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- [00:00]
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- [00:34]
Dennis Cooper
Hey listeners, it's me, Dennis. I'm here to share with you a special bonus episode of Culpable that we recorded live from the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee. Now, you might be wondering why we'd be recording an episode live from Opryland. Couple reasons. This month marked five years since we released our very first episode of Culpable, investigating the case of Christian Andreacchio. And that was just the start of things. A couple years later, we released season two covering the case of Brittany Stikes. Then came the release of our case review series, highlighting 11 cases in total thus far as we continue our work on the next season of Culpable. So as we hit this new milestone, it felt right to take some time to do a bit of reflection. And there couldn't be a better opportunity than the five year anniversary of season one at the very place where we first Learned of Christian Andriacchio's story. CrimeCon Nashville, Tennessee Pretty cool, right? But before we jump into things, I want to take a second to thank each and every one of you for listening to Culpable. It seriously means the world to me, but you all do much more than listen. You send love to victims families. You give us feedback, ways to improve, you share tips. Heck, you even share the stories that we go on to cover. So I just want to recognize that being at CrimeCon was such a neat and humbling experience to shake hands and take pictures with all the people who have supported us over the years and helped make Culpable what it is today. We truly couldn't do it without you all. So live from Tenderfoot TV's booth at CrimeCon, we set up a little stage and I sat down with my lead producer John street, who's been with me from the beginning for some raw and honest conversations about Culpable to give listeners a little more insight into our past work and a look at what's ahead. So be sure to stick around until after the credits. I hope you enjoy.
- [02:30]
John Street
So this is day one of crimecon 2024. How are you feeling?
- [02:34]
Dennis Cooper
Oh, man, so far so good. It's just a great community here, man. People that care so much about this stuff. Just a caring group of people, man. It's been really cool to meet, you know, fans of the show and fans of Tenderfoot show. I mean, you can't beat this venue. It's pretty awesome. So, so far so good.
- [02:51]
John Street
So doors opened a couple hours ago and we've already had quite a few people looking for Dennis Cooper.
- [02:55]
Dennis Cooper
So many. So many. Yeah, man. That's crazy. I don't know why, but they're here.
- [03:03]
John Street
So I want to get your. I want to get your take on the venue. So we're at the Gaylord Opryland here in Nashville. It's a very unique place. How would you explain it?
- [03:14]
Dennis Cooper
Somebody earlier said, like, it's like being in Las Vegas, which is like, I've never been to Vegas actually, but I do kind of picture that way. It's like, I mean, this place is massive.
- [03:23]
John Street
Oh, it's crazy.
- [03:24]
Dennis Cooper
You know, I had to call you for directions on the way in to try to find the entrance, like. So this place is massive, but a great spot to hold this event. Plenty of space for the 6,000 plus attendance or whatever attendees. So, yeah, this is really cool spot, man. And it's cool for me, cuz the. The first year I was going to come here, it was in Nashville, but I ended up not going and went the next year to New Orleans, so. But this place is special in other ways, which I'm sure we'll get into.
- [04:02]
John Street
Yeah, it is special. So, I mean, one of the interesting things is we're coming up very quickly, just a couple weeks on the five year anniversary of season one of Culpable. How's that make you feel? It's been five years since you first dove into Christian's case.
- [04:19]
Dennis Cooper
Crazy, man. Like, in some ways it feels like it was just yesterday, you know, but honestly, the other day I was looking through old pictures of Cold bowl and I'm thinking, like, who is that kid? Like, it was. Yeah, man. So it's. In a way, it feels like it's been five years too. Like, that's. That's quite a milestone. It's pretty cool.
- [04:39]
John Street
Yeah. It feels a bit like a lifetime ago.
- [04:41]
Dennis Cooper
Yeah.
- [04:42]
John Street
So the other crazy thing is not only are we coming up on five years, but this is the same exact venue. We were actually initially approached by Christian's family to talk to us about covering his case.
