Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Halpern reveals webs of deception and dark underworlds, through interviews with federal agents and convicted criminals.
Deep Cover: The Family Man: Elise and Marissa grew up in a seemingly normal house in the suburbs of St. Louis, but it was a house built on secrets. There were things their father never told them—like how he really made his money. One night, the police showed up, raided their house, and seized boxes of evidence. Hours later, the sisters turned on the TV and saw something surreal: their father’s car, in the aftermath of a police chase. The local news identified him as “The Boonie Hat Bandit.” The girls were stunned. They struggled to accept the truth: Dad had been living a double life. How long had he been lying to them? What had he done? And who, exactly, was their father? Deep Cover: The Family Man is a story about the way parents deceive their children and the crimes a desperate father will commit to save his family. It’s also a story about justice—and the question of what punishment these crimes deserve.
Deep Cover Presents: Snowball. A special limited series from the Unravel Podcast team at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Ollie Wards' family lost everything after their brush with a charming Californian con woman. As he embarks on a quest to find out how she did it, why she did it, and where she is now, he opens the door on a mystery that spans decades and across continents.
In the sixth season of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah, Jake Halpern and acclaimed investigative journalist Jess McHugh unravel an epic six-year deception that upended lives of countless people. Sarah Cavanaugh was many things: A decorated veteran. A Marine who saved her comrades. A young woman fighting cancer. She was stoic, humble, tough. In short: a hero. Sarah was everything people wanted her to be—until she wasn’t. Turns out, no one knew the real Sarah. Not her comrades. Not her wife. No one. Jake and Jess interview all of the key sources—including Sarah, herself—to tell this sprawling tale.
Season five covers the rise and fall of George Santos, the former Republican Congressman from New York, and the stories—many of which were not true—he told about his life and credentials.
Season four, The Nameless Man, tells the epic tale of two federal agents who investigate a rumor about a murder that supposedly took place 15 years prior. It is also the story of a family searching for answers about why their brother was killed. These two storylines collide in a courtroom in Philadelphia, where murder, memory, and morality go on trial.
Season three, Never Seen Again, tells the story of two women living on opposite sides of the country, who went missing in the summer of 1999. Seven years later, their stories collided when a small town detective got a tip and became convinced that if he could solve one mystery, he’d solve the other.
Season two, Mob Land, is about a high-rolling lawyer who joins forces with the feds to try to bring down one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the country.
Season one, The Drug Wars, tells the story of an FBI agent who goes undercover with a biker gang, and follows a trail of clues that eventually leads to the US invasion of a foreign country.
Deep Cover drops on Mondays. To hear episodes early and ad-free, subscribe to Pushkin+ in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.
iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
"Here it is. The Holy Grail."
John Reznikoff makes his living spotting fakes. So when his close friend, a polished Navy war hero, turned up hundreds of secret documents tying John F. Kennedy to Marilyn Monroe -- a storied affair that had never been confirmed in hard evidence -- John knew he had his work cut out for him. He checked them with the best experts in the field. All of whom said they were real. The papers sold for millions, a Pulitzer winner wrote them into a book, and John thought he’d made the find of his life. Then one day it all came apart.
Jake Halpern’s story about Reznikoff originally aired on This American Life in 2011.
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What happens when you learn your family is not your own?
In 1951, Mary Kaye Miller gave birth to a baby girl. But when she brought the infant home, she suspected something was wrong. 43 years later, she broke the news: her baby had been switched at the hospital. And the girl she'd raised actually belonged to a family living just a few towns away.
Deep Cover host Jake Halpern first reported this story for This American Life in 2008. Ira Glass calls it one of the best episodes they've ever done. In it, both families and their daughters grapple with the fallout of this long held secret.
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When Keith Giammanco started robbing banks in 2007, he sought to minimize his legal risk. Keith says he never carried a weapon, and he confessed to the authorities the same day he was arrested. But, ultimately, he faced two prosecutions - federal and state. And he served nearly two decades in prison.
Jake sits down with legal scholar James Forman, Jr. to unpack how this all unfolded, why a lawyer never tries to "manifest success,” and what justice looks like in a case like this.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"Here it is. The Holy Grail."
John Reznikoff makes his living spotting fakes. So when his close friend, a polished Navy war hero, turned up hundreds of secret documents tying John F. Kennedy to Marilyn Monroe -- a storied affair that had never been confirmed in hard evidence -- John knew he had his work cut out for him. He checked them with the best experts in the field. All of whom said they were real. The papers sold for millions, a Pulitzer winner wrote them into a book, and John thought he’d made the find of his life. Then one day it all came apart.
