Alan Warren

is one of the most respected voices in true crime writing and podcasting. A Canadian author, crime historian, and the longtime host of Canada's True Crime, Alan has spent decades documenting some of the country's most notorious murders, serial killers, and unsolved cases. What sets his work apart is not just deep research, but a commitment to accuracy, context, and humanity—telling these stories without sensationalism and never losing sight of the victims. Drawing on a background in journalism and historical research, Alan examines not only the crimes themselves, but the investigative missteps, forensic breakthroughs, and social conditions that allowed them to happen. His books are frequently consulted by law enforcement and researchers, and his podcast has become a trusted platform for detectives, journalists, and firsthand witnesses. Today, we're talking with Alan Warren about his career, writing true crime, the responsibilities of true crime writers, and where the genre is headed next.

January 8, 2026 Show

John Hinckley Jr. and Jason Norman

talk about their book Who I Really Am. On March 30, 1981, gunshots rang out outside the Washington Hilton, wounding President Ronald Reagan and three others and searing one name into American history: John Hinckley Jr. The attack shocked the nation—not only for its violence, but for what followed. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity, a verdict that ignited outrage and permanently reshaped how the law understands mental illness. For more than three decades, Hinckley lived under psychiatric confinement and court supervision. His eventual release, and full freedom in 2022, reopened old wounds and hard questions: about accountability, justice, redemption, and whether a person can ever move beyond the worst act of their life. Today, we're joined by John Hinckley Jr. and coauthor Jason Norman to discuss their book Who I Really Am—a first-person account of mental illness, confinement, recovery, and the uneasy space between public memory and private change. This is not a conversation about absolution, but about understanding. 735

Frank Figliuzzi

talks about his book The FBI Way: Inside the Bureau's Code of Excellence. In our discussion the FBI's former head of counterintelligence will reveal the Bureau's field-tested playbook for unlocking individual and organizational excellence, illustrated through dramatic stories from his own storied career Frank Figliuzzi was the ""Keeper of the Code,"" appointed the FBI's Chief Inspector by then-Director Robert Mueller. Charged with overseeing sensitive internal inquiries, shooting reviews, and performance audits, he ensured each employee met the Bureau's exacting standards of performance, integrity, and conduct. Now, drawing on his distinguished career, Figliuzzi will reveal how the Bureau achieves its extraordinary standard of excellence—from the training of new recruits in ""The FBI Way"" to the Bureau's rigorous maintenance of its standards up and down the organization. Unafraid to identify FBI execs who erred, he will cite them as the exceptions that prove the rule.

December 26, 2025 Show

John Madinger

discusses his book, Lethal Dose: The Story Behind the 'Godfather of Fentanyl'  This episode will take us deep into one of the deadliest and most complex criminal crises of our time—the opioid epidemic. My guest, John Madinger, is a former DEA supervisor. In the book, Madinger pulls back the curtain on how synthetic opioids like fentanyl have flooded American streets, the international networks behind their distribution, and why traditional law enforcement strategies are struggling to keep up. This is a conversation about crime, corruption, policy failures, and the human cost behind the statistics. If you want to understand how we got here—and what might stop the next wave.

December 18, 2025 Show

Dennis Carson

talks about his book, Every Killer Leaves A Trace: The Fatal Mistakes That Finally Exposed America's Most Elusive Killers. They got away with murder—until they didn't. They blended in. They raised families, held steady jobs, and hid in plain sight. But behind the mask of normalcy, they were monsters—responsible for decades of terror, pain, and death. They are serial killers. Every Killer Leaves A Trace is a chilling narrative nonfiction thriller that exposes moments that led to the shocking unmasking and ultimate capture of twenty-six of America's most elusive killers. From accidental slips to cutting-edge forensic breakthroughs, each chapter reveals how justice caught up with murderers who thought they'd never be found. This Thursday, December 18, at 8 pm, we will discuss Dennis Carson's findings. 734

Alan Warren

is back to talk about his latest book, Peace, Love, & Murder: The Charles Manson Story.  Alan R. Warren work has become a staple for readers seeking deeply sourced, psychologically insightful examinations of some of history's most notorious criminals. In this book, Warren turns his attention to Charles Manson, one of the most enduring and disturbing figures of the 20th century. Through meticulous research, exclusive interviews, and a clear-eyed look at the cultural forces of the late 1960s, Warren revisits the Manson case to separate myth from reality. His book not only re-examines the murders and Manson's manipulative influence, but also explores how the media, the justice system, and American counterculture shaped the public understanding of the crimes. We'll discuss Warren's investigative process, the revelations he uncovered, and why the Manson story continues to fascinate and terrify more than fifty years later. 733

Burl Barer

a storyteller who has spent decades uncovering the darkest corners of human behavior. Legendary true crime author Burl Barer—an Edgar Award–winning writer whose gripping narratives, sharp investigative instincts, and unmistakable voice have made him one of the most respected names in the genre. From notorious cases to behind-the-scenes moments that shaped his career, Burl shares how he brings real-life mysteries to the page with accuracy, empathy, and unforgettable storytelling. Whether you're a true crime junkie, an aspiring writer, or simply fascinated by the craft, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. Tune in for insight, intrigue, and a master at work

Coltan Scrivner

discusses his book, Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away. What makes us peek at a car wreck or binge-watch true crime shows late into the night? Why are some of us drawn to horror movies while others shudder at the thought? Scientist Coltan Scrivner will discuss the psychology of morbid curiosity and why we can't resist the macabre. From grisly serial killers to spine-chilling paranormal stories, Scrivner will reveal the psychological forces that compel us to explore our darkest fears—and explains how this proclivity is more than just a quirk. It's a powerful survival instinct, helping us mentally prepare for real-world threats, all from the safety of our imaginations. The leading expert on the science behind morbid curiosity will explain our spooky, gory, and macabre fascinations.

Paul Smith

to discusses his memoir, Cruel and Unusual Punishment: A Memoir of the Psychological Realities of Federal Prison. Smith, a clinical psychologist, was sentenced to 51 months for healthcare fraud. In his memoir, Smith confronts the harsh realities of federal prison. Incarcerated amid the chaos of the COVID pandemic, he endured a relentless odyssey through eight different prison facilities, caught in a near-perpetual cycle of transfer. Through Smith's expert lens, we will discuss the stark truth about an uncivilized, harsh, and insane system that erodes the very essence of humanity. 729

Synova Cantrell

discusses her book Madman or Messiah? The book is a result of her research on Joseph Jeffers. Joseph Jeffers was a cult leader who left behind a legacy of fraud, violence, and scandal Among the weird ideas Jeffers propagated: his cult managed to construct a pyramid-like structure, tied to their strange belief that Jesus would one day return in a UFO and beam Jeffers' followers into the skies. To most townspeople, Jeffers seemed like nothing more than an eccentric oddball, preaching outrageous ideas. What they didn't realize was just how dangerous and criminal he truly was.

Keith and Caroline Giammanco

This week's guests have a story unlike any other—a story of crime, redemption, and an unexpected love that defied the odds. Keith and Caroline Giammanco's journey began behind prison walls, where Keith was serving time for a string of bank robberies that earned him the nickname The Boonie Hat Bandit. Keith and Caroline married while Keith served time. Their extraordinary relationship inspired Caroline to write two powerful books: Bank Notes: The True Story of the Boonie Hat Bandit and Death Fences, the latter now optioned for a screenplay by Crime Beat host Ron Chepesiuk. After serving his sentence, Keith walked free on September 24, 2025. Today, we'll talk about crime, forgiveness, and how their shared resilience turned a story of downfall into one of hope, love, and second chances
 

Michael Randazzo

discusses his book, Presiding Over Shadows: From Chaos To Order In The Court. The book is a raw and compelling memoir that chronicles Randazzo's journey from a disadvantaged childhood steeped in generational criminality to his role as one of Missouri's youngest presiding circuit judges. Born prematurely into a family with ties to the Sicilian mafia and Mexican drug cartels, Randazzo navigates a world of moonshining, sexual abuse, addiction and violence—all while keeping alive the hope of breaking free fro the past. With unflinching honesty, he reflects on the paradox of loving his flawed grandfather and wrestling with the legacy of his family's sins. The book asks: What does it take to rise above inherited darkness? And how can one bring order—a life of purpose and service—to a backdrop of chaos?

