A race to the end

Crime Adjacent Live Episode 579: The Cross Country Killer

On November 23, 1987, Bernard "Barnie" Jones arrives home from a business trip and tells his wife he feels "heavy" after a long flight and stress. The next morning, she finds him dead of an apparent heart attack. By all accounts, this looks like a small, ordinary tragedy, the kind that plays out in homes across America every day.  But a year later, another man arrives home from a trip, reports that he feels "heavy," and is also found dead of a heart attack within hours.  And then another man. And another. And another.  These men lived a country apart from one another. They didn't know each other, or have any interactions or connections in any way. They simply arrived home, reported that they felt "heavy," and died of seemingly natural causes. Which is why it took nearly 10 years and a random, off-hand comment for the FBI to discover that these were not, in fact, ordinary health events. These were murders, and what they discovered would shock them. Because from 1987 to 1995, a serial killer quietly murdered at least 12 business travelers throughout America -- and almost got away with it. This is Crime Adjacent episode 579: The case of the Cross Country Killer, told live in Austin during our tour. OK, profilers. Can you solve an unsolvable murder? Join host and serial killer survivor Chase Patrick live on stage for Crime Adjacent, the world’s biggest true crime podcast. Every week, at shows across the country, Chase reopens the most haunting, enduring mysteries from the grim underbelly of American true crime and challenges you to solve them. “An atmospheric and immersive podcast where true crime and psychological thrillers intersect.” — Earworthy From the Zodiac to the Rest Stop Killer, the Michigan Nightstalker to the Cross Country Killer, each episode unfolds like a real investigation — like the whip smart, nerdy love child of Murder, She Wrote and War of the Worlds — and dares you to unravel the mystery and provide justice for those who need it most. It looks like a true crime podcast. It sounds like a true crime podcast. But what happens when the cosmology of our escapist entertainment looks terrifyingly like our real world? That’s Crime Adjacent. It’s a fully scripted, intimate, locked-room mystery that pulls back the curtain on our social obsession with true crime and what this fascination with humanity’s darkest impulses says about … us. “Crime Adjacent is redefining the true crime genre.” — Podcasting Today Crime Adjacent is written and performed by Mike Adamick, a former crime reporter turned contributor for NPR, The New York Times, and McSweeney’s. He uses degrees in sociology and gender studies from UC Berkeley, along with an obsession with criminal profiling, true crime, and Jessica Fletcher, to explore why people commit crimes, why we are enthralled with them, and who, ultimately, pays the price. So listen closely, profilers. Because with every episode, a new crime is afoot and every detail matters. It’s not crime. It’s Crime Adjacent.  New live shows every Wednesday from theaters across America. Weekly live behind the scenes insights for Crime Adjacent insiders at Patreon -- http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent  [http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent ] Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent [https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent] Web site -- www.crimeadjacent.com [http://www.crimeadjacent.com] Crime Adjacent is produced & edited by Multitude [http://multitudeshows.com]. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Catching the Nightstalker

At the tail end of September 2024, a man in a clown mask broke into the cabins of vacationing women on Walloon Lake in Northern Michigan to rub their feet in the dead of night.  And then, the murders began. A Realtor, and then another one. A billionaire human resources officer turned obnoxious podcaster. And then a real estate developer. One after another, someone was murdering the most powerful people in Petoskey and Walloon.  Until the night of Sept. 29, 2024, when the so-called Michigan Nighstalker chose the worst possible target. Because it put them on a collision course with Deputy Alexandra Swanson, who ended this murder spree and unmasked the killer behind everything. This is part 25, the final episode, of the 8th season of Crime Adjacent: the untold story of the Michigan Nightstalker. With the end of Season 8, the Crime Adjacent team is hitting the road for a series of live shows across the country, beginning next week with a show in Austin. Here's what you can expect: The most haunting cases from the world’s biggest true crime podcast — live on stage every week.  Join host Chase Patrick as he reopens the most enduring mysteries and pulls back the curtain on our fascination with true crime. New episodes every Wednesday. Weekly live BTS videos and the coolest people in the world at Patreon -- http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent  [http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent ] Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent [https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent/] Web site -- www.crimeadjacent.com [http://www.crimeadjacent.com] Crime Adjacent is written and performed by Mike Adamick.  It is produced & edited by Multitude [http://multitudeshows.com]. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

A race to the end

Two things happened on that final night, Sunday September 29, 2024. Sheriff Press, Bill Laboa, and one of the Crime Adjacent computer pros formed a makeshift team to track all of the clowns roaming Walloon: Tim Meeks, Roger Michaels, and a mysterious third one. As they worked together to identify this new killer, Deputy Swanson raced to the Bear River Country Club, hellbent on rescuing the woman who had rescued her so many years ago.  This is part 24 of the 8th season of Crime Adjacent: the untold story of the Michigan Nightstalker. What happens if your favorite character jumps off the page and starts a podcast? That’s Crime Adjacent, the never-ending true crime thriller told weekly. With the help of devoted listeners and true crime fans, the international #1 smash hit Crime Adjacent podcast team has already captured the Bay Area's Rest Stop Killer in 2023, stopped the Mercy Street Butcher in 2019, and exposed the AmaniCorp conspiracy in 2024. But now, the darkest chapter begins, as host and serial killer survivor Chase Patrick is pulled into the case of the Michigan Nightstalker. New episodes every Wednesday. Weekly live BTS videos and our True Crime College profiling group at Patreon -- http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent  [http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent ] Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent [https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent/] Web site -- www.crimeadjacent.com [http://www.crimeadjacent.com] Crime Adjacent is written and performed by Mike Adamick.  It is produced & edited by Multitude [http://multitudeshows.com]. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

A town on fire

Early in the morning on May 24, 2010, a fire broke out at a cabin on Walloon Lake. At first, investigators thought it was an ember flying from a backyard fire pit. But then, fire investigators immediately noticed the smell of gasoline throughout the cabin. And they soon discovered the unlikeliest of suspects outside, watching, wide-eyed and mesmerized, as an entire family burned within the fully engulfed house.  It turns out, this pivotal event, so many years ago, would play a role in the downfall of the Michigan Nighstalker. Because it turned out that this killer messed with an absolute survivor and would end up paying the price. This is part 23 of the 8th season of Crime Adjacent: the untold story of the Michigan Nightstalker. What happens if your favorite character jumps off the page and starts a podcast? That’s Crime Adjacent, the never-ending true crime thriller told weekly. With the help of devoted listeners and true crime fans, the international #1 smash hit Crime Adjacent podcast team has already captured the Bay Area's Rest Stop Killer in 2023, stopped the Mercy Street Butcher in 2019, and exposed the AmaniCorp conspiracy in 2024. But now, the darkest chapter begins, as host and serial killer survivor Chase Patrick is pulled into the case of the Michigan Nightstalker. New episodes every Wednesday. Weekly live BTS videos and our True Crime College profiling group at Patreon -- http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent  [http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent ] Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent [https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent/] Web site -- www.crimeadjacent.com [http://www.crimeadjacent.com] Crime Adjacent is written and performed by Mike Adamick.  It is produced & edited by Multitude [http://multitudeshows.com]. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Going fishing

Deputy Swanson immediately recognized a victim of sextortion when she saw high school senior Emily Willis trudging fearfully through town. The FBI reports that more than 7,000 cases of sextortion happen every year, when blackmailers start up fake relationships with minors to get incriminating materials they can then use to blackmail those minors. Swanson, who had worked with the FBI, recognized the signs and she immediately rushed into action. But she didn't just stop Emily Willis and let her know that help was available. Swanson enlisted the high schooler's help and together, they would take down the cyber criminal who had been menacing the town for the entire year. This is part 22 of the 8th season of Crime Adjacent: the untold story of the Michigan Nightstalker. What happens if your favorite character jumps off the page and starts a podcast? That’s Crime Adjacent, the never-ending true crime thriller told weekly. With the help of devoted listeners and true crime fans, the international #1 smash hit Crime Adjacent podcast team has already captured the Bay Area's Rest Stop Killer in 2023, stopped the Mercy Street Butcher in 2019, and exposed the AmaniCorp conspiracy in 2024. But now, the darkest chapter begins, as host and serial killer survivor Chase Patrick is pulled into the case of the Michigan Nightstalker. New episodes every Wednesday. Weekly live BTS videos and our True Crime College profiling group at Patreon -- http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent  [http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent ] Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent [https://www.instagram.com/crimeadjacent/] Web site -- www.crimeadjacent.com [http://www.crimeadjacent.com] Crime Adjacent is written and performed by Mike Adamick.  It is produced & edited by Multitude. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].