Spirits with Crime

Fingerprint analysis has been called the gold standard of forensic science for more than a century. It's helped solve countless crimes, identify victims, and exonerate the innocent. But what happens when one of the most trusted forms of evidence points investigators in the wrong direction?

In this episode, we're exploring the fascinating history of fingerprint identification. Along the way, we'll uncover the remarkable science that makes your fingerprints uniquely yours—and examine the shocking case of Brandon Mayfield, the Oregon attorney whose life was turned upside down after the FBI confidently declared his fingerprint matched evidence from one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in modern history. Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/history-and-evolution-latent-fingerprint-development

https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/fingerprints-and-other-biometrics

https://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html

https://www.science.org/content/article/why-identical-twins-dont-have-identical-fingerprints

https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/01/how-fingerprints-form-new-study-may-explain

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/latent-fingerprint-processing-guide

https://www.crime-scene-investigator.net

https://projects.nfstc.org/fse/07/07-01.html

https://www.moma.org/collection/terms/ink

https://www.dickblick.com/learning-resources/how-to/the-history-of-india-ink/

https://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/bodyarts/index.php/temporary-body-arts/cosmetics/82-lamp-black-tool-india-19th-century-.html

https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/inkothermedia

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/activated-charcoal

https://oig.justice.gov/reports/plus/e0601/final.pdf

https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/brandon-mayfield

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/11/us/us-settles-with-man-held-in-madrid-bombing-case.html

https://www.innocenceproject.org/how-confirmation-bias-can-lead-to-wrongful-convictions/

https://www.propublica.org/article/forensics-science-bias-criminal-justice

https://www.nist.gov/feature-stories/addressing-cognitive-bias-forensic-science

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6191660/

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/232082.pdf

Most of us never think twice about our teeth until it's time for a dental appointment. But in the world of forensic science, they can become some of the most powerful pieces of evidence a person leaves behind.

In this second installment of our forensic science mini-series, we explore the fascinating field of forensic odontology. From identifying victims after unimaginable disasters to one of the most controversial techniques ever admitted into American courtrooms, this is the story of a discipline that has saved countless investigations... and one chapter that forever changed how forensic evidence is viewed. Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: https://abfo.org/

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/forensic-dentistry

https://www.aafs.org/

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science

https://www.britannica.com/plant/clove

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

https://powo.science.kew.org/

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/forensic-dentistry

https://www.interpol.int/How-we-work/Forensics/Disaster-Victim-Identification-DVI

Bowers CM. Forensic Dental Evidence: An Investigator’s Handbook.

Amoedo O. L’Art Dentaire en Médecine Légale (1898).

https://www.911memorial.org/

https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12589/strengthening-forensic-science-in-the-united-states-a-path-forward

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast/docsreports

Saks, M. J., & Koehler, J. J. (2005). The Coming Paradigm Shift in Forensic Identification Science. Science, 309(5736), 892–895.

https://innocenceproject.org/cases/ray-krone/

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/

https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx

https://www.nationalacademies.org/publications/12589

Fingerprints, DNA, ballistics, blood spatter, fire investigation: these disciplines have helped solve countless cases; but what happens when these trusted sources of evidence are flawed themselves?

This week, we're beginning that journey with one of the most controversial cases in modern American criminal justice. After a devastating house fire claimed the lives of three young girls in Corsicana, Texas, investigators believed the evidence told a clear story. Decades later, that same evidence would become the center of an ongoing debate that continues to challenge experts, attorneys, and investigators alike. Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: https://innocenceproject.org/news/cameron-todd-willingham-wrongfully-convicted-and-executed-in-texas/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron_Todd_Willingham

https://www.texastribune.org/2011/04/14/cameron-todd-willingham-a-timeline/

https://tcadp.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Cameron-Todd-Willingham-fact-sheet-2014.pdf

https://tcadp.org/get-informed/wrongful-execution/resource-archive-for-the-case-of-cameron-todd-willingham/

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/rising-ashes-what-we-have-learned-cameron-todd-willingham-case

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/07/trial-by-fire

Documentary: Incendiary: The Willingham Case (2011) 

Trial by Fire (2019)

Antarctica has always existed at the edge of human imagination. Long before anyone set foot on its frozen shores, people believed something had to be waiting beyond the horizon. Centuries later, explorers risked everything to find out.

