Behind the Scenes Minis: Murder and War

Summary

Podcast Summary: Stuff You Missed in History Class Episode: Behind the Scenes Minis: Murder and War Hosts: Holly Fry & Tracy V. Wilson Release Date: July 4, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class, hosts Holly Fry and Tracy V. Wilson delve into lesser-known yet pivotal historical events surrounding murder and war. From tragic incidents to the complexities of historical narratives, the discussion offers deep insights into how certain events have shaped societal perceptions and historical records.

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1. The Beecham Sharp Tragedy (Kentucky Tragedy)

The episode opens with an exploration of the Beecham Sharp tragedy, also referred to as the Kentucky Tragedy. Dexter Thomas recounts the harrowing details of the event and its aftermath.

• Durham’s Account: Dexter Thomas reflects on the emotional weight of the tragedy, stating, “...it's a very romanticized version... [04:04]” indicating the complexity and emotional layers surrounding the event.

• Speculations and Political Intrigue: The hosts discuss the possible political motivations behind the murder, noting how legislators seemed more interested in internal conflicts than addressing the pressing concerns of their constituents, such as the threat of farm foreclosures. Dexter mentions, “...how there could have been political machinations involved in the murder.” [08:46]

• Evidence and Public Opinion: The conversation highlights the lack of concrete evidence in the case, with testimonies being largely circumstantial. Tracy emphasizes the rapid jury decision based on “vibes” rather than solid proof, stating, “...it took that jury less than an hour to go. Yep, guilty.” [09:11]

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2. The Chappaquiddick Incident

Shifting focus, the hosts examine the infamous Chappaquiddick incident involving Ted Kennedy.

• Multiple Perspectives: Tracy Wilson begins by questioning, “So what happened at Chappaquiddick? Well, it really depends on who you talk to.” [16:19] This sets the stage for discussing the various narratives that exist around the event.

• Media Portrayal: A notable quote from a newspaper headline is discussed: “Teddy Escapes, Blonde Drowns,” highlighting how the media framed the incident to focus on Ted Kennedy’s political ambitions rather than the tragedy itself. [16:29]

• Kennedy Family’s Influence: The hosts analyze how the Kennedy family managed the fallout, ensuring Ted's political future remained intact despite the scandal. Tracy remarks, “...the story really became about Ted's political future, Ted's political hopes. Will Ted become President?” [16:47]

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3. Wilfred Owen and the Integrity of Historical Documents

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the life and legacy of Wilfred Owen, a renowned World War I poet, and the challenges in preserving his true legacy.

• Wilfred Owen’s Personal Struggles: Tracy Wilson shares her evolving understanding of Owen, initially perceiving his poetry purely as war commentary without knowledge of his personal life. She states, “I did not realize that he had been a soldier and that he had been killed at the age of only 25.” [17:23]

• Bantam Battalions: The discussion explores the formation of bantam battalions—units composed of shorter, stockier men who defied the height restrictions to serve. Dexter connects this to societal notions of masculinity, noting, “...there was a lot of social expectation and ideas about masculinity kind of interwoven with all of this.” [21:32]

• Editing of Owen’s Letters: Dexter Thomas and Tracy delve into how Wilfred Owen’s brother, Harold Owen, edited and blacked out portions of Wilfred’s letters. Tracy points out, “...it seems like these could have been things that his brother would have been, like, able to see that people could, like, read into...” [23:25]

• Impact on Historical Narratives: The hosts discuss how such alterations influence historians’ understanding of Owen’s life and the broader implications for queer history. Tracy expresses frustration over the sanitized versions of personal histories, stating, “...how historians are dealing with queer history... without access to the actual primary original documents...” [25:52]

• Preservation of True Legacy: Emphasizing the importance of unaltered historical records, Tracy compares Owen’s situation to that of Anne Lister, highlighting the ongoing struggle to preserve authentic personal narratives. [33:05]

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4. Reflections on Historical Accuracy and Legacy

The episode concludes with reflections on the manipulation of historical documents and the responsibilities of those preserving history.

• Grief and Legacy Management: Dexter contemplates the motivations behind altering historical records, acknowledging the emotional factors involved, “...I wonder how much grief is informing it.” [31:22]

• Eulogizing and Selective Memory: Tracy discusses societal expectations surrounding eulogies and how they contribute to selective memory, saying, “You don’t go to somebody’s funeral and say a bunch of things about them that could be taken as really negative...” [33:13]

• Future of Historical Documentation: Both hosts express hope that future generations will have access to more authentic and comprehensive historical documents, ensuring that personal stories are told in their entirety.

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Conclusion

In Behind the Scenes Minis: Murder and War, Holly Fry and Tracy V. Wilson provide a compelling examination of how tragic events and the manipulation of historical records shape our understanding of the past. Through discussions on the Beecham Sharp tragedy, the Chappaquiddick incident, and the intricate legacy of Wilfred Owen, the episode underscores the importance of preserving authentic narratives to honor the complexities of history.

Notable Quotes:

• Dexter Thomas: “...how there could have been political machinations involved in the murder.” [08:46]
• Tracy V. Wilson: “So what happened at Chappaquiddick? Well, it really depends on who you talk to.” [16:19]
• Tracy V. Wilson: “I have kept circling back to Wilfred Owen repeatedly... I just want to hug Wilfred Owen.” [17:23]
• Tracy V. Wilson: “...that people could... read into... historic queerness being erased.” [25:52]
• Dexter Thomas: “I wonder how much grief is informing it.” [31:22]

---

This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing a comprehensive overview for listeners who haven't tuned in.

Transcript

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This is an I Heart podcast.

[Holly Fry]

There's a myth. A lot of us grow up believing that hair loss is just a part of life. It happens, it runs in the family. And once it starts, there's no stopping it. But here's the truth. That's outdated thinking. Scientific understanding of hair loss has advanced in recent years. Today we have a deeper knowledge of underlying causes and we've developed science backed solutions that are both effective and safe. And that's at the very root of Happy Head. Dermatologists led innovation offering stronger FDA approved ingredients that work. But what really sets Happy Head apart is how personalized it is. They don't do one size fits all fixes. You fill out a comprehensive consultation and their board certified dermatologists assign a formula specifically for your hair loss pattern, goals and lifestyle. And whether you're early in your journey or more advanced, Happy Head offers targeted options that actually work. Topical treatments, oral capsules, or potent dual action bundles. All delivered directly to you, discreetly and freshly compounded. In the US most people start seeing results in three to six months. But the real magic? It's sustainable. This isn't just about growing hair, it's about keeping it long term. So no, hair loss isn't inevitable anymore. Visit happyhead.com and find out what's possible when science, expertise and personalization come together. Hair happiness starts here.

[Enrique Santos]

In 2012, 16 year old Brian Herrera was gunned down in broad daylight on his way to do homework. No suspects, no witnesses, no no justice.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I would ask my husband, do you.

[Dexter Thomas]

Want me to stop? He was like, no, keep fighting.

[Enrique Santos]

After nearly a decade, a breakthrough changed everything. This is Cold Case Files Miami. Stories of families who never stopped fighting. Listen to Cold Case Files Miami on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So what happened to Chappaquiddick? Well, it really depends on who you talk to.

[Unknown]

There are many versions of what happened in 1969 when a young Ted Kennedy drove a car into a PO and.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Left a woman behind to drown.

[Unknown]

Chappaquiddick is a story of a tragic death and how the Kennedy machine took control. Every week we go behind the headlines and beyond the drama of America's royal family.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Listen to United States of Kennedy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Enrique Santos]

Are there any pictures of you online? Then you could already be in a massive police database without even knowing it.

[Holly Fry]

Clearview scrapes together images from Facebook, from link from Venmo accounts.

[Enrique Santos]

I'm Dexter Thomas, host of Kill Switch, a Podcast about how living in the future is affecting us right now.

[Holly Fry]

Police, they are trusting the software with this magical ability to lead them to the right suspect.

[Enrique Santos]

In this episode, we dive into how cops are using AI and facial recognition and sometimes getting it wrong and putting innocent people behind bars.

[Holly Fry]

So if your accuser is this algorithm, but you're not even being told that it was used, let alone given any of the details about how it works.

[Enrique Santos]

Listen to Kill Switch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dexter Thomas]

Welcome to Stuff youf Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartradio. Hello and happy Friday. I'm Holly Fry.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And I'm Tracy V. Wilson.

