Wicked Words - A True Crime Talk Show with Kate Winkler Dawson

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Naomi Clifford: Women and the Gallows

2026-05-0453:473

Throughout history, women have been convicted of crime, sometimes violent crimes, we know that. But most were not sent to the gallows. Historian Naomi Clifford decided to tell the story of the time period in England, 40 years beginning in the late 1700s, and the women who were given the death penalty. She tells me about their crimes, their defense…and their lives before their deaths. Her book is called: Women and the Gallows. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diane Fanning: Bitter Remains

2026-04-2701:02:022

Author Diane Fanning is known for covering high profile cases like Casey Anthony and JonBenet Ramsey. But not with this book. In the summer of 2011, Laura Jean Ackerson left to pick up her two sons from her ex-husband’s home. And she was never seen alive again. Diane digs into this case, which leads us from North Carolina to Texas. Her book is called, Bitter Remains: A Custody Battle, A Gruesome Crime, and the Mother Who Paid the Ultimate Price. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick Radden Keefe: London Falling

2026-04-2001:14:501

In 2019, surveillance cameras at the headquarters of Britain’s spy agency in London recorded video of a 19-year-old man. He was pacing back and forth on a high balcony of a luxury tower along the bank of the river. A two in the morning, he jumped into the water. Soon, his family discovered that he had lived a secret life that might have led to his death. From the bestselling author Patrick Radden Keefe tells me about his book, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrea Dunlop: The Mother Next Door

2026-04-1301:06:442

One type of crime we don’t talk about much is Munchausen by proxy. It’s a mental health condition and a form of child abuse. It's where a caregiver exaggerates, makes up, or induces physical or psychological symptoms in a child to make them seem sick. Or it could be another person under their care. Author Andrea Dunlop writes about Munchausen by Proxy in her book, The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy. She and a Texas detective review his past cases and try to make sense of what happened. Andrea and I also talk about perhaps the most well-known case, Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Susan Orlean: The Library Book

2026-04-0601:06:021

Author Susan Orlean wrote a best-selling book years ago that you’ve probably heard of: The Orchid Thief. It was made into a movie called Adaptation. Susan has now written another book—this one about an unexpected crime that might not have been a crime at all. A fire in the LA Public Library destroyed more than 400,000 books in 1986. Did they find out what caused it? Or who? Susan tells me the story in her book, The Library Book. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William J. Mann: Black Dahlia

2026-03-3001:09:151

One of the most enduring mysteries in crime history is the horrible murder of Elizabeth Short. The Black Dhalia case has been told over and over again, including by Paul Holes and me on Buried Bones. But author William J. Mann has taken a different angle…and I really like it. He’s written a deeply researched, victim-forward book about Elizabeth: her life, her struggles and her death. But his focus is right where it’s supposed to be: on her. William tells me about his new book, Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paula Lavigne: Murder at the U

2026-03-2301:12:52

This is our second ESPN story about the intersection between sports and murder. ESPN was asked by the Miami-Dade Police to look into the 2006 murder of a star football player at the University of Miami. What reporter Paula Lavigne found was a complicated victim, a questionable suspect, and a police department that likely regrets calling ESPN to begin with. She tells me about the story at the center of her podcast: “Murder at the U." Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rachel Nuwer: The School for Wildlife Traffickers

2026-03-1601:03:14

I’ve never interviewed someone about wildlife trafficking, but journalist Rachel Nuwer’s story for The Economist was so compelling that I wanted to explore it. It’s about an orphanage in Africa where kids are used as foot soldiers in an illegal animal and ivory smuggling operation. Rachel's article is called: The School for Wildlife Traffickers. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Randy Barnett: Felony Review

2026-03-0901:11:531

Randy Barnett is a law professor at Georgetown University. But decades ago, he was a young prosecutor in Cook County’s State’s Attorney’s office. In Chicago, Randy dealt with gritty crime, of course, but some of his biggest challenges were battling police corruption, crooked co-workers, and judges on the take. Randy tells me about his book: Felony Review: Tales of True Crime and Corruption in Chicago. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deborah Esquenazi: Night in West Texas

