Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps

Advertise on podcast: Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps

Rating
4.2
from
3405 reviews
This podcast has
190 episodes
Language
Explicit
Yes
Date created
2021/10/04
Latest episode
2026/02/11
Average duration
29 min.
Release period
6 days

Description

Crossing the Line is a true crime podcast revealing cases of the missing and murdered, told start-to-finish each week. Using the campfire storytelling style that made Paper Ghosts a #1 hit on the charts, host M. William Phelps connects deeply with families touched by violent crime - he understands them, because he is one of them. Having gone through the murder of his own pregnant sister-in-law, Phelps brings not only his personal experience, but also 20-plus years of investigative journalism into the worlds of these stories. Follow and subscribe to Crossing the Line for a weekly dose of murder, mayhem and madness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Check latest episodes from Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps podcast


EP158 - Part 2 - The Fort Worth 3: An Iconic True Crime Missing Persons Mystery ... The Letter
2026/02/11
In December 1974, three kids take off for a trip to a local Texas mall and fail to return. Known as the "Fort Worth 3," this missing person case is one of the oldest and most mysterious on record in Texas. In Part 2, I go over the timeline with the families and discuss a mysterious, strange letter that arrives the day after they go missing. For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Leave a five-star review of this show, please. ;-) Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 Apple Podcast hit PAPER GHOSTS, now in its 5th season, "The Texas Teen Murders," wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**
more
EP157 - Part 1 - The Fort Worth 3: An Iconic True Crime Missing Persons Mystery
2026/02/04
In December 1974, three kids take off for a local Fort Worth, Texas, Army-Navy store and mall and fail to return. Known as the "Fort Worth 3," this missing person case is one of the oldest and most mysterious on record. I speak to several victim family members and try to sort out fact from fiction in this Crossing the Line special trilogy of episodes. For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Leave a five-star review of this show, please. ;-) Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 Apple Podcast hit PAPER GHOSTS, now in its 5th season, "The Texas Teen Murders," wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
more
SHORT CUTS - EP12 - Norman Prater: Missing for 52 Years—A True Crime Mystery (Solved)
2026/01/31
It's January 14th, 1973. And the parents of 16-year-old Norman Prater call into the Dallas Police to report their son missing. Fifty-two years later, the answer comes with some remarkable police work, a little luck, and it is not what anyone could have ever expected.    Welcome to a bonus feature here on the Crossing the Line feed. I come across all sorts of stories while researching books, TV series, and my iHeartMedia podcast, Paper Ghosts, in addition to the ideas you send me. A lot of them grab hold of me emotionally—especially the victims' stories and the ordeal their families go through. A good number of the cases, for myriad reasons, don't fit into the model for a more complete CTL episode. So I wanted to create a sub platform to showcase some of those stories, as well. That said, thank you for supporting Crossing the Line, which has allowed me to produce this new expansion of the brand … Once or twice per month, maybe more, I'll present a 15 to 20 minute episode, covering murder and missing person cases, and other interesting crimes I think you'll want to hear about—but maybe more importantly, cases that give us a deeper understanding of the crimes and scumbags who commit them. Sign up for your free Patreon account here. Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
more
EP156 - Killer Grandma: The True Crime Community Comes Through
2026/01/28
A woman heads to a Florida beach to scatter her late husband's ashes. She meets a woman and strikes up a friendship. But then … no one can find her. Meanwhile, investigators 1200 miles north are looking into the murder of a local man—having no idea the two cases are connected. For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Leave a five-star review of this show, please. ;-) Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 Apple Podcast hit PAPER GHOSTS, now in its 5th season, "The Texas Teen Murders," wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
more
EP155 - Murder in Missoula: 'I Saw the Devil Looking Back at Me'
2026/01/21
A lovely woman, enjoying the latter stages of her life, is found dead at the bottom of her basement stairs. There is far too much blood for her to have fallen, along with a slice from ear to ear along her throat. But who could have committed such a heinous crime in what seems to be a pleasant, charming, quiet Montana town.  For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Leave a five-star review of this show, please. ;-) Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 Apple Podcast hit PAPER GHOSTS, now in its 5th season, "The Texas Teen Murders," wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
more
EP154 - The Han Family Murders—A Horrific True Crime
2026/01/14
A prominent Santa Barbara, California, family is found dead inside their home one March morning. A manhunt then gets underway for a killer, while a man proclaims he has developed an alternative energy source Big Oil is killing his friends over and looking to make him the next target.  Sign up for your free Patreon account here.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
more
EP153 – Murder is Murder, No Matter How You 'Slice' It: The Bodies in the Suitcases
2026/01/07
A woman befriends a few coworkers and decides to move in with them. They begin fighting. Animosity builds. So, she moves out. Days later, she decides to reconcile with both of them … but the conversation doesn't go as planned and two of them wind up dead, dismembered, and placed inside several suitcases aboard a train heading out of town. For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
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EP152 - A Horrific True Crime: The Bennett Family Murders
2025/12/31
A woman cannot reach her family—so she heads over to their house to check things out. What she witnesses inside is a scene straight out of a contemporary horror film. As the case moves into the investigative phase, decades pass before the evil behind it all is finally brought to justice.  Sign up for your free Patreon account here.   Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
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SHORT CUTS - EP11 - Murder in Utah: Joe and Gail Bailey
2025/12/29
