Growing up in Vietnam, India and France in the 1940s and ‘50s, Charles Sobhraj never truly fit in anywhere — not even with his family. When they turned their backs on him for good, he became a con man smuggling cars, escaping debts, stealing from tourists… and breaking out of prisons around the world.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c ... Show More
Today
The Cheerleader Murder: A 1980s High School Clique Turns Deadly
Desperate to fit in, a teenage girl targets the most popular student at her school. The way she sees it, they can either be friends – or enemies. Sources for this episode include:“Death of a Cheerleader” by Randall Sullivan, reprinted in Best of Rolling Stone A Killer By Design b ... Show More
29m 40s
Feb 2020
Charles Sobhraj Pt. 1: “The Bikini Killer”
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Charles Sobhraj was one of the most elusive con artists in the world. Though his cons were elaborate, he knew he would be able to prey on unsuspecting Western tourists traveling along the “Hippie Trail,” the road between Istanbul and Bangkok. Le ... Show More
56m 14s
Mar 2019
Shin Dong-hyuk Pt. 1: An Impossible Escape
Born inside of North Korea's Kaechon internment camp, where political prisoners and their descendants are sentenced to lives of starvation, torture, and hard labor; Shin faced a brutal life in confinement with no possibility of release. In 2005, he saw an opportunity to escape. L ... Show More
45m 17s
Jun 2021
“Serial Poisoner” Michael Swango Pt. 2
After Joseph Michael Swango was caught poisoning colleagues, he was arrested and sentenced to two years. Once free, he returned to the medical world, securing various gigs across America before fleeing the country when his past caught up to him. Once abroad, he claimed even more ... Show More
58m 6s