Best Rick Kay Podcasts (2025)

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Conversation Rewind with Margalit Fox: Conan Doyle for the Defense 46:35

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6d ago46:35

46:35

One of the most incredible stories in true crime is the tale of Arthur Conan Doyle and how he helped free a man…who was innocent of murder. Author Margalit Fox offers us a deep dive into the characters in her book, Conan Doyle for the Defense. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2…

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Rachel McCarthy James: Whack Job 54:22

13d ago54:22

54:22

When Rachel McCarthy James and her father wrote their best-selling book The Man from the Train, Rachel became fascinated with axes. Were they good weapons during murders? What kind of killer used them? She wrote the story of the axe in her book Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promoti…

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Dick Harpootlian: Dig Me a Grave 48:27

19d ago48:27

48:27

Dick Harpootlian might be a name you recognize. He’s from South Carolina, and he’s one of Alex Murdaugh’s defense attorneys. He’s also been a prosecutor. And one of his most disturbing defendants was serial killer Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins. Dick tells me the story from his book: Dig Me a Grave. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor dea…

1
Yepoka Yeebo: Anansi’s Gold 45:00

26d ago45:00

45:00

The popular former president of Ghana was once accused of hiding gold from the West African country’s government. But it turns out that he was targeted by an audacious con artist who pulled off one of the 20th century's longest running and most spectacular frauds. Author Yepoka Yeebo tells me the story in her book: Anansi's Gold. Support this podca…

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Rod Sadler: Depraved Obsession 55:58

1M ago55:58

55:58

For more than a decade, a serial killer stalked teenage boys in Michigan. Ronald Lloyd Bailey was eventually caught. But the story becomes more complicated because of Bailey’s experience at one of the state’s most respected psychiatric hospitals. Author Rod Sadler tells me the story in his book: Depraved Obsession. Support this podcast by shopping …

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Ceri Jackson: The Boy from Tiger Bay 59:25

1M ago59:25

59:25

Almost 40 years ago, a brutal murder on Valentine’s Day shook the country of Wales. When a 20-year-old is murdered in a dark corner of Cardiff’s infamous Tiger Bay area, the police launch an investigation. But did they arrest the wrong people because they were desperate to close the case? Author Ceri Jackson tells me the story from her book: The Bo…

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Dane Huckelbridge: Queen of All Mayhem 1:07:53

2M ago1:07:53

1:07:53

We hear a lot about gunslingers and outlaws in the American West, and those stories are mostly about men. But there were female outlaws, too—like Belle Starr, probably the most famous of them all. Her murder was a mystery. But her life was extraordinary. Author Dane Huckelbridge tells me about Belle and his book: Queen of All Mayhem. Support this p…

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Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee: Shadow of the Bridge 1:04:18

2M ago1:04:18

1:04:18

The murders of Liberty German and Abigail Williams in Delphi, Indiana shook the country. But the impact of the attention, the speculation and the fear is still felt in the community. Now podcasters Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee have written a book about the case, but it feels different from other investigations. Their book does focus on the case, bu…

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Rich Cohen: Murder in the Dollhouse 56:27

2M ago56:27

56:27

The disappearance in 2019 of Jennifer Dulos is one of the most chilling stories I’ve ever read about. When the mother of five vanished from her wealthy Connecticut suburb, her estranged husband became the prime suspect. But when Fotis Dulos ended his own life, the mystery deepened. Author Rich Cohen has the inside story in his book, Murder in the D…

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Jane Borden: Cults Like Us 50:21

2M ago50:21

50:21

What is the origin story of cults? Author Jane Borden says it goes all the way back to the Puritans and their doomsday beliefs. She says that from the beginning, we’ve been a nation of easy marks for con artists and manipulators. She tells me about her book, Cults Like Us. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at …

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Anne Soon Choi: L.A. Coroner 45:18

3M ago45:18

45:18

When you write a biography about a man dubbed “Coroner to the Stars,” it’s bound to be a compelling story. Who doesn’t want to read about the coroner who performed the autopsies on Marilyn Monroe, RFK, and Natalie Wood, among others? Author Anne Soon Choi tells me about her book, “L.A. Coroner.” Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor d…

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Patricia Cornwell: Scarpetta 1:04:40

3M ago1:04:40

1:04:40

I’ve interviewed quite a few authors who are inspired by real people or real crimes. And then they write these fantastic novels. Patricia Cornwell’s iconic character, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, has a legion of fans because of how clever she is as a medical examiner, how she solves a mystery. Cornwell was working with Virginia’s first female chief ME Dr. Ma…

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Ross Halperin: Bear Witness 1:06:00

3M ago1:06:00

1:06:00

A gang in a mountain barrio in Honduras terrorized the people there for years. The police claimed that their hands were tied because witnesses refused to testify. An American sociologist and a Honduran schoolteacher devised a plan to protect their neighbors by taking matters into their own hands. Author Ross Halperin tells me the story in his book:…

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Michael Beach Nichols: Perfect Wife 1:03:52

3M ago1:03:52

1:03:52

Most of us have heard about Sherri Papini. She’s the woman who faked her own kidnapping in 2016, which terrified her husband and soon sparked outrage in her Northern California community. Michael Beach Nichols is the director and producer of the Hulu series, “Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini.” He tells US about his experi…

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Bryan Burrough: The Gunfighters 50:22

3M ago50:22

50:22

We’ve heard from my buddy Bryan Burrough before for one of his Audible books based on a true crime story. His new book is very different. It’s called The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild. Enough said. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my boo…

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James Polchin: Shadow Men 59:21

4M ago59:21

59:21

Our story this week is set in the 1920s in Westchester County, New York…it’s a Jazz Age mystery. A young ex-sailor is found dead on a desolate road. A suspect from a wealthy family admits to the murder, but he claims that he was trying to protect a dangerous secret. Author James Polchin’s book, Shadow Men unravels a mystery more than a century old.…

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Dan Slater: The Incorruptibles 59:01

4M ago59:01

59:01

New York in the early 1900s was filled with people trying to make their lives better. But for many, the rise of organized crime kept them in constant fear. On the Lower East Side, Jewish criminals from Eastern Europe formed crime syndicates. There were gangs of horse poisoners, casino owners, thieves and thugs. But then a group of Jewish uptowners …

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Tanya Talaga: The Knowing 56:48

4M ago56:48

56:48

If you’ve ever dug deep into your family history, you know that there are sometimes surprises. Author Tanya Talaga discovered that the life of her great-great grandmother Annie Carpenter was mostly unknown because she was Indigenous. It’s a struggle that many Indigenous people in Canada have: how do you learn about your family’s past without crucia…

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Alex Eliseev: Cold Case Confession 56:51

4M ago56:51

56:51

This week on Wicked Words on Exactly Right: in 1999, a woman named Betty Ketani went missing in Johannesburg, South Africa. She just vanished from the restaurant where she was working. Then a letter found 13 years later changed everything. Author Alex Eliseev tells me about his book Cold Case Confession—a real Agatha Christie story. Support this po…

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Megan Abbott: El Dorado Drive 58:40

5M ago58:40

58:40

New York Times’ best-selling author Megan Abbott often uses true crime stories as a jumping off point for her wildly popular novels. Now she has a new book out called El Dorado Drive. It’s about three sisters who become entangled in a pyramid scheme that turns very dark. The real story behind the novel is so strange, it’s hard to know what really h…

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Caroline Fraser: Murderland 53:12

5M ago53:12

53:12

This week’s author grew up in the Pacific Northwest with the memories of notorious serial killers like Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer, who also lived there. But the region wasn’t just home to those two murderers: there were many more. Was there a connection between the Pacific Northwest’s most infamous killers…and its incredible amounts of po…

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Matthew McGough + Rick Jackson: Black Tunnel White Magic 1:03:43

5M ago1:03:43

1:03:43

In 1990, a UCLA student was found murdered in a tunnel in LA. Detective Rick Jackson and his partner were assigned to the complicated case. Who had a motive to stab Ronald Baker? Was the pentagram pendant around his neck a clue? Author Matthew McGough and Detective Rick Jackson tell the story in their book, Black Tunnel White Magic: A Murder, a Det…

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Elon Green: The Man Nobody Killed 48:29

5M ago48:29

48:29

We’ve had journalist Elon Green on before to talk about his fantastic book Last Call. His new book is about an inspiring young Black artist in 1980s New York. Michael Stewart ended up dead after encountering a Transit Authority police officer at a 14th Street subway station late one night. Witnesses say that police beat him to death, and it made na…

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Jonquilyn Hill: Through the Cracks 52:19

6M ago52:19

52:19

When an 8-year-old disappeared from a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. in 2014, nobody noticed for 18 days, even her family. Seven years later, Relisha Rudd has never been found. The Through the Cracks podcast investigates gaps in our society and the people who fall through them. Host Jonquilyn Hill asks what could have been done to find Relish…

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Mary Kay McBrayer: Madame Queen 47:02

6M ago47:02

47:02

This week on Wicked Words we’re traveling back to 1923 Harlem and its seedy world of gambling and racketeering. Author Mary Kay McBrayer tells me about Stephanie St. Clair. She was one of the only female crime bosses in the city. Madame Queen was also a Black, self-made businesswoman. And a legend. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponso…

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Duncan McCue: Kuper Island 1:02:41

