Women Who Talk To The Dead

Women Who Talk To The Dead

Author: Robert Riggs August 5, 2025 Duration: 43:34

The Story of 200 Forgotten Murder Victims

By Robert Riggs

They were daughters. Mothers. Sisters. Strangers. Their lives ended violently—and their names were lost to time.

For more than half a century, Detroit’s forgotten dead lay buried beneath weeds and silence—unidentified murder victims dumped into paupers’ graves, sometimes stacked in vaults three-deep, known only by numbers in crumbling cemetery logs. No names. No justice. No answers.

This is the remarkable five-year journey of a team of relentless female

investigators who pledged to identify more than 200 victims of Detroit’s

outstanding murder cases.

Led by Detroit Police Detective Shannon Jones and FBI Special Agent Leslie Larsen, this group of dedicated women—detectives, agents, forensic anthropologists, and scientists—literally dug through

the past to bring closure to families and justice to the murdered.

Their quest became known as Operation UNITED, the largest coordinated exhumation of cold case murder victims in FBI history.

Katherine Schweit tells the story of this unprecedented, five-year mission in her book, Women Who Talk to the Dead.

Schweit is a former FBI Special Agent Executive, Chicago prosecutor, and journalist.

She wrote the FBI’s seminal report on mass shooters and is a recognized expert in crisis response and workplace violence.


If you or someone you know is searching for a missing loved one, there’s a tool that can help.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs.

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Robert Riggs has spent decades as an investigative reporter, and in True Crime Reporter, he applies that relentless, document-driven approach to the stories that haunt us. This isn't just a retelling of grim headlines; it's a meticulous walk through active case files, historical injustices, and the societal undercurrents that allow crime to flourish. Each episode feels like you're sitting across from Riggs as he lays out his notes, connecting dots between evidence, witness accounts, and the often-overlooked details that change a narrative. You'll hear the tension in the pursuit of truth, the weight of unresolved questions, and the quiet impact on communities and families left in the wake of violence. The podcast moves beyond the sensational to examine the cultural and systemic factors at play, offering a sober, deeply researched perspective. Listen for long-form narratives that build like a detective's board, where every piece of audio, every interview, and every document serves a purpose. It’s for those who want to understand the 'why' and the 'how' as much as the 'who,' presented with the clarity and authority of a seasoned journalist who knows the terrain. This is a journey into real stories, handled with the care they demand, and it naturally becomes an essential listen for anyone fascinated by the intersection of human behavior, justice, and the news.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

True Crime Reporter
Podcast Episodes
Brotherhood of Brutality Unchecked Fraternity Hazing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:19
By Robert Riggs Burned with lit cigarettes. Impaled with a fishhook. Staples fired into his hip. Deadly drugs forced up his nose. It sounds like a brutal regime’s methods from a torture chamber. But these are the homegro…
JigSaw & Jane 13 Years of Murder & Mayhem with Badge Number One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:23
By Robert Riggs LAPD Homicide Detective John St. John aka “JigSaw John” Badge #1 Legendary LAPD Homicide Detective John St. John walked among the dead for nearly a half-century. Known as “JigSaw John,” he pursued monster…
Don’t Make It Easy for a Violent Predator to Choose You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:41
Most predators don’t pounce—they pick. They observe. They wait. And they choose the person who looks the easiest to catch. In this episode, you’ll learn how to make sure you’re not the one they choose. From FBI profilers…
Widow Offers One Million Dollars To Crack Cold Case Murder Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:32
Unsolved Murder of Jim Grimes Haunts Quiet Tennessee Town By Robert Riggs A bold reward offers ONE MILLION DOLLARS to solve a cold case murder mystery. Since the $25 million bounty on Osama bin Laden, few rewards have re…
The Rock: Alcatraz’s Chilling True Crime Legacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:49
Alcatraz shut its cell doors more than 60 years ago, but its grip on the American imagination hasn’t loosened. Each year, nearly a million and a half tourists ride the ferry across San Francisco Bay, through cold, choppy…
The Click That Opens The Door To Cyber Hell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:46
You Just Thought Your Home Was Safe By Robert Riggs You lock your doors at night. You check on your kids. But what if the real threat is already inside—hiding in your phone, your smart TV, or your child’s video game chat…
Why Do Women Love True Crime? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:34
A Former 48 Hours Producer Reveals the Psychology and Power Behind the Genre By Robert Riggs When the curtain drops on everyday life, true crime shows like this podcast and especially those on television expose the darke…
This Is Not The Godfather – It’s the Brutal Truth About the Mob [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:10
By Robert Riggs The Godfather. Goodfellas. The Sopranos. Hollywood entertained us with polished fiction—honor among thieves, loyalty bound by blood, men of principle wrapped in tailored suits. But the real mob? It was da…