Ann Butler

talks about her book Wife, Mother, Spy - An Extraordinary Life Filled with Ordinary Days. Many mothers shuttle their kids to dance lessons and sports practice, coordinate play dates, read bedtime stories, and struggle to get dinner on the table after a long day at the office. Very few do all this while secretly meeting with spies, carrying a purse retrofitted to conceal a Glock, and tasked with protecting the security of the United States. For several decades, this was the life of Ann Butler - wife, mother of five, and operations operative for the CIA.  From New York to Paris to Sarajevo, from Northern Africa to Central Europe, Wife, Mother, Spy provides a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of the rewarding, chaotic, exhausting, often challenging, but always exciting life of a CIA spy who also happens to be a wife and mother.

Barbara Casey

Rod Sadler

Johnny Trevisani

discusses his book, The Serial Killer Travel Guide Across America: Your Coast-to-Coast Tour of Terror. The co-author is Brian Whitney.  The Serial Killer Travel Guide Across America isn't your typical road trip companion. This darkly fascinating guide is quirky and unconventional and takes readers on a darkly humorous journey through the United States, exploring notorious locations linked to infamous serial killers. From the shadowy forests of the Pacific Northwest to the sun-bleached basements of suburbia, each stop offers true crime devotees an unsettling glimpse into the macabre. Whether you're planning a dark tourism pilgrimage or just indulging your morbid curiosity from the safety of your couch, The Serial Killer Travel Guide Across America will take you closer to the truth—and the horror—than you ever thought possible.

Nate Hendley

acclaimed Canadian true crime author known for his gripping and meticulously researched books that delve into the darker corners of history and criminal behavior. With a career spanning over two decades, Nate has written extensively on gangsters, fraudsters, and some of Canada's most notorious figures. His work blends journalistic integrity with a storyteller's flair, bringing true crime to life in a compelling and accessible way. In this episode, we'll explore his writing process, what draws him to crime stories, the nature of the true crime genre. and how he turns real events into powerful narratives.

Jonathan Dyer

discusses his book, Greg Scarpa, Legendary Evil: The Many Faces of a Mafia Killer. Goodfellow, capo, killer, thief. Greg Scarpa was a man so diabolically evil that he ordered his eldest son to murder his closest associate, and his youngest son to murder his best friend. When Greg Scarpa was in his early twenties he became a goodfellow in the Profaci family by swearing a blood oath to the Mafia, at the time the country's largest organized-crime syndicate. And for 25 years he betrayed that oath and the men closest to him by acting as a paid informant for the FBI. He fed America's premier law enforcement agency a steady stream of self-serving information accusing the men who trusted him with their lives of every crime he was himself committing. During those 25 years of treachery, Scarpa was a one-man crime wave who spent only 30 days behind bars thanks to his status as the FBI's ultimate Mafia insider. His standing as a prized informant freed him to engage in mayhem and murder knowing he had a virtual license to kill with reckless abandon.

Dave Wedge

Megan Abbott

discusses her latest book, El Dorado Drive. The three Bishop sisters grew up in privilege in the moneyed suburbs of Detroit. But as the auto industry declined, so did their fortunes. Harper, the youngest, is barely making ends meet when her beloved, charismatic sister Pam—currently in the middle of a contentious battle with her ex-husband—and her eldest sister, Debra, approach her about joining an exciting new club. The Wheel offers women like themselves—middle-aged and of declining means—a way to make their own money, independent of husbands or families. Quickly, however, the Wheel's success, and their own addiction to it, leads to greater and greater risks—and a crime so shocking it threatens to bring everything down with it.

