Carol Costello Presents: The God Hook
In Season Two of her true crime series, The God Hook, journalist Carol Costello investigates the complex case of the Ohio Craigslist Killings—and in doing so, unearths the untold story of the crimes that preceded the murders—and the victims who’ve never received justice. Richard Beasley was convicted of murdering three men and attempting to kill a fourth in the fall of 2011, but before that heinous spree, authorities were building a human trafficking case against him. Now, working with the case's prosecutor, a county sheriff, and many closely involved sources, Carol examines previously unknown details of Beasley’s alleged...
Episodes
INSIDER SESSION | Ripple Effect: When Crime Becomes Your Story with Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton
Carol and Emily interview “The Knife” podcast hosts Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton about empathetic storytelling and the delicate nature of telling survivors’ stories. EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Co-Host - Emily Pelphrey Producer - …
INSIDER SESSION | Reframing Trafficking: Ellyn Marsh on the Language of Exploitation
Carol and Emily discuss human trafficking with podcaster Ellyn Marsh, exploring the disturbing parallels between the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Richard Beasley. EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Co-Host - Emily Pelphrey…
Bonus | The Untold Story of the Beasley Death Case
Carol interviews Emily Pelphrey and Paul Scarsella, two of the special prosecutors on the Beasley death penalty case. EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Co-Host - Emily Pelphrey Producer - Chris Aiola Sound Design & Mixing - Lochlainn …
Epilogue | Loose Ends
Hear firsthand about the survival bonds formed by victims and their families, and how they will face Brogan Rafferty’s potential parole. Amy never received justice – listen to her surprising message to Richard Beasley. Investigators share t…
SERIES FINALE: 10 | The Final Con
In this series finale, special prosecutors Emily and Paul reflect on the murder trial, and its lasting personal impact on them. Brogan Rafferty turns down a plea deal. Richard Beasley takes the stand, blaming everyone but himself for the mu…
9 | Dumb Like a Fox
Prosecutors utilize old charges to keep Beasley locked up while they carefully construct their case. Investigators uncover disturbing details about the Craigslist murders from Richard Beasley’s alleged accomplice, Brogan Rafferty. Beasley …
FEED DROP: Unlawful Acts is available now!
Unlawful Acts is a weekly true crime podcast hosted by Susan Davis, offering condensed yet compelling storytelling that dives deep into some of the world’s most fascinating criminal cases. From elusive serial killers to decades-old mysterie…
8 | Full Circle
After months on the lam, Richard Beasley is apprehended by a special task force. Detective Mackie interrogates both Beasley and teenager Brogan Rafferty about the Craigslist murders. Tim Kern becomes the final victim, though the manner of h…
7 | A Grave in the Woods
Scott Davis escapes his attempted murder, but law enforcement are about to discover that other victims were not so fortunate. Deb Bruce notifies authorities in Noble County that she hasn’t heard from her twin brother David since he left to …
6 | The Craigslist Ad
In August of 2011, Richard Beasley murders Ralph Geiger in the woods of Noble County, Ohio, and assumes his identity. Months later, Scott Davis responds to a Craigslist ad for a farm caretaker and ends up narrowly escaping his own death aft…
5 | The Fugitive
Richard Beasley is on the lam, with his young acolyte Brogan Rafferty in tow. Now the killing starts. The first victim? A man seeking redemption. Carol & Emily travel to Noble County, Ohio to meet Sheriff Jason Mackie, who led the investiga…
4 | Beating the System
Chaplain Rich is arrested, and investigators gather evidence from his so-called halfway house. Due to prior convictions, he faces the possibility of extradition out of state, and a lengthy prison sentence. Yet against all odds, a judge gran…
3 | Pulling Strings
Akron detectives begin listening to recorded phone calls from the Summit County Jail, hoping to track down a predatory jailhouse pastor known as “Chaplain Rich.” Amy places her trust in Lieutenant Detective Terry Pasko, a vice detective slo…
1 | The False Prophet
In this premiere episode of "The God Hook," host Carol Costello introduces the chilling story of Richard Beasley, infamously known as the Ohio Craigslist Killer. In previously unreleased jailhouse recordings, Beasley portrays himself as a …
2 | The Ravenous Wolf
In Akron, Ohio, Richard Beasley gains the ear of the most powerful and the faith of the most vulnerable. A twist of fate provides him the opportunity to purchase a home that he puts to nefarious use. Amy, a familiar face at the Summit Count…
A Sneak Preview of Season Two! Carol Costello Presents: The God Hook
Carol Costello Presents is back on April 29th with an all new season exploring the Ohio Craigslist killings. Carol Costello, along with the prosecutor who put Richard Beasley on death row, are determined to tell this cautionary tale in all …
Why That Case? An Interview with The Ohio Innocence Project
In this episode of Blind Rage, Carol gains insight into Samuel Herring's bid for exoneration from the man who heads Ohio's Innocence Project, attorney Mark Godsey. Despite the initial intrigue, DNA evidence led to a perplexing ending: Herri…
Update: DNA Results | "I'm a Gun Man"
Carol shares the results of DNA testing on newly recovered evidence in the case of Phyllis Cottle’s brutal assault.The results are infuriating and…baffling.The Ohio Innocence Project prompted a forensic review of evidence, raising the possi…
Update: The Unthinkable
Carol shares a shocking development in the case of Phyllis Cottle's brutal assault, one that she knew might come.The Ohio Innocence Project has prompted a forensic review of evidence, raising the possibility that Samuel J. Herring, the man …
Bonus: Survivors and the Media
Phyllis and her family felt ambushed by the media during what was an incredibly difficult and delicate time in her life. The relentless pursuit of her story interrupted her recovery at home.In this bonus episode, Carol interviews her former…
Bonus: A Spiritual Awakening
Phyllis Cottle nearly killed herself when she found out she would never be able to see again. She had a plan, and was about to follow through with it, until she felt a “warm hand on her shoulder,” one that she was convinced was divine. Was …
Bonus: Why Didn't You Scream?
