The Generation Why Podcast

September 11th, 1993. Waterbury, Connecticut. Donna Palomba was home with her two young children when a masked man broke into her house and raped her. It would take over a decade to identify the suspect. For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On a sweltering July evening in 2013, Molly Miller and Colt Haynes were said to have been unwitting participants in a wild, high-speed chase with local law enforcement through Carter and Love Counties in rural Oklahoma. Afterward, the two vanished without a trace. Mutual friend James Conn Nipp, driver of the car, eventually wrecked the vehicle and then claimed ignorance of the whereabouts of his friends. Did the pair meet with foul play? For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

January 11, 1998. Post Falls, Idaho. Barbara Loesch, a widow who lived alone, was found dead in her hot tub with a TV set in the water next to her body. The case was immediately classified as a suspicious death and the police looked to her family for answers. For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhyListen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kat Torres has the insta-perfect life. She is rich, gorgeous and not ashamed to share it. Her posts about witchcraft and “alien baths” drew in over a million followers, all chasing the dream of a lifestyle like hers. But as she gathers more followers around her, the secrets beneath her fame grow darker and more dangerous. One woman sets out to bring back her best friend who has fallen under the spell of this modern-day guru. And what begins as a search for a missing friend soon puts her on a collision course with Kat. Based on the hit Brazilian podcast, journalist Chico Felitti uncovers a gripping story of influence, control, and those who dare to fight back. Listen to Don’t Cross Kat: Wondery.fm/DontCrossKat See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

October 17th, 2021. Los Angeles, California. 39-year-old Heidi Planck abruptly left her son’s football game on a Sunday afternoon. A few hours later she was spotted by security cameras in Downtown LA, walking her dog outside a luxury apartment building. Soon after that, Heidi’s dog was found inside the apartment building, but Heidi was gone. For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Holly Maddux disappeared in Philadelphia in 1979 after seeing a movie with her ex-boyfriend, Ira Einhorn. 18 months later, her mummified body was found in a steamer trunk at the bottom of Einhorn’s closet. Einhorn, a prominent counterculture guru, was granted bail in 1981 and fled the country. For the next 20 years, Einhorn evaded capture thanks to wealthy friends and extradition legalities. For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Luigi Mangione allegedly gunned down UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, the media called it a senseless crime. But online, a different story emerged—one of rage, reckoning, and a suspected killer turned folk hero. More than just a true crime podcast, LUIGI, hosted by Jesse Weber, dares to look beyond the crime and the accused to explore a cultural tipping point in America, asking you to decide - is the status quo enough, or is it time for a cultural reckoning? Listen to Law&Crime’s LUIGI exclusively on Wondery+ and follow the show page to keep up on all the latest developments. You can join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Visit www.wondery.com/links/luigi and start your free trial now! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May 9th, 1980. Norco, California. Four armed robbers entered the Security Pacific Bank and stole $20,000. A bank employee tripped a silent alarm, and the police arrived at the scene within minutes. A shootout and police chase ensued that resulted in the death of a deputy, two of the robbers, and left multiple people injured. Want to see our faces? We release videos several times each month: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sacramento, CA. On March 6, 2012, the body of 13-year-old Jessica Funk Haslam was found in a locked baseball dugout in Rosemont Park. She was stabbed twice, asphyxiated, and suffered a severe head wound. Investigators struggled for over a year to find her killer until CODIS provided a DNA match to Ryan Douglas Roberts. Ryan was found guilty and sentenced to 26 years to life in prison, but maintains his innocence. For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vanished: The Heather Elvis Case will be released March 10th, 2025 on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. Producer Michael Bayer and his team at True Case Films created this series to illuminate Heather's case as well as the impact on her family. I am really excited for you to meet Michael and then watch the docuseries on Amazon Prime. For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

June 2, 2018, Portland, OR. Dan Brophy was found dead at the Oregon Culinary Institute from two gunshots. His wife and amateur romance novelist, Nancy Brophy, wrote a blog post titled “How to Murder Your Husband” years before and had purchased a gun just months before. Did she attempt to live out one of her novels, or was she innocent? For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You know those messages that you get all the time, the ones that pop up out of nowhere? They could be real, but something about them seems fishy. You likely dismiss these texts and emails as mere annoyances, thinking you’ve stopped some random stranger from ripping you off. But the shocking truth is, the person behind that message might be trapped inside a “scam factory” on the other side of the world and forced to scam others against their will. From Wondery, comes a new series about the brutal reality behind these operations, where one family discovers a horrifying truth: the only way out is to scam their way out. Listen Now: Wondery.fm/Scam_Factory See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

September 1st, 1996. Jamesville, New York. A fisherman driving near the Jamesville Reservoir found a woman lying on the ground with massive injuries to her pelvic region. She was still alive, but unable to speak. She died hours later, and was soon identified as Carol Ryan, a 42-year-old local woman. Authorities determined an explosive device was used to commit the murder. For video episodes and bonus content visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

January 14, 2009, Lincolnshire, IL. At the Minee Subee Daycare, 16-month-old Ben Kingan crawled to a bouncy chair, fell asleep, and never regained consciousness. The cause of death was ruled a homicide due to a skull fracture and brain bleeding from blunt force trauma to the head. Melissa Calusinski was the sole adult in the room when Ben went into cardiac arrest. After 9 hours of interrogation, Melissa confessed to throwing Ben on the ground. Within 24 hours of her confession, Melissa recanted. For bonus episodes and episode commentary visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get ready for a whole new vintage of true crime podcast with Blood Vines, available exclusively on Wondery+.Hosted by Chris Walker, this full-bodied series uncorks the never-before-told story of the Licciardi family - one of the most powerful wine dynasties in California history - who almost brought down the entire industry over a family battle for succession …that ended in murder. www.wondery.com/links/blood-vines See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One fan’s seemingly harmless obsession with the Kansas City Chiefs begins to spiral out of control, transforming into dangerous and risking behavior. Soon, the fan realizes that his lifelong dream of being recognized by Chiefs fans comes with far-reaching consequences, not just for him, but for those he’s trying to impress. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

October 17th, 2009. Miamisburg, Ohio. Pandora Zan called 911 to report that she had been attacked by an intruder and found her husband Charles stabbed to death after she regained consciousness. Days later, she implicated her son in the murder. For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vienna is working a delivery job when she hears about Cop City, a massive police training facility planned for Atlanta. She decides to join the activists trying to stop construction. When Vienna arrives in the South River Forest, she quickly finds a community, a cause and a love unlike any other. But the events of one morning shatters everything. Vienna and everyone connected to the forest begin to question what are you willing to die for? Wondery, Campside and Tenderfoot TV present: We Came to the Forest. Listen to We Came to the Forest wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge the entire series early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts: Wondery.fm/WeCametotheForest See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

June 27, 1996. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Anne Marie Fahey was last seen alive at dinner with Tom Capano, a wealthy attorney with political connections in the state of Delaware. Bonus episodes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

November 16th, 1998. Singer Island, Florida. Neighbors of Christopher Benedetto and Janette Piro called the police to report the couple missing after they hadn’t been seen for several days. Later that month, Janette’s body was found inside her home, but Christopher remained missing. For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.