Latest Episodes
S1 Trailer | The RFK Tapes
May 29, 2018
- 04:11
Fifty years after the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, questions about the crime still linger. The RFK Tapes will explore the...
S1 [1] June 5, 1968 | The RFK Tapes
June 5, 2018
- 26:32
Fifty years ago, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot in the kitchen pantry of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, moments after winning...
S1 [2] My God, the Cosmos Shook | The RFK Tapes
June 12, 2018
- 32:21
Allard K. Lowenstein encourages Senator Robert F. Kennedy to run for president but ends up wheeling him into the morgue. Years later,...
About The Show
Crimetown Presents is an investigative anthology podcast series created by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier. Every season they introduce you to a new serialized story that pushes the boundaries of storytelling, sound design and music. Season Two, The Ballad of Billy Balls*: it’s 1982, and a man bursts into an East Village storefront apartment and shoots punk musician Billy Balls. Author and activist iO Tillett Wright and Crimetown Producer Austin Mitchell unravel a mystery of love and loss, the tender binds of family, and the stories we tell ourselves just to survive. Season One, The RFK Tapes: Zac Stuart-Pontier and Bill Klaber take a trip down a rabbit hole surrounding the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Featuring never-before heard police recordings, The RFK Tapes starts out a murder investigation and ends up revealing the power of conspiracy theories, and why it’s human nature to believe in them. * scroll down to see the episodes of Crimetown Presents: The Ballad of Billy Balls.
More Episodes
S1 Trailer | The RFK Tapes
May 29, 2018
- 04:11
Fifty years after the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, questions about the crime still linger. The RFK Tapes will explore the...
S1 [1] June 5, 1968 | The RFK Tapes
June 5, 2018
- 26:32
Fifty years ago, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot in the kitchen pantry of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, moments after winning...
S1 [2] My God, the Cosmos Shook | The RFK Tapes
June 12, 2018
- 32:21
Allard K. Lowenstein encourages Senator Robert F. Kennedy to run for president but ends up wheeling him into the morgue. Years later,...
S1 [3] You Do Not Destroy Evidence! | The RFK Tapes
June 19, 2018
- 28:55
As Allard K. Lowenstein continues his investigation into Senator Robert F. Kennedy's murder, he enlists the help of Paul Schrade, one of...
S1 [4] Reach For Your Gun, Sirhan | The RFK Tapes
July 3, 2018
- 38:17
Was the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy a deliberate political statement or the act of a sick mind? As Sirhan Sirhan sits in jail...
S1 [5] The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress | The RFK Tapes
July 10, 2018
- 30:24
Moments after Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated, Sandra Serrano, a young campaign worker, says she saw a suspicious woman in a...
S1 [6] The Manchurian Candidate | The RFK Tapes
July 17, 2018
- 27:34
To prepare for Sirhan Sirhan’s 2011 parole hearing, his current legal team brings in an expert to investigate whether or not Sirhan was...
S1 [7] He Didn't Think He Was Bulletproof | The RFK Tapes
July 31, 2018
- 31:40
Zac sets out on his own to talk with former aides to Senator Robert F. Kennedy about what that 1968 campaign was like, and what they...
S1 [8] I Wanted to Solve This F*cking Murder | The RFK Tapes
August 7, 2018
- 28:40
Investigative journalist Dan Moldea begins a quest to try to find evidence of a second gun in the pantry of the Ambassador Hotel… by...
S1 [9] Here’s Where You and I Part Ways | The RFK Tapes
August 14, 2018
- 39:33
Investigative journalist Dan Moldea finds the man he believes assassinated Robert F. Kennedy.
S1 [10] You May Not Be the Same Zac | The RFK Tapes
August 28, 2018
- 40:57
Zac goes back to Acidalia for one last interview with Bill.
S1 [BONUS] Live in Brooklyn | The RFK Tapes
September 4, 2018
- 42:07
Last week, Zac and Bill sat down in front of a live audience at The Bell House in Brooklyn. The show featured a heated debate between...
S1 [BONUS] The Trial of Scott Enyart | The RFK Tapes
September 11, 2018
- 27:51
On the night of Robert Kennedy’s murder, a young photographer named Scott Enyart had his film confiscated by the LAPD. When Enyart sued...
S1 [BONUS] He Was Irreplaceable | The RFK Tapes
September 25, 2018
- 32:40
A collection of the best Robert F. Kennedy stories and speeches that didn't make it into the show, featuring speechwriter Adam Walinsky,...
S1 [BONUS] Follow the Lies | The RFK Tapes
October 2, 2018
- 38:09
Bill takes the reins as he goes through some of the additional evidence that convinced him a second gun was firing the night Robert F....
