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True crime and suspense podcast reviews! In this episode, we search the vast digital landscape to discover exceptional podcasts that showcase human resilience, justice served, and naming lost souls. This episode features five compelling podcasts that will expand your listening library with meaningful, sometimes shocking content.
• Quote of the week: "Your biography is your past. Who you choose to be in the future is entirely up to you"
• "Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer" - The remarkable story of Collier Landry Boyle who worked with police at age 11 to solve his mother's murder
• "Blink" - Jake Handel's survival story after developing locked-in syndrome and hearing disturbing confessions and crimes while paralyzed
• "IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson" - Brief mention of this newly renamed and reimagined podcast
• "The Unmarked Graveyard" podcast about Hart Island, NYC's potter's field containing over 1 million unmarked graves
• "Pack One Bag" - Historical podcast about an Italian Jewish family's escape from fascist Italy, featuring Stanley Tucci
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official
podcast review channel.
We search the vast digitallandscape on a daily basis to
discover the best shows thatpodcasters have to offer.
Are you ready to discover newfavorites to add to your
playbook?
Stay tuned and listen to hostGerald Spears' latest podcast
reviews.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Hello, lovelies, welcome to Season 3, Episode 4
of our One Good Thing MediaPodcast.
My name is Gerald Spear and Iam the host and creator of our
show.
I hope you're having a greatweek.
I certainly am.
In fact, it's actually beenpretty magical.
(01:10):
I'm feeling lighthearted andhaving a super productive week.
Considering the time of yearand all the seed catalogs that
I'm pouring through, I amattributing my great mood to a
case of spring fever.
Today, I'll be covering two newpodcasts and three others that
you may have missed, which istotally understandable, since
(01:32):
there are over 300,000 activepodcasts and no central search
engine.
If there are any techno wizardsout there, we need you.
If there are any techno wizardsout there, we need you.
Before we get going with ournews and updates, please make
(01:54):
sure to follow our podcast andtap the notification button so
you'll never miss a singleepisode.
We'd also greatly appreciate itif you would give us a great
star rating.
It helps move us up in thecharts, makes us more findable
if there is such a word and putsa big smile on our face.
And now it is time to get going.
(02:15):
Are you ready for some news andquickies?
I was listening to a podcast.
No surprise there when the hostsaid something that set the
tone for this week's show.
While discussing past trauma,whether it happened as a child
(02:36):
or as an adult, he soundlyrejected perpetual victimhood by
telling the audience perpetualvictimhood, by telling the
audience your biography is yourpast.
Who you choose to be in thefuture is entirely up to you.
I know at least some of you areprobably thinking oh yeah,
that's easier said than done,and I agree, but it's still not
(03:00):
impossible.
Today I'm sharing two newpodcasts that underscore the
power of all humans to definewho they are despite who they
were or what they experienced intheir past.
My first news bit for this weekis about a brand new podcast
(03:23):
entitled the Binge CrimesFinding Mom's Killer.
It's a multi-episode seriesabout a young boy who worked
closely with the police,including conducting covert
operations, to bring hismother's killer to justice.
His name is Collier Landry nay,collier Boyle a now
(03:48):
40-something charismatic manwith brilliant blue eyes and a
thick mop of curly hair whoovercame terrible odds to become
a filmmaker, author, podcaster,public speaker and an advocate
for victims of crime.
But when his story began in thelate 1980s, collier was an
(04:14):
11-year-old boy whose bedroomwas literally filled with
stuffed animals, a Nintendo gameplayer with Mario at the ready
I can relate to that one and aBatman clock hanging on the wall
.
Yet despite his innocentchildhood trappings, collier was
(04:34):
also an intense young man whopossessed an astounding amount
of courage and mental acuity.
Collier's father was a highlyrespected physician in Mansfield
, ohio, who was beloved for hismedical expertise and affable
and trustworthy public persona.
(04:56):
However, his lightheartedmanner did not extend to his
family In the privacy of his ownhome.
The good doc was verballyabusive and physically violent.
He was also a prolificphilanderer and liar In stark
(05:18):
relief.
Collier's mother, noreen, was akind woman and an attentive
mother who was always there tosupport and guide him.
She also remained committed toher decades-long marriage until,
that is, she found out that herhusband's latest girlfriend was
blissfully pregnant with hischild Soon.
(05:41):
After discovering thisunpleasant fact, noreen filed
for divorce and then poof, shedisappeared.
The rest of this chilling storytells like a great detective
novel where a young child and alone detective crack the case.
Here's how you can listen to orwatch this story unfold.
(06:04):
Here's how you can listen to orwatch this story unfold.
The first way is, of course,listening to the Binge Crimes
Finding Mom's Killer.
The new podcast series that Imentioned at the beginning of
this particular segment, theBinge Crimes, is an established
podcast by Sony Entertainment.
(06:25):
For those of you who love tobinge your shows ad-free, the
Binge Crimes is an establishedpodcast by Sony Entertainment.
For those of you who love tobinge your shows ad-free, the
Binge Crimes first drops each ofits multi-part stories at one
time.
To get into the action, though,you must subscribe to the Binge
Crimes for a modest sum permonth.
(06:45):
After a short amount of time,each series is then made public
with ads, with all episodesbeing doled out over the course
of a few weeks, just like anormal podcast.
