After Karen Silkwood’s tragic and fatal car wreck, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol began an investigation fast. In a matter of a couple days, Trooper Rick Fagan determined Karen’s car to have left the road as the result of falling asleep at the wheel, possibly aided by the use of drugs. But the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers Union, based on inconsistencies and perhaps errors within the official report, believed Karen might have been ran off the road by someone with nefarious intentions – to silence her before she could meet with New York Times reporter David Burnham. An expert they hired to give the scene and circumstances another look agreed that it wasn’t an accident.  

This episode was written, produced, researched, and narrated by Erica Lee.  

Additional research by Aimee Worley. Edited and produced by Vincent Strange.  

Artwork is by Erica Lee and theme music is by Brightside Studio.  

For more information about the podcast, including sources, please visit GoneCold.com/Silkwood     

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Karen Silkwood was exposed to dangerous levels of plutonium in November 1974. After discovering contamination on her body, she found that it had spread throughout her skin and lungs, with dangerously high levels in both. But the situation worsened. The contamination had spread to her personal life as well. Levels of plutonium were found in her apartment that were so high, all of her belongings had to be destroyed. Her activism against unsafe working conditions made her a target. In the final days it became clear that Silkwood's contamination had not been accidental. The extent of Silkwood’s contamination and the calculated risks taken by those in power would ultimately become a key part of her tragic story.

This episode was written by Cathy O’Neal.

Silkwood is produced, researched, and narrated by Erica Lee.

Additional research by Aimee Worley. Edited and produced by Vincent Strange.
Artwork is by Erica Lee and theme music is by Brightside Studio.

For more information about the podcast, including sources, please visit GoneCold.com/Silkwood  

#KarenSilkwood #Silkwood #OKC #Whistleblower #Conspiracy #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #ColdCase #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles #TrueCrimeAddict #TrueCrimeLovers #CrimeScene #PodcastLife

As Karen Silkwood continued to risk her own safety and livelihood by covertly taking documents from Kerr-McGee that, it is believed, suggested both neglegence and cover-up, she began noticing that not only was she seeking to make a change, she was also going through changes. She attributed her health issues to circumstances and events outside of the Cimarron plutonium plant, but when she registered hot for contamination at work, Karen began second guessing. Was her contamination an accident or intentional?

This episode was written by Cathy O’Neal.

Silkwood is produced, researched, and narrated by Erica Lee.

Additional research by Aimee Worley. Edited and produced by Vincent Strange.
Artwork is by Erica Lee and theme music is by Brightside Studio.

For more information about the podcast, including sources, please visit GoneCold.com/Silkwood  

#KarenSilkwood #Silkwood #OKC #Whistleblower #Conspiracy #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #ColdCase #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles #TrueCrimeAddict #TrueCrimeLovers #CrimeScene #PodcastLife

As accidents and safety issues continued to occur at Kerr-McGee’s Cimarron facility in Crescent, Oklahoma, Karen Silkwood grew increasingly intolerant. When a position opened in the local Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers Union in the summer of ‘74, Karen, at the urging of others, threw her hat in the ring. She won the position, and in now time found herself in Washington D.C. discussing the plant’s violations at union headquarters and agreeing to secretly collecting information that would prove the allegations against Kerr-McGee. They also went to the Atomic Energy Commission in Bethesda to discuss the issues at hand, something that might have been a grave mistake.

This episode was written by Cathy O’Neal.

Silkwood is produced, researched, and narrated by Erica Lee.

Additional research by Aimee Worley. Edited and produced by Vincent Strange.
Artwork is by Erica Lee and theme music is by Brightside Studio.

For more information about the podcast, including sources, please visit GoneCold.com/Silkwood  

#KarenSilkwood #Silkwood #OKC #Whistleblower #Conspiracy #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #ColdCase #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles #TrueCrimeAddict #TrueCrimeLovers #CrimeScene #PodcastLife

Though she and her boyfriend Drew were originally excited to help usher in the age of atomic energy, the seeds of Karen Silkwood's disillusionment grew after she participated in her first strike and began witnessing an increasing number of safety issues and accidents. Before Karen worked at Kerr-McGee's Cimarron plant, an environmentalist named Irene Younghein got found out about its existence and, through anonymous attempted whistleblowers, found out about many points of concern - accidents, unsafe practices, and the Atomic Energy Commission turning a blind eye to infractions. Had Younhein and Karen met, the trajectory of the story might have turned out. In Karen's time, and outside of work, her intimate relationship with Drew, like her attitude about her job, was in a seemingly constant state of change.

This episode was written by Cathy O’Neal.

Silkwood is produced, researched, and narrated by Erica Lee. Additional research by Aimee Worley. Edited and produced by Vincent Strange. Artwork is by Erica Lee and theme music is by Brightside Studio.

For more information about the podcast, including sources, please visit GoneCold.com/Silkwood 

#KarenSilkwood #Silkwood #OKC #Whistleblower #Conspiracy #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #ColdCase #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles #TrueCrimeAddict #TrueCrimeLovers #CrimeScene #PodcastLife

When Karen Silkwood became involved with the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers Union Local 5283, it wasn’t long before she was participating in her first strike. Kerr-McGee was holding strong against the picketers. They hired line-breakers and went about business as usual, which also unfortunately meant operating at the risk of their employees, as safety precautions and conditions were far less than ideal at the Cimarron, Oklahoma facility. Both the Kerr-McGee and the United States government had a history of placing their business experiments over the lives of citizens and workers. When the strike was over, nothing had changed. Except Karen Silkwood, who was more determined than ever to make a difference and stand up for what was right.

