My School Was Kidnapped at Gunpoint

In 2019, Mattew Thomas thought he was joining a Bible study group. Instead, he was sucked into Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive Korean cult known for coercive control and bankrupting its members. Over the next four years, Matt lost himself and eventually became a recruite ...  Show more

In 2004, Jon Romano brought a shotgun to school intending to take his own life. One person was injured before he was tackled to the ground. Today, Jon reflects on the path that led him there—and what he wishes he’d told the people around him sooner.Find us on TikTok: @whatitwasli ...  Show more

In this new season of Culpable, host Dennis Cooper investigates a bizarre case in a small Ohio town. In the fall of '98, 17-year-old Danny Violette ran away from home and never returned. 11 days later, his body was found in a cornfield with a ligature mark around his neck and a t ...  Show more

The clock is ticking on social media giant TikTok, which faces a nationwide ban in the United States unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells it by January 19. Social media theorist Clay Shirky unpacks why the US is trying to ban TikTok, what it means for the app's users and c ...  Show more

Did you know wealthy people can easily buy citizenship in numerous other countries (and they're doing it at an unprecedented rate)? Plus the ongoing Cybertruck debacle. In two different countries, criminals get caught wheeling corpses to banks for loans and withdrawals. The notor ...  Show more

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with true crime writer Joe Turner about the hauntingly bizarre story of Daniel LePlante and the rare phenomenon and crime now known as phrogging. Joe shares firsthand accounts from survivors of Daniel LePlante’s crimes an ...  Show more