The creators of This American Life have created an instant hit in their new podcast, Serial. This first season is an investigation into a 1999 murder of 18-year-old Hae Min Lee. Ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed was arrested and convicted of murder despite pleading innocence and numerous inconsistencies across stories.
Was he actually guilty? Host Sarah Koenig investigates further. Whether you are convinced of Adnan’s guilt, innocence, or have an alternate theory, consider checking out a selection of true crime exposes.
The Lynching of Peter Wheelerby Debra Komar. Following the murder of 14-year-old Annie Kempton in 1896, Peter Wheeler, “dark-skinned and foreign-born” was convicted within two hours and hanged within two weeks. While this case was “among the first in Canada to introduce forensic evidence in a courtroom”, Debra Komar re-examines the evidence and reveals how Peter Wheeler was “the victim of a state-sanctioned lynching, executed for a crime he didn’t commit.”
See How Much You Love Me: a troubled teen, his devoted parents, and a cold-blooded killingby Amber HuntJournalist Amber Hunt investigates the circumstances around the murder of Mary Jo and Blake Hadley, bludgeoned to death by their 17-year-old son, Tyler Hadley. Mary Jo and Blake were aware of their son’s instability but never imagined their lives could be in danger. Tyler had joked about killing his parents before, but no one took it seriously. This riveting and grisly account explores the story—and the mind of the teen—behind the murder.
Practice to Deceiveby Ann RuleFixated by the ambiguity of Hae Min Lee’s case? Convinced there’s a possibility of a third party killer? You may be interested in Ann Rule’s Practice to Deceive, a true-crime story with numerous suspects. Just after Christmas of 2003, Russell Douglas was found shot in the head on Whidbey Island in the Pacific Northwest. Suspects for this case included an aging beauty queen, her guitar-teacher lover, and Russell’s widow, Brenna, owner of the local beauty salon.