As of this recording, sony hasalready dropped the ad-free
version that you have tosubscribe to, and, after a
slight pause, they are nowdropping one episode at a time
(07:10):
with ads, for free.
Other ways to watch or listen toCollier's story include the
Mansfield Murder documentary byCollier Landry that's currently
available on Amazon by CollierLandry.
That's currently available onAmazon If you're a Prime member,
by the way you could purchaseit for just $2.99.
(07:39):
Collier also has his ownpodcast, called the Collier
Landry Show, where he discussesmany different topics, including
matters pertaining to hismother's murder and his father's
incarceration.
So why am I mentioning so manyways that you can listen to
Collier tell his story?
He reveals different details ineach retelling that, combined,
(07:59):
make the story even morecompelling.
Here's an edited clip from theshow that will give you a keen
sense of the style and contentof Collier Landry's story.
Voices in this audio clipinclude the narrator, steve
Fishman, detective LieutenantDave Mesmore and, of course,
(08:24):
collier Landry Boyle.
Speaker 6 (08:43):
You tell us who you are?
I'm Collier Landry Boyle.
Can you tell us how old you are?
Speaker 7 (08:47):
now I'm 12 years old, it's 1990, and we're in a
courtroom in Mansfield, ohio.
The prosecution's star witnesshas just taken the stand.
He's about to describesomething that happened one
fateful night a few months ago.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
You awoke at 3 to 3.15 am, I believe was your time
.
Okay, and what awoke you?
Speaker 6 (09:11):
I heard the two bangs and heard the scream Okay, and
then I heard the footsteps.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Then you got up in the morning.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
Yes, I did.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
And what was the first thing you did?
Speaker 6 (09:26):
I looked in my mother's bedroom.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Were you alarmed when you got into the bedroom?
Speaker 6 (09:32):
Yes, I was.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Why was that?
Speaker 6 (09:35):
The bed covers were all messed up.
Her bedclothes were just lyingin a pile.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
What was going through your mind at that time?
What were you thinking?
Speaker 6 (09:46):
Where's my mother?
Speaker 7 (10:00):
collier landry boyle wasn't your average 12 year old.
He was very smart.
He was very determined.
So when his mother went missing, collier decided it was up to
him to find her.
This is the story of how aprecocious kid joined forces
with a most unlikely partner.
Together they set out to solvethe mystery of his mother's
disappearance.
Along the way they'd unearthone terrible family secret after
(10:22):
another earth, one terriblefamily secret after another.
On New Year's Day 1990, sixmonths before that 12-year-old
boy took the witness stand, theMansfield Ohio Police Department
was swamped with the usualholiday stuff bar brawls,
disorderly conduct.
So when a 44-year-old womannamed Noreen Boyle was reported
(10:46):
missing, it was not a toppriority.
A couple of uniformed patrolmenhad been sent over to her house
to check things out.
Their conclusion Nothing toworry about.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Collier secretly gathered up his mother's
friend's phone numbers, hid inthe bathroom and started calling
them.
Please report my mother missing.
Speaker 8 (11:11):
I said I'll stop over and see what's going on.
Speaker 7 (11:16):
Now Dave was the Mansfield Police Department's
head of major crimes.
He wasn't supposed to go chasedown leads on low priority cases
.
But Dave low-key, laconic Daveis full of surprises.
By this point he'd been on theforce for 15 years and he'd
developed a reputation forstriking out on his own for
(11:37):
bucking his superiors.
Dave figured he'd head over tothe Boyle residence have a word
with Noreen's husband, aprominent local doctor named
Jack Boyle.
Speaker 9 (11:48):
It was like late morning, early afternoon, the
doorbell rings and it's this guyin a sport coat with a bushy
mustache, glasses, khaki pants,named Dave Messmore.
This is.
Speaker 7 (12:03):
Collier Boyle.
He was the kid you heardtestifying at the top of the
show.
He's a lot older now.
When Lieutenant Dave Messmorearrived at the Boyle residence,
it was Collier's grandmother,that's his father's mother, who
answered the door.
Speaker 9 (12:19):
Collier, hovered in the background.
I'm standing there over mygrandmother's shoulder and Dave
was saying to my grandmotherwell, you know I'd like to talk
to the doctor and you know, justkind of curious, but you know
he was just very calm.
He's a very calm guy, verycollected, I mean very
detective-like, you know what Imean Just looking around,
(12:41):
looking at things, takingeverything in.
Just I'm going to get to thebottom of this type of thing.
And I remember he kind ofcharms his way in and my
grandmother's like I'm going tocall my son and she goes and she
leaves to go make the phonecall in the kitchen.
And I knew at that point thatthat was like my one shot,
(13:04):
because here I am alone with apolice officer.
That that was like my one shot,because here I am alone with a
police officer.
Speaker 7 (13:09):
Collier made an impression on Dave.
This was a kid who dressed inchinos and penny loafers.
He had a perfectly coiffedbrown bob.
He looked like a tiny adult.
Speaker 8 (13:23):
He was not like a little 11 or 12 year old you'd
normally talk to.
He was just very astute, verywell spoken.
Whenever his grandmother wouldwalk away, he'd say things that
make you wonder if there wassomething wrong.
