Murder 101
In a small Tennessee town, a local serial killer was caught by the most unlikely investigators: A group of high school students, led by their teacher, Alex Campbell. Throughout the course of one school semester, the class pieced together a 30-year-old mystery and identified the killer behind at least six brutal murders. Shockingly, while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations publicly agrees with their theory, no charges have been filed against the murderer. While some sleuthing students already have graduated, they, along with a fresh crop of current high schoolers, still want to finish the assignment, once and for all.
Our Editor's Take
Murder 101 is a true crime podcast that follows the case of the "Bible Belt Strangler." Host Jeff Shane narrates how a group of high schoolers identified the killer. Sociology teacher Alex Campbell tasked his class with profiling a serial killer. The passionate educator shares the story in his own words. He thought the assignment would help engage his students in the course. But, he had no idea it would lead to the identification of a murderer.
Shane is a producer for both podcasts and TV. He has worked on several reality TV shows and serves as KT Studio's vice president. He and the show's production team share this incredible story through interviews. Listeners will also hear from the killer's only surviving victim. The team even speaks with FBI analysts and prosecutors.
Murder 101 features Campbell and some of the students. The class set out to profile the culprit in a series of murders known as the "Redhead Murders." The murders occurred across the Bible Belt region between 1978 and 1992. All the victims were women with red hair, and strangulation was the murderer's modus operandi. So, Campbell's class dubbed the killer the Bible Belt Strangler.
Once the class completed the profile, they thought it seemed familiar. It was a close match to convicted killer Jerry John's profile. Police had connected John's DNA to one of the victims, but he never stood trial for the Redhead Murders. Yet, the crime he went to prison for was consistent with the other murders. Johns died in jail in 2015, so police may never declare him the Bible Belt Strangler.
Listeners interested in criminal profiling may learn fascinating insights from this story. The podcast shares the methods Campbell's students used to profile the killer. The team also aims to determine if closing the case is possible. New episodes of the Murder 101 podcast arrive every Wednesday.
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