meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Truer Crime

Ep. 02: The Botched Investigation of Samuel Little

Truer Crime

Celisia Stanton

True Crime

4.81.8K Ratings

🗓️ 18 May 2021

⏱️ 43 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Prior to his death in 2020, Samuel Little confessed to 93 different murders between the years of 1970 and 2005. And over 50 of them have been confirmed by investigators. It makes Little the most prolific serial killer in US history. So why then, have you never heard of him? Today’s episode explores who is looked for, who is seen, and who is forgotten. Today's episode contains references to sexual assault, opioid addiction, and physical abuse. Please take care while listening. A full list of sources, resources mentioned, and photos related to the case are available in the episode's show notes, https://truercrimepodcast.com/samuel-little/. If you liked today's episode, leave us a review! It's the best way to support our work and help other people find Truer Crime. Keep up with us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey, friends. Before we jump in, I wanted to give a heads up. Today's story

0:03.9

contains references to sexual assault, opioid addiction, and physical abuse.

0:08.4

Please take care while listening. As always, resources related to these and other topics

0:13.1

mentioned in today's episode can be found on our website, truercrimepodcast.com.

0:20.0

In college, I spent a solid six months binging every available episode of criminal lines.

0:26.6

Maybe you did the same, but you know, in case you made better use of your free time,

0:30.8

what you really need to know is that criminal lines is,

0:33.3

predictably, a fictional crime drama. Each episode usually highlights a different case,

0:38.3

often a slate of murders, which are investigated by the FBI's behavioral analysis unit, or BAU.

0:44.4

The show is actually a nod to the real life FBI's BAU, which, according to their Wikipedia page,

0:49.9

uses behavioral analysis or psychology to investigate complex or time-sensitive crimes.

0:55.6

In the opening sequence of criminal lines, there's a litany of mug shots that flash across

1:00.6

the screen. Each face an infamous serial killer or murderer. I actually watched the opening while

1:06.9

researching this case, and as the series of faces came and went, I immediately noticed a common

1:13.1

thread. But outside of their infamy as killers, what do people like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer,

1:20.1

and John Wayne Gacy have in common? Interestingly, the same thing that the un-pictured Jake Bird,

1:27.2

Coral Watts and Elton Jackson have in common. And if you're scratching your head because you've

1:33.2

never heard of Jake Bird, Coral Watts or Elton Jackson, then you're actually probably closer than

1:39.3

you think. Because what these people all have in common is race. Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer,

1:46.5

John Wayne Gacy, they're all white. Jake Bird, Coral Watts, Elton Jackson, they're all black.

1:55.3

And it's why you've likely never heard of any of them. As it turns out, the alleged whiteness of

2:01.6

serial murders extends far beyond the opening sequence of criminal lines. Despite statistical evidence

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Celisia Stanton, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Celisia Stanton and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.