Criminology - Introducing: American Hostage

Episode Date: March 8, 2022

In the series premiere, radio DJ Fred Heckman (Jon Hamm) receives an unexpected call from a listener that turns his life upside down. Follow American Hostage on Amazon Music, to hear all 8 episodes right now: http://wondery.fm/Criminology_Hostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, criminology fans, Morph and I want to tell you about a new true crime podcast called American Hostage. I just started listening to this one. It's amazing. And I love the fact that you can binge it all at once. Because, you know, this is the type of podcast where every episode leaves you hanging. And this is an extremely fascinating case. Set in Indianapolis in 1977, American Hostage is a suspenseful, true story. And this is a suspenseful, true story. starring John Han as Fred Heckman. Fred was a beloved local radio reporter who was forced into the middle of a life or death crisis when a hostage taker Tony Carritzis demanded to be interviewed live on his popular radio news program.

It was through Heckman's radio show that Caritzis gradually became a media sensation and an unexpected national hero. during a nail-biting 63-hour police standoff. I'm about to play you a preview of American hostage. While you're listening, follow American hostage wherever you get your podcasts, or you can binge the entire season right now on Amazon Music or Wondry Plus. The seven-second delay for live television was introduced in 1975 by NBC so that Richard Pryor could host Saturday Night Live without the network getting fined for all. of his obscenities. The delay would also be useful, we discovered, if a man were to be shot point

blank in the head, live on national television. I'm Fred Hickman, and this is the news of the day, Tuesday, February 8th, 1970. And this time from the day, and divide by the zip zone, the answer is dead at seven long. WIPC. Indianapolis, 911? What's your emergency? Yes, this the police? This is 911 dispatch, yes, sir. Is Lieutenant Collins there?

Uh, no, sir, he's not on dispatch. Well, who you got there, who you got there, ranked high enough. to take this call. I can help you, sir, if you can tell me what you're probably. You stand up. Do you think I won't do it, you stupid son of a bitch? Sir. All right. All right, I'm going to tell you now, and you're going to listen good, and I don't repeat myself, so you listen up now, you understand?

Yes, I'm listening, sir. All right, I've done a thing, a real serious thing, the kind of thing you aren't used to hearing about, I bet. I've taken a prisoner, and I've got him here, a wired shotgun valve strap to the back of his head, and this ain't no crank call. You understand me? Yes, sir. Yes, sir, I understand. But you say you've got something wired up a shotgun.

I've got a real deal. 12-gauge shotgun wired up to the back of his head, and anything happens to me, it goes off. And if he moves, it goes off. And I got it so there's a hundred ways it goes off, and only one way it don't. And that's keeping me alive and good. You understand?

I understand. And this ain't no crank call. Yes, sir, this is not a crank call. I don't never have much for anyone to take. And these motherfuckers find some way to take it all. And I'm mad as hell. I swear to God, he's almost as good as damn. He's never been closer to dead than he is right now.

Can you please talk to me and lower the gun, please. I am talking to you, sir, and I ain't lowering the gun. Can you tell me how many people you've got with you over there? I just got one. One's all I wanted. Dick Hall is who I got, the son of a bitch. Sir. Sir.

Now I'm a mad, mean motherfucker lady. I understand. And I'm the real deal. Yes, sir, I understand the real deal. And I'm sorry, I got to bother you all like this, but it ain't. Can you please tell me where you are? 29 Canton Street. Canton, you said?

129 Canton Street on the fourth floor in Dick Call's office. And I'm going to tell you again the way you got this wired is, you kill me, you kill him. My hand goes back and my fingers go limp and he's eating shotgun shells out of the back of his head. I swear to God. I understand, sir. We're going to send over some of our fellas and see what we can do for it, baby. Well, please don't kill him, and we're sending police on their way.

You're goddamn fucking right. Radio Indiana. For me, there are three tenets of journalism. One, don't make it personal. Two, don't pick a side. And three, don't become the story. I broke all three of those in the span of a single phone call. Follow American Hostage wherever you get your podcasts.

Or you can binge all eight episodes right now on Amazon Music or Wondery Plus.