In 1978, an investigator in the Harris County DA's office in Houston got a call from an old friend. He told the investigator that he was in jail, that he wanted him to come pick him up — and that he had some information about a case that he thought the investigator would be very interested in.

Pamela Colloff’s book is Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast

We're going on tour - and it's a different kind of show than any we've done before. Upcoming dates in Durham, NC, and Portland, ME, are on sale now. Find ticket links and updates at ⁠thisiscriminal.com/live⁠.

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A conversation with a 911 operator about what happens on the other end of the line – and the day she heard her daughter's voice on the phone.

This episode was originally released in 2024.

We're going on tour - and it's a different kind of show than any we've done before. Upcoming dates in Durham, NC, and Portland, ME, are on sale now. Find ticket links and updates at ⁠thisiscriminal.com/live⁠.

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Imagine receiving an email from a stranger that said your therapist’s notes about you would be released onto the internet for all to see —  unless you paid a ransom. That’s exactly what happened to 33,000 people in Finland in 2020, and it became the biggest criminal case in the country’s history.

You can read Jenny Kleeman's reporting on this case here, and listen to her BBC podcast, called Ransom Man, here.

You can also watch this interview at ⁠youtube.com/criminalpodcast⁠.

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In 1964, one of the best javelin throwers in Australia traveled to England to see if he could qualify for the Olympics. But, because of an injury, he didn’t make the team - and he couldn’t afford a plane ticket home. So he came up with an idea while working a cargo job at Heathrow Airport: “I saw them shipping animals. And I thought, well, if the dogs can survive it, I could.”

Marcus and Julie McSorley’s book about Reg Spiers is Out of the Box: The Highs and Lows of a Champion Smuggler.

This episode was originally released in 2023.

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Amber Dawn was 20 when she moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Enumclaw, Washington. On her very first night, she began to notice strange sounds. And they didn’t stop.

These episodes were originally released in 2017.

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Today, an unlocked episode of Criminal Plus that's full of exciting updates, public service announcements, and Tom Cruise's teeth.

If you enjoyed listening to today's Criminal Plus episode and you'd like to hear more - ⁠⁠join us on Patreon⁠⁠. It's the very best way to support our work here at Criminal. You'll have access to these special episodes with Phoebe and Lauren, plus ad-free listening, behind-the-scenes videos with Phoebe and Criminal producers, chat rooms, live events, and more.

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In 2019, a volcano erupted off the coast of New Zealand - killing 22 tourists who were on it at the time. Four years later, a criminal trial began - where prosecutors claimed that several individuals and companies had violated workplace safety laws, and had “used an active volcano to make money.” Phoebe interviews Emily Clark from the Australian Broadcasting Company about the trial and what happened next.

You can also watch this interview at youtube.com/criminalpodcast.

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In 1980, posters appeared in subway stations and on telephone poles in New York City with a phone number to call. When you called it, you would hear a message: “This is Apology. Apology is not associated with the police or any other organization but rather is a way for you to tell people what you have done wrong and how you feel about it.”

This episode was originally released in 2024.

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Sign up for Criminal Plus to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more. If you join today, you’ll see a post with some of the voicemail recordings we couldn’t fit in this episode!

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On October 21, 1966, a woman named Lorna Middleton suddenly woke up from her sleep, struggling to breathe. The day before, a man named Alan Hencher was at work in London when he began to tremble all over. They both said they knew something terrible was about to happen.

Sam Knight’s book is The Premonitions Bureau: A True Account of Death Foretold.

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In 2023, a woman named Erin Patterson had her husband's family over for a lunch of beef Wellington. A week later, three people were dead. Phoebe interviews Guardian reporter Nino Bucci about what happened next.

You can also watch this interview at ⁠youtube.com/criminalpodcast⁠.

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Artwork by ⁠⁠Julienne Alexander⁠⁠. Check out ⁠⁠our online shop⁠⁠.

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