True Crimecast

Just after midnight on June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy stood at the peak of his political life. He had just won the California primary, flashing his trademark smile and telling a roaring crowd, "On to Chicago." Moments later, while cutting through a crowded kitchen pantry to avoid the crush of the ballroom, the trajectory of American history was altered by a .22 caliber revolver. In this episode of True Crimecast, John and Jamie trace the evolution of "Bobby" from a ruthless political operative to a voice for the voiceless. We break down the chaotic scene in the pantry, the capture of Sirhan Sirhan, and the chilling "diary of an assassin." But we also dive into the forensics that refuse to stay buried: the 13 recorded shots from an 8-shot gun, the powder burns behind Kennedy's ear, and the recent 2025 declassifications that are shedding new light on old shadows. Was Sirhan a lone actor, or was there a second gun in the kitchen?

In July 2024, Michael Fosler was charged with 43 felony counts of sexual assault involving a 13-year-old girl. Three months later, that girl’s father, Aaron Spencer, found her in the passenger seat of Fosler's truck in the middle of the night. What happened next on a darkened Arkansas highway sparked a legal firestorm that has reached the state’s Supreme Court and the local ballot box. In a new, unexpected twist, Aaron Spencer won a primary election and is now on his way to becoming the Sheriff of Lonoke County.

Most people reach for a rolled-up newspaper or a can of bug spray when they see a spider. But in February 2026, authorities say Sean McDermott reached for a lighter—and didn't stop until four homes were in ruins.

In the 1980s, John Gotti wasn't just the boss of the Gambino crime family—illegally, he was the face of New York City. With his $2,000 Brioni suits, silver hair, and a smirk that defied the FBI, he became a folk hero to some and a nightmare to the Department of Justice. But behind the "Dapper Don" persona was a man who clawed his way to the top through a bloody coup outside a Manhattan steakhouse.

To hear the rest of this episode, visit Patreon.com and sign up for as little as $3! In the mid-1940s, Chicago was a city gripped by a unique kind of terror. It wasn’t the mob wars or the wartime rationing that kept people awake—it was the phantom breaking into high-rise apartments and leaving behind a plea scrawled in red: "For heaven's sake catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself." In this episode of True Crimecast, John and Jamie dissect the case of William Heirens, the 17-year-old University of Chicago student labeled "The Lipstick Killer." From the brutal murder of Josephine Ross to the horrific kidnapping and dismemberment of 6-year-old Suzanne Degnan, we look at the crimes that shocked a nation. But the story doesn't end with an arrest. We dive into the controversial interrogation of a teenager—involving "truth serum," allegations of police brutality, and a confession that Heirens would spend the next 65 years trying to take back.