Coast to Coast AM

In the first half, award-winning journalist Steve Fishman talked with host Richard Syrett (Twitter) about his new podcast The Burden, a series that covers the story of crooked cop Louis Scarcella. Scarcella became infamous for his high number of wrongful arrests, but before Fishman dove into the policeman's sordid tale, he told listeners of his own experience interacting with a criminal. As a young college dropout, he found himself in a serial killer's car while hitchhiking around his hometown. Luckily, he escaped without harm, and it wasn't even until he read the newswire at his first journalism job that he realized who the shady man was. Over the decades that followed, he was drawn to stories of both killers and the ones who put them away, which led him to research officer Scarcella of the NYPD. Fishman recounted a story about Scarcella escorting an alleged murderer on a flight, where he convinced this person that the plane was about to go down after hitting some turbulence. In a panic for his life, the handcuffed man confessed to a crime he may have not even committed. It was just one example of Scarcella's manipulative tactics, which appeared to be highly effective. According to Fishman, "He seemed to have lots of ways to get at people."
It would take decades before Scarcella's dubious interrogation methods came to light. Fishman talked about a group of inmates who met by chance one day in a prison law library, discovering that Scarcella was the one who locked them all up. Their investigations revealed that the cop had written down never-spoken confessions in his reports during a time when suspect interviews weren't being recorded. The men's determination to expose Scarcella's injustices led to 22 people having their convictions overturned, costing the taxpayers of New York over $100 million in settlements. Fishman shared his admiration of the falsely accused who taught themselves law in order to bring forth a case. "I mean, they dropped out of high school… and now they are poring through the [prison's] law books. They're writing briefs that are really as good as anybody else's," he explained. He also credited New York Times reporter Frances "Frenchie" Robles for bringing the story to the public's attention. Fishman's podcast explores this incredible story in great detail. "I think what makes The Burden so compelling in the long run — I mean, because we have 10 episodes — is because it's a story that we can chase," he said.
In the second half, Dr. Jeff O'Driscoll discussed his observations of souls separating from their bodies at the time of death, a phenomenon known as a "shared-death experience." Over the course of his medical career he has witnessed this many times, and his contact with spirits started as early as his teenage years. He recalled that one night while driving a Volkswagen too fast down a narrow, winding road, his younger self heard a disembodied voice telling him to slow down. "I didn't just hear it — it was like something that wrapped around my soul," he claimed. He slowed down just in time to avoid sustaining major injuries as he crashed into an oncoming Cadillac. "I think I probably would have died that night if I had not heard that voice," O'Driscoll admitted. "I later realized that it was my brother… [who] died in a farm accident a few years before." He spoke about the case of Jeff Olson, who survived a terrible car crash that took the lives of his wife Tamara and one of his sons. Tamara's spirit appeared in the emergency room, thanking O'Driscoll for caring for her family. He relayed that when Olson regained consciousness, he detailed how his soul rose up above the scene of the wreck and encountered his wife's departing spirit. Tamara told him he had to go back and raise their other son, who miraculously survived the accident.

The family of a Louisiana woman who went missing last year has credited a psychic medium with helping them locate her remains. The remarkable case began in February 2023 when Theresa Jones mysteriously vanished. After a police search failed to find any sign of the missing woman, her desperate family turned to Wisconsin-based psychic medium Carolyn Clapper in the hopes that she could provide some answers. Clapper joined guest host Richard Syrett (Twitter), along with paranormal investigator Greg Lawson, to discuss the fascinating case.
Clapper recalled receiving a late-night call from Theresa's daughters, Ashley and Brittney, seeking her help to locate their missing mother. During a 45-minute reading, Clapper received detailed information about Theresa's disappearance, including the location of her remains. She described specific landmarks and provided a map, directing Ashley to search a wood line near a pronounced log and a creek. Clapper's detailed visions guided Ashley and Brittney in their search, ultimately leading to the discovery of Theresa's body.
Clapper revealed she contacted the Union Parish Sheriff's Office about the location of Theresa's body but was dismissed due to skepticism. The police ruled Theresa's death an accidental drowning and showed little interest in further investigation, Clapper said, noting inconsistencies and evidence suggesting otherwise. Lawson criticized the sheriff's office for not thoroughly investigating Clapper's crucial information, pointing out that law enforcement's dismissal of unconventional methods like psychic input can lead to significant oversights. He highlighted several investigative shortcomings, such as failure to perform basic forensic procedures or adequate follow-up on witness reports and other leads. He stressed the importance of thorough investigations to avoid appearances of incompetence or cover-ups.
During the latter half of the program, author Bruce de Torres explained how expectations and intentions shape our interpretation of reality. He suggested that by expecting positive outcomes and trusting in the universe, people often experience synchronistic events. According to de Torres, this perspective fosters a sense of spiritual safety within our core selves. He emphasized the importance of staying centered, peaceful, and patient and using meditation and yoga to achieve this state. By doing so, individuals can experience life in a more positive and meaningful way, he argued.
He examined how the principles of quantum mechanics could relate to events like 9/11. Our intentions and expectations might not directly cause specific events like 9/11 but rather influence our overall experience of reality, de Torres suggested. By viewing life as a series of intentional experiences, he explained, individuals can better process and take responsibility for their experiences, even in the face of tragedy. He delved into the philosophical implications of his views, particularly about historical and cataclysmic events, positing that if we are eternal souls who intentionally incarnate, then everything we experience is part of a larger intentional design.
The conversation shifted to a discussion of JFK's assassination which de Torres believes was a calculated and symbolic act meant to traumatize the public and destabilize the nation. He delved into conspiracy theories about who was behind the assassination, from intelligence agencies to shadowy secret societies like the modern-day Knights Templar, and suggested JFK's killing was not just a political move but a ritualistic blood sacrifice to instill fear and helplessness among the populace. He emphasized that by recognizing the intentional and symbolic aspects of the assassination, individuals can reclaim a sense of agency and responsibility. This understanding can inspire people to resist oppressive forces and work towards creating a more transparent and accountable government, counteracting the fear and division sown by those in power.