9 episodes
The Coldest Case In Laramie Serial
-
- True Crime
-
-
4.0 • 3K Ratings
-
Kim Barker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times, revisits an unsolved murder that took place while she was in high school in Laramie, Wyoming, nearly 40 years ago. She confronts the conflicting stories people have told themselves about the crime because of an unexpected development: the arrest of a former Laramie police officer accused in the murder.
-
Episode 1
A Times investigative reporter, Kim Barker, revisits the murder of Shelli Wiley — a long-unsolved case from Kim’s time in high school. She reaches out to Shelli’s family to understand why the police arrested a man named Fred Lamb for Shelli’s murder in 2016, and why prosecutors abruptly dropped the charges against him.
-
Episode 2
Kim talks to Shelli’s former roommate, who connects Kim with a man who was at the crime scene and has troubling memories about Fred Lamb and the police.
-
Episode 3
Kim heads to Laramie and hears two very different versions of the case against Fred Lamb.
-
Episode 4
Kim digs into the early stages of the investigation into Shelli’s murder and follows up with old suspects.
-
-
Customer Reviews
Promising but doesn’t deliver
Interesting premise but ultimately it is sad and not satisfying at the end, only needed to be a few episodes, some interviews and information did not seem necessary
Skilled reporting that makes you think
This is an important piece of reporting, and in my opinion, a MUST listen and helpful recalibration for those of us who consume too much true crime. **potential spoilers ahead** This piece really underscored for me the power a story teller wields - whether that person is a reporter, police officer, podcaster, etc - and our responsibility as listeners and community members to be critical and open minded about the information we are presented with. As our highly capable reporter, Kim Barker, uncovers in this case, things aren’t always as straightforward as they seem. I will take this reminder with me as I listen to future accounts of true crime, especially those that aren’t handled with the same rigor and ethics that was applied to this investigation. In addition, I was humbled by the couple of well meaning people in this story who turned out to be wildly unreliable narrators. Their experiences have really made me wonder about memories of my own that I’m sure are true. My take away is not one of cynicism, but rather a renewed commitment to question the stories we are presented, so as not to potentially wrongly accuse folks in the court of public opinion.
Interesting & Good Reporting
Having lived in Wyoming, this story was both interesting to me, and consistent with my experience of Wyoming. Relationships are everything, racism is pervasive, and connected people aren’t held accountable. I really enjoyed this podcast.