Tapes from the Darkside

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S12, Chapter 5: Hale Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

In the season finale, I go back to day 11... the $500 bet reset token the app sent me the day I was supposed to quit, and the coffee shop where I decided my sponsor was the enemy. I'll also play you a voicemail my cousin left me, with four words in it that Karl Jacobson said about himself as his career was ending. Then, with his larceny case still open, Karl asked New Haven to make his pension tax-free.
It feels good to support the things you love. That's why I'm asking you to support TAPES FROM THE DARKISDE by joining us on Patreon. Memberships are $3 / month for the next 48 hours before we move our entry DARKSIDER tier to $6 monthly.
https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside
Karl Jacobson has been charged and has not been convicted. Charges are allegations. The account in this series comes from the sworn arrest warrant affidavit, court and city records, and public reporting.
Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 — call or text 1-800-522-4700. Free and confidential.
Or if you're somewhere darker than that. Call or text 988. Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7.
Credits
Hosted, written, and produced by T. Z. Borden.
Executive producers: Greg B, Sundeen, Jessica Wagner, Ann K, and Allison Barkley.
Associate producer: Lindsey Choy.
Our new Darksiders:

$7: Dave Humes, Chrissy Cosgrove, Alice Margaret Prout, Marcus Butler, David Fox, Holly Deaton
$5: Em, Lisa Brannen, Emily Matthews, Landy Anderson, Sturgy, Robert Eff, Jim Hillard, Kristen, AllieD, Diane K H
$4: Toby, Cameron Mackay
$3: Chasing Amy in the Dark, Sam, Sunday A, Samantha Booth, Allison Newton, Molly Mackay, RLCH, Johanna Vespe, Justin Briggs, Jake Lee

Music

Matooma — "Infinite Emptiness"; CTRL S — "SpaceTimeThought"; Shahead Mostafafar — "Into the Next Dimension"; Jamie Bathgate — "Atmo"
AUGUSTA TREVERORUM — from the album 1991. agsttrvrrm.bandcamp.com
20SIX Hundred — "Cimmerian Shade / Last Moments," from the album The Cold Rise From Sleep (2015). Used with permission / licensed. 20sixhundred.bandcamp.com
Baby-Doll-Beats / Love Chapo — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtGc3VPRShmnSt8mq6I7fCQ

