Kidnapped, Forgotten, Fictionalized

College Girl, Missing — The Vanishing of Lauren Spierer

You’re listening to The True Crime Reader. I’m Kristen, and today we’re opening a case that has haunted families, investigators, and readers for more than a decade. It’s the story of a young woman who vanished in plain sight. A summer night in Bloomington, Indiana. A walk that should have taken minutes. And a mystery that has lasted fourteen years. This is the disappearance of Lauren Spierer [https://findlauren.com/index.html].

21 and Counting: How Math Beat the House

Pull up a seat and shuffle the deck—this is The True Crime Reader, where we deal out the secrets behind the world’s most audacious, intricate true crime stories. Today’s episode dives into Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich, the book that inspired a major motion picture and introduced millions to a heist like none before. But how much of this tale is fact, and how much is legend?

A School of Secrets

A school where children disappear may seem like a fantasy novel, but it was real life for the boys at the Dozier School...

Kidnapped, Forgotten, Fictionalized

Sally Horner's kidnapping inspired one of the most well-known books ever. Is this ethical journalism?

Mindhunters

The legendary life of Dr. Ann Burgess and the Mindhunters she inspired.