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The Free Press Investigates

The Free Press 18 episodes Latest Jun 2, 2026

The Free Press Investigates is a podcast that delivers in-depth, investigative journalism. In its new season, veteran reporter Joe Nocera reexamines the 94-year-old kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr. The show also features other gripping stories and investigations that other outlets avoid, including its first series on The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling.

Episodes

EP04 | The Trial of the Century Jun 9, 2026 3045 If the kidnapping was the Crime of the Century, then the trial that followed was the Trial of the Century. At the center of it all stands the accused—a man who insists on the stand that he is innocent. Nearly a hundred years later, we ask: Could he have been telling the truth? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EP03 | Follow The Money Jun 2, 2026 1591 The investigation closes in on a German immigrant carpenter from the Bronx. When a chunk of the ransom money is discovered at his home, investigators think they’ve found a “smoking gun.” But is the evidence as airtight as it seems? Or is it a sign of a wider conspiracy that was never fully exposed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EP02 | The Great Aviator May 26, 2026 2660 Charles Lindbergh is not just the father of a kidnapped child—he is the most celebrated man on Earth, and increasingly the one shaping how the investigation unfolds. But behind the heroic image is a more complicated figure: both controlling and naive, and willing to overrule the police entrusted with finding his son. Does Lindbergh’s strange behavior hold any clues to the mystery? Learn more abou

EP01 | The Broken Window May 19, 2026 2600 One night in March 1932, the infant son of aviator Charles Lindbergh is taken from his nursery. A warped window, a ladder, and a ransom note mark the beginning of a case that will grip the world and launch a hundred conspiracy theories. Ninety-four years later, we return to the scene of the crime to ask: What really happened that night? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

Season 3 Trailer | The Lindbergh Conspiracies May 12, 2026 45 Veteran reporter Joe Nocera investigates a 94-year-old crime that deserves a second look: the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. Little Lindy was the infant son of the most famous man in the world at the time, an aviator who had achieved impossible feats. Unsurprisingly, the case was a media sensation in 1932, especially when German immigrant Bruno Hauptmann was tried and executed fo

Spiral | 5. A Beautiful but Imperfect System Nov 11, 2025 2957 A startling legal twist changes the case’s outcome, possibly forever. As we reflect on Samantha Woll’s legacy—especially that of a bridge builder between opposing views, her loved ones undertake the hard work of healing as they continue to fight for justice. --- Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click here to subscribe. ---- Host:

Spiral | 4. Bring It On Nov 4, 2025 3122 The prosecution believes the case is airtight, but when the defendant takes the stand, the case takes a turn. With alternate suspects introduced, the jury must decide what they believe really happened to Samantha Woll. --- Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click ⁠here⁠ to subscribe. ---- Host: Frannie Block Producer: Poppy Damon

Spiral | 3. Motive and Opportunity Oct 28, 2025 2323 Samantha Woll’s ex-boyfriend calls 911 in a panic. He tells the police he thinks he might have killed her. When they bring him in for questioning, he explains he was having a drug-induced temporary break. --- Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click here to subscribe. ---- Host: Frannie Block Producer: Poppy Damon Executive Editor

Spiral | 2. Wrong Place, Wrong Time? Oct 21, 2025 2528 A man seen breaking into cars near the crime scene is arrested, and he lies to police about what he’s been up to. But does that make him a killer? As the case builds against him, his defense team uncovers a piece of evidence that could change everything. --- Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today, and with reduced ads. Click here to subscribe ---- Host: Frann

Spiral | 1. One of 36 Angels Oct 21, 2025 2526 Samantha Woll, 40, was a beloved Detroit Jewish community leader with her life ahead of her. Tragically, she is found stabbed to death outside her home exactly two weeks after the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Investigators follow a mysterious figure caught on camera: Is this truly a hate crime, or something else? --- Become a paid subscriber to The Free Press to binge the full series today

Season 2 Trailer | Spiral: Murder in Detroit Oct 17, 2025 88 On October 21, 2023, beloved Detroit community leader Samantha Woll was found brutally stabbed to death outside her home—two weeks to the day after the October 7 attacks on Israel. It looks like an open-and-shut case—a hate crime. But swiftly the police rule that out. Instead they eventually find themselves with two unrelated suspects. When they charge one with murder, the case takes a turn that r

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 7. What If You're Wrong? Mar 28, 2023 3627 Host Megan Phelps-Roper asks J.K. Rowling to respond to pushback from some of her critics. The two also discuss the difficulty of discernment—why it can be so hard to know what’s right. Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe. This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE beli

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 6. Natalie and Noah Mar 21, 2023 4225 Transgender fans of Harry Potter share their criticism of J.K. Rowling—and the experiences that inform their views. Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Megan Phelps-Roper, and Candace Mittel Kahn, with special thanks to Emily Yoffe. This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org. Learn

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 5. The Tweets Mar 14, 2023 3448 After years of observing the conflict between advocates for trans rights and women’s rights, J.K. Rowling weighs in. Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe. This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org. Le

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 4. TERF Wars Mar 7, 2023 3643 The movement for trans rights hits its stride in the early 2010s, but encounters fierce resistance from an unexpected source. J.K. Rowling watches the battle unfold with mounting unease. Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe. This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 3. A New Pyre Feb 28, 2023 3618 The early days of the internet collide with the feverish fandom of “Harry Potter,” and a sprawling, global community emerges. But the hopefulness of this new technology brings with it the darker impulses of human nature. Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe. This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Indi

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 2. Burn The Witch Feb 21, 2023 3224 As "Harry Potter" becomes an international phenomenon, it coincides with the culture wars of the 1990s. In the backlash from Christians across America, author J.K. Rowling is accused of mainstreaming witchcraft and poisoning children’s minds. Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe. This show is proudly sponsored by t

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 1. Plotted In Darkness Feb 21, 2023 2712 Host Megan Phelps-Roper writes a letter to J.K. Rowling—and receives a surprising invitation in reply: the opportunity for an intimate conversation in Rowling’s Scottish home. Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe. This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes f

Season 1 Trailer | The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling Feb 14, 2023 97 The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling premieres Tuesday, February 21, 2023. Learn more Read an essay by host Megan Phelps-Roper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Free Press Investigates

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