CrimeLess Podcast: "Ironclad Alibis"
Original Air Date: January 7, 2026
Hosts: Rory Scovel & Josh Dean
Producer: Lane Rose
Podcast Description:
Comedian Rory Scovel and veteran crime podcaster Josh Dean hilariously dissect some of the wildest alibi cases in crime history—from forgotten "get out of jail free" cards, to a ticket-beating cop with a flair for the dramatic, to a real-life "Curb Your Enthusiasm" exoneration.
Episode Overview
This episode, titled "Ironclad Alibis", focuses on cases where suspects either had the perfect alibi, forgot about it, manufactured it creatively (or criminally), or had their fate accidentally intertwined with pop culture. The hosts take listeners through remarkable stories that show just how strange, flawed, or fortuitous alibis can be in the justice system. As always, there’s plenty of humor, wit, and a final segment featuring the worst (and weirdest) alibis known to law.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Man Who Forgot He Was Already in Jail (02:40–09:42)
- Case: Ledondrell Montgomery, convicted of armed robbery in Houston, TX, with an ironclad alibi: he was already incarcerated.
- Details:
- Montgomery was convicted, based on eyewitness ID and prior record.
- His innocence was proven during his appeal, when his lawyer discovered jail records showing he was already locked up during the robbery.
- No one—neither the public defender, the prosecutor, nor Montgomery himself—remembered or clarified this key fact during the first trial.
- Judge lambasted both sides for incompetence. As Josh summarized:
"It boggles the mind, frankly, that it took this long. Both sides are spectacularly incompetent." — Judge Mark Kent Ellis [07:39]
- Even after his release on the charge, prosecutors refiled additional charges, illustrating systemic issues.
- Memorable Quote:
"Isn't that kind of where you start with your client? Like, where were you? If your client's like, 'I didn't do it', you're like, 'okay, well then where were you?'" — Rory Scovel [07:02]
2. The Traffic Cop with the Girlfriend Excuse (09:55–16:39)
- Case: Chicago police officer Jeffrey Krieve, notorious for beating dozens of traffic tickets with a recurring “ex-girlfriend stole my car” alibi, backed by forged police reports.
- Details:
- Krieve contested and won dismissal of almost all his tickets by claiming a series of tumultuous breakups where a (fictional) ex-girlfriend stole his vehicle.
- He produced forged police reports, signed by actual officers.
- Revealed to be a cop himself; systemic corruption implied.
- Eventually exposed by ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune; subsequently charged with perjury and forgery, forced into retirement.
- Memorable Quote:
"He did so, finally, in 2023, after the ProPublica Chicago Tribune story, prosecutors announced perjury and forgery charges against Creeve. He had his badge taken, and he was pushed into retirement." — Josh Dean [14:11]
- On the absurdity of the repeated excuse:
"If there's one thing we can tell you to avoid in Chicago, it's don't get caught up with an ex girlfriend. They're gonna steal your car every time." — Josh Dean [13:15]
- On the absurdity of the repeated excuse:
3. Larry David, Baseball & a Real-Life Exoneration (19:09–25:03)
- Case: Juan Catalan, accused of murder, cleared by raw footage from an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm filmed at Dodger Stadium.
- Details:
- Catalan’s alibi: was taking his young daughter to a Dodgers game at the time of the crime.
- Attorney tracked down game footage; Curb Your Enthusiasm happened to be filming the same day, and the raw footage showed Catalan and his daughter on camera.
- Charges dropped; real perpetrator later convicted.
- Memorable Quote:
"At some point in his quest to prove his innocence and literally save himself from a life in prison, Juan Catlin remembers there was something being filmed at the stadium that night. And his lawyer, Todd Melnick, calls the Dodgers and finds out it was Curb Your Enthusiasm. He contacts the producers, gets all the raw footage, and dives in, combing every second … until he finds some frames of Larry walking through the stands. And there's Juan Catalan with his daughter." — Josh Dean [22:44–23:13]
- Larry David later jokes:
"Let me tell you, to have somebody that obligated to you for the rest of their lives gives me a good feeling." — Larry David (in doc clip, recounted by Josh) [23:44]
- Larry David later jokes:
4. Lessons & Takeaways (24:01–24:47)
- Alibi wisdom:
"The lesson is try to see as many Dodgers games as possible, because you never have any clue when someone out there is going to accuse you of murder." — Rory Scovel [24:01]
5. Lane’s Game: The Worst “Aliblies” Ever (29:24–37:39)
A rapid-fire quiz segment, "Lane's Game," in which Lane Rose presents the most absurd real-life alibis or “aliblies”—with Rory and Josh guessing the excuses.
- Notable examples:
- Indiana embezzler: “It was my evil twin” [30:48]
- Drunken fighter: Claimed to be a werewolf (“...scratched by a wolf in Germany.”) [32:04]
- Swedish “Llama Man”: Blamed nutmeg-induced psychoactive frenzy for violent outburst [33:26]
- Gilded Age murderer Harry K. Thaw: Pleaded “dementia Americana” (a form of patriotic insanity) [35:05]
- Lizzie Borden: Variously claimed to be eating pears, searching for fishing sinkers, or fixing windows during her parents’ murders [36:28]
- Memorable quote:
"These are called alib-lies." — Rory Scovel [32:41]
"I, for one, believe all these people." — Rory Scovel [33:53]
Notable Quotes & Moments
- On lawyering basics:
"When you sit down and set up a defense, isn't this the very first thing you look for? A viable alibi." — Josh Dean [08:03]
- On the absurdity of corruption:
"Isn't Chicago corrupt to the core? Lane lives there, so that tells you all you need to know." — Josh Dean [12:44]
- Humor throughout:
"If your client's like, 'I didn't do it', you're like, 'okay, well then where were you?'" — Rory Scovel [07:02]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:40 — Alibi basics, “I was in another country!” intro prompt
- 03:43–09:42 — Ledondrell Montgomery and the “already in jail” case
- 09:55–16:39 — Cop fakes girlfriend car theft alibis for Chicago traffic tickets
- 19:09–25:03 — Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the Dodger Stadium exoneration
- 29:24–37:39 — Lane’s Game: history’s worst alibis
Conclusion
The episode deftly mixes sharp-witted commentary, jaw-dropping real-life crime stories, and lighthearted banter to reveal how the art of the alibi can often be as absurd or arbitrary as the crimes themselves. The tales range from tragic legal misfires to hilarious incompetence, showing that sometimes, the difference between life and prison hinges on remembering (or inventing) just the right story—and occasionally, on being filmed by a sitcom star at a ballgame.