iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 19h

When Eve Wiley was growing up, she didn’t look anything like her younger sister. Her sister liked to joke that Eve was the milkman’s daughter. And then, when Eve was 16, she discovered a secret. “I always knew there was something, I just didn't know what it was.” New today: pod.link/809264944

Color photograph of Eve Wiley with her mother and younger sister on a ski lift. Eve and her sister are dressed in pink snowsuits and look very young. Their mother is smiling and waving at the camera.

Color photograph of Eve Wiley with her younger sister and her father Doug. They're outside near a fence and eve is sitting on a horse smiling at the camera. Doug is holding Eve's sister near the horse. Eve and her sister both look very young.

Color studio photograph of Eve Wiley as a baby.

Color photograph of Eve Wiley in high school wearing a cheerleading uniform and posing on a tree branch.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

“A lot gets lost when you reduce it down to ‘murder for lobster.’ It’s far more than that. There’s people involved. There’s humanity here.” Listen to “The Midnight Slider”: buff.ly/KpRC0u0

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

On the day Phillip Boudreau disappeared, several witnesses told police that they’d seen a lobster boat called the Twin Maggies in deep water—where it wouldn’t normally be. And there was something dragging behind it. buff.ly/KpRC0u0

A helicopter flying over the shoreline in Isle Madame, Nova Scotia during the initial search for Phillip Boudreau. Photo Credit: Jake Boudrot, The Reporter

Police officers standing on and near a police boat by a dock in Isle Madame, Nova Scotia. Photo Credit: Jake Boudrot, The Reporter

A group of four people wearing reflective clothing standing near parked cars during the initial search for Phillip Boudreau. One of them is holding a clipboard. Photo Credit: Jake Boudrot, The Reporter

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

This week, one of our favorite episodes from 2022: The Midnight Slider. buff.ly/KpRC0u0

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

In 2013, a small boat called the Midnight Slider was found floating empty in the waters off of Isle Madame in Nova Scotia. “Murder is not something that occurs in this neck of the woods very often.” Today, one of our favorites from 2022: pod.link/809264944

Grainy photo showing a small cove on Isle Madame in Nova Scotia. There’s a rocky beach with piles of wooden lobster traps, and several people down by the shoreline. Several small boats are anchored in the water.

Grainy photo showing a small fishing village right on the water, on Isle Madame in Nova Scotia. There are a handful of small huts spread out, surrounded by grass and rocky shoreline, with a few makeshift docks and small boats.

Grainy photo showing a small cove on Isle Madame in Nova Scotia. There’s a rocky beach with piles of wooden lobster traps, and several small boats are anchored in the water.

Grainy photo showing a harbor with lobster boats on Isle Madame in Nova Scotia, against a backdrop of a rocky coastline.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Can't wait to head back out on tour this November and December. Tickets on sale now at thisiscriminal.com/live.

Phoebe Judge stands on a stage in front of an audience, speaking into a microphone. Behind her, the handwritten words "Don't Worry with Phoebe Judge" are projected onto a screen.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Brian Bechtold had been in a forensic psychiatric hospital for 7 years when he decided to try to escape – hoping he would get shot by the police or sent to prison. “Because many of the patients in Perkins who’d been in prison actually said they preferred it in prison.” pod.link/809264944

Black and white screenshot from a 1996 documentary, with Brian Bechtold, a middle-aged white man with dark hair, being interviewed. He's wearing a shirt with a collar, jeans, and has an ID badge clipped to his shirt.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Parricide, the act of killing one’s own parent, has been called “the schizophrenic crime.” Author Mikita Brottman says there are hundreds of cases each year – often committed by young men struggling with mental illness after experiencing years of abuse. pod.link/809264944

White text on a black background reads: "It seemed like I was possessed. It seemed like something on TV, like I wasn't there, like it wasn't going on."

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

In 1992, a young man walked into a police station and said he wanted to turn himself in for a crime. When the police asked if there was someone at home who they could call, he said, “That’s who I killed. I killed my parents.” New today: pod.link/809264944

Collage of a few newspaper clippings. One reads: "Couple found shot to death in Maryland after son confesses." Another reads: "Silver Spring, MD — Police discovered the bodies of a suburban Washington couple Friday after their son walked into a Florida police station and told officers he shot them, authorities said." The last one reads: "Suspect suffers from mental illness. Rockville — A Silver Spring man who confessed to killing his parents suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and probably will be confined to a mental hospital, officials said."

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Tickets are officially ON SALE for our upcoming tour, Don't Worry with Phoebe Judge! 🎉 Come see us in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Raleigh, Denver, Austin, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland Oregon and Seattle. Get tickets at thisiscriminal.com/live.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

We just announced the dates for our upcoming tour, "Don't Worry with Phoebe Judge." Criminal Plus members have access to presale tickets now - general tickets go on sale this Thursday, September 24th at 10 am ET. Get all the details at thisiscriminal.com/live. See you soon!

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

After Fritz Klenner's car exploded, police found guns and ammunition scattered all around - including in the nearby fields and trees. They also found gas masks, knives, vitamins, classical music tapes, and hundred dollar bills. buff.ly/erCZDTG (Photo credit: Greensboro News & Record)

A photo of several men on a roadside. They are wearing button down shirts, ties, and slacks, and are looking at debris along the road. One man is carrying what appears to be a paper and folders. Another is bending down looking at the ground. Another man further away is walking, holding a trash bag.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Police asked Ian Perkins about his camping trip with Fritz Klenner - and quickly accused him of lying about it. “He folded like a cheap card table. He was emotional about how he'd been duped.” buff.ly/erCZDTG (Photo credit: Greensboro News & Record)

A black and white photo of Ian Perkins, a young man in his early 20s, crying on a witness stand in a courtroom. He is wearing a suit and tie. He has his head down and is pressing a tissue against his eye.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Detective Allen Gentry was interviewing Fritz Klenner about a triple homicide in Winston Salem. While they were talking, he noticed that he had a handcuff key on his key ring. “It made no sense that he had it.” Listen to our latest: buff.ly/erCZDTG

A photo of a small silver handcuff key, encased in clear plastic. It is slightly bent. There is a plaque underneath it that reads "June 3, 1985." Photo courtesy of Allen Gentry.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

In June of 1985, police followed as Fritz Klenner drove through the streets of Greensboro with his cousin Susie Lynch and her two sons. When the chase eventually ended, it was like “something right out of a movie.” Today: Family Secrets, Part 2. pod.link/809264944 (Photo: Greensboro News & Record)

A black and white photo of an aftermath of an explosion. Items are littered on a road, and police and other bystanders are standing looking at the scene. Photo credit: Greensboro News & Record

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Susie Lynch didn’t want her ex-husband, Tom, to get increased visitation with their sons. But Susie’s own parents wanted to testify on Tom’s behalf. “And so a plan was hatched.” buff.ly/rbiJUtf

A posed photo of Susie Lynch sitting with her two sons, John and Jim. Susie has short dark hair and is wearing a sweater and skirt. Her son on the left is wearing a plaid button down shirt and her son on the right is wearing a white turtleneck sweater. They are all smiling and looking off camera.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Fritz Klenner wanted to be a doctor, like his father. He told his family he was enrolled at Duke University’s medical school, and worked alongside his father at his clinic, wearing a white coat and stethoscope. But in reality, he had never had any formal medical training at all. buff.ly/rbiJUtf

Two side by side black and white photos: On the left is Dr. Fred Klenner, wearing a white coat and tie and looking at the camera. He has white hair, is wearing glasses, and is looking at the camera. On the right is his son, Fritz Klenner. He's also wearing a white coat and tie, and has his arms crossed and is looking off to the side, smiling. He has dark hair and a beard.

White text on a black background that reads, "He was assumed to be a physician. No one seemed to question it."

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

In 1985, college student Ian Perkins reconnected with a family friend, Fritz Klenner, who told him a secret. He said he was a CIA agent - and offered to let Ian come along on his next mission. Today: Family Secrets, Part 1. Listen: pod.link/809264944.

A black and white illustration of a bullet hole in glass with a few cracks spreading out from the hole. The text reads: "Episode 380: Family Secrets, Part 1."

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Today, Phoebe interviews journalist Alexis Okeowo about an organ trafficking scandal involving one of Nigeria’s most senior politicians. Watch here: youtu.be/gxqjAIRwTZc

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Paul Skalnik had been a police officer, a con man, and a jailhouse informant. When he died in 2020, reporter Pamela Colloff says nobody believed her: “Everybody felt that this was another scam, that he had somehow found a way to escape once again.” Listen to our latest: pod.link/809264944/ep...

Black and white newspaper photograph of Paul Skalnik from 1980. He's a white man wearing a suit and tie, and has a mustache. He is looking at the camera.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

By 1987, word had gotten around in the Pinellas County Jail that Paul Skalnik was an informant. When Jim Dailey was moved to Paul’s floor, he said "this is a damn setup." Two days later, Paul said that Jim had confessed everything to him. Jim Dailey is still on death row today. pod.link/809264944

Black and white photograph of Jim Dailey at his 1987 trial. He's seated at a table and wearing a suit and tie. There are two other men in the photograph in suits.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

In the 1980s, a man named Paul Skalnik claimed that men who were in jail with him came up to him and confessed their crimes. He testified or supplied information in at least 37 cases in just one county in Florida - and helped send several men to death row. Listen: pod.link/809264944/ep...

Four color mugshots of Paul Skalnik, from 1981, 1982, 1986, and 1988. Each of them were taken at the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department in Clearwater, Florida.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

In 1978, an investigator in the Harris County DA's office in Houston got a call from an old friend. He told the investigator that he was in jail — and that he had some information about a case that he thought the investigator would be very interested in. New today: pod.link/809264944

Black and white photograph of the 1978 protest that later became known at the Moody Park Riot. There's a crowd of people in a park holding up signs. They read "Justice for Jose Torres," and "Terrorism is alive and well in Texas P.D."

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

There wasn’t a universal number for emergencies in the United States until 1968. But it didn’t take off right away. In 1987, only 50 percent of the country was using 911. buff.ly/tnVQXXF

Color photograph of a red rotary phone with "911" at the center of the dial. The phone is in an exhibit case and a sign behind it reads: First 911 Call.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Listen to one of our favorite episodes, from 2024: A conversation with a 911 operator about the day she answered the phone and recognized her daughter’s voice. buff.ly/tnVQXXF

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

“I’ve had calls where someone is breaking into the house. And they're saying, ‘help me please.’ And they’re in the closet whispering. And you can hear the noise in the background." A conversation with 911 operator Teri Clark: buff.ly/tnVQXXF

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

A conversation with a 911 operator about what happens on the other end of the line – and the day she heard her daughter's voice on the phone. Today, one of our favorite episodes: pod.link/809264944

A selfie of 911 operator Teri Clark and her daughter, Tenia Hall. Both are smiling.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

“I think that there are certain times in your life you come to a crossroads. You think, ‘Shall I do this?’ And people don't do it. Reg was the sort of guy where there was no such thing as can't. You can do anything.” buff.ly/cCBX8Em

Color photograph of John McSorley in a hospital bed, with Reg Spiers standing beside him and leaning toward him. Both of them are smiling.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

In the early 1900s, one man tested the limits of the UK postal system. He sent onions, a half-smoked cigar, and a bowler hat. When he learned he could send live creatures, he decided to try to mail both himself and his Irish terrier - Bob. buff.ly/cCBX8Em

A black and white photo of a white man in a suit pushing one nostril closed with a finger, face scrunched, as he pushes three onions with a paper label attached into a post office box.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

In 1913, the US postal regulations were a little vague. People mailed eggs, bricks, snakes - and children. One couple shipped their baby a mile away to his grandmother. The postage was 15 cents. They also decided to get the $50 insurance. buff.ly/cCBX8Em

A black and white photograph of a postal carrier. He is wearing a suit and has a moustache. There is a baby in the mail carrier's bag. The baby is holding a piece of mail.

