Best The Atlanta Journal Constitution / Panoply Podcasts (2025)

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Speedy Trial 43:19

Play Pause

6h ago43:19

43:19

Charged with murder, Ashley and Albert find themselves with few resources. Ashley's lower-middle class family hires a local attorney while Albert gets a public defender. The couple maintains their innocence, but they're up against tough odds: their attorneys are at loggerheads and the judge in the case has a concerning past. Learn more about your a…

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Ep 2: Isolated 27:36

7d ago27:36

27:36

In a matter of a few days, Ashley and Albert have gone from excited new parents to a couple utterly devastated. Their infant has died. And as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and local police close in on them, the couple makes a critical decision to remain united. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Ep 1: Mack 37:15

8d ago37:15

37:15

In their 20s and in love, Georgia military couple Ashley and Albert Debelbot are overjoyed to welcome their baby girl, McKenzy. After a 15-hour labor, she arrives. The couple take her home and settle in for the night only to be awakened by a disturbing sound. Ashley and Albert then make a startling discovery…kicking off a series of events that will…

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S0 2, Ep 8: The jury panel is assembled 28:07

11d ago28:07

28:07

Jury selection isn’t fast, but it is fascinating. Prospective jurors in the Harris case speak of magical powers, preconceived notions and their favorite TV shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Season 5, Episode 2.5 17:12

11d ago17:12

17:12

Neither the prosecution nor the defense is ready. The prosecution asks for a continuance, saying it would be unfair to proceed because the defense is unprepared. The defense calls the move "transparently disingenuous," saying it's really the prosecution that wants more time. Meanwhile, prosecutors get slammed for continuing to search for a motive l…

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Coming soon: Back to the Tex McIver murder case 5:58

11d ago5:58

5:58

After a long winter’s delay, the murder trial of The State v. Claud “Tex” McIver is to begin on March 5. Tex says his wife Diane’s death was a tragic accident; the district attorney says he intentionally shot her in the back. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Bill Rankin returns to bring you Season 5 of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast. Learn mor…

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SO5, Ep6: McIver goes to trial 47:18

11d ago47:18

47:18

The state opens the Claud "Tex" McIver murder trial by detonating some new bombshells. McIver, the prosecution says, provided six different versions of what happened to his wife on the night she was shot. Or did he? Among the first prosecution witnesses was Emory University Hospital ER physician Suzanne Hardy, who treated Diane McIver the night she…

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Coming soon: The 7th season of Breakdown 5:58

11d ago5:58

5:58

Anthony Hill was a loving son, talented musician and an Afghanistan War veteran. In 2015, Hill was shot and killed by DeKalb County Police officer Chip Olsen, who was responding to a 911 call of a naked man wandering an apartment complex. Hill was unarmed and off of his medications. Olsen claims he acted in self-defense. In our new season of Breakd…

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Coming Soon: A New Season of Breakdown 4:11

11d ago4:11

4:11

On July 17, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will launch Murder Below the Gnat Line, season four of our award-winning Breakdown podcast. Bill Rankin returns to explore a murder case with many unresolved questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Coming soon: The next season of Breakdown 4:34

11d ago4:34

4:34

Coming soon: Season 5 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Breakdown podcast. This season, the AJC's Bill Rankin and Craig Schneider take you deep inside the case against Atlanta lawyer Tex McIver. He says his wife's death was a tragic accident; the district attorney says it was murder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice…

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Coming soon: The next season of Breakdown 4:50

11d ago4:50

4:50

Reginald "Reggie" Coicou was 24. Quincy "Fat" Wytche was 22. Both were killed in a sudden outburst of gunfire in the parking lot of an Atlanta Burger King in the spring of 2016. Kevin Riley, editor-in-chief of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, gives you an extraordinary inside view of this horrific double homicide, the investigation by the Atlanta …

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SO8, Ep.10: The defense makes its case 50:00

