Threat to Society: The Making of a Case

Austyn Castelli
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  • Social Sciences

Threat to Society: The Making of a Case is a behind-the-scenes true crime podcast that follows the real-time process of researching and writing a book about a death penalty case that refuses to stay in the past. Hosted by a forensic mental health clinician, the show documents what it actually looks like to uncover a case from the inside out—digging through appellate records, tracking down witnesses, navigating court archives, and confronting the gaps between official narratives and lived reality.Each episode pulls back the curtain on the process: the breakthroughs, the dead ends, the ethical questions, and the moments where the story shifts in unexpected ways. Rather than retelling a finished narrative, the podcast invites listeners into the uncertainty of building one—where facts are incomplete, perspectives conflict, and the truth is something you have to fight to see clearly.At the center is a single question: how does a person become defined as a “threat to society”? But the podcast...

Episodes

  1. Oct 10

    #2 - Finding Thos

    After a murder, the victim often becomes a footnote in his own death. Thomas Millar McWaters Jr. died at 64, yet three decades later, almost nothing is known about him. In this episode, we try to find out who he was. From a small museum in Bedford, Virginia, to census records, church archives, and the people who briefly crossed his path, we trace Tom’s life from his birth in 1924 through his decades in Greenwich, Connecticut, and his move to a 129-acre estate he renamed Balmoor. Along the way, we find that the Tom in the records and the “Thos” who arrived in Virginia, with his Cornell degree, his work for NASA, and his aristocratic English roots, may be two different men. We also look at how he met a newly paroled young man named Joseph Savino, and how he spent years working the system from the outside to bring him home. Who was Tom McWaters before any of it? As much as anyone still can, you’ll know by the end. Content note: This episode includes descriptions of violence, death, and drug use. Listener discretion is advised. Threat to Society is a true story. Certain names and identifying information have been changed to protect the living. The views expressed are solely those of the host and do not represent any employer, institution, or organization. If you have information about Joseph Savino or Thomas McWaters, email threattosocietyproject@gmail.com. Follow the show on Instagram and TikTok at Threat to Society Project, and find the ways to support it in the show notes.

    #2 - Finding Thos

  2. Sep 30

    Threat to Society Update #1

    It's been more than two months since Episode 1, and this short update explains why. New interviews have changed how I understand parts of this story. I also re-recorded Episode 1 to make it more of a story and less of a reading of old articles. Here's where the season stands and what's coming next. Episode 2, "Finding Thos," is on its way. If you'd like to help, follow the show, share it with someone who'd want to hear it, and leave a rating or review if you can.

  3. Jul 17

    #1 - Headlines

    Thirty years ago today, on July 17th, 1996, Joseph John Savino Jr. was executed by the Commonwealth of Virginia for the murder of Thomas McWaters Jr., a wealthy farm owner in Bedford County.  Two years ago, host Austyn Castelli, a forensic mental health clinician and distant relative of Joseph Savino, found his name buried in a facility records system where she works inside the Virginia prison system. She first learned about the story the same way the public first heard it: through newspaper headlines, court filings, and the official record that sent a man to the death chamber. It's the version everyone thought they knew. It's also only part of the story. Threat to Society is a documentary podcast investigating the case of Joseph Savino and the death of Thomas McWaters — a story about capital punishment, psychiatric testimony, and two men neither the courtroom nor the headlines ever fully saw. Content warning: this episode contains descriptions of violent death. SOURCES Jim Stratton, "Bedford Man Found Slain in His Home: Friends discover body of Thos McWaters; assailant at large," The News and Advance, December 1, 1988 Jim Stratton and Leslie Postal, "Slain Man's Housemate Arrested: Joseph Savino Charged with Forging Thos McWaters' Checks," The News and Advance, December 2, 1988 Laurence Hammack, The Roanoke Times, December 3, 1988 Audio: "Going Through a Prison Sally Port: A Rare Look Inside Perryville Women's Prison Lumley Unit," Blank Canvas Documentary — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1UPUKrg-Os LISTEN & FOLLOW linktr.ee/threattosocietyproject

    #1 - Headlines

  4. Season 1 Trailer

    Introducing Threat to Society: The Making of a Case

    What would you do if you discovered that a relative had been executed for murder? When forensic mental health clinician Austyn Castelli received a text message about an executed family member, she expected to find a straightforward true crime story. Instead, she uncovered a tangled history and a death penalty case that raised more questions than answers. Threat to Society follows one woman's attempt to understand the life, crime, and execution of Joseph Savino—and what that journey reveals about crime, punishment, and human behavior. This is where the investigation begins. Follow Threat to Society Project on Instagram, TikTok, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

    Introducing Threat to Society: The Making of a Case
  • 1 Trailer
    3 Episodes

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About

Threat to Society: The Making of a Case is a behind-the-scenes true crime podcast that follows the real-time process of researching and writing a book about a death penalty case that refuses to stay in the past. Hosted by a forensic mental health clinician, the show documents what it actually looks like to uncover a case from the inside out—digging through appellate records, tracking down witnesses, navigating court archives, and confronting the gaps between official narratives and lived reality.Each episode pulls back the curtain on the process: the breakthroughs, the dead ends, the ethical questions, and the moments where the story shifts in unexpected ways. Rather than retelling a finished narrative, the podcast invites listeners into the uncertainty of building one—where facts are incomplete, perspectives conflict, and the truth is something you have to fight to see clearly.At the center is a single question: how does a person become defined as a “threat to society”? But the podcast...

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