Case 67: The Battle of Alcatraz

[Part 1 of 4]*** Content warning: child victims ***The quiet suburban life of Wichita, Kansas, was shattered in 1974 when four members of the Otero family, Joe, Julie and their two youngest children, Josie and Joey, were found brutally murdered in their home. Nine months later, a ...  Show more

*** Content Warning: Child victims***On September 15 2006, detectives began investigating the sexual assault of 24-year-old Tiffany Hall from East St. Louis, Illinois. The assault had caused Tiffany to miscarry her 7-month old foetus. A week later, police received a tip-off that ...  Show more

Alcatraz was designed to be an inescapable prison for America’s most dangerous criminals. But in 1946, a desperate breakout attempt by its prisoners forced battle-hardened U.S. Marines – fresh from the islands of the Pacific – to lay siege to the fortress on their own shores. See ...  Show more

Alcatraz was the jewel in the crown of America's prison system. The wind-swept island fortress was the final stop for the nation's most dangerous criminals, including the notorious gangsters Al Capone and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly. It was thought to be escape-proof - at least ...

Alcatraz! For a lot of us, this former island prison occupies an iconic space in the American zeitgeist. It's been home to some of the country's most notorious criminals, and has been the inspiration for tons of top-notch works of fiction and cinema. Yet in today's episode, Ben, ...  Show more

In this episode, you'll learn how to use the common English expression “the coast is clear,” which means it’s safe to proceed because no one is watching or in the way. After breaking down the literal and figurative meanings, as well as the origin, you'll hear three vivid examples ...  Show more