11d ago50:00

50:00

During a hearing, the attorneys for the men accused in the death of Ahmaud Arbery formally asked a judge to allow evidence about the slain man's past before a jury. But that's not the only major update in the case. We have a federal hate crimes indictment, a change to Georgia's Citizen's Arrest Law, and a trial date. Join host Bill Rankin as he rec…

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SO8, Ep.8: He ran. And ran. And ran. 42:06

11d ago42:06

42:06

Join host Bill Rankin on the one-year anniversary of Ahmaud Arbery's death as he explores who the man was in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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SO8, Ep. 12, The Ahmaud Arbery murder trial begins 36:11

11d ago36:11

36:11

The trial for the three men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery will begin Oct. 18, almost 20 months to the day after he was shot and killed. Join host Bill Rankin ahead of what is expected to be one of the most closely followed trials in Georgia history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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SO8, Ep. 11, A fourth defendant is indicted 49:14

11d ago49:14

49:14

A grand jury has indicted a former Glynn County district attorney, saying she violated her oath of office while responding to Ahmaud Arbery's death. Join host Bill Rankin as he takes a closer look at the indictment and explores the events of a pre-trial hearing in the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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SO8, Ep5: The Elephant in the Room 37:33

11d ago37:33

37:33

Prosecutors building a case against the three men accused in the death of Ahmaud Arbery have passed several motions regarding what evidence can be submitted in court. Meanwhile, the contention that gunman Travis McMichael uttered a racial epithet while standing over Arbery's body remains the most explosive element of the case. However, jurors may n…

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SO8, Ep.4: Father and Son 44:13

11d ago44:13

44:13

Since Ahmaud Arbery's death, father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael have been condemned by many as racist vigilantes who targeted a Black man running down their street. Attorneys for the men claim that is far from true. Join host Bill Rankin as he explores the McMichaels' history prior to their fateful meeting with Ahmaud Arbery. Nothing could…

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SO8, Ep. 14, We’re almost there 41:04

11d ago41:04

41:04

The second week of jury selection ended with the end in sight. It is expected that 64 Glynn County residents will be qualified into a pool from which 12 jurors and four alternates will soon be chosen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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SO8, Ep. 13, Jurors express some strong opinions 36:43

11d ago36:43

36:43

Jury selection for the murder trial of the three men charged in Ahmaud Arbery's death is underway in Brunswick and many prospective jurors have expressed very strong opinions. Join host Bill Rankin as he unpacks the first week of jury selection and what it could mean for the upcoming trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho…

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S5, Ep. 12 The Tex McIver Case: Georgia Supreme Court strikes again 39:48

11d ago39:48

39:48

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast drops a special episode on Friday for Season 5: “The Tex McIver Case.” McIver, an Atlanta lawyer, was convicted of murder during a trial in Fulton County for killing his wife on Sept. 25, 2016. The killing happened when Tex and Diane McIver returned home to Atlanta from their 84-acre ranch in Put…

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S2 Ep. 18: A Momentous Decision 45:15

11d ago45:15

45:15

This is the murder case against Justin Ross Harris, who left his 22-month-old son Cooper to die in a hot car on June 18, 2014. Harris, a Home Depot web developer, took Cooper that morning to Little Apron Academy, the in-house daycare center at work. They stopped at a Chick-fil-A for breakfast. But when they leave, Harris doesn’t make the turn to th…

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S01, Episode 8 - After a year’s wait, a concluding decision 40:14

11d ago40:14

40:14

Justin Chapman awaits the all-important decision from the state's prosecutors: will they put him back on trial for murder and arson or end the long-running legal drama that put him in state prison for eight years? This concluding episode has all the answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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S01 Episode 6: Could Justin Chapman Be Guilty? 39:23

11d ago39:23

39:23

Justin Chapman tells his side of the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S01 Episode 7: A New Trial or a New Life? 37:58

11d ago37:58

37:58

The case goes back to the Georgia Supreme Court – and this time there would be a much different outcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S01 Episode 0: Before You Listen 5:57

