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For this podcast they get their sources directly from the people involved with this case. For example they get the interregations with pam from the police since it's public material. Also by getting their sources directly from the people involved they themselves interview those people like Joel and Russ and even had an encounter with Pam.

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In the first episode it's talking about a man who got accused for the murder of his wife and they had good evidence of it. It also provides background of their life. It looks like they're leading up to a big story. They also end it in a cliff hanger with them talking about a new suspect in the case.

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It seems to be a investigative reporting format with the way they use research and also the topics about a crime.

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The reason I chose this podcast is because it stood out to me. The length of the podcast episodes are short, also because its a true crime podcast.

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This episode starts recalling all of the main details from the last episode and leaves us right where we left off with there being a new suspect in the case.

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For the first time we hear about what people had to say about Betsy's husband who was the prime suspect

-At first there were warm memories about Russ saying that he was a sweet guy who could never do such a thing

-Later there would be people speaking up to say that he was "A Pig", "Rude", " A guys guy".

- Some said that there was an anger in him that he could hide.

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-Russ was arrested December 2011 and pleaded not guilty
-First murder trial judge has ever dealt with
-First murder trial prosecutor has ever dealt with

-Initially Betsy's familty did not believe that Russ killed Betsy but were later convinced that he did it.

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Here are what some people had to say about the couples past

-There was an occasion where Pam got a phone call from Betsy's kid where Russ seemed very out of it and Mary had to call the police.

-Betsy's mom recalls a time where Russ said that he were in a fight he would "fight to kill"

-He would sometimes put a pillow over her face as a game where russ said "this is how its gonna feel like when yo died" according to Pam

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There are other videos and I'm sure there are other podcasts that talk about this case but I mostly saw that there were hour long Youtube videos about people discussing this case. They pretty much use the same. Although people have different opinions and everything, they pretty much say the same things about these sources.

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There was blood on Russ's slippers

There was blood in the kitchen

S*men found in Betsy the night of the murder

Blood on lightswitch in the closet where the slippers were found

According to Russ's lawyer this was all staged, also with the "Pillow Game" he talked to Betsy's mother and she said that if something like that actually happened she believes Betsy would've told her

Russ's cellphone tracking data aligned with his story

The prosecutor makes her argument which was a huge wild story saying that this had been planned for years and he had the help of his friends

Judge would not let Joel (Russ's lawyer) to question.... Pam

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While trying to use Betsy's life insurance money to cover the costs of the funeral they found it gone. Pam had gotten one of the policys to $150,000. 4 Days before the murder the beneficary for the life insuarnce policys was switched from Russ's name to Pams name. Both women (Pam and Betsy) had worked for insurance for years and got it notarized at a library. Pam claims that Betsy gave the money to her so that she could help her daughters when they needed it and that Russ wouldn't use it responsibly. For some reason nobody questioned anything. Pam kept the money for herself and refused to cover the costs of the funeral saying that Russ should pay for it. $100,000 went to a trust for Betsy's daughters and the rest went to a struggling family Pam knew.

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Guilty, First degree murder, and life in prison

20 days after Russ was convicted, the trust Pam had opened for Betsys kids was drained.

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I feel like everything information wise could be left in the episode but one thing that could be shortend is the narrator talking to himself. I can see how it can be helpful to have a narrator for the purposes of telling the story and keeping the flow together. I just feel like he talks a lot.

Additional questions:

How does Russ feel during all of this? Yes we do hear a lot about him but we don't hear from him

Where are the daughters during all of this?

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So far the episode starts with silence (0:00) while a recording of the interrogation of pam starts and a man states his name, date, and what they're there for.

(0:43) when the narrator starts talking suspensful music starts playing

With sound and production, nothing is carried over from the last episode. It just starts as another episode.

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We open up with Pam in an investigation room in front of the lawyers of Betsy's Daughters.

(1:20) We hear Pam being sworn to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.

(1:34) A man is heard saying "You recall at that time that Betsy told you that she wanted her kids to have the money from the life insuarance policy" with Pam saying "I do not recall that, no."

So far they have the audio from the interrogation as the topic and they're breaking it down little by little while the narrator evaulates whats being said there compared to earlier on

(1:50) We get another audio clip of Pam talking saying that Betsy wanted her to give her daughters "some money" when they got older.

(2:20) They rewind the question asked earlier so they could bring up the trust fund

Another thing to point out is the music is still playing throughout all of this even during the audio clips of the interrogation which gives the feel of a documentary.

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(3:00) Pam states that she had revoked the trust entirely last friday during the time of the interview

We find out that the money was actually taken out right after Russ was convicted

She said that she closed it due to her feelings being hurt after some things were said about her.

