Criminal

Black and white illustration of a poster 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. Call Apology (212) 255-2748." Above a row of tear-off numbers there's a line of text that reads: "When you call you will be alone with a tape recorder."

Mr. Apology

Episode #266

2024-04-26 05:00:38

Download

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: “This is Apology. Apology is not associated with the police or any other organization but rather is a way for you to tell people what you have done wrong and how you feel about it.”
Black and white sketch of an athletic jacket with Georgetown across the chest.

Under Oath

Episode #265

2024-04-19 05:00:13

Download

When he was 14 years old, Ron Bishop testified in a murder trial. Decades later, he told an investigator everything he said on the stand was a lie – and that it was just what he was told to say.
A black and white illustration of several large white tents set up in a field.

The Strike

Episode #264

2024-04-12 05:00:05

Download

When people started saying that John D. Rockefeller Jr. was responsible for the deaths of two women and 11 children near a coal mine in Colorado, he decided to do something unusual. He hired “the father of public relations.”
Digital illustration of a chaotic, concentrated black scribble in the center of a white background.

An Officer’s Arrest

Episode #263

2024-04-05 05:00:10

Download

Sultan Alam was the first Pakistani officer to join the traffic department of the Cleveland Police in the UK. He was harassed at work and complained to his senior officers about it. Then his coworkers showed up at his house to arrest him.
Black and white digital illustration of an elderly man with a beard standing in a darkroom. There are counters and shelves holding a variety of bottles and chemical solutions. The man is wearing glasses, a jacket and pants, standing by a counter on the right side of the image, and holding an open passport. He looks sideways over his right shoulder towards the viewer.

Indelible Ink

Episode #262

2024-03-22 05:00:22

Download

For almost thirty years, Adolfo Kaminsky lived quietly, forging documents for people all over the world.
Black and white digital illustration of two theater masks. One mask is smiling but its eyebrows are at an angle that makes it look a bit sinister. The other mask has a downturned mouth and it looks sad or scared.

The Hiss

Episode #261

2024-03-15 05:00:27

Download

As the famous English actor William Macready was preparing to go on stage in New York, over 300 police officers were placed in and around the theater. “But the head of the police said, ‘I don't know that that's going to be enough people.’”
A black and white illustration of a watch dial face. In the center of the watch, and around the outside, are women seen from overhead with their arms outstretched, holding paintbrushes and painting.

The Dial Painters

Episode #260

2024-03-08 05:00:14

Download

In the early 1920s, painters at a watch dial factory in New Jersey started to get sick. No one could tell them why.
Black and white illustration of a woman with cat-eye shaped glasses and a short bob playing guitar in a collared dress.

If I’m Long Unheard From

Episode #259

2024-03-01 05:00:00

Download

In 1974, musician Connie Converse drove away from home and was never heard from again.
Black and white illustration of the outline of a dog against what looks like abstract grass. The outline of the dog is white, so it's as if the dog disappeared and now there's just a space where the dog was. There's a leash around the invisible dog's neck, and a ball at its feet.

Off Leash

Episode #258

2024-02-23 05:00:38

Download

“I never did anything wrong. I never had a speeding ticket. I think I just saved all my stuff up for just one thing.”
Black and white illustration of a news camera on a tripod.

Call Russ Ewing

Episode #257

2024-02-16 05:00:01

Download

For decades, TV news reporter Russ Ewing stood beside more than 100 people — at their request — as they surrendered to the police.
Black and white illustration of a cowboy hat at an angle.

Cowboy Bob

Episode #256

2024-02-09 05:00:46

Download

In May 1991, a bank robber walked into a bank in Irving, Texas, and without speaking handed the teller a note that read, “This is a bank robbery. Give me your money. No marked bills or dye packs.”
An illustration of a white telephone headset on a black background.

911

Episode #255

2024-02-02 05:00:14

Download

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.
A black and white abstract illustration of a twisted, melted fire escape ladder and platform.

The Ninth Floor

Episode #254

2024-01-26 05:00:15

Download

Martin Abramowitz knew that his father had worked at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, but he always thought he hadn’t been there the day the building caught fire. Then he found out that a man with his father’s name had testified at the factory owners' trial.
A black and white illustration of the number "48" written as it would be on a digital clock, in white on a black background.

48 Hours, Part 2

Episode #253

2024-01-19 05:00:14

Download

When Aaron Quinn called the Vallejo police to report that his girlfriend Denise Huskins had been kidnapped, and went into the station for questioning, a detective told Aaron that he didn't believe him. When Denise was released after being held captive for about 48 hours, police didn't believe her either. It soon became clear that the police viewed Denise and Aaron as suspects, not victims.
An illustration of the word "hours" as it would appear on a digital clock, in white on a black background.

48 Hours, Part 1

Episode #252

2024-01-19 04:59:12

Download

“I think it was around 3:00 a.m., and that’s when I heard a strange man’s voice waking me from sleep.”
A black and white illustration of a grassland with a tree and a small cabin in the distance. There is a leopard standing in the grass, looking toward the cabin.

The Hunt

Episode #251

2024-01-12 05:00:29

Download

In 2016, the FBI attaché in Pretoria, South Africa, got a phone call from a woman asking the FBI to investigate the death of her friend, Bianca Rudolph. Bianca had died on a hunting trip in Zambia’s Kafue National Park, but her friend didn't think it was an accident.
Older posts
Newer posts