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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How many episodes does Crimes of the Centuries have?

The podcast currently has 289 episodes available.

Best of Crimes of the Centuries

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Number 1: 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 2: S6 Ep25: Abscam: The True Story Behind ‘American Hustle’
A con man with a gift for talking fast and a knack for never getting caught made himself invaluable to the FBI in the late 1970s — and the FBI made him the centerpiece of the biggest political corruption sting in a generation. It never should have worked, yet it went further than anyone expected. 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: Rula. Affordable, insurance-covered therapy with average $15 copays and licensed in-network providers, at Rula.com/COTC. Wildgrain. Bakery-quality sourdough, pastries, and French butter delivered frozen and ready in 25 minutes, with $30 off your first box at Wildgrain.com/COTC. Timeline (Mitopure Exfoliator). A gentle leave-on exfoliator pairing acids with Mitopure for resurfacing and cellular support, with a 15-day trial for $22 at Timeline.com/COTC. Quince. Elevated bedding, apparel, and home essentials priced 50-80% less than similar brands, at Quince.com/CENTURIES.
September 07, 202657min
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: 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 5: S6 Ep22: Serial Killer Joseph Paul Franklin's Three-Year Race War
For three years in the late 1970s and into 1980 — before shared databases and DNA evidence — one man moved freely across 11 states trying to start a race war. He changed his name to honor a Nazi propagandist and a founding father. He bombed synagogues, gunned down interracial couples, shot a magazine publisher in broad daylight, and left whole communities living in fear of a killer they couldn't identify. 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: Vinted. A secondhand marketplace app to sell clothes you no longer wear with no seller fees, free to download at Vinted. ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol. The world's first genetically engineered probiotic, made to be your first drink of the night, at ZBiotics.com/COTC with code COTC for 15% off. Quince. Elevated bedding, apparel, and home essentials priced 50-80% less than similar brands, at Quince.com/CENTURIES. Talkiatry. 100% online psychiatry with in-network insurance coverage and appointments in days, not months, at Talkiatry.com/COTC.
August 10, 202655min