Barely Famous – "The Night Watcher with Daphne Woolsoncroft"

Host: Kail Lowry
Guest: Daphne Woolsoncroft (Host of Going West, Author of The Night Watcher)
Release Date: October 3, 2025

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, host Kail Lowry sits down with Daphne Woolsoncroft, the creator of one of true crime’s leading podcasts, Going West, and newly published author of the thriller novel The Night Watcher. Their conversation dives deep into the personal motivations behind Daphne’s move into the literary world, her experience navigating true crime storytelling both as an investigator and as a family member of a victim, and the delicate balance between advocacy and entertainment. The two explore dark cases, discuss the ethics of true crime content, and share highlights from Daphne’s creative process.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

Daphne’s Debut Novel: The Night Watcher

• Premise of the Book ([02:22]):
  • Centers on Nola, a radio show host in Portland, who receives a terrifying on-air call about a possible ghost.
  • Nola suspects the return of a serial killer from her childhood—who killed her babysitter—and feels she’s being watched.
• Inspiration for the Book ([02:56]):
  • Daphne’s background with her true crime podcast and love for thriller novels and horror films.
  • Personal experiences in Portland inspired the setting and atmosphere.
  • Desire to incorporate both the victim and detective perspectives: “I knew I also wanted to have a perspective of a detective, like, at least just this once.” ([03:49])

Transition from Podcast to Authorship

• Audience Reaction ([04:28]):
  • Positive reception from her true crime podcast followers — “So many people who have loved it are like, okay, so you. You can write. And it's not just. You're just doing it to do it...” ([04:55])
• Pressure & Choice of Topic ([04:13]):
  • Chose a serial killer theme as it aligned naturally with her podcasting background.

True Crime Podcasting: Motivation & Mission

• Origins & Personal Connection ([06:36]):
  • Daphne’s entry into true crime: Her aunt, Carol, disappeared in 1984—murdered by an abusive boyfriend whose crimes went largely unpunished.
  • “Her body has never been found, but we know she was murdered. And, like, I was always interested in that side of true crime, you know.” ([08:34])
• Impact on Perspective ([10:47]):
  • Personal loss shapes her respectful and victim-focused approach: “I definitely always want to be as sensitive as I can while still trying to make light because…our show is still entertainment.” ([10:52])

The Ethics & Challenges of True Crime Content

• Victim Sensitivity ([11:42]):
  • The delicate line between shedding light and sensationalizing tragedy.
  • Ensuring families feel respected, not exploited.
• Reaching Out to Families ([18:16]):
  • Balancing the urge to contact a victim’s family for comment with the concern of causing pain; dilemma around proactivity versus respecting boundaries.

Representation & Case Selection

• Highlighting BIPOC Cases ([15:00]):
  • Commitment to telling stories that media and other podcasts often ignore.
  • “Part of it for us is just sharing everybody's story…especially the ones that need it the most.” ([15:00])
• Choosing Cases ([17:02]):
  • Listeners’ case recommendations are crucial.
  • Focus on cases with enough detail for meaningful coverage, and lesser-known stories over the high-profile ones.

The Real-Life Toll of Consuming Darkness

• Emotional Impact ([33:47]):
  • Daphne and Heath decompress deliberately after consuming heavy material: solo activities or outings with friends ([34:29]).
• Paranoia from Content ([35:33]):
  • “Like, I am so paranoid now [...] My name on Uber is Duke, which is my dad’s name. Because…they can’t know I’m a woman.” ([35:44])

Notable Cases Discussed

• BTK Killer ([22:49]–[27:29]):
  • Examination of serial killers’ “breaks” between crimes—BNK (Bind, Torture, Kill) provided inspiration for Daphne’s fictional killer’s hiatus.
  • BTK's ordinary family life despite his secret crimes particularly haunting.
  • Kail’s dream of interviewing him (“I’ve got his address. I want to write to him and get him on the podcast so bad.” [22:51])
• Infamous Disappearances ([38:08]):
  • Brian Shaefer: went into a bar and was never seen exiting ([39:04]).
  • Brandon Swanson: vanished after car trouble, while on the phone with his parents ([40:08]).
  • Other ongoing mysteries and infamous cases, including Laci Peterson, JonBenét Ramsey, Brian Kohberger, and more.

