NYC’s first Chief Medical Examiner was furious when he learned that the government was poisoning what had become one of bootleggers’ main sources of alcohol during Prohibition. He wrote, “The U.S. Government must be charged with the moral responsibility for the deaths.” buff.ly/4IZ9fm9

During Prohibition, people in New York City would distill whatever they had to make alcohol - including furniture and shoes. What they didn’t know is that they were making something very dangerous. “You started seeing this scattering of deaths.” Listen to our latest, “The Formula” buff.ly/4IZ9fm9

The night before Prohibition went into effect in 1920, there were cocktail parties all around New York - people dressed up like they were going to a funeral - with black top hats and veils - and drank in rooms draped in black fabric, with coffins to collect empty bottles. buff.ly/4IZ9fm9

On Christmas Eve in 1926, a man came running into a New York hospital screaming that Santa Claus had been chasing him with a baseball bat. Soon, he died. And then more people started dying. This was happening around the country - because of a plan created by the U.S. government. pod.link/809264944

New episode tomorrow.

Before they were a year old, the Ontario government passed an act to make the minister of public welfare the “Special Guardian” of the Dionne quintuplets. Until age nine, they were raised by nurses in a custom hospital. Thousands of people visited a day to watch them on a playground behind glass.

"Life in a glass house is not conducive to normal human development... babies are not fishes." New this week: pod.link/809264944/ep...

No quintuplets in recorded medical history had ever lived more than 50 days when Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe helped deliver Elzire and Oliva Dionne’s five babies. Immediately, the Chicago World’s Fair asked to exhibit them. This week, a new episode with author Sarah Miller: pod.link/809264944/ep...

When Elzire Dionne gave birth to five identical babies in Ontario, she caught the attention of reporters hundreds of miles away – and the attention of the legislature. The welfare minister said, “These children are our own royal family.” New episode today: pod.link/809264944

New episode tomorrow 👀

When Nicole Daedone started offering “orgasmic meditation” courses through her company, OneTaste, it attracted a lot of attention. But then, the FBI started investigating. Today on Criminal Plus, Phoebe talks with reporter and author Ellen Huet about the story. Sign up at patreon.com/criminal.

When Cecilia Gentili died in 2024, over 1,000 people attended her funeral. She told us, “I think some of us find our community with our own family; some of us don't. For those that don't find their own community with their own families, there is a family out there.” Listen: pod.link/809264944

Cecilia Gentili met another trans person for the first time when she was 17 years old. “And it was like this huge realization of first of all, I'm not crazy. Second of all, I may not be an extraterrestrial.” pod.link/809264944

Cecilia Gentili came to the U.S. from Argentina in 2000. "Whatever got better in terms of me being trans in the United States, got worse in terms of being undocumented. And of course, the only thing that I knew how to do was sex work, besides hair. And that's what I did." pod.link/809264944

When Cecilia Gentili was growing up in Argentina, she felt so different from everyone around her that she thought she might be from another planet. “I think that we are all aliens until we find our communities.” Today: a favorite conversation from 2019. pod.link/809264944

This week on Criminal Plus: Phoebe brings in a trivia question with a horrifying answer. Plus - Lauren and Phoebe discuss what Phoebe learned from an interview with a survival psychologist, and a small talk strategy. Join now to listen at www.patreon.com/Criminal!

Listen to our latest: buff.ly/1UWEBgK

When 13 women were found dead in 1980s Miami, a forensic pathologist said the cause was something called “excited delirium.” But things didn’t add up. “The Chief Medical examiner reviewed all the deaths. And what he found was pretty startling.” buff.ly/1UWEBgK

The newsroom New York Focus got access to a Rochester Police Department training presentation, describing something called “excited delirium.” The presentation includes photos of a naked zombie, Jordan Peele, and the Incredible Hulk. Listen to our latest episode: buff.ly/1UWEBgK

When Angelo Quinto died, his family said police were responsible for his death. But a lawyer told them his official cause of death would likely be something called “excited delirium.” His mother asked: “What is that? What is excited delirium?” New episode out today: pod.link/809264944

New episode tomorrow.

In the late 1970s, Asian American students at UC Berkeley did whatever they could to help raise money for Chol Soo Lee's defense fund - they held car washes, sold food, and even wrote a song: “The Ballad of Chol Soo Lee." www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjCC...