11d ago5:57

5:57

A state prosecutor is now deciding whether to put Justin Chapman back on trial for murder. His first trial ended in a guilty verdict after the jury deliberated about 40 minutes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S01 Episode 2: She Lost, but She Never Gave Up 42:32

11d ago42:32

42:32

Meet Jan Hankins, the public defender who lost Justin Chapman’s case and embarked on a personal crusade to free him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S01 Episode 3: Let’s Test the Evidence 47:19

11d ago47:19

47:19

Bill Rankin goes to Bremen in the dark of night, and with the help of an Army veteran, tests what you can see from "Stroupe's stoop." Could Gary Allen Stroupe have seen Justin Chapman from his front porch? Plus, Chapman experiences the appeal from hell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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S01 Episode 4: The New Team Goes to Work 38:35

11d ago38:35

38:35

The Justin Chapman murder case attracts a new defense team full of heavy hitters and colorful characters. In this episode, we take a detour from the case in order to introduce you to some of the players who came to Chapman's aid, and learn why they took on the case for free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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S01 Episode 5: Young Lawyers and Old Hands 42:20

11d ago42:20

42:20

Justin Chapman’s new defense team sifts through the evidence and uncovers critical breakdowns in the prosecution of Chapman, including several pieces of evidence that Chapman's public defender Jan Hankins says she never received, and the testimony of witnesses that Hankins never had time to visit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f…

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S01 Episode 1: Railroad Justice in a Railroad Town 35:07

11d ago35:07

35:07

Follow the twists and turns of a case in rural Georgia that some say landed an innocent man in prison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S02, Episode 17: Postscript 35:26

11d ago35:26

35:26

Justin Ross Harris returns to Cobb County and is sentenced for the murder of his 22-month-old son Cooper. We delve into the contradictions in the jury's verdict. We also hear from some Breakdown listeners who seem to know as much about the case as anyone -- and have completely divergent views on the outcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit …

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S02, Episode 14: Leanna Taylor takes the stand 1:00:59

11d ago1:00:59

1:00:59

Ross Harris’ ex-wife, Leanna Taylor, took the witness stand on Monday and repeated her long-held belief that Harris never meant to leave their 22-month-old son Cooper to die in his overheated SUV. Taylor spent an emotional two days on the stand, ending her testimony with a dramatic flourish. Some of Harris’ relatives and closest friends then follow…

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S02, Episode 15: The jury gets the case 58:17

11d ago58:17

58:17

The prosecution and the defense give impassioned, powerful closing arguments, wrapping up the trial. Prosecutor Chuck Boring insists Ross Harris lived a double life and intentionally killed his little boy. Defense attorney Maddox Kilgore contends Cooper’s death was a horrible accident and that police rushed to judgment without looking at evidence c…

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S02, Episode 16: We have a verdict 43:35

11d ago43:35

43:35

After four days of deliberations, the jury in Brunswick returns with a verdict in The State of Georgia v. Justin Ross Harris. Cobb County's district attorney says this is no time for a celebration. Harris's lawyers, in an emotional interview, say they are stunned by the outcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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S02, Episode 9: It’s time to go to trial: Will Harris testify? 32:00

11d ago32:00

32:00

We’re just a few steps from the starting gate. In a matter of days, the 12 jurors will be seated, the lawyers will make their opening statements, and the murder trial of Justin Ross Harris will begin. Will he testify? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S02, Episode 10: Game on 38:55

11d ago38:55

38:55

The murder trial against Justin Ross Harris is finally underway. The prosecution opened with a blistering opening statement, while Harris’ defense attorney countered with an emotional and powerful opening of his own. After that, the first prosecution witnesses took the stand, and some of them gave testimony prosecutors wanted to hear, while some of…

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S02, Episode 11: Shelter from the storm 26:17

11d ago26:17

26:17

The judge, lawyers and jurors return to Brunswick after Hurricane Matthew. The trial starts back up with the initial focus on little Cooper Harris. Prosecutors introduce testimony about the “smell of death,” and the jury hears from a hooker who said she had sex with Harris weeks before Cooper’s death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho…

