Best Forensic Diaries Podcasts (2025)

1
The Ballad of Mulan - One Woman Wednesdays 10:59

9h ago10:59

10:59

For ten years Mulan, disguised as a man, has fought for the Chinese Empire, but now the fighting is coming to an end, one last battle and she will be going home - but can she return to her old life and become a woman again? A search for an identity in a violent world. This project is Michelle Yim’s third solo show commission. It has toured Fringe F…

1
Tickbox with Lubna Kerr- One Woman Wednesdays 11:26

9h ago11:26

11:26

Actor and stand up comedian Lubna Kerr has been ticking boxes all her life. In this one woman show she tells the tale of her parents' relocation to Glasgow from Pakistan and how they swapped their upper middle class lives for inner city living. This is a tale of immigration, personal development, family, friendship - and Tunnock's teacakes! The sho…

1
Bly's Spirit 11:33

15h ago11:33

11:33

Nellie Bly was an American journalist who is famous for her record breaking 72 day round the world trip.⁠ ⁠ Before that though she went undercover into an "insane asylum" to report on the appalling conditions to which the patients were subjected.⁠ ⁠ This short play by JJ Leppink guesses what might have happened in the time leading up to Nellie's in…

1
Songs From the Shadows 59:21

12d ago59:21

59:21

A while ago we spoke with Dr Mary Shannon about Billy Waters and Mary's upcoming biography of him - "Billy Waters is Dancing". Well the book is now out (and a jolly fine read it is, too) and Mary has joined forces with historian Dr. Ben Marsh, artist Selena Scott and musician Angeline Morrison on the Age of Revolution's "Songs from the Shadows" pro…

1
Her Father's Daughter - Stephen Bourne & Patricia Hammond talk about Avril Coleridge-Taylor 26:12

2y ago26:12

26:12

Avril Coleridge-Taylor (1903-1988); Wikipedia says she was a "pianist". She was. She was also a composer and conductor (in fact she was the first female conductor of the band of the Royal Marines). She was also the daughter of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Historian and author Stephen Bourne and musician and author Patricia Hammond talk about her talent…

1
"Damn Tom & Jerry" - Dr Mary Shannon Talks About Billy Waters. With Charlotte Campbell. 31:55

2y ago31:55

31:55

We're delighted and privileged to be releasing today's podcast on the 200th anniversary of the death of Billy Waters. Born in 1776 Waters was a familiar sight on the Strand in London. He was a black ex-sailor who had been invalided out of the Navy after losing a leg. With a crude wooden prosthesis he danced and also played the violin outside the Ad…

1
"The African Mahler": Chenoa Murphy talks about Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. 18:03

2y ago18:03

18:03

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) was a British composer. His mother was English and his father from Sierra Leone. He referred to himself as "Anglo-African" and was referred to by white musicians in the US as the "Black Mahler", which is the title of the biography by Charles Elford. Coleridge-Taylor entered the Royal College of Music at the age o…

1
Blood, Sweat and Vaginas , with Paula David - One Woman Wednesdays 11:06

2y ago11:06

11:06

Paula David's one woman show is a journey through menopause and a discovery of self. It is poetic and musical, has movement and dance and examines something that all women experience and few have the courage to speak about. It is also highly amusing! Paula spoke to us about the show ahead of her one night at the Exchange in Twickenham on 29th March…

1
She Wolves with Laura Careless - One Woman Wednesdays 14:12

2y ago14:12

14:12

This one-woman show, based on the book and television series She-Wolves: The Women who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by historian Helen Castor, depicts the lives of five of England’s most famous medieval queens (Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, Margaret of Anjou, and Mary I) using speech, song, dance, and animation. Perfo…

1
Testament of Yootha - One Woman Wednesdays 9:30

2y ago9:30

9:30

Yootha Joyce, best known for "George and Mildred" was one of the best known TV stars of the 1970's. But she was so much more... Award -winning actress Caroline Burns-Cooke tells her story in the brilliant one woman show "Testament of Yootha", showing for one night only at the Exchange in Twickenham on 22nd March as part of the One Woman Wednesday s…

1
Isadorable! Elizabeth Blake Talks About Isadora Duncan 43:17

2+ y ago43:17

43:17

Isadora Duncan: dancer, muse, innovator, political activist and so much more was born in the USA in 1877. She died in Nice, France in 1927 in a freak accident that is sadly the thing that she seems to be most remembered for. Well we want to change that! Elizabeth Blake is an actress, dancer and choreographer. She has written and is currently perfor…

1
Sex, Love and Classical Music - Elena Mazzon talks about Clara Schumann 38:12

3y ago38:12

38:12

Clara Schumann, a pianist, composer and piano teacher. And wife of Robert Schumann. Clara Wieck had a fascinating life- a child prodigy, like Mozart before her she was touring as a concert pianist under the watchful eye of her domineering father from a very young age. She went on to marry Robert, have eight children and continue to work in the male…

1
Episode 17: "Fait Accompli" 41:15

3y ago41:15

41:15

Karen wraps up this part of the Car Barn Murders series with her assessment of accomplices Walter Oliver and Robert Janney along with a breakdown of the statement of Francis Gregory. Please go to the Shattered Souls Facebook page for insider details and to render your verdicts on the case. Stay tuned for future episodes and a few surprises! Thank y…

1
Episode Sixteen: "DC Unconfidential" 31:52

3y ago31:52

31:52

After handing off her findings on William Clarke to you, the public jury, Karen details every factor and Clarke's criminal intent to put the final pieces together. She also uncovers the identity of Captain Vollten's confidential informants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

