After more than two months in captivity, Patty Hearst emerges from the shadows and helps the SLA rob a bank in northern California. The public is shocked to see images of the former college student who now looks like an armed revolutionary. A radio station receives a recording in which Patty proclaims her transformation is complete: she is an avowed soldier in the SLA. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:  blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Black...

The kidnappers contact Patty Hearst’s family and make a strange and unprecedented demand. The SLA wants the wealthy Hearst family to set up a food distribution program throughout California. The Hearsts quickly organize a program, but it debuts with disastrous results. And the world hears the first communique from Patty Hearst since her abduction. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:  blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Black Barrel+ for ad-free...

On February 4, 1974, strangers burst into the college apartment of Patty Hearst and kidnap her at gunpoint. While she begins her stay in captivity, she learns about her kidnappers. They are a ragtag collection of hopeful revolutionaries who call themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. They are led by charismatic Donald DeFreeze, an escaped convict who helped the group execute a high-profile murder in Oakland, California. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable...

Join us for two upcoming events in 2024 about Chris’s book, “The Summer of 1876” February 2, 2024 – 2:00-3:00pm Presentation 3:00pm Book Signing Scottsdale, Arizona Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West Presentation and Book Signing **FREE to the public March 9-10, 2024 Tucson, Arizona Tucson Festival of Books March 9, 4:00pm - 5:00pm “Into The Sunset” panel discussion *Book signing after the panel March 10, 1:00pm - 2:00pm “The West in Fact and Fiction” panel discussion *Book...

Shortly after the Little Bohemia shootout, the celebrity criminals of the 1930s start to experience a reckoning. They fall one by one: Bonnie and Clyde, then John Dillinger, then Pretty Boy Floyd. In the autumn of 1934, Lester Gillis, aka George “Baby Face” Nelson, becomes the third man to carry the title of Public Enemy No. 1. But his reign at the top of the criminal underworld is brief and ends in a hail of gunfire. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:...

After two robberies that featured gun battles, the Nelson-Dillinger gang needs some time to cool off. Baby Face Nelson heads out west to do a little business, and then reunites with the gang at the Little Bohemia Lodge in Wisconsin. Unbeknownst to the gang, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis has organized an ambush at the lodge. The gang shoots it out with the agents, and Nelson commits the crime that will soon make him the most wanted man in America. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and...

After the messy Grand Haven job, Baby Face Nelson looks for a new crew. It’s the fall of 1933 and newspaper headlines are dominated by the most infamous criminals of the era: Bonnie and Clyde, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Alvin “Creepy” Karpis and the Barker Family, John Dillinger, and Baby Face Nelson. Dillinger stages an improbable escape from a jail in Crown Point, Indiana, and then teams with Nelson for the first of two rip-roaring robberies. Join Black Barrel+...

Baby Face Nelson flees to the West Coast to avoid a manhunt in the Midwest. He works for prominent gamblers in Reno, Nevada and a bootlegger in California, but he misses his family in Chicago. He meets famous robber Alvin “Creepy” Karpis and takes Karpis’s advice to form a new crew in St. Paul, Minnesota. The crew robs a bank in Grand Haven, Michigan, but the meticulous plan falls apart almost immediately. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:...

 Lester Gillis – known as George Nelson, nicknamed Baby Face Nelson – wants to graduate from home invasion to bank robbery. His crew targets small-town banks with varying degrees of success, and their streak doesn’t last long. Nelson gets arrested and sent to prison, but he proves he’s resourceful and has no intention of staying behind bars. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes,...

Lester Gillis shows a restless spirit at a young age and soon begins his criminal career with a gang that specializes in home invasions. His crew makes a name for itself during Chicago’s crime wave of 1930, and he receives the nickname that sticks with him for the rest of his short life. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes, bingeable seasons and bonus episodes. Click the Black...

 Investigators and prosecutors build a case against Dr. George Hodel for the murder of Elizabeth Short. But for an unknown reason, it doesn’t lead to an arrest or an indictment. Dr. Hodel moves on with his life, even as he is suspected of multiple crimes, including multiple murders. Decades after the Black Dahlia murder, Hodel’s son Steve investigates the case and concludes that his father was, without a doubt, the elusive killer. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable...

Investigators struggle to find clues which will lead them to the killer. Suspects are interviewed and cleared. And then, the presumed Black Dahlia killer contacts a Los Angeles newspaper and provides chilling information about the crime and the victim, Elizabeth Short. But the investigation stalls until the police become aware of a new suspect, Dr. George Hodel, who seems to fit all the criteria of the killer. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:...

