Prick up your ears
A bounty of Bunting on crime audio from the archives
the true crime that's worth your time
Welcome to day four of Sarah’s birthday week. She’s engaged in DIY projects, cuddling with pets and catching up on her reading. Meanwhile, I’m spending the week surfacing some of my favorite (previously subscriber only) work of hers, a combo celebration of her birthday and a way to ensure you get an issue every day. We all win!
Today, I’m bringing back a number of audio presentations Sarah did in years past, Patreon-only releases for folks who subscribed to her late, great podcast, The Blotter Presents. (At last, our Substack URL makes sense!) I hope you enjoy them! — EB
(Which) Would You Rather (Have Solved)?
Originally released on 11/29/19 A thought exercise in which Sarah and Toby Ball contemplate which one of a pair of famously unsolved cases they'd rather know the answer to. Tupac and Biggie, DB Cooper, Jack the Ripper, and others. After listening, which would you choose?
In the episode, Sarah mentions a book by Robert House called Jack the Ripper and the Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect; years later, she would open a true crime bookstore and would carry it there. Life is funny!
Speaking of Exhibit B…Sarah’s true crime bookstore has slashed prices on all its major case-categorized books until the end of the month. Titles include The Fatty Arbuckle Case (worth it for the cover alone), a first printing of In Cold Blood, The Private Diary of Lyle Menendez: In His Own Words! and hundreds of others. The discount will be calculated when you add the items to your cart, its easy peasy!
The Moratoria
Originally released on 10/3/19 Toby Ball joins Sarah again to discuss cases they just really can't hear about anymore, at least for a while. (Sarah notes that in the episode she “confidently announced the name of John Douglas's best Black Dahlia suspect as Jack Anderson; I now confidently regret the error, as the man's name is Jack Anderson Wilson.”)
Of course, now we want your moratoria nominees, let’s hear them:
Murder Ballads
Originally released on 8/27/18 Story-songs about crime — and some auxiliary reading/watching about the cases that inspired them.
American Experience, "Murder Of A President"
"Even in Death, the Spy Kim Philby Serves the Kremlin’s Purposes"
You Must Remember This, "Charles Manson's Hollywood"
In the four-plus years since this episode’s release, we’ve certainly heard even more songs about homicides — the first one that comes to my mind is Taylor Swift’s “No Body, No Crime,” which though it lack an explicit connection to any one case, also seems like it’s inspired by far too many real life homicides — or just the fantasies some of us might have when justice is deferred. What other murder ballads do you score your darker hours with?
Picking Out Of A Line-Up, Behind-The-Scenes-Of-Criminal-Justice Edition
Originally released on 9/29/18 One book that inspired Season 3 of Serial, and four other books/longform articles like it. And if you like authors whose last names start with "Con-," this is the recommendation ep for you.
Courtroom 302, by Steve Bogira
Newjack, by Ted Conover
Blue Blood, by Edward Conlon
Crime Beat, by Michael Connelly
15 Gothic Street Part 1, by Joe McGinniss
Friday on Best Evidence: Heidi Fleiss, Alec Baldwin, and whatever we’re watching this weekend.
What is this thing? This should help. Follow Best Evidence @bestevidencefyi on Instagram, email us at editorial at bestevidence dot fyi, or call or text us any time at 919-75-CRIME.