Criminal Records Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Kinder Egg smuggling Nov 17, 2022

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Are people really being fined thousands of dollars for smuggling a sweet treat across the US border? Demetria goes deep (maybe a little too deep) on an investigation into why American stores can't sell one of Europe's favorite chocolates.

Content note: Deaths of children by asphyxiation and poisoning will be mentioned in this story but are not discussed in detail.

Sources and show notes here

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Starvation Heights Nov 03, 2022

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Was one of Seattle's most notorious killers murdering her patients and stealing their fortunes on purpose, or did she really believe that starvation was the cure for every disease? Welcome to the world of Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard, one of alternate medicine's most notorious quacks, who always seemed to end up with power of attorney over her wealthy victims shortly before they died under mysterious circumstances.

Content note: This episode involves detailed discussion of disordered eating, medical malpractice, and death by starvation.

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John Spano, Jr. Oct 20, 2022

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One man lived the dream of every hockey fan when he bought a 50% stake in the ownership of the New York Islanders. There were just a few problems with his plan to save the struggling underdogs: He didn't know anything about how to run a hockey team, he couldn't fulfil any of his grand promises, and he didn't actually have any money.

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Roy Olmstead, the Gentleman Bootlegger Oct 06, 2022

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When Washington State went dry, one baby-faced cop decided to start moonlighting as a bootlegger. His alcohol empire involved crooked mayors, bootlegging conventions, airplane engines strapped to boats, and a conspiracy theory about secret messages for rum-runners hidden inside children's bedtime stories.

S.A. Chant generously stepped up to guest while Isaac's out sick this week. I highly recommend checking out their work!

Sources and show notes here

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The Kosher Riots Sep 22, 2022

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On one fateful week in 1902, Old Country systems of oversight of meat production met New Country price collusion. With the price of kosher meat skyrocketing in New York City and the Jewish population entering its hangriest period of the year, tensions spilled over into a pandemonium involving naked butchers, flying fish, and cops getting slapped in the face with raw liver.

Sources and show notes at this link

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Lawnchair Larry Sep 08, 2022

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A man, a plan, a violation of controlled airspace. Larry Walters was an ordinary truck driver, but he hatched an extraordinary scheme to take to the sky in a lawn chair tied to weather balloons. His stunt made international headlines, inspired movies, and launched an extreme sport.

Content note: This episode includes a discussion of suicide.

Sources and show notes here

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The Taiwan Civil Government Aug 25, 2022

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What should you do when two different governments claim to have authority over your country? Tell everyone that a third government secretly has the real claim to power! Then, start taking people's money so you can issue your own license plates and government ID cards. What could go wrong?

Sources and show notes here

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The Major League Baseball Steroid Scandal Aug 11, 2022

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An attempt to get to the bottom of steroid abuse in Major League Baseball spun out so badly that one of the lawyers involved ended up in prison. But why is punishing people for the misuse of regulated drugs in sports left up to private organizations in the first place? And wouldn't baseball be so much more fun if everyone was still injecting meth and goat testicle juice?

Content notes: Discussion of drug abuse including meth, anabolic steroids, and goat testicle extract (yes, really)

Sources and show notes here

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Edwin Rist, the Feather Thief Jul 28, 2022

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The target: The British Museum of Natural History. The payload: A suitcase full of dead birds. The criminal: A flute player obsessed with the rare art of Victorian fly tying.

Content note: This episode contains discussion of the "Asperger's defense," a controversial mental health defense in the British court system. We're discussing the legal and medical terminology that was used at the time; understanding of the autism spectrum has evolved since then.

Sources, show notes, and a whole lot of pictures of wild feather art here

Purchase The Feather Thief here

The Chishima Incident Jul 14, 2022

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We're tackling one of our most confusing legal systems yet in a case so complicated no one could even figure out which jurisdiction covered it. Because there was no law covering criminal negligence, the accidental sinking of the warship Chishima was tried in a civil court–but Japan's bizarre treaty system forced the emperor of Japan to personally take his suit to a British court on Chinese soil. Mix in a little debate over maritime law, a dash of confusion over precedent, and a lot of nations with an interest fighting for their share of Japanese trade for a truly nonsensical court battle.

Sources and show notes at this link

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