unwilling to pursue it. Host Willy Nast documents their journey in the independent podcast “City of Lights.”

Two passengers were killed when a teen slammed into a building at 100 MPH. Police say it wasn’t an accident — it was murder. We’ll talk about the Netflix documentary “The Crash.”

What started as a buzzworthy paternity suit against an unpopular reality star turned into a bizarre tale of manipulation and obsession. We’ll review “Love Trapped” from Glass Podcasts and iHeart Podcasts.

Tova wants answers about her son’s death. Cameron is searching for his father. Marcellus knows how to help both of them — even though he’s a Giant Pacific octopus. We’ll talk about the Netflix film “Remarkably Bright Creatures” starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman.

A labor advocate’s campaign to unseat a corrupt union boss ends in tragedy — and reform. We’ll discuss the podcast “Coal Survivor” from Crooked Media and Campside Media.

A lovestruck doctor learns a terrible secret about her fiancé. Should she stand by her man — or turn him in? We’ll talk about the Netflix series “Should I Marry a Murderer?”

When Black women and girls started disappearing in Newark, the police response was limited. So the victims’ loved ones took matters into their own hands to catch a serial killer. We’ll talk about the podcast “Someone’s Hunting Us” from nj.com and The Star-Ledger.

Three women bound by friendship are shattered by a shocking crime, forcing secrets about their relationships to the surface. We’ll talk about the mystery series “Imperfect Women” on Apple TV.

To the rest of the high school, they seemed like three best friends. But when one vanished, nobody suspected the other two were involved. We’ll talk about the Hulu true crime documentary series “Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese.”

Years ago, she was abandoned as a newborn in a field. Now she has suspicions about the Good Samaritan who found her. We’ll review the true crime podcast “Foundling” from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.