Speaker 9 (13:34):
I say to Dave, I look him dead in the eyes and I say
my mother would never leave me.
Speaker 8 (13:41):
He said my mother would never leave without me,
without me knowing where she wasgoing.
Speaker 9 (13:46):
And I think he's looking at me in a very peculiar
way, like who is this kid?
He could just tell I was soadamant.
Speaker 7 (14:00):
He said something happened and I said okay, I'll
work on that.
On January 8, 1990, collierLandry Boyle sat down with
Lieutenant Dave Messmore in anelementary school classroom the
kind with those small chairs.
Dave is six feet tall but hefigured it'd be good to be on
the same level as Collier.
It'd make him comfortable.
Speaker 8 (14:18):
You know I had a lengthy conversation.
He described to me what heheard that night that she went
missing.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Collier then tells him about going into his
mother's bedroom, followed bywhat happened when he went
downstairs to confront hisfather.
Speaker 9 (14:38):
My father is sitting on the couch in the living room
watching television with a towelwrapped around his waist, like
he had just got done taking ashower.
I said to him where is mymother?
And he still was watchingtelevision.
He didn't answer me and I saidwhere is my mother?
(15:02):
And he looked up at me.
So, matter of factly, old mommytook a little vacation.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Collier.
Hmm, sounds suspicious to meand, by the way, this is a
little bit of a spoiler, butit'll kind of whet your appetite
for the story.
Soon after that, collier'sfather invited him to go on a
vacation and, due to thecircumstances of that trip,
(15:35):
collier knew that if he went, noone would ever hear from him
again.
My second new podcast this weekthat I am definitely
recommending that you listen tois called blink.
It's about a young man namedjake handle, a former drug
(15:56):
addict and laid-back dude, whosustained irreparable brain
damage, was given six months tolive and developed locked-in
syndrome.
For those of you who may not befamiliar with the condition that
I just mentioned, individualswith locked-in syndrome are
fully conscious but usuallyfully paralyzed, except perhaps
(16:21):
for their eyelids.
Because it's a challengingdiagnosis, lachnid syndrome is
often misdiagnosed as a coma,and such was the case for Jake
Handel.
In Blink, jake details hisharrowing experiences, including
being aware of a crime takingplace around him while he was
(16:42):
completely paralyzed andpresumed to be in a vegetative
state, being isolated fromfriends and family by a psycho
caretaker, and much, much more.
I apologize for the brevity ofthis recommendation.
However, with only fiveepisodes dropped and many more
to go.
I don't have all the answersyet and can't promise more
(17:07):
intrigue than what I know rightnow.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Here's the trailer from the show, jake Handel is
the only man to survive a rare,incurable disease that destroyed
his brain.
For months he lay motionless,silent.
Everyone thought he was gone,brain dead, but he wasn't.
He was fully conscious and heheard everything.
(17:33):
But Jake's story isn't justabout a miraculous recovery.
It's about a life shrouded indarkness, a world of heroin
secrets and a deadly betrayalthat cut close to home.
Now, after years of silence andcountless theories spun by
journalists and onlinevigilantes, jake is finally
ready to tell his story, thereal story, completely
(17:58):
uncensored.
But telling it could be themost dangerous thing he's ever
done.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Blink the true story of one man's survival and a
mystery that leaves no oneinnocent.
My oh my.
Does that ever sound curious,compelling and a must listen?
I recommend that you tune in toBlink, listen to the story and
see if you can solve the mysterybefore the end.
So far, I have been battingzero.
(18:26):
The mystery before the end sofar, I have been batting zero.
However, there is one teaserthat says someone unnamed
whispered in his ear about aheinous crime that that person
had committed while they thoughthe was in a vegetative state.
Before moving on to our epicepisode segment, I want to
(18:50):
mention one more show that justdropped IMO, by Michelle Obama
and her brother, craig Robinson.
Imo, of course, is TechSpeak,for, in my Opinion, I received
word yesterday and immediatelyaccessed the podcast.
At first, word yesterday andimmediately accessed the podcast
(19:11):
.
At first, I was confusedbecause, even though it was
announced as a new show, therewere episodes dating back to
late 2020.
It took a little digging, but Ifinally pieced together that
the Obama's production companyHigher Ground has simply renamed
and reimagined Michelle'sprevious podcast, which has been
inactive since February 2024.
(19:33):
We'll talk more about her showin future episodes, and now it's
(19:57):
time for our epic episodesegment.
Each week I share a singleepisode that really grabbed me,
and this one, I think, will grabyou too.
This week I am highlightingepisode one from a podcast that
is called the Unmarked Graveyardfrom Radio Diaries.
(20:19):
It's a series that focuses onHart Island and that's H-A-R-T
located in the Bronx in New YorkCity, srt located in the Bronx
in New York City.
Did you know it was there?
If you didn't, you're not alone.
Most people are not aware thatHeart Island is actually a
(20:40):
potter's field for indigents andunclaimed bodies.
My interest was first piqued incemeteries in general when I
began searching for my sister,who died as a baby under tragic
circumstances.
My parents never told me that Ihad a sister at one time, and
when I found out about her fromrelatives when I was an adult,
they still wouldn't talk abouther.
(21:02):
I dropped it or you know so Ithought.
But that missing piece of mewould crop up like clockwork.
You know so I thought.
But that missing piece of mewould crop up like clockwork,
nagging me to solve this familymystery.
It took years but I finallyfound her resting place a
pauper's grave in a neighboringcity.
Why did it take so long to findher?
Well, like the story of the manin the episode I am about to
(21:33):
share.
She was buried without agravestone and without a proper
burial.
The man in question that I justreferred to lived two lives and
had two different names.
In his later years he calledhimself Stephen, but in
actuality, his real name wasNeil Harris Jr, and he had a
mother who loved him very muchand had been looking for him for
(21:54):
years.
Each episode of the UnmarkedGraveyard from Radio Diaries
brings you stories of how peopleended up in New York City's
Heart Island, the lives theylived and the people they left
behind.
In episode one, which is theone I just immediately
gravitated towards, goes back afew years when Stephen and I say
(22:16):
that in quotes became a fixturein Manhattan's Riverside Park.
Locals started noticing himsitting on the same bench day
after day.
He said little and asked fornothing.
When his body was found in 2017,the police were unable to
identify him and hence he wasburied on Heart Island.
(22:39):
So what happened to him?
Why didn't anybody claim hisbody and why was he buried on
Heart Island?
One day, a woman who knew himfrom the park saw a notice about
a missing person and hisbackstory came to light.
It ended up with a reunion withhis mother, a sad one for sure,
(23:01):
but at least she knew where herson was, how he passed and how
he lived, after just wanderingoff one day and never seen again
by his loved ones.
Heart Island is the largestpotter's field in the United
States and is the final restingplace for over 1 million people.
(23:23):
Stop by when you're in theBronx and pay your respects.
I think you'll also be shockedabout the size of this land,
which is quite small consideringthat over 1 million lost,
discarded or forgotten peopleare buried there.
Speaker 10 (24:02):
Gerald.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Oh, no, not you again .
What are you listening to?
Are you spying on me?
Oh, ais, you can't trust them.
But yes, welcome to.
What Are you Listening To?
A segment where I share whatI've binged this week, and it's
a good one.
If you've been listening to OneGood Thing Media for a while,
(24:28):
you know that I am an avidstudent of history, human nature
and what brought us to thispoint in our collective lives.
Those were just three reasonswhy I was excited to binge Pack
One Bag by Lemonada Media.
It was actually the second timethat I listened to this 10-part
(24:49):
series and I'm so glad that Idid.
Pack One Bag is an epic story ofan Italian Jewish family who
was split apart by love, fascismand a world war.
Through shocking discoveriesand rich dialogue, pack One Bag
delivers a compelling true story.
(25:11):
Here's a quick backstory.
When documentarian DavidModigliani was a kid, his
grandfather, franco, won theNobel Peace Prize.
But despite having such aprestigious relative, david was
always more fascinated by thelove story that made it all
possible, namely hisgrandparents' romance.
(25:34):
While running away fromMussolini's iron grip in fascist
Italy, and while expecting tolearn more about a romantic tale
filled with love and light, heuncovered a darker side to their
fairytale escape from war-tornItaly, where Jews were being
rounded up and executed simplyfor being Jewish.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Here's a clip from Pack One Bag when benito
mussolini led a violentinsurrection to take over
government buildings acrossitaly, he was on his way to
becoming the dictator andeventually his fascist regime
went after people like my familywho'd been living there for
centuries I mean, all of asudden, we were not safe in our
(26:22):
own country.
Speaker 10 (26:24):
It was very clear to me it was time to leave.
But my only way out would be toleave my whole family behind.
I mean, do you stay or do youflee?
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Stay or flee.
My name is David Modigliani,and that's the question at the
heart of my new limited seriespodcast Pack One Bag.
The show centers on mygrandfather, my nonno Franco.
One day he'd win the NobelPrize, but back in 1938, he was
just a 20-year-old kid in Romeand when Mussolini passed racial
(26:58):
laws against Jews like him, hedidn't know what to do.
Speaker 10 (27:02):
But I was in love with this girl from Bologna,
Franco I have a name, Serena,that's me and her parents had
been moving money outside thecountry In case we had to flee,
but escaping with them wouldmean leaving his whole family to
face the nightmare that wascoming.
It was the biggest decision ofmy life.
We each packed one bag and weleft.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
In Pack One Bag.
I dig into my grandparents'romance on the run.
We made it onto the last boatout of Europe and the hidden
side of their escape fromfascism.
Some of these boxes I literallyhad not opened ever.
What I find takes me back toItaly to uncover the story of
the family they left behind.
(27:48):
Ciao, Enrico hey.
Speaker 8 (27:53):
How beautiful you are .
The woman from the neighborhoodsays to me they are looking for
you.
Speaker 10 (27:59):
You go out, go out, it's too dangerous.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Now I bring the whole story to life with the help of
Signore Stanley Tucci Of courseit's crazy.
Speaker 7 (28:08):
This is what war does .
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Pack One Bag is a personal memoir, a history
lesson that's all wrapped up ina beautiful audio production.
So many podcasts and so littletime.
(28:42):
I promised you in jan Januarythat we were going to be cutting
our shows to approximately 30minutes each, and we're keeping
our word.
