Redder Dirt: An OK Crimecast

In this special Halloween episode of Redder Dirt we explore Southwest Oklahoma's very own satanic panic. 

To many, it’s called “The Geronimo Bank Robbery.”

But history remembers it as one of Southwest Oklahoma’s worst mass murders.

On Dec. 14, 1984, the tiny suburb of Geronimo in southern Comanche County would become synonymous with one of the most violent and sensational crimes of the decade that would leave four dead and a town with a bloody legacy. 

Sometimes the most compelling cases are open and close. The ones where the evidence lines up, the killer confesses, or the attorneys make the case cut and dry. Those stories can linger long after others have left your memory. 

In the finale of our first two part episode, we talk about our new studio, have technical issues with the outro, and, oh yeah, Scott gives a candid, personal look inside the meth world. 

The story of Ricky Ray Malone is a tale of meth, madness, and murder that spans years and sees a firefighter descend into the dark world of methamphetamine. 

In 2020, the supreme court ruled that much of Eastern Oklahoma was still Muscogee (Creek) reservation land. And that tribal members who had been convicted by the state of crimes on those lands would be subject to a new trial in federal court. We break down the short, and long-term, implications on this episode of Redder Dirt. 

Scott Rains has been on the crime beat as a journalist for 16 years. He's seen the tragic, the brutal, and the downright strange. And he has...more than a few tips for any budding journalists out there looking to break into the game. 

With this edition, we’re kicking off the official first season of The Constitution’s podcast, Redder Dirt: An OK Crime Cast featuring staff writers Gary Reddin and Scott Rains.

This latest chapter tells the tale of a Southwest Oklahoma newspaper family methodically killed by their son and brother. The story of Alan Hruby and his desire for superficial baubles and riches is one that’s marked by deceit, subterfuge and violence. 

Charles Alan Dyer, also known as July4Patriot, accused of abusing a 6-year-old girl, was arrested after a two week national manhunt. The buildup to his arrest and the political circus that followed are the special kind of strange that only Oklahoma can produce. From the online patriot movement to a fateful cherry limeade, it's a tale that takes many turns. 

For 39 days, investigators, the media and the public held out hope for Aja's safe return. But following the thaw from a historic ice storm, it would be learned that there was no peace in death. “Little Crime on the Prairie” by Jared Rosin & The Shuffle: https://jaredrosin.bandcamp.com/track/little-crime-on-the-prairie.