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  • The Poison That Left a Trail: Forensic Science and the Litvinenko Case

    The Poison That Left a Trail: Forensic Science and the Litvinenko Case
    Sep 27 2026
    When Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian security officer, fell inexplicably ill in London in 2006, doctors initially had no explanation — until forensic testing uncovered polonium-210 in his system. This episode examines how that finding reshaped the investigation, forcing forensic teams to trace radioactive contamination across an entire city while reconstructing the method behind the poisoning. We explore why standard toxicology screening missed the cause entirely, and what the case reveals about the intersection of forensic pathology, covert violence, and investigative persistence. It's a striking example of how physical evidence can expose what was designed to stay hidden.
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    4 Min.
  • The Boy in the Box: How Philadelphia Finally Gave a Name to Joseph Augustus Zarelli

    The Boy in the Box: How Philadelphia Finally Gave a Name to Joseph Augustus Zarelli
    Oct 7 2026
    For more than six decades, he was known only as the "Boy in the Box" — one of America's most haunting unidentified murder victims, his battered body found outside Philadelphia in 1957. Despite thousands of leads, generations of detectives working the case couldn't determine who he was, even as DNA technology slowly opened doors investigators in the 1950s could never have imagined. This episode traces that decades-long investigative trail and how forensic genetic genealogy finally broke it open in 2022, giving the boy his name: Joseph Augustus Zarelli. Identifying him solved one mystery — but the detective work on who killed him is still ongoing.
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    2 Min.
  • Can a Brain Injury Turn Someone Into a Criminal? The Forensic Psychology of the Injured Brain

    Can a Brain Injury Turn Someone Into a Criminal? The Forensic Psychology of the Injured Brain
    Sep 30 2026
    Can damage to the brain actually change someone’s personality enough to contribute to criminal behavior? From impaired impulse control to aggression and poor judgment, injuries to certain brain regions can dramatically alter how a person behaves. This episode explores what neuroscience can—and cannot—tell forensic psychologists about the connection between brain injury, responsibility, and crime.
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    3 Min.
  • The Psychology of Lawful Deception: How Interrogation Tactics Walk the Legal Line

    The Psychology of Lawful Deception: How Interrogation Tactics Walk the Legal Line
    Oct 1 2026
    Courts have long allowed detectives to use certain deceptive tactics during interrogations — falsely claiming an accomplice confessed, or that evidence exists when it doesn't — but that doesn't mean anything goes. This episode examines the Supreme Court case Frazier v. Cupp and the voluntariness rule, the legal standard used to separate acceptable psychological pressure from coercion that produces an unreliable confession. We explore how deception tactics interact with suggestibility, stress, and compliance in the interrogation room, and why some forms of pressure can push a confession from strategic to involuntary. It's a close look at where legally sanctioned psychological tactics end and constitutionally protected rights begin.
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    4 Min.
  • The Psychology of the Getaway Driver: How Responsible Is Someone Who Never Commits the Violence?

    The Psychology of the Getaway Driver: How Responsible Is Someone Who Never Commits the Violence?
    Oct 4 2026
    The getaway driver may never enter the building, hold a weapon, or physically harm anyone—yet they can play an essential role in a violent crime. Psychologically, their distance from the violence can make participation easier by allowing them to see themselves as an assistant rather than an offender. This episode explores moral disengagement, diffusion of responsibility, group loyalty, and the uncomfortable difference between psychological distance and legal responsibility.
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    3 Min.
  • Justice Delayed: The Science and Psychology of the Teresa Ann Houck Cold Case

    Justice Delayed: The Science and Psychology of the Teresa Ann Houck Cold Case
    Oct 5 2026
    Teresa Ann Houck, 23, left her job at a Baltimore club in October 1986 and was found shot to death in Druid Hill Park hours later, leaving investigators with evidence but no suspect. For nearly 40 years, the case sat unsolved until a routine DNA database search produced the match prosecutors say identified her killer. This episode examines what that breakthrough shows about the staying power of forensic evidence and how long-dormant cases can reopen. We also consider what a decades-long wait means for investigators, for the justice system, and for those left without answers.
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    3 Min.
  • ADHD and Criminal Responsibility: When the Brain Struggles with Self-Control

    ADHD and Criminal Responsibility: When the Brain Struggles with Self-Control
    Oct 8 2026
    Can a neurodevelopmental disorder influence criminal behavior without eliminating legal responsibility? This episode examines the forensic implications of ADHD, including impaired behavioral inhibition, executive dysfunction, and emotional dysregulation. We explore how forensic psychologists distinguish psychiatric symptoms from intentional misconduct and why ADHD alone rarely establishes a legal defense. The discussion reveals how psychological assessment can inform questions of criminal responsibility, risk, and rehabilitation.
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    5 Min.
  • Beyond the Binary: What Modern Research Says About Organized and Disorganized Offenders

    Beyond the Binary: What Modern Research Says About Organized and Disorganized Offenders
    Oct 11 2026
    The organized-disorganized typology shaped how generations of investigators and students were trained to read a crime scene — careful planning and control on one side, impulsivity and chaos on the other. This episode traces the model's origins in early FBI behavioral science and examines the research that later complicated its clean categories. We look at why real offenders often resist tidy classification and what that means for the validity of profiling as an investigative tool. It's a critical look at a foundational idea in forensic psychology and how the field has had to evolve past it.
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    3 Min.