Darkness

About Darkness

On the evening of April 16, 1960, a young woman from McAllen, Texas named Irene Garza went to church for confession. She never returned home. A week later, her body was found floating in a canal. Decades would pass before the priest who murdered Irene was brought to justice in a historic case for the church and the Rio Grande Valley. In Season five of "Darkness," host Talisa Treviño details the decades-long fight for justice for Irene. Hear from the investigators who tackled the case and Irene's loved ones, as well as survivors of abuse in the Catholic church.

Publisher

The Drag Audio Production House

Category

true crime

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

14 Jul 2020

Latest episode

11 Mar 2025

Latest episodes

47 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   11 Mar 2025

   'Win or lose'

   After decades without justice, Irene Garza’s case finally moves forward. Now in his 80s, John Feit is living in Arizona but is extradited to Texas when a grand jury indicts him for Irene’s murder. The trial begins in late 2017, and the lead prosecutor on Irene’s case brings witnesses forward to paint a picture of what happened the Holy Saturday evening when Feit heard her confession. After two weeks, the jury deliberates for more than seven hours before finding Feit guilty. Snow falls in McAllen, a rare occurrence, as Feit faces his sentencing.

2. 

   4 Mar 2025

   'When pigs fly'

   McAllen police chief Victor Rodriguez recounts when he first met a key witness in Irene’s case, Father O’Brien in an unlikely place – a state prison in Huntsville, Texas. After submitting their discoveries to the DA’s office, Rudy and Victor feel hopeless because of comments made by the district attorney and his lead prosecutor. By 2003, the grand jury decides not to indict Feit in Irene’s murder, leaving a wave of disappointment again for Irene. A whole decade passes until a new district attorney decides to take on Irene’s case one more time.

3. 

   25 Feb 2025

   'A race against time'

   In 2002, the Texas Rangers launched the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Team. Ranger Rudy Jaramillo and his partner reopened Irene’s case, finding an unlikely witness to John Feit’s confession–an ex-monk. During the same time as Irene’s second investigation, the Catholic church was under scrutiny.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

4,481 ratings

Spotify

4.5 / 5

50 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

65

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

98

Contact Darkness

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.