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City of Lights

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by Willy Nast

5.0(5 reviews)
7 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview

City of Lights is a true crime podcast about real life after the crime. In 2002, in the city of Aurora, Illinois, an 18-year-old named Jeff Signorelli was killed in a completely random act of violence. His murder remains unsolved. In the years following Jeff's murder, his parents Al and Mary Ann led efforts to make Aurora a safer place. But those efforts often put them at odds with leaders in Aurora, including the mayor and chief of police. As the investigation into Jeff's murder grew cold, their grief was amplified by a growing frustration. Host Willy Nast (born and raised in Aurora) examines the lives of Al, Mary Ann, and others in Aurora who were affected by Jeff's murder. Instead of asking "whodunnit?" or "how?" or "why?," the question he seeks to answer is "what now?" All six episodes of City of Lights drop on February 4th, 2026.

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Publishing Since

1/6/2026

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Recent Episodes

Episode thumbnail for What Now? | 6

February 4, 2026

What Now? | 6

<p>In a final interview with Al and Mary Ann, Willy aims to answer unresolved questions.</p> <p>CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains a description of suicide (from a work of fiction). This begins at 6 minutes 30 seconds and ends at 7 minutes.</p> <p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/WillyNast" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">DONATE</a>: If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3.</p> <p><a href="mailto:wn@willynast.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">CONTACT</a>: Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com</p> <p>Key figures in this episode:</p> <p>Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved.</p> <p>Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother. Third-generation native of Aurora, IL. Has been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora. </p> <p>Al Signorelli: Jeff's father. Born and raised in Chicago. Long-time resident of Aurora, IL. Ran for the open seat of alderman-at-large on Aurora City Council in 2003. Has also been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora.</p> <p>Janet Malcolm (1934-2021): Journalist and writer at The New Yorker. Author of the 1990 book The Journalist and the Murderer.</p> <p>Truman Capote (1924-1984): Novelist and non-fiction writer. Author of the 1966 book In Cold Blood, about the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas.</p> <p>Karie Gray: Former officer at the APD for about a decade in the early 2000s. As a police cadet, she helped collect evidence at the scene of Jeff's murder. Was also a friend of Jeff's.</p> <p>Tori Telfer: True crime writer and podcaster. Creator and host of the Criminal Broads podcast. College friend of Willy's.</p> <p>Neal Ormond: Long-time resident of Aurora, IL. Attended Freeman Elementary on the city's west side in the 1940s and 50s.</p> <p>Faith Greising: Teacher at Freeman Elementary school in Aurora for more than twenty years.</p> <p>Scott Sherwood: Art conservator who lives and works in Aurora.</p> <p>Music courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions.</p> <p>Chapters:</p> <p>(00:00:00) Previously</p> <p>(00:01:18) Easy Way Out</p> <p>(00:08:09) Morally Indefensible</p> <p>(00:21:34) Have You Ever Listened to a Podcast?</p> <p>(00:35:58) Final Questions</p> <p>(00:45:42) More Toxic on the Inside</p> <p>(00:57:10) Microfilm Detective</p> <p>(01:11:24) Credits</p>

Episode thumbnail for Aurora Kids | 5

February 4, 2026

Aurora Kids | 5

<p>Al and Mary Ann drive to the hospital to find Jeff.</p> <p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/WillyNast" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">DONATE</a>: If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3.</p> <p><a href="mailto:wn@willynast.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">CONTACT</a>: Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com</p> <p>Key figures in this episode:</p> <p>Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved.</p> <p>Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother. Third-generation native of Aurora, IL. Has been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora. </p> <p>Al Signorelli: Jeff's father. Born and raised in Chicago. Long-time resident of Aurora, IL. Ran for the open seat of alderman-at-large on Aurora City Council in 2003. Has also been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora.</p> <p>Kathy Deakin: EMT and Counselor who moved to Aurora in the early 2000s and spent several years laying the groundwork for a victim services program.</p> <p>Bill Lawler: Long-time officer in the Aurora Police Department who became the Chief of Police in 2002, a few weeks after Jeff's murder.</p> <p>Tom Weisner: Mayor of Aurora following David Stover, from 2007-2016. Died in 2018.</p> <p>Joanne Furnas: Senior staff member at the Association of Individual Development. Supervised CeaseFire Aurora when AID became the host organization.</p> <p>AID: Association for Individual Development. Long-established non-profit organization in Aurora whose primary mission was to support individuals with developmental, intellectual, physical, and mental health challenges. Became the host organization for CeaseFire Aurora after God's Gym dropped out of their agreement with CeaseFire.</p> <p>Mutual Gound: Social services agency in Aurora that served victims of domestic abuse. Kathy Deakin hoped to house Aurora's Victim Services program here if it couldn't be housed within the APD.</p> <p>Music courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions.</p> <p>Chapters:</p> <p>(00:00:00) Previously</p> <p>(00:01:01) Walking in a Coma</p> <p>(00:18:33) Stop All the Clocks</p> <p>(00:34:06) Red</p> <p>(01:01:14) Credits</p>