This week, we're tracing the evolution of Antarctica's greatest mysteries. Along the way, we'll separate documented history from modern mythology and explore why one of the most remote places on Earth continues to inspire stories unlike anywhere else.

So grab a very warm drink, and let's head for the last blank space on the map. Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/place/Antarctica

https://www.bas.ac.uk/about/antarctica/

https://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/history_of_antarctica.php

https://www.antarcticacruises.com/guide/antarctic-exploration-history-and-expedition-timeline

https://www.south-pole.com/

https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/james-cook-second-voyage

https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/

https://www.shackletonmuseum.com/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/ernest-shackleton-endurance-survival

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ernest-Shackleton

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Falcon-Scott

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roald-Amundsen

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/heroic-age-of-antarctic-exploration.html

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/exploration-and-innovation/polar-exploration0.html

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/german-expansion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Antarctic_Expedition_(1938%E2%80%931939)

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/polar-record/article/hitlers-antarctic-base-the-myth-and-the-reality/

https://www.history.navy.mil/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Highjump

https://www.navalhistory.org/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-E-Byrd

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_E._Byrd

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

https://www.usgs.gov/

https://www.nasa.gov/

https://www.esa.int/

https://www.britannica.com/place/Lake-Vostok

https://www.bas.ac.uk/data/our-data/publication/subglacial-lake-vostok/

https://www.science.org/

https://www.nature.com/

Secret meetings. Exclusive memberships. Hidden rituals. Few things capture the imagination quite like a society that doesn't want outsiders looking in.

This week, we're exploring two organizations whose names have become synonymous with mystery, influence, and conspiracy. Along the way, we'll uncover the history behind the legends and examine how some stories grow far beyond the people who inspired them. Because sometimes the most enduring secrets aren't the ones that stay hidden: they're the ones people can't stop talking about. Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: https://archive.org/details/memoirsillustrat01barruoft

https://archive.org/details/proofsofconspira00robiuoft

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Illuminati-group

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adam-Weishaupt

https://www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/who-were-the-illuminati/

https://theconversation.com/the-real-illuminati-behind-the-modern-conspiracy-theory-120204

https://pages.uoregon.edu/dluebke/301ModernEurope/301Documents/Illuminati.html

https://www.ugle.org.uk/discover-freemasonry/history-freemasonry

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Freemasonry

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-the-illuminati-still-fascinates-us-180983949/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Skull-and-Bones-Yale-society

https://time.com/5923514/skull-and-bones-yale-history/

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/us/19geronimo.html

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101530380&

https://punchdrink.com/articles/history-of-punch-cocktail/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-surprising-history-of-punch-180982077/

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-companion-to-spirits-and-cocktails-9780199311132

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search

Some stories become part of us.

A survivor shares her experience of one of the most tragic days in modern history and dedicates years of her life to helping others heal. A missing child vanishes without a trace, only to reappear years later on the other side of the world. Both stories capture headlines. Both inspire hope. Both leave lasting impressions on the people who hear them.