Jake Halpern’s story about Reznikoff originally aired on This American Life in 2011.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What happens when you learn your family is not your own?
In 1951, Mary Kaye Miller gave birth to a baby girl. But when she brought the infant home, she suspected something was wrong. 43 years later, she broke the news: her baby had been switched at the hospital. And the girl she'd raised actually belonged to a family living just a few towns away.
Deep Cover host Jake Halpern first reported this story for This American Life in 2008. Ira Glass calls it one of the best episodes they've ever done. In it, both families and their daughters grapple with the fallout of this long held secret.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When Keith Giammanco started robbing banks in 2007, he sought to minimize his legal risk. Keith says he never carried a weapon, and he confessed to the authorities the same day he was arrested. But, ultimately, he faced two prosecutions - federal and state. And he served nearly two decades in prison.
Jake sits down with legal scholar James Forman, Jr. to unpack how this all unfolded, why a lawyer never tries to "manifest success,” and what justice looks like in a case like this.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mike Walton was shocked to learn his lifelong friend, Keith, had been living a double life as the Boonie Hat Bandit. He’d seen reports about the serial bank robber on the news, but never recognized him. Jake speaks with Mike about their friendship and why, sometimes, it’s hard to see the thing right in front of you.
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Keith’s daughters, Elise and Marissa, face new trials on their own while Keith serves his time. After decades in custody, Keith nears his release date, and the Giammanco family grapples with the past and the choices they’ve made.
To learn more about Keith’s story, check out Bank Notes Revisited, co-written with Caroline Giammanco.
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Federal and county prosecutors all want to hold Keith accountable for his crimes. Against the advice of his counsel, Keith takes his case to trial, hoping a jury will show him and his family some mercy. In the courtroom, his victims tell their side of the story.
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.
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Keith’s arrest makes national news, forcing Elise and Marissa to defend their dad to the world. Their mother makes a surprise reappearance, moving in and bringing new troubles along with her.
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.
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The Boonie Hat Bandit robs a 12th bank. And things don’t go according to his plan. His teenage daughters, Elise and Marissa, are left to pick up the pieces. They wonder: how had he managed such an elaborate deception? And what’s going to happen to their family now?
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.
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In 2008, Keith Giammanco, also known as the Boonie Hat Bandit, went on a crime spree. Today, he lives in a remote cabin somewhere in the Ozarks. What choices led him here? And what was the original gamble that set it all in motion?
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.
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One night in 2008, Elise and Marissa Giammanco were home, wondering where their dad was and why he hadn’t answered any of their texts. Then the police showed up. Suddenly, the seventeen-year-old twins had to question everything they thought they knew about their father.
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.
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Every family has its secrets. On the new season of Deep Cover, Jake Halpern tells the story of the crimes one man committed in the name of fatherhood–and what happened when his daughters discovered he was living a double life.
New episodes drop May 18. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.
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Jake sits down with his Season 6 co-host Jess McHugh at WBUR CitySpace for a live conversation. They discuss the value of trust, share some never-before-heard tape, and give an update on what’s happened with Sarah since our season ended.
If you’d like to support Patrol Base Abbate (https://www.pbabbate.org), follow this link: https://donate.pbabbate.org/give/373840/#!/donation/checkout.
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Last week, President Trump commuted George Santos’ prison sentence — a decision that’s prompted both surprise and reflection. Producer Amy Gaines McQuade walks Jake Halpern through the news and checks back in with people who knew Santos to hear their reactions.
For more on Mark’s reporting on George Santos, check out his book: The Fabulist - The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing and Very American Legend of George Santos.
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If you've ever wondered what goes into making an episode of Deep Cover, now's your chance. Join Jake Halpern and Jess McHugh for a live bonus taping of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah at WBUR's Boston CitySpace on December 19. Listen to never-before-heard recordings from interviews, go behind-the-scenes on Jake and Jess' reporting and storytelling process.
Find more details and tickets here: https://www.wbur.org/events/1046207/deep-cover-the-truth-about-sarah-live
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Rosemarie Coffey helped Sarah Cavanaugh for years. As a community support specialist, her services were paid for by the Wounded Warrior Project. Rosemarie spent countless hours inside Sarah’s home. We wondered - what did Rosemarie see? And what did she learn when Sarah’s lies were exposed?
Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus
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Seth Cole believed Sarah Cavanaugh was a wounded veteran, seeking healing through creative outlets. He believed her, in part, because that was his reality.
Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus
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As the walls close in, Sarah finds herself alone—abandoned by friends, facing federal charges, and scrambling for a defense. She hires a lawyer, a fellow veteran, to make her case; but the evidence is overwhelming. In our series finale, Jake and Jess return to Sarah for a long, final conversation—seeking answers to the question that still haunts everyone: Why did she do it?
Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus
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One overlooked detail in Sarah’s story: she was married. Her wife, Nicole, never spoke to the press or the feds. She remained a mystery—until now.
Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus
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A former Marine and media personality asks questions and publicly challenges Sarah Cavanaugh’s credentials. Behind the scenes, law enforcement is already investigating Sarah; but the surge of media attention forces their hand. Fearing she might destroy evidence, federal agents move quickly to search Sarah’s home.
Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus
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Jess and Jake speak with Sarah and learn about her past life. As a social worker, she really knew how to listen to people. But when Jake and Jess interview two of Sarah's former friends, a darker picture emerges.
Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus
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In her home state of Rhode Island, Sarah builds her reputation as a celebrated war hero. But as her public profile grows, so do the quiet doubts.
Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus
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A mysterious handwritten letter arrives from Sarah Cavanaugh. In it, she asks: What do you think of my crime?
Get early, ad-free access to more episodes of Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus
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Sarah was everything people wanted her to be—until she wasn’t.
Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah is available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.
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Amy Gaines McQuade sits down with GOP donor and former Santos supporter Cathy Soref. Then Amy and Jake Halpern discuss some of the most serious charges that George Santos faced, and pled guilty to in federal court.
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George Santos pleaded guilty in federal court this week. Amy Gaines McQuade was in the courtroom. Amy and Jake discuss the proceeding and where things go from here.
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George Santos takes office. His communications director, Naysa Woomer, walks us through her five months with Congressman Santos as she tries to manage the chaos and sort fact from fiction. Author Mark Chiusano unpacks some of the most complicated allegations surrounding Santos’ personal narrative.
For more on Mark’s reporting on George Santos, check out his book: The Fabulist - The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing and Very American Legend of George Santos.
For more on how 9/11 has impacted first responders, and those who lived around Ground Zero, listen to Amy Gaines McQuade’s Frontline Dispatch episode: “The Weight of Dust.”
Note: George Santos is now expected to plead guilty, as first reported by Talking Points Memo.
This is a developing story. We will update listeners as more information becomes available.
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George Santos runs for Congress and wins. Then the stories he told on the campaign trail start to fall apart. Semafor’s Kadia Goba wants to figure out where his money is coming from. Saurav Ghosh, of the Campaign Legal Center, finds the Santos filings suspicious. As Santos’ criminal trial approaches, Producer Amy Gaines McQuade walks Jake Halpern through the moment when the cracks began to show.
Note: George Santos is now expected to plead guilty, as first reported by Talking Points Memo.
This is a developing story. We will update listeners as more information becomes available.
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George Santos, the former Republican Congressman from New York, told a lot of stories about his life and his credentials. Many of which, it turns out, were not true. And now–in just a few weeks–Santos is scheduled to face a criminal trial.
Deep Cover Producer Amy Gaines McQuade, who grew up in Santos’ congressional district, speaks with insiders and experts to try to answer the question: Who is George Santos… really?
Welcome to Deep Cover: George Santos. Coming August 19th
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Jake Halpern speaks with Jerri Williams, former FBI agent and host of the podcast, FBI Retired Case File Review about the case at the center of our series, The Nameless Man. Then, Beth Wilson Devlin, a founding partner at Edge Litigation Consulting, joins the show to analyze the verdict and discuss what prosecutors and defense attorneys look for when choosing a jury.
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Jake Halpern speaks with James Forman Jr., story consultant on Deep Cover’s fourth season, The Nameless Man. James Forman Jr. is the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School, and the author of Locking Up Our Own. We recommend listening to this episode after you’ve heard the whole series.
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Our season finale. What the jury decided and how the verdict sits with the federal agents, jurors, and Wood family today.
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An assistant prosecutor in Philadelphia prepares the case to be heard by a grand jury. Is there enough evidence to make an arrest, and bring the case to trial?
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After nearly 20 years with no answers, the Wood family learns that police are investigating a new lead in Aaron’s death.
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The alleged accomplice confesses. Investigators try to piece together who the victim might be from the scant details he remembers.
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How do you solve a murder case when you don’t know who the victim is?
Deep Cover: The Nameless Man launches April 22, with new episodes weekly. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the whole season at once. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus.
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In 2022, we released a series called Camouflage Bias that told the story of Ronnie Carrasquillo– a man who was loosely connected to a trial we covered in Deep Cover Season Two: Mob Land. At 18 years old, Ronnie was sentenced to 200-600 years in prison for the murder of a police officer. Today, we’re releasing this special episode with an update on Ronnie’s case, because after being incarcerated for nearly 50 years, there is some big news.
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This episode originally ran in 2022. We’re rereleasing it today along with an update on Ronnie’s story.
2022. After Ronnie Carrasquillo exhausts his appeals, he faces the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. But it seems each time Ronnie comes up for parole, he can’t escape the notoriety of his past. For a transcript of this episode, click here.
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This episode originally ran in 2022. We’re rereleasing it today along with an update on Ronnie’s story.
1978. A few months after the Aleman trial wraps up, the presiding judge, Frank Wilson, sentences a young man named Ronnie Carrasquillo to 200-600 years in prison for murder. But Ronnie’s lawyer claims there’s much more to the story. For a transcript of this episode, click here.
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In July of 1999, a young woman named Brooke Henson went missing from Travelers Rest, South Carolina. In this follow up episode to Deep Cover: Never Seen Again, Jake Halpern talks to Ben Ford, the chief of police in Travelers Rest about what we know and don’t know about her case, as the search continues.
If you have any new information at all that might be helpful, please contact him at ford@trpolice.com.
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In this special episode of Deep Cover, recorded live at Littlefield in Brooklyn, host Jake Halpern and his friend and fellow journalist Emily Bazelon (of New York Times Magazine and Political Gabfest) talk all things crime reporting. They talk about the ways female offenders have been portrayed in the media, the complicated ethics of telling these stories, and Jake gives the inside scoop on season three: “Never Seen Again.”
For more about Emily’s reporting on Noura Jackson’s case, check out her New York Times Magazine article and her book Charged.
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Esther's past catches up with her, as investigators in South Carolina seek answers about what happened to Brooke Henson. In our season finale, we bring you the latest details on the fates of both women.
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Esther’s sister has been looking for her for nearly a decade without any luck. A US Marshal is brought in to track Esther down. One of them will eventually find her.
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear all of Deep Cover Season 3 right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus using this link: bit.ly/3HeCERO.
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When Esther flees New York, she inadvertently ignites a media firestorm. Reporters and TV producers rush to tell the story of the Ivy League imposter: the so-called “brazen brunette beauty” and “klepto brainiac.” Unaware of the media circus, Esther holes up in motels across the country – until the story catches up with her.
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear all of Deep Cover Season 3 right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus using this link: bit.ly/3HeCERO.
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A woman named Esther Reed has been living in New York, but attending college under a different identity: Brooke Henson. When the NYPD tries to learn more, she flees. In this episode, Esther starts to tell her side of the story – and why she is on the run.
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear all of Deep Cover Season 3 right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus using this link: bit.ly/3HeCERO.
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Detective Jon Campbell wants more information about the woman – at Columbia University – claiming to be Brooke Henson. He enlists the help of the Secret Service to get his hands on a treasure trove of documents. More leads, more aliases, more clues. Who is this mystery woman?
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear all of Deep Cover Season 3 right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus using this link: bit.ly/3HeCERO.
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Brooke Henson disappears from her home in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. No one can find her. She’s presumed dead. Then, seven years later, police receive a startling tip.
Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear all of Deep Cover Season 3 right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus using this link: bit.ly/3HeCERO.
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A small town detective gets a tip that leads him on an epic search. He believes he's uncovered an imposter. A fraud. A highly-trained chameleon. A foreign spy. The federal government gets involved. A nationwide manhunt commences. No one can find her. Now, she's telling her story to Jake Halpern for Deep Cover Season 3: Never Seen Again.
Deep Cover Season 3: Never Seen Again, launches January 30th with new episodes weekly. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the whole season at once. Find Pushkin+ on the Deep Cover showpage in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm./plus.
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2022. After Ronnie Carrasquillo exhausts his appeals, he faces the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. But it seems each time Ronnie comes up for parole, he can’t escape the notoriety of his past.
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