Crime Wave

From the time humans evolved from individuals to social animals. We have increasingly grown dependent on our cohorts. We rely on them for support through life's most challenging obstacles. We depend on those closest to us, and when that is not enough, our circle of trust expands to meet our needs. We establish cohorts within our families, houses of worship, our neighborhoods, and places of work. Whatever the specialty, you will likely find a community to support. Podcasting is no different. We help each other by sharing each others' shows along with any tips and tricks we may have learned along the way. As podcasters, sometimes, we have the opportunity to help more profoundly.

In today's episode, we will feature a community that has rallied around one of our own to raise awareness about child abuse and how it can lead to devastating consequences when unchecked. Eric Carter Landin from the podcast True Consequences will be with us today. He shares the tragic death of his brother Jacob Jeremiah Landin and why justice eludes his family until this day.

Episode sources here: https://crimewavepodcast.com/the-community

The following podcasts can be found on all major podcast players:

• True Consequences Podcast

Eric's episodes on Jacob's story:

Podchaser: https://podchaser.com/crimewave

Twitter: https://twitter.com/crimewavepod

Website: https://crimewavepodcast.com/

Hello, and welcome to the Crime Wave archives. I want to take a few mins for some housekeeping, it has been almost a year since the podcast launch, and today's episode will be the season 1 finale. Season 2 will be back early next year,  so follow me on Twitter, or you can check the website cimewavepodcast.com to find out when season 2 launches. Of course, you can always subscribe to the podcast to get notified when the latest episodes drop. All links are in the show notes. I want to take a moment to thank this season's sponsor iNetGuardian, your support has blown me away, and I am truly grateful. Lastly, I want to thank the shows' biggest supporter to date, listener Jonathan in New Zealand. Your support is overwhelming, and please accept my sincerest thanks! Okay, this one will be a wild ride, let's get to it, buckle up!

The human mind is nature's most potent force. We can dream up unlimited ideas to solve problems. The adaptive and fluid nature of our minds has allowed us to evolve rapidly. We are in a constant state of learning, and with that comes adaptability. The malleable nature of our exposure to experience leads to the adaptation of our intention. We have the ability to focus our intention and to generate change from that focus. But can the power of intention affect reality? We have all heard stories of extraordinary phenomena like telekinesis (the ability to move objects with our minds)or the apparatus of spiritual practices like using a voodoo doll, which is used to affect the spirit of the target of your intentions. Now, there are less extraordinary beliefs but no less supernatural like the power in the belief to heal oneself, then we have a placebo effect. Other uses of our intentions include having imaginary friends, with their personalities, likes, and needs. There are so many anecdotal accounts of the paranormal, countless tales of the extraordinary, and there's got to be something to it, right? Is it possible for our minds to manifest a thoughtform? Do we have the power to make the supernatural a reality? 

In today's episode, we will examine the story of the belief in the power to manifest a supernatural being. And how this belief blurred the lines between reality and fantasy in the attempt to bring to life a horrifying figure standing 8 ft tall with long, rangy arms and no facial features, a creature otherwise known as the Slenderman.

Episode Sources and Music can be found here: https://crimewavepodcast.com/the-tulpa

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Since technology has become more readily available,  we have had to adapt. Many argue that social media has made us less social. Crowds of people with their eyes laser-focused on the dim blue light emanating from a mobile device as they go about their daily lives.  This scene plays out in almost all environments and has become the norm.

Human interaction is vital to our survival as a species.

What is the human connection but a series of data exchanges via the subtle interpretation of our vocal inflections, what we feel, what we see, smell, and taste? The continuous amalgamation of interactions between people. The intricate combinations of social interaction as the sum of data points captured by our five senses. For the next hour, If you suspend the belief that technology has driven a wedge between us, then you will see how it could be argued that we haven't lost our ability to connect because of technology. Instead, we have evolved to allow an agent to hijack our senses. This technology agent acts as a proxy, serving as a conduit of information between us. It allows us to connect with anyone in the world, it documents our interactions, it opens a door for those compelled to do harm. This agent has conditioning algorithms designed to elicit behaviors similar to addiction.

We are at the genesis of our relationship with technology, and we vastly underestimate those willing to exploit it to do us harm.

In today's episode, we will examine the story of how a tech agent can be used to seduce, mislead, and evoke the feelings of deep human connection. To dismantle adolescence and how this inveterate agent is already ingrained in all of our lives.

Episode Sources and Music can be found here: https://crimewavepodcast.com/the-agent

Most of us would like to think that if the time comes when we need to exude strength and maintain purpose, we can do it. To demonstrate the resolve needed to make split-second decisions to save lives. The fact is, it takes a special person to pull this off under the most extreme circumstances, and few of us are capable.

