Shows
Crime AdjacentWho belongs in town?As more and more cabins were broken into and more and more visitors were assaulted, or murdered, the town grappled with a sticky moral dilemma.Who belongs? Who gets to call this place home, and who should be kept away?The town boiled with debate and turmoil that Saturday. But as residents gathered inside the town hall to discuss these issues, the clown creeper was elsewhere. No longer content to remain at the lake, he moved to downtown at that very moment, sizing up his next murder victim.This is the story of...
2026-02-0422 minCrime AdjacentA new suspectBest-selling author Aitana Ruiz heads to Walloon Lake every September to put the finishing touches on the latest book in her popular series Daggers and Wind. But 2024 was different.Because on Saturday morning, September 28, she awoke close to daybreak with a man in a clown mask at the foot of her bed. This man snapped a length of rope between his hands, whispering, "And now, the fun begins."This is part ten of the 8th season of Crime Adjacent: the untold story of the Michigan Nightstalker.What happens if your favorite c...
2026-01-2824 minCrime AdjacentCrimes of duress and sextortionCan you get away with murder if someone is forcing you to do it?This episode looks at crimes of duress and just how far some people force others to go on their behalf. Because that is exactly what was happening in Petoskey in 2024, in the lead up to the murders that began in September.This is part nine of the 8th season of Crime Adjacent: the untold story of the Michigan Nightstalker.What happens if your favorite character jumps off the page and starts a podcast? That’s Crime Adjacent, the...
2026-01-2124 minCrime AdjacentThe worst town bully in the worldSomeone was following me. At the diner, at the bookstore, the cafe, the town square. Wherever I went that day, the same day the clown struck again, the same man appeared behind me. He was watching, waiting.In the pedestrian tunnel that connects downtown Petoskey to the waterfront, he finally struck.Get out of town, he said. Now.Petoskey, Michigan, had been hit by a strange wave of crime since the beginning of 2024, and this man in front of me, threatening me, was just the latest.Stop the investigation, h...
2026-01-1421 minCrime AdjacentSociology, clothes, and murderDo you know about those fancy shoes with the red soles? How about that brand with the plaid design crawling over coats and purses? What does a belt with "G" on it denote, or "H"?In the field of conspicuous consumption, these are what sociologists call loud signals of wealth. But there are quiet signals as well, signals so subtle and obscure as to be noticed only by the truly, impossibly rich -- those who don't even need fancy brands to signal their wealth.S...
2026-01-0714 minCrime AdjacentThe punch heard round the worldUnited States Olympic Rugby gold medalist Aubrey Ertz went to Walloon Lake for a short vacation and a team-building retreat. The 2028 Olympics are fast approaching, and Ertz wanted to set the goals for the team.But on Friday morning, September 27, 2024, she woke to a horrible surprise. Someone was in her room, rubbing her feet. And so she did what she normally does in situations like this: Punch first and ask questions later.It turns out, this punch provided yet another important clue in this case.This is part six of the 8t...
2025-12-3120 minCrime AdjacentA murder in Traverse CityOn Sept. 3, 2024, Realtor Yuki Sugita was hosting an open house in a rural neighborhood on the outskirts of Traverse City.Sometime between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., someone showed up at this house and discovered Sugita alone. No neighbors. No buyers. Just her and an empty, quiet home.Sugita was tied up and stabbed to death, only to be discovered by potential buyers out shopping for homes that afternoon. While the case looked, on the surface, so different and far away and unrelated to the clown creeper cases on Walloon Lake -- a full 60 miles a...
2025-12-2417 minCrime AdjacentA prelude to murderBeginning in January 2024, the town began experiencing an odd but noticeable rash in crime. The high school science teacher suddenly began sending people nudes. The school principal was arrested for embezzlement. The bookstore owner also sent nudes. A cafe worker was charged with felony assault for beating up a high school football player.The town's biggest problems were bar fights and traffic tickets. But now, everyday citizens suddenly went on unusual crime sprees.And one person, who moved to town in January, long before the clown creeping even began, appeared on the periphery i...
2025-12-1723 minCrime AdjacentHidden cameras, private momentsHave you ever stayed in a short-term rental while on vacation and wondered: Is that fire alarm real? Or is there a camera in there?Because that's exactly what happened in this case. And it led to a series of big breaks.When hidden spy cameras were found inside the cabin, investigators narrowed on a suspect quickly.This sounded exactly like something one man in particular would do -- a man with a history of peeping and public exposure. It appeared as if this case would be solved in mere hours. A...
2025-12-1020 minCrime AdjacentClowns and crime: Why do they scare us?Clowns are supposed to be happy, entertaining figures. And yet, they factor into true crime cases all the time -- from bank robberies to burglaries to serial killers.As more break ins and foot rubs were tied to this case, we take a look at why clowns have such a fascinating -- and terrifying -- hold on us. And we also discover something shocking inside the cabin of one victim.Someone had recorded the whole thing.This is part two of the 8th season of Crime Adjacent: the untold story of t...
2025-12-0326 minCrime AdjacentA break in on Walloon LakeEarly in the morning on Sept. 26, 2024, a man in a Halloween clown mask broke into the cabin of a single, vacationing woman in Northern Michigan. He bagged all her shoes. Watched her sleep for an unknown period of time. And then crept to the foot of her bed, where he gently lifted the covers and massaged her feet.Night after night, cabin after cabin, the man prowled the quiet vacationland of Walloon Lake. It started with break ins and foot rubs. And soon, it escalated, with murders stretching from Petoskey to Traverse City....
2025-11-2628 minCrime AdjacentThe Rest Stop KillerIn the annals of true crime lore and media representations, serial killers are far too often held up as loner geniuses and masterminds. But the truth is, for the most part, these guys are morons -- usually psychopathic, narcissistic idiots who are, ultimately, done in by their own stupidity and hubris. Ted Bundy couldn't help but steal the same type of car. The Son of Sam got parking tickets and returned to the scenes of his crimes. The BTK Killer trusted cops and basically sent in his own confession letter. And in...
2025-11-1947 minCrime AdjacentRed HandedEverything pointed to Daniel Palmer as the main suspect in the Rest Stop Killer case. All of the victims were found on his property, either in the valley or at his home or at his officeWhen Bea Macy, the final known victim of the Rest Stop Killer, was discovered outside of his downtown headquarters building on Dec. 16, 2023, there was a literal trail of blood leading directly to his office.Ridgewood police had seen enough. They arrested him that very night. The Rest Stop Killer had finally been caught.
2025-11-1228 minCrime AdjacentComing soon: The Michigan NightstalkerOn a quiet lake in Northern Michigan, in the early morning hours of September 26, 2024, a man in a long tan coat and a Halloween clown mask broke into the cabin of a single, vacationing woman named Claire Gasley. First, he bagged up her shoes and socks. Then, he crept to the foot of her bed, slipped his hands under the covers, and … massaged her feet.Michigan is practically a breeding ground for serial killers. The Ypsilanti Ripper. The Sunday Morning Slasher. The Oakland County Child Killer. The North Fox Island pedophile ring—a dark fore...
2025-11-1002 minCrime AdjacentSerial killer souvenirsEd Gein took skin. BTK took jewelry and trinkets. The Zodiac took pieces of a bloody shirt. In Ridgewood, police knew exactly what the Rest Stop Killer took from each victim. And somehow, they managed to keep this a secret for decades, knowing these souvenirs provided the only link between each murder.If police could find these tokens, they'd find their suspect.On Dec. 16, 2023, on the night City Councilwoman Bea Macy was abducted, they finally found the tokens -- which meant, they also found t...
2025-11-0527 minCrime AdjacentThe Ridgewood City Council murdersIn the winter of 2023, three city councilmembers from the city of Ridgewood were abducted. One, Gary Pugh, was murdered, his body dumped in a valley on the outskirts of town -- the exact same location used by the Rest Stop Killer. The two others, Margie Miller and Bea Macy, were brutally assaulted but, somehow, survived. To figure out what happened and to better understand how the Rest Stop Killer played a role in these cases, the city council commissioned an independent report. What it unc...
2025-10-2921 min
Crime AdjacentA Show You'll Love: Harlem QueenEpisode title: Stephanie's Great EscapeThis episode tells of Madame Stephanie St. Clair's great escape from prison and flight to France, aided by her secretary, Ruby and her top underling, Manos.This episode features:Gabrielle Adkins as Stephanie St. ClairMare-Francoise Theodore as Josephine BakerJourney Brown-Saintel as RubyLuke Slattery as ManosAdditional voices by Tom Smith, Emilio Smith and Yhane Washington SmithSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...
2025-10-2413 minCrime AdjacentBea MacyBea Macy was born in a small town in Wisconsin but, just like Len Macy, she made her way to Ridgewood in a roundabout fashion following the Summer of Love. She remained in town until the very end.In the 1960s, she escaped the doomed cult in the valley outside of town, grabbing on to a secretarial job at City Hall. There, she learned the ins and outs of Ridgewood. In the 1980s, she ran for school board, and then for City Council. The annual Christmas parade and Santa greeting was her idea. She...
2025-10-2219 minCrime AdjacentParking lotsThere’s something undeniably eerie about a parking lot. The rows of silent cars, or worse, the vast swaths of empty space. The distant echo of footsteps. The half-burnt yellow lights casting shadows across the gritty pavement. Parking lots are liminal spaces — they’re designed for movement, for transitioning from the safety of cars to the safety of places.But for many - especially women - parking lots aren’t just transitional spaces. They’ve become cultural touchstones of heightened fear. Indeed, parking lots have become gendered terrains. Places where women and children are taken, whe...
2025-10-1518 minCrime AdjacentEnd gameOver the span of a week in December 2023, two Ridgewood city council members were abducted and assaulted. One, Gary Pugh, had been murdered. The other, Margie Miller, managed to survive somehow, but the prognosis did not look good.She was abducted on Friday night, Dec. 15, 2023, and by the following morning, Saturday, she would be in the hospital, fighting for her life. No one knew it at the time, of course, but by that Saturday morning, the killer already had their eye on the next and final victim in this c...
2025-10-0824 minCrime AdjacentTokensTrue crime is littered with cases of killers who tied to throw investigators off their tracks. These cases are also littered with the tiny, dumb mistakes these killers made that ultimately led to their demise.The out of place pizza box. The tiny trace of DNA. The wild story of a late-night trip through a blizzard that was most definitely not an impromptu alibi attempt.Which is all to say, true crime has grown accustomed to bizarre cases like these and the strange, unbelievable stories murderers come up with...
2025-10-0122 minCrime AdjacentFraudOn Dec. 13, 2023, Ridgewood resident Mollie Miller came to one of the Crime Adjacent live shows in San Francisco. She had a message for us: The Rest Stop Killer had returned to Ridgewood. But more than that, she knew exactly who the killer was.So why, then, when I returned to Ridgewood to investigate, did I find her in her main suspect's home?I needed answers. Fast. Because during that cold winter week in 2023, Ridgewood was coming undone.Crime Adjacent i...
2025-09-2427 minCrime AdjacentRehearsal FantasyTrue Crime stories are riddled with serial killers and their crimes. But how do they get started? From BTK to The Nightstalker to the Rest Stop Killer, many serial killers begin with what forensic psychologists call rehearsal fantasy. That's the term for the young teen or young man outside, in the bushes, watching. Eventually, for some, these voyeuristic, Peeping Tom fantasies evolve into something far, far worse -- like break ins and eventually physical violence.I couldn't help thinking of that term and all th...
2025-09-1726 minCrime AdjacentMargie MillerMargie Miller spent her life trying to escape Ridgewood. But a series of unfortunate events always pulled her back home, and right back into the heart of this case.At 18, she was accepted into the University of Chicago, but her family just couldn't afford it, and so she stayed home. At 22, she was offered a job in San Francisco, but her father suddenly died and she remained home to help her mother.After a few years, she was offered another job, a dream job in the history department of...
2025-09-1025 min
KQED's PerspectivesMike Adamick: A Culture of True CrimeMike Adamick explores why people enjoy true crime narratives.
2025-09-0803 minCrime AdjacentThe LakeOn Sept. 27, 1969, the Zodiac killer donned a black hood and approached a young couple on the shores of Lake Berryessa — just a few miles north of Ridgewood.Once he tied up the couple, he stabbed them mercilessly. I told you the Zodiac kept appearing in strange ways in the case of the Rest Stop Killer, and it happened again here, at Lake Berryessa. Because this exact spot where the Zodiac struck back in 1969 -- it was the exact same location where the body of Mich...
2025-09-0333 minCrime AdjacentMichelle DiazThe disappearance of Michelle Diaz happened at the worst possible time in a small town with limited resources and in a media environment desperate for information about a different case altogether. So although her death would eventually lead to uncovering the true volume of horror committed by the Rest Stop Killer, she would, sadly, become a footnote in the larger story. Michelle Diaz was anything but a footnote to her family and those who loved her most.This is her story....
2025-08-2723 minCrime AdjacentGoing HomeIt was Mollie Miller who alerted me to the death of Gary Pugh. It was Mollie Miller who said the Rest Stop Killer was back, who said the Palmer family was involved somehow, and that the police were covering for them. And yet, she now refused to talk. Something was happening in Ridgewood, and on Thursday Dec. 14, 2023, I went home for the first time in nearly 30 years to figure it out. Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime thriller told weekly.
2025-08-2025 min
Crime AdjacentA Show You'll Love: KingscreekCuriosity is a dangerous thing. Kingscreek is a weekly horror semi-anthology podcast, with weekly episodes. Follow Damien Bachman as he reads through his late uncle's old research, centered around the strange and paranormal occurrences in Kingscreek, Washington.Case A-95: Serial Roadside Phenomena (Fall 1997)Recording Date: 09/16/08Content Warnings:- Animal Death- Animal Body HorrorStarring Thomas S Dennis as Damien BachmanWritten, Edited, and Directed by Thomas S DennisProduced by James Makepeace
2025-08-1519 minCrime AdjacentGary PughThe killer disappeared for nearly 30 years. Police thought he moved or was caught or just decided to call it quits, which happens occasionally with serial killers. Then Gary Pugh was abducted from a quiet street in Ridgewood on December 11, 2023, and discovered dead in the valley just hours later. The Rest Stop Killer had never left. Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly. New episodes every Wednesday.Weekly BTS info and profiling gr...
2025-08-1331 minCrime AdjacentLen MacyWhen Len Macy arrived in San Francisco in 1967 for the Summer of Love, he was immediately tempted by the cults and charismatic narcissists who preyed on young people at the time. Charles Manson. Jim Jones. Synanon. They were everywhere.But it was Mitch "Moon" McDaniel that would lure Len to Ridgewood, where he would soon find himself alone and forgotten. Until a killer started dumping bodies just yards from his front door.This is the story of suspect #2: Len Macy.
2025-08-0634 minCrime AdjacentDaniel Palmer Jr.Three Ridgewood men have been abducted and murdered, their bodies found in a valley on the outskirts of town. And the same man found two of them. This is Daniel Palmer Jr., a millionaire housing developer who owns the valley land.On the nights of each murder, Palmer said he was home, hosting fund-raisers for local politicians. People saw him each night, vouched for him. But are his alibis as airtight as he claims? Is it possible to slip away from a large party, murder men, and then simply slip back into the party...
2025-07-3037 minCrime AdjacentGone ColdOne man built a flamethrower and patrolled the town’s sewer system, positive the killer lurked underground. A posse of women formed an armed vigilante group and roamed the streets at night. Neighbors reported other neighbors to police. Kids called the tip line on their teachers. As Ridgewood waited for the killer to strike again, mass hysteria settled over the entire town. But then, just as suddenly as they began, the murders stopped. The case went cold. Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly.
2025-07-2325 minCrime AdjacentPanicAfter the abduction and murder of Bobby Briggs on Jan. 20, 1996, Ridgewood exploded. There was a killer among them, taking men. Off busy streets. Stomping them to death.Just as it has done all over the country for ages, panic set in. And Ridgewood would never be the same.Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly. New episodes every Wednesday.Find behind the scenes details or join our true crime and criminal profiling reading group at our Patreon page -- http://www...
2025-07-1629 minCrime AdjacentA New Zodiac Victim?The similarities between the abduction of Bobby Briggs and one Zodiac survivor were so striking that Detective Jones had to check it out. Briggs was kidnapped in the middle of Ridgewood, on a busy thoroughfare. And yet, there were no witnesses or signs of a struggle. It was as if he simply vanished.When Detective Jones inspected his truck, she knew what happened. She had seen this before. With the Zodiac killer.Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly. New episodes e...
2025-07-0927 minCrime AdjacentBobby #2With the discovery of a third body in the valley just off Interstate 80 in Ridgewood, police realized the killer emerged every other Saturday night. Only this time, instead of abducting a man at Hunter Hill rest stop, he was in Ridgewood. Anyone, it seemed, was fair game now.Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly. New episodes every Wednesday.Find behind the scenes details or join our true crime and criminal profiling reading group at our Patreon page -- http://www...
2025-07-0240 minCrime AdjacentThe Doodler LinksDetective Ida Jones had seen this before. Gay men were being murdered while the police and the entire town looked the other way. Like a nightmare she couldn’t escape, she couldn’t stop this from happening in Ridgewood. Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly. New episodes every Wednesday.Find behind the scenes details or join our true crime and criminal profiling reading group at our Patreon page -- http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent -- hope to see you there!
2025-06-2526 minCrime AdjacentThe TimelineBobby Calvin had everything going for him. Smart, handsome, a former D1 star quarterback at Stanford, where he almost led the team to a national title in the 1980s. An actor with big dreams of Hollywood. An early adopter of the Internet. So how did he cross paths with a killer on a lonely night just after the new year in 1996? Detective Jones has spent her entire career trying to answer this question, bringing her into contact with a serial killer who has been bl...
2025-06-1827 minCrime AdjacentBobby #1Exactly two weeks after the discovery of Tommy Coulet, another man was found on the outskirts of Ridgewood.Same valley. Same injuries. Same horrible manner of death.This is the story of Bobby Calvin, who would soon become known as Bobby #1.Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly. New episodes every Wednesday.Find behind the scenes details or join our true crime and criminal profiling reading group at our Patreon page -- http://www.patreon.com/c...
2025-06-1120 minCrime AdjacentThe ProfileWith no leads, no clues, and no suspects, Tommy’s case went cold, almost instantly. But as more men were abducted in Ridgewood, investigators reached out to the FBI for a profile.The profile has never been publicly released.Until now.Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly. New episodes every Wednesday.Find behind the scenes details or join our true crime and criminal profiling reading group at our Patreon page -- http://www.patreon.com/cri...
2025-06-0437 minCrime AdjacentTommyTommy Coulet left home at 9 p.m. on Dec. 23, 1995 and would never return. His body was discovered the next morning in a known lovers’ lane spot on the western edge of Ridgewood just off Interstate 80.Investigators wouldn’t know it at the time, but Tommy Coulet would be the first known victim of the most prolific serial killer in American history.This is the story of how it all began.Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly. New episodes every Wednesday.
2025-06-0432 minCrime AdjacentCrime Adjacent. New season: The Rest Stop KillerThirty years ago, someone began snatching men from a small Bay Area town and dumping their bodies in a quiet lovers’ lane just off Interstate 80.But just as quickly as the killings began, they suddenly stopped. The killer simply vanished. No suspects. No arrests. No headlines. These men and their murderer were forgotten, overshadowed by other notorious serial killers prowling the same Bay Area roads.In this season of Crime Adjacent, host and serial killer survivor Chase Patrick returns home to Ridgewood to answer the question once and for al...
2025-05-2102 min
Amy's TableFather's Day: Dad's Book of Awesome RecipesMike Adamick wrote Dad's Book of Awesome Recipes, an all-in-one guide to helping kids create tasty meals your whole family will devour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2021-06-1610 min
Talking To Teens: Expert Tips for Parenting TeenagersEp 62: Avoiding Negative Cultural InfluencesMike Adamick, author of Raising Empowered Daughters, shares his insights on avoiding negative cultural narratives to raise strong girls. And how we raise boys is an important piece of the puzzle too.Full show notesAs parents, we want our kids to grow up with a sense of equality. We want them to know that both boys and girls are capable of greatness, that regardless of their gender, they’re free to follow their wildest dreams. That’s why it’s frustrating when we see sexist attitudes or gender inequality perpetuated by major retailers or movie...
2019-12-0827 min
The Sew Manly PodcastRaising Empowered Daughters and Engaging Men in Discussions With Mike AdamickI chat with Mike Adamick about his recent work, Raising Empowered Daughters: A Dad-to-Dad Guide which is a wise and witty handbook for dads, suggesting ways to raise girls who won’t settle for second-class-citizenship. Mike examines the array of sexisms---both subtle and not-so-subtle-girls encounter and highlights not just the ways that girls and boys are treated differently but how the roles of moms and dads are shaped by society, too. Additional notes Raising Empowered Daughters: A Dad-to-Dad Guide Mike Adamick
2019-07-1034 min
The Modern Dads PodcastMike Adamick on Raising Empowered DaughtersAuthor Mike Adamick joins to discuss his new book, Raising Empowered Daughters: A Dad-to-Dad Guide, and his effort to meet dads where they are to discuss equality, representation, and feminism. NOTE: This show includes discussions of some challenging topics including rape culture, racism, and sexism.
2019-05-0332 min
Parenting is PoliticalMike AdamickI chat with Mike about how to not be a terrible white guy, what it's like being called out by your child, and his upcoming book about raising empowered daughters.
2018-11-1628 min
The Modern Dads Podcast#45: Writing the Adventurous Girl with Mike AdamickAuthor Mike Adamick joins us to talk about his new tween action book series, The Adventures of Crash Adams. We talk about the evolution of his clever and resourceful main character as a role model for boys and girls. We also talk about the new Star Wars character Rey and the controversial toy company decision to leave her off store shelves.
The Parents Phrase Book author Whit Honea joins in to suggest parents re-think our outdated labels of boy stuff and girl stuff.
2016-03-1532 min
The Modern Dads Podcast#35: Creativity with KidsEvery dad has a creative muscle that is aching to get flexed. For this episode of the Modern Dads Podcast, we hope you will be inspired by these dads that are sharing their love of art, music, cooking, science and more with their children. Author Mike Adamick talks about how he shares the experience of creating his books with his daughter, including his latest, Dads Book of Awesome Recipes. Children's book author Christopher Routly talks about the moment with his kids that sparked a Kickstarter campaign and the publication of his latest book, Sometimes You Need a Jellyfish.
2015-05-2643 min
The Modern Dads Podcast#19: Summer With Our Favorite Dads Jim Higley, Mike Adamick, and Whit HoneaSummer is our favorite time of the year and what better way to celebrate the final weeks than with some inspiration from our favorite dads. Jim Higley joins us as he prepares for life as an empty-nester and his new role at Camp Kesem, an innovative camp for kids affected by a parent's cancer that is organized and operated by college student leaders. Mike Adamick joins us to talk about his new book, Dad's Book of Awesome Science Experiments (a perfect book for summer) and gives us a great outdoor building/craft project that we can do with our kids...
2014-08-0536 min
Bobblehead Dad Parenting221 - Awesome Science Experiments Make Awesome Memories!Mike Adamick wants you to have some fun with your kids.
Because fun - and connecting with your kids - is awesome!
Mike stops by Bobblehead Dad Parenting today to talk about his new book, "Dad's Book of Awesome Science Experiments," a collection of 30 fun experients you can do with your kids using inexpensive supplies.
Why science experiments?
There's real benefits to helping your kids explore the world around them - which Mike breaks into five areas including chemistry, biology, physics, planet earth and the human body. He also offers easy-to-understand ex...
2014-05-0237 min
The Modern Dads Podcast#3: Summer with Kids, Guests: Kristin Chase, Mike AdamickIt's summer time! We talk to Dad's Book of Awesome Projects author Mike Adamick and Cool Mom Picks Founder Kristin Chase about some low-tech projects and high-tech apps that will set us up for a fun, creative, and relaxed summer with the kids. We also talk about the dastardly framed, but ultimately interesting NYT Room for Debate discussion about the necessity of dads.
2013-06-2533 min