NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "Stranglers," the
new podcast from Earwolf, investigates the heinous crime spree that
gripped Boston and the nation in
the 1960s. With a fresh look at the evidence, "Stranglers" asks new
questions about the evidence in the drama-infused 12-part podcast
for a new generation of Americans. With innovative storytelling
that introduces listeners to the victims, brings them to the crime
scenes and seats them at the table during the police investigation,
listeners can't help but ask if the Boston Strangler was ever
brought to justice.
Earwolf, the podcast network operated by parent company Midroll,
created "Stranglers" in partnership with TV network, Investigation
Discovery. The series explores many inconsistencies in the case,
raising significant new doubts about who was responsible for the 13
horrific murders that terrorized the city from July 1962 through January 1964.The audio
documentary explores the real possibility that the lone suspect in
the case might not have been the only killer.
The first episode of the podcast is available now on iTunes,
Stitcher and other podcast platforms.
The crimes prompted the largest police investigation in
Massachusetts history. Host and
journalist Portland Helmich recreates the intense atmosphere by
delving closely into the lives of the victims and the graphic
nature in which they all died. She re-examines the evidence and
talks with surviving key figures, including the reporters who
originally covered the case, the police who worked furiously to
solve it, and terrified witnesses who claim to have met the
Strangler himself.
Ultimately, handyman Albert
DeSalvo confessed to the murders and went to prison, but he
never went to trial. Through the series' twists and turns,
Stranglers probes: Was DeSalvo really the killer? Was there more
than one Strangler? And did the Boston Police Department and the FBI do
everything necessary to find and stop the killer or killers?
"Twelve of these cases are still unsolved," said Helmich. "We're
not just trying to figure out who did it, though. We're trying to
put a human face on the women who died and learn from the past.
This story is epic. In that sense, it's instructive, too."
"Podcasting is the perfect medium for connecting a new
generation of long-form narrative journalism fans with one of the
most infamous crimes of the last 100 years," said Chris Bannon, chief content officer for Midroll.
"The Boston Strangler murders changed the way the media and the
nation talked about crime. This sound-rich perspective on this
historic story will have so much appeal for both podcasting fans
and people new to the medium who love a really good story."
Helmich is an accomplished television and radio host and
producer whose work has appeared on the Hallmark Channel, Oxygen,
WGBH TV and Radio, NPR's "Morning Edition," NPR's "All Things
Considered," and APM's "Marketplace."
"Stranglers" is a co-production of Earwolf, audio production
house Northern Light Productions and Investigation Discovery.
The podcast is based on the documentary "Confessions of the
Boston Strangler," produced by Investigation Discovery.
Midroll is a wholly owned subsidiary of The E.W. Scripps Company
(NYSE: SSP).
The first episode of "Stranglers" is available now. Earwolf will
release new episodes on Wednesdays through February, with a break
on Dec. 28.
About Midroll Media
Midroll Media is a leading
podcast content company, advertising network and distribution
platform that is changing the face of digital audio. It is the
parent company of the Earwolf network and its top-ranked comedy
podcasts; popular podcast listening platform Stitcher; the Howl
premium subscription service, available at howl.fm and via apps for
iOS and Android; and the Midroll advertising network, representing
over 300 of the world's largest podcasts. With offices in
Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco, Midroll was founded in 2010 and
is a wholly owned subsidiary of The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE:
SSP).
About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP)
serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of
television, radio and digital media brands. Scripps is one of the
nation's largest independent TV station owners, with 33 television
stations in 24 markets and a reach of nearly one in five U.S.
households. It also owns 34 radio stations in eight markets.
Scripps also runs an expanding collection of local and national
digital journalism and information businesses, including
multi-platform satire and humor brand Cracked, podcast industry
leader Midroll Media and over-the-top video news service Newsy.
Scripps also produces television shows including "THE LIST" and
"The Now," runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom
in Washington, D.C., and serves as
the long-time steward of the nation's largest, most successful and
longest-running educational program, the Scripps National Spelling
Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto,
"Give light and the people will find their own way."
About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery
(ID) is the leading mystery-and-suspense network on television.
From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth
investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these "real
people, real stories," the always revealing network challenges our
everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition.
One of our nation's fastest growing cable networks, ID delivers the
highest-quality programming to more than 86 million U.S. households
and is available in both high definition (HD) and standard
definition (SD). For more information, please visit
InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or
twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Investigation Discovery is part of
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's
#1 pay-TV programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative
subscribers in 220 countries and territories.
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SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company