The world of podcasts got a major boost in exposure with "Serial," the NPR-created chronicle of a murder in Baltimore and the man who went to prison for it. Adnan Syed strongly proclaimed his innocence in the death of Hae Min Lee, but was convicted and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. Friends and investigators had doubts, producer Sarah Koenig dug into them, and it made for some unforgettable radio. "Serial" is coming back for another season, but we thought we'd help them out by spotlighting ten incredible crime stories that could use some in-depth investigation.
The Christina McNeil Murder
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
What could be worse than going to jail for the crime of murdering your own child? Going to jail for that crime when you didn't commit it. One of the most interesting cases being handled by the Illinois branch of the Innocence Project, the non-profit that advocated for Adnan Masud and other people potentially wrongly convicted, concerns Barton McNeil, a divorced father found guilty of killing his daughter Christina in her sleep in 1998. The evidence against McNeil was flimsy, and the court wouldn't let his lawyer bring in his ex-girlfriend Misook Nowlan for questioning. When Nowlin was arrested for the murder of her mother-in-law in 2011 in scarily similar circumstances, it raised a red flag and McNeil is working to have his case reopened after 16 years in prison.
The Ken Rex McElroy Murder
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
One of the most important aspects of a true crime story is the setting, and the Missouri town of Skidmore is a location that can't be beat. In 1981, one of the most bizarre murders of all time happened in broad daylight, in view of dozens of people. Ken Rex McElroy was Skidmore's most hated man, in and out of jail multiple times for assault, arson, burglary and statutory rape. For some reason, the legal system could never put him away for good. When he shot and wounded the town's beloved 70 year old grocer, Skidmore finally fought back. On the morning of July 10, 1981, McElroy was shot dead by two separate rifles while sitting in his truck with his wife. Nobody was ever charged in the case, and heading to Skidmore to talk to the witnesses - all potential murderers - would make for a seriously bad-ass "Serial."
The Ricky McCormick Cipher
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
One of the things that made "Serial" so popular was the feeling that listeners were trying to solve a puzzle along with the show's hosts. So why not bring in a notorious unsolved mystery that has a major puzzle-solving aspect for a future season? In 1999, the corpse of a man named Ricky McCormick was found in a field in St. Charles County, Missouri. He was already decomposed enough that no cause of death could be determined, and he had last been seen alive at a local hospital five days earlier. It wasn't until police searched his pockets that the real mystery was revealed: McCormick had two sheets of paper with writing on them in an encrypted code that the FBI hasn't been able to crack to this day. But what the FBI failed at, NPR listeners may be able to accomplish.
The John Gilbride Murder
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
The best crime stories go in unusual directions. When John Gilbride was shot to death in his car in September of 2002, police had one major suspect: MOVE, a domestic terrorist group in the Philadelphia area. Gilbride had been married to Alberta Africa, the widow of MOVE founder John Africa, and earlier in the month had appeared in court testifying that the group was threatening to kill him. His prediction came true, but the murder was never solved. MOVE members assert either that the hit was planned by the U.S. government to frame the organization or that Gilbride faked his own death and is out there somewhere.
The Death Of Andrew Sadek
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
We don't want to venture too far back into the past for these cases - obviously any podcast producer wants to be able to talk to as many living persons of interest as possible. That's what makes the mysterious death of Andrew Sadek such a great choice. Sadek was a State College of Science student who worked as a confidential informant for the local police department, selling marijuana to other students in sting operations. In Spring of 2014, Sadek mysteriously disappeared, and two months later his body was found in a river on campus with a backpack full of rocks and a bullet in his head. Did he commit suicide, or was he taken out by someone he betrayed? It's a fascinating story with a lot of potential.
The Keith Ratcliff Murder
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
One thing that makes for a good podcast is a peek into a world we'd normally not be part of, and the universe of YouTube gun enthusiasts is a perfect pick. A thriving subculture of individuals who film themselves firing off high-powered ordinance is out there, and one of the most famous among them was Keith Ratliff, who managed the popular FPSRussia channel. Over 3.5 million people subscribed to his channel to watch Keith and friends blow away pictures of Justin Bieber. In January of 2013, Ratliff's body was found dead in his garage, a single bullet in his head. He was surrounded by guns, all of them his, and none of them fired. It'd be amazing to delve into the world of recreational gun culture while trying to solve this completely inexplicable crime.
