The Caller
Summary
This episode investigates the flawed "911 COP scale," a controversial method used by police to detect guilt in emergency calls. Host Phoebe Judge and reporter Brett Murphy examine how this unscientific analysis wrongly convicted Russ Faria of murdering his wife, Betsy, based on his distressed 911 call. The story highlights other miscarriages of justice, including the wrongful arrest of Kathy Carpenter and the initial murder charge against Riley Spitler, exposing how this "junk science" has impacted the legal system.
Topics discussed
Intro and Monday.com ad
Russ Faria's story: Betsy's illness and death
The 911 call and Russ's wrongful conviction
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Origin of 911 call analysis and the FBI bulletin
Case study: Kathy Carpenter's false accusation
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Russ Faria's exoneration and Pam Hopp's arrest
Critique of 911 analysis reliability
Legal standards and the Riley Spittler case
Outro, credits, and ads
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