A black and white photograph of a mail carrier. There is a baby sitting in his carrier bag. The baby is wearing a hat.

A black and white photograph of a mail carrier. A baby is sitting in his carrier bag. They're both looking at the camera.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Reg Spiers spent more than 60 hours traveling from England to Australia inside a wooden crate. The only thing he brought to eat was Heinz baked beans. buff.ly/cCBX8Em

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

In 1964, an Australian javelin thrower went to England to qualify for the Olympics. But he couldn’t afford a plane ticket home. So he came up with an idea: “I saw them shipping animals. And I thought, well, if the dogs can survive it, I could.” Listen to “Out of the Box”: pod.link/809264944

Black and white photo of a young Reg Spiers throwing a javelin.

Black and white photo of a large crate sitting outside a warehouse, one end opened. A person in shorts points a camera at the crate and two people in the background stand in a door of the warehouse.

Black and white photo of a young Reg Spiers dressed in a button-up shirt and smiling at the camera. He's standing on the sidewalk beside a London street with cars on it.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

"We were walking around the house and noticed that somebody had opened up all of the cupboards, and drawers, and the microwave door, and the oven door, and shower stall doors, and everything." Listen to "A Bump in the Night and Unexpected Guests" to hear the rest of the story. buff.ly/kcrEqyc

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Four mysteries we just can’t stop thinking about: buff.ly/kcrEqyc

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Everyone notices strange noises on their first night in a new house. But what happens when they don't go away? buff.ly/kcrEqyc

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Do you ever hear mysterious sounds in your house at night? Listen to two of our favorite episodes today - about strange sounds, misplaced items, and a very creepy photograph: pod.link/809264944

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

In 1980, posters appeared in subway stations and on telephone poles in New York City with a phone number to call. When you called it, you would hear a message. pod.link/809264944/ep...

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

An episode about what happened when an artist created a phone line for people to call in anonymously and leave a message apologizing for anything: pod.link/809264944/ep...

Allan Bridge, a white man with brown hair wearing glasses and a red plaid shirt and black jeans, sitting next to a tall bookshelf wearing headphones.

Color photograph of a black and white poster stapled onto a telephone pole. The poster is faded and torn, and has an illustration of a hand holding a phone receiver. Text on the poster reads: Apology, Hear the Tapes, and includes bunch of tear-off phone numbers at the bottom.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

“My first impression was that he was good-looking and tall. And in my mind I always had my mother's admonition to find a tall husband. And he asked me questions about myself. And that was something that a lot of men didn't do.” Listen to “Mr. Apology”: pod.link/809264944/ep...

Warm-toned photograph of a white woman and man standing next to each other in a walkway. The woman has shoulder length blonde hair and is wearing a wedding dress -- she is holding a bouquet and has flowers in her hair. The man is wearing a white collared button down and white tie, and he has short blonde hair.

A black and white photograph signed 'Yours Truly, Mr. Apology and Caspar.' In the photo, a white man stands in front of a clear contraption that says 'Crime'. He is wearing a dark beard and fake mustache, sunglasses, and Hawaiian shirt -- and he's holding a cat.

Color Polaroid photo of a young white couple wearing sweaters standing next to each other and smiling. Marissa Bridge has bangs and shoulder length blonde hair and Allan Bridge has curly dark brown hair.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Today, a favorite episode from 2024, about a phone line where callers could leave messages about things they wanted to apologize for. We also have some of the strange and funny and interesting messages we couldn’t fit in the episode on our Patreon - join today to listen at patreon.com/criminal.

