Kingdom of Fraud

When Kayla Elliott agreed to be a surrogate mother, she thought she was helping a wealthy Chinese couple add a second child to their family. After the girl was born, the intended mother seemed indifferent. Only later did Kayla discover that Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang had been paying multiple surrogates to carry children to live in their fortress‑like mansion in Los Angeles. The pair had been exploiting the largely unregulated world of surrogacy, establishing their own agency in which women carried the couple’s children. Both investigators and the surrogates were left wondering why these two had gone to such lengths to obtain more than 20 children — and what kind of life those children were living.From the team at In the Dark and The New Yorker comes “The Journey.” Host Ava Kofman investigates how a mysterious, wealthy couple was able to collect more than two dozen babies from surrogates around the country — and questions what the couple’s motivations were. The podcast also explores how the lack of professional regulations and settled case law regarding surrogacy left authorities and gestational carriers with few options.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IN THE DARK: THE JOURNEY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2014, after law professor Dan Markel was murdered in his Florida home, investigators turned to his ex‑wife for answers. The pair were in a contentious custody battle, and Wendi Adelson wanted to move their children closer to her affluent parents and brother. Police arrested the shooter, whose ex‑girlfriend was on the payroll at the Adelson family dental practice. But evidence that any of the relatives paid for the hit was elusive. Nearly a decade after the killing, secret recordings and accomplice testimony finally led investigators to those who orchestrated Markel’s death: his ex‑wife’s brother, Charlie Adelson, and her mother, Donna Adelson.The Hulu true‑crime series “Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel” retraces the twisting investigation into the Adelson family, accused of using a hitman to settle a custody battle. The show not only follows how investigators assembled the pieces and won convictions in the case; it takes a deep dive into the dynamics among a controlling mother, a pampered daughter, a playboy son, and the black sheep of the family.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WELCOME TO THE FAMILY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: Inconvenience store.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jacob Kingston was a member of “The Order,” an insular Mormon polygamist sect, when he built a biodiesel refinery. He partnered with shadowy Armenian businessman Levon Termendzhyan to ship the fuel overseas and take advantage of lucrative tax credits given to renewable energy producers. But the operations were largely on paper, as the company racked up big government checks for fuel never produced. The unlikely pair spun a web full of dirty cops, political connections, and transnational money laundering that ripped American taxpayers off for nearly one billion dollars.In the podcast “Kingdom of Fraud” from Novel and iHeartPodcasts, host Michele McPhee explores one of the largest tax frauds in history and the colorful characters behind it.  The series recounts how members of a polygamist sect and a globe‑trotting fixer exploited a broken system, and how investigators took them down.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "KINGDOM OF FRAUD" BEGING THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

FBI rookie Alice Black believes the death of a billionaire’s son has been staged to look like an overdose. She goes on the hunt for a suspect. Catherine Grace is killing those involved in the underage prostitution ring, seeking revenge for being trafficked and for the death of best friend. While the case progresses, Alice deals with her own trauma as a domestic violence victim forced to work the case with her abusive ex. As both women walk their own paths toward justice, and as their lives start to intertwine, the line between right and wrong begins to blur.Hulu’s crime drama “Furious” stars Emmy Rossum, Lola Petticrew, and Jake Lacy. The series goes beyond the typical police procedural, following women confronting the wounds they carry and the simmering anger beneath them — a force that threatens to consume everything in their lives.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "FURIOUS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: I scream, you scream. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Six months after the 1996 murder of Angie Dodge, Idaho Falls police homed in on a suspect, who later implicated his friend in the crime. After a sham polygraph and 100 hours of intense questioning, Christopher Tapp confessed to his involvement in the killing, despite the lack of evidence implicating him. After Tapp’s conviction, Angie’s mother remained fixated on DNA at the scene pointing to an unknown suspect. When Carol Dodge sifted through all the evidence in her daughter’s case, she was convinced the wrong man was in prison. It would take years of persistence and a discarded cigarette butt to bring justice for everyone affected. In “The Snare” from ABC Audio and 20/20, host Maggie Rulli recounts the wrongful conviction of Christopher Tapp and the efforts by Carol Dodge to find out who really killed her daughter. Using material from the TV news magazine, the podcast takes listeners into the interrogation room where the false confession happened, and into the undercover sting to snare a new suspect in Angie’s death. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE SNARE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mica was a devout member of Myrtle Beach’s Solid Rock Church when she fell in love with Pastor JP Miller, 15 years her senior. Though she seemed to flourish as the pastor’s wife and singer in the church choir, signs began to emerge of her husband’s coercive control. Not long after she filed for divorce, Mica Miller’s body was found in a state park. Her death raised questions whether the church leader had driven his estranged wife to die by suicide - or whether he played a more active role.The Netflix documentary series “Death of the Pastor’s Wife” covers the case of Mica Miller, exploring how her husband used religion, sex, and intimidation to control and manipulate her. Did JP Miller’s unconventional sermons about marriage telegraph his own coercive behavior, eventually leading to tragedy? OUR-SPOILER FREE REVIEWS OF "DEATH OF THE PASTOR'S WIFE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.In Crime of the Week: food fight.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two boys emerge from the woods into a Canadian town claiming to have grown up in the wilderness. What’s the real story behind their appearance? In this CWO Classic Rewind, we’re going back to our discussion from February 10, 2022 of the podcast “Chameleon: Wild Boys” from Campside Media and host Sam Mullins. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On July 4, 2025, Aaron Parsley and his family were enjoying the holiday at their cabin on Texas’s Guadalupe River. But violent thunderstorms caused flash flooding, which swept the house down river with everyone inside it. After a night in which his family fought the current and dangerous debris, his 20-month-old nephew Clay was among the more than 130 people killed - including many children at summer camp. After suffering an unspeakable loss, the Parsleys try to navigate their grief, their guilt, and their unanswerable questions, as they and their neighbors search for a way to move forward. From Texas Monthly comes the podcast “Where the River Took Us.” Host Aaron Parsley and his family offer personal accounts that are intimate, harrowing and heartbreaking. Based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting, Parsley interviews others who suffered losses in the Guadalupe River flood, and learns how they are coping with the tragedy through remembrance, reform, and faith.  OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WHERE THE RIVER TOOK US" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: grab a byte. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A group of quirky characters goes on the hunt for millions of dollars in drugs buried somewhere in Puerto Rico. Their efforts to hit it rich go wildly wrong. In this CWO Classic Rewind, we’ll return to our June 10, 2019 review of the boundary‑breaking Netflix documentary film “The Legend of Cocaine Island,” recorded live in Nashville at PodX. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2020, 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled to Seattle’s Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone, a several block encampment that demonstrators declared to be a police-free area. But one night, Mays was shot to death in a stolen Jeep while protestors and journalists livestreamed the aftermath. Protestors said the group’s internal security forces shot in self-defense, while video shows someone approaching the stopped Jeep and firing at close range. The conflicting narratives have muddied the truth about that night, and Mays’s shooter remains unidentified. From NPR’s “Embedded,” KUOW, and The Seattle Times comes the podcast “We Keep Us Safe.” A team of reporters sifts through the video and re-interview witnesses to explore why a teen was killed and another left with brain damage. The team uncovers new evidence, identifies potential suspects in the shooting of Antonio Mays Jr, and asks why justice at a justice-reform demonstration remains elusive. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WE KEEP US SAFE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: expired! For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Click here to donate to Kevin's WALK-A-MILE IN THEIR SHOES fundraiser.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.