Merch
We relaunched our merch store. Treat yourself to something from the DARKSIDE.
https://merchfromthedarkside.com/
AUDIO IN THIS EPISODE
"New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson's Epic Speech at Memorial Ceremony," The Handler (YouTube). Poem by Matt Vess, U.S. Army (ret.).
Dateline New Haven with Paul Bass, WNHH Community Radio, January 2023.
Kica's Corner, WNHH Community Radio, with Chief Karl Jacobson (2022). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyKxODiMYrI
Dr. K (Alok Kanojia), "Why Giving Up Addiction Feels Impossible," HealthyGamerGG. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsUz2Ysg1XU
Hamden Action Now, "Community Conversation: The Culture of Policing & The Randy Cox Incident" (2022).
Voicemail from my cousin Matt.
Posts from r/problemgambling, read as written.
SOURCES
The case against Karl Jacobson Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice, arrest announcement (Feb 20, 2026) https://portal.ct.gov/dcj/press-releases/division-of-criminal-justice/02202026newhavenpolicechief
Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice (Jan 6, 2026) https://portal.ct.gov/dcj/press-releases/division-of-criminal-justice/01062026newhaven
New Haven Independent, "Arrest Warrant: Chief Bet $4.4M Online" (Feb 20, 2026) https://www.newhavenindependent.org/2026/02/20/arrest-warrant-chief-bet-4-4m-online/
CT Public (Feb 20, 2026) https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2026-02-20/new-haven-police-chief-arrest-embezzlement
WTNH, "Former New Haven police chief arrested after admitting to taking city funds" (Feb 20, 2026) https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/new-haven/former-new-haven-police-chief-arrested-after-admitting-to-taking-city-funds/amp/
WFSB (Mar 6, 2026) https://www.wfsb.com/2026/03/06/former-new-haven-police-chief-due-court-larceny-charges/
WTNH, "Former New Haven police chief appears in court in embezzlement case" (Aug 4, 2026) https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/new-haven/former-new-haven-police-chief-due-in-court-tuesday-for-embezzlement-case/amp/
New Haven Independent, "Arrested Ex-Police Chief's Criminal Case Continued" (Aug 4, 2026) https://www.newhavenindependent.org/2026/08/04/arrested-ex-police-chiefs-criminal-case-continued/
The pension WFSB (Jan 14, 2026) https://www.wfsb.com/2026/01/14/former-new-haven-chief-who-officials-say-admitted-stealing-will-receive-124332-year-pension
City of New Haven, Police & Fire Pension Fund minutes (Jan 29, 2026) https://www.newhavenct.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28102/639080445788370000
City of New Haven, Police & Fire Pension Fund minutes (Mar 26, 2026) https://www.newhavenct.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28656/639132288782030000
New Haven Independent via Patch, "Pension Board Rejects Ex-Police Chief's Disability Application" (Mar 26, 2026) https://patch.com/connecticut/newhaven/pension-board-rejects-ex-police-chief-s-disability-application
The chief's term and his successor New Haven Independent via Patch, "Jacobson Confirmed As Police Chief" (July 8, 2022) https://patch.com/connecticut/newhaven/jacobson-confirmed-police-chief
New Haven Independent, Zannelli confirmed (May 4, 2026) https://www.newhavenindependent.org/2026/05/04/zannelli-confirmed-as-police-chief/
NBC Connecticut, "New Haven swears in new police chief" (May 5, 2026) https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/new-haven-swears-in-new-police-chief-as-former-faces-embezzlement-charges/3733016/?amp=1
Plea deals Missouri v. Frye, U.S. Supreme Court (2012): "ninety-four percent of state convictions are the result of guilty pleas" https://law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/10-444
Project Longevity The Justice Education Center https://www.justiceeducationcenter.org/initiatives/project-longevity/
"The Tell-Tale Heart" (1843), Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore https://www.eapoe.org/WORKS/tales/thearta.htm
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago, The Solzhenitsyn Center https://www.solzhenitsyncenter.org/notable-quotations
Sigmund Freud, "Mourning and Melancholia" (1917), Standard Edition, Vol. XIV https://ia903101.us.archive.org/29/items/FreudMourningAndMelancholia/Freud_MourningAndMelancholia_text.pdf
A century of sports and gambling National Baseball Hall of Fame, Kenesaw Mountain Landis and the Black Sox https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/landis-kenesaw
AP via PBS NewsHour, "Pete Rose, baseball phenom who was banned for gambling, dies at 83" (Sept 30, 2024) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/pete-rose-baseball-phenom-who-was-banned-for-gambling-dies-at-83
ESPN, "Pete Rose, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson among players reinstated by MLB" (May 13, 2025) https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45115659/pete-rose-shoeless-joe-jackson-players-reinstated-mlb
JURIST, leagues sue New Jersey under PASPA (Aug 9, 2012) https://www.jurist.org/news/2012/08/college-and-pro-sports-leagues-sue-new-jersey-to-prevent-sports-gambling/
Sportico, on the leagues and PASPA https://www.sportico.com/law/analysis/2024/legalized-sports-betting-new-scandals-1234783460/
Murphy v. NCAA, U.S. Supreme Court (May 14, 2018) https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/16-476
AP via Bangor Daily News, "Supreme Court makes sports betting a possibility nationwide" (May 14, 2018) https://bangordailynews.com/2018/05/14/news/supreme-court-makes-sports-betting-a-possibility-nationwide/
NBA, MGM Resorts becomes official gaming partner (July 31, 2018) https://www.wnba.com/news/mgm-resorts-international-becomes-official-gaming-partner-of-the-nba MLB.com,
"MLB, MGM announce gaming partnership" (Nov 27, 2018) https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mgm-announce-gaming-partnership-c301163068
AP via WSLS, "NFL inks sports bet deals with Caesars, FanDuel, DraftKings" (Apr 15, 2021) https://www.wsls.com/sports/2021/04/16/nfl-inks-sports-bet-deals-with-caesars-fanduel-draftkings/
American Gaming Association, State of the States 2020 (2019 handle) https://americangaming.org/resources/state-of-the-states-2020/
American Gaming Association, 2025 commercial gaming revenue (Feb 26, 2026) https://www.americangaming.org/new/commercial-gaming-revenue-hits-78-7-billion-in-2025-driving-record-18-1-billion-in-gaming-taxes-nationwide/
The integrity cases AP via WGCU, NFL gambling suspensions (June 29, 2023) https://news.wgcu.org/section/sports/2023-06-29/nfl-suspends-3-players-indefinitely-fourth-gets-6-games-for-violating-gambling-policy
AP via FOX 9, Uwazurike suspended (July 24, 2023) https://www.fox9.com/news/nfl-suspends-broncos-eyioma-uwazurike-indefinitely-for-gambling-on-games
NHL statement on Shane Pinto (Oct 26, 2023) https://media.nhl.com/site/vasset/public/attachments/2023/10/17365/Pinto102623.pdf

