7 episodes

Skull Fragments. It's a forensic term. Basically, what happens when you get your brains blown out.

This podcast will blow your mind with true stories from the criminal justice system.

From T. J. English, author of “The Westies,” “Born To Kill,” “Paddy Whacked,” “Havana Nocturne,” “The Savage City,” “The Corporation.”

Skull Fragments T. J. English

    • True Crime
    • 5.0 • 20 Ratings

Skull Fragments. It's a forensic term. Basically, what happens when you get your brains blown out.

This podcast will blow your mind with true stories from the criminal justice system.

From T. J. English, author of “The Westies,” “Born To Kill,” “Paddy Whacked,” “Havana Nocturne,” “The Savage City,” “The Corporation.”

    Michael O'Keefe: veteran NYPD detective and author

    Michael O'Keefe: veteran NYPD detective and author

    After 24 1/2 years with the NYPD, including having served in some of the toughest neighborhoods during the most crime-ridden era in NYC history, O'Keefe writes police crime novels in the tradition of Joseph Wambagh that are based on his experiences as a cop. Hear O'Keefe talk about his harrowing career in law enforcement, including, most notably, his role at the center of the Washington Heights riot of 1992, a cataclysmic event that rocked the entire city of New York at the time. Hear O'Keefe's thoughts on policing today, and also how he transitioned from his life as a gung-ho New York cop to a retired author of crime fiction novels.

    • 1 hr 17 min
    Abiodun Oyewole: co-founder of The Last Poets and convicted robber of the KKK

    Abiodun Oyewole: co-founder of The Last Poets and convicted robber of the KKK

    Over fifty years ago, Abiodun Oyewole and a group of fellow poets in Harlem launched a form of spoken word performance that revolutionized poetry and laid the foundation for rap and hip hop. The Last Poets, as they were known, influenced and were sampled by Biggie Smalls, Common, Kanye West, and many other hip hop luminaries. Oyewole missed the group’s seminal years while he was incarcerated for having robbed a KKK office in North Carolina. In prison, he wrote poems every day, and after his release, he resumed his life as a poet and educator. Today Abiodun supervises poetry writing workshops in prisons, and recently he and the last remaining members of The Last Poets have recorded new albums and performed around the world. 

    • 1 hr 21 min
    Jeffrey Deskovic: wrongfully convicted for murder

    Jeffrey Deskovic: wrongfully convicted for murder

    At the age of 17, Deskovic was convicted for the brutal murder of a young woman in Peekskill, NY and sent away to prison for the rest of his life. Hear the inspiring story of how Deskovic never gave up hope: he survived a terrifying ordeal in prison, advocated for his innocence (with the help of the Innocence Project) and eventually, after 16 years behind bars, was exonerated and released. After his release, Deskovic sued the state of New York and won a financial settlement, using the money to establish the Deskovic Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping others who have been wrongfully convicted.

    • 1 hr 18 min
    Patrick Radden Keefe: Investigative journalist and award-winning author

    Patrick Radden Keefe: Investigative journalist and award-winning author

    As a reporter for the New Yorker, Keefe has established himself as one of the best magazine writers in America on crime-related subjects. Hear him talk about the challenges of his trade, and how he was able to write The Snakehead, a non-fiction book about the criminal underworld in New York City's Chinatown, and, more recently, Say Nothing, a New York Times best-seller about 'the Troubles' in Northern Island that was shortlisted for the 2019 National Book Award and won of the prestigious Orwell Prize.

    • 1 hr 12 min
    Fab Five Freddy: Hip Hip pioneer turned documentary filmmaker

    Fab Five Freddy: Hip Hip pioneer turned documentary filmmaker

    As one of the founding VJs for MTV, Fab Fab Freddy became a legendary figure in the world of rap and hip hop. He is also a visual artist and filmmaker, having recently produced and directed Grass is Greener, a landmark documentary for Netflix on the subject of cannibas. Hear Fab discuss the cultural, musical and criminal justice history of weed, and how the current movement to "legalize it," as Peter Tosh used to sing, has become a national phenomenon.

    • 1 hr 10 min
    Richard Stratton: Jailhouse lawyer turned Hollywood producer

    Richard Stratton: Jailhouse lawyer turned Hollywood producer

    After being convicted on marijuana and hashish smuggling charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison under the 'kingpin statute,' Richard Stratton devoted himself to learning about the law in the prison library. Eventually, he filed affidavits, represented himelf in court and, after eight years of incarceration, got his conviction overturned. Hear how Stratton became a marijuana kingpin, a prisoner of the war on drugs, and a skilled legal representative for himself and others behind bars. Today he is a producer, director and writer for film and televison, and he has authored a memoir trilogy of books (Smuggler's Blues, Kingpin and In the World) about his eventful life.

    • 1 hr 23 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
20 Ratings

20 Ratings

OZ10 Long ,

Excellent podcast

Wow! This podcast is so dense and informative! I love T.J. and his perspective, knowledge and voice.

elhead ,

Highly recommended

TJ English is for real and this series is no exception.

MiguelitoBandito ,

Finally

Grateful to know that T.J. English has a podcast! I’ve read ‘Paddy Whacked’ and ‘Havana Nocturne’. If this podcast is half as good as those books, the world is in for a treat!

His level of research is unparalleled.
Here’s an example: In ‘Havana Nocturne’ he wrote that Fidel visited New York on several occasions and often spoke to elementary school kids. In speaking with my mother, a native New Yorker, she confirmed this to be true as she was one of those students!

I can’t wait to hear the interviews and stories coming our way.

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