[Dexter Thomas]

So there was a thing this week we talked about the Beecham Sharp tragedy, sometimes also called the Kentucky Tragedy. And there was a thing I thought about including in it, but I did not.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Okay.

[Dexter Thomas]

And the reason why is that it's long.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Okay, hold on.

[Dexter Thomas]

I'm counting. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. I don't even know. At the end of their lives, am wrote a poem about their whole experience with the intent that it would be engraved on their tombstone.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Okay.

[Dexter Thomas]

Which sounds lovely, at least, you know, in terms of, like, from a sentimental point of view. But this poem is long. It's not like a short little thing. It's like 30 or 40 lines long. It's really, really long. And I just. And it did end up on their tombstone. And I just think of the poor person that had to engrave all of that, because it is not a brief piece of writing by any means. It would be, like, going, you know, I would like two of Shakespeare's sonnets engraved on my tombstone, like, today. That would probably be quicker work. We have machines to do it. Not in 1826. And it basically is a very romanticized version, of course, of their story. I also didn't note that a lot of people. I mean, I think it's pretty commonly believed that Anne really co authored that final document with her husband, that she had a lot of say in it. It was not written in his handwriting.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Okay.

[Dexter Thomas]

Though that initially when I read that, I was like, are they suggesting that this was a fake document? No, most people are actually indicating that Anne probably wrote it all down and was a collaborator on it. Whether that's just because he had poor penmanship or she was kind of driving the bus. In terms of, like, how that document was written, what it contained is a matter of some speculation. But the two of them really wrote it together.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Right.

[Dexter Thomas]

This is such a mess. Of people. Lately, we've had a lot of discussions of people accusing each other of things that cannot be verified.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

The whole thing about her child is so messy. So messy. And the only person who we can say knows for sure or knew for sure who the father was was her. And she never. She never stated it was anyone other than sharp, but there are even some questions about whether she ever actually stated it was sharp. So it all stays a mystery. A little unsatisfying.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

It's also an interesting thing in that obviously this was written or this whole thing took place in the 1820s, so some decades before the Civil War. And reading some of the accounts, even though I know this was the case, it's still a little startling how casually people will just talk about the enslaved people that they own and how that makes them important. It's like, we know that that was going on. But then when I read contemporary accounts, it always feels like a punch in the gut. Like, oh, nobody was like. I mean, people were. But nobody in this, you know, who was writing this down and being like, yes, he was very wealthy. He had X number of enslaved people. Although they, of course, don't. Don't word it quite that way. Those people never go. Owning people.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Hmm.

[Dexter Thomas]

That seems. That seems weird and wrong. Like, I just. I don't know. I know that's my hippie dippy talking. I just want everybody to have a moral compass.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

I don't know why that's so hard. It's also an interesting thing in terms of how completely gripped an entire community can be by the events and behaviors in the lives of a very few people. Right, Right. Because there was all of this infighting among legislators while farmers were seriously like, are we going to survive?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

And some of those legislators really did seem more interested in just winning over one another than the actual constituents that they represented.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Mm.

[Dexter Thomas]

We've never seen that before. But when you think about, there are a bunch of people literally sitting there going, is my farm going to be foreclosed? Am I going to lose everything?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Right.

[Dexter Thomas]

While all of these men bicker. It's very frustrating. And then it becomes really, really easy to see how there could have been political machinations involved in the murder. That played out right Beachum. Obviously, you know, towards the end was like, yes, I did it, but. And I wanted to do it, but also, I don't know if I would have done it. I waited four years, but then this guy kept telling me I should do it.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

Kept pointing out that my wife's reputation had been Ruined.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah, he was right.

[Dexter Thomas]