We're ending the show right now, but we have a lot more coming
next week.
This is Gerald Spear signingoff for One Good Thing Media.
Please give us a follow.
(29:03):
You know we love you.
I hope everyone has a beautifulweek.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
One Good Thing Media is brought to you by our host
and creator, Gerald Spear.
All things technical are byDavid Dodd and our announcer is
Robert Spear.
Our theme song is Force by HGST.
Thank, you.
Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official
podcast review channel.
We search the vast digitallandscape on a daily basis to
discover the best shows thatpodcasters have to offer.
Are you ready to discover newfavorites to add to your
playbook?
Stay tuned and listen to hostGerald Spears' latest podcast
reviews.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Hello, lovelies, welcome to Season 3, Episode 4
of our One Good Thing MediaPodcast.
My name is Gerald Spear and Iam the host and creator of our
show.
I hope you're having a greatweek.
I certainly am.
In fact, it's actually beenpretty magical.
(01:10):
I'm feeling lighthearted andhaving a super productive week.
Considering the time of yearand all the seed catalogs that
I'm pouring through, I amattributing my great mood to a
case of spring fever.
Today, I'll be covering two newpodcasts and three others that
you may have missed, which istotally understandable, since
(01:32):
there are over 300,000 activepodcasts and no central search
engine.
If there are any techno wizardsout there, we need you.
If there are any techno wizardsout there, we need you.
Before we get going with ournews and updates, please make
(01:54):
sure to follow our podcast andtap the notification button so
you'll never miss a singleepisode.
We'd also greatly appreciate itif you would give us a great
star rating.
It helps move us up in thecharts, makes us more findable
if there is such a word and putsa big smile on our face.
And now it is time to get going.
(02:15):
Are you ready for some news andquickies?
I was listening to a podcast.
No surprise there when the hostsaid something that set the
tone for this week's show.
While discussing past trauma,whether it happened as a child
(02:36):
or as an adult, he soundlyrejected perpetual victimhood by
telling the audience perpetualvictimhood, by telling the
audience your biography is yourpast.
Who you choose to be in thefuture is entirely up to you.
I know at least some of you areprobably thinking oh yeah,
that's easier said than done,and I agree, but it's still not
(03:00):
impossible.
Today I'm sharing two newpodcasts that underscore the
power of all humans to definewho they are despite who they
were or what they experienced intheir past.
My first news bit for this weekis about a brand new podcast
(03:23):
entitled the Binge CrimesFinding Mom's Killer.
It's a multi-episode seriesabout a young boy who worked
closely with the police,including conducting covert
operations, to bring hismother's killer to justice.
His name is Collier Landry nay,collier Boyle a now
(03:48):
40-something charismatic manwith brilliant blue eyes and a
thick mop of curly hair whoovercame terrible odds to become
a filmmaker, author, podcaster,public speaker and an advocate
for victims of crime.
But when his story began in thelate 1980s, collier was an
(04:14):
11-year-old boy whose bedroomwas literally filled with
stuffed animals, a Nintendo gameplayer with Mario at the ready
I can relate to that one and aBatman clock hanging on the wall
.
Yet despite his innocentchildhood trappings, collier was
(04:34):
also an intense young man whopossessed an astounding amount
of courage and mental acuity.
Collier's father was a highlyrespected physician in Mansfield
, ohio, who was beloved for hismedical expertise and affable
and trustworthy public persona.
(04:56):
However, his lightheartedmanner did not extend to his
family In the privacy of his ownhome.
The good doc was verballyabusive and physically violent.
He was also a prolificphilanderer and liar In stark
(05:18):
relief.
Collier's mother, noreen, was akind woman and an attentive
mother who was always there tosupport and guide him.
She also remained committed toher decades-long marriage until,
that is, she found out that herhusband's latest girlfriend was
blissfully pregnant with hischild Soon.
(05:41):
After discovering thisunpleasant fact, noreen filed
for divorce and then poof, shedisappeared.
The rest of this chilling storytells like a great detective
novel where a young child and alone detective crack the case.
Here's how you can listen to orwatch this story unfold.
(06:04):
Here's how you can listen to orwatch this story unfold.
The first way is, of course,listening to the Binge Crimes
Finding Mom's Killer.
The new podcast series that Imentioned at the beginning of
this particular segment, theBinge Crimes, is an established
podcast by Sony Entertainment.
(06:25):
For those of you who love tobinge your shows ad-free, the
Binge Crimes is an establishedpodcast by Sony Entertainment.
For those of you who love tobinge your shows ad-free, the
Binge Crimes first drops each ofits multi-part stories at one
time.
To get into the action, though,you must subscribe to the Binge
Crimes for a modest sum permonth.
(06:45):
After a short amount of time,each series is then made public
with ads, with all episodesbeing doled out over the course
of a few weeks, just like anormal podcast.
As of this recording, sony hasalready dropped the ad-free
version that you have tosubscribe to, and, after a
slight pause, they are nowdropping one episode at a time
(07:10):
with ads, for free.
Other ways to watch or listen toCollier's story include the
Mansfield Murder documentary byCollier Landry that's currently
available on Amazon by CollierLandry.
That's currently available onAmazon If you're a Prime member,
by the way you could purchaseit for just $2.99.
