logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2021
43 m

Benjamin Franklin Pt. 2

SPOTIFY STUDIOS
About this episode
Among his many high-profile roles, Franklin still managed to keep some affairs out of the public eye. The figurative and literal skeletons hiding in his closet posed many questions: Was Franklin a serial killer? Did he serve as a double agent during the Revolutionary War? And how far would he go to cover up his sexual escapades? Learn more about your ad choi ... Show More
Up next
Nov 19
Tesla's Death Ray
Nikola Tesla patented over 300 inventions. When he died, the US government confiscated 80 trunks of his notes and blueprints… and only returned 60 to his heir. In his lifetime, Tesla tinkered with weather control machines, alien transmission readers, and a “death ray” that would ... Show More
50m 6s
Nov 13
Was the Lindbergh Kidnapping an Inside Job?
Several murders have been dubbed “the crime of the century," but the Lindbergh kidnapping case of 1932 might actually deserve the title. According to some, it shaped the culture of conspiracy theories in America. Was Bruno Richard Hauptmann really guilty, or was he framed? Did he ... Show More
44m 44s
Nov 5
Travis Walton's Alien Abduction
November 5th, 2025 is the 50th anniversary of the events that inspired the 1993 film, Fire in the Sky. Seven lumberjacks saw a UFO… and one was pulled inside. Some say the men invented the story to dodge a work deadline. But the lumberjacks claim their chief debunker… is a govern ... Show More
47m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
CLASSIC: Was Benjamin Franklin a serial killer?
Today Benjamin Franklin is known as one of the founding fathers of the US, and there’s no doubt that he played a tremendously influential role in the creation of the country. But Franklin, known then and now as a bit of an eccentric. But what about his darker side?They don't want ... Show More
49m 27s
Apr 2022
Benjamin Franklin: portrait of a revolutionary
Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns tells Elinor Evans about the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin – a man who both loved Britain but became a key figure in American independence, and who was a slave-owner yet later campaigned for abolition. Burns also talks about the chall ... Show More
42m 50s
Jul 2020
“The Racist Killer” Joseph Paul Franklin Pt. 2
Still desperate to ignite a race war in the United States, Joseph Paul Franklin sought more prominent targets, hoping to draw attention to his cause. But he also found satisfaction in impulsive, isolated murders. When it seemed no one would ever catch him, he got careless. Learn ... Show More
41m 48s
Mar 2020
Frank Abagnale Pt. 2: “Catch Me If You Can”
In a span of five years, Frank Abagnale Jr. took on various identities: airline pilot, pediatrician, lawyer. He had perfected the art of counterfeiting… until eventually, the law caught up with him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
50m 41s
Mar 2020
Frank Abagnale Pt. 1: “Catch Me If You Can”
In only five years, Frank Abagnale Jr. managed to cause a major stir in the criminal world. After running away from home at 16, Frank survived on forged checks until he created a new identity for himself as a Pan Am pilot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co ... Show More
49m 51s
Aug 2017
"The Grim Sleeper" Pt 2. - Lonnie Franklin Jr.
Lonnie Franklin Jr. offered rides to Los Angeles women, only to kill them, photograph them, and leave their bodies to be found like trash on the street. “The Grim Sleeper” had a deep-seated need to degrade women, ending at least ten lives before new breaks in forensic technology ... Show More
37m 24s
Oct 2020
E221: Mary Jane Reed and Stanley Skridla Pt. 2
In 1948, the investigation into Stanley Skridla and Mary Jane Reed's deaths came to a stand-still. Many suspected a member of the Sheriff's department of having committed the murders, but proof of his guilt would be a difficult thing to come by. Learn more about your ad choices. ... Show More
43m 53s
Sep 2020
“Lord High Executioner” Pt. 2: Albert Anastasia
During the 1930s, Albert Anastasia was the leader of Murder Inc., the mafia’s crew of contract killers. But after World War II, he shot his way to the top to become the boss of one of New York’s Five Families. Unfortunately for him, the Feds were more determined than ever to keep ... Show More
45m 4s
Jan 2018
“The Butcher of Plainfield” Pt. 2 - Ed Gein
After murdering two women, robbing graves, and decorating his home with human body parts, Ed Gein found himself arrested and in the media’s spotlight. We look into his trial, institutionalization, and the public’s fascination with him… a fascination that still lives on today.  Le ... Show More
47m 42s
Mar 2022
Benjamin Franklin with Ken Burns
<p>Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a scientist, inventor, writer and diplomat. As one of the leading figures of early American history, Franklin helped to draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776, worked to negotiate the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War in ... Show More
33m 26s