I did want to kill him after that. Like, it's a very interesting example of how levers can be pulled by people with intents that are dishonorable to manipulate the passions of other people to do things that are not necessarily on their behalf, but that will benefit them directly.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah. Yeah. And like, one of the things that really struck me was how much leading up to him, like authoring or co authoring a confession, how much of it was based on. Absolutely circumstantial. The closest thing to, like, actual evidence being his wife saying, like, I recognize that voice, which I don't know, maybe. But everything else, Absolutely circumstantial.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah. Everybody that gave testimony, just about someone else came along and said, that's not true. He never had that conversation. I don't know what they're talking about. That didn't happen. That's not what really took place. It's such a mess. I don't know. It also is a good. Not a good example, but a clear example of the way that public opinion gets put in place. Because again, right up until the sentencing, Beachum was very adamant that he didn't do it. Right. And with no evidence, it took that jury less than an hour to go. Yep, guilty. It's like, did you just go off vibes? Like, that's not how that's supposed to work. It's just a fascinator. In a sad way. I don't have a funny story to add to this one this week. Usually if it's really heavy, I try to make sure there's some ding dong story I could tell about my own ridiculousness. So I'll at least take the edge off. And I've certainly, I'm sure, done plenty of ding dong things in the last several days even, but.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Right.

[Dexter Thomas]

I don't have one ready to roll.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I don't think I'd ever heard of this. Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

I mean, it's one that I stumbled across. It's another one of those great. I was looking at a paper and I saw a headline on another part of the paper and I was like, what's that about? And it was like, oh, this was one of the great things. This kind of makes it lighter. You surely saw the Corpse Bride, right?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

You know, where there's that moment, it's in a song where one of the characters is talking about all of the things that have been playing out again, revealing some. Some things that the characters in the movie have done. And they go. And a murder most foul. I found that exact line as a headline talking about this case. Murder, exclamation point most foul. And I always thought that was very fun and cute and probably based on some, you know, that is I think, right?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I think one of the Shakespeare tragedies. I'm pretty sure.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yes. But I was surprised to find it as a headline in a Kentucky newspaper. Yeah, murder most foul. And it at least gave me a moment of Corpse Bride fun in the midst of a lot of yucky he said, he said. She may be said, but we don't know stuff. Yeah, I feel like the fact that Ann Cook moved out to the country to be alone with her mother out of society was probably a good indicator that she didn't want to talk about any of that right now. Whether or not that was an issue of feeling ashamed or, I don't know, maybe she just didn't want to get in the mess. Anyway, it's a lot of sad. And so much hangs on the testimony of the neighborhood, some of which seems to be almost contradictory of itself. It's a little unclear. Anyway, a murder most foul. Let's go watch stop motion animation for fun after such sad stories.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

This July 4th, celebrate freedom from spills, stains and overpriced furniture with Annabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas start at just $699, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Annabe's pet friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric that's built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic, high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your Life. Now through July 4th, get up to 60% off site [e-mail] Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees. Every penny back. Declare independence from dirty outdated furniture. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Holly Fry]

There's a myth a lot of us grow up believing that hair loss is just a part of life. It happens. It runs in the family. Once it starts, there's no stopping it. But here's the truth that's outdated thinking. Scientific understanding of hair loss has advanced in recent years. Today we have a deeper knowledge of underlying causes. And we've developed science backed solutions that are both effective and safe. And that's at the very root of Happy Head. Dermatologists led innovation offering stronger FDA approved ingredients that work. But what really sets Happy Head apart is how personalized it is. They don't do anything one size fits all fixes. You fill out a comprehensive consultation and they're board certified. Dermatologists assign a formula specifically for your hair loss pattern, goals and lifestyle. And whether you're early in your journey or more advanced, Happy Head offers targeted options that actually work. Topical treatments, oral capsules or potent dual action bundles, all delivered directly to you, discreetly and freshly compounded. In the US most people start seeing results in three to six months. But the real magic? It's sustainable. This isn't just about growing hair, it's about keeping it long term. So no, hair loss isn't inevitable anymore. Visit happyhead.com and find out what's possible when science, expertise and personalization come together. Hair happiness starts here.

[Enrique Santos]

In 2012, 16 year old Brian Herrera was gunned down in broad daylight on his way to do homework. No suspects, no witnesses, no justice.

[Dexter Thomas]

The call was horrible.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I replay it over my head all the time.

[Enrique Santos]

For years, Brian's family kept asking questions while a culture of silence kept the case cold.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Snitches get stitches.

[Dexter Thomas]

Everybody knows it.

[Enrique Santos]

Still, they refuse to give up.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I would ask my husband, do you.

[Dexter Thomas]

Want me just let this go? He said, no, keep fighting.

[Enrique Santos]

I told her I would never give up on this case. And then, after a decade of waiting, a breakthrough.

[Dexter Thomas]

We received a phone call that was.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Bittersweet because it's a call that we've.

