Murder Sheet – "Questions and Answers to Close Out 2025"

Date: December 29, 2025
Hosts: Áine Cain (journalist) & Kevin Greenlee (attorney)

Episode Overview

In their annual year-end tradition, Áine and Kevin answer listener questions covering the podcast's evolution, their most meaningful episodes, approaches to sourcing, reflections on true crime media, as well as new insights on notorious cases like Delphi and Temujin Kensu. The tone is relaxed, candid, and peppered with the hosts’ typical wit and self-deprecation, offering frank responses on their work, the state of true crime, and their personal growth.

“We want to thank you to everyone who submitted a question… It’s been quite a year for us. And it’s like, I feel like we’ve all gone through a journey together.”—Anya Cain (03:09)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Reflections on Favorite Episodes and Community (06:50 – 13:52)

• Most Proud Episodes
  • Áine: Highlights the "first person Delphi episodes"—interviewing people directly involved in the case after years of effort.
    "We interviewed people who were actually on the case [...]. The fact that they trusted us to sit down and just share their experiences meant the world to me." (07:38)
  • Kevin: The Temujin Kensu series, especially the early scripted episodes, stands out for making an evidence-based case for guilt against the prevailing innocence narrative. He notes professional and audience trust in taking a controversial stance.
    "I'm proud of them because I looked hard and I couldn't find anyone out there saying Temujin Kinzu was guilty [...]." (08:29)
• Community Appreciation
  • Both hosts express deep gratitude for listeners' thoughtful engagement, accountability, and respectful corrections.
    "We wanted to cultivate a smart audience of people who care about True Crime and are sincere about that. [...] It’s about respectful conversations, respectful dialogue, and being open minded and being factual and having, caring about victims, caring about victims’ families." —Áine (10:51)

Cultivating and Protecting Sources (18:07 – 26:10)

• Sourcing Methods
  • Initial entry via objective, responsible reporting that attracts sources to them.
  • Building trust so sources, including those who prefer anonymity, feel safe reaching out.
• Anonymous Sources
  • The podcast always verifies such sources' identities and positions, even if shielded from the public.
  • Hosts describe the pebble-in-a-pond effect: start with community members, move closer to case insiders.
• Source Protection
  • Vigilance is key, including recognizing tactics like "canary traps":
    “If I mention this piece of information, this source tells me I have to make sure that a lot of people know it, otherwise they’d be able to trace it back to that one source.” —Kevin (23:16)
  • Áine emphasizes she would “rather lose a thousand scoops than burn a source.” (26:10)
• Notable Moment
  • A humorous anecdote recounts law enforcement’s attempts to suss out their sources, contributing to stress and complex navigating.

On Being Introverts with a Platform (27:57 – 30:33)

• Both discuss shyness and how podcasting offers a way to connect without direct social anxiety triggers.
• Kevin jokes: “A podcast is a wonderful way to talk to people because basically, intellectually, I understand that right now I’m talking to a whole bunch of people, but it feels like I’m just talking to Anya.” (28:49)
• Áine notes the surreal aspect of having listeners quote back random off-the-cuff comments.

The Toxicity & Ethics in True Crime Culture (30:33 – 33:38)

• Hosts express frustration with carelessness and callousness among some creators and consumers in the true crime space.
• Áine: “It’s like—we all have the capacity to do great harm, even if we’re trying to be responsible drivers... it feels like a lot of people just don’t care. And that makes me feel lonely in the space sometimes.” (30:33)
• Advocacy for voting with clicks and money as the best way to discourage unethical content.