- [04:53]
Dennis Cooper
Right. Yeah. Yeah. So again, this place is special for. For Culpable for that reason. Yes. We were approached by a family member of Christians at the Torture 2018 crime con in Nashville right here at the same place. And that's how I eventually learned of his story, which turned into Culpable. And then also in 2019, like, shout out to this event, because 2019, we were, like I said, we were in New Orleans. And that's special, too, because that's where we promoted season one of Cold Bowl. I mean, we got the word out there and, you know, did a panel and did a live investigative experience and got the word out there and, you know, it probably benefited from that in the long run that we chose just this awesome platform here at CrimeCon Convention to promote it that next year. So CrimeCon is special in two ways as far as the milestones go. 2018, learning of Christian story, 2019, promoting it and releasing season one. So, yeah, really, really thankful for this, this event and everybody who runs it.
- [05:51]
John Street
So I think there's no better time than now, no better place than here to do a bit of a kind of a recap and a look back over the last five years, because so much has happened because CrimeCon has played such an integral part in Culpable as a franchise. And even, like we just said, just the way that we've been able to have CrimeCon be so intricately interwoven into everything that we've gone through. So I know it's been a little while, but I do want to throw things back to season one, before Culpable was a thing. Talk to me about life. Like, where were you at? What were you doing? What was. What was going on in Dennis's life?
- [06:28]
Dennis Cooper
So it was very different work wise. I was working for a telecommunications company at the time, so nothing remotely close to the world of podcasting, you know, and just working like a normal 9 to 5, just kind of cruising and home life, though, was probably a lot similar. I, you know, I have my wife and four kids, and that hasn't changed too much, but the work itself has changed dramatically. Like I said, making a podcast was not really in my plans. It just kind of came together that way. I was just trying to work my normal 9 to 5 and pay the bills and get to the next day. So to now be here five years later and be doing this for a living is really cool. I feel very blessed to be doing this.
- [07:12]
John Street
It's pretty crazy. So I do. Let's start there. Let's talk about Christian's case. Talked a little bit about, you know, the venue of how, you know, how we got connected to Christian's family. But what do you remember about that time? So you're, you're doing telecommunications. Podcasting's not even on your radar. And then all of a sudden, this case, this story of Christian Andre Akio comes into your world. Tell me about that.
- [07:34]
Dennis Cooper
Yeah, yeah. So like we discussed, you know, we learned about it at CrimeCon. You know, we were actually. We worked in the same building together. That's how we know each other. Right. So Resonate was the one who collected the car that explained his case of the flyer. And Jacob passed it along to me, and just knowing that I was a fan of true crime and would be interested in it. And so I read over the flyer, I found it very interesting. I then proceeded to get on Google and do all my research and learn what I could learn about Christian's case. And then I just made the decision one day, like Ray Andreacchio, Christian's mom, her phone number was on there, and I just decided, I'll just give her a ring and just give my condolences, tell her I'm interested in her son's story. Still was not planning on making a podcast out of it, that's for sure. And then, man, my heart just broke for her, hearing what she'd been through in the past. At the time, it was about five years investigating her own son's death. And so, yeah, I think at that point, just my heart, my heart was in it. And I was like, you know what, this, this would be a really cool podcast to make, but how do I make it? You know, Like, I don't know how to do that. And so that's where, you know, resonate at the time came in and the partnership with Tenderfoot.
- [08:47]
John Street
So what was it like going from working in telecommunications, something completely unrelated to true crime, unrelated to podcasting at all, to now hearing about this case, your heart going out to. To Ray, Todd, the family, and feeling compelled to actually want to do something. What was that journey like for you? How did you take those leaps?
