Quick take
True crime fans interested in LGBTQ+ rights history, institutional cover-up, and cold cases that required decades of advocacy to resolve; listeners who want crime understood in its full social and political context.
Verdict: Must listen. Culpable tells the story of a family who refused to let Australia forget a gay man murdered in a hate crime — Hamish MacDonald's investigation helped finally get them the truth.
About this podcast
Australian journalist Hamish MacDonald investigates the 1988 death of Scott Johnson — a gay American mathematician whose body was found at the base of cliffs in New South Wales, initially ruled an accidental fall, then suicide, then linked to a pattern of gay hate crimes in the area. A story of institutional cover-up and delayed justice over decades.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is Culpable?
- True crime fans interested in LGBTQ+ rights history, institutional cover-up, and cold cases that required decades of advocacy to resolve; listeners who want crime understood in its full social and political context.
- Is Culpable worth listening to?
- Must listen. Culpable tells the story of a family who refused to let Australia forget a gay man murdered in a hate crime — Hamish MacDonald's investigation helped finally get them the truth.
- Where can I listen to Culpable?
- Culpable is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify.
- Where should I start with Culpable?
- Start with: Episode 1 — start from the beginning
- What format is Culpable?
- Serialized — approximately Multiple episodes; bingeable across a weekend each.
- What type of crime does Culpable cover?
- Culpable covers Murder, Cold Case, Systemic Injustice.
Quick facts
- Format
- Serialized
- Host style
- Solo narrator
- Style
- Investigative, serious, sobering
- Episode length
- Multiple episodes; bingeable across a weekend
- Binge factor
- 8/10
- Best to start
- Episode 1 — start from the beginning
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