In today’s episode, we will examine the story of a teenager forced into an extreme situation that reveals a remarkable valiance.

Episode Sources and Music can be found here: https://crimewavepodcast.com/the-stalwart

It takes a village to raise a child. We accept this as fact. The essence of the meaning is that kids learn from their environment, and the more situations they are exposed to, the better equipped they will be to handle them once they're adults. To achieve this, we put our trust in institutions, institutions like our community schools, religious organizations, and youth organizations. 

We have all heard stories of the creep who watched kids on playgrounds, at malls, or any public place.  Parents are keen to this behavior and protect at all costs. Sexual offenders with pedophilia have no limits, and underestimating their desire, can prove to be tragic. They pose as model citizens cloaking themselves in kindness and authority. They groom their community, parents, and children alike. 

Imagine for a moment, tough as that may be, what the perfect environment would look like for a sexual offender. It would be a secluded place away from parents, like the woods or a camp. A place where life skills are taught to build trust, to gain access, to reduce suspicion, to groom. Now I know what you're thinking, "there is no way I would let a child of mine go to such a place with someone I don't trust." For those of you well versed in true crime, I know that as I described the perfect environment to you, your Spidey sense went off, and alarm bells were blazing. I was shocked to find out that the ideal environment exists, not only in our nightmares but also nestled within a historic institution, hidden in plain sight, one known for its oath.

In today's episode, we will examine one of the largest cases in history of documented sexual abuse that went unreported. We are going to look at how one of the world's most respected and trusted youth organizations became a beacon for pedophiles. We are going to look at how they documented the sexual abuse of their scouts, and why it was never reported to authorities, let alone parents. Today's episode will prompt you to reassess the confidence you place in trusted community organizations.

Episode Sources and Music can be found here: https://crimewavepodcast.com/the-oath

Power over people is the ability to make someone do something he or she would not otherwise do.  There are various types of power, physical, mental, and another one that is not as overt as the aforementioned, but no less impactful. That type of power is social power, which is the potential for social influence.  A person with social power attempts to control the world around them, either positively or negatively. Social status can pave the way for social power.

What happens when a person who has tendencies to want to exert his power and control over his spouse earns a high social status? 

In today's episode, we will examine a story of domestic violence, about a man who rose to the top of social status in his community only to fall in the most tragic of ways devastating his family along the way.

• https://www.ridgefieldrecovery.com/resources/domestic-violence-addiction/

Music and Episode Sources found here: https://crimewavepodcast.com/the-fall

Looking for love is not as difficult as it once used to be. The internet has connected us in ways we could never have imagined. It has brought us closer together and, in some ways, disconnected us even more. Finding a life partner has gotten easier with dating sites popping up every day; it seems. We size up our potential suitors by analyzing their profiles, their likes, their profession, and their lifestyle. What we don't see is the baggage that comes with that profile and subsequently, the person on the other end. Connections are made quickly, and some burn bright, so bright in fact that one can't see what's lurking just beyond the blinding light.

In today's episode, we will examine a story of love gone wrong and how love can speed towards infatuation and eventually gets consumed by obsession.

Music and Episode Sources found here: https://crimewavepodcast.com/the-obsession/

Motivation drives human behavior. Our life's experiences influence our intentions to behave; they dictate our impulses to act in specific ways. Why do people do what they do? The answer to that question is something we have been chasing for many lifetimes, and it still eludes us to this day. When it comes to murder, we use the term motive, to describe why someone would commit this violent act. If the family and friends of a victim can understand why someone is driven to murder their loved ones, then maybe, just maybe, they can begin the process of healing. However, without motive, questions will linger for an eternity, and the psychological wounds will forever fester.

In today's episode, we will examine the story of three teenagers who were the best of friends. When one of them goes missing, the true nature of their friendship is revealed.

Find Resources and music here: https://crimewavepodcast.com/the-motive

"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry," or so the saying goes. We center our lives around "plans"; we attempt to impart certainty to an otherwise unknown future. When we were young, we planned on being a firefighter, a policeman, a teacher, or maybe a nurse, most often than not, something heroic. Typically, that plan didn't include hurting people; it didn't include the desire to be infamous. 

In today's episode, we will examine the plan created by two brothers, Robert and Michael Bever, "a plan" that changed from wanting a future of normality to one that included the goal of infamy. The plan included the murder of their family on their way to a killing spree that would make them known worldwide. There is also another saying about plans, and most of us are familiar with it; we know it to be the truth, and that is, "things don't always go as planned."

All sources can be found here: https://crimewavepodcast.com/the-plan