S12, Chapter 4: The Machine Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

A check for $1,000 and on the memo line... Toy Give Away.Another one for $3,000... Toy Drive. Both made out to the chief of police. Two days before Christmas.
If you'd like to support the show you can do so on Patreon or PayPal.
https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside/
https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/paypa

S12, a final note about gambling ads (no ads this season) Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

In a final effort to rid us from what I consider to be frankly evil gamlbing ads, I have decided to remove all ads from season 12.
If you'd like to support the show you can do so on Patreon or PayPal.
https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside/
https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/paypal
I'll keep you updated as I continue to lobby Spreaker / Vox Media for a common sense option to disable gamlbing ads without paying their exorbitant (borderline extortionate) monthly fee.

S12, Chapter 3: The Randy Cox Thing Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

On the floor of a New Haven holding cell, paralyzed, while the officer standing over him laughed and asked why he kept winking, Randy Cox said: "I need somebody to take me seriously."
It's on page 17 of a 70-page internal affairs report, no news outlet ever printed it, and it's the reason this episode exists.
Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 — call or text 1-800-522-4700. Free and confidential.
Patreon
Support the show and get access to the Premium Feed. Bonus episodes. Early, ad-free, lossless.
https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside
Merch
https://merchfromthedarkside.com/
PayPal / Venmo for a one time donation
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=S73N9V6V3MC7L

S12, Chapter 2: The Winning Phase Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

Nine apps. Ten days. Hundreds of bets.
I'll walk you through what a gambling spiral looks like firsthand. We'll take a look at the $314 million machine that put these apps in front of me. And the illusion of control that almost turned a ten day experiment into something that much much worse.
Karl Jacobson wasn't so lucky.
His childhood; filled with alcoholism and abuse. As a cop, he spent his life trying to become the kind of person who makes others feel safe. The person you can trust.
And the disease that lived in his childhood home found him anyway. Not through a bottle, but through a screen.
Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 — call or text 1-800-522-4700. Free and confidential.
Patreon
Support the show and get access to the Premium Feed. Bonus episodes. Early, ad-free, lossless.
https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside
Merch store relauch. Everything is on sale for a limited time.
https://merchfromthedarkside.com/
Credits and Sources
Editing help by:
Troy Turner / troypiano at https://www.airgigs.com/user/troypiano
Interview Clips

Karl Jacobson — "Kica's Corner: Police Chief Karl Jacobson" (Kica Matos, YouTube, ~mid-2022).
Karl Jacobson — "Karl Jacobson speaks on new role as New Haven Chief of Police / Full Interview" (swearing-in, July 2022).

Legislative / Documentary Footage

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Legalized Sports Gambling (December 2024). Senator Dick Durbin.
Predatory Gambling Documentary — "The Big Con" segment. Les Bernal and others on the financial-exchange model of commercialized gambling.

Betting Advertisements (as cited in the episode)

FanDuel television ad
BetMGM television ad ("Make it legendary")
DraftKings television ad (featuring Kevin Hart)
Bet365 television ad ("Bet $10, get $365")
DraftKings television ad ("New customers bet five bucks, get 300")

Research & Studies Referenced

Ellen Langer (1975), "The Illusion of Control." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 32(2), 311–328. doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.32.2.311
B.F. Skinner, Schedules of Reinforcement (Ferster & Skinner, 1957).
American Gaming Association, Responsible Marketing Code — barred members from using "risk free" (and "free bet") language. americangaming.org
LaBrie, LaPlante, Nelson, Schumann & Shaffer (2007), "Assessing the Playing Field: A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Internet Sports Gambling Behavior." Journal of Gambling Studies 23:347–362.
Braverman & Shaffer (2012), "How Do Gamblers Start Gambling: Identifying Behavioural Markers for High-Risk Internet Gambling." European Journal of Public Health 22(2):273–278. doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckp232
Nelson et al. (2019), "Longitudinal Playing Trends Among Daily Fantasy Sports Players." Computers in Human Behavior. sciencedirect.com
"A Large-Scale Prospective Study of Big Wins and Their Relationship with Future Financial and Time Involvement in Actual Daily Fantasy Sports Contests" (2021). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33734785
Lesieur & Custer (1984), "Pathological Gambling: Roots, Phases, and Treatment." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 474:146–156. journals.sagepub.com
Michael Sandel, Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? (Harvard University; lecture series and book).
r/problemgambling — User GamblingRecoveryCom: "Gambling is a paradox where losing is actually the best-case scenario. Winning early is an infection."

Music

20SIX Hundred — "Cimmerian Shade / Last Moments," from the album The Cold Rise From Sleep (2015). Used with permission / licensed. 20sixhundred.bandcamp.com
AUGUSTA TREVERORUM — "Nightmares" from the album Blacktape. agsttrvrrm.bandcamp.com
Matooma — "Infinite Emptiness"; CTRL S — "SpaceTimeThought"; Shahead Mostafafar — "Into the Next Dimension"; Jamie Bathgate — "Atmo"; DaniHaDani — "Aurora". Licensed via Artlist. artlist.io
Just for Kicks — "TV Dinner" (Creative Cut, "Dreamy") and "Why Am I Anxious." Licensed via Artlist. artlist.io

S12, Chapter 1: The App on the Phone Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

