Criminal Podcast Episode Summary: "Dexter Wade"
Introduction
In the January 17, 2025 episode of Criminal, hosted by Phoebe Judge and produced by Vox Media Podcast Network, the story of Dexter Wade unfolds—a narrative marked by family tragedy, police misconduct, and systemic failures in law enforcement communication. This comprehensive summary delves into the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions presented throughout the episode.
1. The Wade Family: Background and Dynamics
Betterstein Wade, Dexter's mother, provides an intimate glimpse into her family life in Jackson, Mississippi. She describes her children with deep affection:
- Betterstein Wade (03:35): “Betterstein Wade raised her children in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, where her mother and brother George also lived. And what was life for you? Like, tell me a little bit about what was going on in your life.”
Dexter is portrayed as a bright and outgoing individual:
- Betterstein Wade (02:46): “Dexter loved to talk to everybody. Dexter just had himself a ball... He was real smart on the computer. His teacher used to say, I let him run my class on the computer. 'Cause he just so good at it. He just knew everything to do.”
2. Struggles and Dexter’s Imprisonment
Betterstein discusses her efforts to provide for her family, working as an aluminum welder and later in security, which limited her time with her children due to night shifts. As Dexter grew older, his behavior became harder to monitor:
- Betterstein Wade (04:22): “As he got older... he got with a bunch of little boys and they start doing things off from home. Then he starts staying out from home... but he always called. He never did go off and just not let me know where he was.”
Dexter's descent into criminal activity led to his imprisonment:
- Dexter’s Imprisonment (05:16): “He got mixed up with a little group of young men and they say he robbed someone. He went on and he served the time... spending six years in jail and he got out and he was trying to live his life as best as he could.”
3. The Tragic Death of George Wade
The episode takes a somber turn as Betterstein recounts the tragic death of her brother, George Wade, at the hands of police officers:
- Betterstein Wade (08:52): “That was my birthday on January 13th in 2019. George... then they killed George.”
Details of the incident reveal police brutality:
- Officer Anthony Fox’s Actions (09:47 - 11:27): Officer Fox accused George of making a drug transaction and forcibly removed him from his car, leading to George's death from blunt force trauma. Witnesses heard George, who was recovering from a stroke, struggle to unbuckle his seatbelt, culminating in him being slammed to the ground and suffering fatal injuries.
4. Dexter’s Disappearance Amid Family Turmoil
In the wake of George's death, Dexter went missing, plunging the family into further distress:
- Betterstein Wade (15:23): “I think I was thinking of, like I told my mom, my mom said, you gonna call the police?... So I called for a missing person report.”
Despite multiple efforts, including social media appeals and persistent calls to the police, Dexter remained missing for over five months:
- Betterstein Wade (16:00): “I be trying to think of where could you be, boy?... I put it on Facebook. Everywhere.”
5. Discovery and Handling of Dexter’s Death
Eventually, Dexter's body was discovered, but the process revealed significant lapses in communication and procedure:
- Betterstein Wade (19:26): “He said, I'm sorry for your loss. I broke down and started crying... 'A police cruiser hit him on the freeway.'”
The coroner's office and police failed to notify Betterstein in a timely manner, leading to her anguish:
- Betterstein Wade (20:09): “I did not have to search for Dexter. I knew who Dexter was the night that he was killed.”
6. Exhumation and Proper Burial
Determined to honor Dexter properly, Betterstein took steps to exhume his body from a pauper's field—a graveyard for unclaimed individuals:
- Betterstein Wade’s Emotional Journey (30:48): “I just broke down. I said, baby, I looked for you... I am so sorry that he had to be buried like this.”
After facing bureaucratic hurdles and paying $250 for reclaiming Dexter's body, a dignified funeral was conducted with hundreds in attendance and Reverend Al Sharpton delivering the eulogy:
- Betterstein Wade (32:45): “It was a relief to know that he was getting a proper grave, a proper burial...”
7. Uncovering Systemic Failures
Reporter John Shupey of NBC News collaborated with Betterstein to investigate whether Dexter’s case was isolated or part of a broader issue:
- John Shupey (34:08): “This can't be a one-off. There's gotta be...”
Their investigation revealed that multiple individuals had been buried without familial notification, highlighting systemic negligence within the Jackson Police Department and the Hinds County Coroner's Office:
- Influencer 2 (24:16): “In these pauper's burials, an inmate from the county jail digs the grave and the body’s placed in there with a number.”
8. Aftermath and Ongoing Struggles
The episode concludes with the release of Officer Anthony Fox, whose conviction for George’s death was overturned due to insufficient evidence. The Wade family remains without an apology or closure:
- Betterstein Wade (35:40): “I haven't got an apology for George or Dexter as of today...”
Despite systemic changes, including the City of Jackson adopting an official policy for notifying next of kin, the Wades' suffering underscores the enduring impact of these failures.
Notable Quotes with Timestamps
- Betterstein Wade (02:46): “Dexter just had himself a ball... He just know everything to do.”
- Betterstein Wade (04:22): “Every generation we had, we tried to make them better.”
- Betterstein Wade (05:49): “Dexter was good as a father... He just love to just lay in their bed and talk to him.”
- Betterstein Wade (08:52): “They done killed George...”
- Betterstein Wade (16:19): “That was my duty to, you know, see what happened to my son.”
- Betterstein Wade (20:35): “He said, I gave them a record where I called JPD about nine times to ask, have they found Dexter?”
- Betterstein Wade (35:40): “I haven't got an apology for George or Dexter as of today.”
Conclusion
The "Dexter Wade" episode of Criminal masterfully weaves a narrative of personal loss, institutional failure, and the relentless pursuit of truth by a grieving mother. Through Betterstein Wade’s poignant storytelling and investigative journalism by John Shupey, the episode sheds light on critical issues within law enforcement protocols and the profound personal toll on families caught in the crossfire of systemic negligence.
For those seeking to understand the complexities of such tragic events and the human stories behind them, this episode offers a compelling and thought-provoking exploration.