The Summer of Fear: Chasing the Cross-Country Killers Alton Coleman and Debra Brown

In the summer of 1984, a wave of inexplicable violence swept across the American Midwest, leaving a trail of victims in its wake. At its heart were Alton Coleman and his accomplice, Debra Brown—a couple bound by a shared compulsion for brutality. This is the story of one of the most extensive manhunts in FBI history, a desperate, multi-state race against time to stop their spree. Unravel the mystery alongside the Bureau's greatest law enforcers and forensic scientists as they piece together clues from a series of crime scenes, navigate the pressure of a terrified public, and use every resource to anticipate the next move of two unpredictable killers who seemed to strike without reason or remorse.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

In December 1989, the quiet town of Noel, Missouri, was shattered when the Agofsky brothers stormed its local bank, unleashing a torrent of violence that left the community wounded and triggered a massive FBI response. This is the gripping story of that bloody heist and the nationwide manhunt that followed. Unravel the mystery alongside the FBI's greatest law enforcers and forensic scientists as they pursue the brothers across state lines, employing ballistic analysis, witness interrogation, and cutting-edge (for its time) investigative techniques to track the fugitives. It's a relentless pursuit of justice for a small town caught in the crosshairs of ruthless ambition.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

In the vast, rugged wilderness of Alaska, a respected baker and family man, Robert Hansen, was hiding a monstrous secret. For over a decade, he was stalking a different kind of prey, abducting women and releasing them into the wild only to hunt them down for sport. This is the story of the groundbreaking FBI investigation that connected the disappearances of dancers and sex workers to a single, methodical killer. Unravel the mystery alongside the Bureau's pioneering profilers and forensic scientists as they decode a literal map of burial sites drawn by the killer himself, using behavioral science and physical evidence to corner a man who turned the Alaskan frontier into his personal hunting ground.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

When a respected city judge, Vincent Sherry, and his wife, Margaret, are found brutally murdered in their Biloxi home, it sends a shockwave of fear through the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The investigation quickly points to a sinister force: the Dixie Mafia. This is the story of the relentless FBI pursuit to untangle a web of corruption, contract killers, and a conspiracy that reached into the heart of the city. Unravel the mystery alongside the Bureau's greatest law enforcers and forensic scientists as they work to expose the truth, proving that no one is above the law, and that even the most powerful criminal network can be brought to justice for targeting the very symbol of it.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

In the 1990s, the line between cop and criminal in New Orleans was dangerously blurred. A sprawling FBI investigation uncovered a nest of corruption, revealing officers who were not just on the take, but active participants in the city's violent drug trade. This is the story of that landmark probe, where the FBI's greatest law enforcers and forensic accountants faced a unique challenge: investigating the very institution sworn to uphold the law. Unravel the mystery as federal agents turn the tools of justice—wiretaps, stings, and forensic accounting—against a police department, fighting to dismantle a poisonous alliance from within.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

The case began not with a name, but with a scene: the body of an unidentified young woman discovered along a highway in a quiet Pennsylvania town. For years, she was known only as a Jane Doe, her story a silent mystery. This is the journey to give her a name—Dawn Marie Birnbaum—and to unravel the truth of her tragic fate. Follow the FBI's greatest law enforcers and forensic scientists as they employ groundbreaking genetic genealogy and relentless detective work to bridge the gap from an anonymous victim to a identified life, piecing together her final days in a determined quest for answers and long-overdue justice.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

The hunt for Genaro Ruiz Camacho was a pursuit of two intersecting trails: one of drugs, and one of blood. As a prolific trafficker operating in the shadows of the border, Camacho built a formidable empire. But when his business was threatened, he revealed his true nature as a ruthless killer, leaving a trail of bodies to cover his tracks. This case follows the FBI's greatest law enforcers and forensic scientists as they embark on a complex dual mission. Using wiretaps, informants, and crime scene analysis, they must untangle Camacho's web of narcotics and connect it to his violent crimes, racing to map the full scope of his operation before he can vanish back into the underworld he commanded.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

In the humid heat of South Carolina in 1985, a predator named Larry Gene Bell unleashed a wave of terror that was as psychologically cruel as it was violent. His weapon wasn't just a gun; it was the telephone, which he used to torment the families of his victims with chilling, taunting calls. This is the story of the desperate manhunt to stop him, a race against time led by the FBI's elite profilers and forensic scientists. As Bell preyed on the tight-knit communities of the Lowcountry, investigators had to decipher the mind of a killer who believed he was on a righteous mission, using every tool from psychological warfare to cutting-edge forensics to trace the voice of fear before he could claim another life.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

When a former Motown Records producer, Lawrence Horn, arranged the brutal murders of his own family for a massive inheritance, the investigation led to a chilling revelation: the hit man, James Perry, appeared to have used a book—the true-crime manual Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors—as a step-by-step guide. This case delves into the FBI's meticulous work to untangle the murder-for-hire plot and the ensuing legal firestorm that put the book itself on trial. Unravel the mystery alongside agents and forensic scientists as they confront a unprecedented question: can a book be an accessory to murder?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) became the weapon of choice for the FBI in their war against New York City's most elusive drug lord: Clarence Heatley. Operating with brazen efficiency, Heatley's empire seemed untouchable—until federal agents built a devastating RICO case, treating his entire organization as a criminal enterprise. This investigation unpacks how the FBI's greatest law enforcers and forensic accountants meticulously connected the dots between the street-level violence and the kingpin in the shadows, using wiretaps, financial records, and insider testimony to bring a devastating end to his reign.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.