The Doodler

The Binge
The Doodler

New Season Drops 1/1 - All Episodes, All at Once

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The Golden State Killer. The Unabomber. Ted Bundy. You’re probably familiar with these serial killers. But in the mid-1970s, another monster terrorized San Francisco’s gay community. He was coined “The Doodler,” and he may have been responsible for as many victims as the Zodiac Killer, yet you’ve probably never heard of him. Plagued by a complicated investigation, a frightened public, and the hesitation of many to come forward, the case went cold, and a killer walked free. Nearly 50 years later, a renewed hunt for a forgotten serial killer seeks to change that. Have a tip? Email thedoodlerline@gmail.com, call (415) 570-9299, or visit TheDoodlerPod.com. The Doodler is part of The Binge - subscribe to listen to all episodes, all at once, ad-free right now.    From serial killer nurses to psychic scammers – The Binge is your home for true crime stories that pull you in and never let go.    Follow The Binge Crimes and The Binge Cases wherever you get your podcasts to get new stories on the first of the month, every month.   Hit ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the The Doodler show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com. The Binge – feed your true crime obsession. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  1. EPISODE 1

    1. The Coldest Case in San Francisco

    You’ve probably heard of the Zodiac Killer but not The Doodler. Why not? Between 1974 and ‘75 he killed at least 5 gay men in San Francisco and got away with it. But ever since, the case has been mostly overlooked. Until now. SFPD re-opened the case in 2018, with investigator Dan Cunningham at the helm. Meanwhile, award-winning reporter and host Kevin Fagan starts an investigation of his own. He starts by looking into The Doodler’s first known victim - Gerald Cavanagh. Want the rest of the show? Subscribe to The Binge to unlock all episodes of this show, ad-free, right now. Your subscription also unlocks the entire network of podcasts on The Binge with a brand new story dropping every month - that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free. Click ‘try free’ at the top of The Doodler show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    32 min

  2. EPISODE 2 • THE BINGE+ ONLY

    2. Murder, Mistrust, and the SFPD

    The Doodler’s second known victim is an up-and-coming San Francisco drag queen named Jae Stevens. In the present, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Kevin Fagan recruits private investigator and former Chronicle colleague Mike Taylor to help him track down some of Stevens’ friends and family. Through Jae’s story, we learn how the contentious relationship between police and the gay community complicates the original investigation.

    31 min

  3. EPISODE 3 • THE BINGE+ ONLY

    3. The Zebra Diversion

    Kevin and Mike dig deeper into the lives of the first three Doodler victims, and a clear pattern begins to emerge around the method and location of these deaths: brutal stabbings in remote hookup spots. Did SFPD see that pattern in the ‘70s? Or was it lost amid the crime wave sweeping across the city at the time? They look into the infamous Zebra killings of 1973 and ‘74.

    22 min

  4. EPISODE 4 • THE BINGE+ ONLY

    4. Gilford and Sanders

    More than a year after the murder of Gerald Cavanagh, the SFPD finally assigns a dedicated team of investigators to The Doodler case. Turns out Rotea Gilford and Earl Sanders, the first Black homicide investigators in the SFPD, are perfectly suited for the job. Around this time, The Doodler claims his fourth victim - a nurse named Fredrick Capin. Now, Kevin and Mike try to learn what they can about the circumstances around his death.

    26 min

  5. EPISODE 5 • THE BINGE+ ONLY

    5. An Actor and a Diplomat Walk into a Bar

    At the end of 1975, The Doodler murders Harald Gullberg, the fifth and final suspected fatality that investigators have tied to this case. The Doodler’s sixth victim actually survives a brutal knife attack. Investigating today, Kevin is desperate to talk to an eyewitness, but investigator Dan Cunningham says the man wants to put the events of 1975 behind him. Private investigator Mike Taylor looks into rumors that this surviving victim may have been a Swedish diplomat, and some new leads emerge.

    31 min

  6. EPISODE 6 • THE BINGE+ ONLY

    6. A Sketch for the Street Cops

    In the Fall of 1975, a composite sketch of The Doodler is published in the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Sentinel, and tips begin to roll in. Street cops are on high alert for anyone matching the description. Inspectors Rotea Gilford and Earl Sanders round up several suspects for interrogation. Kevin and Mike uncover more details about a psychiatrist and secretary who claim their patient is The Doodler.

    21 min

  7. EPISODE 7 • THE BINGE+ ONLY

    7. The Man in the Sketch

    After the publication of the composite sketch, leads begin to pour in. SFPD receives a call from a psychiatrist’s office. The doctor claims the man in the sketch might be their patient. Homicide investigators act on the tip and question the man. But today there’s little information about what they learned and the psychiatrist can’t be found. So Kevin and Mike are left wondering why the patient was never arrested.

    28 min

  8. EPISODE 8 • THE BINGE+ ONLY

    8. Rays of Hope

    Since the reactivation of the Doodler case in 2018, Dan Cunningham has been eyeing a key person of interest. Cunningham met with him and even got a sample of his DNA. The SFPD is comparing that DNA with blood from the original crime scenes. Kevin and Mike convince Cunningham that another unsolved murder from 1975 may be the work of the Doodler, and they uncover the likely identity of “Dr. Priest,” too. With several avenues opening up for the SFPD to investigate, Kevin and Mike ask: What could this mean for the victim’s families, the queer community, and for justice in the Doodler case?

    37 min
See All Season 1 (8)

Trailers

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New Season Drops 1/1 - All Episodes, All at Once

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Hosts & Guests

3.8
out of 5
785 Ratings

About

The Golden State Killer. The Unabomber. Ted Bundy. You’re probably familiar with these serial killers. But in the mid-1970s, another monster terrorized San Francisco’s gay community. He was coined “The Doodler,” and he may have been responsible for as many victims as the Zodiac Killer, yet you’ve probably never heard of him. Plagued by a complicated investigation, a frightened public, and the hesitation of many to come forward, the case went cold, and a killer walked free. Nearly 50 years later, a renewed hunt for a forgotten serial killer seeks to change that. Have a tip? Email thedoodlerline@gmail.com, call (415) 570-9299, or visit TheDoodlerPod.com. The Doodler is part of The Binge - subscribe to listen to all episodes, all at once, ad-free right now.    From serial killer nurses to psychic scammers – The Binge is your home for true crime stories that pull you in and never let go.    Follow The Binge Crimes and The Binge Cases wherever you get your podcasts to get new stories on the first of the month, every month.   Hit ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the The Doodler show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com. The Binge – feed your true crime obsession. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Information

  • Channel
    The Binge
  • Creator
    San Francisco Chronicle / Ugly Duckling Films / Sony Music Entertainment
  • Episodes
    11
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sony Music Entertainment
  • Show Website
    The Doodler
  • Provider
    Pod Sub LLC

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