[Dexter Thomas]

Been waiting for for a very long time.

[Enrique Santos]

I'm Enrique Santos. This is Cold Case Files Miami, a podcast about justice, persistence, and the families who never stopped fighting. Listen to Cold Case Files Miami as part of the My Cultura Podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So what happened to Chappaquiddick? Well, it really depends on who you talk to.

[Unknown]

There are many versions of what happened in 1969 when a young Ted Kennedy drove a car into a pond and.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Left a woman behind to drown. There's a famous headline, I think in the New York Daily News. It's Teddy Escapes Blonde Drowns. And in a strange way, right, that sort of tells you the story really became about Ted's political future, Ted's political hopes. Will Ted become President?

[Unknown]

Kappaquiddick is a story of a tragic death and how the Kennedy machine took control.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And he's not the only Kennedy to survive a scandal.

[Unknown]

The Kennedys have lived through disgrace, affairs, violence, you name it. So is there a curse? Every week we go behind the headlines and beyond the drama of America's royal family.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Listen to United States of Kennedy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. We talked about Wilfred Owen this week.

[Dexter Thomas]

We sure did.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I have kept circling back to Wilfred Owen repeatedly. Dolce at Decorum est is a poem that we read, I think in high school, maybe also in college, in, like, a different context, in a more humanities context in college and in literature class in high school. And I did not know anything about his life or biography when reading the poem. The poem was really about, like, World War I and the horrors of trench warfare and the use of gas and things like that. It was not about Wilfred Owen as a person. And so I did not realize that he had been a soldier and that he had been killed at the age of only 25, so. So close to the end of the war. And when I learned that, I kept just circling back to him and kind of wanting to do an episode about it. And as I said in the episode, I just kept kind of wanting to hug him. I am sad that he had such a short life. Because of lore. I got the impression that you had some. Some similar responses as we were wrapping up the episode.

[Dexter Thomas]

I did. And his work, I never really studied him. So looking at this after you had sent it over, the. To me, there's such a very obvious through line from his work to another recent topic. Who is near to my heart, Kurt Vonnegut and the way he talks about war. Yeah. I'm like, I guarantee he read his work. I guarantee it.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I had not thought about that, but that makes absolute sense.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah. It's very. Not romanticized when he talks about it in any kind of way. Even in his offhand asides. It's usually all about how stupid the whole thing is and pointless.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah. And that is the undertone of a number of Wilfred Owen's poems as well. Regarding the height requirement to join the British Army.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So as we said, he was a little more than five' five, just like a smidge over five' five. And the height requirement at the very beginning of the war had been less than that. And then they had such a surge of people trying to enlist that they raised it to just have a way to quickly weed people out, but then kept having to progressively lower it simultaneously. There were people underneath what had been the original. The original limit, which I think was 5 foot 3, and there were men under 5 foot 3 who wanted to enlist, and a lot of them actually who wanted to enlist. And so special battalions were formed called bantam battalions, named for the. I think, rooster. Right. Bantam roosters. Yeah. And a lot of the people who joined these bantam battalions were like dock workers, mine workers, people who were shorter than average, but also, like, really stocky and really strong. And I kind of went on a slight detour learning about bantam battalions, and then was like, tracy, you gotta get your mind back on your work. So I don't know if. If that might be a topic for some kind of future episode or it might be incorporated in a future episode in some way. I got the impression that these were generally men who were very used to doing very hard work, and simultaneously, the other battalions of men who were taller than that could be kind of patronizing toward them.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And so it seems like there was a lot of. A lot of social expectation and ideas about masculinity kind of interwoven with all of this.

[Dexter Thomas]

Well, this also makes sense because, you know, bantams are a smaller fowl.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

And they're not just roosters. Like, there are many fowl that could be categorized as bantam. Like, there are ducks that would be called bantam, as well as chickens.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I think I've most often heard it with rooster.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah. But they are lil and sturdy. Yeah.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah. I also have some thoughts about Harold Owen.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Who I have not researched at all. I know zero about his life, but he went to such lengths to just black out parts of his brother's letters and in some cases, cut out parts of them with scissors. Without knowing that a person who is reading the collections of his letters that his brother had edited and published might think that, you know, these were letters sent from the front. Maybe they just got damaged in transit. Like, that might be what illegible meant. No, illegible meant that Harold went through them and expurgated them.