(07:39):
Collier also has his ownpodcast, called the Collier
Landry Show, where he discussesmany different topics, including
matters pertaining to hismother's murder and his father's
incarceration.
So why am I mentioning so manyways that you can listen to
Collier tell his story?
He reveals different details ineach retelling that, combined,
(07:59):
make the story even morecompelling.
Here's an edited clip from theshow that will give you a keen
sense of the style and contentof Collier Landry's story.
Voices in this audio clipinclude the narrator, steve
Fishman, detective LieutenantDave Mesmore and, of course,
(08:24):
collier Landry Boyle.
Speaker 6 (08:43):
You tell us who you are?
I'm Collier Landry Boyle.
Can you tell us how old you are?
Speaker 7 (08:47):
now I'm 12 years old, it's 1990, and we're in a
courtroom in Mansfield, ohio.
The prosecution's star witnesshas just taken the stand.
He's about to describesomething that happened one
fateful night a few months ago.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
You awoke at 3 to 3.15 am, I believe was your time
.
Okay, and what awoke you?
Speaker 6 (09:11):
I heard the two bangs and heard the scream Okay, and
then I heard the footsteps.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Then you got up in the morning.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
Yes, I did.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
And what was the first thing you did?
Speaker 6 (09:26):
I looked in my mother's bedroom.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Were you alarmed when you got into the bedroom?
Speaker 6 (09:32):
Yes, I was.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Why was that?
Speaker 6 (09:35):
The bed covers were all messed up.
Her bedclothes were just lyingin a pile.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
What was going through your mind at that time?
What were you thinking?
Speaker 6 (09:46):
Where's my mother?
Speaker 7 (10:00):
collier landry boyle wasn't your average 12 year old.
He was very smart.
He was very determined.
So when his mother went missing, collier decided it was up to
him to find her.
This is the story of how aprecocious kid joined forces
with a most unlikely partner.
Together they set out to solvethe mystery of his mother's
disappearance.
Along the way they'd unearthone terrible family secret after
(10:22):
another earth, one terriblefamily secret after another.
On New Year's Day 1990, sixmonths before that 12-year-old
boy took the witness stand, theMansfield Ohio Police Department
was swamped with the usualholiday stuff bar brawls,
disorderly conduct.
So when a 44-year-old womannamed Noreen Boyle was reported
(10:46):
missing, it was not a toppriority.
A couple of uniformed patrolmenhad been sent over to her house
to check things out.
Their conclusion Nothing toworry about.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Collier secretly gathered up his mother's
friend's phone numbers, hid inthe bathroom and started calling
them.
Please report my mother missing.
Speaker 8 (11:11):
I said I'll stop over and see what's going on.
Speaker 7 (11:16):
Now Dave was the Mansfield Police Department's
head of major crimes.
He wasn't supposed to go chasedown leads on low priority cases
.
But Dave low-key, laconic Daveis full of surprises.
By this point he'd been on theforce for 15 years and he'd
developed a reputation forstriking out on his own for
(11:37):
bucking his superiors.
Dave figured he'd head over tothe Boyle residence have a word
with Noreen's husband, aprominent local doctor named
Jack Boyle.
Speaker 9 (11:48):
It was like late morning, early afternoon, the
doorbell rings and it's this guyin a sport coat with a bushy
mustache, glasses, khaki pants,named Dave Messmore.
This is.
Speaker 7 (12:03):
Collier Boyle.
He was the kid you heardtestifying at the top of the
show.
He's a lot older now.
When Lieutenant Dave Messmorearrived at the Boyle residence,
it was Collier's grandmother,that's his father's mother, who
answered the door.
Speaker 9 (12:19):
Collier, hovered in the background.
I'm standing there over mygrandmother's shoulder and Dave
was saying to my grandmotherwell, you know I'd like to talk
to the doctor and you know, justkind of curious, but you know
he was just very calm.
He's a very calm guy, verycollected, I mean very
detective-like, you know what Imean Just looking around,
(12:41):
looking at things, takingeverything in.
Just I'm going to get to thebottom of this type of thing.
And I remember he kind ofcharms his way in and my
grandmother's like I'm going tocall my son and she goes and she
leaves to go make the phonecall in the kitchen.
And I knew at that point thatthat was like my one shot,
(13:04):
because here I am alone with apolice officer.
That that was like my one shot,because here I am alone with a
police officer.
Speaker 7 (13:09):
Collier made an impression on Dave.
This was a kid who dressed inchinos and penny loafers.
He had a perfectly coiffedbrown bob.
He looked like a tiny adult.
Speaker 8 (13:23):
He was not like a little 11 or 12 year old you'd
normally talk to.
He was just very astute, verywell spoken.
Whenever his grandmother wouldwalk away, he'd say things that
make you wonder if there wassomething wrong.
Speaker 9 (13:34):
I say to Dave, I look him dead in the eyes and I say
my mother would never leave me.
Speaker 8 (13:41):
He said my mother would never leave without me,
without me knowing where she wasgoing.
Speaker 9 (13:46):
And I think he's looking at me in a very peculiar
way, like who is this kid?
He could just tell I was soadamant.
Speaker 7 (14:00):
He said something happened and I said okay, I'll
work on that.