2026-03-0201:07:51

We’re taking you back to 1980s West Texas. When a Catholic priest was found murdered in a seedy hotel in Odessa, investigators focused on a gay Apache man who had made an accusation against the victim. Director Deborah Esquenazi tells the story in her film with Texas Monthly: Night in West Texas. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seamus McElearney: Flipping Capo

2026-02-2301:09:59

FBI agent Seamus McElearney had dreamed of investigating the mafia in New York when he first joined the bureau. But of course, no one would flip on the families. No one had ever flipped on the families. Until McElearney did some research, offered a made-man some orange juice…and made history. He tells me about his book: Flipping Capo: How the FBI Dismantled the Real Sopranos. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elliot Williams: Five Bullets

2026-02-1601:14:27

We’re talking about a very famous case this week. In 1984, Bernie Goetz shot four Black teenagers on a subway in Manhattan. He was hailed as a hero in the press, a man who stopped would-be robbers. But as the public learned more about the evidence, and about Goetz himself, the story seemed to shift. Elliot Williams is a CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor. And he wrote a book about the case called "Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation." Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Solet: Chowchilla

2026-02-0954:451

In 1976, 26 kids were riding on a school bus in Chowchilla, California when they were kidnapped along with their driver by three men. The men buried them all underground in the middle of nowhere. The kids were terrified as they struggled to stay alive, and then a 14-year-old boy took control. It’s an incredible story of survival. Paul Solet tells me about the story at the center of his film Chowchilla Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skip Hollandsworth: She Kills

2026-02-0246:441

I’m really thrilled to have my buddy Skip Hollandsworth on the show this week. He wrote a book called "She Kills.” And it’s a collection of updated stories from Texas Monthly focusing on fascinating and often shocking female murderers—and some of these are cases that I’ve never heard of. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Rittenberg & Kyle Bonagura: Finding Dolores Wulff

2026-01-2601:14:302

An assistant college football coach never thought they’d find his mother because Dolores Wulff had been missing for more than 40 years. Paul Wulff, along with most everyone else, believed that his father, Carl, had murdered her. So, what would happen to this case…if they found her? ESPN reporters Adam Rittenberg & Kyle Bonagura tell me about their investigation from their podcast "Finding Dolores Wulff." Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights ReservedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael F. Weisberg: A Second Shot

2026-01-1901:08:09

In 1971, James Tappen Hall was gunned down in Maryland as the deputy sheriff patrolled the grounds of a country club. The police searched for suspects, which included a gang of teens known for breaking into Coca-Cola machines. But the case went cold for half a century until it finally broke. But did they catch the real killer? Author Michael Weisberg tells me the story from his book, A Second Shot: The Pursuit of Justice in Maryland’s Oldest Cold Case Murder. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meg Gardiner: UNSUB

2026-01-1257:54

Meg Gardiner is a thriller writer, a really great one. She has several series, but the one I’m most interested in started with a book called UNSUB about a serial killer. And it’s based on two real serial killers, one of whom she lived close to. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Ricca: Lincoln’s Ghost

2026-01-0501:00:481

Harry Houdini, the world’s greatest magician, wowed audiences around the world in the 1920s. He must have felt invincible, but then an evil spirit cursed him during a seance. And soon, Houdini would wage war against Spiritualism. He set out to debunk fraudulent mediums, and expose charlatans for lying to people in mourning. Author Brad Ricca tells us about Houdini’s crusade from his book: Lincoln's Ghost: Houdini's War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conversation Rewind with Kate Summerscale: The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher

2025-12-2947:221

The brutal murder of a 3-year-old shocked Victorian England not only because of how it happened, but because of who the police suspected. Could one of Britain’s most famous detectives solve the case? Author Kate Summerscale tells us the story at the center of her book, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2025 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conversation Rewind with Margalit Fox: Conan Doyle for the Defense

2025-12-2253:52

One of the most incredible stories in true crime is the tale of Arthur Conan Doyle and how he helped free a man…who was innocent of murder. Author Margalit Fox offers us a deep dive into the characters in her book, Conan Doyle for the Defense. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2025 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comments (85)

Angela Iser

But Like... Like... Like... Is this person a British Valley girl with a cold? Like... VERRYYYY annoying lol

Dec 9th

Terriann Tomlin

A way to understand how someone could murder babies is to remember the days, not so long ago, when doctors delivering babies and child experts believe that babies didn't feel the same way adults do. This allowed them to do procedures on them in a manner that we now understand to be quite traumatizing and that explains some of the issues adults have. This is speaking to a cultural norm in understanding of the era.

