1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: This is the piked In Massacre returned to Pike County 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: season two bonus episode Crime and Media. I'm Courtney Armstrong, 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: a television producer at Katie Studios with Jeff Shane and 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,760 Speaker 1: Stephanie Lydecker, CEO and founder of Katie Studios and producer 5 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: of The piked In Massacre. Over the course of the 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: last decade, true crime is exploded as the go to 7 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: genre across media platforms, and telling the story of the 8 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: Rodent family and their murders, We've often asked ourselves, why 9 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: are we, as creators of the series so interested in 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: the story and why are you the listener so fascinated 11 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: by it? So we gathered a group of experts to 12 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: explore these questions and ask ourselves, is it a crime 13 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: to love true crime? The True Crime podcast audience is 14 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: seventy five percent women. That's kind of an astounding stat right, Well, 15 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: I think as women we are more socialized to know 16 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: that the world could be a dangerous and unsafe place. 17 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: That's doctor Heidi Horsley. She's a psychologist specializing in grief 18 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: counseling and as co founder of the Open to Hope Foundation. 19 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: Well constantly looking up at our backs, being very aware 20 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: of our surroundings, not being you know, in alleys at night. 21 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: You know, we're very very aware that we could be victimized. 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: So I think it's that. And I also think women 23 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: are very social, We're very connected. We want to understand 24 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,559 Speaker 1: other people. I think we tend to be very people 25 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: oriented and maybe in family oriented. I'm not saying men aren't, 26 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: but oftentimes women are even more so. Maybe that's part 27 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: of it as well, like protecting our pack. It's an 28 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 1: interesting thing because I hadn't realized the true crime audience 29 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: was quite as skewed towards women as it is. And 30 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: I'm certainly a watcher also, And I think it allows 31 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: us to feel too, you know, we see something that's 32 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: like love based or makes us laugh. You know, films 33 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: get to make us feel things that maybe we don't 34 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: necessarily want to feel. Jeff, as a man, what do 35 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: you think about that? It's definitely a different experience being 36 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: a man, Like I don't have to look over my 37 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: shoulder in the same way after a certain age, I 38 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: think for most men, you're not prone to being a victim. 39 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: And I can walk through a parking lot without fear, 40 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: which I think is a privilege that I have not 41 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: fully appreciated until working with Courtney and stuff on crime projects. 42 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: So being aware of that privilege I think has been 43 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: eye opening. And I think putting myself in your shoes 44 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: and listening to a podcast, I would be like, oh, yeah, 45 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: that's a red flag. Like you could see how a 46 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: toxic relationship between Jake and Hannah or however you describe it. 47 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 1: What can you learn from that? It's way easy to 48 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: spot things in other people's lives in our own too, 49 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: you know, So there is a real tool from that. 50 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,239 Speaker 1: We could look at anybody and say, oh, I see 51 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,959 Speaker 1: the red flag there, and is that bad from a 52 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: psychological you know, even for listeners who are listening to 53 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: this driving on their way to work or you know, 54 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: doing whatever it is we do when we hear a podcast. 55 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: Is it because we are desperate to hear other people's 56 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 1: bad stuff because our lives feel better? I don't think so. 57 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: I think it's people are desperate to hear really extreme 58 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,679 Speaker 1: tails because it helps us categorize things in our own 59 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: life and maybe look out for things differently, because when 60 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: you're in the thick of it, it's really hard to 61 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: see out of trouble. You know, sometimes we don't spot 62 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: it as cleanly in our own lives. Journalists. Chris Graves 63 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: covered the road and murders for the Cincinnati Enquirer. She 64 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: was in Pike County just days after the Rodents were 65 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 1: murdered in twenty sixteen. Her reporting was important and giving 66 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: a voice to the victims families in the early days 67 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: of the investigation. Chris gave us her frank assessment on 68 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: the rise in true crime content. You know, this will 69 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: sound really really basic, but I think you start from 70 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: a place if this were me, how would I want 71 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: to be treated? We have to rise above the tiny 72 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: story that just hurts people, you know, the showing up 73 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: and jamming the microphone in somebody's face, And how do 74 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: you feel? And I mean, if I were going to 75 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: be completely candid, I think constantly thinking, you know, is 76 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: it information or is it entertainment? We have to figure 77 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: out a way to move beyond that salacious entertainment whatever. 78 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: They are fascinating, deep stories to be told, and Laurd 79 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: only knows. This story has so many elements of storytell 80 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: But there's a way in which you can tell it. 81 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: I hope, I hope without taking advantage of people. You know, 82 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: we did go to Pike County and you, to your point, 83 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: knocked on doors without a microphone, without a camera for 84 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: all the obvious reasons, and it is, it's it's hard 85 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: on the heart. We do try to be thoughtful, knowing 86 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: that that would be really difficult if it were my 87 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: door that somebody was knocking on. But I don't know, 88 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: I don't know what the answer is there. If nobody 89 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: hears it, then also we're not doing our job either. 90 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: You say entertainment, we have a standoff in that because 91 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: I don't really see it as entertainment. I also think 92 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: bigness is sometimes we're the emotion business. Right. It's almost 93 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: like a shout from the rooftop of hear this, see 94 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: this happened. This is a time stamp on something. And 95 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: what's the balance done of that? How do you balance 96 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: being respectful of people's lives and also people want to 97 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: know every detail of the story. How do you balance 98 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: that in terms of making it respectful to what happened, 99 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: but also allowing people to consume it and take that in. Yeah, 100 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: that's a good question. I think you try to, you know, 101 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: while using finding fact I think you also try to 102 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: approach people with compassion and empathy. Focus on the person's life, 103 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: you know, be accurate. There's nothing worse than getting stuff wrong, 104 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: especially with someone who doesn't have a voice anymore. Avoid 105 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: gory details just because they're gory. Do they need to 106 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: see that? Will it cause unnecessary harm to people? Will 107 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: I revictimize people? But the gory details, to some extent, 108 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: is what differentiates one thing from another. In the spirit 109 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: of making sure that people are being emotionally charged and 110 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: mad as hell? Is that wrong? It is extraordinarily a 111 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: gory case. There was three children left alive at the 112 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: scene and very hideous circumstances. Imagine a four day old 113 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: being in her mother's arms while she's shot two times 114 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 1: in the face. Right, we know that is disgusting. But 115 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 1: some of this is shocking, and if you don't feel shocked, 116 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: then you don't hear the story. How much is too 117 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: much in terms of sharing and oversharing the gory? So 118 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: I think my point in saying that is being careful 119 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: that we don't just report for lurid curiosity. Some of 120 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: that is also making sure that they hold the power 121 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: in the interview. And again I'm not talking about politicians, 122 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: but those who get thrust into this horror through no 123 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: fault of their own, and they deserve that power and 124 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: that voice. And I see myself just sort of as 125 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: a conduit. You know, I'm an ear and I'm a conduit, 126 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: and I tried to share a story, hopefully in an empathetic, 127 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: compassionate way. But your approach matters a lot, Chris. I 128 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: just want to say something about approach because I had 129 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: completely agree with what you're saying. And the flip side 130 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: of all of this is when I worked with the 131 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: nine to eleven families for ten years, initially after the 132 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: nine to eleven events, the media descended on people and 133 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 1: they did not show up knocking on doors. They hid 134 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: in bushes. They were intrusive and invasive. They wanted to 135 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: catch the families that I worked with in their most 136 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: vulnerable positions. And it was extremely overwhelming for the families, 137 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: and it wasn't helpful in many cases, not in all cases, 138 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: because there were people that were there for good reasons, 139 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: but there were other people that just wanted to get 140 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: the story and then leave New York. We ought to 141 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: be asking all the time, what are we doing? Where 142 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: are we at? I guess my challenge to all of 143 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: us doing this work is to think about minimizing harm 144 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: and what does that mean and it doesn't you know. 145 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: I also want to be clear that that doesn't mean 146 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: that sometimes when I'm interviewing people, I'm sure I'm causing 147 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: some harm. I'm asking people to relive and tell me 148 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 1: where they've gone and what they've experienced. When I did 149 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:32,560 Speaker 1: the interview with Bobby Joe and certainly went into fairly 150 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: graphic detail about what she found. Now again I tell 151 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: you I didn't write everything, but I thought, you know, 152 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: in that balance, and it's that constant balance all the time, 153 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 1: how much is too much? What isn't enough? You know, 154 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: I thought her description of bending over the bodies, you know, 155 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:59,479 Speaker 1: of Frankie and Hannah Hazel to get the baby was compelling. 156 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: But my point in saying that is I thought that 157 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: scene said more than just the gory detail in my 158 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: way of thinking, like, Okay, she comes upon this, You've 159 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: got two people who are obviously you shot multiple times. 160 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 1: I mean, she didn't tell me that, but the way 161 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: she described it sounded like that. But yet they leave 162 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: the baby alive. Huh isn't that interesting? So that to 163 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: me was I mean, And again I didn't put it 164 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 1: in just because it's you know, wow, that's a really 165 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: interesting thing, and boy, I could be you know, it 166 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: is interesting, But I think it's interesting in what it 167 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: says about at the time, what it said about the 168 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: killers that you know, they didn't kill everybody, and what's 169 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: up with that? Why would they do that? So either 170 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: the person killing him was absolutely one hundred percent monster 171 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: or that had to have been somebody who knew them 172 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 1: who couldn't kill a child. So what does that say? 173 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: That is the story that I think, certainly for myself personally, 174 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: really tipped me over. The sheer horror of putting yourself 175 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: in Bobby Joe Manley's shoes, even if it's a stretch 176 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: to be able to do so, I can't imagine anything 177 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: more hideous, right, And of course we put ourselves in 178 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 1: that position very quickly and realize, wow, that is something 179 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 1: that's really hard to come back from. And maybe had 180 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: you not reported about it, I wouldn't personally be as 181 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: mad as hell as I am about it, right, and 182 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: we wouldn't feel as hyper connected to the victims and 183 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: the victims families. Certainly, if you're not a relative, or 184 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: you're not from the hometown of the exact same place. 185 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: You know, you have a different perspective coming into it 186 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:40,319 Speaker 1: where you could step in and say, well, that doesn't 187 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 1: really add up. Why would a cartel hit equal babies 188 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: alive and dogs alive? That doesn't really seem like the 189 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: mo But again, if you're super close to it, it's 190 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: hard to see that potentially, And I would really applaud 191 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: that as an example of something that makes people emotionally 192 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 1: get attached to making sure that justice is served. What 193 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: you're saying is so important. I mean, we need to 194 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: get people to care enough to care. And the way 195 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 1: you do that is to bring them through these stories 196 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,839 Speaker 1: into that into that world, capturing the moment and bring 197 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: listeners into that moment so they can kind of visualize 198 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: them be there and like you said, Stephanie, be angry 199 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: as hell, and you're creating awareness and you know, you're 200 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: building a platform for the story and in the long run, 201 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: creating change. We're going to take a quick break here, 202 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: we'll be back in a moment. Reporter Angeanette Levy and 203 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: forensics expert Joseph Morgan joined the conversation. What compels you 204 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 1: in terms of you know, getting to the bottom of 205 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:55,080 Speaker 1: stories and telling stories that happened to people. I've never 206 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: been satisfied until I know every detail, and I think 207 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,319 Speaker 1: that I always want to know what happened and make 208 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 1: sure that I know the true story of what happened. 209 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: You know, so many times share stories where you don't 210 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 1: know what happened, you don't know the truth, or you 211 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: feel like you know the truth but not the whole truth. 212 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: And that was one of the things for me, and 213 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 1: especially with this case, one of the things that we're 214 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: just so awful. You know, we cover awful things in 215 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: this business. We don't go to work every day and 216 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: get to do happy stories. Most of the time it's 217 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 1: something sad or something serious. And I just think it's 218 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 1: sad enough when one person is killed in a story, 219 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,719 Speaker 1: but to have eight people killed all in one night, 220 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 1: eight people in one family. To have one family wiped 221 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: out with little kids, a baby, a newborn baby sleeping 222 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: right next to her mother, that is sick. And I 223 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: think that it was a different kind of case in 224 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 1: that respect, because people should be able to lay in 225 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: their homes at night next to their children and not 226 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: fear being shot in the head or or killed or 227 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: shot in any way. You know that it's just it 228 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: goes against every kind of human feeling I have as 229 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: a human being that we should be treating each other 230 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: with kindness and humanities. You know, I got into this 231 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: business to tell true stories and to make a difference. So, 232 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: you know, I always try to go the extra mile, 233 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: and this case was you know, just particularly horrifying. And 234 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 1: you can't let your emotions like influence how you tell 235 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 1: this story that you have to bring some humanity to it. Chris, 236 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: why did you become a journalist and specifically in true crime? 237 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 1: I like finding out information. I think I'm insatiably curious 238 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: and I like to find out, you know, why things 239 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: happen and how they happen. I'm a big why and 240 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: how a person and the thrill of finding out information. 241 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 1: What can I do in a day? I just started 242 00:13:55,640 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: covering it. This world of knowledge that different pieces of 243 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: people can figure out to me and they can piece 244 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: it together and they can and then there's justice, right, 245 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 1: and then you use all of that for the you know, 246 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,319 Speaker 1: seeking of justice. And how the systems work is really 247 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: interesting to me. How things work, how the court system works, 248 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: Why what's going to happen. What do they need to 249 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: prove is all? It's all part of the same sort 250 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: of ingredients in the soup. I think, Joseph, how did 251 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: you get into this line of business? What made you 252 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: grow up and say I want to be a medical 253 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: death examiner? For me, it was fascinating. You see it 254 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: from the perspective of all the peripheral issues that come 255 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 1: up that you see what's left behind in their weight, 256 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: you know, the life that they live, what's in their 257 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: chest of drawers at home, what's sitting beside the chair 258 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: the daddy sat in all the time, the lazy boy 259 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 1: in front of the the TV. You know, the little table 260 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: there where he kept his pipe, or maybe what was 261 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: mama hiding in the kitchen cabinets? Stuff that people don't see. 262 00:14:58,120 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: And I think this goes back to this figure. Is 263 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: the reason I think that this is so compelling with 264 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: all of these other cases. And it's dictated by geography, 265 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: It's dictated by the personality of a place pipe then 266 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: Pike County it has it is in the story, in 267 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: the story of these lives lost, It's it is a character. 268 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: What is our obsession with true crime? As those who 269 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: follow it closely and dedicate our careers to it. What's 270 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: up with that? We're storytellers, I mean back from the 271 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: beginning of time, right, I mean and even Caveman time, 272 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: we were drawing pictographs to communicate. So we have a 273 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: human desire to communicate and they're compelling stories. Something bad 274 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: happened and we want to find I think we are 275 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: seekers of truth or seekers of fact. How did this happen? 276 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: That's why we rubber neck at car accidents. And truthfully, 277 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 1: it's the classic good versus evil, right, good and bad. 278 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: I think that's what's draws us to things. I mean 279 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: religious text, I mean most novels, most I mean, you 280 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: know there's there's a protagonist and an antagonist. Also, something 281 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 1: I was reading too about why people love true crime 282 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: is the adrenaline rush of it that you get this 283 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: kind of your heart rate rises and you feel like 284 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: what you feel like when you go on a roller coaster. No, 285 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: I agree with you, Jeff. I think that listening to 286 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: true crime, we're going on the trip. We're taking the 287 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,600 Speaker 1: trip with people. You know, we might be just watching it, 288 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: but like you said, our heart races, we get anxious. 289 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, it takes us into those spaces 290 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: and it does give us in the dram rush. I 291 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: come here through my own story and my own trauma. 292 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: So you know, I don't know other people's stories, but 293 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: you know, my brother and cousin died traumatically when the 294 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: car they were driving at seventeen years old g up, 295 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: and I was extremely traumatized by the way that they died, 296 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: how they died, and took my own journey. I was 297 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: in a very dark existential place and took my journey 298 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: from the darkness into the light. And you know, use 299 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: what have helped me to help other people. You know, 300 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,560 Speaker 1: I work to your firefighter families for ten years after 301 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: nine eleven, the same families watch them heal. And research 302 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: shows that peer support is one of the main things 303 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:20,199 Speaker 1: that help people after traumatic losses. And you know, like 304 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 1: you said, listening to other people who have had traumatic 305 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 1: losses and not only survived but thrived helps us. And 306 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:32,120 Speaker 1: it also helps people. It normalizes people's experiences when they're 307 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: going through traumatic loss to hear other people that have 308 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: been there, even if the losses are different. You know, 309 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: I also think we're a little obsessed with death, right 310 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: It's like one of the few things that we all 311 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: can agree on. We are all are going to die 312 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 1: at some point, and the circumstances by which we do 313 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,919 Speaker 1: is very unknowable for the most part. And listen, we 314 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: know we're going to have There's always going to be life, 315 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: and there's always going to be death. And how we 316 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 1: die and the circumstances is something that I have to 317 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: assume is slightly intrinsic for all of us to be 318 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 1: curious about. I agree with that. I think that every 319 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: single time somebody dies, you're staring at your own mortality. 320 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,880 Speaker 1: I think that's why death is so difficult. Like you said, 321 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,640 Speaker 1: this puts every time you read and hear about these 322 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,119 Speaker 1: kinds of things like the pipe to massacres, you think 323 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: about your own mortality, your own safety, your own death. 324 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: You know it just you start to obsess and think 325 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,160 Speaker 1: about all these things. And I think that's pretty normal. 326 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,440 Speaker 1: Let's stop here for another quick break. We'll be back 327 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:52,119 Speaker 1: in a moment. If something tragic happened to you or 328 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: your family, would you want a podcast or a documentary 329 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: done about the story of your family's tragedy? Is that? 330 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 1: How full does that move the needle? You know? I 331 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: kind of have thought about that before when people won't 332 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: talk with us the media. You know, I show up 333 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: on people's doorsteps, and there are a lot of times 334 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: people don't want to talk and that they have different 335 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: reasons for that, and I understand that, but I always 336 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: think to myself, Gosh, if I lost a loved one, 337 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:19,640 Speaker 1: I would probably be doing anything I could to try 338 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 1: to bring attention to the case to figure out how 339 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: it could be solved. So I don't understand how some 340 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 1: of these families make it through, you know. I guess 341 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: they say there's that old saying whatever you know, it 342 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. So I, you know, 343 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:35,159 Speaker 1: you see the will of some of some of these people, 344 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: and I just always admire their tenacity and their ability 345 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: to live and move forward. If I were the victim 346 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 1: of a crime, or a family member of mine was 347 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 1: the victim of a crime, I would want something done 348 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: that anything that could help bring some light to the case, 349 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: that would generate leads, or generate anything that would lead 350 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,440 Speaker 1: to the truth being uncovered and somebody being held a Hannible, 351 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: I was always in full transparency thought why would anyone 352 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: ever partake in a crime documentary or podcasts? And working 353 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:10,880 Speaker 1: in this podcast in particular, it made me realize that 354 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: if people who didn't know the victim don't speak for 355 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: them or speak about them, then we're just going to 356 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: get the story wrong. It's impossible to know the intricacies 357 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:23,719 Speaker 1: of someone's life hearing it secondhand through a through an 358 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: article or a YouTube video. So in doing that, I 359 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: think being able to hear details about Dana Rodan being 360 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: an incredible mother and a hard worker, like, that's what 361 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:37,399 Speaker 1: paints the picture and makes you care court what about you. 362 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 1: So something from last week really stuck out. In the 363 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: case of Curtis and Jennifer Burgett, Aie Montgomery has been tirelessly, 364 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: tirelessly looking for resolution that has yet to come. And 365 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: one thing she said, and this was even in dealing 366 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: with law enforcement, was Hey, guess what. The squeaky wheel 367 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: gets attention and can reinvigorate an investigation. And you don't 368 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,199 Speaker 1: know if you're walking around in town and the person 369 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: guilty of murder of your loved one is checking you 370 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:12,160 Speaker 1: out of the supermarket. So to be able to bring 371 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: attention to what is paralyzing many families in unknown grief 372 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 1: and just not knowing, I think that's really important. I 373 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:24,159 Speaker 1: sort of feel strongly that if somebody has experienced something 374 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,720 Speaker 1: very traumatic and the rest of us are not made 375 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: aware of it from a human perspective, and that we 376 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:33,360 Speaker 1: are not forced to really care about it and get 377 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 1: mad about it and make sure it doesn't continue to 378 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 1: happen again, then maybe that's not okay either. We're all 379 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: sort of connected by the stories we share, good and bad, 380 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: and some of these being so wildly extreme. I would 381 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: always say, if something happened to me or my family, 382 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: please please do a podcast or a documentary or shout 383 00:21:54,600 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 1: from the rooftops that we did this in our good times, 384 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: and that whoever did this to us would be brought 385 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: to justice. And then I pose the same thing to you, Joseph. 386 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: A few years ago, I attended the first grind Con 387 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: I'd ever been to as a guest of people that 388 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: were presenting there, and I was on panels and all 389 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: that sort of thing, and I didn't really know what 390 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:20,159 Speaker 1: to think about it, you know, because when I think 391 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: about something that says Cohn in it, I always think 392 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 1: about people dressing up like cartoon characters, you know, and 393 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 1: living out these alternative universes, you know, that they kind 394 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: of exist in in their private lives and that sort 395 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: of thing. So I didn't know what to expect. And 396 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: I got there, you know, and as an old investigator, 397 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 1: I'd had people, you know, that would approach me and 398 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: they call me up at night, you know, late night, 399 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:48,479 Speaker 1: while I'd be there at my desk at the m's 400 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:51,439 Speaker 1: office in Atlanta, and they say, I'm looking for my mama. 401 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: She's been missing ten years. I'd entertained the Seing people 402 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: for years and years and listen to their stories and 403 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,640 Speaker 1: they just want somebody to talk to. But this took 404 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 1: on a different tenor from me when I was there, 405 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:08,479 Speaker 1: something that kind of punched me in the gut. These 406 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,360 Speaker 1: people were showing up, and they weren't just true Crown fans. 407 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: They were flying all the way from places like Seattle 408 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: and there's. People would show up and they had files, papers, 409 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: and they would walk up to us with tears in 410 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,120 Speaker 1: their eyes and they would say, please, can you help me. 411 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 1: My sister was raped in Dallas, Texas in nineteen seventy five. 412 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: It killed my parents. It's still insolved. Please help me, 413 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,719 Speaker 1: and they're openly weeping, you know, And I was. I 414 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 1: found myself in that moment in time, surrounded by people 415 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: like this, and there's this great unknown and unseen, massive 416 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:56,439 Speaker 1: people out there that are not served. And the reason 417 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:01,679 Speaker 1: they're not served is because right now, as we speak, 418 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,439 Speaker 1: people are dying somewhere right now or across the nation, 419 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 1: and there are people that are in mourning. And can 420 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: you imagine always being in mourning and never being able 421 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:15,160 Speaker 1: to cycle out of the people. I hate to with closure. 422 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: I hate, I despise it because no one ever gets 423 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: closure in a homicide. It doesn't happen. They just want answers. So, 424 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,919 Speaker 1: you know, for me personally, yeah, God forbid, you know, 425 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: than anything would happen to me and mine. I'd say, yeah, 426 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: let the hide come with the hair, you know, do it. 427 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: I mean, if it's going to bring about information, not closure. 428 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:43,400 Speaker 1: Closure is something that's abstract. If it brings about more 429 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: information that's going to help people, yeah, I say let's 430 00:24:47,320 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: do it. For more information on the case and relevant photos, 431 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 1: follow us on Instagram at Katie Underscore Studios. The piked 432 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 1: In Massacre Returned to Pike County is executive produced by 433 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 1: Stephanie Lydecker and me Courtney Armstrong. Editing and sound designed 434 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: by executive producer Jared Aston. Additional Producing by Jeff Shane, 435 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: Andrew Becker, and Chris Graves. The Piked and Massacre Returned 436 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: to Pike County is a production of iHeartRadio and Katie Studios. 437 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 438 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.