You Cant Make This Up

Using raw, firsthand footage, this documentary film explores the tragic disappearance of Shanann Watts and her two young daughters in Frederick, Colorado. It becomes clear that Shanann’s husband wasn’t the man he appeared to be. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the film's director, Jenny Popplewell. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

Fear City: New York vs The Mafia, chronicles the rise and fall of New York’s most powerful Mafia families from the perspective of the FBI agents and prosecutors who risked their lives to take them down. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the director, Sam Hobkinson. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

 We tweet, we like, and we share — but what are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media? The documentary-drama, The Social Dilemma, explores the dangerous impacts of social networking by talking to the Silicon Valley insiders who know it best. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the film's director, Jeff Orlowski. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

The FBI, Interpol, and entire nations are hunting them down. Millions of dollars have been offered for their capture, yet all but one of these fugitives continue to elude justice. Where are they hiding and who is helping them? The docuseries World's Most Wanted, now streaming on Netflix, profiles five individuals suspected of committing some of the world’s most heinous atrocities. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the Executive Producer of the series, Thomas Zribi. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix. “Missing Witness” is the sixth and final episode of volume one of this series.   In 2003, Lena Chapin confesses that her mother murdered her missing stepfather, Gary McCullough. At the time, Gary had been missing for four years. Not long before Lena is summoned to testify in court about his disappearance— she mysteriously vanishes. Was she killed by her mother to keep quiet? Lena’s sisters will not stop until they find the truth. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "Missing Witness" episode executive producer, Robert Wise. Bob’s relationship with the show spans the life of the entire series. In fact, he was the cinema

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix.  “Berkshires' UFO” is the fifth episode of this series. Over fifty years ago, townspeople from Berkshire County, Massachusetts were traumatized by encounters with an unexplained flying object. In this episode, they come forward with dramatic testimony about the baffling events that took place on the night of September 1, 1969.  In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "Berkshires' UFO" episode director Marcus A. Clarke.  Before the conversation with Marcus, Rebecca also has a discussion with her real-life partner-in-crime and husband, Kevin Flynn. Kevin, who you’ve heard on this podcast before, is an Emmy-award winning for

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix. “No Ride Home” is the fourth episode of this series.  Twenty-three-year-old Alonzo Brooks never returned home after attending a party at a farmhouse in rural Kansas. His body was found a month later only 250 feet from the party location, an area that had already been searched by law enforcement multiple times. Over sixteen years later, the manner and cause of his death still remain unknown. It’s rumored that locals know what happened to Alonzo but nobody’s talking. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "No Ride Home" episode director Marcus A. Clarke.  Before the conversation with Marcus, Rebecca also has a discussion w

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix. “House of Terror” is the third episode of this series. Almost ten years ago, the bodies of five members of an aristocratic French family were found buried under the back porch of their home —a house later dubbed by reporters as ‘The House of Terror.’  The victims — a mother and her four children — were each shot to death while they slept in their beds. Almost the entire Dupont de Ligonnès family massacred except for the father, Xavier, who vanished shortly after the killings. Xavier is the primary suspect. His whereabouts remain unknown. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "House of Terror" episode director Clay Jeter

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations. Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show. Now, the iconic documentary series is on Netflix. “Thirteen Minutes” is the second episode of this series. It's the story of the abduction, disappearance, and murder of Patrice Endres. The 38-year old hairstylist vanished from her salon in Cumming, Georgia in broad daylight during a 13-minute timeframe. Twenty months later, her body was found in a wooded forest, 6 miles from her salon. In this episode, our host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with the "13 Minutes" episode director Jimmy Goldblum.  Before the conversation with Jimmy, Rebecca also has a discussion with her real-life partner-in-crime and husband, Kevin Flynn. Kevin, who you’ve heard on this podcast before, is an Emmy-award winning fo

For over three decades, Unsolved Mysteries engrossed audiences with true tales of missing persons, unsolved murders, and paranormal occurrences - touching on a wide range of stories from UFO sightings to the Kennedy assassinations.     Over 260 cold cases were solved because of tips from viewers of the show.     In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Terry Dunn Meurer, the series co-creator and executive producer. They break down episode one of the series reboot: “Mystery on the Rooftop” about the unexplained death of Rey Rivera.     Before the conversation with Terry, our host Rebecca has a discussion with her real-life partner-in-crime and husband, Kevin Flynn. Kevin, who you’ve heard on this podcast before, is an Emmy-award winning former TV journalist, true crime author, and co-host of the true-crime podcast ‘Crime Writers On’ with Rebecca.     If you have any leads on what might have happened to Rey Rivera go to https://unsolved.com/ to share tips or to learn more about the ext