You are sitting at home one night, just doing your normal thing, when someone busts through the door with a weapon and begins firing. Catching a double murderer takes all of about 15 hours to resolve, the result shocking the community and police … but not the victim's family. Welcome to a bonus feature here on the Crossing the Line feed. I come across all sorts of stories while researching books, TV series, and my iHeartMedia podcast, Paper Ghosts, in addition to the ideas you send me. A lot of them grab hold of me emotionally—especially the victims' stories and the ordeal their families go through. A good number of the cases, for myriad reasons, don't fit into the model for a more complete CTL episode. So I wanted to create a sub platform to showcase some of those stories, as well. That said, thank you for supporting Crossing the Line, which has allowed me to produce this new expansion of the brand … Once or twice per month, maybe more, I'll present a 15 to 20 minute episode, covering murder and missing person cases, and other interesting crimes I think you'll want to hear about—but maybe more importantly, cases that give us a deeper understanding of the crimes and scumbags who commit them. Sign up for your free Patreon account here. Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**
more
EP151 - A Missing Woman, No Answers, & A Crime Owl
2025/12/24
A Colorado man's mother goes missing. He spends years building up resentment and frustration with police not getting anywhere. He feels he has nowhere else to turn. So he takes matters into his own hands … and the results of what he creates could help solve thousands of cold cases all over the world. To contact Ash, learn more about CrimeOwl, or try it out for yourself, visit CrimeOwl. Sign up for your free Patreon account here, where I'll be streaming "live," sending out newsletters, dropping an exclusive limited series podcast later in 2025, and posting other content you won't get anywhere else.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
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EP150 - Sex, Lies, & Murder: Amy & David Gipe
2025/12/17
A hardworking Pennsylvania man arrives home from his second shift job one night, gets out of his vehicle, and winds up on the ground in front of his home … fighting for his life. Neighbors report hearing and seeing a dark colored SUV tearing away from the scene. As investigators begin asking questions, two candidates for the stupidest murderers of the year step forward. Sign up for your free Patreon account here, where I'll be streaming "live," sending out newsletters, dropping an exclusive limited series podcast later in 2025, and posting other content you won't get anywhere else.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
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EP149 - A Sadistic True Crime—A 32-Year-Old Cold Case Murder Solved
2025/12/10
On St. Patrick's Day, 1987, the body of 20-year-old active-duty Army Specialist Darlene Krashoc is discovered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, behind a strip mall. With over 100 suspects, the case goes cold for over three decades. But when forensic genetic genealogy enters the picture, the perpetrator cannot hide for much longer.  Sign up for your free Patreon account here, where I'll be streaming "live," sending out newsletters, dropping an exclusive limited series podcast later in 2025, and posting other content you won't get anywhere else.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**
more
EP148 - The TRUE Crime in Washington State: Tanya Marie Frazier Murder
2025/12/03
Tanya Marie Frazier, a 14-year-old Seattle girl, disappeared on July 18, 1994, after leaving summer school at Meany Middle School. Her body was found days later in a wooded ravine in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The medical examiner determined her death was a result of sharp force injuries to her neck and head, and the attack was sexually motivated. For 30 years, Tanya's family receives no answers or justice. Then … a huge break in the case exposes how the justice system let Tanya and her family down decades before the young girl was even born. Sign up for your free Patreon account here, where I'll be streaming "live," sending out newsletters, dropping an exclusive limited series podcast later in 2025, and posting other content you won't get anywhere else.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
more
EP147 - Having 'Faith' In A True Crime Murder Investigation: The Plot to Kill Jamie
2025/11/26
On the morning of October 9, 2020, in their Dallas neighborhood, Jamie Faith is shot seven times while on a routine dog walk with his wife, Jennifer. Jennifer appeared distraught and publicly appealed for the killer to come forward in the media, portraying herself as a grieving widow. The initial appearance of a random robbery gone wrong quickly unravels as investigators uncovered a complex web of deceit.  Sign up for your free Patreon account here, where I'll be streaming "live," sending out newsletters, dropping an exclusive limited series podcast later in 2025, and posting other content you won't get anywhere else.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**  
more
SHORT CUTS – Hacked to Death: An Unspeakable True Crime
2025/11/25
After neighbors and the postman stop seeing Tom Devlin around town, they ask his wife of 40 years, Laura Belle, about him. Laura is more than happy to describe exactly what happened to Tom–and the outcome is one of the more gruesome crimes the people of Newark, Ohio, will ever hear about in 1947.  Welcome to a bonus feature here on the Crossing the Line feed. I come across all sorts of stories while researching books, TV series, and my iHeartMedia podcast, Paper Ghosts, in addition to the ideas you send me. A lot of them grab hold of me emotionally—especially the victims' stories and the ordeal their families go through. A good number of the cases, for myriad reasons, don't fit into the model for a more complete CTL episode. So I wanted to create a sub platform to showcase some of those stories, as well. That said, thank you for supporting Crossing the Line, which has allowed me to produce this new expansion of the brand … Once or twice per month, maybe more, I'll present a 15 to 20 minute episode, covering murder and missing person cases, and other interesting crimes I think you'll want to hear about—but maybe more importantly, cases that give us a deeper understanding of the crimes and scumbags who commit them. Sign up for your free Patreon account here, where I'll be streaming "live," dropping an exclusive limited series podcast later in 2025, and posting other content you cannot find anywhere else. Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Health NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email [email protected]**
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Podcast reviews

