Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia

Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia

Host: TNT / Cadence13

When Elizabeth Short, also known as The Black Dahlia, was brutally killed in 1947, it gripped the entire country. More than 70 years later, it remains America's most infamous unsolved murder. Many believe Dr. George Hodel was the killer, thanks to an investigation by Hodel's own son. But murder is just part of the Hodel family story, one filled with horrifying secrets that ripple across generations. Now, through never-before-heard archival audio and first-time interviews, the Hodel family opens up to reveal their shocking story. In this eight-part documentary series, sisters Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile, the great grand daughters of George Hodel...

Episodes

Introducing: Fear Thy Neighbor
01May 05, 2025 3:48amExplicit

Introducing: Fear Thy Neighbor

Check out Fear Thy Neighbor, from ID. Listen to Season 2 Episode 1, Intimidation Tactics here, and follow Fear Thy Neighbor wherever you get your podcasts. What would you do if the person you feared most… was living right next door? On F…

Introducing Very Scary People: A Family to Fear
02February 26, 2025 2:20amExplicit

Introducing Very Scary People: A Family to Fear

If you enjoyed Root of Evil, we think you'll like the new season of Very Scary People: A Family to Fear. An intense custody battle turns deadly when Christine Belford’s ex-husband and his family become obsessed with controlling the couple’s…

Introducing: Who Killed Jennifer Judd?
03August 14, 2024 2:00am

Introducing: Who Killed Jennifer Judd?

If you enjoyed Root of Evil, you may also like Who Killed Jennifer Judd? from ID. Listen to episode 1, Serial Killer or Serial Liar? now.In 1992, 20-year-old Jennifer Judd is murdered in her own home. Her husband of just nine days, Justin J…

Introducing Unraveled: The Long Island Serial Killer
04June 19, 2024 2:00am

Introducing Unraveled: The Long Island Serial Killer

If you enjoyed Root of Evil, you may also like Unraveled: The Long Island Serial Killer, from ID.The Unraveled investigation continues with a 5-episode deep dive series. In this deep dive, we're going beyond the headlines to discuss several…

Introducing Very Scary People: The Ken and Barbie Killers
05November 01, 2023 11:32am

Introducing Very Scary People: The Ken and Barbie Killers

If you enjoyed Root of Evil, you might also like Very Scary People from ID. Listen to episode 1 here, and follow Very Scary People wherever you get your podcasts.In the late-80s and early 90s, the quaint suburbs of Toronto, Canada were blin…

Introducing Mind of a Monster: Jeffrey Dahmer
06April 04, 2023 2:00am

Introducing Mind of a Monster: Jeffrey Dahmer

If you enjoyed Root of Evil, you may like Mind of a Monster: Jeffery Dahmer, a podcast from ID. Listen to the first episode of Season 4 now, and listen to more episodes in the Mind of a Monster feed. Season 4 of Mind of a Monster examines J…

Welcome to Relative Unknown
07August 11, 2020 11:00am

Welcome to Relative Unknown

From the Peabody Award nominated C13 Originals Studio, and the creators of Root of Evil, comes a new documentary series about the stories, and family we can’t escape. Jackee Taylor has been hidden in WITSEC, better known as the Witness P…

Introducing "The Plot Thickens"
08April 28, 2020 5:41pm

Introducing "The Plot Thickens"

Peter Bogdanovich was a young cinephile who quickly rose to become one of Hollywood's top directors. But he soon found himself a victim of jealousy, hubris, public scorn – and a devastating crime.  Now, he looks back on a life of fame and f…

Introducing "Down the Hill: The Delphi Murders"
09February 05, 2020 5:00am

Introducing "Down the Hill: The Delphi Murders"

Abby and Libby - two young girls murdered. Investigators are searching for the killer using their biggest clue: a recording of his voice from one of the victims' phones ordering the girls Down the Hill. Almost three years later, it's a myst…

Introducing Somebody Somewhere: The Jungle Murders
10June 13, 2019 11:00pm

Introducing Somebody Somewhere: The Jungle Murders

In Season 2, David Payne and Jody Gottlieb take you into a world few people ever experience as they investigate a 2016 mass shooting in a Seattle homeless encampment known as "The Jungle." Three teenage brothers were arrested for the crime,…

Introducing Gangster Capitalism: The College Admissions Scandal
11May 14, 2019 4:00am

Introducing Gangster Capitalism: The College Admissions Scandal

From the creators of Root of Evil, Gangster Capitalism Season 1 is centered on the 2019 college admissions scandal that is exposing everyone from CEOs to celebrities. Award-winning documentarian, Andrew Jenks uncovers the origins and inner …

You Only Have One Family
12April 03, 2019 2:01am

You Only Have One Family

For the first time in decades, the Hodels gather together in one room to confront their difficult family secrets. They try to collectively make sense of their story and answer the question of how to move forward, knowing they can never esca…

The Troubling Questions
13March 27, 2019 2:01am

The Troubling Questions

Fauna Hodel and her mother, Tamar, both leave their own unique legacies, and their children try to make sense of it all. In doing so, unresolved emotions and crucial questions are raised. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic…

Supposin' I Did Kill The Black Dahlia
14March 20, 2019 2:01am

Supposin' I Did Kill The Black Dahlia

Steve Hodel uncovers a pile of evidence connecting his father, George Hodel, to the Black Dahlia murder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Traumatic Reenactment
15March 13, 2019 3:01am

Traumatic Reenactment

The vicious cycle of family trauma continues as George Hodel's daughter, Tamar becomes a mother. Her children tell the heartbreaking story of growing up in a shockingly toxic environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic…

The Minotaur
16March 06, 2019 2:01am

The Minotaur

Steve Hodel receives a phone call that pulls him out of retirement to investigate the Black Dahlia, a murder that had been ice cold for more than 50 years. The deeper Steve gets, the more he comes to accept his father was a sadistic killer.…

George's Gift
17February 27, 2019 2:01am

George's Gift

A deeper look into the life of George Hodel and his children; his interests, his parties, and the horrifying incident in 1949 that would reshape the Hodel family forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Skilled Surgeon
18February 20, 2019 2:01am

A Skilled Surgeon

Former LAPD Homicide Detective, Steve Hodel, explains the identity of the Black Dahlia, the circumstances of her murder in 1947 Los Angeles, and how the LAPD's profile of her killer fit Steve's own father, George Hodel. Learn more about you…

Sneak Peek: "You couldn't make this story up."
19February 15, 2019 2:29pm

Sneak Peek: "You couldn't make this story up."

Steve Hodel, a former LAPD homicide detective, and son of George Hodel - the prime suspect in the Black Dahlia murder, takes us through the gruesome discovery found in Los Angeles on January 15, 1947.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy …

Saved By The Ghetto
20February 13, 2019 2:01am

Saved By The Ghetto

Fauna Hodel, a biracial girl living in Sparks, Nevada, finds out the truth about who she really is, where she came from, and her terrifying family history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Introducing Root of Evil
21January 22, 2019 9:03am

Introducing Root of Evil

When Elizabeth Short, also known as "The Black Dahlia," was brutally killed in 1947, it gripped the entire country. More than 70 years later, it remains America's most infamous unsolved murder. Many believe Dr. George Hodel was the killer, …