In 2018, Joanna Laiscell was fired from her position in the finance department at the Hartford Schools District after 24 years of service.

The official reason for her dismisaal was insurance fraud, but the truth ran far deeper, exposing a murky world of racism and collusion. Joanna didn't know it at the time, but one of her colleagues was making it his mission to ruin her reputation.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to caughtupincrime@gmail.com or contact me at tom@shinebrighterconsulting.co.uk

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Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Other tracks featured in this episode:

• Beyond Silence by Remember the Future
• Breezy Life by Sirus Music
• Pressing Matters by Mark Fabian
• Mountains by Jack Catfish
• Life is Golden by Young Presidents

Have you ever thought about the historical crimes in YOUR town?

Eleanor Phillips has lived in my home town of Chesham all her life, and in her retirement she has become one of its foremost historians and story-tellers. In this episode, she talks about four crimes spanning more than a century from the swahbuckling tale of highwaymen thwarted by a hero stagecoach driver, to the sinister 'Raincoat Man' who stalked his terrified victims in Chesham and Amersham in 1957.

To find out more about the stories we covered in this episode, read Eleanor's articles on the Chesham Museum website.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to caughtupincrime@gmail.com or contact me at tom@shinebrighterconsulting.co.uk

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Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• Another Piece of the Puzzle by Emmett Cooke
• The Latest Scandal by Shaun Frearson
• Elephant Crossing by Little Red Church
• Sorry Sea Dog by Porter Productions
• Dark Expanse by Sarah Chapman
• Ain't in Like a River by the Commandeers

For Mary O'Kane and her friends, murder never seems to be far away...

Throughout their lives, their get-togethers have been dominated by talk of the latest serial killings or celebrity homicides. Pretty soon, they realised they all had close connections to some of the most notorious crimes in US history. Sometimes, the cases were huge - OJ, Versace, John Wayne Gacy - but others struck much closer to home.

Whether these brushes with death are driven by fate or coincidence, Mary doesn't know. But she came up with a name for the phenomenon all the same: She called it The Murder Wheel.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to caughtupincrime@gmail.com or contact me at tom@shinebrighterconsulting.co.uk

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Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• The Clermont - Flash Fluharty
• Whispers in the Attic - Cosmo Lawson
• Groovy - INPLUSMUSIC
• Snappy - Jonathan Boyle
• Silver Light - Swan Productions

SERIES 2 is coming!

**Launch date - Tuesday 5th August**

Caught Up in Crime tells the stories of ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations.

From historical tales of family intrigue to contemporary accounts from victims, witnesses and perpetrators - the series takes listeners right to the heart of the crime.

Join me, Tom Clarke, for weekly episodes every Tuesday.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to caughtupincrime@gmail.com or contact me at tom@shinebrighterconsulting.co.uk

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Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

In this special bonus episode, Tom talks to legendary US civil rights attorney, Michael Sussman.

The US judiciary is under pressure like never before. Messrs Trump, Vance and Musk have the knives out for progressive lawyers and judges - and the integrity and independence of the courts are being challenged daily.

In a 45 year career, Michael’s tackled bureaucracy and injustice in his home state of New York - fighting for the rights of the most marginalised in society. At one point the threat to his life was so severe he had to have round the clock protection from the FBI.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to caughtupincrime@gmail.com.

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Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

In this special bonus episode, journalist Lauren Potts chats to Tom about death knocks, stolen Bakewell tarts, and her deep-dive investigation into two missing schoolboys that was read by more than a million people on the BBC website.

Lauren worked as a Court and Crime reporter in Yorkshire before turning her hand to investigative reporting and feature writing for the BBC. Her freelance work has seen her published in the likes of National Geographic, Stylist, Refinery29, the i, and Time Out.

Visit Lauren’s brand spanking new website: https://www.laurenpotts.co.uk/

Or connect with her on LinkedIn

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to caughtupincrime@gmail.com.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

There’s a house in Northampton that looks much like any other. But this house is unique. It is at the centre of a project to eliminate homelessness for prison leavers. A place that offers hope to men who have none. In the final episode of the series, follow the stories of two prison leavers and their extraordinary journeys towards rehabilitation.

Visit www.ownmerit.org

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to caughtupincrime@gmail.com or contact me at tom@shinebrighterconsulting.co.uk

Connect with me on LinkedIn

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Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• Wave of Doubts by High Street Music
• What Might Have Been by Taizo Audio
• Hangover Blues by Marc Walloch
• Word of Honor by Emmanuel Jacob
• Frame of Time by DarkBlue Studio
• The Vengeance by Mountaineer
• Journey Upstream by L-Ray Music
• Lost Out at Sea by Big Score Audio
• Hometown by L-Ray Music
• Violence Blooms by Flash Fluharty

News archive from Channel 5, Channel 4, BBC, SKY, SKY Australia.

Dr Aaron Lewis is a former pastor, prolific author, and human rights advocate. For decades, he has battled against public institutions and government officials in his home state of Connecticut, defending the voiceless against a system he believes is fundamentally corrupt.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to caughtupincrime@gmail.com.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Outro: Peace and Justice by The Commandeers

Other tracks featured in this episode:

• Around the Edges by Mark Walloch
• The Gospel Trail by Quality Quest
• Rising Up Again by Flash Fluharty
• Break News by O2 Studio