Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery

Karen Silkwood’s death 50 years ago this November continues to haunt Oklahoma and the nation. The 28-year-old plutonium plant worker died in a fatal crash while driving to meet a reporter with The New York Times allegedly to deliver evidence documenting unsafe conditions at the plant. Two reporters who covered the Silkwood story in 1974 have spent years trying to piece together what many in Oklahoma speculate: Karen Silkwood may have died for what she knew. Fifty years later, hear newly-discovered investigative tapes, deathbed conversations and long-awaited interviews reexamining what happened that night.

Episodes

Trailer: 'Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery'

October 23, 2024 • 2 mins

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Ep. 1: The Tapes

November 12, 2024 • 42 mins

Who was Karen Silkwood and why was her death so captivating that it spawned a Hollywood movie? We’ll meet two Oklahoma reporters determined to run down the facts. An investigator’s tapes rediscovered in a dusty storage vault raise the voices of the dead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Ep. 2: A Powerful Company

November 19, 2024 • 54 mins

Karen Silkwood worked for Kerr-McGee, an oil and gas behemoth that was expanding into the nuclear power industry. Escalating production quotas lead to more accidents at the plant, and Karen quietly travels to Washington DC to report concerns about worker safety to her union and to regulators. Before leaving, she volunteers for a risky assignment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Ep. 3: Contaminated

December 3, 2024 • 62 mins

We retrace the final days of Karen’s life: she’s been so badly contaminated by radioactive material that men in hazmat suits show up to inspect her apartment, strip much of it down to the studs, and seal her possessions into 55-gallon drums for disposal. Karen grows fearful the contamination will kill her. Years after her death, Karen's family sues Kerr-McGee for the contamination and for the first time, her allegations against the...

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Ep. 4: The Investigators

December 10, 2024 • 59 mins

Three investigators tried to solve the mystery of what happened to Karen Silkwood on that dark highway the night of November 13th, 1974. An accident investigator hired by the union believed so strongly that Karen’s car had been forced off the road that he saved the bumper as evidence, handing it down to his daughter on his deathbed. A private eye pieced together a theory that Silkwood was under surveillance. And a state trooper lau...

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Ep. 5: The Phantom Vehicle

December 17, 2024 • 44 mins

Fifty years later, what can that original bumper tell us about the cause of Karen's accident? In our final episode, an accident reconstructionist combs through the original evidence, creates a computer simulation of the crash, and reveals his findings to the Silkwood family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Crime Scene: Tupac Murder Suspect Speaks Out

March 26, 2025 • 30 mins

New from ABC Audio, "The Crime Scene Weekly" is a new podcast for the true crime-obsessed (and -curious). Each week, "The Crime Scene Weekly" focuses on what everybody's talking about in true crime: what all your favorite shows and podcasts are covering, and what's taking over your TikTok feed. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. In this week's episode, the question of who killed Tupac...

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Introducing "Vanished: What Happened to Vanessa"

September 25, 2025 • 37 mins

Today, we're sharing something special with you. This is the first episode of the latest true crime podcast from 20/20 and ABC Audio, "Vanished: What Happened to Vanessa." In episode one, Private First Class Vanessa Guillén shows up for work one morning at the Fort Hood Army base and disappears without a trace. When she stops responding to text messages, her tight-knit family in Houston immediately sounds the alarm. Who was Vaness...

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Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Trailer: 'Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery'

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Ep. 1: The Tapes

Ep. 2: A Powerful Company

Ep. 3: Contaminated

Ep. 4: The Investigators

Ep. 5: The Phantom Vehicle

The Crime Scene: Tupac Murder Suspect Speaks Out

Introducing "Vanished: What Happened to Vanessa"

Popular Podcasts

Trailer: 'Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery'

Ep. 1: The Tapes