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America's Crime Lab

4.8 (3.5K)
TRUE CRIME
SERIES

Welcome to Othram aka "America's Crime Lab." Each week, we meet weary detectives and family members working an unsolved case that has wrecked a community and seemingly hit a dead end… until, in a last-ditch effort, the evidence is mailed to Othram.

EPISODE 1

The Case of Carla Walker: How DNA Evidence Revived a 46-Year-Old Murder Investigation

Carla Walker’s brazen abduction after her high school Valentine’s dance shocked Fort Worth. The case went cold for decades. In Part 1, host Elin Lantz Lesser and producer Catherine Fenollosa walk through the early investigation, and why suspicion turned toward Carla’s boyfriend. This cold case is where our story begins. Using forensic genealogy and DNA evidence, detectives and scientists from Othram begin to reexamine what was left behind. America’s Crime Lab is a true crime podcast about how science solves cold cases, missing persons, and other unsolved cases. Hosted by journalist and clinical psychologist Elin Lantz Lesser, and powered by Othram’s forensic DNA lab, the show connects the science to the story, revealing what really happens in the lab and why it matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 min
EPISODE 2

Carla Walker, Part 2: A Cold Case Reopened by DNA Evidence

Nearly 50 years after Carla Walker’s murder, Fort Worth detectives decide to reopen the case. In Part 2, host Elin Lantz Lesser and producer Catherine Fenollosa trace how a persistent cold case investigator begins to reexamine the original evidence, and why a single swab becomes central to the new forensic effort. With help from Paul Holes and the scientists at Othram, the DNA evidence starts to speak for itself. America’s Crime Lab is a true crime podcast about how science solves cold cases, missing persons, and other unsolved cases. Hosted by journalist and clinical psychologist Elin Lantz Lesser, and powered by Othram’s forensic DNA lab, the show connects the science to the story, revealing what really happens in the lab and why it matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

36 min
EPISODE 3

Carla Walker, Part 3: DNA Evidence Identifies a Suspect

In Part 3 of our Carla Walker investigation, a decades-old DNA sample is reexamined at Othram’s lab, leading to a breakthrough. Host Elin Lantz Lesser and producer Catherine Fenollosa walk us through the science behind the profile, the chain of custody, and the unexpected match that emerges from the database. After 46 years, this cold case finally has a viable lead. America’s Crime Lab is a true crime podcast about how science solves cold cases, missing persons, and other unsolved cases. Hosted by journalist and clinical psychologist Elin Lantz Lesser, and powered by Othram’s forensic DNA lab, the show connects the science to the story, revealing what really happens in the lab and why it matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29 min
EPISODE 4

Carla Walker, Part 4: A Confession and the Power of DNA Evidence

In the final chapter of Carla Walker’s story, detectives sit down with their prime suspect. What follows is a slow, tense interrogation, and a long-delayed confession. Host Elin Lantz Lesser and producer Catherine Fenollosa bring together the science, the interrogation, and the moment this cold case finally turns. America’s Crime Lab is a true crime podcast about how science solves cold cases, missing persons, and other unsolved cases. Hosted by journalist and clinical psychologist Elin Lantz Lesser, and powered by Othram’s forensic DNA lab, the show connects the science to the story, revealing what really happens in the lab and why it matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

36 min
EPISODE 5

What Remains: DNA Identifies the Victim in a Boat Fire Cold Case

Emergency crews responding to a boat fire discovered human remains, but the case quickly went cold. For decades, investigators had no answers. Using advanced forensic DNA, Othram scientists were able to identify the victim and reveal the truth behind the fire, finally giving a family long-delayed closure. America’s Crime Lab is a true crime podcast about how science solves cold cases, missing persons, and other unsolved cases. Hosted by journalist and clinical psychologist Elin Lantz Lesser, and powered by Othram’s forensic DNA lab, the show connects the science to the story, revealing what really happens in the lab and why it matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 min
EPISODE 6

Candy Rogers, Part 1: Spokane’s Missing Persons Cold Case

In 1959, nine-year-old Candy Rogers went missing while selling mints in Spokane, Washington. The city mounted one of the largest missing persons searches in state history, yet the case remained unsolved for more than 60 years. This episode traces the start of a mystery investigators called the “Mount Everest” of cold cases, one that DNA would eventually help crack. America’s Crime Lab is a true crime podcast about how science solves cold cases, missing persons, and other unsolved cases. Hosted by journalist and clinical psychologist Elin Lantz Lesser, and powered by Othram’s forensic DNA lab, the show connects the science to the story, revealing what really happens in the lab and why it matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

36 min
EPISODE 7

Candy Rogers, Part 2: DNA Solves Spokane’s 62-Year Mystery

The search for nine-year-old Candy Rogers haunted Spokane for generations. Could the killer’s family hold the final clue to solving the case? And just how far would detectives need to dig for the truth? After decades with no answers, forensic DNA revealed her killer and solved one of America’s most enduring missing persons cases. In part two, we follow how modern science cracked a 62-year unsolved case, delivering justice and closure to one of the nation’s most haunting cold cases. America’s Crime Lab is a true crime podcast about how science solves cold cases, missing persons, and other unsolved cases. Hosted by journalist and clinical psychologist Elin Lantz Lesser, and powered by Othram’s forensic DNA lab, the show connects the science to the story, revealing what really happens in the lab and why it matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 min
EPISODE 8

