Every episode on our network starts the same way: with a question. What actually happened? Not the version that got passed down through rumors or sensationalized by tabloids — the documented, verifiable truth.
After 18 years of investigative crime journalism and over 1,500 episodes across six shows, we've built a research process that prioritizes primary sources above everything else. Here's how it works.
Primary Sources First
We start with the original records: court documents, police reports, coroner's inquests, trial transcripts, and government archives. These aren't glamorous, but they're the foundation of accurate storytelling.
- Court records — PACER for federal cases, state-specific portals for state courts
- Newspaper archives — Newspapers.com, the Library of Congress Chronicling America collection, and local library microfilm
- FOIA requests — Freedom of Information Act requests to federal and state agencies for case files
- Census and vital records — For establishing timelines, family connections, and demographic context
The Three-Source Rule
Any factual claim in our scripts needs to be confirmed by at least three independent sources before it makes it into an episode. If we can only find one source for a critical detail, we say so on air. Listeners deserve to know where the evidence is strong and where it gets thin.
Show-Specific Standards
Different shows in our network have different verification requirements:
- Foul Play and Obscura require full factual accuracy — names, dates, locations, legal outcomes, all verified.
- Hometown History holds the same standard, plus geographic and historical context verification.
- The Haunted Bunker focuses on reporting accuracy — we verify what witnesses claimed, the documented events, and the investigation history. We don't validate or debunk the paranormal itself.
What We Won't Do
We don't cover active cases where our coverage could interfere with ongoing investigations. We don't name minors unless they've been publicly identified in court. We don't speculate about suspects who were acquitted. And we don't use crime scene photos for shock value.
The goal has always been the same: give victims' stories the rigor and respect they deserve.