On January 8, 1990, collierLandry Boyle sat down with
Lieutenant Dave Messmore in anelementary school classroom the
kind with those small chairs.
Dave is six feet tall but hefigured it'd be good to be on
the same level as Collier.
It'd make him comfortable.
Speaker 8 (14:18):
You know I had a lengthy conversation.
He described to me what heheard that night that she went
missing.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Collier then tells him about going into his
mother's bedroom, followed bywhat happened when he went
downstairs to confront hisfather.
Speaker 9 (14:38):
My father is sitting on the couch in the living room
watching television with a towelwrapped around his waist, like
he had just got done taking ashower.
I said to him where is mymother?
And he still was watchingtelevision.
He didn't answer me and I saidwhere is my mother?
(15:02):
And he looked up at me.
So, matter of factly, old mommytook a little vacation.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Collier.
Hmm, sounds suspicious to meand, by the way, this is a
little bit of a spoiler, butit'll kind of whet your appetite
for the story.
Soon after that, collier'sfather invited him to go on a
vacation and, due to thecircumstances of that trip,
(15:35):
collier knew that if he went, noone would ever hear from him
again.
My second new podcast this weekthat I am definitely
recommending that you listen tois called blink.
It's about a young man namedjake handle, a former drug
(15:56):
addict and laid-back dude, whosustained irreparable brain
damage, was given six months tolive and developed locked-in
syndrome.
For those of you who may not befamiliar with the condition that
I just mentioned, individualswith locked-in syndrome are
fully conscious but usuallyfully paralyzed, except perhaps
(16:21):
for their eyelids.
Because it's a challengingdiagnosis, lachnid syndrome is
often misdiagnosed as a coma,and such was the case for Jake
Handel.
In Blink, jake details hisharrowing experiences, including
being aware of a crime takingplace around him while he was
(16:42):
completely paralyzed andpresumed to be in a vegetative
state, being isolated fromfriends and family by a psycho
caretaker, and much, much more.
I apologize for the brevity ofthis recommendation.
However, with only fiveepisodes dropped and many more
to go.
I don't have all the answersyet and can't promise more
(17:07):
intrigue than what I know rightnow.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Here's the trailer from the show, jake Handel is
the only man to survive a rare,incurable disease that destroyed
his brain.
For months he lay motionless,silent.
Everyone thought he was gone,brain dead, but he wasn't.
He was fully conscious and heheard everything.
(17:33):
But Jake's story isn't justabout a miraculous recovery.
It's about a life shrouded indarkness, a world of heroin
secrets and a deadly betrayalthat cut close to home.
Now, after years of silence andcountless theories spun by
journalists and onlinevigilantes, jake is finally
ready to tell his story, thereal story, completely
(17:58):
uncensored.
But telling it could be themost dangerous thing he's ever
done.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Blink the true story of one man's survival and a
mystery that leaves no oneinnocent.
My oh my.
Does that ever sound curious,compelling and a must listen?
I recommend that you tune in toBlink, listen to the story and
see if you can solve the mysterybefore the end.
So far, I have been battingzero.
(18:26):
The mystery before the end sofar, I have been batting zero.
However, there is one teaserthat says someone unnamed
whispered in his ear about aheinous crime that that person
had committed while they thoughthe was in a vegetative state.
Before moving on to our epicepisode segment, I want to
(18:50):
mention one more show that justdropped IMO, by Michelle Obama
and her brother, craig Robinson.
Imo, of course, is TechSpeak,for, in my Opinion, I received
word yesterday and immediatelyaccessed the podcast.
At first, word yesterday andimmediately accessed the podcast
(19:11):
.
At first, I was confusedbecause, even though it was
announced as a new show, therewere episodes dating back to
late 2020.
It took a little digging, but Ifinally pieced together that
the Obama's production companyHigher Ground has simply renamed
and reimagined Michelle'sprevious podcast, which has been
inactive since February 2024.
(19:33):
We'll talk more about her showin future episodes, and now it's
(19:57):
time for our epic episodesegment.
Each week I share a singleepisode that really grabbed me,
and this one, I think, will grabyou too.
This week I am highlightingepisode one from a podcast that
is called the Unmarked Graveyardfrom Radio Diaries.
(20:19):
It's a series that focuses onHart Island and that's H-A-R-T
located in the Bronx in New YorkCity, srt located in the Bronx
in New York City.
Did you know it was there?
If you didn't, you're not alone.
Most people are not aware thatHeart Island is actually a
(20:40):
potter's field for indigents andunclaimed bodies.
My interest was first piqued incemeteries in general when I
began searching for my sister,who died as a baby under tragic
circumstances.
My parents never told me that Ihad a sister at one time, and
when I found out about her fromrelatives when I was an adult,
they still wouldn't talk abouther.
(21:02):
I dropped it or you know so Ithought.
But that missing piece of mewould crop up like clockwork.
You know so I thought.
But that missing piece of mewould crop up like clockwork,
nagging me to solve this familymystery.
It took years but I finallyfound her resting place a
pauper's grave in a neighboringcity.
Why did it take so long to findher?
Well, like the story of the manin the episode I am about to
(21:33):
share.
She was buried without agravestone and without a proper
burial.