The Disappeared Part 1

Young gay men begin disappearing from downtown Indianapolis. One by one, missing persons fliers go up, and rumors spread about a serial killer. Families are frustrated by a lackluster investigation. And then a killing field is discovered in a shocking location. America’s Crime Lab is a true crime podcast about how science solves cold cases, missing persons, and other unsolved cases. Hosted by journalist and clinical psychologist Elin Lantz Lesser, and powered by Othram’s forensic DNA lab, the show connects the science to the story, revealing what really happens in the lab and why it matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

33 min

See All Season 1 (21)

TRAILER

Introducing America's Crime Lab

Introducing the new podcast America’s Crime Lab. Each week, we meet weary detectives and family members as we run through an unsolved case that wrecked a community and seemingly hit a dead end… until, in a last-ditch effort, the evidence is mailed to Othram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1

•

4 min

Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.

4.2 (7563)

TRUE CRIME
From the producers that brought you the critically acclaimed Betrayal limited-run series, a new, always-on docuseries will hit the feed every week. Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.

4.6 (521)

TRUE CRIME
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.

4.6 (168)

DOCUMENTARY
Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders takes you back to 1983, when two teenagers were found murdered, execution-style, on a quiet Texas hill. What followed was decades of rumors, false leads, and a case that law enforcement could never seem to close. Now, veteran investigative journalist M. William Phelps reopens the file — uncovering new witnesses, hidden evidence, and a shocking web of deaths that may all be connected. Over nine gripping episodes, Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders unravels a story 42 years in the making… and asks the question: who’s really been hiding the truth?

4.3 (6182)

TRUE CRIME
The Turning: River Road (Season 3) is about Lindsay Tornambe who at 13 years old, was chosen by the leader of her family’s cult for a special role. She became one of the youngest Maidens of River Road Fellowship in rural Minnesota. After a ritualistic ceremony that married her and other girls to their leader, she endured more than a decade of mental and physical abuse, hidden from outsiders. But Lindsay and a friend decided to escape. They became the whistleblowers who prompted an international manhunt in 2014. It would bring the entire cult crumbling to the ground. A ten-part series from Rococo Punch and iHeartPodcasts. The Turning: River Road is part of the iHeart True Crime+ Apple Podcasts Channel—and this summer, we’re offering a 30-day free trial! Get early access, 100% ad-free listening, and exclusive bonus content. Available for a limited time. Open Apple Podcasts, search “iHeart True Crime+,” and subscribe today.

4.6 (1702)

DOCUMENTARY
What Happened in Nashville is a deeply reported investigation into the sudden collapse of a Tennessee fertility clinic, and the patients caught in the fallout. When the Center for Reproductive Health shut down without warning, people lost access to their embryos, their treatments were abruptly cut off, and many were left scrambling to recover money, medical records, and time they couldn’t afford to lose. Through intimate conversations with the patients who lived through it, host Melissa Jeltsen reveals the emotional and physical toll of the clinic’s abrupt closure. But the story reaches far beyond a single clinic. The series exposes the cracks in a fertility industry built on hope, high price tags and minimal oversight. What Happened in Nashville isn’t just the story of one tragedy — it’s a warning about a system where families have everything at stake and far too little protection.

4.1 (1783)

TRUE CRIME

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Oz Woloshyn

Host
Ana Arana

Host
Mónica Ortiz Uribe

Host
Elin L Lantz

Host

4.8

out of 5

3,548 Ratings

Othram working miracles

10/31/2025

whynotpugs

I hope by raising awareness of the incredible and revolutionary work Othram does it will help raise funds to support the work they do. It’s labor intensive and around the clock. Few things bring a family peace in a tragic loss; but having answers to unanswered questions, such as confirming the identity of remains, can be priceless. I’m from MS and lived there when Katrina came through. The episode “Unidentified and Waiting” brought tears to my eyes. One case is about Hardy Jackson who lost his wife, Tonette, when a 20’ wave crashed into their home. Her remains were recovered, but confirmation of her identity came thanks to Othram many years later. Unfortunately it was after Mr Jackson had died; but her remaining family has answers. Thanks to Mississippi native Carla Davis for funding the project to help identify remains in the Mississippi ME’s backlog of unidentified remains. Thanks to Anastasia for her work in the Mississippi ME’s office and with Othram. This podcast has been so enlightening in so many ways. I hope more of MS’s unidentified victims from the ravages of Katrina can be identified. ❤️
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12/07/2025

Kv45678&

Impossible to listen to
But The Commentary

11/25/2025

cheridora

This podcast gets the story out with narrative and law enforcement perspective. Which is very good! I find the commentary is unnecessary and speaks in such a way to covertly indicate that the listener is not smart enough to see the picture without the additional drama reiterating what the listener just heard. If the commentary was just left out altogether, then I’d give this podcast a 5. But, it’s just that irritating.
The banter is unnecessary

11/20/2025

Bostonbub00001

The banter is annoying and unnecessary. Just tell the story instead of drawing it out!

Welcome to Othram aka "America's Crime Lab." Each week, we meet weary detectives and family members working an unsolved case that has wrecked a community and seemingly hit a dead end… until, in a last-ditch effort, the evidence is mailed to Othram.

Channel

iHeart True Crime
Creator

iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
Episodes

33
Seasons

1
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
Show Website

America's Crime Lab
Provider

iHeartMedia + Entertainment, Inc