S1 [BONUS] That’s Not the Girl You Described | The RFK Tapes
October 9, 2018
- 30:24
On the night of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination, waiter Vincent DiPierro told police that he saw a girl in a polka dot dress standing...
S1 [BONUS] Loose Ends | The RFK Tapes
December 24, 2018
- 28:44
After a few months away from the RFK case, Zac sits down with producer Jesse Rudoy to discuss some loose ends.
S1 [BONUS] Tom Jackman of the Washington Post Talks RFK and More | The RFK Tapes
March 15, 2019
- 24:47
Zac talks to Washington Post reporter Tom Jackman about the latest in the RFK case. And then, Tom takes Zac through another of his...
S2 Trailer | The Ballad of Billy Balls
March 21, 2019
- 03:00
"Crimetown Presents: The Ballad of Billy Balls" premiers March 28th, 2019.
S2 [1] Billy Balls and His Babygirl | The Ballad of Billy Balls
March 28, 2019
- 29:00
New York City. The 1970s. Artists flock to the East Village hoping to make a name for themselves. Enter Rebecca, an aspiring model, who...
S2 [2] He's Not Done Yet | The Ballad of Billy Balls
March 28, 2019
- 24:15
After Billy dies, his body disappears and strange things start to happen. Rebecca insists the whole thing is a cover up and we set out...
S2 [3] Billy the Kid | The Ballad of Billy Balls
April 4, 2019
- 30:22
As the investigation begins, iO explores Billy's journey to New York City.
S2 [4] Get in the Wind | The Ballad of Billy Balls
April 11, 2019
- 23:41
iO explores a darker side of Billy - did it lead to his death?
S2 [5] Those High-Powered Lawyers | The Ballad of Billy Balls
April 25, 2019
- 35:12
Was there a conspiracy to murder Billy in order to keep him quiet? iO's search for an answer leads to a sobering reality.
S2 [6] Amanda | The Ballad of Billy Balls
May 2, 2019
- 40:01
Amanda, a game-changing character, tells her story.
S2 [7] The Hunt for Paper | The Ballad of Billy Balls
May 9, 2019
- 27:20
iO and Austin track down some concrete evidence.
Introducing Gangster Capitalism
May 21, 2019
- 05:50
Gangster Capitalism Season 1 is centered on the 2019 college admissions scandal that is exposing everyone from CEOs to celebrities....
S2 [8] Cops Tend to Shoot | The Ballad of Billy Balls
May 23, 2019
- 35:27
After months of anticipation, iO and Austin receive the biggest piece of evidence yet.
S2 [9] Ophelia | The Ballad of Billy Balls
May 30, 2019
- 36:18
Rebecca's grief in the years following Billy’s death leads her to an unlikely source of comfort, and a big surprise.
S2 [10] Something Bigger Than Me | The Ballad of Billy Balls
June 6, 2019
- 40:50
iO's upbringing pushes him to a life or death moment, and his path toward healing leads straight to Billy.
S2 [11] There’s Someone Under This Ground | The Ballad of Billy Balls
June 20, 2019
- 33:20
iO takes Rebecca on a trip 37 years in the making.
S2 [12] The Guy in the Cowboy Hat | The Ballad of Billy Balls
June 27, 2019
- 28:51
The elusive character at the center of the mystery is found, and iO gets his story.
S2 [13] Life After Death | The Ballad of Billy Balls
July 4, 2019
- 41:21
As the show comes to an end, iO tries to figure out what the wisdom of it is.
S2 [BONUS] Leave a Message | The Ballad of Billy Balls
July 11, 2019
- 31:12
In the afterglow of the season, we play some voicemails we've received from our wonderful listeners.
S2 [BONUS] I'll Call You Back | The Ballad of Billy Balls
July 18, 2019
- 33:05
iO returns some of the many compelling listener calls, while Austin checks in with old friends.
Introducing Crimetown, Season 2
August 1, 2019
- 09:05
From the same team behind The Ballad of Billy Balls comes Crimetown, Season 2. This season, Crimetown heads to Detroit, Michigan. From...
S2 [BONUS] The Lawslinger | The Ballad of Billy Balls
August 8, 2019
- 31:32
iO and Austin pay a final visit to everyone's favorite lawslinger, Ron Kuby.
S2 [BONUS] The Ballad of The Ballad | The Ballad of Billy Balls
August 15, 2019
- 39:04
iO, Austin, and Zac sit down for a very special behind-the-scenes bonus episode.
Introducing | Morally Indefensible
August 18, 2020
- 04:05
1979 is the year that Ex-Green Beret Doctor Jeffrey MacDonald is convicted of the murders of his pregnant wife and two young daughters....
Introducing | Firebug
July 23, 2021
- 02:29
From the co-creator of The Ballad of Billy Balls, Crimetown and host of Morally Indefensible comes a new podcast, Firebug. In the early...