August 21, 2025 Show

Sigmund Wortherly and Sky Taylor

We welcome Sigmund Wortherly and Sky Taylor to talk about their book, These Bloody Hands. Sigmund "Ziggy" Wortherly grew up where survival meant following a strict code — and sometimes pulling the trigger before someone else did. A feared hitman from the Bronx, he built his life on loyalty, precision, and silence. But when he's betrayed by the people he trusted most, everything shatters. After taking the fall for a job gone wrong, Ziggy returns to the streets years later to find a city that has forgotten him and ghosts that refuse to stay buried. As he searches for those responsible for his downfall, he realizes the line between revenge and redemption is dangerously thin — and both come at a steep price. 717

Rick Jervis

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Rick Jervis to discuss his shocking true-crime book, The Devil Behind the Badge: The Horrifying Twelve Days of the Border Patrol Serial Killer. It's the story of a U.S. Border Patrol agent turned serial killer, the four sex workers whom he mercilessly killed, and the upended border town of Laredo where his heinous crimes occurred. The cold-blooded killer was hiding in plain sight.

Jeff Ignatowski

talks about his book, BEYOND THE HEADLINES: True Crime's Myths and Legends. Ever wonder about the truth behind the sensationalized headlines when it comes to history's most infamous killers? So did author Jeff Ignatowski, a nationally known speaker on the psychology of serial killers, In his book, Ignatowski attempts to provide a deeper understanding of their stories through historical insight that challenges and explores the integrity of widespread myths surrounding infamous personalities such as Jack The Ripper, Dennis Rader, Elizabeth Bathory, Ed Gein, and Ted Bundy.

July 31, 2025 Show

Dan E. Moldea

Welcome to a special edition of the award-nominated Crime Beat with Ron Chepesiuk, where we mark the 50th anniversary of one of the most enduring mysteries in American crime history—the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. On July 30, 1975, the powerful Teamsters boss vanished without a trace, and half a century later, the case remains unsolved, steeped in speculation, mob ties, and conspiracy theories. We're honored to be joined by the man who literally wrote the book on Hoffa, Dan E. Moldea. An investigative journalist and the author of The Hoffa Wars, Moldea has spent decades digging into the disappearance and the dark underbelly of organized labor and the Mafia. His reporting has shaped the national conversation around Hoffa's fate. If you want facts over folklore, and insight from someone who's been on this case since the beginning, you're in the right place.

Brian Joseph

discusses his book, Vegas Concierge: Sex Trafficking, Hip Hop, and Corruption in America. Using public and private records as well as exclusive, first-person accounts from primary sources, Brian Joseph shows how prostitutes and pimps ply their trade, how law enforcement agencies trip up and their investigations become compromised, and how self-interest corrupts news organizations and the corridors of power. More than anything, Joseph examines the disregard American society has towards sex trafficking victims. Vegas Concierge ties together intersecting worlds via a diverse array of characters who played roles in this sordid tale about police corruption and incompetence, the price of celebrity, and the culture of Sin City. 714

Daniel Zimmerman

talks about his book, Chasson's Run: The Prison Break That Captivated America And The Love Story That Fueled It. On September 6, 1982, convicted murderer Leroy James Chasson made a daring break for freedom from the Massachusetts Correctional Institute-Walpole—one of the most infamous, escape-proof prisons in the country. But this wasn't just any prison break. It was a meticulously planned, five-year effort, made possible by an unlikely accomplice—Kathleen MacDonald, Chasson's former pen-pal turned wife. We will talk about the shocking escape, detailing how Chasson, wounded and bleeding from self-inflicted wounds, was first transferred to a hospital for treatment. Then, using a .45 automatic smuggled to him by his wife, who was disguised as a nurse, took hospital guards and staff hostage, before fleeing under a hail of gunfire.

BR  Bates

discusses her book, THE CRACK CITY STRANGLER: The Homicides of Serial Killer Benjamin Atkins a chilling, in-depth account of the horrifying crimes committed by one of America's most notorious serial killers. We will discuss the twisted life of Benjamin "Tony" Atkins, whose reign of terror in Detroit spanned less than a year in the early 1990s. Known for targeting vulnerable women in Detroit's most dangerous neighborhoods, Atkins attacked at least 12 women along a mile-and-a-half stretch of Woodward Avenue, one of the city's most iconic streets.  Atkins' crimes were brutal and relentless, leaving victims abandoned in the dark corners of the Cass Corridor and Highland Park. Only when the lone survivor of his horrific spree came forward did law enforcement begin to connect the dots and ultimately capture the monster behind the killings.

