One of the fastest growing and rabid fanbases out there is for a podcast called Serial. Over the course of a single season, host and producer Sarah Koenig explores a different aspect of one true crime story each week. It’s a true detective tale as Koenig tries to determine the guilt or innocence of a man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend 15 years ago by poring over timelines, witness accounts, cell phone records, and how the case was handled by the lawyers and police. Basically it’s what the first season of The Killing should’ve been instead of incredibly boring, melodramatic, and filled with needless tangents and uninteresting characters.
It is such an engaging and addictive story that it has spawned its own Slate spoiler podcast along with its own subreddit, both ostensibly dedicated to combing through the evidence and discussing how impactful Koenig’s show is while focusing on what is essentially one small town murder story. It’s from /r/serialpodcast that some fans have produced theories on the case, heated discussion about the central figure’s guilt, and even detailed maps of the incidents described on the show. For many, this is just weird ephemera—but for addicted listeners of the podcast, this just adds to an ever increasing fascination with this tale.
One redditor, Swiley1983, even went so far as to replicate the drive from the alleged murder site to the dumping grounds of the corpse. Koenig and her staff did similar work in the episode five, “Route Talk,” and even provided maps of the area (including those created by the key witness) along with the cell phone call log that acts as a sort of timeline for the day’s occurrence. But with Swiley1983’s video, listeners get a chance to actually see this area of Maryland where everything took place. The video displays the quaint suburban elements of forests and strip malls that belie a march darker story, like something from the work of David Lynch. It is certainly a fairly dry video, but for those who can’t get enough about this case, it’s just another piece in an ever unfolding story that has gripped so many.