Criminal – "The Knock" (December 12, 2025)

Podcast: Criminal
Host: Phoebe Judge
Episode Theme: “The Knock” – An ordinary Christmas morning turns extraordinary for one new mother and her family when a frantic knock at the door sets off a chain of alarming events. This is a story about chance, crisis, empathy, and what people do when everything suddenly becomes uncertain.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Laura Nowlin and her family’s unforgettable Christmas morning in St. Louis, when a baby was left on their porch. What initially seemed like a bizarre mix-up unfolds into a story involving a car theft, a panicked teenager, and a community’s quick response. Through closely recounted memories and police perspective, the episode explores fear, compassion, and the echoes of a single desperate decision.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pregnancy, Motherhood, and Anticipation

• Background on Laura Nowlin: Laura recounts her anxiety over possibly giving birth on Christmas, referencing the difficulties of having a holiday birthday.
  • “People always… lamented that… it’s kind of a bummer, isn’t it, to have your birthday on Christmas or even the day after…” (Phoebe Judge, 01:35)
• Percy’s Birth: Laura’s son, Percy (short for Percival), was born prematurely in early November following an emergency C-section.
  • “Piercing the veil is kind of an old English idea… and so that’s how he’d come into our world…” (Laura Nowlin, 04:13)

2. Christmas Morning Routine Interrupted

• Setting the Scene: On an icy morning, Laura and her husband Rob prepare to visit family, excited for their baby’s first Christmas.
• Unexpected Knock:
  • Laura hears “frantic knocking” and assumes it’s a package delivery. Rob discovers a baby, not a parcel, outside their door.
  • “…he came back and he said, there's a kid outside…I said, like a teenager playing a prank…He said, no, like a baby.” (Laura Nowlin & Phoebe Judge, 06:56)

3. Initial Confusion and Concern

• The Stranded Baby:
  • The infant is well-cared-for: securely strapped, dressed warmly, clean and fed.
  • Laura’s instincts as a new mother kick in: “Somebody loves you. Somebody dressed you up all warm and put you in this car seat.” (Laura Nowlin, 09:26)
• Reactions and Fears:
  • First thoughts include a possible custody mix-up, then anger at the dangerous situation, and finally, fear for the unseen parent:
    • “I became furious… if you thought you were dropping this baby off…you should have made sure that they were there.” (Laura Nowlin, 13:20)
    • “I became afraid that something had happened to that person.” (Laura Nowlin, 13:59)

4. Police and Mother’s Arrival

• Rapid Response: Police arrive within minutes after Rob calls 911, indicating law enforcement was anticipating such a call.
  • “He said that the woman on the other line shouted, we got a baby. So they'd obviously been waiting for some kind of call.” (Laura Nowlin, 14:41)
• Reunion: The baby’s mother, distraught, is reunited with her son on Laura’s porch.
  • “She only had eyes for him, and she took him from me, and she just crumpled over him.” (Laura Nowlin, 16:12)

5. Police Perspective – Officer Austin King (17:14)

• Background:
  • Working Christmas as a new officer; describes an otherwise quiet day (17:18–18:10).
• Emergency Unfolds:
  • Receives “very serious” call: a car stolen with an infant in the back.
  • Fast action is crucial: “As time progresses, the lesser likelihood of being successful as law enforcement goes down.” (Officer King, 19:55)
  • Police coordination: The stolen car is quickly identified, and multiple officers join the search (20:37).
• Events in Sequence:
  • Car thief abandons the baby on Laura’s porch a few blocks away from where the car was stolen (20:51).
  • The thief is apprehended after a foot chase (21:41).

6. Understanding the Thief & Aftermath

• Discovering the Truth:
  • Laura learns the thief is a teenage boy in foster care, not an adult. Her anger dissolves into empathy:
    • “This wasn't someone...who had made a decision to put a child at risk. This was a child who had done something stupid. And all that anger...just vanished.” (Laura Nowlin, 22:22)
• Speculations & Reflection:
  • Laura considers the frantic knocking was a desperate effort from a scared teenager realizing his mistake (23:03–24:05).

7. Court and Closure

• Juvenile Justice:
  • The teenage boy is tried as a juvenile and sent to a detention center. Laura never learns his name but wishes him well (27:40).
  • “If I could, I would look up and find out how he was doing. And I wish I could say to him, like, hey, I’m glad you tried to do the right thing.” (Laura Nowlin, 27:40)

8. Returning to ‘Normal’ – Family and Memory

• Sharing with Family:
  • Laura calls her mother to explain they’d be late (“a good enough excuse,” 28:20), relays the story to skeptical relatives, and eventually celebrates her first Christmas as a mom.
• Enduring Impact:
  • Years later, Laura jokes to Percy that he had an “older brother” for 20 minutes. She continues to think about both boys each Christmas.
  • “I'll be thinking about it every year for the rest of my life. I'll be thinking about the baby, hoping he's somewhere out there being happy and loved… And I'll be thinking about the other boy and hoping he has somebody who's loving him and helping him.” (Laura Nowlin, 31:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I was able to get him out…just this baby was clearly clean, fed and loved. And so I picked him up and I was trying to comfort him and I just said…the first thing I was thinking was somebody loves you.”
  — Laura Nowlin (09:26)

• “I don't know, it felt like he understood. I know that sounds silly.”
  — Laura Nowlin (13:59)

• “What kind of monster did this?...And I asked the police officer, he was wandering alone on Christmas. My whole preconceived notion was shattered.”
  — Laura Nowlin (22:03)

• “I just feel like there were two boys who were lost. And my thought was the kid realized what he had done, you know, and tried to. Tried to do the right thing.”
  — Laura Nowlin (24:05)

• “If I could, I would look up and find out how he was doing. And I wish I could say to him, like, hey, I'm glad you tried to do the right thing.”
  — Laura Nowlin (27:40)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Laura’s pregnancy & naming story: 01:02–05:50
• Discovery of baby on porch: 05:50–08:54
• Initial reactions & comforting the baby: 08:54–10:15, 12:44–14:38
• Police arrive and mother’s reunion: 15:11–16:19
• Officer Austin King recounts the event: 17:14–21:27
• Context of the car theft & suspect’s background: 21:52–24:46
• Family’s Christmas and long-term reflections: 28:17–31:55

Conclusion

The Knock is a nuanced story about how ordinary lives become entangled in unexpected moments of crisis. The episode captures the raw emotion of a mother’s gratitude, the fear and confusion of an unthinkable moment, the police’s urgent response, and ultimately, the empathy awakened for a teenage boy who made a terrible—yet desperate—mistake. Laura’s story is one of shock transformed into generosity and lasting compassion—a reminder of the humanity on both sides of extraordinary events.