Fugitive Farmer: A true crime podcast by Brian Johnson, author of "Murder in Chisago County."

Brian Johnson

True crime author and journalist Brian Johnson chats with writers, historians and researchers about real-life stories of murder, mystery and mayhem.

Episodes

  1. 12/10/2021

    An interview with Michael Brodkorb, co-author of "The Girls Are Gone."

    Michael Brodkorb, a longtime Twin Cities journalist and public relations consultant, joins the podcast to discuss his 2018 true crime book, "The Girls Are Gone: The True Story of Two Sisters Who Vanished, the Father Who Kept Searching, and the Adults Who Conspired to Keep the Truth Hidden." Set in Lakeville, Minnesota, the book tells the story of a messy divorce and child custody fight in family court and -- ultimately -- the mysterious disappearance of two teenage girls. In great detail, Brodkorb and his co-author, Allison Mann, peel back the layers of this compelling and highly complicated drama.    https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Are-Gone-Searching-Conspired/dp/1634891651

    40 min

  2. 11/25/2021

    An interview with Jack Lessenberry, author of "Reason vs. Racism: A Newspaper Family, Race and Justice"

    In this episode of the Fugitive Farmer True Crime Podcast, author and journalist Jack Lessenberry discusses his recently published book "Reason vs. Racism: A Newspaper Family, Race and Justice." Thoroughly researched, the book examines how a chain of newspapers owned by the Block family covered issues related to race from the 1910s to the election of Barack Obama and beyond. Along the way, Lessenberry weaves in historical vignettes ranging from the notorious June 1920 lynching of three Black men in Duluth, Minnesota, to the 1920s-era heroism of Tom Lee, a Black man who saved 32 white people from drowning after an overloaded excursion boat capsized in the Mississippi River. Block lionized Lee in his newspapers, only to get nasty pushback from white racists. https://lessenberryink.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Reason-vs-Racism-Jack-Lessenberry-ebook/dp/B08WJRC8R1

    35 min

  3. 11/05/2021

    An interview with Barry Siegel, author of "A Death in White Bear Lake"

    In this episode of the Fugitive Farmer true crime podcast, we're pleased to be joined by esteemed author and journalist Barry Siegel. A former Los Angeles Times reporter, Siegel is the author of eight books, including "A Death in White Bear Lake: The True Chronicle of an All-American Town." The acclaimed true crime book, first published in 1990, tells the heartbreaking story of Dennis Jurgens, an abused young child who died in his White Bear Lake home on Palm Sunday 1965. Dennis, not yet four years old, succumbed to peritonitis, but as the book notes, the "startling" autopsy photos of the boy "suggested murder." Fingers immediately pointed to Lois Jurgens, Dennis' adoptive mother. But it took more than 20 years, and intervention from the boy's birth mother, for justice to be served. In the interview, Siegel discusses the Jurgens case and its impact on White Bear Lake, the "All American City" at the center of the drama.   https://www.amazon.com/Death-White-Bear-Lake-All-American-ebook/dp/B075FJWH6Q https://barry-siegel.com/

    39 min

  4. 11/15/2020

    An interview with Ed Hudson, author of "As the Crow Flies."

    In this episode, we're joined by Ed Hudson, author of "As the Crow Flies: The Redemption of an International Drug Smuggler." Hudson spent 34 years in law enforcement, including 24 years as a narcotics investigator. In his new book, Hudson tells the story of Freddie Crow, an international drug smuggler based in Florida. Crow spent time in prison and then turned his life around. He did so with help from devoted family members and friends -- including Hudson himself. It's a story of faith, friendship and redemption.

    36 min

  5. 11/02/2020

    The Karpis-Barker Gang in St. Paul

    In this episode, Minnesota authors Cynthia Schreiner Smith and Deborah Frethem talk about their new book, "Alvin Karpis and the Barker Gang in Minnesota." The book, released in September by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press, sheds new light on the notorious 1930s-era gang and its criminal activity in the Midwest. The authors uncovered new information and never-before-published photos. Smith is an actor/writer/producer born and raised in St. Paul. She has written about St. Paul history for the St. Paul Almanac, and has worked as a tour guide for Down in History Tours in St. Paul. Frethem's previous books include Ghost Stories of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Pinellas County (The History Press, 2007), Haunted Tampa: Spirits of the Bay (The History Press, 2013) and Haunted Ybor City (The History Press, 2014).

    31 min

  6. 10/24/2020

    Paul Maccabee discusses his true crime classic, "John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crooks' Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul, 1920-1936."

    This year marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of "John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crooks' Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul, 1920-1936." The book, written by Minnesota author Paul Maccabee, is a must-read for true crime fans, especially those of us in the Upper Midwest. In this interview, Maccabee dishes all the dirt on Dillinger and other notorious gangsters of the '20s and '30s, and talks about their connections to St. Paul. He explains why St. Paul was a gangster haven back in the day. In addition, Maccabee recalls what it was like to write and research this timeless book, which was a dozen years in the making.

    34 min

  7. 10/16/2020

    An interview with Jack El-Hai, author of "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist" and other award-winning nonfiction books.

    In this episode, we're pleased to be joined by Jack El-Hai, an award-winning author of nonfiction books that include "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist," "The Lost Brothers," "The Lobotomist," "Non-Stop: A Turbulent History of Northwest Airlines," and "Lost Minnesota: Stories of Vanished Places." As noted on his website, www.el-hai.com, Jack writes books and articles on history, medicine, and science. He also publishes a monthly brief for readers and writers of popular history. In this episode, Jack talks at length about "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist," which tells the story of a military psychiatrist, Dr. Douglas Kelley, and his work with Hermann Göring and other Nazi prisoners in advance of the Nuremberg Trials. Jack also takes a deep dive into the tragic case of the young Klein brothers, who disappeared from their north Minneapolis home in 1951 and were never seen again. Jack tells the story in his award-winning book, "The Lost Brothers."

    33 min

  8. 10/08/2020

    An interview with Nan Hult, a local historian who conducted extensive research about an unsolved 1933 murder mystery.

    Host Brian Johnson interviews historian Nan Hult, a North Branch, Minnesota, resident who has done extensive research about the mysterious deaths of Alvira Lundeen Johnson and her seven children. On April 11, 1933, the family members were found dead in the ruins of their Harris, Minnesota, farmhouse, which had burned to the ground during the night. Investigators later determined the family members were dead before the fire. The prime suspect was Alvira's husband, Albin Johnson. His remains were not found in the ruins of the home and he disappeared after the fire. He hasn't been seen since, dead or alive.

    47 min
  • 8 Episodes

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True crime author and journalist Brian Johnson chats with writers, historians and researchers about real-life stories of murder, mystery and mayhem.

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