Crimes of the Centuries

By Amber Hunt and Audioboom

Crime is so commonplace that it takes something particularly shocking to be labelled the “crime of the century.” Even so, there are a lot of cases that have earned the distinction. In each episode of ... more

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The podcast currently has 288 episodes available.

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Number 1: S6: Norman Thorne: Cold-Blooded Killer or 'Martyr to Spilsburyism'?
A young woman named Elsie Cameron vanished after delivering an ultimatum to her fiancé, chicken farmer Norman Thorne. Weeks later, investigators dug up his property and found her dismembered remains buried in an unmistakable place — the same spot where he'd posed for a photograph days earlier, smiling, surrounded by his birds. Thorne had an explanation. It was a strange one. And the only person whose opinion would really matter in deciding whether to believe it was a man whose word, by 1925, was treated as close to unimpeachable in a British courtroom. A jury took less than 30 minutes to decide who was telling the truth. A century later, people are still arguing about whether they got it right. (Amber is off this week for her birthday and to clean up after the recent derecho in Ohio. Please enjoy this bonus episode from behind the paywall.)
August 24, 202635min
Number 2: S6 Ep24: Charles Harrelson and the Assassination of "Maximum John"
In 1979, a federal judge in San Antonio was known for one thing above all else: He did not show mercy. John H. Wood Jr. had earned his nickname the hard way, one maximum sentence at a time. Just before he was set to face off with a powerful drug empire, he was killed outside his home in broad daylight. What followed would become the most expensive FBI investigation since the Kennedy assassination, a courtroom circus involving a Las Vegas kingpin, a hitman with the world's most unusual business card, and a famous son fighting to clear his father's name. Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: AquaTru: A countertop water purifier certified to remove 84 contaminants using a 4-stage reverse osmosis system, with 20% off at AquaTru.com using code COTC. DripDrop: Doctor-developed, science-based hydration trusted by firefighters, medical pros, and 90% of top sports teams, with 20% off your first order at dripdrop.com using code COTC. Talkiatry: 100% online psychiatry with in-network insurance coverage and appointments in days, not months, at Talkiatry.com/COTC. Hims: Simple, 100% online access to affordable ED treatment through licensed providers, at Hims.com/COTC.
August 31, 20261h 2min
Number 3: S6: ENCORE: Fatty Arbuckle: Scandal in Hollywood
The roaring '20s of last century were fueled in part by a new industry: filmmaking in Hollywood. Directors were rolling in dough, as were the silver screen's first stars. But in 1921, the future of cinema would forever be altered after internationally beloved comedian Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle was charged in the death of a young starlet after attending a boozy Prohibition-era party in Arbuckle's hotel suite. Please enjoy this encore episode from Season 1, sparked by a listener suggestion who'd missed it in our lineup. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod
August 27, 202650min
Number 4: S6 Ep23: Dr. Crippen and the Coal Cellar
Weeks after a woman's mysterious disappearance, a ship's captain noticed something off about two of his passengers — a quiet, bespectacled man and his teenage "son." He couldn't shake the feeling he'd seen that face somewhere recently. So he did something no ship's captain had ever been able to do before: He alerted police, instantly, from the middle of the ocean that two murder suspects might be aboard his vessel. What followed was one of the strangest manhunts in criminal history, and a case that would later split a forensic field down the middle more than 100 years later. Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: Wayfair. Furniture and home goods for every room and budget, backed by Wayfair Verified quality checks and 20M+ real reviews, at Wayfair.com. ButcherBox. Responsibly sourced, high-quality meat and seafood delivered to your door, with $20 off your first box at ButcherBox.com/COTC. Mint Mobile. Premium wireless plans starting at $15/month on the nation's largest 5G network, at MintMobile.com/COTC. Home Chef. Fresh ingredients and easy recipes delivered weekly, with 50% off and free shipping on your first box plus free dessert for life at HomeChef.com/COTC.
August 17, 202654min
Number 5: S6: The Botched Execution of Tony Carruthers: Future COTC?
Three people vanished from a Memphis home in February 1994. A week later, they turned up in a local cemetery, buried in a grave dug for someone else's funeral — held the day after they disappeared, with mourners who had no idea what was beneath the casket. Tony Carruthers was convicted of the murders in 1996, representing himself after burning through six court-appointed attorneys. Thirty years, one botched execution, and one recanted medical examiner later, Tennessee still hasn't tested the DNA that might resolve the crime.
August 07, 202647min