“Hey, can you turn down the news, asshole!?”
It is night two in my new apartment and there’s a grumpy man in the hallway. Check that, there’s a grumpy disheveled man in the hallway wearing only a stained shift and a towel. His tone suggests that I just ran over is cat with a golf cart. He scratches himself, blinks, and attempts to glance around me. I deduce that this is my neighbor and he’s either looking for the news broadcast that has awoken him or the vast amount of riches he believes I’ve accumulated in my search of ancient ruins, big trades on the stock market, and through the selling of vintage PEZ dispensers on E-Bay. He will find neither of these things. Well, maybe one Elvis PEZ dispenser.
I pause for a moment trying to figure out what he believes I have been playing so loudly at (I glance back at the alarm clock) 12:05 AM. You see, I’d been asleep as well so I doubt I was cranking up the GWAR into the wee smalls in order to help with my seasonal insomnia. Faintly I hear it…the voice coming from the speakers by my computer. I have to chuckle.
“Something funny, buddy?” The formally grumpy but now increasingly angrier man in the hallway asks.
It is only after the fact where witty retorts come to mind. You know, things like:
a) Yeah, that mustard stain on your shirt kinda’ looks like Donald Trump mated with a pug
b) Have you ever heard Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” routine? It’s a classic!
c) To get to the other slide…NOW I GET IT!
d) No, man…sorry, I think the sizzurp has just kicked in
In actuality, I am standing there finding it utterly hilarious that the man in the doorway has found the soothing tones of Michael Whalen, host of true crime podcast Unresolved, so bothersome. What, are these walls made out of balsa wood or something?
I assure my new neighbor I will promptly hush “the news” and close the door. He slams his probably waking up the rest of the floor. I’m truly surprised. With no insult intended to the show's creator, I find Unresolved so calming that I often use it as a sleep aid. Take one pod and call me in the morning. Seriously, though, it will usually take a couple of nights to get through an episode as, despite the disturbing subject matter, Whelan makes me feel all zen-like with his peaceful delivery and choice of background music.
Johnny Angryseed next door, however, didn’t agree.
How does one accomplish the perfect murder, I wonder?
(Honestly, next door neighbour who will probably never read this, these two things are totally unrelated. Sometimes you just can’t come up with a good segue…or a good Segway, for that matter. Come on, Canadian Tire how long are those things gonna’ be out of stock?!)
Carrying on the legacy Robert Stack left us on television, Whelan's Unresolved also focuses on unsolved mysteries. Here, everything is not wrapped up neatly in the final moments. These are the never-ending stories. As it is a true crime podcast, the episodes heavily focus on the murdered and missing though I’m totally holding out for that one episode where Mikey talks about Bastian, Atreyu and Falkor.
I digress. Back to that perfect murder.
While law enforcement didn’t have the tech to track down Jack the Ripper or The Zodiac back when they were on the loose, we’re in a time where proteins in one of your hair follicles could link you to the scene of a crime. We’ve got alternative light photography, 3D forensic facial reconstruction, DNA sequencers, and magnetic fingerprinting, so how are monsters like the Long Island Serial Killer getting away with it?
Then again, maybe it’s only a matter of time (and a little more tech) before the net falls and the noose tightens.
Ask 72-year-old Navy veteran and one time cop Joseph James DeAngelo, also known as the East Area Rapist, Golden State Killer or Original Night Stalker. Between 1974 and 1986 it’s believed he committed 12 murders, 50 rapes and 100+ burglaries in California before vanishing to become just another uncaught boogeyman in the lexicon of serial killers. Then, this year, a DNA sample from his car door handle provided the link the law needed to nab him. To the shock of the true crime community that believed, like Jack and the Zodiac before him, this would never be solved, DeAngelo was arrested on April 24 and charged with eight counts of first-degree murder.
The Original Night Stalker was Unresolved first story. It remains one of the most well researched and detailed telling of the case.
“At the time, there weren't that many resources for the case, and it just blew my mind that a guy who committed twelve murders, dozens of sexual assaults, and over a hundred burglaries could just slip under-the-radar,” says Whelan, who formed the template for what the show would become around the killer.
“There were plenty of details to share, but it had not yet become the focus of a major podcast series, documentary, or highly-publicized book. I originally recorded those episodes in 2015, before the public was really aware of him. I just wanted to highlight a story that I thought deserved more attention,” he continues, adding that he was one of the many that excitedly followed the coverage of the arrest, happy that his first story without and ending now seemingly had a fitting final chapter.
He couldn’t have asked for a better gift. DeAngelo was nabbed on Whelan’s birthday.
Three days later another of the most enduring mysteries of the 21st century, the 1999 disappearance of Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible, a story also covered by Unresolved, looked like it would be getting some long overdue answers too with the arrest of “Ronnie” Dean Busick.
It may not be long before Whelan has to change his podcast’s name from Unresolved to Solved, something I’m sure he has no problem with at all.
