Shows
Das CriminalThe Murder(?) of HitchbotIn 2015, Hitchbot — a hitchhiking robot made from pool noodles and a bucket by the eager students of Canada’s Ryerson University-slash-Toronto Metropolitan University — was dismembered by unidentified assailants on the streets of Philadelphia. Its decapitated cake-container of a head has never been recovered. In this episode, we’re going to try to answer the question: Can you murder a robot? Plus, social experiments, baby seal violence, and everyone's favorite sci-fi topic: sex robots. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3ygv9Fz
2022-08-0946 minDas Criminal68 - Menzel v. List: The Case of the Looted PaintingIn 1932, the Menzel family purchased Marc Chagall’s painting, Jacob’s Ladder, and hung it in their apartment in Brussels, Belgium. But as the Nazi regime advanced, the Menzels, fearing for their own safety, fled Brussels for the United States, leaving their Chagall painting behind. After the Allied Forces declared victory, the Menzels returned to their Brussels apartment, only to find their Chagall painting missing. The Einsatzstab Rosenberg, a Nazi Party organization responsible for looting cultural property like artwork, had stolen it during the war. But the Menzels were not about to let the fascists take anything else...
2022-07-1937 minDas CriminalMarco Muzzo & The Driving While Intoxicated EpidemicOn Sunday September 27th, 2015 Marco Muzzo landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport. He was returning on a private jet from a trip to Miami. He got into his SUV and drove off, reaching 85 kilometers per hour (or ~53 mph). At around 4:10 PM, Muzzo’s SUV sped past a stop sign in Vaughan (a city in Ontario, north of Toronto and within the GTA), smashing a family minivan. Gary Neville, 65, was killed instantly. Children Daniel (9), Harry (5), and Milaga (Milly, 2) Neville-Lake also died from their injuries. Neriza Neville and Josephina Frias, also in the minivan, were severely injured. The children's fa...
2022-07-0552 minDas CriminalJuvenile Penal Labor: The Killing of Gina ScoreDonate to Every Bottom Covered: https://www.everybottomcovered.org/support-us On July 21st, 1999, the girls at the Plankinton juvenile detention boot camp in South Dakota were forced to do a 2.7 mile — or 4.3 kilometer — run. Fourteen-year-old Gina Score was having trouble. Gina had not even finished a week at the boot camp, and she almost immediately fell behind the other girls. Gina was showing signs of heat stroke — the most severe form of heat illness. Gina had several serious indicators: she was barely moving, and gasping for breath. Gina was cooking like an egg in the hot sun...
2022-06-2152 minDas Criminal65 - Meng Wanzhou & The Two MichaelsOn August 10th, 2021, the Dandong City court found Michael Spavor guilty of espionage and sentenced him to 11 years in prison and the payment of a fine and deportation following the sentence. Spavor was arrested alongside another Canadian, Michael Kovrig, on charges of espionage in December of 2018. The “Two Michaels,” as the cases are commonly known, have caused a stir in Canadian politics and strained Canada’s relationship with China. Many believe that the arrest of the two Michaels was a direct response by China to Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou. Meng, a Chinese citizen, and executive of the m...
2021-08-1745 minDas Criminal64 - Conflict Is Not Abuse: Jodi Arias & Travis AlexanderOn June 4th, 2008, Jodi Arias murdered Travis Alexander — her ex, her on-again/off-again boyfriend, her friend-with-benefits, her stalking victim, or her fuck buddy, depending on how you view their relationship. Media pundits like Nancy Grace saw this as a case of a beautiful, narcissistic psychopath slaughtering her ex-boyfriend in cold blood. Arias’s defense team painted her as a woman abused. But we want to take another approach — one that recognizes the toxic nature of Jodi and Travis’s relationship while affirming that nothing in Travis’s behavior justifies his brutal death. In the words of author and activi...
2021-08-101h 10Das CriminalShrooms & Section 33.1: The Thomas Chan CaseIn the early hours of December 28, 2015, Lynn Witteveen was woken up in her Haggis Drive, Peterborough home by a commotion in the kitchen. She made her way to the source of the noise just in time to see her partner, Dr. Andrew Chan, plead with his son Thomas as Thomas stabbed him to death. Thomas then turned his attention to Lynn. He stabs her multiple times, but she manages to flee to the bedroom and call 911. The operator hears Lynn plead with her partner’s son, “I love you, I love you.” Inaudible screaming follows, and then “Ah. I’m...
2021-07-2048 minDas CriminalThe 2018 YouTube ShootingOn April 3rd, 2018, around 12:45 pm Pacific Time, someone with a grudge against YouTube went to the platform’s physical headquarters at 901 Cherry Avenue in San Bruno, California, armed with a semi-automatic pistol. That person shot and wounded three people before turning the weapon around and killing themselves with a shot to the heart. When details emerged about the YouTube attacker, social media lit up. This person didn’t conform to so many of the stereotypes we hold about mass shooters. Nasim Najafi Aghdam was vegan, a member of the Baháʼí Faith, and — exceedingly rare for lone mass shooters — a woman....
