Catching Lightning

Sarah Koenig talking to a man behind bars who got done-wrong by the system. Wait, what season of Serial is this? We're talking about "A Madman's Vacation" with its revealing look at the Cleveland juvenile justice system.Then we talk about the powerful series from Michigan Radio and NPR, "Believed." This podcast takes a hard look at the crimes of gymnastics trainer Larry Nassar who was convicted of sexually assaulting more than 200 girls. Believed tells the tale through the stories of his victims and tries to examine how Nassar got away with it for so long. And our CWO discussion gets personal.NOTE: THIS PART OF OUR DISCUSSION MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME LISTENERS. TO SKIP PAST IT, OR JUST STAY SPOILER-FREE, FAST-FORWARD TO THE 1:06:11 MARK.Then in crime of the week: the spirit within her. 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.

12 Nov 20181h 22min

Killers or conspiracy? Justice or just desserts?We dedicate our entire episode to the much-awaited sequel to 2016's breakout hit and cultural phenomenon: Netflix's Making a Murderer 2. Our review takes two paths. First the panel discusses the Brendan Dassey story line. Did it capture the drama of his reversed reversal of fortune? Then on to the tale of Steven Avery's attorney Kathrine Zellner. Does her investigation create more doubt about Avery's conviction? Or is it more of (a different kind of) the same.WE ARE DOING ALL THE SPOILERS, SO TO STAY SPOILER-FREE JUMP TO 1:07:26.In crime of the week: pooper star! 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.

5 Nov 20181h 22min

In Serial episode 7, "Snowball Effect," we see the negative after-effects of Erimius's and Jesse's cases. What were once two men with the moral high ground against police misconduct are now spiraling into self-sabotage.Then we look at Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football, Inc. This podcast from the Boston Globe Spotlight team examines how football and his environment contributed to Hernandez going from NFL tight end to having three murder charges. A must-listen, even for non-sports fans.Want to skip our spoilers and just get to the thumbs-up or thumbs-down review? Go to 1:00:18In crime of the week: swift justice. 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.

29 Okt 20181h 14min

It's the return for the Brickter Scale. In Serial episode 6, "You in the Red Shirt," Sarah and Emmanuel get into the story of a man beaten by East Cleveland police who seems to get justice in the court but continues to pay for it on the street.Then we talk about "Happy Face" AKA "My dad, the serial killer." This podcast of a daughter's take on her secretly-homicidal father has everything: truckers, bunk beds, prison correspondence...bears. But does it have a point? (Spoiler alert: Nope!)FOR A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "HAPPY FACE" FAST-FORWARD TO 57:35.In Crime of the Week: skin diver. 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.

22 Okt 20181h 8min

In Serial episode 5, Pleas Baby Pleas, Sarah brings us inside the prosecutor’s office, giving us a view of what it’s like to be one of too-few prosecutors in a system with too many felonies to prosecute, with some decisions made for justice and some for expediency. But does this episode live up to Serial's promise? The panel is split 3-1.Then, we review The Dream, a new podcast from Stitcher that looks at the unsavory world of multi-level marketing companies, and the reasons some people get sucked in.For our review without spoilers, skip to: 1:06:41.In Crime of the Week: Apple, peaches, pumpkin pie. Who's not ready, holler "I."  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.

15 Okt 20181h 24min

For Serial season 3 episode 4, "A Bird in Jail is Worth Two on the Street," Sarah introduces us to man charged with shooting of an infant in a car before the state dropped the charges. Could this have been avoided? We learn that a snitch in time could have saved him a year in jail.Then...American Vandal is back with number two. Netflix's smart, Peabody Award winning, true crime satire returns with Pete and Sam looking for the Turd Burglar. Call the police, because DeMarcus steals the show.FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "AMERICAN VANDAL," JUMP AHEAD TO 59:25.Then in Crime of the Week - golden goats. Kevin wishes to thank the following folks for donating to the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes walk-a-thon. Krista Correa, Rachel Harrison, Rebecca Epstein, Ben & Noel Bruening, Claire Cantwell, Kylie McElveen, Jennifer Rubenstein, Nikki Mans, Jessica McEachern, Emiliano Diaz de Leon, Katy Veprauskas, Anne Rogers, Carol Coello, Leah & Susan Kosior, Kimberly Hoefling, Wendy Martin, Lisa Miller, Melissa Huenefeldt, Bonnie West, Moira MacLellan, Courtney Castaneda, Sarah O’Reilly, Rebecca Lavoie Flynn, and “Anonymous.” 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.

7 Okt 20181h 13min

In Serial episode 3, "Misdemeanor, Meet Mr. Lawsuit," Sarah looks into the issue of how the police interact with the African-American population in their communities. A large topic writ small through the story of one arrest in a hallway. Which one of the crime writers says this is the best single episode of Serial ever?Then the panel discuss the new CBC podcast Uncover: Escaping NXIVM. The distinctive Canadian presentation style takes on an alleged sex cult. (Want to skip to our spoiler-free review? The time code is 1:04:06)In Crime of the Week: game over. (Thanks to listener Kevin Carroll for contributing this COTW!) 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.

1 Okt 20181h 18min

Get ready for the best discussion and analysis of the Serial podcast. Sarah Koenig is back for season 3 (finally!) - Along with Emmanuel Dzotsi, Sarah gives us a year in the life of the Cleveland Justice Center.For episode one, "A Bar Fight Walks into the Justice Center," the crime writers discuss whether the lesson is about prosecutorial discretion...or about race?In episode two, "You've Got Some Gauls," we can't even with Judge Gaul. But does he have a point? (Spoiler alert - he does not.)Also, we give our take on the Curtiss Flowers update episode of "In the Dark." The more things change, the more they stay the same.In crime of the week: whale fail. See the dumpster snafu here and the classic exploding whale incident here.  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.

24 Sep 20181h 18min