Firecracker: The Murder of Carol Ryan

In 2016, a serial killer was preying on Black women and girls he thought no one would miss — and getting away with it. Police in New Jersey never suspected that Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, a nerdy-looking, polite young man from a law enforcement family, was the one stalking the streets and dating apps for his next target.

The journalists behind “Father Wants Us Dead” — called one of the best true crime podcasts of all time by Entertainment Weekly — bring you a deeply-reported true crime story of a serial killer hiding in plain sight and the women who took him down. 

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Carol Ryan’s family holds onto hope for a break in her cold case. DNA technology dangles with promise, and detectives have resubmitted case evidence. Host Katrina Tulloch interviews forensic experts who unpack the likelihood that Carol will receive justice. 

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There is a man who walks free, who lied to police about where he was the night Carol Ryan was viciously attacked. Host Katrina Tulloch interviews the original lead detective on Carol’s case, who believes he knows exactly who the killer is. But they just can’t prove it. 

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Who killed Carol Ryan? Detectives chased hundreds of leads trying to solve this horrific cold case in Central New York. Was it Carol’s ex-boyfriend? Her ex-husband? A total stranger? Host Katrina Tulloch interviews detectives, legal experts, and several relatives of people interviewed by police who say they would not be surprised if their family members were responsible. 

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The murder of Carol Ryan was one of the most inhumane, savage homicides in Central New York history, and it’s still unsolved. Host Katrina Tulloch interviews the former medical examiner who wrote Carol’s autopsy report — a 22-page document revealing monstrous torture at the hand of her killer.  

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Carol Ryan was in good spirits, bar-hopping the night before she was murdered. Her only son reveals the depression she was hiding, and trauma from past abusive relationships. Host Katrina Tulloch unpacks clues from witness interviews on this disturbing unsolved Central New York homicide case. 

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A killer remains at-large 27 years after Carol Ryan was brutally attacked in Central New York, raped with an explosive device, and left for dead. Host Katrina Tulloch dives into a new investigation into the unsolved murder, with new information revealed by the victim’s only son and detectives. 

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When police saw what was left of Carol Ryan’s body, dumped in the driveway of a suburban compost site in September of 1996, they wondered what weapon could cause that level of devastation. The truth was grislier than anyone imagined, and the unsolved mystery of Carol’s murder has haunted Central New York for decades. “Firecracker” is available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+ beginning Nov. 13.

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