2021-07-1344 minDas CriminalThe Attempted Assassination of George WallaceAt his inaugural address in 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace infamously declared, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” An avowed racist, he opposed the Civil Rights Movement and its mission to end legalized racial discrimination in the United States. To label him a “controversial” figure would be an injustice to the people he hated and devoted his political career to oppressing. On Monday, May 15th, 1972, at approximately four in the afternoon, Arthur Herman Bremer fired at George Wallace at point-blank range. Though seriously injured, Wallace survived the attack. But why did Bremer fire on the governor? Was this...
2021-07-0633 minDas CriminalJennifer PanOn November 8th, 2010, three intruders entered the Pan family household in Markham, Ontario near Toronto. After stealing the cash in the home, they tied up the family's 24-year-old daughter, Jennifer, and shot her parents. Her mother, Bich, died instantly, but her father, Han, miraculously survived. When York Regional arrived at the scene, they quickly realized that not everything was as it seemed. They turned their attention toward one of the central characters in the event: Jennifer Pan herself. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2021-06-2250 minDas CriminalChina's McDonald's Cult Murder: The Death of Wu ShuoyanOn May 28th, 2014, a group of five adults and one child attempted to proselytize people in a McDonald's in Zhaoyuan, China. When a woman name Wu Shuoyan refused to give them her contact information, they beat her to death inside the restaurant. Join us for a deep dive into cults and new religious movements in China, Mao's stance on religion, the so-called Eastern Lightning sect and its female Jesus, and a family whose collective delusion eventually drove it to murder. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2021-06-151h 05Das CriminalSlaughterhouse-Five: The Bombing of DresdenBetween February 13 and February 15, 1945, RAF and USAAF bombers flew over the German city of Dresden, dropping hundreds of tons of incendiary and high explosive bombs over the densely populated city. Incendiary bombs caused a widespread fire that ravaged the city. All in all, the attack resulted in around 25,000 Germans killed and many more injured. In the weeks and years that followed, the attack on Dresden would occupy a central role in the debates over Allied war crimes and whether such an operation was militarily necessary at that point in World War II. Dresden had served as a h...
2021-06-0834 minDas CriminalHillsborough: Justice for the 96This episode is upcycled from our Patreon page; it was originally published in April for our Connolly Collective. We will be back next week with a brand new episode! It is April 15th, 1989. Your club, Liverpool FC, have reached the semi-finals of the oldest club competition in the world - the FA Cup. They are due to face Nottingham Forest in the neutral venue of Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. Somehow, you manage to snag a couple of tickets. You go in. You are in the Leppings Lane terrace behind one of the goals. You begin...
2021-06-0150 minDas CriminalMarie Antoinette, Historical Revisionism & Revolutionary TerrorIf you search for biographies of Marie Antoinette, most of them focus on her fashion sense, her romantic relationships, and even how some of the French tabloids published misleading stories about her, such as the infamous “Let them eat cake” line and the Diamond Necklace Affair. It’s almost as though — nearly 230 years after her execution — we’re meant to believe that Marie Antoinette was a victim of the French Revolution rather than a symbol of its grievances in the first place. So, why has Marie Antoinette’s image been sanitized in recent years? Was she simply a misunderstoo...
2021-05-2531 minDas CriminalThe Mysterious Death of Frank Olson | Part IIIn this episode, we continue our discussion on the death of Frank Olson ― the U.S. Army biochemist who mysteriously fell out a New York City hotel window in 1953. Content warning: This episode includes discussions of drug use and possible suicide. If you feel suicidal and need to talk, Wikipedia has a list of crisis lines around the world. Please check out decolonizepalestine.com to learn more about things like greenwashing! Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2021-05-1834 minDas CriminalThe Mysterious Death of Frank Olson | Part IIn the early hours of November 28th, 1953, U.S. Army biochemist Frank Olson plummeted out the window of room 1018A at the Statler Hotel in New York City. Though his colleagues first reported this as a jump or fall, details about Frank Olson's opposition to the use of bioweapons in the Korean War, his connections to the CIA's Project MKUltra, and a recent unwitting LSD trip would eventually come to light. What happened to Frank Olson? Did he fall out the window in the middle of the night? Did he have some sort of nervous breakdown and...
2021-05-1145 minDas CriminalJosh Duggar: How Purity Culture Protects PredatorsOn Thursday, former reality TV star and right-wing lobbyist Josh Duggar was arrested by U.S. Marshals; Friday, news broke that Duggar is charged with receiving and possessing child sexual abuse images. These aren’t the first allegations of sex crimes against children for Josh Duggar; in 2015, In Touch Weekly reported that between 2002 and 2003 — when he was 14 and 15 years old — Duggar molested five girls — four of whom are his sisters. Cable channel TLC canceled the Duggar family’s reality show, 19 Kids and Counting, after these allegations surfaced. But the series continued in the form of a spin-off...
2021-05-0455 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: Syria | The Bethnal Green GirlsOn February 17th, 2015, three teenage girls from Bethnal Green, London, boarded a flight at Gatwick Airport for Istanbul, Turkey. The schoolgirls — Amira Abase, Shamima Begum, and Kadiza Sultana — weren’t headed for a Mediterranean holiday; they were en route to Syria to join the Islamic State — otherwise known as ISIS or Daesh. The news shocked the British public. Though thousands of men — and at least dozens of women — had already traveled from Europe to Syria and Iraq to join jihadist organizations, the idea that three straight-A students would run away from home to join a terrorist syndicate seemed incom...
2021-04-271h 02Das CriminalArab Uprisings: Syria | Who's Who in the Civil War?This week, we’re going to break down who is involved in Syria’s Civil War, which groups are allied with which, and clear up some common misconceptions or repetitive misinformation about the conflict. We’re mostly going to focus on the major players — namely the government forces, opposition forces, autonomous administration (sometimes erroneously called ‘the Kurds’), and the Islamic State. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2021-04-2053 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: Syria | A Gay Girl in DamascusOn June 6th, Syrian-American blogger Amina Abdallah Arraf al Omari — known for her web page about being a lesbian in Syria titled, A Gay Girl in Damascus — was reported to have been abducted by men who appeared to be Syrian government forces. International media outlets like The Guardian picked up the story, and well-meaning LGBT activists worldwide began to organize to support her release. But as with so many threads that make up the complex web of the Syrian Civil War, Amina’s arrest and the spotlight it put on her blog began to demand more explanation. Who is...
2021-04-0653 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: Yemen | Civil WarWhen we last discussed Yemen, longtime president Ali Abdullah Saleh had fled, and his vice president — Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi — had been put in charge of forming a new constitution. But things started to go quickly awry as Hadi appeared to consolidate power for himself, and a group of anti-government rebels popularly known as the Houthis began to fight back. In this episode, we discuss Yemen's Civil War, Saudi Arabia's war crimes, and how the United States and the United Kingdom are no strangers to sowing trouble in the Middle East. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCr...
2021-02-2336 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: Yemen | 2011 SpringOn January 27th, 2011, Yemen's people followed the example set by Tunisia and Egypt and flooded the streets, demonstrating against the incumbent regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh. Much like the other countries experiencing revolutions, Yemenis were tired of endemic unemployment, mass immiseration, and no prospects of improvements. After months of protests and, in some cases, armed encounters between revolutionaries and the government, the people finally felled Saleh on November 23, 2011. An election was organized for February 2012, and Vice President Abrabbuh Mansur Hadi took power as interim president. What appeared to be a spring was a false dawn, however, as...
2021-02-1631 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: Libya | Second Civil War & Mediterranean CatastropheIn this episode, we break down the Second Libyan Civil War and review how the havoc wreaked on the country by Western forces has enabled some of the most opportunistic characters to exploit the most desperate people. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2021-02-0930 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: Libya | BenghaziOn September 11th and September 12th, 2012, members of an Islamic militant group in Libya known as Ansar al-Sharia attacked the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi and a CIA annex approximately one mile away. The attack resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, US Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty. In the US-centric lexicon, ‘Benghazi’ has become synonymous with a series of investigations into then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. And Clinton and the Obama administration are responsible for the chaos in Liby...
2021-02-0233 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: Libya | The First Civil WarOn the 14th of January, 2011, Tunisia — Libya’s neighbor to the northwest — toppled longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and vowed to establish a democracy in the small country. Less than a month later — on the 11th of February, 2011, Egypt — Libya’s neighbor to the east — overthrew its authoritarian president, Hosni Mubarak. A few days later, protests began in Benghazi, Libya, attempting to oust Libya’s longtime ruler, Muammar Gaddafi. But despite being sandwiched between Tunisia and Egypt, Libya’s revolt and its consequences bear significant distinctions from the previous uprisings we’ve covered — most notably NATO’s intervention an...
2021-01-2637 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: BahrainBahrain is a land of contrasts: Arab and Persian, Sunni and Shi’a, indigenous and migrant, rich and poor. As the Arab Spring swept through the region in 2011, Bahrainis of all stripes saw the opportunity to express their discontent with the status quo in the country. However, unlike the other nations that experienced protests, Bahrain’s Spring was brutally crushed by the regime within a few weeks. Today, dissidents are either exiled, in jail, or dead, and the rule of the House of Khalifa is more iron-gripped than ever. But for a brief few weeks in 2011, Bahrainis dared to drea...
2021-01-191h 00Das CriminalArab Uprisings: Egypt | The Murder of Giulio RegeniOn January 25th, 2016 — exactly five years after the explosion of the Egyptian uprising that ousted longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak — an Italian graduate student named Giulio Regeni went missing in Cairo. Nine days later — on February 3rd, 2016 — his body was discovered on the side of a highway with definite signs of torture. Regeni had been researching Egypt’s independent trade unions. To this day, his murder remains officially unsolved. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2021-01-1223 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: Egypt | Counter-RevolutionIn January and February of 2011, Egyptians led an uprising against the country’s authoritarian leader, Hosni Mubarak, shouting — among other slogans — “We are never going back.” Back to oppression, dictatorship, and cruelty at the hands of regimes subservient to Western interests. But now — ten years after the events that took power back from Mubarak — that’s exactly Egypt’s situation. How did the country go from a fledgling democracy — and beacon of hope for other countries in the region — to a dictatorship under military General Abdel Fatah Al Sisi? In this week’s episode, we’re going to discuss the 2013 Egypt...
