Somebody

Coming March 31, 2020.

When Shapearl Wells's son Courtney is found outside a Chicago police station with a fatal bullet wound, Shapearl immediately distrusts the official narrative. So she launches her own investigation into her son’s murder and teams up with journalists from the Invisible Institute to confront the cops and find the truth about Courtney's death. Somebody explores the racial disparities and turbulent relationship bet...

On March 4, 2016, Shapearl Wells wakes up to a bamming at her door. It’s the police, telling her that her 22-year-old son, Courtney Copeland, has been shot. Detectives tell her Courtney drove his BMW to a police station for help. But Shapearl’s grief turns into suspicion when police start asking her questions.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV...

Police promise Shapearl they’ll do everything they can to solve Courtney’s case, but the detectives won’t release the names of officers who interacted with her son. With nowhere left to turn, Shapearl begins her own investigation and has a serendipitous run-in with the nurse who treated Courtney the night he died.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoo...

Shapearl enters a legal battle with the City of Chicago, to get them to release videos from the night Courtney died. She contacts a journalism organization called the Invisible Institute and teams up with them to investigate the case. With this added pressure, the city releases the videos, and Shapearl and her family gather to watch. New information prompts the Invisible Institute and Shapearl to re-examine the case.

A co-production...

Shapearl and Alison sit down with Courtney’s secret girlfriend. Turns out, she knows more than she initially told Shapearl and provides new leads in the case.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV.

We want to hear from you, email us at info@somebodypodcast.com or leave us a voicemail at 773-270-0121. For more information, go to somebodypodcast.com.

...

On the second anniversary of Courtney’s death, Shapearl holds a middle-of-the-night protest in front of the police station. She drives the exact route that Courtney took the night he was killed, and runs into the supervising officer from that night. Two witnesses show up at the protest to tell Shapearl what they know.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tende...

Shapearl receives a Facebook message from someone with crucial information, but police dismiss the tip. On Halloween night 2018, there’s a similar murder in the neighborhood where Courtney was shot. Shapearl and Alison decide to tell detectives what they know.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV.

We want to hear from you, email us at info@somebod...

Having taken her investigation as far as she can, Shapearl moves on to an even bigger fight: making sure this never happens to anyone else’s child. She travels to Brazil to speak at a summit of mothers of murdered children and works to honor Courtney’s legacy and advocate for police reform in new ways.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV.

We want...

Shapearl and Jamie sit down to talk about the uprising for Black lives happening in Chicago and around the nation, and their hope that this moment might translate to great positive change.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV.

We want to hear from you, email us at info@somebodypodcast.com or leave us a voicemail at 773-270-0121.

The team shares a major development in the case. Shapearl keeps busy with the Courtney Copeland Memorial Foundation's annual book bag giveaway (www.copelandmemorial.com), as Alison remembers the role of Courtney's own book bag in the murder investigation. And Shapearl memorializes one of Courtney's best friends, Steve Otero.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRadio, in association wit...

We're sharing a special podcast with you this week: A Slight Change of Plans, which was just named Apple Podcasts' Best Show of the Year. Hosted by Dr. Maya Shankar, A Slight Change of Plans is all about understanding the science of change. That understanding, mixed with a healthy dose of compassion, has made the show a perfect antidote for the times we’re living in. In this episode, Maya talks to Shapearl about Courtney's story, a...

Three years after the release of “Somebody” podcast, Chicago continues to block the full release of the Inspector General report investigating the police response to Courtney Copeland’s murder. In this update episode, Shapearl Wells discusses the summary findings of the report that were publicly shared while she presses on for full transparency.

A co-production of Topic Studios, The Intercept, the Invisible Institute, and iHeartRa...