Crime Story

In 1989, the city of Boston was gripped by the murder of Carol Stuart. Stuart was seven months pregnant when her husband Chuck told police a Black man shot and killed her. The police tore through Boston’s predominantly Black community Mission Hill neighbourhood, searching for a culprit. But by the time the real killer came to light, the damage was already done. 

In this episode, Boston Globe editor, Adrian Walker joins us to talk about his podcast, Murder in Boston, which revisits this sensational case and the shocking twist that upended the narrative too many were quick to believe.

For early access to Crime Story episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on our show page in Apple Podcasts.

This episode's transcript can be found here.

Lana Clarkson was a budding comedian when her life took a tragic turn. On a shift at The House of Blues, she met the troubled “pop genius", Phil Spector. Spector worked with everyone from The Beatles to Tina Turner, but by 2003, he was an eccentric recluse. Spector begged Clarkson to come home with him and she reluctantly agreed. Hours later, she was found dead in Spector’s California mansion from a gunshot wound to the head. 

In this episode, we speak to the final journalist to interview Spector before his arrest. Mick Brown wrote all about it in his fascinating book, Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector.

For early access to Crime Story episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on our show page in Apple Podcasts.

This episode's transcript can be found here.

Why would an Ivy League institution protect a serial predator? In this episode, medical journalist Laura Beil, behind the award-winning podcast, “Dr. Death,” joins Crime Story to discuss her explosive investigation into New York’s most prolific sexual predator and the university that covered up his crimes.

For early access to Crime Story episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on our show page in Apple Podcasts.

This episode's transcript can be found here.

When a mysterious letter arrived on Eliza Robertson's doorstep, she didn't know what to think. It spoke of a young woman who had been murdered 30 years prior – and the culprit never found. Robertson was a fiction writer, but felt drawn to the story. Her powerful book, I Got A Name, takes readers on a cross-country investigation to understand Krystal Senyk and find her missing killer. 

For early access to Crime Story episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on our show page in Apple Podcasts.

This episode's transcript can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/transcript-crime-story-episode-20-1.7120355

In 1969, Charles Manson unleashed his cult of murderous hippies onto the LA Hills. Decades later, it’s a saga that continues to inspire books, movies and memes. But how well do we really know the story that led to seven infamous murders? 

In Helter Skelter: An American Myth, documentarians Leslie Chilcott and Eli Frankel, deliver the most comprehensive account of the Manson family cult to date. They reveal what really motivated Charles Manson and bring this larger-than-life story back to reality.

For early access to Crime Story episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on our show page in Apple Podcasts.

This episode's transcript can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/transcript-crime-story-episode-19-1.7113272

How should we deal with women who kill their abusers? In the Globe and Mail’s first longform podcast In Her Defence, reporter Jana Pruden tells the story of Helen Naslund, who shot and killed her husband after enduring 30 years of abuse. It’s a story about a long fight for freedom and a justice system stuck in the past.

For early access to Crime Story episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on our show page in Apple Podcasts.

This episode's transcript can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/transcript-crime-story-episode-18-1.7103980

Why would children risk their lives to run away from school? In the heart-wrenching podcast, Kuper Island, journalist Duncan McCue investigates the suspicious death of Richard Thomas, a student at Kuper Island Residential School. McCue uncovers stifled police investigations, confronts perpetrators of abusers and witnesses a community trying to rebuild. He joins Crime Story to talk about a story close to his heart. For early access to Crime Story episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on our show page in Apple Podcasts. This episode's transcript can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/transcript-crime-story-episode-17-1.7096841

Sharon Johnson’s family has spent decades coping with her brutal murder. But what if the story they were told is a lie? What if the man imprisoned for her murder is innocent? In season two of Jason Moon’s hit podcast Bear Brook, he investigates the case of convicted killer Jason Carroll. At 19, Carroll confessed to Johnson’s murder, but recanted a few hours later. Carroll has been in prison for 35 years, and still maintains his innocence. In this fascinating conversation, we go behind the scenes with Bear Brook host Jason Moon and explore the growing science of wrongful confessions. Why do they happen and who among us is most vulnerable? For early access to Crime Story episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on our show page in Apple Podcasts. This episode's transcript can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/transcript-crime-story-episode-16-1.7089757