Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia

If you enjoyed Root of Evil, you may also like Unraveled: The Long Island Serial Killer, from ID. The Unraveled investigation continues with a 5-episode deep dive series. In this deep dive, we're going beyond the headlines to discuss several topics in more detail. These topics include the call Suffolk County didn’t want you to hear, and what it tells us about the night the entire Long Island serial killer saga began. Along with Rex Heuermann’s digital footprint, and Asian Doe and Sugar Bear and how these outlier cases connect to the broader investigation. Then we'll dig into other unsolved cold cases that are getting a new life since the arrest of Heuermann. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 June 2024

If you enjoyed Root of Evil, you might also like Very Scary People from ID. Listen to episode 1 here, and follow Very Scary People wherever you get your podcasts. In the late-80s and early 90s, the quaint suburbs of Toronto, Canada were blind-sided by an unprecedented flurry of violent crimes: a serial rapist on the loose and young girls vanishing… only to later discover their dead bodies, dismembered. As separate investigations developed, police across the region followed leads pointing to a young, blond-haired blue-eyed duo. Over seven episodes, host Donnie Wahlberg traces the twisted path of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka – a couple from Toronto that appeared loving and wholesome but had everybody fooled. We’ll explore how the boy and the girl next-door captivated Canada and became the killers known as “Ken and Barbie.”

Transcribed - Published: 1 November 2023

If you enjoyed Root of Evil, you may like Mind of a Monster: Jeffery Dahmer, a podcast from ID. Listen to the first episode of Season 4 now, and listen to more episodes in the Mind of a Monster feed. Season 4 of Mind of a Monster examines Jeffrey Dahmer, who from 1978 to 1991 murdered seventeen men and boys, attempted to kill at least two others, and attacked, drugged, and abused countless more. He cannibalized some of his victims, dismembered their bodies and preyed on the vulnerable to become one of the most depraved serial killers in American history. Across six episodes, criminal psychologist Dr. Michelle Ward consults with detectives, journalists, survivors, and witnesses to dive deep into the case of Jeffrey Dahmer. Investigating his crimes, Dr. Ward tracks his trajectory as a killer and exposes the many opportunities that were lost to prevent his reign of terror. Follow Mind of a Monster wherever you get your podcasts. Past seasons include Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer, The Hillside Strangler and The Nightstalker, and The Co-Ed Killer and Herbert Mullin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2023

From the Peabody Award nominated C13 Originals Studio, and the creators of Root of Evil, comes a new documentary series about the stories, and family we can’t escape. Jackee Taylor has been hidden in WITSEC, better known as the Witness Protection Program, for almost 40 years.  But after a strange and violent incident reveals secrets about her past, Jackee begins a journey to find out the truth about herself, and her family.  Hers is a twisted tale of darkness, murder, mystery, tragedy, and resilience, which traverses the country, and lands in the most violent era of one of the country’s most violent cities - 1970s Cleveland.  At the heart of this story, is Jackee’s relative - a former member of the world’s most powerful motorcycle club, a sociopath, a killer, and an informant.  Jackee can’t move forward unless she reconciles with his past, and she’s finally telling this story in the hopes that others don’t have to live kind of life that she has. ​ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 11 August 2020

Peter Bogdanovich was a young cinephile who quickly rose to become one of Hollywood's top directors. But he soon found himself a victim of jealousy, hubris, public scorn – and a devastating crime.  Now, he looks back on a life of fame and failure, and through it all, an enduring love of the movies. A new seven-part documentary podcast from Turner Classic Movies. Subscribe today!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2020

Abby and Libby - two young girls murdered. Investigators are searching for the killer using their biggest clue: a recording of his voice from one of the victims' phones ordering the girls Down the Hill. Almost three years later, it's a mystery that still haunts the small town of Delphi, Indiana...and the police say the killer may walk among them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 5 February 2020

In Season 2, David Payne and Jody Gottlieb take you into a world few people ever experience as they investigate a 2016 mass shooting in a Seattle homeless encampment known as "The Jungle." Three teenage brothers were arrested for the crime, but are they the real killers? Only the Jungle knows.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 14 June 2019

From the creators of Root of Evil, Gangster Capitalism Season 1 is centered on the 2019 college admissions scandal that is exposing everyone from CEOs to celebrities. Award-winning documentarian, Andrew Jenks uncovers the origins and inner workings of this unprecedented scam, introducing you to the people involved, and exploring the larger debate around higher education in America. The final chapter of this story is still being written, as the federal investigation into these crimes grows and unfolds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 14 May 2019

For the first time in decades, the Hodels gather together in one room to confront their difficult family secrets. They try to collectively make sense of their story and answer the question of how to move forward, knowing they can never escape their past.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2019

Fauna Hodel and her mother, Tamar, both leave their own unique legacies, and their children try to make sense of it all. In doing so, unresolved emotions and crucial questions are raised.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2019

Steve Hodel uncovers a pile of evidence connecting his father, George Hodel, to the Black Dahlia murderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2019

The vicious cycle of family trauma continues as George Hodel's daughter, Tamar becomes a mother. Her children tell the heartbreaking story of growing up in a shockingly toxic environment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2019

Steve Hodel receives a phone call that pulls him out of retirement to investigate the Black Dahlia, a murder that had been ice cold for more than 50 years. The deeper Steve gets, the more he comes to accept his father was a sadistic killer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2019

A deeper look into the life of George Hodel and his children; his interests, his parties, and the horrifying incident in 1949 that would reshape the Hodel family forever.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 27 February 2019

Former LAPD Homicide Detective, Steve Hodel, explains the identity of the Black Dahlia, the circumstances of her murder in 1947 Los Angeles, and how the LAPD's profile of her killer fit Steve's own father, George Hodel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 20 February 2019

Steve Hodel, a former LAPD homicide detective, and son of George Hodel - the prime suspect in the Black Dahlia murder, takes us through the gruesome discovery found in Los Angeles on January 15, 1947.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 15 February 2019

Fauna Hodel, a biracial girl living in Sparks, Nevada, finds out the truth about who she really is, where she came from, and her terrifying family history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 13 February 2019

When Elizabeth Short, also known as "The Black Dahlia," was brutally killed in 1947, it gripped the entire country. More than 70 years later, it remains America's most infamous unsolved murder. Many believe Dr. George Hodel was the killer, thanks to an investigation by Hodel's own son. But murder is just part of the Hodel family story, one filled with horrifying secrets that ripple across generations. Now, through never-before-heard archival audio and first-time interviews, the Hodel family opens up to reveal their shocking story. In this eight-part documentary series, sisters Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile, the great grand daughters of George Hodel, take a deep dive into their family history to try to figure out what really happened, and where do they all go from here? 
Root of Evil is the companion podcast to TNT's limited series I Am the Night. Inspired by the true story of the Hodel family, the series stars Chris Pine and comes from acclaimed Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 22 January 2019