Key facts
- Police departments are producing podcasts to solve cold murder cases and solicit tips.
- A podcast about Peter Chadwick's wife's murder contributed to his capture in Mexico.
- A podcast on Karen Schepers' cold case in Illinois led to the discovery of her body.
- The Aurora Police Department launched a podcast on the 2016 unsolved murder of Chelsea Yasser.
- Experts anticipate an increase in police departments utilizing podcasting for investigations.
Police departments across the United States are increasingly turning to podcast production as a tool to solve cold murder cases and generate new leads. This strategy leverages the widespread popularity of the true crime genre to reach a broader audience and solicit tips that might otherwise go unheard.
In Colorado, the Aurora Police Department launched a podcast called "White Whale" this summer, focusing on the 2016 unsolved murder of Chelsea Yasser. Officials hope the podcast will generate crucial information, similar to successes seen in other jurisdictions. Joe Moylan, Aurora PD's public information officer, stated they deliberately aimed to tap into the large audience of true crime content.
This approach has already yielded results elsewhere. In California, a podcast about Peter Chadwick, charged with murdering his wife, was followed by his capture in Mexico. While not directly prompted by a tip from the podcast, the increased pressure and awareness it generated were credited with contributing to his apprehension. In Illinois, a podcast by the Elgin Police Department about the cold case of Karen Schepers, missing for over 40 years, preceded the discovery of her body in a river within weeks of the first episode's release.
Experts like Michael Alcazar, a retired NYPD detective, believe this trend will grow, seeing it as a valuable tool for law enforcement to control the narrative and solicit new information, despite potential pitfalls like inaccurate information in unofficial true crime content. Alyce McGovern, an associate professor, notes that while many podcasts feature former detectives, it's less common for active police departments to produce them specifically for cold cases.
However, producing podcasts requires resources that many departments lack, including staff, budget, equipment, and expertise. Some also hesitate due to fears of legal repercussions. The Newport Beach Police Department faced criticism for its Chadwick podcast, with some arguing it violated the principle of innocent-until-proven-guilty by labeling him a "murderer" before a trial. Public information officer Jennifer Manzella defended the approach as balancing engagement with investigative integrity.
Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matthew Vartarian of the Elgin Police Department initially found the podcasting requirement daunting but discovered it helped structure their investigation. They found that theories about the case naturally formed episode structures, and the podcast generated tips and social media leads. Ultimately, the Schepers case was solved through traditional police work, including verifying a theory that she had crashed her car into the river.