Crimes of the Centuries

For years, famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright had made headlines for his personal life. After all, he'd left his wife and six children for a married woman during the Victorian era, and made no apologies for the two "living in sin" in a home he built on family land in Wisconsin. Then, on a hot August day in 1914, Wright's whole world came crashing down: A murderer had attacked his so-called Love Cottage dubbed Taliesin. The case not only riveted the nation, but it also changed the course of architecture in America. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Fourteen-year-old Shelly Boggio was found stabbed and drowned off a Florida beach in 1985. Two men were convicted of her murder — but the case against one of them depended heavily on the word of Paul Skalnik, a serial con man and prolific jailhouse informant who claimed his fellow prisoners had a remarkable habit of confessing to him. Skalnik would help send dozens of people to prison and four men to death row. Journalist Pamela Colloff, author of the new book Catch the Devil, joins us to examine Shelly’s murder, the case that followed, and what happens when the justice system decides to believe a professional liar.

On September 5, 1982, 12-year-old Johnny Gosch left his West Des Moines home to deliver newspapers. He never made it back. What followed was a police chief with his own violent history, an FBI that wanted nothing to do with it, and a mother who refused to let the case go quiet — even when the few answers she found led somewhere far stranger than anyone expected. Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: Quince: Elevated bedding, apparel, and home essentials priced 50-80% less than similar brands, at Quince.com/CENTURIES. Home Chef: Fresh ingredients and easy recipes delivered weekly, with 50% off and free shipping on your first box plus free dessert for life at HomeChef.com/COTC. Hims: Simple, 100% online access to affordable ED treatment through licensed providers, at Hims.com/COTC. ButcherBox: Responsibly sourced, high-quality meat and seafood delivered to your door, with $20 off your first box at ButcherBox.com/COTC.

A con man with a gift for talking fast and a knack for never getting caught made himself invaluable to the FBI in the late 1970s — and the FBI made him the centerpiece of the biggest political corruption sting in a generation. It never should have worked, yet it went further than anyone expected. Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: Rula. Affordable, insurance-covered therapy with average $15 copays and licensed in-network providers, at Rula.com/COTC. Wildgrain. Bakery-quality sourdough, pastries, and French butter delivered frozen and ready in 25 minutes, with $30 off your first box at Wildgrain.com/COTC. Timeline (Mitopure Exfoliator). A gentle leave-on exfoliator pairing acids with Mitopure for resurfacing and cellular support, with a 15-day trial for $22 at Timeline.com/COTC. Quince. Elevated bedding, apparel, and home essentials priced 50-80% less than similar brands, at Quince.com/CENTURIES.

In 1979, a federal judge in San Antonio was known for one thing above all else: He did not show mercy. John H. Wood Jr. had earned his nickname the hard way, one maximum sentence at a time. Just before he was set to face off with a powerful drug empire, he was killed outside his home in broad daylight. What followed would become the most expensive FBI investigation since the Kennedy assassination, a courtroom circus involving a Las Vegas kingpin, a hitman with the world's most unusual business card, and a famous son fighting to clear his father's name. Crimes of the Centuries is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com Order the Crimes of the Centuries book at your favorite bookstore or at www.centuriespod.com/book! Follow us on Instagram and other social media: @centuriespod Episode Sponsors: AquaTru: A countertop water purifier certified to remove 84 contaminants using a 4-stage reverse osmosis system, with 20% off at AquaTru.com using code COTC. DripDrop: Doctor-developed, science-based hydration trusted by firefighters, medical pros, and 90% of top sports teams, with 20% off your first order at dripdrop.com using code COTC. Talkiatry: 100% online psychiatry with in-network insurance coverage and appointments in days, not months, at Talkiatry.com/COTC. Hims: Simple, 100% online access to affordable ED treatment through licensed providers, at Hims.com/COTC.