Criminal Records Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Bombing of KAL Flight 858 Aug 24, 2023

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A North Korean plot to sabotage the Olympics and possibly derail a crucial South Korean election hinged on a pair of very unusual spies. When one of the bombers survived after swallowing a cyanide capsule, she told investigators her whole world was a lie.

Content note: This episode concerns a terrorist attack, a plane crash, mass murder, and a death by poisoning. It also contains discussions of police brutality and torture.

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The death of Thomas Overbury, part 2 Aug 10, 2023

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Mirror mirror on the wall, who really killed Thomas Overbury? We're getting deep into what might just be the weirdest trial we've ever covered on this show, with accusations flying about witchcraft, a poisoned enema, Spanish treachery, and a cameo from Sir Francis Bacon.

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The death of Thomas Overbury, part 1 Jul 27, 2023

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We begin a twisted tale of witchcraft, poison, and legal arguing over magically cursed genitals in the court of King James I. Sir Thomas Overbury tried his best to climb to a coveted position at court, but he made a lot of enemies along the way.

Content note: I'm going to throw an explicit label on this one just in case because it involves a discussion of a legal case revolving around the mechanics of impotence.

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The Five Men of Naniwa Jul 13, 2023

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In life, they were poor hooligans. In death, they became five of Japan's greatest folk heroes. Join us for a journey into Japan's 17th-century true crime puppet shows, time-traveling heroic tales, and kabuki romance.

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The Iran-Contra Affair Jun 29, 2023

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You've heard jokes about the Iran-Contra affair, but have you heard the actual legal arguments of the defendants? To understand the true scope and purpose of these complicated financial shenanigans, we've got to cover a whole lot of history.

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Section 28 Jun 15, 2023

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This Pride month, we're gearing up for a fight. As we battle over "Don't Say Gay" bills in the US today, we're looking back to the 1980s to see how a similar legal effort played out in the United Kingdom. No one was ever successfully prosecuted under Section 28, but that doesn't mean it was harmless.

Content note: This episode contains in-depth discussion of homophobia and transphobia in the recent past and today. I'm also going to have to throw an explicit label on this episode just to be safe since we do go over some of the technical details of legal debate over the Buggery Act and more recent debates over obscenity and sex education.

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Arnaud du Tilh, a.k.a. Martin Guerre Jun 01, 2023

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A man named Martin Guerre left his wife and child. Eight years later, a man who called himself Martin Guerre returned. Why would his wife accept her not-quite-the-same husband without raising any questions, and what happened when one member of the family became convinced his nephew had been replaced by an imposter?

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Section 230 May 18, 2023

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Is the rule that made the modern internet to blame for breaking it? Is a forum legally analogous to a bookstore that might have a dirty book in it somewhere? Who's responsible for all this junk everyone's been putting in the internet tubes? And if we're heading for a massive change in the way we handle illegal content online, are we at risk of destroying the best parts of the system we're trying to fix?

Content note: This episode contains discussion of illegal speech, including hate speech, incitement to terrorism and genocide, child sexual abuse material, and revenge porn. We will not be discussing any graphic details or closely examining the events of any specific case, but we're putting an explicit flag on this episode just to be safe.

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Bo Xilai, Gu Kailai, and Wang Lijun May 04, 2023

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We're back with a new recording of one of the first cases we covered on Criminal Records. Bo Xilai was one of the rising stars of China's Communist Party, but his political dreams came crashing down when a close business partner was found dead in mysterious circumstances.

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Bonus Episode: Marie Antoinette (2006) Apr 20, 2023

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We're out of the country for the week, so we've released one of our Patreon bonus episodes into the regular podcast feed. We've talked about Marie Antoinette's real life and death, but how does the 2006 Marie Antoinette movie choose to frame her story?

This is part of a much longer discussion in our bonus episodes about movies depicting (or claiming to depict) historical events. You can find the full series on our Patreon.

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