The Tear Drop Rapist
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
Here's another chilling tale of possibly unjust imprisonment from the Innocence Project. In December of 1999, Luis Vargas stood before the Los Angeles Superior Court and received a sentence of 55 years to life for raping three women. Vargas stridently proclaimed his innocence, but it wasn't until years later that he was able to reach out to the world. After he was jailed, Los Angeles was plagued with over 30 sexual assaults by a man dubbed the "Tear Drop Rapist," identified by the tattoo of a drop under his eye. That was the same tattoo that witnesses used to identify Vargas - but what are the odds that two rapists would have the same face ink? DNA tests seem to clear Vargas of the crime, but he is still behind bars waiting for the wheels of justice to turn.
The Doodler Murders
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
A great true crime story is about more than just the individuals involved - it's also a reflection of the times we live in. Although the "doodler murders" happened in the 1970s, their investigation can tell us a lot about the way we treat LGBTQ people today. While the Zodiac Killer was snatching up the headlines in San Francisco, another predator was on the streets, exclusively killing young gay men. His trademark? Introducing himself to his victims by drawing portraits of them on bar napkins. It's unknown how many men the Doodler claimed, as the media wasn't thrilled to report on San Francisco's gay culture, and digging up this crime could lead to some fascinating discoveries.
The John P. Wheeler III Case
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
Most of these bizarre mysteries concern people who aren't much in the public eye. This one is a huge exception. John P. Wheeler III was the founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and a former executive at Amtrak. So when a sanitation worker spotted his body atop a trash heap at Delaware's Cherry Island Landfill in 2010, it raised a number of questions. Wheeler had been spotted in the days prior acting disoriented around several office complexes in the state, but there's as of yet no explanation for his behavior. The cause of death was blunt force trauma, ruled a homicide, and police have no leads.
The Chillicothe Vanishings
![News, Crime, 10 Crimes Stories Worthy Of Serial Treatment]()
Most of the cases in this list are several years old, allowing for a little critical and historical distance. But what if "Serial" put itself in the middle of a case that was happening right now? Our suggestion is the mysterious disappearance of six women in Chillicothe, Ohio, which is perplexing law enforcement officers as we write this. Over the past year, the bodies of Tiffany Sayre, Tameka Lynch, Shasta Himelrick and Timberly Claytor have been discovered in parks and streams around the small town, while two other women - Charlotte Trego and Wanda Lemons - are still missing. Interestingly enough, all six women knew each other, which is rare in cases like these.
The Christina McNeil Murder
What could be worse than going to jail for the crime of murdering your own child? Going to jail for that crime when you didn't commit it. One of the most interesting cases being handled by the Illinois branch of the Innocence Project, the non-profit that advocated for Adnan Masud and other people potentially wrongly convicted, concerns Barton McNeil, a divorced father found guilty of killing his daughter Christina in her sleep in 1998. The evidence against McNeil was flimsy, and the court wouldn't let his lawyer bring in his ex-girlfriend Misook Nowlan for questioning. When Nowlin was arrested for the murder of her mother-in-law in 2011 in scarily similar circumstances, it raised a red flag and McNeil is working to have his case reopened after 16 years in prison.
The Ken Rex McElroy Murder
One of the most important aspects of a true crime story is the setting, and the Missouri town of Skidmore is a location that can't be beat. In 1981, one of the most bizarre murders of all time happened in broad daylight, in view of dozens of people. Ken Rex McElroy was Skidmore's most hated man, in and out of jail multiple times for assault, arson, burglary and statutory rape. For some reason, the legal system could never put him away for good. When he shot and wounded the town's beloved 70 year old grocer, Skidmore finally fought back. On the morning of July 10, 1981, McElroy was shot dead by two separate rifles while sitting in his truck with his wife. Nobody was ever charged in the case, and heading to Skidmore to talk to the witnesses - all potential murderers - would make for a seriously bad-ass "Serial."
The Ricky McCormick Cipher
One of the things that made "Serial" so popular was the feeling that listeners were trying to solve a puzzle along with the show's hosts. So why not bring in a notorious unsolved mystery that has a major puzzle-solving aspect for a future season? In 1999, the corpse of a man named Ricky McCormick was found in a field in St. Charles County, Missouri. He was already decomposed enough that no cause of death could be determined, and he had last been seen alive at a local hospital five days earlier. It wasn't until police searched his pockets that the real mystery was revealed: McCormick had two sheets of paper with writing on them in an encrypted code that the FBI hasn't been able to crack to this day. But what the FBI failed at, NPR listeners may be able to accomplish.
The John Gilbride Murder
The best crime stories go in unusual directions. When John Gilbride was shot to death in his car in September of 2002, police had one major suspect: MOVE, a domestic terrorist group in the Philadelphia area. Gilbride had been married to Alberta Africa, the widow of MOVE founder John Africa, and earlier in the month had appeared in court testifying that the group was threatening to kill him. His prediction came true, but the murder was never solved. MOVE members assert either that the hit was planned by the U.S. government to frame the organization or that Gilbride faked his own death and is out there somewhere.
The Death Of Andrew Sadek
We don't want to venture too far back into the past for these cases - obviously any podcast producer wants to be able to talk to as many living persons of interest as possible. That's what makes the mysterious death of Andrew Sadek such a great choice. Sadek was a State College of Science student who worked as a confidential informant for the local police department, selling marijuana to other students in sting operations. In Spring of 2014, Sadek mysteriously disappeared, and two months later his body was found in a river on campus with a backpack full of rocks and a bullet in his head. Did he commit suicide, or was he taken out by someone he betrayed? It's a fascinating story with a lot of potential.
The Keith Ratcliff Murder
One thing that makes for a good podcast is a peek into a world we'd normally not be part of, and the universe of YouTube gun enthusiasts is a perfect pick. A thriving subculture of individuals who film themselves firing off high-powered ordinance is out there, and one of the most famous among them was Keith Ratliff, who managed the popular FPSRussia channel. Over 3.5 million people subscribed to his channel to watch Keith and friends blow away pictures of Justin Bieber. In January of 2013, Ratliff's body was found dead in his garage, a single bullet in his head. He was surrounded by guns, all of them his, and none of them fired. It'd be amazing to delve into the world of recreational gun culture while trying to solve this completely inexplicable crime.
The Tear Drop Rapist
Here's another chilling tale of possibly unjust imprisonment from the Innocence Project. In December of 1999, Luis Vargas stood before the Los Angeles Superior Court and received a sentence of 55 years to life for raping three women. Vargas stridently proclaimed his innocence, but it wasn't until years later that he was able to reach out to the world. After he was jailed, Los Angeles was plagued with over 30 sexual assaults by a man dubbed the "Tear Drop Rapist," identified by the tattoo of a drop under his eye. That was the same tattoo that witnesses used to identify Vargas - but what are the odds that two rapists would have the same face ink? DNA tests seem to clear Vargas of the crime, but he is still behind bars waiting for the wheels of justice to turn.
The Doodler Murders
A great true crime story is about more than just the individuals involved - it's also a reflection of the times we live in. Although the "doodler murders" happened in the 1970s, their investigation can tell us a lot about the way we treat LGBTQ people today. While the Zodiac Killer was snatching up the headlines in San Francisco, another predator was on the streets, exclusively killing young gay men. His trademark? Introducing himself to his victims by drawing portraits of them on bar napkins. It's unknown how many men the Doodler claimed, as the media wasn't thrilled to report on San Francisco's gay culture, and digging up this crime could lead to some fascinating discoveries.
The John P. Wheeler III Case
Most of these bizarre mysteries concern people who aren't much in the public eye. This one is a huge exception. John P. Wheeler III was the founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and a former executive at Amtrak. So when a sanitation worker spotted his body atop a trash heap at Delaware's Cherry Island Landfill in 2010, it raised a number of questions. Wheeler had been spotted in the days prior acting disoriented around several office complexes in the state, but there's as of yet no explanation for his behavior. The cause of death was blunt force trauma, ruled a homicide, and police have no leads.
The Chillicothe Vanishings
Most of the cases in this list are several years old, allowing for a little critical and historical distance. But what if "Serial" put itself in the middle of a case that was happening right now? Our suggestion is the mysterious disappearance of six women in Chillicothe, Ohio, which is perplexing law enforcement officers as we write this. Over the past year, the bodies of Tiffany Sayre, Tameka Lynch, Shasta Himelrick and Timberly Claytor have been discovered in parks and streams around the small town, while two other women - Charlotte Trego and Wanda Lemons - are still missing. Interestingly enough, all six women knew each other, which is rare in cases like these.