Aaron Habel and Justin Evans’ ‘The Generation Why Podcast’ is a must-listen for true crime fans
Aaron Habel and Justin Evans host “The Generation Why Podcast,” a true crime series breaking down cases, commentary, and theories. This podcast is great for listeners looking for straightforward true crime content reporting on cases without a ton of chitchat.
Stream over 360 “Generation Why” episodes in any order, running an hour on average. Some cases are broken into two episodes to stream in sequential order, such as “The Oklahoma City Bombing,” “The Night Stalker,” and “Who Killed Jeffrey Tobias,” just to name a few. Since 2012, Aaron and Justin continue to explore so many interesting and disturbing cases in weekly episodes. This series is a must-listen for true crime fans!
Author Adam Selzer joined an episode to share his research on H.H. Holmes’ prolific crime sprees in the 1880s and 1890s. Is it possible he was Jack the Ripper? In other episodes, listeners can hear about mysterious deaths like Alonzo Brooks and high profile cases like The Golden State Killer and The Menendez Brothers’ killings. Other episodes covered The Unabomber, The Pulse Nightclub Shooting, The Acid Bath Murderer, The Horizon Post Office Scandal, and The Titanic Conspiracy. There’s an episode on The Silk Road website that sold illegal firearms and drugs from 2011-2013.
Aaron and Justin recently covered The Yale Murder case from 1977. 20-year-old Bonnie Garland and 23-year-old Richard Herri dated at Yale. Bonnie traveled the world while studying, and Richard transferred to a different school. In this time, Bonnie became distant and wrote Richard a breakup letter saying she only wanted to be friends. He was still in love with her and spun into a jealous rage. One day, Richard showed up at her home and hit her with a hammer. Richard fled the scene and planned on killing himself, but his car broke down, so he ran into a church and confessed to a pastor. Later in the episode, we learn about Richard’s childhood trauma.
Bonnie’s mother found her barely breathing, and her head was split open like a watermelon. Richard was charged with second degree murder and was able to enroll in classes while awaiting trial. Richard was found guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to 8 to 25 years in prison, claiming the killing happened under “extreme emotional disturbance.” He was ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment, was released in 1995, and moved to New Mexico. This episode also delved into felony murder sentencing definitions and time served for typical murder cases.
In another episode, hear about “The Vampire of Sacramento,” a perpetrator who drank some victims’ blood. This killer first struck in a drive-by shooting. Two weeks later, the killer did a home invasion. In 1978, Teresa Wallin was found dead inside her home with an MO similar to Jack the Ripper’s victims in 1888. Yet, the killer evaded arrest. After several more victims, police received a lead from a witness, and the killer, Richard Chase, was apprehended.
For more true crime stories, tune into Wondery’s “The Generation Why Podcast” wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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