Not far outside Boston, a criminal investigation unfolded in relative quiet. An arrest was made. Then the accused woman’s friend reached out to a loudmouthed local blogger who goes by Turtleboy. The rest was almost too ridiculous to be believed. For The Atlantic, Chris Heath brings his considerable powers to bear on a tale of citizen journalism—a tale that also suggests just how much our society is currently ruled, above all, by repeating things as often and as loudly as you possibly can.
A few hours later, Kearney published his post, several thousand words long: “Canton Cover-Up Part 1: Corrupt State Trooper Helps Boston Cop Coverup Murder of Fellow Officer, Frame Innocent Girlfriend.” (Two of the many ways that Kearney’s work practices deviate from conventional journalism are his speed to certainty, and his full-throated advocacy.) From this first outpouring, he was all in: “Karen Read is a completely innocent woman, wrongly charged by corrupt cops who would see her rot in prison in order to cover up a murder of a fellow officer.”
More picks about True Crime
He Was One of the World’s Most Wanted Men. So He Bought a West African Country.
“How Jos Leijdekkers turned Sierra Leone into a drug-dealer’s paradise.”
Murder-in-Law
“The twisted story of a domestic contract killing.”
A True-Crime Producer Posed as an Heiress — Then Allegedly Stole $30 Million
“Mary Carole McDonnell made low-budget crime shows, but her own story was built on deceptions fit for one of her series. Now, she’s on the FBI’s Most Wanted list and the target of a global manhunt.”
The Violent Feud That Shocked the Horse World
“A prominent dressage trainer shot a belligerent student—and now maintains that he’s the real victim.”
Was My Teacher Murdered?
“In 2002, Leslie Buck died under mysterious circumstances in Mystic, Connecticut. Two decades later, I went back to find out who she was — and what really happened.”
The Children Who Loved a Killer
“The Carr family took in Steven Judy, hoping to ‘save’ a troubled teen. They didn’t know he would become one of the most hated men in America.”
