The popular true crime podcast genre gets better (with spirits)! Join us every Saturday with the cocktail of the week for a story about heinous acts of true crime, or a creepy tale of the unbelievable! Get ready for boo-ze that will knock your socks off!
Ep 162: At Your Fingerprints- The Brandon Mayfield Case
Fingerprint analysis has been called the gold standard of forensic science for more than a century. It's helped solve countless crimes, identify victims, and exonerate the innocent. But what happens when one of the most trusted forms of evidence points investigators in the wrong direction?
In this episode, we're exploring the fascinating history of fingerprint identification. Along the way, we'll uncover the remarkable science that makes your fingerprints uniquely yours—and examine the shocking case of Brandon Mayfield, the Oregon attorney whose life was turned upside down after the FBI confidently declared his fingerprint matched evidence from one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in modern history. Cheers!
Send Me a Story! @ spiritswithcrime@gmail.com
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Sources: https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/history-and-evolution-latent-fingerprint-development (https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/history-and-evolution-latent-fingerprint-development)
https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/fingerprints-and-other-biometrics (https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/fingerprints-and-other-biometrics)
https://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html (https://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html)
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-identical-twins-dont-have-identical-fingerprints (https://www.science.org/content/article/why-identical-twins-dont-have-identical-fingerprints)
https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/01/how-fingerprints-form-new-study-may-explain (https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/01/how-fingerprints-form-new-study-may-explain)
https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/latent-fingerprint-processing-guide (https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/latent-fingerprint-processing-guide)
https://www.crime-scene-investigator.net (https://www.crime-scene-investigator.net)
https://projects.nfstc.org/fse/07/07-01.html (https://projects.nfstc.org/fse/07/07-01.html)
https://www.moma.org/collection/terms/ink (https://www.moma.org/collection/terms/ink?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
https://www.dickblick.com/learning-resources/how-to/the-history-of-india-ink/ (https://www.dickblick.com/learning-resources/how-to/the-history-of-india-ink/)
https://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/bodyarts/index.php/temporary-body-arts/cosmetics/82-lamp-black-tool-india-19th-century-.html (https://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/bodyarts/index.php/temporary-body-arts/cosmetics/82-lamp-black-tool-india-19th-century-.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/inkothermedia (https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/inkothermedia?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/activated-charcoal (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/activated-charcoal)
https://oig.justice.gov/reports/plus/e0601/final.pdf (https://oig.justice.gov/reports/plus/e0601/final.pdf)
https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/brandon-mayfield (https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/brandon-mayfield)
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/11/us/us-settles-with-man-held-in-madrid-bombing-case.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/11/us/us-settles-with-man-held-in-madrid-bombing-case.html)
https://www.innocenceproject.org/how-confirmation-bias-can-lead-to-wrongful-convictions/ (https://www.innocenceproject.org/how-confirmation-bias-can-lead-to-wrongful-convictions/)
https://www.propublica.org/article/forensics-science-bias-criminal-justice (https://www.propublica.org/article/forensics-science-bias-criminal-justice)
https://www.nist.gov/feature-stories/addressing-cognitive-bias-forensic-science (https://www.nist.gov/feature-stories/addressing-cognitive-bias-forensic-science)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6191660/ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6191660/)
https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/232082.pdf (https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/232082.pdf)
11 Jul 2026
Ep 161: Beyond the Bite- The Ray Krone Case
Most of us never think twice about our teeth until it's time for a dental appointment. But in the world of forensic science, they can become some of the most powerful pieces of evidence a person leaves behind.
In this second installment of our forensic science mini-series, we explore the fascinating field of forensic odontology. From identifying victims after unimaginable disasters to one of the most controversial techniques ever admitted into American courtrooms, this is the story of a discipline that has saved countless investigations... and one chapter that forever changed how forensic evidence is viewed. Cheers!
Send Me a Story! @ spiritswithcrime@gmail.com
Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast
Sources: https://abfo.org/ (https://abfo.org/)
https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/forensic-dentistry (https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/forensic-dentistry)
https://www.aafs.org/ (https://www.aafs.org/)
https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science (https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science)
https://www.britannica.com/plant/clove (https://www.britannica.com/plant/clove)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
https://powo.science.kew.org/
https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/forensic-dentistry (https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/forensic-dentistry)
https://www.interpol.int/How-we-work/Forensics/Disaster-Victim-Identification-DVI (https://www.interpol.int/How-we-work/Forensics/Disaster-Victim-Identification-DVI)
Bowers CM. Forensic Dental Evidence: An Investigator’s Handbook.
Amoedo O. L’Art Dentaire en Médecine Légale (1898).
https://www.911memorial.org/ (https://www.911memorial.org/)
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12589/strengthening-forensic-science-in-the-united-states-a-path-forward (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12589/strengthening-forensic-science-in-the-united-states-a-path-forward)
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast/docsreports (https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast/docsreports)
Saks, M. J., & Koehler, J. J. (2005). The Coming Paradigm Shift in Forensic Identification Science. Science, 309(5736), 892–895.
https://innocenceproject.org/cases/ray-krone/ (https://innocenceproject.org/cases/ray-krone/)
https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/ (https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/)
https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx (https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx)
https://www.nationalacademies.org/publications/12589
4 Jul 2026
Ep 160: Junk Science on Trial- The Cameron Todd Willingham Case
Fingerprints, DNA, ballistics, blood spatter, fire investigation: these disciplines have helped solve countless cases; but what happens when these trusted sources of evidence are flawed themselves?
This week, we're beginning that journey with one of the most controversial cases in modern American criminal justice. After a devastating house fire claimed the lives of three young girls in Corsicana, Texas, investigators believed the evidence told a clear story. Decades later, that same evidence would become the center of an ongoing debate that continues to challenge experts, attorneys, and investigators alike. Cheers!
Send Me a Story! @ spiritswithcrime@gmail.com
Threads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast
Sources: https://innocenceproject.org/news/cameron-todd-willingham-wrongfully-convicted-and-executed-in-texas/ (https://innocenceproject.org/news/cameron-todd-willingham-wrongfully-convicted-and-executed-in-texas/)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron_Todd_Willingham (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron_Todd_Willingham)
https://www.texastribune.org/2011/04/14/cameron-todd-willingham-a-timeline/ (https://www.texastribune.org/2011/04/14/cameron-todd-willingham-a-timeline/)
https://tcadp.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Cameron-Todd-Willingham-fact-sheet-2014.pdf (https://tcadp.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Cameron-Todd-Willingham-fact-sheet-2014.pdf)
https://tcadp.org/get-informed/wrongful-execution/resource-archive-for-the-case-of-cameron-todd-willingham/ (https://tcadp.org/get-informed/wrongful-execution/resource-archive-for-the-case-of-cameron-todd-willingham/)
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/rising-ashes-what-we-have-learned-cameron-todd-willingham-case (https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/rising-ashes-what-we-have-learned-cameron-todd-willingham-case)
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/07/trial-by-fire (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/07/trial-by-fire)
Documentary: Incendiary: The Willingham Case (2011)
Trial by Fire (2019)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
475
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
4.6 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 75 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
95
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
71
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