Sirens: Southern True Crime

Raven Rollins | The Sirens Network

This is a Southern True Crime Podcast (AKA The Sirens Podcast) with creator and host Raven Rollins - journalist, award-winning author, and victim advocate - where she discusses cases from her home state of Oklahoma, and many other Deep South and Southwestern cases with friends, experts, true crime authors, and more! Advocacy. Investigation. Education. Storytelling.

  1. Oct 7

    Book Club | McCracken Poston Jr. - Zenith Man

    When Virginia Ridley was found dead inside her Georgia home in 1997, suspicion quickly fell on her husband, Alvin—a reclusive television repairman whose unusual behavior and eccentric reputation had made him an outsider in his own community. Charged with his wife's murder, Alvin faced a criminal justice system that struggled to understand him. But attorney McCracken Poston Jr. would discover that behind the rumors, the locked doors, and the troubling circumstances of Virginia's death was a far more complicated story. In this episode of Dreadfully Yours, I sit down with McCracken Poston Jr., criminal defense attorney and author of Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom, to discuss one of Georgia's most extraordinary murder trials. From the challenges of representing an unconventional client to the evidence that would reshape the narrative surrounding Alvin and Virginia's marriage, McCracken shares his experiences inside and outside the courtroom—and reflects on the friendship that grew from a case neither man would ever forget. It's a conversation about justice, prejudice, loyalty, love, and the danger of mistaking someone's differences for evidence of guilt. Featured Book: Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom by McCracken Poston Jr. Find more info about Poston, Jr. on his website at https://www.zenithmanbook.com/ and find the book anywhere you get your books. Originally available on: Dreadfully Yours: Conversations with Dark Storytellers Mentioned in this episode: The Darkest Season: True Crime Halloween Night. Thanksgiving Dinner. Christmas morning. For mood readers who love true crime, get The Darkest Season today. Kindle Unlimited or Kindle. Paperback anywhere you get your books.

    Book Club | McCracken Poston Jr. - Zenith Man

  2. Trailer

    Introducing: Dreadfully Yours, Raven Rollins | Conversations with Dark Storytellers

    A special announcement from Raven Rollins introducing Dreadfully Yours: Conversations with Dark Storytellers — a brand new companion-ish podcast dedicated to conversations with authors, filmmakers, journalists, podcasters, musicians, and the minds behind the stories that linger long after the final page. 🎙️ Now streaming wherever you get your podcasts. From chilling novels and psychological thrillers to horror, film, true crime, and the art of storytelling itself, Dreadfully Yours is a podcast that invites listeners into conversations with the minds behind the stories that stay with us. Hosted by author, audiobook narrator, and podcaster Raven Rollins, each chapter blends cinematic narration with intimate discussions exploring fear, creativity, obsession, grief, suspense, and the human experiences woven into dark storytelling. Find the podcast anywhere you stream your podcasts or web stream on Captivate. Follow the pod: Facebook, Instagram Dreadfully Yours, Raven Rollins

    Introducing: Dreadfully Yours, Raven Rollins | Conversations with Dark Storytellers

  3. May 6

    Athena Strand

    Seven-year-old Athena Strand should have been safe at home. Instead, on November 30, 2022, she vanished from outside her father’s property in Paradise, Texas after a FedEx delivery driver came to the home. What followed became one of the most haunting child murder cases in recent memory — a case that would ultimately lead to the arrest, conviction, and death sentence of Tanner Horner. In this episode, I walk through the timeline of Athena’s disappearance, the search efforts that gripped the community, the disturbing evidence shown during the capital murder sentencing trial, and the heartbreaking testimony from the people who loved Athena most. Portions of audio featured in this episode come directly from the live trial proceedings, including testimony from Maitlyn Gandy and the Medical Examiner. Listener discretion is strongly advised. This episode contains discussion of violence against a child, forensic testimony, and traumatic material. Advocacy. Investigation. Education. Storytelling. If you appreciate what I do, here are a few ways to support Sirens and help true crime stories reach more ears: Rate, review, and share my podcast! Find Raven's books at www.RavenRollins.com Follow Sirens on Social Media https://my.link.gallery/thesirenspodcast 🎬 Binge your next obsession on Paramount+ — Try it FREE with our link! https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/3437665/2089315/3065 Mentioned in this episode: This Is True Crime (Book) This Is True Crime: How to Become an Advocate for Justice (book) by Raven Rollins

