Best Bryan Cain Podcasts (2025)

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171. Real-Life Nightmares: Bryan Kohberger and the Idaho Four with Julia Cowley, Part 1 58:53

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28m ago58:53

58:53

In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, some entered a house just off the University of Idaho campus and stabbed four students to death. Months later, a suspect was identified. This year, he pled guilty to the charges without giving any hint why he committed the crimes or what made the victims desirable targets. Julia Cowley, a retired FBI…

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170. Karen Read to Bryan Kohberger: Where Criminal Defense Meets Its Limits with Matthew Tympanick 1:16:25

7d ago1:16:25

1:16:25

Criminal defense attorney Matthew Tympanick joins me to examine the boundaries of legal strategy in three high-profile cases — Karen Read, Bryan Kohberger and Richard Allen — and low-profile ones as well. Tympanick discusses how jury selection shaped the outcome of the Read trial, the pressures defense attorneys face in the public eye, and the ethi…

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169. The Times of His Life with Mark Pinsky 1:29:51

15d ago1:29:51

1:29:51

In this episode, I sit down with veteran journalist and author Mark Pinsky, whose career has taken him from high-profile crime reporting to covering racial justice and religion. Mark shares how his political awakening at Duke University in the 1960s and the civil rights movement shaped his worldview, how his interest in social justice led him to co…

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Bonus - The Disappearance of Ashley Loring Heavyrunner on Santana True Crime 1:27:50

21d ago1:27:50

1:27:50

In this bonus from the Santana True Crime podcast, I discuss the disappearance of Ashley Loring Heavyrunner, a 20-year-old Indigenous woman who went missing from the Blackfeet Reservation. We talk about my recent trip to Montana, meeting one of the key suspects in the case, theories and what being on the ground told me about the case and the cross-…

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168. Vanishing Natives with Ed Dentzel, Part 2 of 2 1:07:28

22d ago1:07:28

1:07:28

In the second half of our conversation, we move from systemic critique to case-specific urgency. Ed Dentzel and I examine the disappearances of Olivia Lone Bear, Jermaine Charlo, Ashley Loring Heavyrunner, Leo Wagner, Jeremy Jourdain, and Nevaeh Kingbird —not as isolated tragedies, but as part of a devastating pattern of institutional neglect. We u…

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167. Vanishing Natives with Ed Dentzel, Part 1 of 2 56:57

29d ago56:57

56:57

What does it mean to disappear when so few notice? What does it mean to disappear from the very place meant to protect your presence? In the first half of a two-part conversation, I speak with Ed Dentzel — an expert on missing persons cases and the host of The Unfound podcast — about the unsettling realities surrounding disappearances of Native peo…

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166. The Girls on the Bridge: The Delphi Murders with Brett Talley 1:41:34

1M ago1:41:34

1:41:34

In February 2017, two friends—13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German—set out across a bridge in Delphi, Indiana. They never came home. What followed was one of the most haunting and widely followed true crime cases in America. In this episode, I speak with Brett Talley, co-host of The Prosecutors Podcast, about the long journey from…

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165. The Shadow of the Bridge: The Delphi Murders with Kevin Greenlee and Áine Cain, Part 2 of 2 54:16

1M ago54:16

54:16

When 13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German disappeared from an abandoned railroad bridge on February 13, 2017, the community rushed to search for them. Once they were found murdered, law enforcement began the arduous process of searching for their killer. But, at the end of the day, it was clear from the investigation by Kevin Gree…

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164. The Shadow of the Bridge: The Delphi Murders with Kevin Greenlee and Áine Cain, Part 1 of 2 1:04:30

1M ago1:04:30

1:04:30

On an unseasonably warm February day in 2017 in Delphi, Indiana, two friends, 13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German, decided on a whim to head out to the trails near their homes. An abandoned railroad bridge that once carried trains gave way over time to the feet of residents. Many would venture out onto the bridge only to find the…

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163. Giving Voice Through Film with Amanda Erickson 57:09

1M ago57:09

57:09

Amanda Erickson grew up in the Boston suburbs, always knowing there was something a little different about her - the dark pigmentation in her skin. Years later, she would reconnect with her father, who lived on the San Carlos Apache reservation in Arizona. This would begin a journey that would lead her to connect with her Indigenous heritage and tr…

