About Murder, etc.
GREENVILLE, SC: January 31, 1975: Lt. Frank Looper was about to break the biggest case of his life. On a warm winter afternoon, the county’s top drug cop walked out to his father’s garage. In minutes, they were both dead. Investigators said it was a botched midday robbery and sent a young man, Charles Wakefield, to Death Row. More than four decades later, Looper’s family believes the wrong man went to prison.
When the case is finally recorded in the giant county ledger of arrests and convictions, the charge is listed as Murder, etc. Over several decades, a deeper investigation reveals the et cetera might be a lot more important than anyone ever admitted.
Murder, etc. stretches the true crime podcast genre beyond dirt and grit to reinvestigate the dark past of one of the South’s most celebrated cities. What begins as an attempt by a reporter to verify a story and clear his conscience becomes a decade-long journey into the Dixie Mafia, rampant corruption, and a crime-addled city known across the nation as Gun City, USA.
Our podcast equipment
Field equipment:
- Audio-Technica AT897 Shotgun Condenser Microphone
- Shure SM23 Lavalier Microphones
- Rode PG2-R Pistol Grip Shock Mount
- Movo WS160 Professional Windscreen
- Marantz Professional PMD661 MKII
- Cable Matters Premium XLR to XLR Cable
Studio equipment
About Murder, etc.’s music
Except where noted below, all of the music in Murder, etc. is written, produced, and performed by the podcast host, Brad Willis.
Vanessa Wakefield McKinney and Rev. Harry Mansell appear in Episode 4 performing “Motherless Child.”
D. Price Willis (guitar) and G.C. Willis (percussion) appear on “The Barry Bottoms.”
“Down Stout” was written by D. Price Willis. He also appears in the recording (guitar).
The Murder, etc. theme song is titled “Too Dark” but is more commonly referred to as “The Bong.”
Research resources
Murder, etc. researchers spend hours ever week researching old news stories on Newspapers.com. You can try it yourself with a free 7-day trial by clicking the banner below.