Citizen Sleuth

True crime narratives aren’t going anywhere soon, but it’s high time to examine the ethical quandaries in which they trap themselves. Meet Emily Nestor, host of the Mile Marker 181 podcast, whose investigation into the death of Marietta, Ohio woman Jaleayah Davis set off a firestorm that threatened her career…and the truth. —M.G.

Emily Nestor quickly shot to podcast notoriety with her independent true crime podcast Mile Marker 181, which investigated the death of local Appalachian woman Jaleayah Davis under suspicion of foul play. As the podcast detailed inquiries into possible murder suspects and corruption within the local police force, Nestor’s profile continued to rise within the ecosystem of true crime media and its devoted following. But when Nestor intentionally withholds information in her reporting to keep the podcast afloat, she gets caught in a cult of personality. CITIZEN SLEUTH follows Nestor’s rise and fall over several years, calling to question the ethics of the true crime genre when rumor can destructively be treated as fact. —C.F.

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