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162. The Love Has Won Cult with Andrew-Ryan Profaci 1:04:29

2M ago1:04:29

1:04:29

Amy Carlson claimed to be the reincarnation of Robin Williams, Joan of Arc, Marilyn Monroe, Jesus Christ and the Hawaiian goddess Pele—along with being Elvis Presley’s mother and Donald Trump’s daughter in other lifetimes. In 2023, the HBO documentary Love Has Won: The Mother God Cult traced Carlson’s journey from a McDonald’s manager in Dallas to …

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161. The Murder of Morgan Dana Harrington with Gil and Dan Harrington, Part 2 of 2 48:43

2M ago48:43

48:43

When Morgan Dana Harrington went missing and was then found dead in a Virginia field, her parents' world was shattered. When her parents found out about the long string of crimes that went unpunished by her killer, Jesse Matthew Jr., they turned their outrage into a fight to "save the next girl." Morgan was a vibrant 20-year-old college student att…

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160. The Murder of Morgan Dana Harrington, with Gil and Dan Harrington, Part 1 of 2 57:01

2M ago57:01

57:01

Morgan Dana Harrington was a vibrant 20-year-old college student attending a Metallica concert in Charlottesville, Virginia, when she vanished in 2009—an event that captured national attention and ignited public grief. Her killer wasn’t identified until the 2014 abduction and murder of another University of Virginia student, 18-year-old Hannah Grah…

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159. The Wages of Sin: Investigating Sexual Abuse in the Protestant Church with Robert Peters 1:04:40

2M ago1:04:40

1:04:40

Robert Peters spent most of his life as a prosecutor and a Christian. Those two things came together when he took his position as the director of institutional response for GRACE, an organization that investigates sexual abuse in Protestant churches. Founded in 2003 after a reporter called the founder about a case of sexual abuse mishandled by a pa…

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158. Prescription for Pain with Philip Eil 1:27:59

3M ago1:27:59

1:27:59

Paul Volkman was a University of Chicago-trained doctor who seemed destined for greatness. Instead, he was sentenced to life in prison for the prescriptions he wrote that devastated southern Ohio and the surrounding areas. In the tradition of true crime, Philip Eil tells Volkman's story and the sordid history that led to the American opioid epidemi…

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157. CSI: Indian Country with Haley Omeasoo 59:47

3M ago59:47

59:47

When Haley Omeasoo was at the University of Montana, she remembers hearing the news that her friend, classmate and relative, Ashley Loring Heavyrunner went missing. Years later, Haley, a doctoral student in forensic anthropology, has founded a growing nonprofit organization focused on bringing crime scene investigation services to reservations. Aft…

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The Canon Trap 1:37:11

3M ago1:37:11

1:37:11

On this Stardate hosts Bryan and Christina—married, opinionated and boldly nerdy—team up with guest Tim Rideout (The Mind Reels) for a no-holds-barred Trek talk focused on Strange New Worlds. From what soared to what sputtered in Seasons 1 and 2, they unpack character arcs, storytelling swings, and why canon might just be a polite suggestion at thi…

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156. Painting the Missing, Murdered and Marginalized with Brian Macguire 59:09

3M ago59:09

59:09

From Juárez to the Indigenous reservations of Montana, Irish artist Brian Macguire has used his paintings to build his awareness and as his form of protest against the marginalization of certain people. Macguire, who grew up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, knows the suffering of the disappeared all too well. To see Brian's work: https://ww…

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155. The Trials of Emile Weaver with Clara S. Lewis 1:19:12

3M ago1:19:12

1:19:12

As the Emilee Weaver case faded from the headlines, Clara S. Lewis uncovered truths every woman—and every partner—should know. Muskingum University student Emile Weaver gave birth in the bathroom at her sorority house at the Ohio school. She was convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to life without parole after her baby was found dead. Did w…

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154. A Family, Maybe with Lane Igoodin 1:16:00

4M ago1:16:00

1:16:00

Lane Igoodin, a writer, activist and professor, joins me to discuss the challenges of adopting his children from foster care, the challenges of navigating intersectionality in this world, the balancing act between the rights of parents and what's best for children and love under pressure as you fight to keep your family together. Contact me at silv…