- [09:06]
Dennis Cooper
Yeah, so. And there's a lot of growing pains, that's for sure. Like, it wasn't easy because like I said, I'm balancing a full time job at the same time. So a lot of my hours in the podcast were put in late at night, you know, sometimes during the day if I could swing it. And you know what goes into making a podcast? Like, it's not just sitting down writing. Like, I'm trying to find ways to travel to Meridian, Mississippi for, like, you know, can I pull off a couple days and then come back and catch up on work? You know, can I do this interview tonight? And like I said, I have a wife, and at the time, three kids at home. So it's not. It's not like it was just easy decisions. Like, anything that I was doing with the podcast, you know, was affecting home life as well and, you know, creating obstacles there and taking up so much of my time and energy. Because, you know, like, when you get into a case like Christian's, like I was with his, you're not just interested in it like, you are. You're fully immersed and you care about it, and you want to solve it and you want to make a difference. And so that takes time and attention and dedication. And so that all went into it. And like I said, it was. It was a big adjustment. Like I said, I'm a homebody working a 9 to 5, and now all of a sudden, I'm trying to juggle a podcast on the side, and I want to do it right. I want to do it. Do it right by the family and. And make a good show. So there's a lot of pressure there, too. If I could be even backpedal a little bit. The funny thing is, I tried my hardest to get out of hosting it. Like, you know, once we had decided, okay, let's make this podcast, we'll partner with Tenderfoot, it's culpable. All the chips were lining. You know, everything was lining up. And then it's like, okay, who's going to host it? And I was like, I'd rather not. Like, I'll just. I can write it. I would love to write it. I've already started. But hosting was like, no way. I didn't want to put myself out there that way, but there just wasn't anyone else qualified to take it on. So it was honestly even kind of chance that I took on that role of hosting it. But it's a choice that I'm thankful I made.
- [11:06]
John Street
Yeah. Something that most fans may not know about you is that doing stuff like this, being in front of people is not your forte. You actually really hate this stuff.
- [11:16]
Dennis Cooper
Yes. I'm shaking.
- [11:18]
John Street
You don't gravitate towards it. And if I wasn't a good friend of yours and kind of shoehorned you ended doing this, it probably wouldn't have happened.
- [11:25]
Dennis Cooper
I'd want no other moderator. You're the best moderator, man, but I.
- [11:28]
John Street
Appreciate you sitting down with me, man. So, you know, I know we have a lot to get through. So I want to fast forward a little bit. So, you know, you start production on Christian Story, you know, turns into a podcast, and then pretty quickly it becomes the number one show. Like, what does that do for you as somebody who didn't even come from the world of podcasting? And now not only are you a podcaster and trying to figure out how to balance work and life and figure out how to do an investigation, but now you have a number one show. Like, what is that journey like?
- [11:57]
Dennis Cooper
Man, it was nuts. Like, I. I mean, look, it's Tenderfoot tv. I was expecting the show to make a splash. I was expecting people to at least give it a listen and try it. I didn't expect it to make that big of a splash, and I didn't expect that many people to keep listening, you know, so that was really reassuring for me. Going into it and being new to it and doing something that was out of my comfort zone was like, those aren't just new listeners. Like, those are returned listeners. Listen, like, people are invested in this with me. Like, they. For whatever reason, they care what I have to say. And so that was, you know, that was really cool. And obviously, like, hitting number one, it's not an easy feat, and it's not something that I take for granted. Like, that's. I don't have a whole lot of accolades in life, like, so I was really happy with. With the success of it in that sense and how. How well it performed, how many listens it got, you know, hitting number one, that was a big achievement.
- [12:50]
John Street
Yeah. So, I mean, looking back on season one, obviously hitting number one, developing a strong listener base, the fact that Christian's Law eventually gets passed, those are all highs. We haven't taken opportunity to really sit down and have casual conversations like this. So I do think it's helpful for listeners and fans of the show to also understand that there's, you know, kind of a. A challenging and a more difficult side to covering cases like this. You know, giving up hours and hours of your. Of your day, your week to create a series like this, asking you to be kind of on the spot here and be vulnerable. But what was something, looking back, that was challenging from that period of time?
- [13:28]
Dennis Cooper
Yeah, man, a lot of stuff. Because like I said, in a lot of ways, it just kind of flipped life on its head in some ways, you know, and you think about it like, the nature of what all these creators here do, the stories we tell, the stories we work on, it's already heavy, right? It's already. It can be Very taxing. Yes. You know, following these stories, telling them, having the conversations with families that we have. So it's hard enough in that sense. But then like I said, I was just, I just turned into a workaholic because I was trying to juggle a full time job in a podcast. And so, you know, that obviously was a shock for my family. So, yeah, like I said, I mentioned earlier growing pains. And it's because there was a breaking point with culpable with me that like, I don't think I've ever really like, shared with people before, but I still remember it vividly. It was very much a turning point in the production of it because I was just running myself into the ground. I was probably just a total zombie to my family. I was sitting in my backyard one night and just the thought of everything kind of caught up and actually I had my first ever panic attack and that was really scary in the moment, thankfully, I've never had one since, so hopefully it stays that way. It was not an experience I'd wish on my worst enemy. So, yeah, in that moment, thankfully, that's why it's good to have good people around your life. Like I called my brother in law who was a producer on season one, Mark, and he talked me down from it and stuff and so that was great. And then from there it was like, okay, how do I prevent this from happening again and how do I make this situation work and how, how do I balance in this podcast? Because I'm already in too deep. Like, I got to finish it. And so, yeah, I mean, from there, like I was actually in, I was in therapy for the rest of season one and even afterwards. So, you know, big supporter of that, changed my life around, turned me into a better man and a better podcaster. So.
- [15:19]
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- [16:57]
John Street
So season one wraps up, a little bit of time passes and then season two, Brittany Stykes, her case comes along. What was that shift like? How did that come to you and the team?
- [17:09]
Dennis Cooper
Yeah, that was too kind of you to pass over the lawsuit.
- [17:15]
John Street
You want to get into that.
- [17:15]
Dennis Cooper
You're always looking out for me, man.
- [17:17]
John Street
I think there's too much PTSD around us.
- [17:19]
Dennis Cooper
Yeah, because I was just about to say, like, there was some time lapse there, man. There was like a, there was a period of healing at the end of season one, but no season two. Yeah, I think that was in 2021. It's funny because I was actually working on a different case at the time. I was working on a case in New Orleans at the time. I've been following it for some time and I thought it might be season two of Culpable. But the more I dug into it, I realized, like it should, it's not the right fit for Culpable. It should be a different series. Like we should create a new series. So I was in the process of figuring that out and I met Jessica Knoll, who I still work with to this day. Shout out to Jessica. She's an investigative journalist out of Ohio, and she told me about this story near her hometown of Brady Stykes, a young pregnant woman who was gunned down on the highway while driving to her dad's birthday. She was pregnant. You know, it wasn't just her that was killed in it was the baby as well. And then her one year old was in the backseat and she suffered a gunshot wound to the head but fortunately survived. So that's that case in a nutshell. But yeah, she told me about it and I just took a liking to it. I was just, I was really intrigued with it. I was really intrigued how you can get shot on a busy highway in a small town like this and get away with it. Like, I think that was really the element that really stuck with me. Beyond obviously caring. My heart went out. I mean, you lose a young mother and an unborn child, like, anybody's heart's gonna go out for them. But it was something about that realization of, like, how in the world would this case not be solved? Like, how can you not solve this? Like, there had to be people that passed it up as it happened. And so I found that really interesting. But Jessica told me about this case, and I just got really interested in it and started following it and was like, man, this would be a really good fit for season two. So I just kind of asked her. I was like, hey, I know you're interested in telling this story. That's why you're kind of pitching it to me. But, like, would you mind if I took it and run with it? Like, I would love to have you on board as a producer. So she graciously let me do that. And it was. It was funny because, like, full circle, she was interested in the case I was covering in New Orleans at that time. And so we actually kind of did a flip flop. She took on the Jessica Easterly case out of New Orleans and turned it into a new series called Undetermined. And I took on Brittany Stykes case out of Brown County, Ohio, and she helped me produce that and was my local tour guide. So, yeah, a lot of. A lot of fun memories doing season two with. With Jessica.
- [19:50]
John Street
So what's that process like? Because prior to that, life was, you know, mostly focused, at least, you know, from a podcast standpoint, on Christian and Christian's case. And now you're shifting gears to investigate a completely different case, different circumstances, different family. Was that easy, hard? Like, what was that transition?
- [20:10]
Dennis Cooper
It was easy. I would say easy because, like I said, there was a period of, like, healing at the end of season one. Like, I just needed. I had been so immersed in that story for years. Like, I just needed to breathe for a little bit. And then came the lawsuit. And that, you know, put a damper on things. And so I just needed to get out from that sort of cloud of season one. I don't want to put it in a bad way. I mean, you know, the Andreachio family is amazing. None of it was their doing. None of it was the case's doing. It was my doing. I signed up to do the job and just kind of got in over my head a little bit. And I was a First time podcaster and just trying to figure it out on the fly. So it's my doing, but I just needed time to breathe after that. And then when I found Brittany's case, it was like I was hungry, you know, I was ready to go. I was ready to do season two. So if anything, I would say it was easy. One, because I'd taken some time and was just kind of ready to do another season. But two, because I knew what I was doing. I'd done it before. Now, like, I know how to make a podcast. You know, I have producers surrounding me. You know, I have people like you, John, who keep me on track. And Jessica helped with season two tremendously, and people like Jamie Albright. Like, I have a team. I have Dayton Cole who can make my audio sound like you're in a movie. Like, I'm equipped. I know what I'm doing. So if anything, I would say making season two was a much easier and smoother process.
