This week, a story of justice, unlikely assassins uncovered and some weird & threatening letters.
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📚 Books 📚
In 1910 in Asbury Park, N.J., Tom Williams, a Black ex-boxer, was framed for the murder of a 10-year-old white girl, Marie Smith. Author Tresniowski tells an important story that looks at the history of justice for People of Colour through the lens of the Williams case. Crusading journalist Ida B. Wells features as she campaigns for justice and helps to create the NAACP, whose lawyers worked to free innocent Black men, including Tom Williams. It’s a story that holds relevant and timely as ever. Buy it here.
🎧 Podcasts 🎧
The former partner of convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein who was arrested by the FBI last year after almost a year spent on the run, is an elusive and divisive character. So many questions remain over the depth of her involvement and just how she could have been complicit. This podcast, led by investigative reporter John Sweeney attempts to answer questions about Ghislaine’s past and descent into awful crimes, as well as uncovering some shocking facts.
This ten-part investigative series dives deep into the history of femicide around the U.S.-Mexico border. Murder, drugs, sex-trafficking have long been problems around the Mexican-US border communities. The podcast does a good job of weaving the threads of these complex stories together.
Murder on the Space Coast: Obsessed with Murder
In 1983, John Crutchley, the vampire rapist, moved to Brevard County. Two months later, 18-year-old actress Tammy Lynn Leppert ("Spring Break," "Scarface") disappeared. Could the beauty queen have been one of Crutchley's victims? This short 3-part series special tries to find answers in the case and explores connections to suspected serial killer John Crutchley.
Two-time Emmy nominated journalists launch a new True Crime podcast The debut case for Season One of Killer Genes features an exclusive on "The Black Widower"- Thomas Randolph - who speaks for the first time from Death Row. Melissa McCarty and Kelly McLear are renowned for their work on nationally syndicated true crime television, here they bring their skills to tell more stories through podcasts. Randolph has been proclaiming his innocence and is attempting to get a new trial, so it should make for an interesting listen. Launches 17th December.
A new take on a decades-old unsolved murder, told by the reporter who covered it at the time, is the first case for a new true crime podcast series launched by Laudable. The two-part documentary revisits the unsolved murder of Lisa Hession on the 36th anniversary of the Leigh schoolgirl’s murder.
📺Streaming/TV📺
When the estranged brother of North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un was murdered in a crowded Malaysian airport, two unlikely killers emerged. The two young women at the centre of the crime made for surprising assassins - this documentary explores the real lives behind the headlines and the political minefield they found themselves in. Riveting. Available on demand now.
Murder cases are so often solved by using a huge percentage of investigative energy on victimology, after all, murders are most often committed by those known to the victim. With the advancement of modern technology, when an unidentified victim turns up, it’s likely they won’t stay unidentified for long - on the flipside, this special explores a Jane Doe who has gone unidentified for 23 years. Yolanda McClary uses DNA & forensics to come up with some answers in this intriguing case and give Jane Doe her name back. On Oxygen Sunday 3rd January, at 7pm ET/PT.
The Unlikely Murderer
Based on the 2018 book by Thomas Pettersson about the infamous, and still unsolved, 1986 murder of Swedish prime minister Olof Palme. There are lots of theories about what happened and who could have been involved. The Unlikely Murderer has been commissioned by Netflix and will star Swedish actor and comedian Robert Gustafsson. Coming 2021
✍🏿Article✍🏿
Unknown Sender: The Mystery of the Circleville Letters
Mental Floss looks at the weird and truly sinister case of the Circleville Letters, a vicious harassment campaign against Mary Gillispie, a young mother in early late 1970’s & early 80’s. There were gun-rigged public signs, phone calls and random shootings but luckily no-one was killed. Eventually police arrested a suspect, but he has always maintained his innocence and no-one could work out what his motives were.
Next week, a bumper end of year best of binge list to get you through the holiday season. Stay tuned for Sunday’s Global True Crime News round-up and my last minute True Crime gift guide.
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