The Mystery of the Death Valley Germans
The hosts recount the disappearance of a German family in Death Valley National Park in July 1996, tracing their planned vacation, the discovery of their abandoned minivan, and the initial failed search efforts. They then follow retired civil engineer and desert explorer Tom Mahood's detailed reconstruction of the family's decisions and route, culminating in his 2009 discovery of their remains nine miles south of the van. The episode highlights how misleading maps, underestimated desert danger, and reasonable but tragic choices led to the deaths, while also exploring theories that circulated in the years when the case was cold.
Should the fine have to fit the crime?
The episode follows Alaska bush pilot Ken Jopie, who lost his $95,000 Cessna after being convicted of felony bootlegging for flying a six-pack of beer into a dry village, and has spent over a decade fighting the forfeiture. Through Ken's case, law professor Michael O'Hare and attorney Sam Gedge explain the Eighth Amendment's Excessive Fines Clause, how a 1998 Supreme Court case (Bajikajian) established limits on economic punishments, and how lower courts have since applied that standard unevenly. The conversation explores why fines and forfeitures can be constitutionally excessive, the incentives that drive governments to rely on them, and why Ken's case could prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify the law.
#616 - Retired Boston Detective
Retired Boston police detective Kara Connolly discusses her 31-year career, from working busy 1990s patrol beats in Dorchester and South Boston to becoming a detective and later joining the human trafficking unit. She shares detailed stories about major cases, including armed robberies, a man who cut off his own penis, a baby abandoned in a trash can, long-term human trafficking investigations, and undercover stings targeting sex buyers. The conversation also explores how TV crime shows affect juries, the impact of politics and prosecutors on street-level policing, the emotional toll of the job, and how she is transitioning into retirement in South Carolina.
The Alabama Murders - Part 2: Coon Dog Cemetery Road
Malcolm Gladwell continues his exploration of the Alabama Murders by reconstructing the 1988 killing of Elizabeth Dorleen Sennett, the investigation that followed, and the early suspicions that her preacher husband Charles may have orchestrated the crime. Through interviews with congregants, investigators, and locals, he details the killers' confessions, the red flags in Charles Sennett's behavior, and the eventual revelation of Sennett's infidelity and suicide. Gladwell contrasts the messy, ongoing reality of this case with the tidy resolutions of typical crime stories, introducing the idea of a 'failure cascade' in the justice system.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Hinterkaifeck Axe Murders
Hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant recount the 1922 Hinterkaifeck axe murders in rural Bavaria, where six members of the Gruber household, including a new maid, were brutally killed on their isolated farm. They walk through the eerie lead-up of strange noises and footprints, the grisly discovery and forensic details, and the major suspects, especially neighbor Lorenz Schlittenbauer, while discussing why the case remains officially unsolved. The episode ends with lighter tangents about Steve Guttenberg and a listener mail story about a formative hunting experience.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: SYSK Live: The DB Cooper Heist
In this live episode recorded in Seattle, hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant recount the 1971 hijacking of Northwest Orient Flight 305 by a man calling himself Dan Cooper, better known as D.B. Cooper. They walk through the hijacking step by step, the FBI and law enforcement response, the subsequent manhunt and investigation, later discoveries like the Tina Bar cash find, and the many suspects proposed over the years. The episode also explores how the case shaped aviation security, spawned a subculture of "Cooperists," and grew into a lasting American true-crime legend that remains officially unsolved.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: Who Committed the 1912 Villisca Ax Murders?
The hosts recount the 1912 Villisca axe murders in Iowa, describing the Moore family and Stillinger girls, the killer's methodical actions inside the house, and the chaotic discovery that destroyed much of the crime scene evidence. They examine early suspects including state senator Frank F. Jones and traveling preacher George Kelly, then lay out the modern theory that the crime was likely part of a series of connected Midwestern axe murders committed by an unidentified serial killer using the railroad. The episode closes with a listener email about how their earlier hookworm episode helped a listener's cousin finally receive an accurate medical diagnosis.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Tylenol Murders, Part I
Josh and Chuck recount the 1982 Chicago-area Tylenol murders, in which seven people died after ingesting cyanide-laced extra-strength Tylenol capsules. They walk through the broader context of a tense year in America, the detailed timeline of each victim's death, how investigators discovered cyanide in the capsules, and the ensuing public panic and copycat tampering incidents. The episode closes with the formation of a multi-agency task force and the leading "mad poisoner" theory that the tampering occurred at or around retail stores rather than in the factory.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Harvey's Casino Bombing of 1980
The hosts recount the 1980 Harvey's Casino bombing in Lake Tahoe, a meticulously planned extortion attempt involving a uniquely sophisticated 1,000‑pound dynamite bomb that ultimately detonated without injuring anyone. They walk through the placement of the bomb, the detailed ransom note and helicopter instructions, the failed money drop, the FBI's risky attempt to disable the device, and the investigation that led to mastermind John Waldo Burgess Sr., his family, and accomplices. The episode closes with listener mail about using positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) in child behavior management.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Strange Unsolved Murder of Ken McElroy
Hosts Josh and Chuck recount the history of Ken Rex McElroy, a violent criminal who terrorized the small town of Skidmore, Missouri for decades through theft, assault, sexual abuse of minors, and systematic intimidation of witnesses and officials. They describe how repeated failures of the legal system and law enforcement to stop him culminated in a daytime vigilante killing in front of dozens of townspeople, none of whom ever cooperated with investigators. The episode explores McElroy's background, his pattern of coercive marriages to underage girls, the shooting of grocer Bo Bowenkamp, the town meeting that preceded his death, and the unresolved questions around who pulled the trigger.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Harrowing Story of the North Hollywood Shootout
The hosts recount the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, detailing the backgrounds of bank robbers Larry Phillips and Emil Matasoranu, their prior crimes, the meticulously planned Bank of America robbery, and the ensuing 44‑minute gun battle with hundreds of police officers. They describe how the event exposed gaps in police firepower, contributed to the militarization of U.S. police forces, and raised ethical questions about medical treatment of wounded suspects. In a closing listener mail segment, they read and respond to a detailed correction from Kenton "Factor" Grua's widow about a previous episode, emphasizing accuracy and sensitivity when portraying real people.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Unsolved Indiana Dunes Disappearances
Hosts Josh Clark and Charles "Chuck" Bryant examine the unsolved 1966 disappearance of three young women-Patricia Blau, Ann Miller, and Renee Brule-from Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan. They reconstruct the women's last known movements, the delayed but extensive search, and eyewitness reports involving mysterious boats. The hosts then explore multiple theories ranging from accidental drowning to links with an illegal abortion clinic and a violent Chicago crime figure, emphasizing how little hard evidence exists and how haunting the lack of resolution is for the families.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: How The Great Train Robbery Worked
Josh Clark and Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant walk through the 1963 Great Train Robbery in the UK, in which a gang robbed the Glasgow-to-London mail train of around £2.6 million without using guns. They explain how the plan came together, how the heist was executed, the role of the inside man, and how forensic mistakes at a rural hideout helped police track the robbers. The hosts also cover the dramatic trials, harsh sentences, escapes and long years on the run-especially Ronald Biggs-along with the robbery's cultural legacy and a closing listener segment about fermented horse milk (kumis).