2021-01-0538 minDas CriminalCurrent Criminal #19 - Stop It, Ya Zealots!Aamer and Erin review Pixar's Toy Story (1995) and discuss the hierarchy of toys, gender representation in films and video games, abandonment issues, and their proposal to recast Wallace Shawn as Cleopatra. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-12-2935 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: Egypt“The people demand the downfall of the regime,” echoed the cry by tens of thousands of Egyptians as they occupied Tahrir Square on January 25, 2011. January 25th was celebrated annually as Police Day in Egypt. Unlike previous years, however, this January 25th saw the rage of a people brutalized by police for years explode onto the streets. Perhaps the most famous of the Arab Spring uprisings, and certainly the one most covered at the time, Egypt saw its own uprising. Egyptians flooded Cairo's streets and marched onto Tahrir Square in the middle of the city, demanding bread, freedom, and...
2020-12-2246 minDas CriminalArab Uprisings: TunisiaOn December 17th, 2010, at approximately 11:30 AM, a 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi approached the governor’s office in his town, Sidi Bouzid. Standing in the middle of traffic, he shouted, “How do you expect me to make a living?” before dousing himself in gasoline and lighting a match. Bouazizi never recovered from a coma and died in a Tunisian hospital several weeks later. But his self-immolation would literally ignite protests across Tunisia against state corruption and a lack of opportunities for young people. These demonstrations then spread across the region — most famously to Egypt, Libya, Bahrain...
2020-12-1542 minDas CriminalThe Assassination of Jill DandoOn Monday, April 26th, 1999, at approximately 11:30 AM, BBC presenter Jill Dando approached the front door of her house in Fulham, London. As she was about to put her keys into the lock, someone grabbed her from behind. He forced Jill Dando to the ground, so her face was almost touching the front step. According to one of Britain’s leading pathologists, the assailant then used his left hand to fire a single shot into Dando’s left temple. She died instantly. Jill Dando was beloved among the British public. Her murder brought shock and confusion; why would anyo...
2020-12-0838 minDas CriminalThe 2013 Rana Plaza Factory CollapseChances are, most of your closet probably consists of ready-made garments — clothing manufactured en masse to fit most people. And, most of us probably know that the conditions in these factories are less than ideal. International corporations like Nike and Gap have repeatedly been caught exploiting workers — having them work long hours with little pay in factories with few safety precautions. On April 24th, 2013, a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed, killing 1,134 people and injuring about 2,500 more. The incident is considered the deadliest structural failure accident in modern human history. But, it was more than a simple mistak...
2020-12-0140 minDas CriminalKony 2012 and the Imperial SlacktivistsIf you had internet access in 2012, you likely remember a film and social media campaign dubbed ‘Kony 2012’ — a drive to apprehend Ugandan militia leader and war criminal Joseph Kony. The 30-minute viral video created and posted by an organization called Invisible Children, Inc. urged viewers to spread awareness of Kony, with the mission of apprehending him by the end of that year. In this episode, we have two stories unfolding at the same time: the first is the calamity of the Kony 2012 campaign — its fervid rise, rapid fall, and immortalization as an internet meme. But a second story lu...
2020-11-2453 minDas CriminalThe Everest Industry: The Death of David SharpOn May 13th, 2006, British mountaineer David Sharp set out on a solitary expedition to the summit of Mount Everest. Though an experienced hobbyist climber, David never made it back down the mountain and is thought to have died on the 15th of May, 2006, at age 34. Whether he reached the peak is unknown. Ascending and descending Mount Everest is extraordinarily dangerous; people die nearly every year climbing the mountain, bringing the total recorded death count to over 300 people. But David Sharp’s death, in particular, stirred controversy as several climbing expeditions passed him and did not — or were unab...
2020-11-1741 minDas CriminalThe Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima & NagasakiOn August 6th and August 9th of 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Combined, these bombs killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people. The two bombs — named Little Boy and Fat Man — were the first and only nuclear weapons used in armed conflict, though the global nuclear arsenal has increased to an alarming size. In this episode, we discuss the atomic bombings of Japan — the precipitating events, the explosions themselves, and the controversy that has surrounded this use of nuclear weapons ever since. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https...
2020-11-1054 minDas CriminalElizabeth Holmes & The Theranos GriftHenry Kissinger. George Schultz. James Mattis. William Perry. David Boies. What do these men have in common — besides being war criminals or attorneys representing war criminals? They all invested millions of dollars in a Silicon Valley start-up called Theranos. Unfortunately for them, the company once worth $9 billion dissolved in 2018 amid fraud investigations. Founder Elizabeth Holmes is set to face trial in 2021 for her role in this fraud. But who is Elizabeth Holmes, and how did a 19-year-old Stanford dropout become the face of Silicon Valley grifts? Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3...
