Tell Me What You Did

Content Warning: This section contains descriptions of violence (including violence against children), death, emotional abuse, stalking, and substance abuse.

Much of the confrontation between Poe and Hindley plays out during two live-streamed episodes of her popular true crime podcast. By having Poe serve as both the host and the subject of a true crime podcast, Wilson critically examines both the positive and negative consequences of true-crime media.

Poe is a largely neutral presence on her own podcast, allowing callers to speak freely about crimes they have committed. Though she disallows discussion of sexual assault and violence against animals, all other violence, including murder, is allowed. The stories are shared without the consent of the victims involved.

Wilson explores how the popularity of true crime media can assist in bringing criminals to justice. In Chapter 4, Poe notes, “my listeners have led cops to arrest three murders and one arsonist from my show” (13). Poe’s audience is relentless in tracking down criminals whose confessions evoke a strong emotional response. This fervor parallels real-world instances of podcasts assisting in solving criminal cases. For example, the podcast Your Own Backyard, hosted by Chris Lambert, covered the cold case disappearance of college student Kristin Smart.