Somebody

Police promise Shapearl they’ll do everything they can to solve Courtney’s case, but the detectives won’t release the names of officers who interacted with her son. With nowhere left to turn, Shapearl begins her own investigation and has a serendipitous run-in with the nurse who treated Courtney the night he died.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV.

We want to hear from you, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 773-270-0121.

Host: Shapearl Wells

Producers: Alison Flowers and Bill Healy

Story Editor: Sarah Geis

Associate Producer: Ellen Glover

Executive Producer, Invisible Institute: Jamie Kalven

Executive Producers, Topic Studios: Maria Zuckerman, Christy Gressman and Leital Molad with Special Thanks to Lizzie Jacobs

Supervising Producer, The Intercept: Roger Hodge

Sound Design: Carl Scott and Bart Warshaw

Mix Engineer: Michael Raphael

Theme Song: “Everybody’s Something,” Chance the Rapper

Additional Reporting: Sam Stecklow, Annie Nguyen, Kahari Blackburn, Rajiv Sinclair, Henri Adams, Matilda Vojak, Dana Brozost-Kelleher, Frances McDonald, Diana Akmakjian, Andrew Fan, Erisa Apantaku and Maddie Anderson.

Translation Support: Benny Hernandez Ocampo and Emma Perez

Fact Checking: Nawal Arjini

Original Music: Eric Butler and Nate Fox of the Social Experiment

Special thanks to Chaclyn Hunt, Maira Khwaja, Andrew Fan, Anwuli Anigbo, Trina Reynolds-Tyler, Sukari Stone, Erisa Apantaku, Craig Futterman, Rick Rowley, Yanilda Gonzalez, Forrest Stuart, Mariah Garcia, Sarah Kinter, Shannon Heffernan, Aaron Moselle, Alan Mills, Vidura Jong-Bahadur, Jason Schumer, Justin Williams and the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Media Center, Matt Topic, Chris Rasmussen, Bennett Epstein, David Bralow and Julie Wolf.

Theme song “Everybody’s Something” by Chancelor J. Bennett and DJ Ozone with compositions by Roger Karsher, Chuck Magione and James Yancey of Universal Music Publishing Group and Slum Village (R.L. Altman III, Titus Glover/Baatin, J Dilla); recording artist/performance by Chance the Rapper, appearing courtesy of himself and Chance the Rapper LLC.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicago mom Shapearl Wells investigates her son Courtney’s murder on her own, teaming up with journalists to challenge the police’s story of what happened.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 4, 2016, Shapearl Wells wakes up to a bamming at her door. It’s the police, telling her that her 22-year-old son, Courtney Copeland, has been shot. Detectives tell her Courtney drove his BMW to a police station for help. But Shapearl’s grief turns into suspicion when police start asking her questions.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV.

We want to hear from you, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 773-270-0121. For more information, go to somebodypodcast.com.

Host: Shapearl Wells

Producers: Alison Flowers and Bill Healy

Story Editor: Sarah Geis

Associate Producer: Ellen Glover

Executive Producer, Invisible Institute: Jamie Kalven

Executive Producers, Topic Studios: Maria Zuckerman, Christy Gressman and Leital Molad with Special Thanks to Lizzie Jacobs

Supervising Producer, The Intercept: Roger Hodge

Sound Design: Carl Scott and Bart Warshaw

Mix Engineer: Michael Raphael

Theme Song: “Everybody’s Something,” Chance the Rapper

Additional Reporting: Sam Stecklow, Annie Nguyen, Kahari Blackburn, Rajiv Sinclair, Henri Adams, Matilda Vojak, Dana Brozost-Kelleher, Frances McDonald, Diana Akmakjian, Andrew Fan, Erisa Apantaku and Maddie Anderson.

Translation Support: Benny Hernandez Ocampo and Emma Perez

Fact Checking: Nawal Arjini

Original Music: Eric Butler and Nate Fox of the Social Experiment

Special thanks to Chaclyn Hunt, Maira Khwaja, Andrew Fan, Anwuli Anigbo, Trina Reynolds-Tyler, Sukari Stone, Erisa Apantaku, Craig Futterman, Rick Rowley, Yanilda Gonzalez, Forrest Stuart, Mariah Garcia, Sarah Kinter, Shannon Heffernan, Aaron Moselle, Alan Mills, Vidura Jong-Bahadur, Jason Schumer, Justin Williams and the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Media Center, Matt Topic, Chris Rasmussen, Bennett Epstein, David Bralow and Julie Wolf.

Theme song “Everybody’s Something” by Chancelor J. Bennett and DJ Ozone with compositions by Roger Karsher, Chuck Magione and James Yancey of Universal Music Publishing Group and Slum Village (R.L. Altman III, Titus Glover/Baatin, J Dilla); recording artist/performance by Chance the Rapper, appearing courtesy of himself and Chance the Rapper LLC.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming March 31, 2020.

When Shapearl Wells's son Courtney is found outside a Chicago police station with a fatal bullet wound, Shapearl immediately distrusts the official narrative. So she launches her own investigation into her son’s murder and teams up with journalists from the Invisible Institute to confront the cops and find the truth about Courtney's death. Somebody explores the racial disparities and turbulent relationship between law enforcement and citizens in one of America’s largest cities. A co-production of the Invisible Institute, The Intercept, Topic Studios, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Shapearl Wells's son Courtney is found outside a Chicago police station with a fatal bullet wound, Shapearl immediately distrusts the official narrative. So she launches her own investigation into her son’s murder and teams up with journalists from the Invisible Institute to confront the cops and find the truth about Courtney's death. Somebody explores the racial disparities and turbulent relationship between law enforcement and citizens in one of America’s largest cities. A co-production of the Invisible Institute, The Intercept, Topic Studios, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.