Impactful Listener & Family Feedback

• Positive Family Reactions ([43:45]):
  • Instances where families thank Daphne and Heath for bringing awareness or validating their sense of injustice in a loved one’s death (e.g., the suspicious boy's hanging case).
• Advice for Under-covered Families ([48:40]):
  • Encourage social media advocacy, outreach to podcasters, and public sharing to gain visibility.

Writing Process & Inspirations

• Crafting Realistic Crime Fiction ([27:29]):
  • Used real autopsy reports (e.g., Nicole Brown Simpson) and police manuals for authenticity.
• Detective/Investigation Angle ([29:03]):
  • “I knew that people who listen to Going West would probably want to hear about that and because of being a true crime podcaster myself...” ([29:06])
• Favorite Authors & Recommendations ([31:53], [33:14]):
  • Camilla Bruce (You’d Let Me In, The Witch in the Well), Robin Harding (The Drowning Woman), Freida McFadden, Colleen Hoover.

True Crime & Genre Influences

• Balancing Horror & Thriller ([52:15]–[54:18]):
  • Daphne leans more towards psychological tension than gore, strives for genuine scares in her writing.
  • “I do think it’s really hard for me to find a book that scares me… so I go for tension building and creepiness.” ([53:42])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Writing and Real-Life Ties
  “I wrote the outline in, like, four days, and it all just kind of tumbled out.” ([03:49])

• On the True Crime Community
  “I feel like true crime podcasts have, in a lot of ways, a bad rap as well. Like, oh, you're just a true crime podcast. You don't really care. Which I fully understand. So it's really sensitive, and we always just try to come at it…” ([18:56])

• On Sensationalism vs. Advocacy
  “I'm trying to spread awareness. That's the whole point. For no other reason. That's literally the reason I got into this. And honestly, most true crime podcasters are that exact same way.” ([19:31])

• On the Importance of Humanizing Victims
  “We really like to start the first, like, I don't know, maybe like 10 or 15 minutes about their background just to like, make people see that they were a person that was also not just murdered, but that they were a person.” ([50:56])

• On Consuming True Crime
  “It makes you so paranoid. Like, I feel like anytime like my name on Uber is Duke, which is my dad’s name. Because I’m like, I can’t, they can’t know I’m a woman.” ([35:44])

• On Favorite Part of Writing The Night Watcher
  “Honestly, the scary parts of the book...I really loved focusing on making the book as scary as I could because I love horror movies.” ([52:10])

Highlighted Segments & Timestamps

• [02:22] – Daphne introduces The Night Watcher and inspiration behind it.
• [06:36] – Personal family tragedy and impact on true crime passions.
• [10:52] – Victim sensitivity in true crime podcasting.
• [15:00] – Prioritizing BIPOC and lesser-known case coverage.
• [17:02] – How cases are chosen for Going West.
• [22:49] – BTK Killer discussion and inspiration for Daphne’s novel.
• [27:29] – Using real world forensic detail in fiction.
• [33:47] – Emotional toll of working in true crime.
• [39:04] – Brian Shaefer disappearance; cases that haunt Daphne.
• [43:45] – Family gratitude and complicated emotions about coverage.
• [50:56] – The philosophy of humanizing victims in every episode.
• [52:10] – Writing the horror elements in The Night Watcher.

Where to Find

• Daphne’s Podcast: Going West is available on all major podcast platforms.
• The Night Watcher: Order it online or in stores (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, select bookshops).
  “...it’s at the Strand. Like, I’m going to go see it at the Strand, you know, because why not maybe sign some copies?” ([57:08])
• Daphne on Social:
  • Instagram: @daphnewoolsoncroft
  • TikTok: @daphnewool

For Listeners:

This episode is a must for true crime aficionados and those curious about the blurred lines between real tragedy, advocacy, and creative storytelling. Daphne’s empathy and seriousness shine through, making clear her commitment to respect and justice amidst the genre’s inherent darkness.