The man in question that I justreferred to lived two lives and
had two different names.
In his later years he calledhimself Stephen, but in
actuality, his real name wasNeil Harris Jr, and he had a
mother who loved him very muchand had been looking for him for
(21:54):
years.
Each episode of the UnmarkedGraveyard from Radio Diaries
brings you stories of how peopleended up in New York City's
Heart Island, the lives theylived and the people they left
behind.
In episode one, which is theone I just immediately
gravitated towards, goes back afew years when Stephen and I say
(22:16):
that in quotes became a fixturein Manhattan's Riverside Park.
Locals started noticing himsitting on the same bench day
after day.
He said little and asked fornothing.
When his body was found in 2017,the police were unable to
identify him and hence he wasburied on Heart Island.
(22:39):
So what happened to him?
Why didn't anybody claim hisbody and why was he buried on
Heart Island?
One day, a woman who knew himfrom the park saw a notice about
a missing person and hisbackstory came to light.
It ended up with a reunion withhis mother, a sad one for sure,
(23:01):
but at least she knew where herson was, how he passed and how
he lived, after just wanderingoff one day and never seen again
by his loved ones.
Heart Island is the largestpotter's field in the United
States and is the final restingplace for over 1 million people.
(23:23):
Stop by when you're in theBronx and pay your respects.
I think you'll also be shockedabout the size of this land,
which is quite small consideringthat over 1 million lost,
discarded or forgotten peopleare buried there.
Speaker 10 (24:02):
Gerald.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Oh, no, not you again .
What are you listening to?
Are you spying on me?
Oh, ais, you can't trust them.
But yes, welcome to.
What Are you Listening To?
A segment where I share whatI've binged this week, and it's
a good one.
If you've been listening to OneGood Thing Media for a while,
(24:28):
you know that I am an avidstudent of history, human nature
and what brought us to thispoint in our collective lives.
Those were just three reasonswhy I was excited to binge Pack
One Bag by Lemonada Media.
It was actually the second timethat I listened to this 10-part
(24:49):
series and I'm so glad that Idid.
Pack One Bag is an epic story ofan Italian Jewish family who
was split apart by love, fascismand a world war.
Through shocking discoveriesand rich dialogue, pack One Bag
delivers a compelling true story.
(25:11):
Here's a quick backstory.
When documentarian DavidModigliani was a kid, his
grandfather, franco, won theNobel Peace Prize.
But despite having such aprestigious relative, david was
always more fascinated by thelove story that made it all
possible, namely hisgrandparents' romance.
(25:34):
While running away fromMussolini's iron grip in fascist
Italy, and while expecting tolearn more about a romantic tale
filled with love and light, heuncovered a darker side to their
fairytale escape from war-tornItaly, where Jews were being
rounded up and executed simplyfor being Jewish.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Here's a clip from Pack One Bag when benito
mussolini led a violentinsurrection to take over
government buildings acrossitaly, he was on his way to
becoming the dictator andeventually his fascist regime
went after people like my familywho'd been living there for
centuries I mean, all of asudden, we were not safe in our
(26:22):
own country.
Speaker 10 (26:24):
It was very clear to me it was time to leave.
But my only way out would be toleave my whole family behind.
I mean, do you stay or do youflee?
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Stay or flee.
My name is David Modigliani,and that's the question at the
heart of my new limited seriespodcast Pack One Bag.
The show centers on mygrandfather, my nonno Franco.
One day he'd win the NobelPrize, but back in 1938, he was
just a 20-year-old kid in Romeand when Mussolini passed racial
(26:58):
laws against Jews like him, hedidn't know what to do.
Speaker 10 (27:02):
But I was in love with this girl from Bologna,
Franco I have a name, Serena,that's me and her parents had
been moving money outside thecountry In case we had to flee,
but escaping with them wouldmean leaving his whole family to
face the nightmare that wascoming.
It was the biggest decision ofmy life.
We each packed one bag and weleft.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
In Pack One Bag.
I dig into my grandparents'romance on the run.
We made it onto the last boatout of Europe and the hidden
side of their escape fromfascism.
Some of these boxes I literallyhad not opened ever.
What I find takes me back toItaly to uncover the story of
the family they left behind.
(27:48):
Ciao, Enrico hey.
Speaker 8 (27:53):
How beautiful you are .
The woman from the neighborhoodsays to me they are looking for
you.
Speaker 10 (27:59):
You go out, go out, it's too dangerous.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Now I bring the whole story to life with the help of
Signore Stanley Tucci Of courseit's crazy.
Speaker 7 (28:08):
This is what war does .
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Pack One Bag is a personal memoir, a history
lesson that's all wrapped up ina beautiful audio production.
So many podcasts and so littletime.
(28:42):
I promised you in jan Januarythat we were going to be cutting
our shows to approximately 30minutes each, and we're keeping
our word.
We're ending the show right now, but we have a lot more coming
next week.
This is Gerald Spear signingoff for One Good Thing Media.
Please give us a follow.
(29:03):
You know we love you.
I hope everyone has a beautifulweek.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
One Good Thing Media is brought to you by our host
and creator, Gerald Spear.
All things technical are byDavid Dodd and our announcer is
Robert Spear.
Our theme song is Force by HGST.
Thank, you.
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