Unresolved Host: Michael Whalen # of Stories: 34 Favourite Sotiries: The Original Nightstalker / The Long Island Serial Killer / Freeman & Bible / Amerithrax
How you can help: Support the show’s sponsors like Harry’s Razors, a shave above the rest! You can also help out at the show’s Patreon page where Micheal drops one exclusive episode a month.
Andre Gagne: What would you say was the instance that really sparked you wanting to add your own show to the growing number of true crime podcasts?
Michael Whelan: Good question! Funnily enough, when I first started Unresolved (formerly titled The Unresolved Podcast), there actually weren't that many true crime/mystery podcasts that focused on telling a story. A couple of the big names were already established, such as Generation Why or Thinking Sideways (as well as the big dog of the genre, Serial), but there weren't many others. I honestly just wanted to make the podcast that I had always wanted to hear, and I was lucky enough to get started right before a huge influx of similar shows hit the podcast market.
Was there any particular case that first got you interested in true crime?
Absolutely. I was a huge fan of Unsolved Mysteries growing up; it was my go-to on sick days, when I stayed home from school and had the TV to myself. However, I remember as a teenager really falling deep into the Zodiac spiral... that was definitely the one that sparked an interest in real-life mysteries, and it's remained a fascination ever since.
Why do you feel people are drawn to hearing these stories?
That's a question I try to answer every single day, funnily enough. People that know me in-person know me to be a pretty silly and funny guy, and that seems in contrast with this fascination I have with the dark, creepy, and macabre. I personally think that human beings are just drawn to stories that inspire some emotional resonance: whether it be love, hate, sadness, etc. When it comes to stories of murder and violence, it can make us question humanity, and how regular/normal people can become monsters seemingly overnight. I think human beings always have - and always will - have a fascination with death, and the current true crime movement is just an outlet of that.
Why was it important for you to only explore the unresolved stories?
I find the unresolved stories to be the most difficult to try and crack, in a storytelling sense. So there might be a bit of a personal challenge tied up in that (in that I'm trying to tell a story that, at its very core, has no third act), but I think I also consider them to be more urgent. After all, when you bring up an unsolved story, you're bringing up a case that has never been solved: the killer(s) might still be out there, the missing person(s) has never been found, etc. Meanwhile, covering solved cases is another thing entirely. There are often court cases, gory crime scene details, investigative processes, etc. I feel like, sometimes, podcasts and documentaries about solved cases have a tendency to focus on the more tawdry details, and they often forget to include the elements that humanize the victims.
I find you are an amazing storyteller...you can see the craft there. What would you say are the major influences on your storytelling ability?
Well, first of all, thank you for the kind words. That really means a lot. As for influences... where do I start? I have long been a fan of true crime and mystery stories, but it wasn't until 2013 or 2014 that I started to become obsessed. I was (and still am) a frequenter of the /r/unresolvedmysteries subreddit, and a lot of the writers there really showed me how to best present case information in an easy-to-follow format.
Two other huge influences on me would have to be Matthew Birkbeck and Robert Kolker, who wrote two true crime books that had a profound impact on me. Birkbeck wrote "A Beautiful Child," which followed a young woman named Suzanne Sevakis as she persevered through a lifelong nightmare. Kolker is the author of "Lost Girls," one of the most victim-centered true crime books around. Both showed me how to balance the aspects of a mystery with a narrative that treats the subjects as more than just victims, but fully-fleshed human beings, who had dreams and aspirations of their own.
The show is also brilliantly edited, especially your music choices. How do you go about shaping each new show so that it all comes together in such a spine-tingling fashion?
Honestly, it just varies from week-to-week. I try to focus on putting together the story first and foremost, and any music or audio comes next. I've managed to discover a lot of great music for the show, and had a musical contributor that created wonderful original content for a time.
The show used to be a migraine to put together, since I started out with a $0 budget and close-to-no podcast experience. But as I've learned more, and been able to invest in better and better equipment, it's become a much cleaner and more-streamlined process.
I imagine Unresolved has taken up a lot of your life time. How have you found dealing with the responsibilities of the show alongside your regular day to day?
Unresolved has definitely become a huge part of my life. When I first started the podcast, I just wanted to do it for the sake of doing it (just to see if I could). Now, I'm proud to say that this little hobby of mine has become a legitimate job; podcasting has become my full-time gig, and a lot of people are still surprised by that, since it's such a new medium. But now that I'm focusing on Unresolved full-time, it's definitely become more of a time-suck. My wife often jokes that I never stop working, because I'm always working on some aspect of the show: researching, writing, recording, editing, or trying to keep up on the handful of social media pages I run (including responding to an endless barrage of emails and website updates). And outside of a couple of podcast-related things, I still handle most everything by myself, so it's become quite the juggling act. However, it's definitely the most rewarding job I've ever had. Even though I get stressed trying to meet episode deadlines, nothing is better than the "thank you" from a family member or friend after they hear how you brought their loved ones' story to life.
What would you say are some of the main things you've learned from putting together the show?
Well, for starters, I've definitely learned a lot about recording and audio editing. That's for sure. Then again, I did start with an experience level close to zero, so...
But I've definitely learned a lot about our criminal justice system, as well as the things that go into a police investigation and a subsequent court case. I've been able to speak to investigators and victims, and learned how cold cases affect not only law enforcement, but the loved ones who have to wait years - if not decades - for any progress. On a more personal level, I think I've learned a lot about researching a subject, and being able to create a narrative where there may not be one apparent from the get-go. Almost all of the stories I cover don't have a conclusion, so I think I've become pretty efficient at being able to find the emotional core of each story, and translate that to an hour or so of audio.
Are there any particular cases you really hope is solved in your lifetime?
Personally, going back to the one that started my true crime fascination, I'd love to see the Zodiac mystery wrapped up. I think that mystery has single-handedly ruined dozens of lives, and I'd love to see the surviving loved ones get some closure. However, almost every story I've covered on Unresolved could be a candidate for this answer: missing Augusta teenagers Jeannette and Dannette Millbrook; the many mysteries of Bardstown, Kentucky; Chip Campbell, who disappeared from Milton, Florida; South Carolina's murdered Jack Robinson, etc. I've spoken to family members of all of these, and the unsolved nature of the mystery has infected their personal lives. It breaks my heart that they're left with that anguish. Another that I still hold close to my heart is the missing Beaumont children, from Adelaide, Australia. I can't imagine losing a child, let alone three in one fell swoop. Their parents are in their 90's, and I can only hope they get answers relatively soon.
How do you feel the internet and social media have changed the landscape of true crime?
I think it's dramatically changed the way we obtain information about cases, and made it far easier to stay informed. Thinking back to my childhood, the only way to learn about crime cases was to learn about it on the news, or find information in a television program/documentary/ book made specifically for that case. I think that's why shows like Unsolved Mysteries and America's Most Wanted had the appeal that they did: they exposed little-known cases to the world, in an easy-to-follow and accessible format. Now, you can become well-versed in a cold case in a matter of minutes. Many stories have their own Wikipedia page, and you can conduct a quick Google search to find the hard-to-know details. Podcasts, which weren't a thing in my childhood, are now how people consume information on-the-go.
On a personal level, the internet has become my biggest resource for Unresolved. Most of the information I need is available at my fingertips, and it's opened up a wealth of knowledge for anyone curious enough to search for it.
Are there any true crime podcasts you like listening to yourself?
I think a better question is if there are any true crime podcasts that I don’t like listening to. As I've said before: I started this podcast simply because there weren't enough true crime and mystery podcasts that matched what I wanted to hear. Now, though, there are dozens.
Some of my favorites include: Casefile, The Fall Line, Swindled, Gone Cold, In The Dark, Criminology, Thinking Sideways, Cold Traces, Accused, Court Junkie, Thin Air, Southern Fried True Crime, Mared & Karen: The WVU Coed Murders, Missing Alissa, True Crime Story Time, Somebody Somewhere, Generation Why, The Asian Madness Podcast, All Crime No Cattle, The Nowhere Dispatch, My Favorite Murder, The Shot, Already Gone, The Trail Went Cold, Killafornia Dreaming, Crime In Sports/Small Town Murder, Texas True Terrors, Canadian True Crime, True Crime Island, and many more (in no particular order).
Honestly, I think I listen to too many podcasts. I try to stay caught up, but because I listen to so many, it's hard to keep track. I'm a fan of the genre first and foremost, and I consider this to be the golden age of true crime.
What advice might you have for others looking to start up their own podcasts?
First and foremost: find something you're passionate in. Even if it's a round-table discussion of Star Wars, or a one-man rendition of a fictional story, I think most people just want to hear something from someone who cares. Second: stick with it. I can speak for myself when I say that it's not easy to be a podcast host; you're always comparing yourself to others, and it's easy to get lost in a world where it's all about download numbers and iTunes rankings. However, people love consistency. I struggled to maintain a regular release schedule when I was working a day job and then moving across-the-country, but had awesome listeners who stuck by me.
Last but not least: remain open to advice. I jumped into the podcast world without really knowing what I was doing, and was really overwhelmed at the positive reception I got. A lot of people encouraged me to keep making the podcast, but some also gave me some creative criticism. I really took that and put it to good use, and - over time - it helped turn the podcast into a better-sounding show. Even now, when I've become pretty comfortable with the sound of the show, I try to take helpful suggestions and put them to good use. After all, if someone is kind enough to reach out and suggest a change, then it's likely that several of your listeners are thinking the same thing.
So, from my personal experience, I'd recommend those three things: find something you're passionate with, stick with it, and remain open-minded. And, of course, don't be afraid to invest in a quality microphone and an audio processor. In addition to making things sound a hundred times better, it'll save you heartache down the road.