[Dexter Thomas]

He made them illegible.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah. And logically, with it being, you know, the early 20th century, if what was being cut out was in some way related to Wilfred Owen having feelings or relationships with other men, that likely would not have been something he would have been writing openly about. So it seems like this could have been things that his brother would have been, like, able to see that people could, like, read into, or like his brother not being particularly guarded with how he was. How he was writing about things.

[Dexter Thomas]

Right.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

But near that passage where Owen where Harold Owen, in his biography of his brother, described him as having no relationship with anybody because he thought it might interfere with his intellectual ability. Harold Owen said this about himself. Quote, I deliberately chose the Roman Catholic religion because of its insistence on celibacy. In Wilfred's thinking, poetry supplanted religion. And I was just like, I have thoughts and questions.

[Dexter Thomas]

Me too.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

If we had a time machine, I would just kind of want to go meet both of these brothers and talk to them more. This whole thing also illustrates why I can find the meme about historians describing lovers as friends to be frustrating, because this is the kind of things that historians are dealing with when writing about queer history. A lot of the time, friends and family members who are very protective of somebody's legacy, who in some cases have gone through and cut parts of their letters out with scissors and will not allow historians access to the actual primary original documents to review them, right? Only selectively give some stuff or some expurgated stuff or whatever. And it's only later, often after either those family members have died or those family members have become more open about, you know, their, their past family member or in some cases, you know, something's been passed down through a family and they come into the hands of somebody who has different, you know, social and political ideals and beliefs than the person who was originally cutting stuff out of letters with scissors. That is when historians are actually able to get more into the real depth of a person's whole life. So sure, there are, you know, previous histories of or previous biographies of Wilfred Owen, including ones written by his brother that don't touch on that at all. And one element of that is like just not having access to the original documents in their entirety to go through.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

This July 4th, celebrate freedom from spills, stains and overpriced furniture with Annabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. So sofas start at just $699, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Annabe's pet friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric that's built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic, high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your Life. Now through July 4th, get up to 60% off site [e-mail] Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees. Every penny back. Declare independence from dirty outdated furniture. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Holly Fry]

There's a myth A lot of us grow up believing that hair loss is just a part of life. It happens, it runs in the family. And once it starts, there's no stopping it. But here's the truth that's outdated thinking. Scientific understanding of hair loss has advanced in recent years. Today we have a deeper knowledge of underlying causes and we've developed science backed solutions that are both effective and safe. And that's at the very root of Happy Head. Dermatologists led innovation offering stronger FDA approved ingredients that work. But what really sets Happy Head Head apart is how personalized it is. They don't do one size fits all fixes. You fill out a comprehensive consultation and their board certified dermatologist and sign a formula specifically for your hair loss pattern, goals and lifestyle. And whether you're early in your journey or more advanced, Happy Head offers targeted options that actually work. Topical treatments, oral capsules, or potent dual action bundles. All delivered directly to you, discreetly and freshly compounded. In the US most people start seeing results in three to six months. But the real magic? It's sustainable. This isn't just about growing hair, it's about keeping it long term. So no, hair loss isn't inevitable anymore. Visit happyhead.com and find out what's possible. When science, expertise and personalization come together, Hair happiness starts here.

[Enrique Santos]

In 2012, 16 year old Brian Herrera was gunned down in broad daylight on his way to do homework. No suspects, no witnesses, no justice.

[Dexter Thomas]

The call was horrible.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I replay it over my head all the time.

[Enrique Santos]

For years, Brian's family kept asking questions while a culture of silence kept the case cold.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Snitches get stitches.

[Dexter Thomas]

Everybody knows it.

[Enrique Santos]

Still, they refused to give up.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I would ask my husband, do you.

[Dexter Thomas]

Want me just let this go? He said, no, keep fighting.

[Enrique Santos]

I told her I would never give up on this case. And then, after a decade of waiting, a breakthrough.

[Dexter Thomas]

We received a phone call that was bittersweet.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Because it's a call that we've been.

[Dexter Thomas]

Waiting for for a very long time.

[Enrique Santos]

I'm Enrique Santos. This is Cold Case Files Miami, a podcast about justice, persistence, and the families who never stopped fighting. Listen to Cold Case Files Miami as part of the My Cultura Podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So what happened at Chappaquiddick? Well, it really depends on who you talk to.

[Unknown]

There are many versions of what happened in 1969 when a young Ted Kennedy drove a car into a pond and.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Left a woman behind to drown. There's a famous headline, I think, in the New York Daily News, it's teddy Escapes, Blonde Drowns. And in a strange way, right, that sort of tells you the story really became about ted's political future, Ted's political hopes. Will Ted become president?

[Unknown]

Kappaquiddick is a story of a tragic death and how the Kennedy machine took control.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And he's not the only Kennedy to survive a scandal.

[Unknown]

The Kennedys have lived through disgrace, affairs, violence, you name it. So is there a curse? Every week we go behind the headlines and beyond the drama of America's royal family.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Listen to United States of Kennedy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Dexter Thomas]

I always try to think about, like, what that moment is where someone decides essentially to rewrite history. And I. I honestly am a little conflicted about it for a couple of reasons. Obviously, like, it sucks to not have original documents available to tell an accurate story. I also do understand, as frustrating as it has been for me, not just in cases like this where it's queerness being erased, but, you know, with anyone where there's something about them that someone in their family thought it was best people not know. But I can also see as incorrect as this move was, you know, someone like his brother who clearly had his own stuff going on, worrying that his brother's legacy would be forgotten or tainted in some way, and wanting to position it in a way that he would be recognized for his writing and not the other things about him.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Right.

[Dexter Thomas]

I mean, it's. And it's hard because it's easy for us to go. That's shortsighted. But, like, at the time, it probably seemed like, well, his work can be buried forever or I can do this and he can be seen in this other way. Not the same thing at all, but. Right. Like, Queen Victoria's daughter trashed a bunch of her writing when she died rather than let people see it. And so I do understand that there's also a tertiary part of it for me where I also wonder how much grief is informing it. Because if you've. I mean, every one of us will experience a grief if you have not already. And I'm sorry, and it sucks, but there is a thing that happens. I have seen it happen to people where when someone has passed without even being cognizant that you are editing the story.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Mm. Mm.

[Dexter Thomas]

People start telling their version of that person's story, focusing on things that are different than other things and wanting to almost create this. Not always idealized, but a version that is what they remember and what they were part of.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

And. And wanting to, like, pare down anything that doesn't fit that.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah.

[Dexter Thomas]

Again, don't love it, but I do understand the motivation of it.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah. Well. And socially, the culture that you and I have grown up in and lived in in our whole lives, we. You. We eulogize people after they die. When, like, that's just sort of a baseline of what's expected is like.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

You don't go to somebody's funeral and say a bunch of things about them that could be taken as really negative in a typical.

[Dexter Thomas]

Unless you're a rabble rouser.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Unless you're a rabble razzler. Like, the word eulogy literally has the idea that it's affirming they're in the word.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So, yeah. The story of Wilfred Owen and all of his personal papers reminds me a little bit of Anne Lister, who we covered on the show before, who wrote. If you haven't heard that episode, Anne Lister basically wanted to marry a woman and figured out a way to make that work for herself and wrote many, many, many diaries extensively chronicling her life and also in chronicling all of her relationships. And when a family member later on, you know, this was all in the 19th century, when all of this would have been stigmatized and in some ways illegal, a family member cracked the code that she had written in, realized what they were about and kind of went, yikes, and put them back in the vault. And I feel like we're so fortunate that those things, they went back in the vault instead of being burned, because that is something that could have happened and has happened with other figures from history and honestly, people now, I'm sure. So, yeah. I still just want to hug Wilfred Owen.

[Dexter Thomas]

I love so desperately that he and his mother worked out a code together.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah. And a couple of different codes, a couple of different ways to stay in touch. I didn't know anything about these postcards until learning about the code that they had worked out together. And the postcards were just basically a fast way to let your loved ones know that you were alive.

[Dexter Thomas]

Yeah.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

It took, you know, two seconds to fill the thing out and then it would just be mailed and it had instructions printed on it very clearly. That if you wrote anything on it other than your name, the date, and the date of the last letter you received from that person, it would just be discarded. And also, you know, the things in and of themselves a form of propaganda, because all of the. All of the statements you could communicate with somebody were. None of them were positive. Yeah. None of them were like, I am in the hospital and will never recover. Like, that was not an option.