Everyone remembers their first win. I remember mine.
The chief of police of New Haven, Connecticut surely remembered his. And in the twelve months that followed, he wagered $4.4 million on sports betting apps from the phone in his pocket.
This is the story of Karl Jacobson's fall, told alongside my own 10-day descent into the same apps. Come and see what Karl felt from the inside, and the devastating lesson I learned with him: the most dangerous part of gambling isn't losing. It's winning.
The App on the Phone is the new season from Tapes from the Darkside.
For the first time, you can download/stream this episode as a lossless WAV file, the exact uncompressed quality I master it in.
https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 — call or text 1-800-522-4700. Free and confidential.
Credits and Sources
Editing help by: 
Troy Piano on Airgigs.com
Archival audio & media
* Karl Jacobson interview — Dateline New Haven, WNHH-LP FM (New Haven Independent community radio), 2022–2023
* Karl Jacobson swearing-in remarks — [broadcaster/source to confirm]
* New Haven Police Department press conference on the Jacobson charges — [broadcaster/source to confirm]
* Duke vs. UConn, NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game call — [network to confirm: CBS/TBS/TNT]
* Sports betting advertisement (FanDuel/DraftKings promotional spot) — [advertiser to confirm]
Reporting & court records
* Arrest warrant affidavit, State of Connecticut v. Karl Jacobson, Connecticut State Police, February 2026
* New Haven Independent (Thomas Breen reporting), 2026
* University of New Haven, "Father and Daughter Share a Passion for Criminal Justice," December 2021
Scientific & academic sources
* Clark, L., et al. "Gambling Near-Misses Enhance Motivation to Gamble and Recruit Win-Related Brain Circuitry." Neuron, 2009.
* Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-5), American Psychiatric Association, 2013 — reclassification of gambling disorder.
* Nathan Novemsky, Yale School of Management — commentary on Connecticut sports-betting legalization.
* Research on DRD2 Taq1A allele and addiction heritability; twin-study heritability estimates for gambling disorder.
* U.S. sports betting market figures (American Gaming Association data, 2017–2024).
Music
* Matooma — "Infinite Emptiness"; CTRL S — "SpaceTimeThought"; Shahead Mostafafar — "Into the Next Dimension"; Jamie Bathgate — "Atmo"
* AUGUSTA TREVERORUM — from the album 1991. agsttrvrrm.bandcamp.com
* 20SIX Hundred — "Cimmerian Shade / Last Moments," from the album The Cold Rise From Sleep (2015). Used with permission / licensed. 20sixhundred.bandcamp.com
Special thank you to:
Uncle Chris for his post credit contribution.

S12, a note about gambling ads Jun 27, 2026

Show notes

Gambling ads have been appearing this season. I don't like that. Here's the situation.
***
Questions, comments, etc.
tapesfromthedarksidepod@gmail.com

S11, Chapter 6: Finale Apr 19, 2026

Show notes

This is the final episode in the Toolbox Killers series. Thanks for your patience.
A new series is coming soon.
patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside
—
For those curious, explanation of where I've been:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/155116830

S11, Chapter 5: Killing Binge Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

"We've all heard women scream in horror films ... still, we know that no-one is really screaming. Why? Simply because an actress can't produce some sounds that convince us that something vile and heinous is happening. If you ever heard that tape, there is just no possible way that you'd not begin crying and trembling. I doubt you could listen to more than a full sixty seconds of it."
Roy Norris, describing his recollections of the audio tape the pair had created of Shirley Ledford's rape and torture.
—
Support the show:
patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside
—
Audio Sources:
The Toolbox Killer (2021)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15575214/
—
Music Credit:
20six Hundred
https://20sixhundred.bandcamp.com/
Augusta Treverorum
https://linktr.ee/trvrrm
—
Follow me.
https://www.instagram.com/thedarksidepod/
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—
More links.
Leave us a Review (...it really helps!)
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S11, Chapter 4: Lucinda Lynn Schaefer Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

It was the summer of 1979. The last vestiges of the 1970s were set to expire and welcome in the rip and roar era of the 80s. This chapter takes place in Torrance, California, a coastal town where the air smells faintly of salt and sun-baked asphalt. The streets glow soft orange beneath the high pressure sodium streetlights.
Sixteen-year-old Lucinda Lynn Schaefer walks those streets often, the kind of girl who never seems out of place anywhere. Her friends call her Cindy. Blonde hair, bright blue eyes, always with a book tucked under her arm or a quick smile ready to disarm a stranger.
Support us on Patreon:
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Make a PayPal donation:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=CQC9VPG9RZ9AW
Merch:
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Sources:
https://www.partnersintruecrime.com/
Music Credit:

Augusta Treverorum - https://linktr.ee/trvrrm
20Six Hundred - https://20sixhundred.bandcamp.com/

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