Criminal

In 1985, college student Ian Perkins reconnected with a family friend, Fritz Klenner, who told him a secret. He said he was a CIA agent — and offered to let Ian come along on his next mission.

To listen early to Part 2 of this story, sign up for Criminal Plus at patreon.com/criminal.

Jerry Bledsoe's book is called Bitter Blood. You can read more of Susan Spear's reporting in the Greensboro News and Record.

We're going on tour - and it's a different kind of show than any we've done before. Next week, we'll be in in Durham, NC, and Portland, ME. Find ticket links and updates at ⁠⁠thisiscriminal.com/live⁠⁠.

Say hello on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠. Sign up for our ⁠occasional newsletter⁠. Follow the show and review us on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠.

⁠Sign up for Criminal Plus⁠ to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more.

We also make ⁠This is Love⁠ and ⁠Phoebe Reads a Mystery⁠.

Artwork by ⁠Julienne Alexander⁠. Check out ⁠our online shop⁠.

Episode transcripts are posted on ⁠our website⁠.
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In 2021, a Nigerian man heard from a friend who offered him a job opportunity in the U.K. After he arrived he was taken to a hospital, where he found out that he wasn’t there for a job at all - but instead, for a kidney transplant. Today, Phoebe interviews journalist Alexis Okeowo about an organ trafficking scandal involving one of Nigeria’s most senior politicians.

You can read Alexis Okeowo’s piece for the Guardian here.

You can also watch this interview at youtube.com/criminalpodcast.

Say hello on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Sign up for our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠occasional newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow the show and review us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for Criminal Plus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more.

We also make ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is Love⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Phoebe Reads a Mystery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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In 1978, an investigator in the Harris County DA's office in Houston got a call from an old friend. He told the investigator that he was in jail, that he wanted him to come pick him up — and that he had some information about a case that he thought the investigator would be very interested in.

Pamela Colloff’s book is Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast

We're going on tour - and it's a different kind of show than any we've done before. Upcoming dates in Durham, NC, and Portland, ME, are on sale now. Find ticket links and updates at ⁠thisiscriminal.com/live⁠.

Say hello on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for our occasional newsletter. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts.

Sign up for Criminal Plus to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more.

We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery.

Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop.

Episode transcripts are posted on our website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A conversation with a 911 operator about what happens on the other end of the line – and the day she heard her daughter's voice on the phone.

This episode was originally released in 2024.

We're going on tour - and it's a different kind of show than any we've done before. Upcoming dates in Durham, NC, and Portland, ME, are on sale now. Find ticket links and updates at ⁠thisiscriminal.com/live⁠.

Say hello on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for our occasional newsletter. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts.

Sign up for Criminal Plus to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more.

We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery.

Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop.

Episode transcripts are posted on our website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imagine receiving an email from a stranger that said your therapist’s notes about you would be released onto the internet for all to see — unless you paid a ransom. That’s exactly what happened to 33,000 people in Finland in 2020, and it became the biggest criminal case in the country’s history.

You can read Jenny Kleeman's reporting on this case here, and listen to her BBC podcast, called Ransom Man, here.

You can also watch this interview at ⁠youtube.com/criminalpodcast⁠.

Say hello on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠. Sign up for our ⁠⁠⁠⁠occasional newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow the show and review us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for Criminal Plus⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more.

We also make ⁠⁠⁠⁠This is Love⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Phoebe Reads a Mystery⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠our online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices