Bear Brook
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Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. The only evidence against him? His own taped confession. More than 30 years later, is it possible to get to the truth – and who gets to tell it?
More at bearbrookpodcast.com
Available episodes
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Apr 20, 2023
A Special Announcement
Join _Bear Brook_'s Jason Moon and _Undisclosed_ host Rabia Chaudry for a live, on-stage conversation on Wednesday, May 17 at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord, New Hampshire.
The event will be moderated by NHPR's podcast director Rebecca Lavoie, who is also the host of the hit podcast _Crime Writers On_, and will be a wide-ranging conversation about the Jason Carroll case, the lines between journalism and advocacy, the ethics of true crime storytelling, why some voices in the genre get more traction in the real world, and much more.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION
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Apr 10, 2023
Episode 8: The Box
The true crime media spotlight shines on Jason Carroll. Then, a chance encounter leads to a surprising discovery that changes the course of his case.
For more on the case and to see selected data on exonerations, visit bearbrookpodcast.com. To make a donation in support of Bear Brook, click here.
To explore more data, visit The National Registry of Exonerations.
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Apr 3, 2023
Episode 7: This Side of the Line
How could someone possibly confess to murder if they didn’t do it? A modern understanding of confessions sheds new light on Jason Carroll’s case.
For more on the case and to see selected data on exonerations, visit bearbrookpodcast.com. To make a donation in support of Bear Brook, click here.
To explore more data, visit The National Registry of Exonerations.
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Mar 27, 2023
Episode 6: ‘Don’t Roll the Dice’
Jason Carroll stands trial twice – and the juries come up with their own versions of what happened.
For more on the case, visit bearbrookpodcast.com. To make a donation in support of Bear Brook, click here.
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Mar 20, 2023
Episode 5: Trial in a Trial
A new true crime story is told and when juries hear it, it leads to different results for all three defendants. During the first trial, the lead detective makes a big mistake.
For more on the case and to see a table of confession discrepancies, visit bearbrookpodcast.com. To make a donation in support of Bear Brook, click here.
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Mar 13, 2023
Episode 4: ‘Promises Have Been Made’
One set of confessions leads to another and three men are arrested for Sharon Johnson’s murder. Then, an alleged secret comes to light that changes everything.
For more on the case and to see a timeline of the interrogations, visit bearbrookpodcast.com. To make a donation in support of Bear Brook, click here.
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Mar 6, 2023
Episode 3: The Breaking Point
Police interrogate a second teenager named Jason Carroll – with help from Jason’s own mother.
For more on the case, visit bearbrookpodcast.com. To make a donation in support of Bear Brook, click here.
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Feb 27, 2023
Episode 2: The Pursuit
We begin with the story police told about Sharon Johnson’s murder. The veteran detective on the case develops a theory involving her husband and a teenager. A surprising admission leads to a new break in the case.
For more on the case and to see a timeline of Sharon's last day, visit bearbrookpodcast.com. To make a donation in support of Bear Brook, click here.
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Feb 20, 2023
Episode 1: Extraordinary
Sharon Johnson’s family and friends have spent the last 35 years coping with her brutal murder. But what if that story was based on a lie? The man imprisoned for her murder maintains his innocence.
For more on the case, visit bearbrookpodcast.com. To make a donation in support of Bear Brook, click here.
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Jan 23, 2023
Trailer: Bear Brook S2: A True Crime Story
_Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. The only evidence against him? His own taped confession. More than 30 years later, is it possible to get to the truth – and who gets to tell it?_
From the creators of the hit podcast _Bear Brook_ comes _A True Crime Story_. In the show’s second season, host Jason Moon returns with a new, even more complex story: In 1989, New Hampshire police charged three men in the murder of a pregnant woman named Sharon Johnson. But only 19-year-old Jason Carroll was convicted. Police built the case against him around his own taped confession.
For more than 30 years, that story has profoundly shaped the lives of many people. _A True Crime Story_ is about what happens when the official narrative is challenged. When alternate versions are told by lawyers – and podcasters – as part of a mounting effort to free Jason Carroll from prison and clear his name.
Host Jason Moon documents how those involved grapple with the idea that the prevailing story about who killed Sharon Johnson could be a lie. And he brings a fresh examination of the evidence to a state that has never exonerated anyone for murder.
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Jun 7, 2019
EP 7: The In-Between
A clue is found buried on an internet message board. DNA is wrestled from rootless hair. Two investigators work parallel leads, and authorities call a press conference.
Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Donate $20 today. Thanks for your support.
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Feb 13, 2019
Update: Eric Rasmussen
A son remembers his father, and searches for clues in his military paperwork. A conversation with one of Terry Rasmussen's surviving children.
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Nov 15, 2018
Update: Ripple Effects
This is the first in an unknown number of short updates to the story of the Bear Brook murders that we’ll be producing to let listeners know about any breaking news in the case.
This isn't the big news we're hoping to break - stay subscribed for another full episode of Bear Brook that we hope to bring you soon.
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Nov 7, 2018
EP 6: Chameleon
The case that was solved in reverse leaves many questions unanswered. New methods of inquiry are used to crack other cold cases. Do groundbreaking techniques come at the cost of genetic privacy?
Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Click here to donate $20. Thanks for your support.
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Oct 31, 2018
EP 5: Bloodline (PART 2)
This is part two of episode 5. A child is abandoned. Timelines come together. A family tree begins to take shape. A chameleon is revealed.
Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Click here to donate $20. Thanks for your support.
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Oct 31, 2018
EP 5: Bloodline (PART 1)
A child is abandoned. Timelines come together. A family tree begins to take shape. A chameleon is revealed.
Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Click here to donate $20. Thanks for your support.
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Oct 24, 2018
EP 4: Eunsoon Jun
An ominous New Year’s party introduction. An estranged cousin goes missing. Police question a man with multiple identities. A search leads authorities to his basement.
Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Click here to donate $20. Thanks for your support.
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Oct 17, 2018
EP 3: A Smaller Haystack
After 30 years of torpor, investigators finally inch the Bear Brook case forward. A geologist uncovers the history buried in human teeth and hair. The faces of the victims are reconstructed.
Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Click here to donate $20. Thanks for your support.
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Oct 10, 2018
EP 2: Known Only To God
The discovery of a second barrel raises questions. A stalled investigation churns back to life and then stalls again. An amateur sleuth takes Jason into the forest.
Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Click here to donate $20. Thanks for your support.
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Oct 3, 2018
EP 1: Hide and Seek
Three boys kick over a mysterious barrel in the woods. A small town cop fishes for answers. Evidence is buried, and the case goes cold.
Click here to donate $20 and get ad-free episodes of Bear Brook a week early.
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Aug 7, 2018
Bear Brook: The Trailer
Two barrels. Four bodies. And the decades-long mystery that led to a serial killer.
Bear Brook: A podcast about a cold case that's changing how murders will be investigated forever.
From New Hampshire Public Radio.
Visit bearbrookpodcast.com
Follow on Twitter: @bearbrookpod
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders? Email us.
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