A Murder in Rural Alabama? S-Town Podcast is on the Case

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:1280;s:4:"file";s:58:"2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-771x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-768x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:60:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-1536x1024.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1024;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:56:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:58:"Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:10670830;s:14:"optimized_size";i:291410;s:7:"percent";d:97.269999999999996;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:86:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:10473490;s:14:"optimized_size";i:165971;s:7:"percent";d:98.420000000000002;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:94:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6507;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4775;s:7:"percent";d:26.620000000000001;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:94:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-336x224.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:16811;s:14:"optimized_size";i:11129;s:7:"percent";d:33.799999999999997;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:94:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-771x514.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:62198;s:14:"optimized_size";i:37309;s:7:"percent";d:40.020000000000003;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:94:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:36259;s:14:"optimized_size";i:22055;s:7:"percent";d:39.170000000000002;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:94:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:19706;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13044;s:7:"percent";d:33.810000000000002;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:94:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-467x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:28131;s:14:"optimized_size";i:18418;s:7:"percent";d:34.530000000000001;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:94:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-398x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:22186;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14612;s:7:"percent";d:34.140000000000001;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:94:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2017/03/Brian_Reed_S-Town_-_02_-_credit_Andrea_Morales-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:5542;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4097;s:7:"percent";d:26.07;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Andrea Morales
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

)
1621141605 
1490697949

The creators of This American Life and the popular murder-mystery podcast Serial released a third season today. This one’s called S-Town, and it’s set right here in Alabama. WBHM’s Gigi Douban got a preview of the first two episodes, and S-Town host Brian Reed tells her his reporting revealed some painful truths about life in rural Alabama.

 

You can download all the episodes of S-Town starting today at the S-Town website or on iTunes.

 

Want some bonus audio? Hear Reed talk about how he reported the story: the challenges of digging up public records in Alabama, how he got people to trust him, and being sensitive to the ways Southerners are portrayed on the national stage.

 

 

Brian Reed spent three years reporting this story in Bibb County, Alabama. Early on, he says, things took an unexpected turn.

Andrea Morales
Brian Reed spent three years reporting this story in Bibb County, Alabama. Early on, he says, things took an unexpected turn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UAB building among Alabama’s first to feature ‘bird safe’ glass

Advocates hope the new glass will prevent window collisions, a leading causes of bird mortality.

Researchers look into community health impact of wood pellet production in rural Mississippi

Brown University and Tougaloo College students are testing for potential air and noise pollution near the Drax wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi.

Alabama coal company sued for a home explosion is delinquent on dozens of penalties

Crimson Oak Grove Resources has been cited for 204 safety violations since the March 8 blast, many involving “significant and substantial” safety violations.

The United Auto Workers faces a key test in the South with upcoming vote at Alabama Mercedes plant

The United Auto Workers is aiming for a key victory at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama. More than 5,000 workers at the facility in Vance and nearby battery plant will vote this week on whether to join the UAW.

Gambling, ethics bills fall short as legislative session ends

Alabama lawmakers closed the books on this year’s regular legislative session Thursday. While Republican leaders passed many of their priority bills, perhaps the most talked about issue – gambling – died.

A look at what passed and failed in the 2024 legislative session

Alabama lawmakers have ended a 2024 legislative session that saw the Republican majority win approval for a number of their top priorities.

More Arts and Culture Coverage