[Dexter Thomas]

I wonder, too, since these were postcards, if part of this wasn't an effort at concealment from, like, enemies reading.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Oh, yeah, maybe.

[Dexter Thomas]

And trying to triangulate where people were, what kind of actions were happening, et cetera. I mean, it. Yes, it is propaganda still. I'm not trying to claim it's not, but, like, if there is a secondary, like, intelligence and concealment aspect to it.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Maybe so. Maybe so.

[Dexter Thomas]

I wanna. I can so easily picture a film about the leadership sitting around in a room going, well, we have to make it easy for them to communicate with their people back home. Okay. But then that's going to make it easy for our enemies to read them and them figuring out this complex flowchart of what they could and could not include.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Having had a job before where I had to write things that went through multiple levels of approval and revision, I am imagining the approval process of exactly what went on this postcard. Yeah, I'm imagining we could just write a whole musical about the whole writing and editing process.

[Dexter Thomas]

Oh, you write the musical. I don't want the singing.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

But I would be really bad at that. I was just thinking about Operation Mincemeat is just what that made me think of a show that I've only heard parts of. Anyway, anyway, whatever's happening on your weekend, I hope it is good as possible. If there's somebody in your life that you want to go hug, I hope they're cool with that and that you're able to go give them a hug. We'll be back tomorrow with a Saturday classic and something brand new on Monday. Stuff youf Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Holly Fry]

There's a myth a lot of us grow up believing that hair loss is just a part of life. It happens, it runs in the family, and once it starts, there's no stopping it. But here's the truth. That's outdated thinking. Scientific understanding of hair loss has advanced in recent years. Today we have a deeper knowledge of underlying causes. And we've developed some science backed solutions that are both effective and safe. And that's at the very root of Happy Head. Dermatologists led innovation offering stronger FDA approved ingredients that work. But what really sets Happy Head apart is how personalized it is. They don't do one size fits all fixes. You fill out a comprehensive consultation and their board certified dermatologists assign a formula specifically for your hair loss pattern, goals and lifestyle. And where they Whether you're early in your journey or more advanced, Happy Head offers targeted options that actually work. Topical treatments, oral capsules or potent dual action bundles, all delivered directly to you, discreetly and freshly compounded. In the U.S. most people start seeing results in three, six months. But the real magic? It's sustainable. This isn't just about growing hair, it's about keeping it long term. So no, hair loss isn't inevitable anymore. Visit happyhead.com and find out what's possible when science, expertise and personalization come together. Hair happiness starts here.

[Enrique Santos]

In 2012, 16 year old Brian Herrera was gunned down in broad daylight on his way to do homework. No suspects, no witnesses, no justice.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I would ask my husband, do you.

[Dexter Thomas]

Want me to stop? He was like, no, keep fighting.

[Enrique Santos]

After nearly a decade, a breakthrough changed everything. This is Cold Case Files Miami. Stories of families who never stopped fighting. Listen to Cold Case Files Miami on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So what happened to Chappaquiddick? Well, it really depends on who you talk to.

[Unknown]

There are many versions of what happened in 1969 when a young Ted Kennedy drove a car into a pond and.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Left a woman behind to drown.

[Unknown]

Chappaquiddick is a story of a tragic death and how the Kennedy machine took control. Every week we go behind the headlines and beyond the drama of America's royal family.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Listen to United States of Kennedy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Enrique Santos]

Are there any pictures of you online? Then you could already be in a massive police database without even knowing it.

[Holly Fry]

Clearview scrapes together images from Facebook, from LinkedIn, from Venmo accounts.

[Enrique Santos]

I'm Dexter Thomas, host of Kill Switch, a podcast about how living in the future is affecting us right now.

[Holly Fry]

Police, they are trusting the software with this magical ability to lead them to the right suspect.

[Enrique Santos]

In this episode, we dive into how cops are using AI and facial recognition and sometimes getting it wrong and putting innocent people behind bars.

[Holly Fry]

So if your accuser is this algorithm, but you're not even being told that it was used, let alone alone given any of the details about how it works.

[Enrique Santos]

Listen to Kill Switch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This is an iHeart podcast.