True Crime Reports

In 1944, amid the harsh glare of Jim Crow, 14-year-old George Stinney Jr. was strapped into South Carolina’s electric chair after a trial that lasted just a single day. With no physical evidence, no defense witnesses, and an all-white jury that deliberated for ten minutes, he was convicted of murdering two white girls.

Nearly seven decades later, a judge threw out the verdict. What does George’s story tell us about the US justice system and the ways it continues to fail African-Americans?

In this episode:

• Matthew Burgess (@MattBurgessLaw ), Criminal Defence Attorney
• Dr Melanie Holmes, Assistant Professor of African American Studies

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez.

Production Managers: Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

In the 1950s, fear gripped the Philippines as rumors of a blood-drinking vampire spread across the countryside. One chilling death sparked widespread panic, leaving villagers to wonder if a supernatural predator was lurking in the shadows. At the same time, the CIA was locked in a brutal struggle against communist Huk rebels, deploying a mysterious operative named Edward Lansdale to lead covert operations. But how far did Lansdale go to crush the rebellion?

In this episode: 

• Michael Pante(@Michael_Pante), historian
• Allan Derain (@LBC3871), folklorist

Episode credits: 

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez.

Production Managers: Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Music Editor: Ivan Eastley 

Video Editor and Graphics: Omar Al-Ashi, Blu Posner

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Could the unthinkable be true? In the aftermath of the Bosnian War — a conflict marked by atrocities and genocide — rumors swirled of wealthy outsiders flying into war-torn Sarajevo to pay for a gruesome and forbidden thrill: hunting humans for sport.

What sort of person would take part in a human safari?

In this episode:

• Mirsad Sijarić, Sniper Alley witness and director of National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Azem Kurtić (@AzemKurtic), Bosnian journalist

Episode credits: 

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez.

Production Managers: Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Music Editor: Ivan Eastley 

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Many thanks to Arsmedia for providing clips from 'Sarajevo Safari', produced by Arsmedia, directed by Miran Zupanič.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

Thank you for joining us for the first 10 episodes of True Crime Reports.

We’ll be taking a mid-season break, but have no fear, we will be back with 10 more episodes!

In the meantime, catch up on the latest episodes and share your thoughts with us, we enjoy reading your comments. See you June 1st.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

With the charm of a family man and the cunning of a criminal mastermind, Tse Chi Lop lived a life cloaked in contradictions. 

Behind his mild-mannered demeanor lay the ruthless leader of Asia’s most powerful drug syndicate—a vast empire built on the billion-dollar trade of crystal meth.

How did a seemingly unremarkable man rise to the top of the global narcotics underworld? And how did he evade the grasp of international law enforcement for so many years?

In this episode: 

• Dr Hai Luong (@DrHaiThanhLuong), criminology researcher
• Tom Allard (@tom_allard), journalist

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez.

Production Managers: Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

For nearly 40 years, a secretive colony in the Chilean countryside hid unspeakable horrors: child abuse, torture, and a twisted legacy of Nazism. Colonia Dignidad, led by ex-Nazi Paul Schäfer, thrived not just as a cult but as a brutal tool of oppression during Chile’s Pinochet regime. How did this enclave evade justice for so long—and why did the Chilean government turn a blind eye, or worse, offer its support?

In a story that goes right to the heart of the German and Chilean governments, what justice can the victims themselves hope for?

In this episode: 

• Winfried Hempel, (@WinfriedHempel), Lawyer and Colonia Dignidad Survivor
• Evelyn Hevia, (@evelynheviajordan), Colonia Dignidad Researcher

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. 

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez.

Production Managers: Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Translation by Diana Larrea Maccise.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

What if an online game could push teenagers to their darkest edge? The Blue Whale Challenge is rumored to have taken lives around the globe, igniting fear, panic, and speculation between parents. From Russia’s nationwide hysteria to stories of tragic teenage deaths worldwide, the phenomenon shocked millions. But does this deadly game even exist?

In this episode: 

• Evgenii Berg (@genuine_berg), journalist
• Elizabeth Tucker (@libby.tucker.39), folklorist

Episode credits: 

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. 

Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari.

Production Managers: Archan Mohile and Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

Was al-Assad's Syria a narco-state?

Captagon—a deadly, addictive amphetamine—has turned Syria into the heart of a $2 billion drug empire few know about, with the Assad regime at the center of it all. From secret labs to smuggling routes, we uncover how this shadowy network operates and its devastating impact across the Middle East.

With the regime’s fall, what happens to this illicit empire?

In this episode: 

• Caroline Rose (@CarolineRose8), director at New Lines Institute
• Dania Albaba (@daniaonfire), expert in addiction psychiatry 

Episode credits: 

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. 

Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari.

Production Managers: Archan Mohile and Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

How far will Western powers go for conservation?

In 2015, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, guards shot and killed an Indigenous boy searching for herbs with his father.

This tragedy spotlights the violence faced by Indigenous communities from international conservation efforts.

Is human life the cost of wildlife protection?

In this episode: 

• Fiore Longo (@LongoFiore), campaigner at Survival International (@Survival)
• Members of the Batwa Community

Video episode link: 

• https://youtu.be/Ug3zh54s3Tw 

Correction at 07:21: The figure here states “There are now only around 250 eastern lowland gorillas in the park." Recent surveys have revised the 2015 population of Eastern lowland gorillas to be c.1,500.

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. 

Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari.

Production Manager: Archan Mohile.

Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf.

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

We all know a scamming story: Someone rings or texts you, trying to get your personal information or asking you to log in to your account. But what you might not know is that the person behind that phone could be someone who’s been trafficked and enslaved.

Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in scamming farms across Southeast Asia. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry, and it’s a chronically underreported story on modern-day slavery.

In this episode: 

• Mary Ann Jolley, (@jolleyma), Journalist

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. 

Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari.

Production Manager: Archan Mohile.

Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf.

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Translation by Fei Liu.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube