Attention, my fellow Australian true crime pod stans: we have a new one. The show, which is called The Last Voyage of the Pong Su, is a joint production of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and covers “Australia's largest heroin haul,” 9 News reports. Here’s the backstory: in 2003, a North Korean cargo ship called the Pong Su was used to bring $160 million of heroin into Australian waters, where (after a complicated international law enforcement op) it was eventually boarded and its crew arrested. It’s a wild case that I’m not saying too much about as I suspect that, if you’re like me, you’re not too familiar with it and can listen to the pod “spoiler” (is it fair to use that term for real life narratives) free.

The first of its ten episodes dropped this week and it’s available on all the usual channels. I’m stoked for this one, folks! -- EB

Despite growing proof that “forensic hypnosis” is bunk, it’s still being used in U.S. courtrooms. I mean, I could have told you it was bunk when I heard the word “hypnosis,” but I’m a dyed-in-the-wool skeptic, I guess. But hypnosis has been in use as a law enforcement tool since WW II, perhaps most prominently as a way to allow victims to recall important details (a great example might be the Chowchilla bus abduction case).

Writing for the Guardian, Ariel Ramchandani says that in recent decades, experts have called into question the validity of details “remembered” while under hypnosis, a debunking movement led by Dr. Steven Lynn, a former hypnosis superfan who “found that in study after study, hypnosis actually harmed subjects’ recall. It led them to ‘recover’ at least as many false memories as accurate ones, while increasing their confidence in the memories’ accuracy,” Ramchandani writes. And yet, inmates like Charles Flores were sentenced to death in recent years on the basis of hypnosis-induced “evidence.” In this highly-recommended longread, Ramchandani attempts to figure out why the technique is still being used, even though fewer and fewer psychologists believe that it has any merit. -- EB

Gangster Capitalism has dropped a bonus update episode on the college admissions scandal. As you likely recall, Sarah and guest John Ramos discussed the podcast back in August on The Blotter Presents, giving it a lukewarm review at the time. The pod wound up in June, and -- obviously -- a lot has happened in the case since them, meriting a 43 minute update that dropped earlier this week. I haven’t listened, but its press materials promise “legal analysis of what Felicity Huffman’s sentence means for the other parents” and “re-enactments of wiretapped calls & emails between Singer and parents including Lori Loughlin,” so if that’s your jam, have at it. --EB

It’s unclear how a new Broadway musical about Michael Jackson is going to deal with the child molestation allegations against the artist. As we of course know, the longstanding claims against the singer returned to the spotlight with HBO doc Leaving Neverland (a show that Sarah and giest Piper Weiss discussed here). Jackson’s estate has repeatedly defended the singer against the pervasive allegations, and its they who are backing the “jukebox musical” regarding the artist, which will run in the Neil Simon Theater beginning next August 13.

It’s called MJ The Musical, but the NYT reports that it was previously called Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough. I’ll wait here until you stop making dreadful jokes that you should be ashamed of. Jk I made them too. The show’s director and choreographer is Christopher Wheeldon, and its book is by Pulitzer-winning playwright Lynn Nottage. From the Times:

Ms. Nottage and Mr. Wheeldon have previously said that the musical would focus on a period of time in the early 1990s when Jackson was preparing for a tour to promote his “Dangerous” album. Asked if the show would address the abuse allegations — which Jackson always denied — Mr. Wheeldon said in April that they would endeavor to “lean into the complexities, lean into the darkness, but also recognize the great amount of music and film and choreography that Michael left behind.”

Nottage has previously faced the ire of Jackson fans, as in April she suggested in an interview with the Daily Mail that Jackson might be guilty of the crimes alleged in Leaving Neverland. The fans demanded Nottage’s firing, and in a subsequent interview with the NYT she said:

Do I believe he was a pedophile? I don’t know that I can say one way or the other. I don’t think any of us can say with absolute certainty, because we’ve been presented with some information, but Michael Jackson is dead, he’s not in a position to defend himself. It does hurt my heart to think about the possibility that it could be true, and I pray that it isn’t true, and that’s all I can do. I’m not going to be a Michael apologist, but I can’t say 100 percent.

In that same interview, Nottage said that Jackson’s estate had not (this was in April) put any restrictions on what details from his life the show could cover. “I don’t think either Lynn or I would be working on this if we felt like there were restrictions on what we can and can’t talk about,” Wheeldon also said. I sure do wonder if that’s still the case. -- EB

There are a multitude of true crime events on the calendar for those who enjoy such things. Here are three that recently caught my eye:

My Favorite Weekend: On November 1-2, this multi-day My Favorite Murder event will take over the sleepy city of Santa Barbara, a city I know mainly for its soap opera. Expect a live taping, a “Murderino art gallery exclusive,” and a cocktail hour. Tickets to the event are $249, and you’ll have to figure out your own lodging as its hotel packages are reportedly sold out.

Wilmington University’s True Crime Lecture Series: The Wilmington, DE, school’s Criminal Justice Institute kicks off its ongoing series of lectures on October 15 with a lecture by former FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Rinek, who you’ve likely seen on any true crime series that involves missing or slain children. The event, which is first of three planned by the school, is free to attend but requires pre-registration.

Alcatraz East Crime Museum is doing a special Nicole Simpson pop-up at Death Becomes Us. According to a press release from the Pigeon Forge-based museum, which once sent Sarah and me on an hours-long journey through its gift shop, has built its reputation on its acquisition of high-profile crime memorabilia like Bundy’s Beetle. They’ve managed to get their hands on items used to create a temporary exhibit called “Passion for Life: Nicole Brown Simpson,” which they’ll be bringing to the conference (it runs on Nov 8-10 in Washington, D.C.), they say in a press release. “It is important to have something at the festival that honors a significant anniversary of the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman” DBU festival director Jenn Tisdale says via statement. “I am so excited the museum is able to bring these artifacts to our audience!” Tickets for DBU are available here.

Monday on Best Evidence: I’ll reveal what podcasts I’ll be reviewing on my cross-country trip back to SF!

What is this thing? This should help.

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