Phyllis Cottle said if she “had just been raped,” she may not have gone to police. “I didn’t want the hassle,” she said. But it was more than that: shame, blame, disbelief — reasons that still resonate with survivors today. In this bonus ep…
S1 E12 | The Fight Continues
The trial is over, but the hard work continues. Phyllis feels a newfound purpose in life, and manifests unexpected forgiveness. Her family continues her fight for justice, vowing to keep her convicted attacker behind bars.EPISODE CREDITSHos…
S1 E11 | Happy Birthday
Now the defense makes its case. As witness Chili Mo enters the courtroom, prosecutor Bob Bulford notices something remarkable unfold before his eyes. Phyllis braces for the moment Samuel Herring takes the stand, a questionable move on the p…
S1 E10 | Three Ring Trial
Phyllis steels herself for the long-awaited trial. Law enforcement reaches out to a potential star witness. And prosecutors hope Phyllis’ testimony sways the jury enough to overlook their lack of physical evidence, before she faces a rapid-…
S1 E9 | What is There to Live For?
Phyllis receives a grave medical update, and begins to question her very existence. As she searches for a way out of the darkness, the media looks for her. And at the urging of her boss, Phyllis decides to take the narrative into her own ha…
S1 E8 | Blue House, Black Eagle
Police continue their search throughout Akron for a blue house with a black eagle, which they hope will lead them to the scene of the crimes. But will Phyllis’ descriptions prove accurate? And detectives dig deep to learn more about their s…
S1 E 7 | A Suspect
Detectives zero in on their suspect, Samuel Herring, whose rap sheet stretches back to childhood. But how will they confirm he’s their guy when Phyllis cannot see?EPISODE CREDITSHost - Carol CostelloProducer - Chris AiolaAudio Engineer - Se…
S1 E 6 | Manhunt
Calls flood the hotlines as Akron PD conducts a citywide manhunt to find Phyllis’ attacker. Phyllis’ description of the house fuels the search, though police cannot ask her — blinded and still recovering — to point out the location. And a p…
BONUS: Extended Interviews
This week, we present a pair of extended interviews with two of the voices in our series: former prosecutor Emily Pelphry, and criminologist Dr. Casey Jordan.EPISODE CREDITSHost - Carol CostelloProducer - Chris AiolaAudio Engineer - Sean Ru…
S1 E5 | Who Would Do This?
Recovering in her hospital room, Phyllis mines her memory for any details that might help apprehend her attacker. Detective Chris Contos develops theories about what kind of perpetrator the Akron Police Department is dealing with. Carol tal…
S1 E4 | The Living Homicide Victim
Police, firefighters, and reporters descend on the smoldering crime scene. In an emergency room at Akron City Hospital, medical staff tend to Phyllis while detectives attempt to interview her. The biggest question of all isn't whether she'l…
S1 E3 | Blind Rage
Ninety minutes after her abduction, Phyllis, bound and lying down on the back seat of her car, is brutalized and left for dead. Good samaritans rush to her rescue. And host Carol Costello recounts how, as a 22-year-old reporter at WAKR/TV23…
S1 E2 | Terror
Phyllis’ nightmare has only just begun. Crumpled onto the floorboard of her Buick, she begins to mentally catalog every detail she can about her knife-wielding attacker as he drives toward an unknown destination where she endures horrible c…
That Day
March 20, 1984 started out as a promising spring day for a single mom from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It wouldn’t end that way. Phyllis Cottle is assaulted in broad daylight as she leaves work, forced into her car at knifepoint, and left wonderi…
S1 E0 | Prologue: The Phyllis Cottle Story
Veteran journalist Carol Costello introduces the story of Phyllis Cottle, examining the case itself and its unimaginable cruelty, as well as the story of the victim who became a determined, heroic detective in the pursuit of justice.EPISODE…
Coming Soon! Blind Rage: The Story of Phyllis Cottle
In 1984, Phyllis Cottle was tortured, then left to die in a burning car, yet she survived. For one reason: “To fry the son-of-a-bitch.” Detectives called Phyllis a “living homicide victim” because she could not identify her rapist, but Phyl…