    Athena Strand

  4. Jan 15

    Book Club | Kathy Reichs - Evil Bones

    In this episode, I'm joined by Kathy Reichs, one of the most respected voices in forensic science and crime fiction. A practicing forensic anthropologist and the author behind the Temperance Brennan series (Bones), Reichs brings a rare dual perspective—working real cases involving unidentified remains while also translating that science into compelling narrative. Our conversation moves beyond pop-culture portrayals of forensic work and into the reality of what bones can—and cannot—tell us. We talk about skeletal trauma, time since death, identification challenges, and the responsibility that comes with speaking for the dead. Reichs also reflects on how her real-world experience shapes her fiction, the limits of forensic certainty, and why patience and restraint matter as much as expertise in death investigations. This is a grounded, thoughtful discussion about science, truth, and storytelling—centered not on spectacle, but on accountability, accuracy, and the lives behind the evidence. Kathy Reichs is a board-certified forensic anthropologist who has worked on hundreds of cases involving unidentified human remains. She is also the bestselling author of the Temperance Brennan series, which inspired the television show Bones. Reichs is known for her insistence on scientific accuracy, ethical storytelling, and victim-centered work—both in the lab and on the page. You can get her book here, or wherever you get your books. Mentioned in this episode: The Darkest Season: True Crime Halloween Night. Thanksgiving Dinner. Christmas morning. For mood readers who love true crime, get The Darkest Season today. Kindle Unlimited or Kindle. Paperback anywhere you get your books.

    Book Club | Kathy Reichs - Evil Bones

  5. 12/12/2025

    Book Club | Rachel Corbett - The Monsters We Make

    In this episode of Sirens, I’m joined by Rachel Corbett, journalist, academic, and author of The Monsters We Make, for a deeply thoughtful conversation about crime, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves about evil. Rachel shares how her own childhood experiences—and the moments that shaped her understanding of violence and fear—ultimately led her down the path of researching crime, criminal behavior, and the FBI’s approach to criminal profiling. What began as personal curiosity evolved into years of research that challenge some of the most widely accepted assumptions in true crime. We talk in depth about The Monsters We Make, including what inspired the book, how personal history intersects with academic inquiry, and why criminal profiling may not be the reliable investigative tool pop culture has led us to believe. Rachel breaks down how profiling gained its reputation, where it has fallen short, and why its perceived success often looks very different when examined closely. This episode explores the tension between storytelling and science—and asks hard questions about how myths are created, repeated, and cemented in both law enforcement and media. Find more about Rachel at https://www.rachel-corbett.com/. Mentioned in this episode: The Darkest Season: True Crime Halloween Night. Thanksgiving Dinner. Christmas morning. For mood readers who love true crime, get The Darkest Season today. Kindle Unlimited or Kindle. Paperback anywhere you get your books.

    Book Club | Rachel Corbett - The Monsters We Make

  6. 10/29/2025

    Tulsa's Hex House

    Hosted by Raven Rollins Tulsa’s infamous Hex House wasn’t just a haunted legend—it was real. Beneath the surface of an ordinary duplex at 10 East 21st Street lay a story of control, psychological manipulation, and hidden abuse that gripped the city in the 1940s. Two women were found living in a cold, dark basement—isolated, exploited, and convinced they were earning salvation under the direction of a woman named Carol Ann Smith. In this episode, Raven unearths the true history behind the Hex House. It’s a story of power, belief, and the dangerous ways devotion can be twisted. Mentioned in this episode: The Darkest Season: True Crime Halloween Night. Thanksgiving Dinner. Christmas morning. For mood readers who love true crime, get The Darkest Season today. Kindle Unlimited or Kindle. Paperback anywhere you get your books.

    Tulsa's Hex House

  7. 08/15/2025

    Book Club | Brian & Cameron Santana: A Murder on Campus

    In this Sirens exclusive episode, I sit down with brothers Brian and Cameron Santana, co-authors of A Murder on Campus: The Professor, The Cop, and North Carolina’s Most Notorious Cold Case. We talk about the brutal, unsolved 1973 murder of Virginia Marie Olson, a 19-year-old college student whose body was discovered near the campus of UNC-Asheville. Over 50 years, the case would haunt three generations of investigators and the entire Asheville community, marked by dead ends, disturbing parallels, and whispers of notorious suspects. Brian, a veteran cop, and Cameron, a college professor, teamed up to tell this story with a rare blend of insider insight and narrative depth. Get the book here: https://amzn.to/4l06pYt Listen to Santana True Crime wherever you get your podcasts. Advocacy. Investigation. Education. Storytelling. If you appreciate what I do, here are a few ways to support Sirens and help true crime stories reach more ears: Rate, review, and share my podcast! Find Raven's books at www.RavenRollins.com Follow Sirens on Social Media https://my.link.gallery/thesirenspodcast 🎬 Binge your next obsession on Paramount+ — Try it FREE with our link! https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/3437665/2089315/3065 Mentioned in this episode: The Darkest Season: True Crime Halloween Night. Thanksgiving Dinner. Christmas morning. For mood readers who love true crime, get The Darkest Season today. Kindle Unlimited or Kindle. Paperback anywhere you get your books.

    Book Club | Brian & Cameron Santana: A Murder on Campus

  8. 08/08/2025

    Girl Forgotten: What Happened to Brianna Wells? (with Dan Brown Jr.)

    In this episode, I sit down with filmmaker and composer Dan Brown Jr., the creator of the true crime documentary Girl Forgotten: What Happened to Brianna Wells? and founder of Crime Sonics. On December 29, 2014, 17-year-old Brianna Wells was found murdered and abandoned in a South Phoenix alley. Nearly a decade later, her case remains unsolved and largely forgotten—until now. Dan shares the emotional and investigative journey behind Girl Forgotten, a film four years in the making that follows grassroots advocate Gina as she digs into Brianna’s story, uncovers disturbing truths, and exposes failures within the system. From police missteps to media silence, this documentary challenges how we treat missing and murdered girls—especially when their stories are inconvenient. We talk about the filmmaking process, the importance of storytelling through music, the emotional toll true crime creation can take, and how original music—including the haunting theme “Raise Cain”—brings Brianna’s voice back to the forefront. Follow the film at www.girlforgottenfilm.com. Learn more about Dan and the music of Crime Sonics at www.crimesonics.com. Advocacy. Investigation. Education. Storytelling. If you appreciate what I do, here are a few ways to support Sirens and help true crime stories reach more ears: Rate, review, and share my podcast! Find Raven's books at www.RavenRollins.com Follow Sirens on Social Media https://my.link.gallery/thesirenspodcast 🎬 Binge your next obsession on Paramount+ — Try it FREE with our link! https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/3437665/2089315/3065 Mentioned in this episode: The Darkest Season: True Crime Halloween Night. Thanksgiving Dinner. Christmas morning. For mood readers who love true crime, get The Darkest Season today. Kindle Unlimited or Kindle. Paperback anywhere you get your books.

    Girl Forgotten: What Happened to Brianna Wells? (with Dan Brown Jr.)
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About

This is a Southern True Crime Podcast (AKA The Sirens Podcast) with creator and host Raven Rollins - journalist, award-winning author, and victim advocate - where she discusses cases from her home state of Oklahoma, and many other Deep South and Southwestern cases with friends, experts, true crime authors, and more! Advocacy. Investigation. Education. Storytelling.

Information

  • Creator
    Raven Rollins | The Sirens Network
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    110
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Raven Rollins | The Sirens Network
  • Show Website
    Sirens: Southern True Crime

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