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153. Behind the Veil: A Diplomatic Sexual Abuse Scandal with Kristin Louise Duncombe 1:02:44

4M ago1:02:44

1:02:44

Kristin Louise Duncombe grew up traveling the world as the daughter of a U.S. State Department foreign service officer. But Kristin’s childhood and those of at least six other girls were shattered when they crossed paths with an American diplomat in Africa who sexually abused them. After one of the girls came forward with her story, the State Depar…

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152. Unraveling a Mystery: The Unsolved Disappearance of Dawn Holt with Samm Holt and Sherri Shelton, Part 2 of 2 1:09:21

4M ago1:09:21

1:09:21

After Dawn Michelle Holt went missing in Waldorf, Maryland in 1996, it took two decades before clues began to emerge about what might have happened to her on the night where she disappeared on the way to seeing her son and daughter. In Part 2, Dawn's daughter, Samm, and her sister, Sherri Shelton, join me again, along with Raul Montero, an advocate…

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151. Unraveling a Mystery: The Unsolved Disappearance of Dawn Holt with Samm Holt and Sherri Shelton, Part 1 of 2 57:59

4M ago57:59

57:59

In April 1996, Dawn Michelle Holt returned to Southern Maryland after spending a few weeks with her sister in Florida. She called her husband from a hotel in Waldorf, Maryland, to let her husband know that she was coming to see her 2-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. She has not been seen since. The nearly 3-decade investigation has offered man…

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150. Killer Story: True Crime Television with Claire St. Amant 1:13:39

4M ago1:13:39

1:13:39

Claire St. Amant rose to the top of the true crime journalism world as a producer for 48 Hours, contributor to 60 Minutes, covering some of the biggest cases and bringing to life the story of Samuel Little, America's perhaps least known and most prolific serial killer. Claire's work trying to break through the typical true crime model, however, lef…

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149. She Cried That Day: The Unsolved Murder of Dione Thomas with Karen Watson and Christine Means, Part 2 of 2 1:03:12

4M ago1:03:12

1:03:12

When Dione Thomas died in a Gallup, New Mexico hotel room, it was ruled a homicide. Deep into the investigation, the family discovered it had been reclassified as an undetermined death. Similar to the family of Ellen Greenberg in Pennsylvania, her family is pushing for an independent forensic pathologist to review the case and for the death to be o…

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148. She Cried That Day: The Unsolved Murder of Dione Thomas with Karen Watson and Christine Means, Part 1 of 2 1:03:15

5M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

In many ways, the death of Dione Thomas is the Indigenous Ellen Greenberg case. Christine Means and Karen Watson have spent years questioning the circumstances surrounding their sister Dione's death. At first, the police in Gallup, New Mexico, said it was a murder and they had a suspect. Years later, the family found out that the medical examiner c…

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147. True Crime's Fallen Star with Billy Jensen, Part 2 of 2 1:05:53

5M ago1:05:53

1:05:53

I continue the second and final part of my interview with journalist Billy Jensen. Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad was one of the top true crime podcasts before it was rocked by a scandal. In this episode, we dive into the scandal but also talk about crime, victims, addiction and recovery, the struggles of journalism and our concerns about men's m…

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Listener Thank You and Some Updates 10:17

5M ago10:17

10:17

I want to share some listener updates for the summer - living my life, some work we are doing related to some cases and just some cool things I love about and will be doing with our listeners. Contact me at [email protected] Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon t…

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146. True Crime's Fallen Star with Billy Jensen, Part 1 of 2 53:07

5M ago53:07

53:07

Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad was one of the top true crime podcasts. Investigative journalist Billy Jensen and investigator Paul Holes, both known for work related to the Golden State Killer case, co-hosted the podcast that topped the charts since 2019. At the 2022 CrimeCon convention for true crime enthusiasts in Las Vegas, Jensen was a headli…

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145. North of Murder Mountain with Judge Victorio Shaw, Part 2 of 2 47:22

5M ago47:22

47:22

I continue my conversation with tribal Judge Victorio Shaw. Humbolt County, on the northern California coast, is known as the place where the name Bigfoot originated and is the home of Murder Mountain, which took its name from serial killers who fled here. The 2018 documentary by the same name explores how Humbolt is the county in the United States…

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144. North of Murder Mountain with Judge Victorio Shaw, Part 1 of 2 58:49