This week, we're exploring identity, belonging, and the strange power of stories.Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/kvass

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/kvass-russias-fermented-beverage-is-making-a-comeback-180980593/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvass

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/11/911survivor200711

https://www.thewomanwhowasntthere.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicia_Esteve_Head

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Imposter_(2012_film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Bourdin

https://www.documentary.org/column/playback-bart-laytons-imposter

https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0%2C28804%2C1900621_1900618_1900789%2C00.html

In this episode, we explore the strange world of ritual games and sleepover folklore. From Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board to the Three Kings Ritual, we’ll examine the stories, psychology, and folklore behind the games that have terrified generations. So grab your sleeping bags, turn on your night lights, and join me in this dark descent. Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/few-self-driving-cars-could-fix-phantom-traffic-jams-180963472/

https://www.history.com/articles/spiritualism-ghosts-ouija-boards-19th-century-america

https://www.apa.org

https://www.britannica.com/science/hypnosis

https://plato.stanford.edu

https://folklorethursday.com

https://www.britannica.com/technology/mirror

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20063928/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/staring-at-yourself-in-the-mirror-can-reveal-strange-things/

https://dictionary.apa.org/guided-imagery

https://jungpage.org

https://folklore-society.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/1qsnvw/three_kings_ritual/

https://theghostinmymachine.com

https://yokai.co

https://www.psychologytoday.com

https://plato.stanford.edu

Some people dream of falling.

Some dream of flying.

And some swear they've visited the same impossible places over and over again.

This week, we're exploring shared dream worlds, liminal spaces, and recurring entities. Why do complete strangers describe eerily similar locations, figures, and experiences? Join me as I follow a trail through abandoned hallways, endless shopping centers, shadowy visitors, and the strange places where dreams, folklore, and human consciousness collide. Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheMallWorld

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

https://www.psychologytoday.com

https://plato.stanford.edu

https://www.psychologytoday.com

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-backrooms

https://plato.stanford.edu

https://www.sleepfoundation.org

https://doubleblindmag.com

This week on Spirits with Crime, we’re talking about mothers. Not the Pinterest quote version of motherhood. Not the “a mother always knows” version either.

One mother spent the rest of her life wondering what she missed after her son helped carry out one of the deadliest school shootings in American history. Another appeared to spend years shaping her son into a criminal partner willing to lie, steal, and kill alongside her.

This episode explores the stories of Sue Klebold and Sante Kimes — two women connected by maternal love, but divided completely by what they did with it. Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: https://www.ted.com/talks/sue_klebold_my_son_was_a_columbine_shooter_this_is_my_story

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/317243/a-mothers-reckoning-by-sue-klebold/

https://vault.fbi.gov/columbine-high-school

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/02/15/the-mother-of-columbine-shooter-dylan-klebold-breaks-her-17-year-silence/

https://www.theatlantic.com/search/?q=columbine

https://www.nytimes.com/topic/subject/columbine-high-school-shootings

https://murderpedia.org/female.K/k/kimes-sante.htm

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/enabling

https://www.apa.org/

What makes a dangerous idea irresistible? This week on Spirits with Crime, we follow Aleister Crowley: Victorian occultist, self-declared prophet, and the man a British tabloid called the wickedest man alive. We trace his rise from a suffocating religious upbringing through the secret society halls of the Golden Dawn, across the Mediterranean to a crumbling Sicilian commune, and into the psychology of why intelligent people hand their loyalty to dangerous leaders. This episode asks the question that feels more relevant every year: Are we following dark prophets because they possess truth, or because they offer permission? The ritual awaits. Cheers!

Send Me a Story! @ [email protected]

Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast

Sources: www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-39568-3

www.britannica.com/topic/soma-Hinduism

www.rbth.com/blogs/stranger_than_fiction/2017/01/09/how-russian-scientists-cracked-the-secret-of-a-riga-veda-era-drink_676758

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_of_Thelema

sicilianmagpie.com/en/thelema-abbey

www.broadwayworld.com/bwwbooks/article/New-Book-Shares-True-Story-of-Arthur-Conan-Doyle-and-the-Paranormal-20160314

www.doingsofdoyle.com/2024/05/global-conan-doyle-launching-edinburgh.html

plato.stanford.edu/entries/weber

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NXIVM

www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html

www.doingsofdoyle.com/2024/05/global-conan-doyle-launching-edinburgh.html

www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html

www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html