Sep 17th

Cindy Snelson

I agree with Claire on the length of Dateline shows. I can't say enough about how good the show is and I used to watch every single episode. I quit watching it when it went to 2 hours. Too long. It feels like they put one hour's worth of true crime into a 2 hour slot. and spread it out. They repeat information that they covered before the commercial breaks.We didn't forget what you just said 5 minutes ago.

Jun 8th

Juliane Schneider

Every show on here lately gets about 2/3 of the way through, then repeats five to ten minutes of the recording, and then cuts off before the end because time runs out. This is happening across different podcasts. This app is broken.

May 19th

Anne Kastanis

Well this was absolutely fascinating!

Apr 4th

I don't think murder, if that's what it was, is ever justified. but I do think Rebecca was playing with fire by putting her son in what was pretty much an unbearable situation. The entire family, plus servants, living in the loft while she, Rebecca, had the large room to herself seems pretty awful.

Nov 20th

Helen Wright

7220267220272202https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-69099744?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=6665b4c85d8a3078a49186a3%26Michael%20Mosley%20%27just%20loved%27%20science%2C%20Dr%20Phil%20Hammond%20says%20in%20tribute%262024-06-09T14%3A08%3A07.177Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:20643b28-80f4-480a-b40f-1b86e7d2ecf3&pinned_post_asset_id=6665b4c85d8a3078a49186a3&pinned_post_type=sha l.i l l

Nov 4th

Me

I love your research and storytelling so much! So interesting!

My husband is a descendant of Anne Hutchinson's sister, Katherine Marbury Scott. Their father was a firebrand minister and all his children learned to read and write (and think). Katherine became a Quaker and was stripped and whipped for her beliefs.

Jun 6th

Sayda Pervin Nipa

⭕𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛➤➤👉https://www.justhd.online

Apr 19th

Art 34

So sick of the woke ideology. The point here has nothing to do with the story she is telling, but she always has to fit it in, even when it is not pertinent. I mean she chose this story, so WTH?

Dec 26th

Reply (1)

Brandy E

Thank you for this! I look forward to hearing more!

Dec 18th

Kam Johnson

While I was reading this book I would have to stop because I would get so mad. Tragic

Oct 9th

G V

It blows my mind that she's a journalist, writer, etc, and makes so many grammatical errors.

Oct 7th

Mark your bingo card. The host works in misogyny even in a story where a female viciously murders another female. Mentions how women are judged in the press on looks, but doesn't opine at all when a female reporter judges the looks of the husband. How bout just tell the story and don't inject this mess into it. It is not germaine at all to this story.

Aug 27th

Leslie Nelson

May 22nd

Always brings skin color into every episode. Please just tell the story

May 20th

Another excellent series!

Apr 27th

Couldn't figure out why they were taking the man's side as we all know that is statistically who kills a partner...BUT, he is gay, so had to stay woke! Made sense when that came out 15 or 20 minutes in. Everything after is defending the guy man who killed his wife, facts be damned.

Apr 22nd

A shame, few facts, but plenty of woke speculation and racism. An X supposedly carved into the victim was because of the Confederate flag, with absolutely nothing but supposition from the author to suggest it. We get it, black = good, white = bad. Just tell the story.

#box-pro-ellipsis-177841428702495{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Wicked Words - A True Crime Talk Show with Kate Winkler Dawson

Angela Iser

Terriann Tomlin

Cindy Snelson

Juliane Schneider

Anne Kastanis

Anne Kastanis

Helen Wright

Me

Me

Sayda Pervin Nipa

Art 34

Brandy E

Kam Johnson

G V

Art 34

Leslie Nelson

Art 34

Me

Art 34

Art 34

Wicked Words - A True Crime Talk Show with Kate Winkler Dawson