True crime obsession

Published August 18, 2023 at 9:58 AM EDT

A black and white photo, circa 1970, of three police officers wearing uniforms and caps typical of the time period. Two of the men are carrying a stretcher with a blanket-covered body. The third walks behind the stretcher, carrying a clipboard. — Columbus police carry out the body of Mary Petry of Ohio State University student in 1970. The murder of Mary and her partner Bill Sproat are the subject of the true crime podcast Mary and Bill.

This episode originally aired on Aug. 7, 2023.

Americans have long been fascinated with true crime. The public can’t seem to get enough books, television shows and podcasts devoted to true tales of murder.

But is our fascination ethical and are there larger social issues at play when it comes to whose stories get told?

We’ll also learn about "Mary and Bill," a new podcast that investigates the murders of two Ohio State University students in 1970. The case remains unsolved.

We’ll look at why true crime stories seem to be a national obsession.

Host:

Mike Thompson, Chief Content Director: Radio

Guests:

Coltan Scrivener, research scientist at Aarhus University in Denmark
Bobbi Miller, pop culture critic and host of "The Afternoon Special" podcast
Justin Glanville, senior producer and host of Ideastream Public Media' "Mary and Bill" podcast
Martha Petry, sister of murder victim Mary Petry featured in the "Mary and Bill" podcast

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