Delphi Deep Dive & Law Section

Delphi Questions (39:50 – 77:37):

• Handling Sensitive Information
  • Ŧrustration expressed at the defense’s behavior, leaking of crime scene photos, and subsequent lack of consequences.
  • Áine is openly critical of Kathy Allen for knowingly lying to the public as a form of advocacy for her husband, distinguishing between sympathy for denial and actively misleading (53:52 – 61:20).
• Attorneys’ Behavior
  • Kevin details how complaints can be filed against Indiana lawyers and what becomes public (45:47 – 51:08).
  • Discussion of specific lawyers feuding within the case landscape and the professional consequences (or lack thereof).
• Richard Allen Interview Hypothetical
  • Both hosts doubt meaningful answers would come, but would focus on topics like the roots of violent fantasies and confession recantation (41:50 – 45:47).
• Media & Public Engagement
  • The possibility of a Delphi documentary or dramatization is discussed, noting the case’s grimness and industry preference for “fun” or “sexy” murder stories (72:10 – 75:32).

Impact of Covering the Delphi Case (77:37 – 83:59)

• Profound personal and professional transformation for both hosts as a result of deep immersion.
  • Kevin: “I saw some things I didn’t want to see... I saw some behaviors from people at different parts of this process that were disillusioning and caused me to lose a lot of face in certain things.” (77:37)
  • Áine: Open about depression, therapy, and the critical shift away from performative neutrality.
    “We owe you our audience accuracy. We owe you fairness, we owe you vetted information. We do not owe anybody performative, nonsensical, both sidesism. We just don’t. That’s not, that’s not journalism.” (81:23)
  • Both resolve: accuracy, fairness, and facts above all else, while calling out circus-like behavior when necessary.

Helping Spread the Book’s Reach (83:59 – End)

• Hosts encourage listeners to share the book, post reviews, and recommend it widely, for both awareness and as a “warning flare” for true crime culture’s pitfalls.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Community & Audience
  “We wanted to cultivate a smart audience of people who care about True Crime and are sincere about that...It’s about respectful conversations, respectful dialogue, and being open minded...” —Áine (10:51)
• On Challenging the Prevailing Narrative
  “I looked hard and I couldn’t find anyone out there saying Temujin Kinzu was guilty... I was aware that I was going up against the prevailing view.” —Kevin (08:29)
• On Anonymous Source Verification
  “When we say anonymous sources, these are sources that are anonymous to the public... we know who they are and we have verified...” —Kevin (20:14)
• On True Crime Ethics
  “It’s just a kind of like a space that unfortunately attracts a lot of callousness from certain segments of the audience and from certain segments of the creators...” —Áine (32:20)
• On Protecting Sources
  “You can always report something later, but you can never take back reporting something... I would rather lose a thousand scoops than burn a source.” —Áine (26:10)
• On Working as Introverts
  “A podcast is a wonderful way to talk to people because... it feels like I’m just talking to Anya on the other side of the desk.” —Kevin (28:49)
• On Performative Neutrality
  “We do not owe anybody performative, nonsensical, both sidesism. We just don’t. That’s not, that’s not journalism.” —Áine (81:23)

Memorable/Lighthearted Moments

• Kevin’s drink experiment: mixing Coke and grape juice—“...not as good as you might think.” (05:23)
• Beret-wearing as a Patreon perk (17:32 – 17:57)
• Recurring inside jokes about shooting bullseyes and debating which of the hosts would make a worse police officer (35:13 – 37:28)
• Áine’s comparison of reporting to a barfight: “you grab whatever you can to use as a weapon” (20:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Show Introduction & Giving Thanks — 02:34 – 03:24
• Most Proud Episodes — 06:57 – 13:52
• Audience & Community Ethics — 10:51 – 13:52
• Handling/Protecting Sources — 18:07 – 26:10
• Delphi Questions & Law Section — 39:50 – 77:37
• Impact of Delphi Case on Hosts — 77:37 – 83:59
• Book Support & Closing Reflections — 83:59 – end

Summary

This episode provides a rich, honest behind-the-scenes look as Áine and Kevin process a transformative year for themselves and the true crime genre. Their insights extend from the nuts and bolts of reporting and podcasting to incisive commentaries on the responsibilities and dangers inherent in true crime storytelling—especially when handling internet-driven spectacle and controversy. Listeners are treated to a blend of humor, candor, and gravitas that has become the trademark of "The Murder Sheet."