Journalist K.W. Lee spent months interviewing Chol Soo Lee in prison about his story. He wrote a two-part series for the Sacramento Union about what he called an “unreal, Alice-in-Chinatown murder case where the deck was stacked against him.” pod.link/809264944

After a gang leader was murdered in San Francisco’s Chinatown, the only witnesses who would talk with police were tourists. They looked through “mug books” - and pointed out a man named Chol Soo Lee. Today, a story from the Smithsonian's Sidedoor podcast (@sidedoorpod.bsky.social) pod.link/809264944

Mary Surratt was one of eight people tried for conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln. In June of 1865, she was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. It was the first time the United States government had given a death sentence to a woman. buff.ly/zcmNSgN

In 1864, a 41-year-old woman named Mary Surratt was running a boarding house in Washington, D.C. One of the most famous actors in the country began visiting her – John Wilkes Booth – which led to her becoming known as the woman who “kept the nest that hatched the egg." buff.ly/zcmNSgN

John Wilkes Booth made his stage debut when he was 17. People described him as “passionate” and “handsome.” By 1865 he was one of the most famous actors in the country. He also was a well-known Confederate sympathizer. “He really was obsessed.” buff.ly/zcmNSgN

New today: the mother and son who helped John Wilkes Booth try to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln. pod.link/809264944

New episode tomorrow.

New on Criminal Plus: Who was stealing book manuscripts - and why? Phoebe talks with @reeveswiedeman.bsky.social about the mystery, and why he tried to solve it. If you're not a Criminal Plus member yet, use the code "PLUS25" for 25% off an annual membership. Sign up at patreon.com/criminal.

“We had never seen that amount of money in our bank accounts. And I think that changed something a little bit - because my head started to be like, ‘Hmm, is this a crime?’” Listen to “The Big Lie”: buff.ly/sb5yMlu

In the early 2000s, the hip hop group Silibil N’ Brains seemed like they were on the brink of becoming very famous. They had a record deal with Sony, had been on MTV, and were talking about making a TV show. But they weren’t who they said they were. buff.ly/sb5yMlu

In our latest, a story about doing whatever it takes to make your dreams come true — even if it means watching episodes of Friends over and over. buff.ly/sb5yMlu

In today’s new episode: Scottish accents, Eminem, MTV's Total Request Live, and one really big lie. Listen here: pod.link/809264944

Coming tomorrow on Criminal.

On today's new Criminal Plus - an uncooperative plane passenger, "finger princesses," and Dave Matthews concerts. This episode is unlocked and available for everyone to listen to! If you want to join Criminal Plus, use "PLUS25" for 25% off an annual membership. Sign up at patreon.com/criminal.

Police believed that Denise Williams and Brian Winchester had murdered Denise’s husband, Mike. But they had no proof – until 16 years after Mike disappeared. “They’d been waiting for Brian and Denise to turn on each other, and now it had happened.” Our latest: buff.ly/m14J6TF

Denise Williams and Brian Winchester were having an affair, but it went against Denise’s beliefs to divorce her husband, Mike. So they came up with another way to decide what to do. Hear the full story: buff.ly/m14J6TF

When Mike Williams went missing while duck hunting on Lake Seminole, investigators wondered if he had been eaten by alligators. But Mike’s mother was sure something else had happened. New today: pod.link/809264944

Tomorrow on Criminal.

In 1980, Alan Abel had a friend call the New York Times to report that he had died. Two days later, for the first time in the paper’s history, the Times had to retract an obituary. More in our latest episode: buff.ly/QZ7U2n1

An imposter at the Super Bowl. Boxer shorts for horses. A skiing accident. This week, the story of one couple and their many hoaxes: buff.ly/QZ7U2n1

In 1963, Jeanne and Alan Abel traveled to the White House. They said they were part of a campaign that wanted to put clothes on animals — including the first lady’s horse. Listen to our latest episode: pod.link/809264944

Today on Criminal Plus: Phoebe and Lauren decide to start a Criminal Plus reading club with a Hemingway short story. Plus, Phoebe’s daily routine, and the worst astrological sign. Join now to listen, and to read along with us at patreon.com/criminal!

Episode 349 with @davidgrann.bsky.social out now: buff.ly/jo9EuKV

During a murder investigation in Poland, a detective assigned members of his squad to read chapters of a novel – and asked them to look for clues. New episode: buff.ly/jo9EuKV

While investigating a cold case, a Polish detective discovered an unusual clue – a novel that contained an odd number of similarities to the real-life unsolved murder. Our latest: buff.ly/jo9EuKV

In today’s new episode, @davidgrann.bsky.social came into the studio to tell Phoebe a story we’ve been interested in for over a decade – about a man who became a murder suspect because of a novel he wrote. Listen here: pod.link/809264944

When her ex-husband began making threats, Karen Palmer didn’t know what to do. At the time, stalking was not yet a crime in California or anywhere in the United States. buff.ly/aRV0Ib5

When Karen Palmer filed for divorce from her husband Gil, she didn’t tell him it was because she had fallen in love with a friend of theirs named Vinnie. When Gil found out, he cut up her family photos - she found one of her and Vinnie that looked like it had been stabbed. buff.ly/aRV0Ib5