377:  The Murder of Anna Wilkens & The Birth of the Lie Detector w/ Amit Katwala

377: The Murder of Anna Wilkens & The Birth of the Lie Detector w/ Amit Katwala

Author: Blue Ewe Media January 31, 2025 Duration: 55:31
Late one evening in the summer of 1922, Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife's blood. But was he a grieving husband or a ruthless killer who conspired with bandits to have her murdered? To find out, the San Francisco police turned to technology and a new machine that had just been invented in Berkeley by a rookie detective, a visionary police chief, and a teenage magician with a showman's touch. John Larson, Gus Vollmer, and Leonarde Keeler hoped the lie detector would make the justice system fairer, but the flawed device soon grew too powerful for them to control. It poisoned their lives, turned fast friends into bitter enemies, and, as it conquered America and the world, transformed our relationship with the truth in ways that are still being felt. My guest today is Amit Katwala, writer and editor for Wired in London. His book is called "Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector." More about the author here at his website: https://www.amitkatwala.co.uk/ The author's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/amitkatwala Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step back in time and explore the darkest corners of the past with Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast. This isn't just another crime show; it's a deep dive into the historical context that shaped infamous acts and the figures behind them. From the ruthless gangsters of the Prohibition era to the chilling methods of Victorian-era murderers, each episode unpacks a story rooted in its specific moment in history. Host Erik Rivenes acts as your guide, conducting thoughtful interviews with authors and historians who have dedicated years to researching their subjects. These conversations move beyond sensational headlines to deliver nuanced narratives filled with detail and scholarly accuracy. You'll hear about forgotten tragedies, legendary outlaws, and societal disasters, all presented with a focus on understanding the why and how within the framework of the past. Tune in for a compelling blend of education and narrative, where every story is a piece of historical truth, often more fascinating and complex than fiction. This podcast from Blue Ewe Media connects the dots between crime and history, offering a rich, thoroughly researched listening experience for anyone curious about the shadows cast across different centuries.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast
Podcast Episodes
429:  The Last Outlaws of the Old West w/ Tom Clavin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:35
New York Times bestselling author Tom Clavin returns to the podcast to discuss his books "The Last Outlaws: The Desperate Final Days of the Dalton Gang" and "Bandit Heaven: The Hole-in-the-Wall Gangs and the Final Chapte…
MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Death of Fritzie Mann w/ James Stewart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:52
(Orig. Pub Date: 11/10/21) In January of 1923, a 20-year-old dancer named Fritzie Mann left home to meet a mysterious man for what she told her mother was a house party. When she was discovered dead on a remote beach a f…
427:  The 1949 Exorcism That Inspired "The Exorcist" w/ Troy Taylor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:22
In 1949, a quiet neighborhood in St. Louis became the center of one of the most controversial religious cases in American history. A 13-year-old boy began exhibiting disturbing symptoms including violent outbursts, stran…
American Criminal: Machine Gun Kelly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:50
Growing up in Memphis, George Kelly Barnes starts dabbling in crime from a young age. First he blackmails his father, then he grows a successful bootlegging business for himself. But how did this small-time crook earn on…
424:  The Black Dahlia: Another Suspect w/ William J Mann [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:05
My guest, William J. Mann, has spent years writing about Hollywood, and in his new book "Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood", he takes a fresh look at Los Angeles's most notorious crime -…
423: The Nazi & the Psychiatrist w/ Jack El-Hai [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:34
On this episode of Most Notorious, I speak with author Jack El-Hai about his book "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist: Hermann Göring, Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, and a Fatal Meeting of Minds at the End of WWII". He talks about th…