2020-11-0345 minDas CriminalThe 2019 El Paso Walmart ShootingOn August 3rd, 2019, a gunman attacked the Walmart Supercenter near the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas. Armed with a Romanian WASR-10 rifle, the shooter killed 23 people and injured 23 others. As El Paso has a large population of reported Hispanic or Latino people, and that specific Walmart serves people from both the El Paso area and neighboring Ciudad Juárez in Mexico, the assault has been described by The New York Times as “the deadliest anti-Latino attack in modern American history.” In this episode, we discuss the El Paso shooting and the fascist manifesto allegedly published by the kille...
2020-10-2743 minDas CriminalKorea's Patient 31 and ShincheonjiIn the first few weeks of South Korea's coronavirus onset, efforts to test, contact trace, quarantine, and treat kept recorded infections down to just 30 people in the entire country. Then came Korea’s very own Typhoid Mary — Patient 31. The 61-year-old's escapades around the city of Daegu led to a cluster of over 5,000 cases in the area. Even stranger are Patient 31's connections to Shincheonji, Church of Jesus — a new religious movement many consider to be a cult. In this episode, we break down South Korea's COVID-19 response, what makes a cult, and whether Shincheonji is really to blame for the spre...
2020-10-201h 03Das CriminalJack Unterweger: Do Prisons Rehabilitate?If you’ve been listening to our podcast for a while now, you’ll likely have noticed that we fall pretty firmly on the side of prison abolition, but one big question looms: What about the sexually-motivated criminals? In this episode, we tackle the case of Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger and discuss whether prison successfully rehabilitated this misogynist menace to society, and how we might create a world that is safer for everyone. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-10-1341 minDas CriminalOperation Finale: The Capture and Trial of Adolf EichmannIn 1960, Israeli secret agents tracked down Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann to a house on Garibaldi Street in Buenos Aires. Without assistance from the Argentine government or police, they planned and executed Eichmann’s capture and clandestinely brought him back to Israel. The following year, Eichmann was tried and eventually convicted of 15 counts of crimes against humanity, war crimes, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership in a criminal organization. He was hanged shortly after midnight on June 1st, 1962, at Ayalon maximum security prison in the town of Ar-Ramleh. Despite overwhelming evidence against him, Eichmann’s tr...
2020-10-061h 12Das CriminalThe Alleged War Crimes of Eddie GallagherOn May 4th, 2017, Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher of SEAL Team 7 allegedly stabbed and killed a teenage prisoner-of-war in Mosul, Iraq. The events that followed prompt questions about war crimes, rules of engagement, and American exceptionalism. We discuss the case and these topics in this episode about the case centering on U.S. soldier / right-wing Instagram influencer Eddie Gallagher. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw Aamer's Radio War Nerd episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41683290
2020-09-2841 minDas CriminalThe Alleged War Crimes of Eddie GallagherOn May 4th, 2017, Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher of SEAL Team 7 allegedly stabbed and killed a teenage prisoner-of-war in Mosul, Iraq. The events that followed prompt questions about war crimes, rules of engagement, and American exceptionalism. We discuss the case and these topics in this episode about the case centering on U.S. soldier / right-wing Instagram influencer Eddie Gallagher. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw Aamer's Radio War Nerd episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41683290
2020-09-2841 minDas CriminalThe Assassination of Dr. Barnett SlepianOn October 23rd, 1998, Dr. Barnett Slepian was shot and killed by a sniper rifle while in his kitchen in East Amherst, New York. Slepian was targeted for his work at the Buffalo Womenservices clinic, where he provided a spectrum of OB-GYN care, including safe, legal abortions. The killer — an anti-choice extremist named James Charles Kopp — fled the country, but he couldn't hide forever... AAMER'S RADIO WAR NERD EPISODE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41683290 Aamer is expected to return shortly! But you can fill your appetite there, or on our Patreon where we keep the bonus cont...
2020-09-2137 minDas CriminalThe Jakarta Method: Indonesia's 1965 Counter-RevolutionOn September 30th, 1965, people in Indonesia went to bed thinking that the following day would be like any other. However, that assumption was sadly wrong. In the early hours of October 1st — before the sun had even risen — members of the Gerakan 20 September (G30S) initiated a failed putsch for power that triggered a genocide. In a campaign of bloodletting that would shake Indonesia to its core, General Suharto attacked communists, feminists, and all believed to associate with them. Over a period of several months, his forces killed over one million people, displaced one million more, and tortured countless others...
2020-09-1449 minDas CriminalNorway's Black Metal MurdersAbandon all hope, ye who enter here. We are about to embark upon a dark and twisted journey into The Black Circle — the infernal heart of Norway’s heavy metal scene. On this adventure, we will encounter ear-splitting music, edgelords, Satanism, arson, Nazis, and murder. Join us as we discuss the life and times of characters with titles like Euronymous, Dead, Faust, and Count Grishnack, gate-keeping fan cultures, death of the author, and the artistic merit of the hit song, WAP. If you are having thoughts of suicide, please reach out to someone. INTERNATIONAL HOTLINES: http://www.suic...
2020-09-071h 04Das Criminal26 - The Trump-Russia FiascoYou’ve heard all the references and allegations, the accusations and wild claims, the guesses and suspicions. You’ve probably seen Rachel Maddow scream about Russia interfering with US elections on MSNBC at least once over what feels like a century ago. Terms like ‘interference, ‘kompromat,’ and ‘leaks’ have been drilled into our heads. Despite the countless hours pundits have debated Russiagate on CNN, it remains as baffling and utterly incomprehensible as ever. In this episode, we break down what we know and what remains as speculation regarding Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and its connections to Russia. Plus, we look at more...
2020-08-3156 minDas CriminalThe Murder of Amy Biehl: Truth and ReconciliationFrom 1992 to 1993, 26-year-old white American Fulbright Scholar Amy Biehl lived and worked in Cape Town, South Africa, while studying women’s participation in the anti-apartheid struggle and transition to democracy. On the 25th of August, 1993, Amy decided to give some of her Black friends a ride home. While passing through the township of Gugulethu, the car was attacked by a crowd of Black residents, who shouted “anti-white slurs.” Some of these angry young men zeroed in on Amy Biehl — stabbing and stoning the young scholar and activist to death. But what may seem like a straightforward murder case act...
2020-08-241h 01Das CriminalThe Condor That Killed Orlando LetelierOn September 21, 1976, at roughly 9:35 AM, a massive explosion pierced the quiet Washington DC air at Sheridan Circle. A bomb placed under their vehicle killed exiled Chilean Ambassador Orlando Letelier and his colleague, Ronni Moffitt. The murder corresponds to a shady campaign of terror called Operation Condor, which ultimately traces back to the United States government and Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet himself. In this episode, we discuss the life and death of Orlando Letelier, and the socialist politics that made him a target for assassination on US soil. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Aamer's substack: h...
2020-08-1749 minDas CriminalThe Watcher: The Broaddus Family's Real Estate NightmareIn the summer of 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased their dream family home at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey. Soon after, the Broadduses started receiving strange and threatening letters from a person only known as The Watcher. Someone was fixated on 657 Boulevard and wanted the Broadduses out... Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-08-1050 minDas CriminalThe Double Theft of the Jules Rimet TrophyIn 1966, the Jules Rimet Trophy (which was awarded to winners of the FIFA World Cup) was stolen from a display in London, only to be recovered a week later in the most miraculous of ways. Seventeen years later, the trophy was swiped yet again from its case in Rio de Janeiro. Join us as we discuss the corruption of FIFA, Nazi plundering, composite sketches, and a dog named Pickles. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-08-0342 minDas CriminalThe Persian Princess: Rhodugune's MummyIn October of 2000, Pakistani police stumbled across an ancient artifact that would shake the archaeological world: a mummified Persian princess. The cuneiform on her coffin claimed that she was Rhodugune — a daughter of the great king Xerxes. The story brought news coverage from around the world as Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan all fought to declare possession of the princess. But soon, the story would take a shocking turn… Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-07-2749 minDas CriminalJesus of Nazareth: Radical RabbiMost of us are probably at least somewhat familiar with the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Born in Palestine at the beginning of the 1st century CE, Jesus would eventually lead a Jewish movement and be crucified by the Romans for the crime of sedition. But, despite the obvious political overtones of such a tale, Jesus’s story is often decontextualized and therefore depoliticized. The fact is, Jesus of Nazareth was a guy with some pretty incendiary ideas for the time which put him in the crosshairs of expanding imperial Rome. For this, he was publicly executed by...
2020-07-2044 minDas CriminalCleopatra: The Inimitable LiverCleopatra VII is one of the most famous figures in popular culture and one of the world's most ancient sex symbols. She’s frequently painted as a seductress and an accessory to the Roman generals in her life, Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. But we often neglect Cleopatra’s legacy as a politician and commander in her own right. She was Egypt’s last independent ruler, and spent the latter part of her life unavailingly trying to keep her Kingdom out of Rome’s imperial clutches. In this episode, we discuss the life and times of Cleopatra VII Phil...
2020-07-131h 04Das CriminalThe Life and Death of Julius CaesarIn this first episode of our ancient assassinations mini-series, we talk about the life and death of one of history's greatest conquerors, Gaius Julius Caesar. Was Caesar really a rising tyrant bringing about the end of the Roman Republic? Or was he a "people's dictator" who instituted some progressive reforms despite some unsavory methods of governance? We talk about Caesar's time as a military leader, numerous love affairs, some ironic execution methods, and Aamer's gift for tongue twisters. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-07-061h 22Das CriminalThe Danziger Bridge Shooting - *BONUS*On the 29th of August, 2005, the tropical cyclone known as Hurricane Katrina made landfall over southern Louisiana and Mississippi, most famously devastating the city of New Orleans. The damage was catastrophic: over 1,800 people died — almost all of them poor and Black — prompting Kanye West to utter his famous line: “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” Six days later, New Orleans police gunned down Katrina survivors and tried to cover up what they'd done. In this episode, we bring you the story of the Danziger Bridge shooting. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bi...
2020-07-0137 minDas CriminalThe Neo-Nazi Murder of Mulugeta SerawOn the night of November 12th, 1988, a 28-year-old student and Ethiopian immigrant named Mulugeta Seraw was beaten to death by three strangers outside his Portland, Oregon apartment. The case of racial violence would shock Portland and bring to light the horrific underbelly of present-day Neo-Nazis in the United States. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DasCriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-06-2941 minDas CriminalCurrent Criminal #7 - Anti-Racist Jesus Loves YouAamer & Erin examine talking to your family about race as a religious conversion process. Plus, we discuss police abolition, White Fragility, Bahraini organized crime, and the Premier League's Kafkaesque noise spectacle. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dascriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-06-2438 minDas CriminalThe Tulsa Race Massacre & Watching WatchmenBetween May 31st and June 1st of 1921, mobs of white people in Tulsa, Oklahoma rampaged through the predominantly Black Greenwood district, reducing the neighborhood to rubble and ash. The violence saw dozens - if not hundreds - of people killed and many more expelled from their homes. In this episode, we discuss the Tulsa Race Massacre and its relevance to current politics and pop culture, including as a setting in HBO's Watchmen series. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dascriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-06-221h 00Das CriminalForensic Files and Law Enforcement LiarsIn 1987, two different women in Huntington, West Virginia were attacked by the same stranger. Police collected physical evidence from the scenes and soon zeroed in on Glen Woodall — a 29-year-old groundskeeper who was convicted of the crimes based on testimony from the state's leading forensic serologist, Fred Zain. As technology advanced, Woodall's defense team pushed for the evidence from the crime scene to be re-tested against Woodall's DNA. It didn't match. Glen Woodall was exonerated after spending five years in prison. But how is it that forensic evidence — which originally secured Woodall's conviction — would later prove hi...
2020-06-1551 min
Das CriminalCurrent Criminal #6 - Facts & Logic Grifters SUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER: https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/ Aamer and Erin review some protesting tips and tricks before discussing the so-called "grievance studies hoax." They also discuss chemistry, right-wing grifters, and the worst subreddit yet. Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-06-1047 min
Das CriminalThe Iran-Contra AffairOn January 20th, 1981, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th President of the United States. At the same time, halfway across the world, the 52 American hostages that have been held by the Islamic Republic of Iran were released to US personnel after 444 days in captivity since 1979. Although those events appear unrelated at first glance, the links between them run deep like roots underneath a forest floor; in particular, it has been alleged that during the 1980 presidential elections, the Reagan campaign reached out to Iran and intentionally sabotaged their negotiations with the sitting President, Jimmy Carter. Reagan...
2020-06-081h 10
Das CriminalThe Lynching of Emmett TillSUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER: https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/ This is an episode about the 1955 lynching of 14-year-old Black boy Emmett Till, which was perpetrated after a white woman named Carolyn Bryant falsely accused Emmett of harassing her. In light of the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, and the false allegations against a Black birdwatcher by a white woman named Amy Cooper, it's necessary that we address how the system in which we live executes violence against Black people in order to maintain a regime that entitles white people. "Some of us...
2020-06-0432 min
Das CriminalSolanas, SCUM & the Attempted Assassination of Andy WarholIn 1967, little-known writer Valerie Solanas self-published her anti-patriarchy pamphlet, the SCUM Manifesto. To some, the Manifesto is a revolutionary work; to others, a misandrist screed. Whether it’s intended as pointed satire, or as Solanas herself once claimed, “dead serious,” the text has regardless become a staple of a particular strain of radical feminism. But Valerie Solanas wasn’t only a woman of biting words; she was a woman of action. On Monday, June 3rd, 1968, Solanas made her way to 33 Union Square West in New York City. In a brown paper bag, she concealed a .32-caliber Beretta automati...
2020-06-011h 01
Das CriminalThe Gypsy Rose Blanchard Story: Munchausen By ProxyOn the night of June 14, 2015, police in Greene County, Missouri found the body of Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. She had been stabbed to death in her own home. Her chronically ill daughter, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, was nowhere to be found. Police had gone to the Blanchard house, just outside of Springfield, Missouri, to check in on the single mother and child after neighbors and friends reported concerning Facebook posts on Dee Dee’s profile. But where is Gypsy Rose? And who killed Dee Dee? This case prompts discussions of murder, medical abuse, and how a system meant to protect our he...
2020-05-251h 13
Das CriminalThe Criminalization of HIV TransmissionAamer and Erin discuss the criminalization of HIV transmission and its implications for public health. What is HIV? How does it spread? And what policies are most effective at minimizing the transmission of infections and their possible negative consequences on a community? In this episode, we try to unpack the stigma around HIV to have a clearer conversation about public health. Alongside our review of a few specific cases (including those of Daryll Rowe and Clato Mabior), we examine the failures of abstinence-only education, the philosophies of Michel Foucault, and the gap between legal policy and implementation. ...
2020-05-1852 min
Das CriminalQAnon: Hero or Hoax?In this week's episode, we discuss the internet conspiracy theory known as QAnon — its origins, beliefs, and validity. We cover everything from satanic child sacrifice to whether JFK Jr. is still alive. Plus, we review political philosophies on state power, the elements of a good literary allusion, and how to outfox the most hardened conspiracy theorists. Remember: when you gaze long into Q, Q also gazes into you. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dascriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-05-111h 10
Das CriminalThe 1979 Iranian Revolution and Hostage CrisisIn 1953, the CIA engineered the overthrow of Iran’s popular Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, and propped up instead the country’s detested monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — the Shah of Iran. Exploiting Iran’s oil fields, the Shah enriched himself while the country’s workers struggled, and his security forces ruthlessly persecuted dissidents who protested the regime. By the late 1970s, the Shah’s cruelty toward the Iranian people would finally blow up in his face, as the country revolted in a series of strikes and protests. One of the Shah’s harshest critics — Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini — would e...
2020-05-0448 min
Das CriminalOperation Ajax: The CIA-Backed Coup Against Iran's MosaddeghIn 1953, the CIA overthrew popular Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and shored up the despotic rule of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in order to safeguard British oil interests in Iran. The tale reads like a spy novel: imperialism, espionage, scheming, bribery, and betrayal abound. In this episode, we bring you the story of the brief, wondrous reign of Mohammad Mosaddegh and the clandestine operation to unseat him — an event that changed the course of Iranian history and ultimately has effects that ring around the world today. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dascri...
2020-04-271h 11
Das CriminalThe Strange Case of Joshua Boyle and Caitlan ColemanIn October of 2012, Canadian-American couple Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman were on a backpacking trip through Central Asia when they were kidnapped by the Haqqani network — an affiliate of the Taliban. The couple and their growing family endured five years in captivity before they were rescued by Pakistani forces in 2017 — a favorable outcome to such a horrifying ordeal. But with this case, nothing is as it seems. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dascriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-04-2051 min
Das Criminal*TEASER* - Politics of the PlagueAs we grapple with lifestyle changes due to the global spread of COVID-19, we must remember that it isn't the world's first pandemic, nor will it be the last. In this special full-length episode for our Patreon supporters, we discuss the disease outbreak known as the Black Death, along with how it both affected and was affected by the sociopolitical circumstances of the time. We also want to give special thanks to all those working and risking their own safety to care for our communities during this time. Listen to the whole episode on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com...
2020-04-1509 min
Das CriminalThe Murder of Colombian Footballer Andrés EscobarThe 1990s were known as the Golden Era for Colombian football. Despite the country’s negative reputation, its national football team shined as a symbol of unity, cooperation, and success. The team’s vice-captain — Andrés Escobar — exemplified this spirit of decency and drive. But in the 1994 FIFA World Cup match against the United States, Andrés made what would be a fatal error: in an attempt to block a pass from the opposing team, Andrés kicked the ball into his own net. Colombia lost the game, and ten days later, Andrés Escobar was murdered. Was this the case of...
2020-04-1352 min
Das CriminalWomen of the Irish RevolutionDuring Easter Week of 1916, Irish Republicans launched a rebellion against the British colonial forces now known as the Easter Rising. Alongside socialist leaders like James Connolly, women were also instrumental in the struggle for Irish independence. In this episode, Aamer and Erin profile three women of the Irish revolution - Eileen Bell, Molly O'Reilly, and Margaret Skinnider - and discuss their roles in pivotal events like the Dublin lock-out, the Howth gun-running, the Rising itself, the Irish War of Independence, and the following civil war. They also chat about grassroots organizing, Irish mythology, and what they would do if...
2020-04-0649 min
Das CriminalThe Assassination of Anwar Al SadatOn October 6, 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat was assassinated by members of the Islamic Jihad during a military parade in Cairo. What kind of statesman was Sadat? And why did his leadership cause so many Egyptians to feel abandoned by their government? Aamer and Erin discuss Sadat's life and death, along with his habit of social climbing, some creepy marital affairs, and his wormish tendency to sell out anyone he no longer found useful. Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dascriminal Sources: http://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-03-3053 min
Das CriminalThe Death of John Allen ChauJohn Allen Chau was determined to convert the isolated inhabitants of North Sentinel Island to Christianity. The Sentinelese repeatedly turned him away, but John wouldn't take no for an answer. Soon, John was dead, and his body has never been retrieved. Why did the story unfold this way? And why is this case important to the ongoing struggle for indigenous sovereignty? Subscribe on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dascriminal Sources: https://bit.ly/3bhoMVw
2020-03-2343 min
Das Criminal*TEASER* Current Criminal #1 - Crooked Mouth DiseaseWe're giving you a sneak peek of our casual chat show, The Current Criminal, which we plan on releasing once or twice a month on Wednesdays. In this week's episode, we chat about what we're up to during the COVID-19 quarantine, Joe Biden and the presidential race, Tulsi Gabbard's chaotic energy, world happiness, the Antichrist, and TikTok's ugly people policy. If you enjoy listening and want to hear more, you can visit www.patreon.com/dascriminal and sign up as a $5+ Patron. Your contributions help us to cover the costs of our equipment and software subscriptions, purchase reading materials...
2020-03-2306 min