5M ago58:49

58:49

Humbolt County, on the northern California coast, is known as the place where the name Bigfoot originated and is the home of Murder Mountain, which took its name from serial killers who fled here. The 2018 documentary by the same name explores how Humbolt is the county in the United States with the highest rate of missing persons. But it does not t…

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Re-Release: Streaming Love: How Music Can Bring People Together with Dani Brillhart and Colton Jones of NI/Co 1:28:35

5M ago1:28:35

1:28:35

This is a re-release of a September 26, 2023, episode. In this episode, Jayson, Dani Brillhart and Colton Jones, of the band NI/Co, discuss what it's like to break into the music industry while remaining authentic, sending a message of love from music while nurturing their own love and managing racism as an interracial couple in the public eye. We …

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143. The Disappearance of Rebecca Harbowy with Debbie Harbowy, Part 2 of 2 42:34

5M ago42:34

42:34

Rebecca Harbowy went to get help at a British Columbia hospital with people who loved her. Hours later, she disappeared in a mystery that is still unsolved. In the second part of my conversation with Rebecca's mom, Debbie, we talk about her search for Rebecca and her hope to improve the systems that failed her. Listen to part one with Debbie: https…

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142. The Disappearance of Rebecca Harbowy with Debbie Harbowy, Part 1 of 2 54:46

5M ago54:46

54:46

The day of November 23, 2023, was a difficult one for 36-year-old Rebecca Harbowy. She had just committed to getting clean from an opioid addiction and was staying with her parents at their home in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. When she found herself markedly disoriented, Rebecca asked if her mom could take her to the hospital. Several hours later…

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141. True Crime in the Family Closet with Donna Hall, Part 2 of 2 53:11

5M ago53:11

53:11

I continue my conversation with Donna Hall, who grew up in Philadelphia crime family. We continue to discuss her family, the cases they were involved in and how starting her podcast to tell their story has given her a voice and begun the process of her healing. To check out The Hall Closet podcast: https://thehallclosetpodcast.com/ Contact me at si…

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140. True Crime in the Family Closet with Donna Jean Hall, Part 1 of 2 1:01:52

6M ago1:01:52

1:01:52

Donna Jean Hall grew up in a Philadelphia-area crime family. It was not like being Meadow or A.J. from the Sopranos, but there were some parallels. She did not even realize that the crimes and abuse in her family were out of the normal until one day when her best friends’ family barred them from seeing each other. Along the way, Donna’s stepfather …

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139. Forged in Fire with Joe Woyjeck and Monte Fronk 1:19:17

6M ago1:19:17

1:19:17

Captain Joe Woyjeck, a Los Angeles firefighter, lost his son, Kevin, in the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire. Kevin was one of the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of wildland firefighters within the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire. Monte Fronk, another emergency responder, lost his daughter, Nada, to a d…

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138. Bone Valley: The Second Chapter with Gilbert King, Part 2 of 2 58:44

6M ago58:44

58:44

I continue my conversation with Gilbert King, the host of Bone Valley, on the relationship that's developed between Jeremy Scott, the man who says he killed Michelle Schofield, and Leo Schofield, who was convicted of her murder. In Part 2 of this conversation, we discuss the evidence against Jeremy, his confession to another crime that could result…

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137. Bone Valley: The Second Chapter with Gilbert King, Part 1 of 2 1:02:05

6M ago1:02:05

1:02:05

One man was freed from prison for a murder he says he did not commit. Another man who will never get out is admitting to that murder, but authorities don't believe him. Gilbert King, the host of the hit podcast Bone Valley, joins me to discuss Season 2 and the relationship between Leo Schofield Jr., who was accused of killing his wife Michelle, and…

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136. Never Looked at Myself as an Addict with Damian Bloss 1:04:26

6M ago1:04:26

1:04:26

Damian Bloss grew up in a rural farm community in Maryland dreaming about becoming a baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles. But life took a different turn. He never viewed himself as an addict, but, now, he says he was. After 20 years of active addiction and trying to get sober on his own, Damian realized that he had no one to hold him accounta…

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True Crime Bonus Episode Re-Release: The Disappearance of Katherine and Sheila Lyon, Part 2 of 2 1:37:26

