By Charlie McCann

This story is a gripping investigation into one of the most bizarre identity theft cases in recent history, and a damning portrait of how easily the justice system dismisses people society has written off as "crazy."

In 2019, a homeless man walked into a Los Angeles bank to report that someone had stolen his identity and racked up $130,000 in debt under his name: William Woods. The teller called the phone number on the accounts. A man with a high-pitched voice answered, said he was William Woods, answered security questions correctly, and insisted he'd never been to California. Police arrested the homeless man for identity theft. The judge called him "crazy" and deemed him incompetent to stand trial. After 428 days in jail and 147 days in a mental hospital being forcibly medicated, he pleaded no contest. The court released him on one condition: he must stop calling himself William Woods and use his true name: Matthew Keirans, the identity prosecutors believed was real.

The homeless man kept insisting he was telling the truth. Nearly everyone dismissed him as delusional, except one detective who actually listened. What he uncovered was a decades-long deception so audacious it's hard to believe, involving hot-dog carts, stolen wallets, and a man who successfully became someone else.

By Simon Lewsen

This story is a remarkable investigation into how an Olympic snowboarder transformed into one of the world's most wanted drug lords. A journey so improbable it reads like fiction, yet every detail is true.

Ryan Wedding grew up in a skiing family near the Canadian city of Thunder Bay, became fearless on the slopes, and at 20 competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. He placed 24th in giant slalom, one second too slow to advance. That failure became the pivot point of his life. He moved to Vancouver, started bodybuilding obsessively, became a bouncer at gang-frequented clubs, and began running a massive cannabis grow-op. By 2008 he'd graduated to cocaine smuggling. After serving time in a San Diego prison, where he made cartel connections, he returned to Canada as a hardened criminal. When police raided his Montreal operation in 2015, Wedding fled to Mexico and into the protection of El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel.

From there, his enterprise exploded. Authorities now believe he moves 60 tons of cocaine annually worth nearly half a billion dollars, ordering murders without compunction. Wedding is now on the FBI's Most Wanted list with a $10 million bounty, the same amount once offered for El Chapo's sons.

By David Peisner

This story follows the rise and fall of Eligio "Natureboy" Bishop, who built an eco-cult called Carbon Nation that hopscotched across continents while livestreaming nearly every moment for thousands of online followers.

Bishop started in 2016 with compelling videos urging Black Americans to leave the country and live sustainably in the tropics. He preached about melanin's supernatural powers, veganism, and living "in tune with nature." Young, creative, disillusioned people—many struggling with depression—found his message intoxicating. They joined him in Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico, eventually amassing 94,000 YouTube subscribers and turning Carbon Nation into a nonstop reality show complete with original hip-hop tracks. Behind the Instagram-ready facade of jungle waterfalls and spiritual awakenings, Bishop transformed from teacher to tyrant. He controlled when people ate, who they slept with, and whether they could take life-saving medication. He openly beat his "wives" on camera, once ordering the group to form a circle while he pummeled a woman unconscious, then bought Chinese food afterward like nothing happened.

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By Andrew Dubbins

In the late 1970s, twin brothers Peter and Doug Morgan became Australia’s most wanted criminals, confounding police who couldn’t figure out how one robber pulled off two heists simultaneously miles apart.

The brothers inherited crime from their father Kay, who robbed banks and post offices across New Zealand while his young sons served as lookouts. After Kay died of a heart attack at 41, the twins followed his path. They hit rural betting agencies and banks just before closing, then vanished into the bush under darkness. Wearing matching jumpers, they pulled double robberies to make police think they were one person. They developed flashlight codes, chewed gum to keep their mouths moist during 20-kilometer escapes, and avoided summer months when venomous snakes were active.

Their partnership dissolved into violence. Doug stole Peter's car at the races and took the briefcase full of guns and cash from the trunk. Peter once extended his rifle barrel through a car window, planning to kill Doug when he emerged from the darkness. Then Peter shot a beloved cop during a robbery. Police arrested him carrying a suitcase with the stolen money and a rubber old-man mask. Peter immediately confessed and ratted out his brother.

By Stephen Lemons

This story tracks a 19-year-old cold case in tiny Seligman, Arizona, where a private detective and the victim's daughter believe they've solved a murder, if only authorities will dig up a septic tank.

Keith King disappeared in May 2006 from his girlfriend Karen Wells' property, allegedly going for a hike in flip-flops and a T-shirt. He was never seen again. King had struggled with mental illness and drug abuse, believing he'd seen UFOs and "luminous beings." The official investigation stalled after search dogs and helicopters turned up nothing, and the case was closed in 2009. But Wells had multiple boyfriends in the small town of 450 people, including a married man and Bill Wilkins, whose estranged wife warned police he was dangerous.

Fifteen years later, King's daughter Lindsey convinced private investigator Kelley Waldrip to reopen the case. Waldrip discovered that shortly before Wells died in 2023, she'd allegedly confessed to a friend: King was shot in the back by another boyfriend after threatening to expose their affair, then chopped up and stuffed into a septic tank on the property. Wells' daughter believes the story and fears her mother may have been silenced.

Really hope you enjoyed the selection of stories today. I am always interested in hearing from you. If you have thoughts on how I can make this email even better, do not hesitate to reach out.

Brett

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