Luke Williams

discusses his book, President of Pandemonium: The Mad World of Ike Ibeabuchi. Ike "The President" Ibeabuchi had the boxing world at his feet in 1997 after vanquishing David Tua in a battle for the ages in Sacramento. The Nigerian heavyweight's subsequent descent into a vortex of mental illness and crime and punishment was as shocking as it was tragic. Was Ibeabuchi a vulnerable man exploited by a ruthless sport and a dysfunctional criminal justice system, or was he guilty-as-charged for his deeds and rightly punished?

JA Yates

talks about her compelling book, Irma Grese: The Hyena of Auschwitz. Shy schoolgirl and farmer's daughter turned vicious Nazi concentration camp guard Irma Grese is one of the most notorious female perpetrators to emerge from the Hitler regime. She moved quickly through the ranks of the concentration camp hierarchy due to her cruelty and fearlessness. At the age of 20 she was the youngest female camp supervisor in the SS. Prisoners recall Grese using her custom whip, gun, and attack dog as she moved through the camps, causing terror in prisoners with torture and death. She ignored her superior's demands to contain her cruelty. When on trial and punished, she remained defiant to the end. Her attractiveness was legendary among prisoners and staff and - later - the press. Her good looks were used against her at trial. She was complimented by her hangman. What created Irma Grese? Was she a killer given the right tools at the opportune time? Was she a true sadist? Or was she attempting to heal childhood injuries? We discuss.

Rod Sadler

talks about his book, To Hell I Must Go. The True Story of Michigan's Lizzie Borden. Way back in 1897 Michigan, Martha Haney's struggle with her own illness reached the point of no return when she lashed out against an easy target, her 85 year old mother in law Mariah Haney Martha told them she spoke frequently with her own dead mother, and her mother had told her to kill the old woman. Over several days, the court decided Martha's ultimate fate. A panel of three doctors was commissioned to determine her sanity. In the end, there would be no prosecution. Deemed insane, she was sentenced to the Michigan Home for the Dangerous and Criminally Insane in Ionia. What made Martha Haney snap and behead her mother-in-law? Had she been insane from the beginning? Had domestic violence pervaded her short life?

June 12, 2025 Show

Jerry Hester

The award-nominated Crime Beat has a command appearance of Jerry Hester, who will talk about his book, Mafia Miami: FBI Politics and How an Investigation Was Nearly Sabotaged. We will get the inside look at an FBI undercover operation that exposed an Italian mafioso's global crime network. It's a remarkable and entertaining story that takes readers through the challenges, twists and turns, and inevitable administrative roadblocks one encounters while running a high-profile and complex FBI investigation. Interwoven throughout the story are highlights of key bureaucratic changes driven by culture and policy that took place within the FBI at the time. Jerry Hester will explain how those changes had a negative impact on not only the Paesan Blues investigation but also the entire future of the FBI's effectiveness and reputation.

discusses his new book Depraved Obsession. During his nearly fifteen-year reign of terror, Ronald Lloyd Bailey's depraved obsession with sexual sadism held communities across southeast Michigan in a shroud of fear. From the early 1970s to the mid-1980s, the former patient at one of Michigan's foremost psychiatric hospitals, abducted as many as fifteen teens and over time became a sadistic serial killer. We will talk about law enforcement's dedicated efforts in connecting the dots to stop an unknown killer and the determination of the victims' families to triumph over tragedy. We will also examine Bailey's insanity defense that centered on the alleged abuse he endured at the hands of his psychiatrist.

Brian and Cameron Santana

We talk with Brian and Cameron Santana about their book, A MURDER ON CAMPUS: The Professor, The Cop, And North Carolina's Most Notorious Cold Case The book is the true crime investigation that unveils the shocking story behind the brutal 1973 murder on campus of 19-year-old Virginia Marie Olson. On April 15, 1973, two high school students discovered Olson's body near the campus of the University of North Carolina-Asheville. The cold case that followed would span over 50 years, involving three generations of detectives and the Asheville Police Department and North Carolina SBI as they worked tirelessly to uncover the truth. Olson's murder was horrifically violent—she had been bound, raped, and stabbed to death, leaving the Asheville community in shock. Whispers about the killer's identity have circulated for decades, with theories ranging from an escaped mental health patient to one of North Carolina's most notorious serial killers—until now.