6M ago1:02:41

1:02:41

Kuper Island is a remarkable podcast, an investigation into one of Canada’s most notorious so called Indian residential schools. Journalist Duncan McCue explores the unsolved death of a student, a tragedy that sheds light on rampant abuse and exposes the trauma of three survivors. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promot…

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Thomas Maier: The Invisible Spy 1:00:08

6M ago1:00:08

1:00:08

I love a good spy story. We’ve talked about spies embedded with the American government. We’ve discussed librarians and academics researching in the basement of the Library of Congress during World War II. And now we’re talking with Thomas Maier about a very unlikely spy, a former football player turned spy for Churchill. It’s all in his book, The …

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Virginia Feito: Victorian Psycho 49:49

7M ago49:49

49:49

Occasionally we interview fiction authors who use true crime stories as jumping off points for their novels. Virginia Feito wrote a book called “Victorian Psycho.” And it’s based on several cases you’ve likely heard of. There’s a lecherous head of house, a jealous wife…and a violent governess. Very violent. Feito uses gallows humor to take real sto…

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Claire St. Amant: Killer Story 59:39

7M ago59:39

59:39

I’m so excited about this interview. It’s with Claire St. Amant. She’s a journalist and an author. And she was a TV producer for 48 Hours and 60 Minutes. Now she’s pulling back the curtain on true crime television. I learned a lot from her. She’s talking about her memoir: Killer Story. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and p…

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Gilbert King: Bone Valley 1:04:29

7M ago1:04:29

1:04:29

We might have our first Pulitzer Prize winner on our show. Author Gilbert King digs into cases of wrongful conviction. Today, we’re talking about his outstanding podcast, Bone Valley Season 2. Gilbert explores the 1987 murder of Michelle Schofield in Florida. It’s a story of justice, forgiveness, and the possibility of redemption. Support this podc…

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Christopher Goffard: Crimes of the Times 44:46

8M ago44:46

44:46

LA Times reporter Christopher Goffard was the voice behind the hit podcast “Dirty John.” And now he has a new podcast that covers crimes in Los Angeles that made headlines, stories like the murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer at the hands of a stalker. He tells me about his show, “Crimes of the Times.” Support this podcast by shopping our latest sp…

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Pagan Kennedy: The Secret History of the Rape Kit 51:29

8M ago51:29

51:29

This week on Wicked Words, years ago author Pagan Kennedy wondered about the history of the rape kit, a crucial tool for investigators today. Who designed it? She found out that it was Martha Goddard, a pioneer who wanted to help police catch sexual predators using forensics. But sometime after she made history, Goddard vanished. Listen to Kennedy’…

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Brendan Koerner: The Skies Belong to Us 57:37

8M ago57:37

57:37

Plane hijackings aren’t very common anymore. But in the late 1960s and early 1970s, armed criminals were forcing commercial airliners to divert their flights, oftentimes demanding ransom. Author Brendan Koerner tells the story of an American couple turned hijackers, whose journey ends with some surprising twists. Koerner’s book is called: The Skies…

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Hallie Lieberman: The Devil Went Down to Georgia 53:56

8M ago53:56

53:56

For years, a predator preyed on gay men in Atlanta. He was known as the Handcuff Man. He attacked male sex workers, disfigured them, and then left them for dead. Journalist Hallie Lieberman wrote a fantastic piece for The Atavist Magazine called The Devil Went Down to Georgia. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions…

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Joseph Cox: Dark Wire 1:01:05

9M ago1:01:05

1:01:05

In 2018, the FBI discovered that high level criminals around the world were using encrypted devices to plot intricate crimes. When a powerful, secure new app began courting these syndicates, members of the underworld flocked to it. One problem for the criminals: the app was created by the FBI. Joseph Cox tells us the incredible story from his book,…

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Avril Speaks: Uprooted 52:44

9M ago52:44

52:44

In 1986, 17-year-old Keith Warren was found hanging from a tree in Silver Spring, Maryland. His sister wanted answers—how did he die? It was ruled a suicide, but there were so many suspicious things about Keith’s death. I talked to filmmaker Avril Speaks about her docuseries, “Uprooted,” which covers Keith’s case. Support this podcast by shopping o…

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Lana Hall: The Incel Terrorist 45:21

9M ago45:21

45:21

This is a story about a landmark case in Canada from just a few years ago. A teenager attacked two women in a massage parlor in Toronto in 2020. He killed one and seriously injured the other. When he told investigators why he did it, they settled on trying him for murder…and terrorism. Journalist Lana Hall tells me about her piece in Maclean’s maga…

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Lise Olsen: The Scientist and the Serial Killer 58:58