This episode was written by Cathy O’Neal.

Silkwood is produced, researched, and narrated by Erica Lee. Additional research by Aimee Worley. Edited and produced by Vincent Strange. Artwork is by Erica Lee and theme music is by Brightside Studio.

For more information about the podcast, including sources, please visit GoneCold.com/Silkwood 

#KarenSilkwood #Silkwood #OKC #Whistleblower #Conspiracy #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #ColdCase #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles #TrueCrimeAddict #TrueCrimeLovers #CrimeScene #PodcastLife

Under the leadership of Robert Samuel Kerr and Dean Anderson McGee, Kerr-McGee transformed from a small oil-drilling business into a conglomerate. Despite Kerr's personal tragedies, he achieved wealth and political success in the oil industry with Anderson's partnership. Kerr's political journey, from governor to senator, showcased his ambition and influence in national policies, benefiting both his state and business interests. However, Kerr-McGee's entry into the uranium market in the 1950s exploited Navajo workers with low wages and hazardous conditions. Despite the dangers, Kerr-McGee prioritized profits over worker safety, contributing to ongoing environmental damage and health issues among the Navajo community.

In the 1960s, Kerr-McGee expanded its operations in Oklahoma by acquiring a refinery in Cushing to process uranium and thorium, radioactive metals with potential uses but also cancer risks. After a tragic explosion at the Cushing Facility in 1966, operations were moved to the new Cimarron Facility in Crescent, where Karen Silkwood eventually took a job.

This episode was written by Cathy O’Neal and Vincent Strange. Silkwood is produced, researched, and narrated by Erica Lee with editing by Vincent Strange. Additional research by Aimee Worley. Artwork by Erica Lee, theme music by Brightside Studio.

For more information about the podcast, including sources, please visit gonecold.com/silkwood. 

#KarenSilkwood #Silkwood #OKC #Whistleblower #Conspiracy #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #ColdCase #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles #TrueCrimeAddict #TrueCrimeLovers #CrimeScene #PodcastLife

Since the beginning, Karen Silkwood marched to the beat of her own drum. She chose chemistry over home economics. Love over university. The list goes on. Far from her humble beginnings, Karen ends up in Oklahoma City, where she answers a want ad for something that fascinates her: nuclear energy. The company was as enamored by Karen as she was about the work, but work isn't the only thing she finds at Kerr-McGee.

This episode was written by Cathy O’Neal and Vincent Stange. Silkwood is produced, researched, and narrated by Erica Lee with editing by Vincent Strange. Additional research by Aimee Worley. Artwork by Erica Lee, theme music by Brightside Studio.

For more information about the podcast, including sources, please visit gonecold.com/silkwood.

#KarenSilkwood #Silkwood #OKC #Whistleblower #Conspiracy #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #ColdCase #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles #TrueCrimeAddict #TrueCrimeLovers #CrimeScene #PodcastLife

At an Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union meeting in Crescent, Oklahoma, Karen Silkwood clinched documents tight. From the gathering at the Hub Café, she phoned her boyfriend to make sure he’d arrive on time to pick up a union official and a newspaper reporter from the Will Rogers airport in Oklahoma City. When the meeting was over, Karen hopped into her ’73 Honda Civic and sped south down Highway 74 to make another. This meeting was to blow the whistle on her employer, the billion-dollar nuclear industry giant, Kerr-McGee. Karen Silkwood was to join a list of brave and selfless whistleblowers, but she never made it.

This episode was written by Cathy O’Neal and Vincent Stange. Silkwood is produced, researched, and narrated by Erica Lee with editing by Vincent Strange. Additional research by Aimee Worley. Artwork by Erica Lee, theme music by Brightside Studio.

For more information about the podcast, including sources, please visit gonecold.com/silkwood.

#KarenSilkwood #Silkwood #OKC #Whistleblower #Conspiracy #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #ColdCase #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles #TrueCrimeAddict #TrueCrimeLovers #CrimeScene #PodcastLife

Karen Silkwood had a purpose. She was headed to a crucial meeting that would blow the whistle on the billion-dollar nuclear corporation she worked for. Instead, she died in a concrete culvert on a dark desolate stretch of highway just outside of Cresent, Oklahoma. To discredit her, authorities and the institution Karen sought to expose called her nothing more than an “emotionally disturbed and a sexually promiscuous drug abuser.” But in her death she became a martyr for feminism, environmentalism, and pro-labor movements.  

From the creators of Gone Cold: Texas True Crime comes Silkwood, a story that remains one of the most explosive conspiracies in 20th century America and became the inspiration for a critically acclaimed movie.

Silkwood dives deep into 28-year-old whistleblower Karen Silkwood, her relentless fight for truth, and the chilling events that followed – betrayal, danger and a mysterious, unsolved death that still haunts the nation five decades later. Seeking justice, Karen went up against a corporate Goliath and paid the ultimate price.  

With no known witnesses, what happened to Karen Silkwood on that cold November night? Was it an accident? Was she silenced for knowing too much...or something far more sinister?  

In a world where profits are placed above safety, Silkwood takes you inside a gripping true tale of corporate greed, government cover-ups, and the deadly secrets inside a nuclear industry titan.

Don’t miss this eye-opening journey into one of the most powerful stories of our time. 

Find Silkwood on your favorite podcast platform and hit that subscribe button now. Drops November 13th, 2024.  

Some secrets are too dangerous to stay hidden.