Category: Podcast

There’s no question that there have been incredible innovations in the ways in which scientists and law enforcement gather and present evidence for trial. Expert testimony has become an almost indispensable aspect of legal proceedings. We should consider that, perhaps, we are blurring the line between circumstantial and scientific evidence. Is this a new phenomenon? Hardly. Spectral evidence has featured prominently in criminal proceedings since the days of comparing the weights of ducks and witches.  From the validation of literal specters visiting people in the night, to three-buttoned double breasted suits; there are many examples of expert opinions casting long shadows in the court room. In this episode we’ll examine the history of behavioral profiling and take a look at the kind of testimony that originally convicted the West Memphis Three. Join us this week as we examine the evolution of spectral evidence over time, and what happens when we try stories instead of the accused. 

Guest Story Teller: Joshua Zeman, Director of Cropsey and Killer Legends  

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There’s no question that there have been incredible innovations in the ways in which scientists and law enforcement gather and present evidence for trial. Expert testimony has become an almost indispensable aspect of legal proceedings. We should consid… Read More …

Whether our parents warned about strangers with candy in windowless vans, or creepy clown gangs, or a deranged loner hiding in the woods; we were all subjected to cautionary tales in one form or another. Scare tactics are integral to parenting, apparently. We shrugged off the stories, or elaborated on the ideas and shared them with peers while holding flashlights under our chins. We may have been leery of men who looked like the silhouette on the neighborhood watch sign. We might have run out of the woods when we came upon a boot print, or imagined a sinister side to the Shriners in clown white who lead the parade. We probably never considered that these manufactured monsters might be real for longer than a moment. What if they were? This was a question addressed by filmmaker Joshua Zeman in his documentary feature, CROPSEY. He joins us this week to talk about the powerful intersection of legends and reality, and the effects that stories have on our perceptions. We’ll explore why society needs to believe in monsters, and what happens when the creatures we build in our imaginations come to life.

For More on this episode and other episodes: 

justastroypod.com

@justastorypod  Read More …

Whether our parents warned about strangers with candy in windowless vans, or creepy clown gangs, or a deranged loner hiding in the woods; we were all subjected to cautionary tales in one form or another. Scare tactics are integral to parenting, apparen… Read More …