logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
28m 53s

EPISODE 5: New Jersey’s Other Boss

WNYC
About this episode

John Sheridan’s decision to go work at Cooper University Hospital came at a curious time. It was just months after news about the Palmyra tapes came out. The tapes caught George Norcross bullying and offering a favor to a small town official; they are a rare instance where evidence emerged of the rough and tumble side to the south Jersey political machine. An email shows Norcross' control over the state legislature and city council members in Camden explain what it means to be a "yes yes" person.

• Kelly Francis, union organizer and Camden activist

• Kevin Riordan, Philadelphia Inquirer reporter who has covered south Jersey off and on for the past 45 years

• Micah Rasmussen, director of Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Ryder University

• Tom Knoche, lecturer at Rutgers University in Camden

• Matt Katz, reporter at WNYC

• Shaneka Boucher, Camden City Councilwoman

• Marilyn Torres, Camden City Councilwoman

• Jeffrey Brenner, doctor who worked and lived in Camden during its worst years

Up next
May 2022
EPISODE 6: On the (Camden) Waterfront
A couple months after his parents’ deaths, Mark Sheridan comes across a paper trail: extensive email exchanges, dated memos, and handwritten notes detailing a real estate deal on the Camden waterfront. His father, John Sheridan, wrote himself a note on an envelope: “I have a duty ... Show More
32m 4s
May 2022
EPISODE 7: Breaking News - "Thou Shalt Pursue"
In the almost eight years since John and Joyce Sheridan were killed, five state Attorneys General have come and gone in New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently nominated a new Attorney General, Matt Platkin. Last week, an email came from Platkin’s press office with s ... Show More
9m 43s
Jun 2022
EPISODE 8: Dead End
In February 2015, the Somerset prosecutor announced that John Sheridan had murdered his wife in cold blood and then killed himself. In 2017, the manner of death was updated to “undetermined.” From the local detectives to the state’s Attorney General’s office, a lot of people walk ... Show More
31m 44s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2023
ALEX MURDAUGH TAKES THE STAND IN 'HAIL MARY'
Alex Murdaugh took the stand today in his own defense. The accused killer stated emphatically that he did not shoot his wife and son. Murdaugh did admit, however, that he lied to police. He said his opioid addiction made him paranoid of police.  The disgraced attorney repeatedly ... Show More
1 h
Feb 2024
Convicted Killer Tex McIver to Walk Free?
Claud "Tex" McIver is convicted in the shooting death of his wife, Diane. That conviction has been reversed and now, the once-prominent Atlanta attorney takes a plea deal that will pave his way to a release. Georgia’s highest court ruled that the jury should have been able to con ... Show More
42m 5s
Dec 2022
Bad People present True Crime Crackers 2022 ft. Obscene
Dr Julia Shaw unwraps Bad People’s choice of true crime podcasts in 2022. Una Mullally discusses the extraordinary story behind Obscene, a BBC podcast that examines the political scandal that erupted following the discovery of a suspected killer in the home of the Irish Attorney ... Show More
41m 12s
Feb 2023
The Killing of Tyre Nichols
After shocking video footage was released of the 29-year-old African-American being beaten to death by five black police officers in Memphis, we ask what might stop police brutality in the US. Sarah and her BBC colleague Chelsea Bailey share insights from their reporting trips to ... Show More
42m 16s
Jun 2022
MOTHER'S PAIN, SON MOWED DOWN BY JEALOUS EX WHO STALKED WITH AIRTAG
An Indiana woman is accused of using Airtags to track her love interest to a bar, where he is having drinks with another woman. 26-year-old Gaylyn Morris reportedly confronted Andre Smith and another woman at Tilly’s Pub in Indianapolis. The ensuing argument gets all three thrown ... Show More
44 m
May 2022
Electioncast 2022 Part 2
Boris Johnson admits it was a tough night for the Tories as they lost hundreds of seats. Chris Curtis, the head of political polling at Opinium Research, joins Adam and Laura to run through the results and what it all means. Also, Durham police are investigating whether Sir Keir ... Show More
28m 8s
May 2024
Alabama Kidnap Faker Avoids Jail
Carlee Russell calls 911, telling the operator that she sees a toddler walking down the side of an Alabama freeway.  When police arrive, there's no toddler and  Russell is gone. Her car, however, is still parked along the highway. The door is open and the car is running. Forty-ni ... Show More
39m 7s
Dec 2023
GUILTY: Dentist 'Sleepovers' With Beauty Queen Ends in Murder
Sara Jane Harris and Dr. James Michael Ryan meet at his dental practice in the Fall of 2020. By the Summer of 2021, Harris is not only working for the oral surgeon but also living with him. Sarah Harris’ family members began to notice a change in her physical appearance. The fami ... Show More
40m 35s
Sep 2021
The PM on the Train
Behind the scenes with Boris Johnson stateside. Laura explains what’s going on at the UN General Assembly in New York City. And, it was 20 years ago that a young African boy was murdered and dumped in the River Thames but the police still haven’t solved the case. The BBC’s Angus ... Show More
34m 45s
May 2024
Trump Trial Week 5…Chaos in the courtroom!
Former US President Donald Trump’s trial in New York is in its sixth week, where he’s accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having a sexual encounter with D ... Show More
24m 18s