- [21:35]
John Street
So I am curious. I mean, the. The cases, you know, Christian and Brittany are very different. What drew you to each one of those cases, respectively?
- [21:44]
Dennis Cooper
Well, with Christians, it's just. I mean, you can ask anybody around here, all the countless people I've met today, like, it's just a very unique case.
- [21:53]
John Street
Yep.
- [21:53]
Dennis Cooper
You know, I won't run through all the details right now, but I'll just say, Christian, Andre Akhio's case is a case that if you're into true crime and you start following it, whether it's just looking at it online or listening to Culpable, like, you're gonna get sucked into it. You just are. So it's just a really interesting case. But with season two, part of the draw was like, I wanted to switch things up. Like, Christian's was a question of. It was ruled a suicide, and we wanted to question that and say, did he look at everything here? Like, is it. Is it possible that there was foul play? So that's what we wanted to present with that season. With season two, that that question was off the table. Everybody knows Brittany Stykes was murdered in cold blood. The question was, who did it? And so, you know, I'd first say that. That it just had different elements to it. And I wanted, you know, as a creative, you always want to switch it up and do different things. And so it just. It felt like taking a different direction. You also got a female victim instead of a male. You know, she loses a. An unborn child at the time, and she has a little. A kid in the mix as well. Like, Christian was just a young dude, you know, hadn't started a life or family, really his life or his family yet. Yeah, it just had a lot of different elements to it. And it's really hard to say as far as picking cases. Like, a lot of it's just something pulls at your heartstrings or it's just this gut feeling. It's like, this is the one. And it's hard to say exactly why I landed on Britney Stykes case, but, you know, I was definitely drawn to it for different reasons than Christians, but ultimately just felt like the right fit.
- [23:23]
John Street
So one of the common pieces of feedback that we've gotten from, from people over the years is obviously season one and season two are. Are long form, right? It's not just one case over one episode. These are deep investigations, but there's a lot of focus on the family and the victim. And sometimes people even say, hey, the story drags on too much. You know, just get to the more, you know, quote, unquote compelling things of, like, the who, what, where, when, and why. Like, take me behind the scenes so I can figure out, like, what actually happened and who. Who was involved. What would your response be to somebody who listens to those episodes and that's their takeaway?
- [24:01]
Dennis Cooper
That's tough. Well, one, I'd say that's just the way I write my stories. So there's a reason behind that, which I'll get into, but it's just something I feel passionate about, is just protecting that human element and these victims. I get it. I get that it's the meat, real meat of the story is what was the crime, what was the timeline of events that led up to it, what evidence is there, etc. Etc. The meat of the story is very much the crime itself and trying, in our case, investigating it and trying to at best solve it. But I just feel like in the middle of that story, there's obviously a victim who isn't just that guy who died in Meridian, Mississippi. Like, he's a young man with a loving family and a good job, and he's creating a better life for himself and moving up the ranks with his work. Like, to just glaze over all that and say, pick up the story with in the apartment where Christian died is just, in my opinion, just ethically, it's wrong. Like, you know, I'm not saying you have to spend a full two, three episodes talking about that person's background. I get it, it's a true crime story, but my heart has to be in the stories. That I tell. And the way that happens is by genuinely caring about the victim. And the first thing to talk about is talking with the family about that person. Like, I don't. I don't even want to get on the crime for, like, hours. Like, let me just learn about who this person was so I can do my best to put myself in their shoes. If I'm going to go air out their dirty laundry and peel back the layers of their life, the least I could do is make a conscious effort to feel like I have an understanding of who that person was and give the audience that same idea of who that person was going into the story. So I totally respect anybody that feels that way. Trust me, I've listened to other stuff and had the same thought before, too. But, you know, I just would want people to know that, One, I'm sorry, that's just the way it is. But two, there's meaning behind that. There's a reason we do it that way, even though some people might say, hey, stop doing it that way. I'm not a huge fan of it. Like, it's something I'm passionate about, is protecting that victim in the story. So that's something that we set out and do with every story we tell, Even our. Even our shorter episodes, our case review episodes that are single episodes. We aim to do the same thing.
- [26:25]
John Street
Yeah, and there's plenty of content out there that's more procedurally driven. You know, talking about, you know, the vents, timelines, ballistics, you know, autopsies, and that stuff is all very important. But at the end of the day, these are stories that we're trying to tell because there's human elements that have to be drawn out. And that's the main focus of what the team at Tenderfoot really is trying to prioritize, is telling stories that need to be told that are powerful, that are impactful, that need to be shared. And so if we strip out all of that, the human element, then you're left with something that may be still helpful, but doesn't quite resonate with us as content creators, nor the fans themselves.
- [27:02]
Dennis Cooper
Yeah, no, that's a really good point. Like, if I could add to it, it's like, yes, we have a platform and we can put a spotlight on and make a difference in a case without having that human element. But to me, it's just kind of a disservice to the victim. So much of what we do is, like, I always say, like, giving a voice to the voiceless. And that's not only the victim who's obviously lost their voice, but also their families and what they're going through and who also feel like they're not being heard and can feel a bit voiceless in the matter. So. So yeah, it's just, it's powerful and I think it's important to include that in the stories we tell. What does possibility mean to you? Um, that's a hard question. Something that you can strive for.
- [27:47]
John Street
I'm able to do anything I set my mind to.
- [27:49]
Dennis Cooper
You're confident in yourself and you believe in yourself. Stuff that you could achieve. I feel it's Sarah, Anything is possible when you're more confident. Shoes are a huge part of that. They are the most important part of my style.
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- [28:44]
Dennis Cooper
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- [29:51]
John Street
So we're mid season on dropping new episodes of Case Review MM so right on the heels of season one and season two, we kind of shifted gears a bit to the case review series. So I do want to, you know, kind of talk about that transition and what that was like. So help me understand, you know, what your thinking was. We've got two really successful long form seasons and then we decided to take what was working and kind of flip it on its head a little bit. With the case review series, how would you explain the difference between creatively, like digging into a story long form and then trying to summarize it and do like a one, one episode, episodic type of a feel?
- [30:31]
Dennis Cooper
Yeah, it's. It's been quite an adjustment. Obviously, like you said, it's. It's quite a deviation in terms of the story. You hear how much of it you're hearing. You know, doing one episode on a case versus 10, huge difference. Yeah, it's like, I don't know what you just mentioned a second ago that made me laugh because it's like, yeah, we, in a way, we were kind of, we're kind of fixing something that's not broken. But the thing I don't think everybody realizes is when I do a story like Christian's or like Britney's, I mean, that that's a year or two of investment from first hearing about the story to it being fully released. It's a one or two, one to two year project. And people crave for serialized podcast. I mean, that's how I got into this, was through those types of stories. So is there a need for it? Absolutely. And it makes a huge difference for one victim and their family and their fight for justice. And that was a whole big reason why I got into in the first place. But it was hard to have this nagging feeling of like, that we could be helping so many more in that time span that passes. And in that year or two that passed, it's like, you know, I just realized, man, we could be helping even more families. Like, we could be telling even more stories. We just have to shorten the format. So that's what case review was really about, was a way to highlight more cases, hopefully make a difference in more cases, give more families out there that are suffering, that want answers to their loved one's case ears, both us listening to the story, but also the world. It's been a great thing. I'm enjoying doing it, but it is, it's an adjustment for sure. It's. It's hard because like I said, my heart has to be into what I tell. So we still try to channel some of the same elements. We still have our cold opens and we still spend ample time on the victim and their backstory and the not true crime stuff. Right. So we wanted to protect those things still. But we also realized, like, we have 40 to 60 minutes to tell this and there's case stuff to get into to case material to get into. So, you know, trying to find a way to juggle that and include just the facts and what's most important and also still can include that human element. I'll tell you what, it's much more challenging to cram that into 40 to 60 minutes than it is 10 episodes. You know, with 10 episodes, you just have so much more freedom of how you want to lay out the story. So. But I think we've done a good job of it and it's gotten, you know, good reception and stuff. So that, that I'm excited about. But yeah, it's been different.