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S02, Episode 12: From the gutter to the homicide file 49:24

11d ago49:24

49:24

Prosecutors open a new week of testimony by calling one woman after another to the witness stand. Harris pursued all of them – including two teenagers – over sexually explicit online chats. Finally, lead detective Phil Stoddard takes the stand and prosecutors play the detective’s interview of Harris at the police station the day of Cooper’s death. …

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S02, Episode 13: The State Rests 56:21

11d ago56:21

56:21

Lead Detective Phil Stoddard ended his testimony after four days on the witness stand. Under cross-examination, Stoddard took some punches, but also delivered some blows. On Friday, the state rested its case after calling 51 witnesses to the stand over the course of 16 days of testimony. They presented no eyewitnesses, no DNA on a murder weapon, no…

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S02 Episode 4 - Deciding the case before it begins? 49:19

11d ago49:19

49:19

The most important moments of the Justin Ross Harris trial may be unfolding right now - even before testimony begins or the lawyers ever state their cases. Welcome to jury selection, where cases are often won or lost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S02, Episode 5: A jury of his peers, with preconceived notions 25:30

11d ago25:30

25:30

Jury selection, which may be close to conclusion, has taken an interesting turn. Nearly a third of the jurors qualified for the final panel – the one from which the 12 jurors and a number of alternates will be chosen – say they believe Justin Ross Harris is guilty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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S02, Episode 5.5: A change of venue 10:39

11d ago10:39

10:39

The defense in the hot-car murder trial of Justin Ross Harris surprises everyone by filing for a change of venue almost at the of jury selection. But the judge has her own surprise: she grants it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S02, Episode6: A sudden change of venue 43:44

11d ago43:44

43:44

The Harris trial was just days away from opening statements and testimony, when the proceedings ground to a sudden and unexpected halt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S02, Episode 7 - Harris trial moves to Georgia's Golden Isles 35:03

11d ago35:03

35:03

The Ross Harris trial heads to Brunswick after a four-month hiatus. What sort of jury will Judge Mary Staley Clark find on Georgia’s coast? Here’s why the trial’s new venue could be called a prosecutor’s dream. To learn more about this case, visit AJCBreakdown.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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S02 Episode 1 - Death in a Hot Car: Mistake or Murder? 38:24

12d ago38:24

38:24

The evidence against Justin Ross Harris, accused of murder in the hot-car death of his son, and how it just seems to keep piling up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S02 Episode 2: An air-tight case against Justin Ross Harris? 40:49

11d ago40:49

40:49

The state’s murder case against Harris is formidable. The lead police investigator has already testified at length in pretrial hearings: some key testimony seems utterly damning, but some seems totally wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S02 Episode 3 - Leanna Harris: Once implicated, never charged 38:40

12d ago38:40

38:40

Cobb police insinuated a number of times that Leanna (now Leanna Taylor, since her divorce came through in March) might have helped her husband plan the murder of their son. But those claims faded and then all but disappeared. Taylor was never charged with any crime and is expected to be a witness for the defense in Ross Harris’s murder trial. Lear…

101
S03, Episode 6: Banishment 34:11

12d ago34:11

34:11

A judge in Georgia signs off on a plea deal for Dr. Narendra K. Gupta, who admits to three counts of sexual battery against patients. No jail time, but he agrees to leave the country, surrender his license and never practice medicine again. Well, two out of three . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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S03, Episode 2: Prey 45:07

11d ago45:07

45:07

Dr. Narendra K. Gupta had a history of allegations of attacking and harassing nurses. Instead of reporting him to police, the medical community shielded him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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S03, Episode 3: Compulsion 40:38

12d ago40:38

40:38

Why would a doctor jeopardize his career by subjecting patients, nurses, even office staff, to repeated sexual abuse? In many cases, the physician doesn’t recognize boundaries because he doesn’t believe they apply to him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution