Body Of Proof · Motive · Lorena Bobbitt
Plus: Some award-winning true crime
the true crime that's worth your time
A Scottish podcast takes on the case of a man convicted of murder without forensic evidences, witnesses, or a confession. The five-hour show, which launched on Audible last week, is called Body of Proof, and it details David Gilroy’s conviction in the 2010 death of Suzanne Pilley, a woman with whom he was admittedly having an affair.
The BBC reports that Gilroy spoke to the podcast’s makers -- documentarians Darrell Brown and Sophie Ellis -- for two years, while Pilley’s family refused to participate, saying that they believed in his guilt. Gilroy maintains his innocence in the pod, and says he’s mounting another appeal of his 18 year conviction.
Speaking with The Herald, Ellis makes no bones about her initial feelings for Gilroy, saying that on the surface, the case “felt cut and dried” and that “David Gilroy didn't seem a particularly nice person.” However, “investigating the case has made me feel very differently.” If you don’t have any Audible credits to cash in (though I have never met anyone who has run out, I assume it happens?) you can buy the podcast for $7.95 here. -- EB
The Chicago Sun-Times is launching a true-crime podcast on a wrongfully convicted man who couldn’t stay out of trouble. Made in collaboration with Chicago public radio station WBEZ, the show, which is called Motive, will be hosted by Pulitzer Prize–winning crime and investigative reporter Frank Main (it’s his work on a groundbreaking 2010 series on violence in Chicago neighborhoods that snagged him the honor), who says that since 2014 he’s been obsessed with the tale of Thaddeus “T.J.” Jimenez, who had been awarded $25 million in a wrongful conviction case two years before.
After 16 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Jimenez didn’t just take his payout and run -- instead, he ended up back in prison, this time for illegal gun possession. He’s also awaiting trial on allegations that “shot a man while his friend recorded everything on video.” Motive, which drops on Friday, will attempt to figure out why Jimenez continued to make missteps even after he became richer than he likely ever imagined, and what his crimes might say about the criminal justice system as a whole. You can listen to a trailer for the show here. -- EB
Amanda Knox and Lorena (Bobbitt) Gallo will make a joint appearance at a true crime event in Washington, D.C. It’s part of Death Becomes Us, a three day festival that runs from November 8-11. In their appearance, Knox and Gallo promise that they will “give audience members insight to their feelings on the justice system and being the target of sensational headlines in the media.” “I'm so excited to take the stage with a woman who has survived and transcended an abusive husband, tabloid exploitation, and the casual cruelty of an entire nation,” Knox said in a statement. “Lorena Gallo is an inspiration, and we're going to talk about everything we have in common.” If you’re in the area and want to attend the chat, tickets are available here and will run you $25. -- EB
The Online Journalism Awards have opened my eyes to a load of true crime (or true crime adjacent) podcasts I hadn’t heard of (and gave honors to some I have). One might argue that almost all important journalism these days is true crime, so I guess it makes sense that the shows the OJAs acknowledged all have a criminal element to it. Drilled, a podcast on the criminal conspiracy to hide evidence of climate change, won top honors, as did Last Seen, an art theft podcast I believe we’ve discussed before. If you scroll down to the section marked “excellence in audio digital storytelling” on this page, you’ll see all the finalists and winners for 2019, some of which I suspect will be new to you. -- EB
The Lineup, a website about true crime, horror, and the paranormal, has made a joint-development deal for film, TV, web and podcast content. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the site (which is owned by digital publisher Open Road Media) will work to adapt “true crime, unexplained, unsolved and outrightly bizarre stories from history” into current-day content. The first fruit of the collaboration will be a a true crime/horror podcast hosted by Johnny Wunder, who appears to currently serve as the host of a golf gear podcast. So, there’s that. -- EB
Tuesday, on Best Evidence: The real women behind Mindhunter’s Wendy Carr.
What is this thing? This should help.
Follow The Blotter @blotterpresents on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to The Blotter Presents via the podcast app of your choice. You can also call us any time at 919-75-CRIME.