iHM, HowStuffWorks Team with SoH to Launch Podcast

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, October 10, 2018 | 12:16pm CT

Hell And Gone

School of Humans, an Atlanta-based production company, has teamed with iHeartMedia and HowStuffWorks, creators of the true crime podcast "Atlanta Monster," to launch a new iHeartRadio original true crime podcast "Hell and Gone." The eight-part series will premiere October 17 with new episodes available each Thursday. The podcast will be hosted by true crime writer and licensed private investigator Catherine Townsend. HowStuffWorks and School of Humans will co-produce the series that follows the unsolved killing of Rebekah Gould, a popular 22-year-old college student, in the Arkansas Ozarks.

"I've always had a personal connection to Rebekah's murder. My dad is a deputy sheriff in the area, my sister is close friends with Rebekah's sister," said Townsend. "It seemed like over the years, everyone in town has had a theory about who killed Rebekah - but not everyone wanted the case solved."

"I was inspired by true crime podcasts like Serial and wanted to use the podcast as an investigative device," added Townsend. "But because no one had been arrested or charged, there is a very real sense of danger to the story. Any time I head out to interview someone, I could be talking to the killer."

In addition to telling Rebekah's story, the podcast will also follow the characters populating the small town, the effects of Rebekah's murder on the community and the quest to get justice for her family.

"It's evident that our listeners across the country continue to have a huge appetite for true crime," said HowStuffWorks President/CEO Conal Byrne. "This series is unique because it allows listeners to be part of the team and follow a real-time murder investigation. We are excited about this partnership and being able to introduce this program to our hundreds of millions of listeners."