Read Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps podcast reviews


4.2 out of 5
3405 reviews
Borbarigme 2026/02/14
The best there is.
If you like true crime stories, Phelps is the best out there.
Cuz49ers 2026/02/12
Thankful
Very thankful for you to go out of your way and time to look in to these cases and give the family some justice and closure
itwasntmesir45 2026/02/14
Not Guilty!!!
Karen Read is innocent and was found not guilty!! No matter how many lies this fra@d Phelps told or how many paid reviews he has bought, he now knows ...
more
Lanieworking 2026/02/12
Details
M William Phelps has a good view of the facts.
1bonn 2026/02/12
Refresh Cases
If you’ve been consuming true crime for a while, you know all the usual cases. I get the interest, but at a certain point, it just feels like watching...
more
Chwatuva 2026/02/11
Don’t believe 1 Stars
This is a really good true crime podcast. Interesting cases, good narrator/author. The bad reviews are because the author/narrator is willing to stand...
more
Sue McAleer 2026/02/11
Wonderful
The stories are reported on with compassion for the victims and their families. I like the way he presents the story. I like the questions that he ask...
more
dilouley 2026/02/04
Victim Advocate
M. William Phelps gives the details of the cases he covers in a way that centers the victims’ stories and experiences. He is a victim advocate in the ...
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Moncmerc 2026/01/29
Real Talk
Mr. Phelps speaks like we all would about the miserable people and situations he describes and sounds equally disgusted. Bravo, Phelps!
Kath Thor 2026/01/28
Love this show!
Love the no BS approach, says what we are all thinking!
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