9M ago58:58

58:58

Dean Corll was a serial killer in Houston in the early 1970s. He kidnapped and murdered more than two dozen missing teenage boys before he was murdered by one of his accomplices. Decades later, a forensic anthropologist discovered a box of remains from the case. She spent years using scientific tools to identify some of the unknown victims. Journal…

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Marcia Clark: Trial by Ambush 1:02:00

10M ago1:02:00

1:02:00

It’s been 30 years since the infamous OJ Simpson trial, and the lead prosecutor Marcia Clark has had quite a career since then. She writes fiction and nonfiction books, including the one we’ll talk about today. It’s called Trial by Ambush and it’s a story about a young woman in Burbank, California. In 1953, Barbara Graham was caught-up in a robbery…

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Elyse Graham: Book and Dagger 54:23

10M ago54:23

54:23

Did you know that some of the most effective American spies during World War II were librarians and archivists and history professors? Some were locked in the basement of the Library of Congress, analyzing documents. Those documents were being gathered by academics sneaking around Europe, under the noses of the Nazis. Author Elyse Graham tells me t…

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Craig A. Monson: The Black Widows of the Eternal City 47:44

10M ago47:44

47:44

We don’t talk a lot on this show about female killers, but author Craig Monson has brought me a fascinating story right out of a Hollywood film. His book, The Black Widows of the Eternal City, centers on a web of women poisoners in 17th century Rome and their male victims. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at …

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Thomas Morris: The Dublin Railway Murder 58:55

10M ago58:55

58:55

This week on Wicked Words, we’re traveling to 1856 Ireland for a locked-door mystery. A cashier for a Dublin railway station is found dead, savagely beaten. Nothing appears to have been stolen. Can an experienced detective crack this case? Author Thomas Morris tells us the story in his new book The Dublin Railway Murder: The Sensational True Story …

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Rick Jervis: The Devil Behind the Badge 53:22

10M ago53:22

53:22

On this week’s episode of Wicked Words, we’re traveling to the Texas border town of Laredo. When four vulnerable women are murdered, police suspect that a well-respected U.S. Border Patrol agent has turned into a serial killer. Author Rick Jervis tells me the story behind his book, The Devil Behind the Badge: The Horrifying Twelve Days of the Borde…

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Rollo Romig: I Am on the Hit List 48:57

11M ago48:57

48:57

When an outspoken journalist in India was assassinated in September of 2017, it shocked the world. The conspiracy that was uncovered by journalists and investigators was disturbing. Author Rollo Romig tells me the story at the center of his book: I Am on the Hit List. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this …

1
Simon Read: Scotland Yard 45:42

11M ago45:42

45:42

Some of my most favorite true crime stories in history come from the UK, specifically London. So I was very excited to talk to author Simon Read about his book: Scotland Yard: A History of the London Police Force's Most Infamous Murder Cases. Read investigated some of Scotland Yard’s most interesting cases and now he’ll tell us about some of them. …

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Michael Arntfield: Monster City 46:12

11M ago46:12

46:12

Police cold-case units have broken some of the country’s most notorious murder cases. Today we're talking to writer Michael Arntfield about Nashville’s cold case Murder Squad and how its lead investigator tracked down the serial killers who terrorized the city in the 80s and 90s. The stories unfold in his book, Monster City: Murder, Music, and Mayh…

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Carol Dawson: The Unforgotten 1:06:08

11M ago1:06:08

1:06:08

I know this sounds like an old story: a woman goes missing and it seems like a cover-up. But when Shelley Watkins’ body was discovered in 1993, floating in a Texas river, her murder really upended the town of Corsicana. Journalist Carol Dawson worked with my buddy Wes Ferguson on the hit podcast, The Unforgotten. Support this podcast by shopping ou…

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Ron Smith: No One is Perfect 53:28

12M ago53:28

53:28

Thirty years before the OJ Simpson trial, a different murder case captured the attention of the country. When a successful Florida businessman is brutally killed in the 1960s, his wife and her nephew become suspects. Their disturbing relationship makes headlines. Author Ron Smith tells me about his book: No One is Perfect. Support this podcast by s…

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Katy Vine: The Problem with Erik 43:32

12M ago43:32

43:32

For this week’s episode, we travel to my hometown of Austin, Texas. An iconic local business is embroiled in a murder for hire case that attracts national attention. Why did Erik Maund hire someone to kill two people? Katy Vine from Texas Monthly tells me about her podcast, The Problem with Erik. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor …

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Becky Cooper: We Keep the Dead Close 59:47

12M ago59:47

59:47

Author Becky Cooper was a student at Harvard University when she heard a curious rumor about a murdered student in the late 1960s. Cooper was told that the killer was likely a professor…but her investigation uncovered clues that had been buried for decades. Who the real killer was came as a surprise to everyone. The story of Jane Britton’s life and…