The police and the press continue to learn more about the life story of murder victim, Elizabeth Short, and the information now includes the fact that she had been nicknamed “Black Dahlia” while working as a waitress. Investigators trace her movements up to the day she disappeared and interview their prime suspect, Robert Manley. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes, bingeable...

On January 15, 1947, a dead body is discovered in a vacant lot on the edge of downtown Los Angeles, California. A young woman was brutally murdered and police identify her as Elizabeth Short. Investigators and newspaper reporters race to uncover the details of her life story. The press have a gory and sensational story on their hands. The police have a dark and twisted mystery to solve. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple...

In the weeks after the murder of Hollywood director William Desmond Taylor, detectives methodically investigate a long list of suspects. They – and the press – uncover scandalous information. Careers are ruined, but no one is arrested. The case languishes for decades until another Hollywood director believes he solves the mystery. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes, bingeable...

By the early 1920s, William Desmond Taylor is one of the hottest directors in Hollywood … which makes it all the more surprising when he is found dead in his home. The circumstances of the discovery of his murder are bizarre, and a scandal erupts in the capital of the movie industry. As detectives try to unravel the mystery, they quickly learn that all is not what it seems with the man who is known as the “gentleman director.” Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:...

Black Barrel Media and QCODE proudly share a preview of Mission History, a podcast that chronicles the tales of legendary military leaders, epic campaigns, and covert missions that remained hidden for years.  The first season journeys through the American Revolutionary War and pays homage to some of the elite soldiers on both sides of the conflict. It traces the origin from protests to rebellion to revolution. It illuminates the strategies of the leaders from both sides, the commanders on...

In the wake of the Albert Patterson assassination, the Alabama governor declares martial law in Russell County. National guard troops swarm Phenix City. They dismantle the illegal operations and remove corrupt officials from office, and a new Phenix City rises from the ashes of the old. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Noiser+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go...

It’s election time again in Phenix City, and Hugh Bentley and his reformers vow to make it an honest process. In response, there’s bloodshed at polling places. Despite the corruption, Bentley’s friend and fellow reformer, Albert Patterson, seems to have a good chance to win the race for State Attorney General. But his success makes him a target, and the criminals can’t afford to let him win. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:...

Hoyt Shepherd and his brother go to trial for murder, and few people are surprised by the outcome. With corruption and crime on the rise, a new champion of reform leads the charge for change. Hugh Bentley makes it his mission to clean up Phenix City, and he quickly becomes the target of a bomb for his efforts. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Noiser+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons. Click the...

Corruption and murder challenge the system of crime in Phenix City. Hoyt Shepherd and Jimmie Matthews work to rig local elections using every available method. They use illegal tactics to help the mayor during his campaign for a spot on the City Commission, and a victory party becomes the setting for a murder that could finally shake up the criminal status quo. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Noiser+ for...

America’s 13-year ban on alcohol doesn’t stop saloon owners and whiskey makers in Phenix City. After Prohibition ends, gambling takes center stage in town. Hoyt Shepherd and Jimmie Matthews run the most prominent gambling rackets in Phenix City, but their reign is threatened by a tragedy at one of their clubs. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Noiser+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons. Click the...

The story of the Dixie Mafia begins in Phenix City, Alabama. The town was sometimes called “the wickedest city in America.” It was sometimes called “America’s original sin city.” By the 20th century, crime was institutionalized to the point that only a revolution could solve the problem. But long before high-profile crimes forced the clean-up, the city grew into an unlikely hotspot for all things illicit and illegal. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:...

New Jersey authorities and federal agents officially launch Operation Iceman to arrest Richard Kuklinski. Richard helps Sammy Gravano and John Gotti remove Paul Castellano from his position as the boss of the Gambino Family. Then, despite Richard’s natural caution, he becomes desperate to stop Detective Pat Kane’s investigation. That desperation leads to the end of the Iceman. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join...

By the early 1980s, New Jersey State Police detective Pat Kane is positive Richard Kuklinski is a prolific and versatile killer, despite the skepticism of Kane’s bosses. As Kane slowly builds his case, Richard races to eliminate loose ends. The bodies pile up, and Kane enlists the help of Agent Dominick Polifrone of the ATF. They begin an undercover operation to bring down Kuklinski. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple...