Podcast Summary: "True Crime Truths: Ciphers and Solutions"

Murder Sheet | Hosted by Áine Cain & Kevin Greenlee | February 25, 2026

Overview

In this episode, hosts Áine Cain (journalist) and Kevin Greenlee (attorney) launch a new miniseries examining persistent themes and misleading tropes in true crime media. Focusing specifically on the allure of ciphers and so-called amateur solutions to major unsolved cases, they offer a skeptical and critical lens for listeners seeking a more intellectually honest approach to true crime. The discussion exposes why claims of cracking infamous codes (like the Zodiac ciphers) or promises of "definitive" answers to old mysteries are often unfounded, and how media incentives reward sensational but unsubstantiated claims.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the "True Crime Truths" Miniseries

• The hosts explain they're spotlighting recurring, often troubling themes in true crime (03:44).
• Goal: Sharpen critical thinking and help listeners spot misleading claims in true crime media.
  • "It's just a way to kind of, I think, think about this stuff in a way that maybe hones critical thinking skills and maybe hones your ability to kind of like, avoid time wasting nonsense." – Áine Cain (02:43)

2. True Crime Truth #1: Amateurs "Solving" Cases with Ciphers are Always Wrong

[05:14 – 18:57]

The Problem with Cipher “Solutions”

• Kevin notes that claims by amateurs to have solved famous cases (e.g., the Zodiac ciphers) never pan out.
  • "Amateurs who announced that they've solved a big case by decoding a cipher are always wrong." – Kevin Greenlee (05:14)
• Ciphers and codes have long been a hallmark of "crank history," often cited in pseudo-academic conspiracy theories (Shakespeare authorship, the Da Vinci Code, etc.).
• The popular fantasy of the gifted amateur outsmarting police or experts comes from detective fiction, not reality.

The Allure of Playing Detective

• The public's desire to "play along at home," empowered by accessible clues (e.g., Delphi case video, Zodiac ciphers), often leads to unhelpful speculation.
• "When you want something to be true so badly, you will find that truth wherever you look." – Anya Cain (11:46)

Healthy Outlets for Sleuths

• Áine suggests that amateur impulses are positive when channeled into real investigative work, such as genetic genealogy and helping identify Does (unidentified victims or offenders).
• "That's the one instance where I'm seeing the civilians really punching above their weight." – Áine Cain (09:17)

The Media’s Role in Circulating Red Herrings

• Mainstream press frequently and irresponsibly publicizes new "solutions" to infamous cases, perpetuating misinformation cycles (e.g., Zodiac, D.B. Cooper, Jack the Ripper).

Lack of Peer Review & Academic Rigor

• The absence of standards—like peer review in academia—means that unsupported claims face little scrutiny in true crime media.
  • “That kind of quality control is absent in most forms of new media and certainly even... mainstream press now.” – Áine Cain (13:56)

Notable Quotes

• "If you believe in the integrity of a cipher... you think, well, I'm seeing everything the experts are seeing. Maybe I can figure it out too." – Kevin Greenlee (08:02)
• "I really feel like so much of our understanding of true crime is so influenced by fiction... real life mysteries are not like fictional mysteries." – Áine Cain (21:05)

3. True Crime Truth #2: Definitive "Solutions" in Media Projects Are Overstated

[24:28 – 39:13]

Overpromising & Underdelivering

• Any media project (book, documentary, podcast) promising the final answer to a cold case is dramatically overstating.
  • "If a book or documentary series... promises to offer a final, definitive solution to an Unsolved crime. They are grossly overstating matters." – Áine Cain (24:40)
  • "That is marketing. And they are often, I'll say it, lying to you." – Kevin Greenlee (24:53)

The Archaeology Metaphor

• Like archaeology, investigating old crimes involves piecing together incomplete data; certainty is rarely possible.
  • "You have enough evidence that maybe you have broad strokes of a crime, but you don't have absolutely every tiny, tiny little detail." – Kevin Greenlee (25:53)

Responsible Analysis vs. The Confident Charlatan

• Áine emphasizes it's fine for researchers and authors to propose a "best suspect"—but framing hypotheses as solved fact is intellectually dishonest.
  • "The confident idiot versus the intellectually honest person... this game favors people who are either not that bright or also are willing to be intellectually dishonest." – Áine Cain (27:27)

Why Overstatement is Rewarded

• Sensational claims drive audience/reader/viewer engagement, incentivizing creators (and media) to exaggerate.
  • "Overstating is the way you get an audience." – Kevin Greenlee (37:37)
  • "The incentives in this space are warped because you get showered with praise. Attention, clicks, media attention. When you come out and say Jack the Ripper was this guy." – Áine Cain (38:13)

Information Quality & Skepticism

• Áine jokes that if media projects were rated for informational "nutrition," most sensationalist docs/books would fail health inspections.
  • "Sometimes you almost feel like there should be... FDA labels on stuff, of, like, how nutritious the information is." – Áine Cain (32:15)

The Limits of Honest Inquiry

• In their own Burger Chef investigation, both hosts attest to the ambiguity and limits of what can be known—a lesson applicable to many cold cases.
  • "If you want me to, I can make plausible cases for maybe a half dozen different people being the killer... the honest answer is, I don't know." – Kevin Greenlee (33:55)

Notable Quotes

• "There’s a reason these cases have gone unsolved for decades, and it’s because the evidence just isn’t there." – Kevin Greenlee (34:04)
• "People want you to name the guy who did this and so I can freak out about it, and people want conspiracy theories, people want all that." – Áine Cain (38:00)

Notable Moments & Quotes With Timestamps

• Critical Approach to True Crime:
  "We're trying to give you a bit of a cheat code for when you're analyzing true crime." — Anya (02:43)

• On Cipher-Solving Amateurs:
  "Amateurs who announced that they've solved a big case by decoding a cipher are always wrong." — Kevin (05:14)

• On Media Sensationalism:
  "First of all, it's bad. It's bad. Reporting, ...the press breathlessly reports on it and frames it in the most broad and inaccurate way possible and over the top way possible. But does it mean it actually got solved? No." — Anya (09:52)

• Impact of Peer Review:
  "Peer review... acts as a filter... it makes the work more trustworthy and more scholarly, I guess. And that kind of quality control is absent in most forms of new media..." — Anya (13:57)

• Fiction vs. Reality:
  "Real life mysteries are not like fictional mysteries. Fictional mysteries are...crafted by an expert fiction writer who is making them as entertaining and cool as possible." — Anya (21:16)

• Responsible Hypotheses:
  "If someone comes to me and says, 'here’s my suspect, here’s why I think this,' ...I'm more open to that, because then it's just about saying, 'this is what I think. I'm open to be wrong.'" – Áine (26:14)

• Why Sensational Claims Spread:
  "Which of those things are most people gonna watch? They're gonna watch the one that makes the most extraordinary claims, which is probably the one that is least responsible." — Kevin (27:17)

• Science Metaphor for Evidence Gaps:
  "You can say that, but don't say, oh, this little relic we found completely changes our understanding of everything and it proves this." — Kevin (30:07)

Timeline of Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |----------------|--------------------------------------------------| | 01:29–03:44 | Introduction to episode/miniseries concept | | 05:14–13:56 | The myth of cipher-solving amateurs | | 13:56–18:57 | Academic rigor, peer review, comparison to fiction| | 19:17–24:28 | More on media amplification, factual accuracy | | 24:28–32:15 | Media overpromising 'solutions', archaeology metaphor| | 32:15–39:13 | Limits of certainty, incentives for sensationalism| | 39:13–41:23 | Wrap-up of the miniseries format and main points | | 41:23–42:49 | Audience guidance: Be skeptical, avoid hype |

Takeaways

• Healthy Skepticism: Listeners should be skeptical of claims of "solving" major cold cases via ciphers or codes, especially from amateurs.
• Media Literacy: Be wary of true crime media offering confident, definitive answers to longstanding mysteries—such certainty is almost always overstated.
• Value of Process Over Solution: Adopting academic rigor, transparency about evidence gaps, and intellectual honesty provides better service to truth—though it’s less likely to be celebrated in current media culture.
• Engagement Invitation: The hosts encourage audience feedback and suggestions for future "true crime truths" to address.

Final Thoughts

Áine and Kevin challenge the allure of quick fixes, amateur heroism, and sensationalist media in true crime. They advocate for critical evaluation and intellectual honesty, and urge listeners to resist being swept away by hype or confident but unsupported claims.

Suggested Episode Title:
"True Crime Truths: Why Ciphers and Confident Solutions Rarely Crack the Case"

Compiled by Podcast Summarizer, retaining the hosts' candid, conversational tone and critical approach.