1
Episode Fifteen: "We, the Jury..." 43:54

3y ago43:54

43:54

Karen makes her opening argument against her primary suspect, William Clarke, based on the information provided in the 1935 reports and from Captain Vollten's confidential informants from 1954....but, who were the informants? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

1
Episode Fourteen: "The Greene Nexus" 43:44

3y ago43:44

43:44

Karen's friend, Stephanie White, cracked the identity of DC Metro Police 'ex-Sergeant Greene", named numerous times in Captain Vollten's 1954 Addendum report. Who was this man and how did he play a role in the murders of Emory Smith and James Mitchell? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Episode Thirteen: "Confidential Squared" 39:46

3y ago39:46

39:46

The 1954 Addendum report written by Captain Vollten provided all of the details needed to crack the case, but there were still unidentified persons involved in the murder that Karen has to identify to come to a conclusion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

1
Episode Twelve: "Beauty School Dropout" 36:38

3y ago36:38

36:38

As Karen continues putting the pieces together, she finds out about an addendum report that was not included in the original files. She also discovers that there may have been evidence tampering by one of the original detectives. William Clarke's friend and alibi, James Weir, goes on the run. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Ally Sloper's Half Holiday 40:53

3y ago40:53

40:53

Ally Sloper's Half-Holiday was the name of a weekly comic strip which first appeared on 3 May 1884. Before Superman, Spiderman, Desperate Dan and Dennis the Menace came Ally Sloper. From 1884 until the 1920s, the red-nosed social climber who poked fun at the English people and their customs was a household name and national favourite. Ally Sloper t…

1
Episode Eleven: "Cloak and Swagger" 40:54

3y ago40:54

40:54

Prison letters between William Clarke and Mary Branch tell a sordid story of love and hate. Clarke also wrote to several other people from his prison cell, including a U.S. Senator and one woman who proved to be pivotal regarding a solution to the case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Episode Ten: "The Patapsco Incident" 30:39

3y ago30:39

30:39

The lid finally blows off of the case when Karen discovers a related crime that was not mentioned anywhere in the case file. Dead men tell no tales. Dead women, too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

1
Episode Nine: "Matinees and Madness" 36:39

3y ago36:39

36:39

Karen delves into the police interviews of William Clarke and Mary Branch and finds marked discrepancies, an unnamed DC cop, as well as a direct link to another person of interest -- the only person left alive after the murders. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

1
Episode Eight: "Dear Lil" 27:58

3y ago27:58

27:58

As the political machine churned in the background, Detectives Vollten and Rodgers follow up on the information from DC Jail inmate Horace Davis and his claims about Walter Oliver's confession. Another name was dropped by Davis and Karen finds a treasure trove of information and a link that sets her wheels spinning toward a solution. See omnystudio…

1
Episode Seven: "Pants on Fire" 26:04

3y ago26:04

26:04

DC Jail inmate Horace Davis provided the first solid lead to investigate, but was he telling the truth? Karen has more names to investigate and finds the first bombshell from an unlikely source. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

1
Who's Army...? David Crump talks about Fred Karno 1:10:19

3y ago1:10:19

1:10:19

Who was Fred Karno? and what was his army? We talk to David Crump whose biography of today's subject reveals all - and some! Karno was a giant personality who had a giant effect on theatre and cinema as we know it. The man who gave Stan Laurel, Charlie Chaplin and the Crazy Gang their first break and almost single handedly invented the type of slap…

1
Episode Six: "Burlesques and BS" 31:15

3y ago31:15

31:15

Detective Vollten kept interviewing suspects after breaking away from the investigation of Tony The Stinger Cugino, but nothing was panning out. Almost a year to the day after the Car Barn Murders, Vollten got a letter on his desk from a con who said he had intel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Episode Five: "Undercover Blue" 30:32

3y ago30:32

30:32

A wormhole in Philadelphia? Gangsters are on the forefront of Detective Vollten's investigation and Karen follows their leads down a rabbit hole to find out if the Car Barn Murders were a gang hit. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Episode Four: "Den of Duplicity" 24:17

3y ago24:17

24:17

The District of Columbia was dealing with rampant illegal rackets and Karen finds out just how much corruption was going on. The detectives start working with an informant, who finds out key information about the Car Barn Murder case. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in…

1
Episode Three: "Distraction and Discombobulation" 25:33

3y ago25:33

25:33

As the detectives followed lead after lead, nothing seemed to be panning out. Karen starts following leads of her own, including an attempted robbery of another ticket office that provided a suspect description. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Episode Two: "Seeing Can Be Deceiving" 36:02

3y ago36:02

36:02

Karen begins reconstructing the moments of the murders of James Mitchell and her great uncle, Emory Smith, which leads to difficult questions. Was it really an inside job like everyone thought? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Episode One: "The Oldest Cold Case" 32:08

3y ago32:08

32:08

Retired detective Karen Smith discovers that her father kept a family secret for decades. In 2002, her father revealed that Karen's great uncle, Emory Smith, was the victim of a heinous murder and that her grandfather had been held as a suspect. Karen begins her journey to solve her great uncle Emory's murder. Learn more about your ad-choices at ht…

1
Introducing Shattered Souls: The Car Barn Murders 1:50

3y ago1:50

1:50

'Shattered Souls: The Car Barn Murders' premieres March 22nd! What happens when a double homicide case lands in your lap? What if it is the oldest active cold case in the history of American true crime? What if your father held a family secret for fifty years before he confided in you that one of the victims was your great-great uncle and that your…

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