- [32:55]
John Street
Yeah, I think it's important to hit on too. I mean, we get so many cases submitted to us as a team through, you know, socials, through our contact pages, across our full slate of shows. And a lot of them are really interesting and compelling, but there's not always all of the pieces there to do a long form story. And so using a platform like case review, where it's episodic, gives you the ability to still give it the coverage and the awareness that you would hope to bring to a story like that without having to commit to telling a story over 8, 10, 12 episodes that may not be there. It may just be really challenging to actually stretch over that period of time. So I think there's also like a bit of a pragmatic approach as well, where it's like, there's a story, it grabs us, it's really interesting, we feel like it needs to be talked about, but there may not be quite enough there for us to tell over a long form season.
- [33:48]
Dennis Cooper
Yeah, that's a really, really good point because, yeah, even with seasons one and season two, like I always say, like, they fell on my lap because in terms of how they came across me, they did, they just fell in my lap. But like, those stories were still. There was still time spent investigating those before the decision was ever made of this is season one, this is season two. Like I always say, like, you have to peel back like layers to a case to know what, like what you said. How many episodes can it be like, is this, can this case actually be a 10 episode, like investigative series? I don't know. Some cases Just can't. Because maybe the family doesn't want to talk and maybe there's nobody that really knows the case or is close to it or it's open and the police are closed off about it and you just don't really have enough meat to the story to tell 10 episodes on it. But you can tell one episode on any case out there. And so it's like, if we have the ability to do that and we have a platform, people that are listening, like, why not do it?
- [34:45]
John Street
So I know that you're not a big social media guy and, and you kind of, for better term, you kind of live in a bubble in a.
- [34:52]
Dennis Cooper
Way that is true. Yeah. What is social media?
- [34:54]
John Street
I'm probably gonna ask you a question that you may not know how to answer outside of an event like this where we've gotten some really good candid feedback on the case review episodes. What do you feel like the response of culpable fans has been to taking the shift into the case review series?
- [35:09]
Dennis Cooper
Oh, yeah, I think for the most part it's been very positive. You know, I don't always get lost in the weeds of feedback. Feedback does matter to me. Constructive criticism matters to me. Our reviews matter to me. Like I see them, but it's not something I like live in per se. But yeah, for the most part what I've seen is like, the feedback's been good and I've talked to numerous people here today that have said the same and that means a lot to me because like I said, in a way we were kind of fixing something that wasn't broken. I know what the people really want. Like I said, there's a demand for long form serialized investigative podcasts. Us, it's, it's kind of like its own animal in this, in this world of true crime, I feel like. But again, those things take time and a lot of energy. And so, you know, I felt like it was a calculated risk to do the case review series. Like, we can still make this feel like culpable. It's still me hosting it, but we're just going to be covering these in shorter form and it seems like people have received it well. I mean, I guess I don't have. I don't know for sure, but like I said, most of the feedback's seems to be positive, so I'll accept that.
- [36:12]
John Street
So, I mean, culpable from the very beginning has been kind of your baby, your brainchild. How would you kind of encompass what culpable is like the, the, the franchise, the concept, the theme how would you explain it to somebody?
- [36:26]
Dennis Cooper
Well, I'll start with the definition of it because that's what we did for our very first trailer. Because I think cold bowl is a word that most people are familiar with, but possibly get the definition twisted on. At its core, culpable just means deserving blame. Right. But we don't want people to get that twisted and think that our show is about pointing fingers at people, because it's not. Our goal is to take an unresolved case and investigate it and hopefully uncover some truth and some answers along the way, maybe even solve it. But we're just trying to make a difference in that case. We're not trying to go in there and point fingers at people. If somebody. If it comes out that somebody's guilty and they get arrested during the show, that's fine. Like, if they're culpable, they're culpable. But we're not trying to point fingers at culpable. We're just trying to, you know, investigate an unsolved or unresolved case. And beyond that, I would say something I hit on earlier is like a big part of what I want to do is be a voice for the victim, for their family, for their loved ones who are fighting for justice for them, and ultimately, like I said, give a voice to the voiceless. Like, that's something I echo a lot, but it's just. It's so true. Like, that's very much what my passion has been from day one of getting into this and still is to this day, is doing that. So at its base, Culpable is an investigative long form podcast delving into unsolved or unresolved cases. And then my ultimate purpose behind it is to hopefully uncover the truth, find answers, and at the very least, do a service to that victim and give a voice to them and tell a story to the world that maybe other people haven't heard.
- [38:06]
John Street
Yeah. And as we're wrapping up, I mean, I want to. I give just huge thanks and a shout out to fans, longtime listeners, because culpable would not be what it is today after five years without the many people who have listened to it.
- [38:20]
Dennis Cooper
So true.
- [38:20]
John Street
And given us just the tremendous feedback. Not just that what we have made has resonated with them, but it's also spurred us on in times where we're having honest conversations saying like, hey, this is really hard. This is really difficult to continue to push on and make more content, find new cases to cover, because at the end of the day, it is making a difference.
- [38:39]
Dennis Cooper
Oh, absolutely. Man, yeah, I want to echo that same thing. Yeah. Like, we're. We creators are nothing without an audience, without fans who listen to it and care. And this is just, like I said, like, I open this whole thing up. This is a very caring community. Community. These people care about this stuff. They're not just trying. It's not just enjoyment to them. Like, their heart is in it. They care about these victims and these stories. They care about trying to get to the bottom of it or sharing them with other people. And so that means a lot. And as for Culpable and myself, like, I don't do a good job of cheerleading for myself. So, like, I need that stuff. It really means a lot. And we don't really get an opportunity to express that to fans. I feel like in the stories we tell. So having a platform like this today and being able to, like, publicly acknowledge that is important for me because I genuinely am so thankful for people who have listened in and stuck with me and care what I had to say because it's allowed me to pursue a passion that I never thought I would pursue. I love what I'm doing, and as long as people will keep caring what I have to say, I'm going to keep telling these stories.
- [39:49]
John Street
Culpable is a production of Tenderfoot TV in partnership with Odyssey. Special thanks to Dylan Harrington and Dayton Cole for support on this episode. If you haven't listened to Culpable season one or two or the Case Review series, go right now in your podcast app and check them out. All episodes are available now and be sure to follow us on our socials ulpablepodcast for the latest information about the show. Thanks for listening. So I'm probably going to ask a burning question that a lot of listeners are thinking and asking themselves. Slash. Posting in reviews and comments. Is Case Review kind of the future of the franchise? How do you see that playing its way into the content that we create?
- [40:40]
Dennis Cooper
I'd say Case Review is part of the future, but for anybody concerned, like, oh no, Dennis will never be back with another long form season and it's just this now, rest assured, it's not. It's not the future. Like, the future is going to be season three of Culpable, which I can't really spill the beans on, but I can say that I'm very much in the weeds of it and I'm working diligently on it. My head's down and I will try and get it out there to the public as fast as I possibly can because I know people are Itching to hear it. I talked to many of them today, and so, yeah, I'm hard at work on it. But, yeah, season three is the future. But we'll probably continue to do our case review series as well. What I will add, though, because just because we're on the subject of case review, that was something else that we knew going into case review could be like. It could be a. A tool for us to find cases. Because like I said, you don't really know if a case could be season one or season two of Cobalt until you pull back some layers, you know, until you talk to the family, until you start doing some investigating. And so case review offers a way to do that and then, you know, see what happens from there. And it just so happens that there was a case that I covered on case review that, you know, at the time, there was only so much story to tell, but it lit a fire in that town, just that little bit of coverage it got. And now all of a sudden, flash forward, however many months it's been, and that thing has unraveled, and there's so much more to the story, so much more to tell, and I've been following along with it this whole time, staying in touch with them. So it will be a case review. Case will be what season three turns into. But, man, it's gonna be so much more than what we presented the first time we presented that story on case review. Like, just so much more has come out since then. I've learned so much more about it, and I think the case itself is probably a little more akin to season one than it is season two. So, you know, maybe that's something that will excite people, too, knowing that. But that's all I'll say about it for now. But, yeah, we're hard at work on season three.