Joel heard about all of this and said "Manna from Heaven, the break he had been waiting for."

(4:04 The music that we've had since the beginning stops and the narrator introduces himself and the podcast so from that I see that that was just the introduction to this episode.)

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After the introduction there has been no music involved and it's just the narrator talking with some bits of Joel talking.

Joel felt that with this new evidence Russ could get another trial. Another second chance at freedom.

(4:57) The narrator states "In this episode we're going to dig into all that evidence" while he saying that new suspensful music thats slightly eerie starts playing. Introducing a new segment of the episode.

(6:00) We hear Pam trying to explain herself, also shes talking about the last phone call she had with Betsy

Through phone records at 7:20PM Pam called Betsys phone which raised eyebrows but Pam claimed that it was only to let Betsy know that she was home safe. But police say that with the timing of the call and of when she left it would've been impossible for her to already be home since it was a 30 minute trip. Cell tower data showed that she was no more than 3 miles away from the house or at the house. Around the time Betsy was stabbed to death.

After this the music stops and it cuts to ads.

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After ads it comes back to the Narrator with no music at all also with Joel.

Then the Narrator brings up something, the investagator giving Pam some advice and as that happens even more suspensful/eerie music starts playing beginning the next segment.

(9:00) We hear the investagator telling Pam to open up the trust as soon as possible go keep eyes off of her

(10:10) As narrator says "Who is Pam?" the music starts to go away. Im assuming that this is leading onto the next topic

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(10:10) A lady by the name Jenette introduces herself and talks about an article she had written about Pam

She wrote a whole article about Pam even going back to her childhood.

We hear about Pam getting pregnant her senior year having to get married which didn't last long, later she'd marry Mark Hop. Which is around the time she met Betsy at State Farms Insuarance. Apparently she got more closer with Betsy when she got diagnosed with cancer which seemed out of character for her. She had an unknown charm that made people like her including the police and procecutor.

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Joel finally got a hearing from a new judge named steven. The hearing lasting an hour. During all of this there is hopeful ish music playing in the background.

The judge comes back and says that Joel is right, the motion is granted, and the music gets happier. After that he went to go talk to Russ who was very happy to hear the good news.

It goes quiet and the Narrator tells us that the pictures taken of the kitchen where there was a blood trail was actually never there and the errie music starts to play again. Joel claims that the officer knew what he was doing so that the "evidence" would support their claim.

Now Russ was released and he would get a second trial. The Narrator introduces something else saying nobody would've guessed Pam's next move and the usual suspense music plays. They talk about a recording Pam had talking about Betsy. Saying that she was close with Betsy and that she replaced "what her husband would be" Showing that that Pam and Betsy were more than just friends, they were lovers?! The episode would end here.

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The sound had a big play in this episode. Everytime a song played I felt more interested or even scared when the more eerie songs were playing. It helps with shock factor in the story. Without the music the story wouldn't be as interestingor feel interesting. The music drives listeners more into the story.

Overall I am interested in this podcast serious as a whole and I've thought about it even when I'm not listening! I even told the lady who cut my hair about it.

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This episode opens with scary eerie music and an audio clip between the narrator and Russ when he was first convicted for Betsy's murder. The episode ends with Russ being free and us getting news that Pam had shot somebody. Also Pam left court saying to the Deadline crew "Say Hi to Cathy" wink wink.

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So the narrator talks with Russ alone. One thing that the narrator noticed was Russ not being mad or bitter. Russ's time of events NEVER changed even in different circumstances. He seems hopeful for the posibility of being free.

Joel believes theres nothing Russ can say that'll hurt him.

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Around (5:00) this song starts playing and I've noticed that this specific song is played in each episode. It's a signature piece of music that has the audience associate with the series as a whole. It's like a theme song.

A common thread I see is a specific group of people that we usually hear from in every episode. That being Joel, the narrator, and the producer. It sort of gives us the feeling of main characters that we expect to hear from.

I also see a common structure that they use where they first introduce evidence or reveal an audio clip and then talk about it and dig into the given information. Usually followed with music depending on the information and the mood it gives.

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Pam is arrested for the murder of a man. She tried framing him by saying he was breaking in to her house and ended up shooting him. She also tried killing herself in the police department place with a pen. They noticed that the places she striked were similar to the stab wounds Betsy had. Also she possibly murdered her mother for life insuarance money.

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There is a tv show thats from the same company that made this podcast series. It uses the same narrator from the podcast. It's one full season with 6 episodes with each episode being about 43 minutes each.

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For me the show doesn't enhance the podcast experience. It was just boring to me compared to the podcast. One thing that I noticed about the show is it being a comedy which is kinda insensitive to the family and Russ.