Listen Now: Lawless Planet

Summary

Lawless Planet
Hollywood & Crime - Season 8
Release Date: July 28, 2025
Host: Zach Goldbaum
Episode: Listen Now: Lawless Planet

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Introduction

In the premiere episode of Season 8, titled "Lawless Planet," host Zach Goldbaum delves into a gripping narrative that intertwines environmental activism with true crime. This episode sheds light on the untold stories of those fighting to protect our planet amidst escalating climate crises, uncovering a tapestry of murder, corporate malfeasance, and relentless pursuits for justice.

The Disappearance of Larry "LJ" Price Jr.

The episode opens with a chilling real-life mystery that sets the tone for the series:

• [01:10] Amy Price's Distress Call:
  Amy Price reaches out to emergency services, expressing her concern over her husband, Larry Price Jr., who has been missing. "I'm trying to figure out my husband. He's been missing for a while. I can't figure out where he is," she says, highlighting the immediate anxiety surrounding LJ's disappearance.

• [01:21] Background on LJ Price:
  Larry Price Jr., known as LJ, is portrayed as a dedicated coal mine professional from Bluefield, Virginia. At 38 years old, LJ is not only a prominent figure in the coal industry but also a man marked by his distinct tattoos—a panther on his bicep and Jesus with the cross on his chest.

• [01:54] Red Flags Before Disappearance:
  A week prior to his disappearance, LJ confides in Amy about his deteriorating circumstances. "If something happens to me, be thankful for the years we've had together. Also, liquidate all the stuff and stay in one location," he advises, hinting at looming dangers and financial turmoil within his professional sphere.

The Investigation Unfolds

As LJ vanishes, the community and authorities mobilize to locate him:

• Search Efforts:
  Detectives from the L.A. Sheriff’s Department, along with helicopters and canine units, scour the Virginia countryside. Amy's desperation is palpable as she reflects on the uncertainty: "I was just real concerned."

• Key Witness Testimony:
  The investigation takes a critical turn when LJ's pastor reveals that the two prayed together over a significant business decision. This connection hints at underlying tensions and possible motives linked to LJ's professional dealings.

• [02:45] Suspicious Reappearance:
  Nearly 24 hours after LJ's disappearance, a driver reports spotting a man matching LJ's description—complete with his signature tattoos—walking along a deserted road 20 miles from Amy's home. His survival seems a relief, but it only deepens the mystery: Why was LJ missing, and what had transpired during those critical hours?

Unveiling the Dark Underbelly

Zach Goldbaum masterfully transitions from the personal story of LJ Price to broader themes of environmental crime and corruption:

• Environmental Catastrophes as Crime:
  The episode underscores how environmental disasters are not mere accidents but often the result of deliberate negligence and criminal activities. "Things. Accidents. There is no accident. This was 100% preventable," a local resident laments, pointing to systemic failures and intentional sabotage.

• Global Implications:
  From activists battling against illegal activities in the Amazon to conservationists in Mexico facing deadly threats, the narrative weaves a global fabric of lawlessness impacting our planet. "Nature is telling us. I can't take this anymore," echoes the frustration and urgency felt by those on the frontlines.

Corporate Greed and Its Consequences

A critical examination of corporate practices reveals how profit-driven motives often override environmental and ethical considerations:

• Illegal Operations:
  The episode exposes illegal gold mining in the Amazon, linked to powerful Brazilian street gangs, highlighting the intersection of organized crime and environmental degradation.

• Corporate Cover-Ups:
  Instances of corporations destroying ecosystems for profit are brought to light, with testimonies like, "I could tell I was floating in oil and I remember looking under the rig and seeing the water on fire. And I thought, what have you done?" illustrating the devastating impact of unchecked industrial activities.

Brave Activists and Their Sacrifices

The narrative pays homage to the activists risking everything to combat environmental crimes:

• Personal Stories:
  Amy Price's relentless search for her husband symbolizes the broader struggle faced by those standing against powerful adversaries. Their stories humanize the fight, making the abstract climate crisis deeply personal and urgent.

• Daring Heists and Scams:
  The episode delves into sophisticated crimes like billion-dollar scams and daring heists that threaten the planet's future, emphasizing the high stakes involved in this global battle.

Conclusion

"Lawless Planet" serves as a compelling introduction to Season 8 of Hollywood & Crime, effectively blending a personal mystery with broader environmental issues. Zach Goldbaum's storytelling captivates listeners, urging them to recognize the immediate and pervasive nature of these crimes against our planet. As the episode concludes, the call to action is clear: the time to listen and act is now.

Notable Quotes:

• Amy Price [01:10]: "I'm trying to figure out my husband. He's been missing for a while. I can't figure out where he is."
• LJ Price [01:45]: "If something happens to me, be thankful for the years we've had together. Also, liquidate all the stuff and stay in one location."
• Local Resident [04:16]: "There is no accident. This was 100% preventable."
• Witness [04:22]: "I could tell I was floating in oil and I remember looking under the rig and seeing the water on fire. And I thought, what have you done?"

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Listen to "Lawless Planet" on the Wondery app or any major podcast platform to uncover the intricate web of environmental crimes threatening our world.

Transcript

[Zach Goldbaum]

What if I told you the biggest crime story of our time is happening right under our noses and we're all witnesses. Introducing Lawless Planet, the new podcast from Wondery that exposes the dark underbelly of the climate crisis. From the Amazon rainforest to small town America, host Zach Goldbaum uncovers shocking tales of murder, corporate cover ups and greed. You'll hear about the brave activists risking their lives for their beliefs, the corporate tycoons destroying ecosystems for profit, and the ordinary people caught in the crossfire. This isn't some distant threat. It's happening right now. Each episode drops you into a battle for our planet's future. We're talking mysterious deaths, daring heists and billion dollar scams, all with the fate of our world hanging in the balance. This is Lawless Planet. I'm about to play a clip from Lawless Planet. Follow Lawless Planet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amy Price]

911 where's your emergency? Yeah, I was just calling. I'm trying to figure out my husband. He's been missing for a while. Receiving. I can't figure out where he is.

[Zach Goldbaum]

It's just before 2am on April 18, 2018. Amy Price is in her home in Bluefield, Virginia, an Appalachian coal mining town on the border of West Virginia. Amy last spoke to her husband around 8pm he said there were a few things he needed to take care of at a coal mine he does business with. But Amy hasn't heard from him since and now she's scared.

[Amy Price]

But he's been kind of depressed lately and I know there's a lot of things going on with him. I'm just real concerned. Okay, what's his Name?

[Zach Goldbaum]

Larry Price Jr. Larry Price Jr. Or LJ as he's known to friends, is 38 years old, 5 10, muscular build, with a tattoo of a panther on his bicep and another of Jesus with the cross on his chest. LJ has spent his life in coal mines and he's risen to become a bit of a power player in the industry, involved in mines from Virginia all the way to Montana. But lately, Amy could tell things at work were not going well. A week earlier, LJ told Amy, if something happens to me, be thankful for the years we've had together. Also, liquidate all the stuff and stay in one location. On this night in Virginia, police officers, helicopters and canines fan out across the county looking for LJ Detectives. Contact the last person who Amy believes has seen him. It's his pastor who tells police that he and LJ had prayed together over a business decision. Amy Price doesn't sleep that night. And as the sun begins to rise the following day, she starts to fear the worst. Then, nearly 24 hours after LJ went missing, another call comes in to 91 1, this time from a driver who spotted a man walking along the side of the road about 20 miles away from Amy's home. The man is wearing boots, jeans and a flannel jacket. And beneath the neckline of a blue T shirt is a tattoo of Jesus with the cross. LJ Price is alive, but his troubles are just beginning. LJ's sudden disappearance and reappearance will set off a chain of events that will not only LJ Price, but the dirty underbelly of one of the country's largest coal mines. From Wondry, I'm Zach Goldbaum, and this is Lawless Planet.

From coast to coast, people are fleeing flames, wind and water.

[Various Voices]

We need help out of here. We are stuck. We have caught on firearms.

Nature is telling us. I can't take this anymore.

Are we really safe? Is our water safe? You destroyed our town.

Things. Accidents. There is no accident. This was 100% preventable.

I could tell I was floating in oil and I remember looking under the rig and seeing the water on fire. And I thought, what have you done?

[Zach Goldbaum]

Over the years, I've reported on environmental activists chaining themselves to pipelines in the swamps of Louisiana, butterfly conservationists in Mexico who were killed for standing up to cartels. I've met Brazilian street gangs doing illegal gold mining in the Amazon. And I've come to realize that these are the stories about our changing planet, that we need to tell stories about people and the things we're doing to either protect the earth or destroy it. In other words, the true crimes fueling the climate crisis.

The crime of the century, is the one being waged on our planet. The time to listen is now. You can listen to new episodes of Lawless Planet early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus. Start your free trial in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts or Spotify.