6M ago1:37:26

1:37:26

This is the re-release of an episode from June 2 2024. In Part 2, Allison Dickson and I continue the conversation about the 1975 disappearances of two sisters, Katherine and Sheila Lyon. We follow the cold case detectives as they discover witnesses, suspects and forensic evidence that becomes key to cracking one aspect of the case. We explore and t…

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True Crime Bonus Episode Re-Release: The Disappearance of Katherine and Sheila Lyon, Part 1 of 2 1:26:44

6M ago1:26:44

1:26:44

This is the re-release of an episode from May 30, 2024. Allison Dickson and I discuss the 1975 disappearances of two sisters, Katherine and Sheila Lyon. The girls vanished from a mall in Wheaton, Maryland. Witnesses reported seeing a strange man with a tape recorder, but after a massive search, this case, that transformed the Washington, DC area, w…

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135. Spirit Lead Me: Healing from Religious Trauma with Tammy Cox 1:07:17

6M ago1:07:17

1:07:17

Tammy Cox grew up in a deeply religious home, but one that was also mired in domestic violence and control. Now, a trauma specialist and coach, joins me to talk about healing from religious trauma, being able to reclaim your spirituality and worldview using vulnerability to heal and how to have meaningful and positive relationships after you've wal…

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134. The Anti-Influencer Influencer with Giovanna Silvestre 1:22:18

6M ago1:22:18

1:22:18

The growing popularity of social media has provided a means for people to reach large, global audiences, and Internet celebrities have taken over Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. The grassroots movement was once seen as a way to empower people to get around gatekeepers but now it has come under criticism for its impact on people. Giovanna S…

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133. The Disappearance of Layla Santanello and Inequity in Appalachia with Jennifer Santanello, Part 2 of 2 55:48

6M ago55:48

55:48

Join me as I continue my conversation with Jennifer Santanello, whose daughter, 20-year-old Layla Santanello went missing in Kingsport, Tennesse on June 26, 2023. As the investigation moves at breakneck speed, rabbit holes and clues begin to emerge, including a bizarre string of messages asking for money for Layla's safe return. Listen to Part 1 at…

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132. The Disappearance of Layla Santanello and Inequity in Appalachia with Jennifer Santanello, Part 1 of 2 53:06

6M ago53:06

53:06

The day of Monday, June 26, 2023, seemed to be a confusing one for Layla Santanello. After an argument with her boyfriend's family, she was staying at the Americourt Extended Stay Hotel in Kingsport, Tennessee, with a friend. Her now thin frame, her bleached blonde hair, her wry smile and a long-sleeved shirt with "FU" on it that captured her spunk…

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Bonus - There Are Murderers Here on The Small Bow Podcast 1:06:28

6M ago1:06:28

1:06:28

The shoe goes on the other foot in this episode where I am interviewed by A.J. Daulerio, the editor of The Small Bow and former of editor of Gawker. We talk addiction, recovery, scandal, getting over yourself, getting the help you need and helping others. We talk the tools - among them, the little bows and arrows -- that make all the difference in …

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131. How to Live with the Past with AJ Daulerio, Part 2 of 2 32:53

7M ago32:53

32:53

A.J. Daulerio, the former of editor of Gawker, and my kindred spirit in a journalistic scandal and I continue our discussion about how you learn from, let go of and live with your past. This is the second of two episodes. To read about A.J.'s scandal at Gawker: https://inboxcollective.com/a-surprising-gift-how-a-j-daulerio-turned-the-worst-time-in-…

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130. How to Live with the Past with AJ Daulerio, Part 1 of 2 48:22

7M ago48:22

48:22

How do you learn to live with your past? Looking back and regretting your past mistakes is a healthy thing for everyone to do, but what happens when it goes to far or the mistake is so big that it is hard to get it out of your mind. Former Gawker editor A.J. Daulerio - my kindred spirit in massive journalistic scandals -- joins me to discuss learni…

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129. Ethics in True Crime with Alice LaCour, Brett Talley and Julia Cowley 1:15:00

7M ago1:15:00

1:15:00

Brett Talley and Alice LaCour of The Prosecutors join Julia Cowley of The Consult and me to discuss ethics in true crime and more. Fill out our Listener Survey at: https://bit.ly/slhwinter25survey Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon to support the show at: https://www.patreon.co…