{"podcast":{"title":"Crooked Tree: A West Memphis 3 Podcast","slug":"crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947","podcast_index_feed_id":7844947,"rss_url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting/IrKJTEIs.rss","website_url":"https://x.com/CrookedTreePod?s=20","image_url":"https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/36cd24e0-6713-4048-af5f-e27cdd9cc588/logos/34a09a4c-2739-4603-9cf5-336ff84d4f8d.jpeg","author":"Paul Day and Kristin Rich","episode_count":20,"summary":"Welcome to this long-form podcast series on one of the most controversial and heavily debated true crime cases in American history: the West Memphis Three. In this series, Paul Day — victim advocate, evidence researcher, and longtime friend of the Byers family — teams up with Kristin Rich, a criminologist and victim advocate who has immersed herself in the case for years. Together, they embark on an in-depth journey that tells the story from the victims’ perspective. Focusing on the three eight-year-old boys — Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch — whose lives were tragically cut short on May 5, 1993, in West Memphis, Arkansas, Paul and Kristin draw on their extensive research, personal connections to the families, and deep knowledge of the victims’ personalities, family dynamics, and the West Memphis community. This series delivers fresh perspectives, previously undiscussed details, and thoughtful analysis that challenges surface-level narratives. Expect detailed timelines, evidence discussions, family insights, and open conversation as the hosts carefully unpack what happened that spring afternoon in 1993 — and why things were not as they first appeared. Whether y…","last_synced_at":"2026-09-09T02:17:33.235330+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 9: Rumors and Whispers","slug":"episode-9-rumors-and-whispers","published_at":"2026-07-14T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947/episode-9-rumors-and-whispers","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947","url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/2fc0c4dfc7d4e9bfadd183e92eaa49d83eeee6ad532fff81dae9f3086c955bc2/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIyYmNmZDdlYy0wNjE5LTQwMmEtYmU3Ni0xN2E1ZTMzNjViZmIiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzNmNkMjRlMC02NzEzLTQwNDgtYWY1Zi1lMjdjZGQ5Y2M1ODgiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTJjZjcyNGNkZmZkMjBmNjI3OGUyYzQiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE1NWYwZmMxZWIyNDVjNjc3NmMwYmY3L3BhdWxzLXN0dWRpby1XcXFWcS1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTctMTRfXzEwLTE5LTgubXAzIn0=.mp3","audio_url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/2fc0c4dfc7d4e9bfadd183e92eaa49d83eeee6ad532fff81dae9f3086c955bc2/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIyYmNmZDdlYy0wNjE5LTQwMmEtYmU3Ni0xN2E1ZTMzNjViZmIiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIzNmNkMjRlMC02NzEzLTQwNDgtYWY1Zi1lMjdjZGQ5Y2M1ODgiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTJjZjcyNGNkZmZkMjBmNjI3OGUyYzQiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE1NWYwZmMxZWIyNDVjNjc3NmMwYmY3L3BhdWxzLXN0dWRpby1XcXFWcS1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTctMTRfXzEwLTE5LTgubXAzIn0=.mp3","summary":"In Episode 9 of Crooked Tree, Paul Day and Kristin Rich dive deep into the raw, unfiltered door-to-door canvassing notes compiled by West Memphis police during the critical first weekend after the discovery of the bodies of Christopher Byers, Stevie Branch, and Michael Moore (May 7–9, 1993). From over 700 homes visited and more than 50 tips received, the episode explores a flood of neighborhood rumors, suspicious vehicles (brown Chevys, maroon cars, white vans, red trucks), strange individuals on bikes, reports of cults and Satan worshippers in Robin Hood, gunshots ringing out around 10–11 PM, a dog barking near the pipebridge, and eerie encounters that raised red flags for residents and investigators alike. Paul and Kristin analyze the patterns, inconsistencies, and standout leads—including a resident who stood out enough for an officer to document him in detail—while noting what (and who) is conspicuously absent from the early sightings. Recorded against the emotional backdrop of Mother’s Day weekend, this episode captures the fog of war in the earliest days of the investigation.","meta_description":"In Episode 9 of Crooked Tree, Paul Day and Kristin Rich dive deep into the raw, unfiltered door-to-door canvassing notes compiled by West Memphis police d…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2926,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947/episodes/episode-9-rumors-and-whispers/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/crooked-tree-a-west-memphis-3-podcast-7844947/episode-9-rumors-and-whispers.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}