Episode thumbnail for A Seat at the Table | 4

February 4, 2026

A Seat at the Table | 4

<p>A promising anti-violence program comes to Aurora. Mary Ann makes moves to keep it from falling apart.</p> <p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/WillyNast" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">DONATE</a>: If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3.</p> <p><a href="mailto:wn@willynast.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">CONTACT</a>: Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com</p> <p>Key figures in this episode:</p> <p>Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved.</p> <p>Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother. Third-generation native of Aurora, IL. Has been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora. Did research on CeaseFire and explored avenues to bring it to Aurora.</p> <p>Al Signorelli: Jeff's father. Born and raised in Chicago. Long-time resident of Aurora, IL. Ran for the open seat of alderman-at-large on Aurora City Council in 2003. Has also been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora.</p> <p>Linda Chapa LaVia: Aurora's State Representative in the Illinois House from 2003-2019. Originally won this seat in a major upset over Republican Bob O'Connor. Helped get state funding for CeaseFire Aurora.</p> <p>Bob O'Connor: Long-time member of Aurora City Council. Ran against Linda Chapa LaVia for the open seat in the IL House in 2002.</p> <p>David Stover: Chief of the Aurora Police Department from 1991-1996, then Mayor of Aurora from 1997-2005. Born and raised in Aurora. Vietnam veteran. His father Herschel Stover had also been a long-time officer in the APD, and for several years in the 1960s was the department's only detective.</p> <p>Bill Catching: Former Beacon News reporter, covering the APD for many years. Later joined Mayor Stover's staff. Was on the steering committee for CeaseFire Aurora, representing Mayor Stover's office.</p> <p>Bill Lawler: Long-time officer in the Aurora Police Department who became the Chief of Police in 2002, a few weeks after Jeff's murder.</p> <p>Tom Weisner: Mayor of Aurora following David Stover, from 2007-2016. Died in 2018.</p> <p>Tio Hardiman: Executive Director of CeaseFire during the time of CeaseFire Aurora.</p> <p>Greg Anderson: Former APD officer, eventually served as deputy chief. Served as the APD representative on the CeaseFire Aurora steering committee.</p> <p>Joanne Furnas: Senior staff member at the Association of Individual Development. Supervised CeaseFire Aurora when AID became the host organization.</p> <p>Rod Blagojevich: Former governor of Illinois. Served as governor during the time that CeaseFire began operating in Illinois.</p> <p>Ameena Matthews: CeaseFire Violence Interrupter in the Englewood neighborhood in Chicago. Central figure in the documentary "The Interrupters."</p> <p>Weed & Seed: Crime prevention program that began in Aurora in 2002. Supported by Mayor Stover and the APD. Financed by the federal government, specifically the Department of Justice.</p> <p>God's Gym: Small non-profit organization that served as CeaseFire Aurora's first host organization in 2004.</p> <p>AID: Association for Individual Development. Long-established non-profit organization in Aurora whose primary mission was to support individuals with developmental, intellectual, physical, and mental health challenges. Became the host organization for CeaseFire Aurora after God's Gym dropped out of their agreement with CeaseFire.</p> <p>Music courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions.</p> <p>Chapters:</p> <p>(00:00:00) Patreon / Previously</p> <p>(00:01:37) The Interrupters</p> <p>(00:09:28) Classic Aurora Blindspots</p> <p>(00:23:45) It's Time We Act Boldly</p> <p>(00:36:56) The Underdog</p> <p>(00:50:53) We Didn't Get Hugged After That</p> <p>(01:07:08) Minimum Qualifications</p> <p>(01:12:28) Credits</p>

7 total episodes available with 6 transcripts

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Frequently asked questions

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What is City of Lights?

City of Lights is a true crime podcast about real life after the crime.

In 2002, in the city of Aurora, Illinois, an 18-year-old named Jeff Signorelli was killed in a completely random act of violence. His murder remains unsolved.

In the years following Jeff's murder, his parents Al and Mary Ann led efforts to make Aurora a safer place. But those efforts often put them at odds with leaders in Aurora, including the mayor and chief of police. As the investigation into Jeff's murder grew cold, their grief was amplified by a growing frustration.

Host Willy Nast (born and raised in Aurora) examines the lives of Al, Mary Ann, and others in Aurora who were affected by Jeff's murder. Instead of asking "whodunnit?" or "how?" or "why?," the question he seeks to answer is "what now?"

All six episodes of City of Lights drop on February 4th, 2026.

How often does this podcast release new episodes?

This podcast updates daily.

Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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