It can’t possibly have escaped anyone’s attention that I’m massively into true crime podcasts at the moment. Elsewhere on the blog I’ve listed my top podcasts for those craving a slice of the macabre before bedtime, and I’ve also spotlighted a British “cold-case” (the frustratingly unresolved murder of Daniel Morgan) that has since become one of the most downloaded podcast series’ of 2016.
This week, I thought I’d highlight a new discovery that has literally left me gripped all night. I fell asleep listening to it last night, and rolled out of bed way too early this morning to finish it. It’s one of the most clever & frustrating slices of true crime journalism I’ve listened to in months, and yet the podcast hosts are the first to admit this genre isn’t their forté.
Reply All is a light-hearted weekly podcast that covers weird goings-on and hilarious finds from dark far flung corners of the internet. From the woman who discovered a Tinder profile picture that had been taken inside the apartment she shared with her ex-partner, to the weird world of breast milk markets, to the people who hunt down ISIS operatives online. Episodes drop every Wednesday and last around half an hour, with around 2 million downloads per episode.
In May this year, regular hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman turned the show over to one of their producers, Sruthi Pinnamaneni, who had unwittingly stumbled on something intriguing whilst researching the show; a blog, from a convicted murderer serving his time in Stateville maximum security prison. The blog belonged to Paul Modrowski, who was sentenced to life without parole for the accountability murder and decapitation of casual acquaintance Dean Fawcett.
Her interest was initially piqued as she wanted to discover how Paul was able to maintain a blog without access to the internet. Yet the story quickly moved beyond Modrowski’s rather eclectic blogspot blog, and became a year long fascination for Sruthi Pinnamaneni. A relationship of sorts transpired, with weekly phone calls, and even a sit-down interview about Modrowski’s case. He had always professed his innocence, claiming to have an alibi, and various affidavits to corroborate his story. Inside Out is the culmination of Pinnamaneni’s digging.
What followed was quite the departure from the usual tone of the podcast, with the Sruthi trying and occasionally succeeding to summon her inner Koenig. She was thorough in seeking out and presenting sources, held Modrowski at an arm’s length, and helpfully tossed in all she could to inspire web-sleuths to champion Modrowski’s innocence. The main protagonists are also described with a richness that brings the case to life.
Yet Modrowski is a difficult character to embrace - certainly no Adnan, and far more intelligent and capable than Avery. Somewhat stunted by social anxiety and quick to anger, Modrowski presents as depressed, stoic and querulous. Having lost all his appeals, he’s not afraid to antagonise and project his frustrations onto others, and abrasive politics also make him offensive, self-conceited and bigoted. He asserts this is a direct consequence of his autism which is also in no small way responsible for his eventual conviction (with him unable to elicit any sympathy from his jurors).
Yet his case is genuinely fascinating, and there is plenty of room for doubt over his conviction. Without giving too much away, his case is largely circumstantial with the eventual ruling based on his being complicit to the crime, rather than definitively taking part in it. His prior record, although scant, also shows a predilection for violence and organised crime.
The fallout is truly epic, with a seething Modrowski feeling let down and misrepresented, and Pinnamaneni doing an about-turn at the final hour. When you’ve finished the podcast, I recommend heading to Modrowski’s blog to read a 4-part response to Pinnamaneni that is equally scathing (and equally plausible).
The tragedy? Not only is a man sat in prison on the strength of weak accountability prosecution (similar in nature to our Joint Enterprise law here in the UK), his self-confessed accomplice is now in a relationship, looking “dapper” & financially comfortable, and has the gall to sit in his SUV with his girlfriend dolling out interviews to press. How is this at all fair?
I can’t comment on Modrowski’s innocence and do feel he goes to considerable effort to distance himself (and even excuse) a juvenile career of delinquency - yet he was not on trial for carrying a chip on his shoulder at high school (he said of his youth “I would rather be feared than loved” an ideology that would result in him lunging at a fellow student with a butterfly knife and scarring him for life), rather at 20 years-old, he stood accused and convicted of assisting in the killing, mutilating and decapitating of an associate - that is quite some leap to make.
Pinnamaneni is the first to admit his trial was deeply compromised by his legal representatives who effectively overlooked the accountability issue, in fact, they positively gifted it. The trial judge himself has also admitted that prior knowledge of Modrowski’s autism might have impacted on his sentencing hearing - even if this was simply to tame down his language in his ruling.
Finally, his lawyers not allowing Modrowski to present his alibi, or take the stand himself is positively outrageous, and (if true) could have warranted a claim for ineffective assistance of counsel at the very least. It’s innocent until proven guilty, so Modrowski has the right to present a full defence, and the prosecution cannot simply getaway with casually scattering seeds of doubt without even planting them. The DA working on the case was interviewed for the podcast & provided perhaps the most memorable quote - “the absence of physical evidence is the most compelling evidence” (Jim McKay) - this would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious.
I don’t know where the case will go from here. Modrowski’s new attorney, Jennifer Blagg, appeared almost jubilant over some of Pinnamaneni’s research (things she no doubt might have discovered herself had she simply asked her client) and I understand that he’s currently working on his sixth clemency petition as well as seeking out a post-conviction appeal through legal counsel and the University of Illinois Innocence Projects. I would hope he is successful in appearing before a new jury - I can’t help but think Modrowski is carrying the entire criminal burden of a pathetic few.
Check out Reply All on iTunes, Stitcher and other podcast platforms, or head to the website to find out more.
Modrowski’s blog is HERE.
Let me know what you make of it.