The show “Unsolved Mysteries” sparked America’s obsession with cold cases and the paranormal from 1987 to 2010.  For decades, the series captivated audiences with true tales & first-person accounts of inexplicable murders turned to cold cases, missing persons, and chilling encounters with the supernatural.  It was one of the first shows of its kind to call on viewers for clues to help solve a real-life mystery. According to the Unsolved website, “Out of more than 1000 cases profiled in 230 episodes, over half the cases featuring wanted fugitives have been solved, most as a result of viewer tips.” Now, a decade after the last show premiered, the cultural phenomenon is back on Netflix on July 1st! Subscribe to the podcast ‘You Can't Make This Up’ for access to a special 6-part-mini-season dedicated to every single new episode featured on Unsolved Mysteries. As Robert Stack, the original Unsolved Mysteries host used to say, "For every mystery, there is someone, somewhere, who knows the truth."

Ten inmates, ten lifelong sentences, ten episodes featuring prisons across the United States. In season 2 of the docuseries I Am A Killer, streaming on Netflix, every episode recounts one prisoner’s memories of the events that led to their crime, underlying motivations, and how they make sense of their lives now. Interviews with victims, their families, and detectives uncover multiple layers to the stories and reignite the debate about rehabilitation and restitution in America’s criminal justice system. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Danny Tipping, the executive producer of the docuseries. This episode contains spoilers so make sure to watch the whole series before listening on. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our guest was recorded in his home and not in a studio. We appreciate your understanding of the change in audio quality.

Jeffrey Epstein is a name that has been attached to headlines for years. Billionaire, American financier, convicted sex offender, now a dead man. Streaming on Netflix, the docuseries Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich focuses on the survivor's perspectives as we hear their painful stories. The series also examines how Epstein evaded the law with his wealth, powerful connections, and network of co-conspirators. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with director Lisa Bryant and executive producer Joe Berlinger. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in a studio. Thank you for understanding the change in audio quality.

Were these six highly televised and dramatic cases defined by headlines, or determined by them? Now streaming on Netflix, the docuseries Trial by Media explores how news coverage and public conversation around high profile crimes have had a lasting impact on United States criminal justice systems and culture. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On…) speaks with CNN’s Chief Legal Analyst, staff writer for the New Yorker, and Executive Producer of Trial By Media, Jeffrey Toobin. There will be spoilers so make sure to watch all of the episodes on Netflix before listening here! A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in a studio. Thank you for understanding the change in audio quality.

In the final episode of our miniseries about The Innocence Files, host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Academy-award winning director, Alex Gibney (Going Clear; The Inventor). Alex’s episodes focus on how individual prosecutors can corrupt the whole justice system, examining cases from Philadelphia, Houston, and rural Michigan.

This is the second episode in the miniseries about the Innocence Files. Host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On..) speaks with returning guest Academy-Award nominated director Liz Garbus (Lost Girls). Liz's block of episodes investigates the misuse of eyewitness testimony and how a person can be swayed into pointing to an innocent bystander.

This is the first episode of a mini-series about The Innocence Files, a documentary series about wrongful convictions, made in consultation with the Innocence Project. Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Academy-award winning director, Roger Ross Williams (God Loves Uganda, Music By Prudence). He directed the first three episodes about bite mark evidence and exonerees Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer, and Keith Harward.

After nearly a decade of working for Massachusetts State Drug Testing labs, two chemists were found to have tampered with evidence connected to tens of thousands of cases against people accused of drug trafficking and possession. How To Fix a Drug Scandal, which is now streaming on Netflix, brings to light the investigation behind the corruption and cover-ups of these cases. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers on…) speaks with Director and Producer Erin Lee Carr about why she chose to tell the stories of chemist’s Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan, discusses the lives of those affected by the chemist’s choices, and about her own journey to sobriety. There will be spoilers so watch all of the episodes on Netflix before listening here! A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in a studio. Please forgive the change in audio quality.

In 2013, Joe Exotic had two husbands, a dedicated staff of misfits, and over 200 tigers in his private zoo. But Joe also had a rivalry with fellow big cat owner, Carole Baskin. When their feud spun out of control, Joe found himself in a cage of his own. In this episode, host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On…) will be speaking with co-directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin. There will be spoilers so make sure you’ve watched all 7 episodes!  A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was not recorded in studios. So there will be a change in audio quality. 

Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On..) talks with director Liz Garbus about her film Lost Girls. Based on the book Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker. The film follows Mari Gilbert (Amy Ryan) as she searches for her missing daughter Shannan. Meanwhile, the police uncover four more bodies and suspect a serial killer is on the loose. There will be spoilers, so make sure you've watched the whole film before pressing play.