Kevin Lenihan

discusses his book, Storm of Suspicion; The Karen Read Murder Trials. The case began in the midst of a massive snowstorm in 2022 and ended the first time in a mistrial. Now, more than two years later, Karen Read is back in the a Boston courtroom once again. At question is whether Karen Read, a 43-year-old college professor, is responsible as charged for the cold-blooded murder of her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, a Boston police officer? Or was she framed, by the real killer—another cop—covering his tracks with the help of a corrupt law enforcement establishment? In STORM OF SUSPICION, Lenihan, the COURT TV expert commentator in the case, breaks down the key evidence and shocking conspiracy theories from the first trial. Then he does a deep dive into how the new trial will be fought by both sides, as well as in the court of public opinion, with new revelations, unanticipated twists, and a storm of suspicion.

May 15, 2025 Show

Karen Conti

discusses her book, Killing Time with John Wayne Gacy: Defending America's Most Evil Serial Killer on Death Row. John Wayne Gacy raped, tortured, and murdered 33 boys and young men, burying most of them in the crawlspace under his Chicago home. Karen Conti was in high school at the time watching the bodies being removed on the television news. Fourteen years pass. Through a twist of fate, Conti, now a young and inexperienced attorney, is called upon to handle Gacy's final death row appeals. The serial killer soon becomes her most famous, difficult, and haunting client. Thirty years after Gacy's execution, Conti looks back through the eyes of a seasoned professional on the legal and media circus that ensued—and her countless hours of detailed conversation with the killer clown. We hear for the first time about Gacy's gruesome "Body Book." Were there more victims? Conspirators involved in the murders? What secrets were buried with him?

D.R. Bartlette

discusses her book, THE DUMOND AFFAIR: How Lies And Politics Freed A Killer. A predator is set loose. A system is manipulated. A catastrophe that could have been prevented. Ashley Stevens, at 17 years old, thought justice would be done when she named Wayne Dumond as the guy who had abducted and sexually assaulted her in 1984. She was unaware that her horror was only getting started. Dumond was a vicious serial predator with a troubling past of assault and homicide, not just another criminal. However, a complex network of deceit, manipulation, and influence freed him from prison. After being freed, he struck once more, ruthlessly killing two more ladies in the process. We will discuss this terrifying true story of how a monster was able to escape punishment due to a corrupt legal system, political ambition, and conspiracy theories.

Jeffrey Sussman

discusses his book, Backbeat Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Rock Music During the early days of rock and roll, the mob used every tactic they could, from creating their own record labels, bribing radio DJs and stacking jukeboxes with their own artists, to exploiting and intimidating performers, and creating their own black market of bootlegged records, to make millions. We will discuss how the mob was able to infiltrate and control another aspect of American culture with devastating results. Whatever it took to gain airtime and repeated plays of their songs, the mob made sure it happened . Let's rock and roll!

Bryan Seymour

the co-author of The Lady Vanishes. When Marion Barter disappeared in 1997, police initially dismissed it as the actions of a divorced mother abandoning her family. In this book, the creators of the addictive global hit podcast The Lady Vanishes detail the winding investigation into Marion's disappearance, from tentative early police efforts to her daughter's 27-year search for answers. The Lady Vanishes is an engrossing story of how a small team of seasoned investigative journalists and storytellers, a daughter's intuition and a team of listener super-sleuths uncovered a web of intrigue spanning nine decades and three continents, and how - after 57 episodes, 20 million downloads and sparking a coronial inquiry - they discovered at the heart of the mystery a stranger-than-fiction international man of mystery who could hold the key to what really happened to Marion.

April 17, 2025 Show

Ron and Chris Washburn

talk about their book, Out of Bounds: From Broken NBA dreams to Redemption: The Chris Washburn Story. Chris Washburn's story is one of extraordinary talent, devastating loss, and ultimate triumph. Highly promising basketball player Chris Washburn was selected third overall in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. But a chance encounter with famed basketball player Len Bias introduced him to crack cocaine. Soon, the overwhelming temptations of fame, fortune, and drugs derailed his promising career. And by 1989, after failing his third drug test, Chris was banned from the NBA.  His life then spiraled into addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and near-death experiences. Yet, in 2000, a turning point came when he lost his father. This loss fueled Chris's resolve to change. With incredible strength and determination, he fought back from the depths of addiction. Today, Chris is a beacon of hope and resilience. He is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and advocate, inspiring others with his journey of recovery from addiction and redemption. Chris 's remarkable journey, which included finding his birth mother, proves that it's never too late to rise again. 700

John Lee Bishop

talks about his book, The Church of Living Dangerously: Tales of a Drug-Running Mega-church Pastor. We will talk about the unbelievable true story of a former mega-church pastor who ended up running drugs for the Sinaloa Cartel. We'll talk about Bishop's harrowing ride from the rough small town in Washington where he was born all the way to the dirty villages in Mexico where he fell in with some of the most dangerous criminals on the planet. There are backyard fight clubs where John learned to take a punch, the abandoned K-Mart where he used to preach every Sunday (sometimes with the help of wild animals), and the drug dens where he almost lost his life ten times over. It's a story that seems too wild to be true, but is.

Michael Cannell

Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation. No episode in NYPD history surpasses the depravities of Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, two decorated detectives who covertly acted as mafia informants and paid assassins in the Scorsese world of 1980s Brooklyn. For more than ten years, Eppolito and Caracappa moonlighted as the mob's early warning alert system, leaking names of mobsters secretly cooperating with the government and crippling investigations by sharing details of surveillance, phone taps and impending arrests. The Lucchese boss called the two detectives his crystal ball: Whatever detectives knew, the mafia soon learned. Most grievously, Eppolito and Caracappa earned bonuses by staging eight mob hits, pulling the trigger themselves at least once. Incredibly, when evidence of their wrongdoing arose in 1994, FBI officials failed to muster an indictment. The allegations lay dormant for a decade and were only revisited due to relentless follow up by Tommy Dades, a cop determined to break the cold case before his retirement. Eppolito and Caracappa were finally tried and then sentenced to life in prison in 2009, nearly thirty years after their crimes took place. For the first time in forty years, former New York Times editor Michael Cannell unearths the full story behind two ruthless New York cops who acted as double agents for the Mafia.

Andy Thibault

discusses his book, You Thought It was More: New Adventures of the World's Greatest Counterfeiter. The book, done in collaboration with Louis Colavecchio, tells the story of Louis Colavecchio, the man considered the world's greatest counterfeiter. Colavecchio's prowess as a jeweler, manufacturer, and charmer has earned him a place in history, having been featured on prestigious platforms such as The History Channel and The BBC. His profound impact on the casino gaming industry has left a lasting legacy, forever changing it.

March 20, 2025 Show

Carla Conti

discusses her book, Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir. After three years in Europe, former journalist Carla Conti* just wanted to settle her family into the suburbs of Philadelphia. But her high school friend Scott Powell, a lawyer handling a brutal prison stabbing case, needed a favor. Before she knew it, Carla became part of the defense team and mired in the terrifying world of federal prison gangs, penal abuse, and corruption. Then, when she agreed to write a tell-all book on the violent machinations behind the court case — with Scott's client as an inside source — the stakes turned deadly. Two different prison gangs issued "hit orders" against the prisoner she and Scott now considered a friend, and the journalist and defense attorney were imperiled by association. Carla Conti is a pseudonym to protect the author's identity.

Casey Sherman

New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman pulls back Tinseltown's velvet curtain to reveal the dark underbelly of celebrity, rife with toxic masculinity and casual violence against women, and tells the story of Lana Turner and her daughter, who finally stood up to the abuse that plagued their family for years. A Murder in Hollywood transports us back to the golden age of film and illuminates one of the 20th century's most notorious true crime tales. 695

March 6, 2025 Show

Emilio Corseitti