A Yellow poster with tearable phone numbers at the bottom that reads: Attention Amateurs, Professionals, Criminals. Blue Collar. White Collar. You have wronged people. It is to people that you must apologize, not to the state, not to God. Get your misdeeds off your chest! Call Apology (212) 255-2748. The idea of Apology is to provide a way for people to apologize for their wrongs against people without jeopardizing themselves. Apology will automatically tape-record your anonymous phone call. Do not identify yourself and call from a pay phone to prevent tracing. Describe in detail what you have done and how you feel about it. When enough statements have been collected they will be played to the public at a time and place to be advertised. Apology is a private experiment. Its sole purpose is to provide a new avenue of communication. It is not associated in any way with any police, governmental, religious, or other organization. When you call you will be alone with a tape recorder.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Psychiatrist John Barker was interested in how fear affects the human body – then he was told that he might be in danger himself. “He's unsettled by it, but he's also desperately curious about it and wants to see what's gonna happen.” buff.ly/OY2atY5

White text on a black background: “ For a few years, he'd been studying cases of people who had been ‘scared to death.’”

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Alan Hencher seemingly had premonitions of a rail accident outside London, and a plane crash in Cyprus. He said his visions often troubled him. Late one night, he called a psychiatrist named John Barker – and said he’d had a premonition about him. buff.ly/OY2atY5

A newspaper headline about Alan Hencher and his premonition of the train crash outside London. The article includes a black-and-white photo of Hencher working with a pair of pruning shears in his garden.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

On April 23, 1967, a woman named Lorna Middleton sketched a drawing, and mailed it to a psychiatrist she knew. She included a note with her drawing. It read: “This venture will end in tragedy.” buff.ly/OY2atY5

A black and white digital illustration of a filing cabinet with one drawer open. The drawer is full of binders, and one of them is open. Inside is a drawing of an astronaut.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

When psychiatrist John Barker visited the site of a mining disaster, he spoke to people in the village about what they had experienced. Then he had an idea. “He was someone who'd been interested in ghosts his whole life. He was interested in visions and prophecy and premonitions.” pod.link/809264944

A grid of old black-and-white headshots of a young John Barker, wearing a jacket, shirt and tie. In each shot, he poses from a different angle, sometimes looking straight at the camera and sometimes off to the side.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

When Rachel Waters’ mother was dying in hospice care, she seemed to be in pain and was struggling to breathe. Rachel gave her morphine – and was charged with murder. buff.ly/yyUk0Xe

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

In 2023, Rachel Waters’ mother was in hospice care, and had been declared actively dying. But a few hours after she died, Rachel got a phone call – and was told that her mother’s body had been taken to the crime lab at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Our latest: buff.ly/yyUk0Xe

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

A few hours after Rachel Waters’ mother died in hospice care, police showed up at Rachel’s childhood home with a search warrant. “It had my name and the word ‘homicide’ on it.” New today: pod.link/809264944

Rachel Waters crouching next to her mother, Marsha, who is sitting in a blue recliner. They appear to be waiting at a medical facility. Rachel has light pink hair and is wearing a black tank top and brown pants. Marsha has white hair and is wearing all navy blue.

Rachel Waters as a baby, in a yellow onesie, being held by her mother Marsha, who's wearing a plaid shirt. They're both smiling, facing the camera.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

"If there's a problem, no one's in charge." Lauren and Phoebe talk about the time a woman tried to open the door of their plane while they were in flight. Join now to listen to the full episode at www.patreon.com/CriminalPatr....

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

When George Dinning awaited trial at the Franklin, KY jail for the murder of a white man, cannons were placed outside to protect him from vigilantes. He’d been escorted to the jail by almost 300 soldiers. buff.ly/uG8Dnqq

Interior of a Franklin, KY stone jail cell. The walls are made of stone and there are stone bars held in place by metal that create slats to see outside. In the cell there's a wooden chair, a trunk, and two sacks slumped in the corner.

Exterior of the the Franklin, KY stone jail. It's made of large pieces of stone, with windows made of slats between pieces of stone held in place by metal.

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Criminal @criminalpodcast.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

For years, Alex Murdaugh stole money from his personal injury clients - and eventually pleaded guilty to 22 federal financial crimes. Reporter Valerie Bauerlein says she believes it "inured him to human feeling." Watch her full conversation with Phoebe on YouTube: youtu.be/nzUcmHusXQc.

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