The Burden – Introducing: Crying Wolf

Host: Orbit Media (Steve Fishman & Dax Devlin Ross)
Release Date: February 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode serves as an introduction to the new true crime podcast series, Crying Wolf, hosted by Dax Devlin Ross. Orbit Media’s Steve Fishman welcomes Dax back to discuss the series before airing its premiere episode. Crying Wolf explores a decades-long friendship formed in prison and the wrongful conviction of Lee Harris, diving into criminal justice failures, police misconduct, and the human complexities behind notorious Chicago crimes from the late 1980s. The story centers not just on Lee’s case, but on the relationship between Lee and Robert Chatler, whose years-long quest for the truth is chronicled through their recorded phone calls.
Tone: Introspective, personal, investigative, with a mix of raw emotion and streetwise candor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Host Reunion & Context (00:56–05:18)

• Steve Fishman introduces Dax Devlin Ross, trumpeting their partnership on the original Burden podcast and highlighting Dax’s multifaceted background (author, lawyer, journalist).
• Banter touches on Dax's elusive, mysterious tendencies and his relentless pursuit of righting societal wrongs.
  • Notable Quote (04:16):
    Dax: "Calorie free, right? That's called black coffee from a Keurig. That's what that is."
• Steve reminisces about the emotional weight and lasting impact of working on The Burden together.

2. Premise of Crying Wolf (05:18–06:51)

• Dax summarizes the heart of Crying Wolf:
  • Lee Harris, a black career scammer in Chicago’s projects, is convicted of murder.
  • In jail, he crosses paths with Robert Chatler, a younger, white Jewish man in for a drug offense. They bond deeply during their brief time as cellmates.
  • After release, Robert dedicates the next 20 years to investigating Lee’s case, ultimately uncovering that the key witness against Lee was a government informant—evidence hidden from the jury.
  • Tragically, Lee is exonerated but dies shortly after release in 2023; however, two decades of their recorded conversations form the emotional backbone of the series.
  • Notable Quote (05:18): Dax: "It's a story about two friends who meet in prison…becoming cellmates for less than a year. One guy, Robert, is a young Jewish guy who’s in prison because he has a drug problem...he meets this character...Lee Harris, who's...never ever swayed from the expression of his innocence."

3. Crying Wolf, Episode 1 – The Right Guy

(Begins around 07:19)

a. Lee Harris’s Origins & Personality (07:19–16:04)

• Opening scene set in Joliet Penitentiary, 2001. Lee, expecting his new cellmate Robert, is skeptical but their relationship unexpectedly becomes pivotal.
• Lee’s background:
  • Charismatic, resourceful, and a survivor in Cabrini Green, one of Chicago’s most notorious housing projects.
  • Known to both cops and media, straddling the line between con artist and community fixture.
  • Police and journalists recall Lee as talkative and savvy, but prone to “recklessness.”
  • Quote (11:53):
    Bob Jordan (news reporter): “[Lee] was probably smarter than the average kid he ran around with because he knew how to work the system...But he was unpolished. He was vulnerable to his own recklessness.”
• The realities of Cabrini Green’s gang-dominated, high-poverty environment are detailed through the voices of beat cops and journalists.

b. Dana Feitler’s Murder: Crime & Context (20:08–24:44)

• Crime flashpoint: June 18, 1989, Dana Feitler—a smart, wealthy, 24-year-old—returns from a night out and is murdered execution-style in an alley off the affluent Gold Coast.
• The rarity and racial tension of such a crime in Chicago’s wealthiest district trigger a massive media and police response.
  • Quote (21:45):
    Patrol cop Mary Cywak: “She was from a wealthy family down in the Gold Coast...where all the concentration of money is. So it was a heater case.”
• The city’s anxiety is palpable; the new technology of ATMs even becomes suspect.

c. The Investigation & Lee’s Involvement (24:44–32:12)

• Dog-walking eyewitness claims to have seen “three black men” with Dana.
• The police, under immense pressure (“heater case,” see 24:44), put up a large reward and pit detectives against one another in a race to find leads—“dog eat dog” competition per Mary Cywak (25:41).
• Lee, motivated by money and opportunity, steps forward as an “informant” after the reward is announced, coached by friendly detectives Ward and McHugh.
• Lee’s role evolves—from witness to suspect:
  • Gives 22 statements, each time getting closer to implicating himself, as police encourage him to “remember” new details.
  • Eventually, Lee is convinced (by police) to claim he was present with the real suspects, then a part of the crime, and then the actual trigger man.
• Quote (29:14):
  Mary Cywak: “Those detectives used to be called Area 6. They were all primadonnas. I have to admit, he hurt my feelings a little bit...I thought...we had a rapport...because it was a heater case and he would have liked to have been the one that, you know, solved it, because there is an elation to solving a case, getting the right guy.”
• The manipulation by law enforcement is laid bare. Once Lee is implicated, the “friendlier” cops withdraw.

d. Aftermath—The Perp Walk (35:07–38:14)

• Lee is eventually arrested, to the shock of media members who had seen him as a local “character,” not a killer.
• Quote (37:31):
  Bob Jordan: “I remember the look on his face. It was a look of shock and amazement...it was like he wanted to say something but couldn’t or was too afraid or was too in awe of the moment, but he ducked his head and then was escorted away.”
• The press circus is described in detail: rapid camera flashes, shouted questions, Lee’s stunned appearance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------------|---------| | 05:18 | "It's a story about two friends who meet in prison…One guy, Robert...he meets this character...Lee Harris, who's...never ever swayed from the expression of his innocence." | Dax Devlin Ross | | 11:53 | "He was probably smarter than the average kid...he knew how to work the system. But he was unpolished. He was vulnerable to his own recklessness." | Bob Jordan | | 24:44 | "When the mayor is getting static from his constituents, then he calls the police chief...That pressure all the way to the patrolman is: find somebody, make some arrests." | Bob Jordan | | 25:41 | "It was very dog eat dog...If you wanna be the police and get the bad guys, then you've gotta do battle. You've gotta compete." | Mary Cywak | | 29:14 | "Those detectives used to be called Area 6. They were all primadonnas. I have to admit, he hurt my feelings a little bit...because it was a heater case and he would have liked to have been the one that, you know, solved it..." | Mary Cywak | | 35:07 | "When they arrested Lee, I remember saying to my cameraman, 'Hey, you know this guy they arrested? We've interviewed him. We've seen him around. He was always around.'" | Bob Jordan | | 37:31 | "I remember the look on his face. It was a look of shock and amazement...it was like he wanted to say something but couldn’t..." | Bob Jordan |

Timeline of Key Segments

• 00:56–06:51 – Orbit Media hosts introduction, Dax Ross’s background, synopsis of Crying Wolf’s premise
• 07:19–16:04 – Episode 1 begins: Lee Harris in Joliet, background on Lee’s life and Cabrini Green
• 20:08–24:44 – Summer of 1989: Dana Feitler’s murder, media and public reaction
• 24:44–32:12 – Police investigation, witness statements, Lee’s shifting involvement, pressure on cops
• 35:07–38:14 – Lee’s arrest, press conference, emotional aftermath

Takeaway

Crying Wolf launches with an exploration of ambition, injustice, and the blurring lines between victim, suspect, and system. The first episode paints Lee Harris as both product and pawn of the intense socioeconomic and political forces of 1980s-90s Chicago. Through first-person recollections, police procedure, and the emerging voice of Robert Chatler, listeners are guided into a narrative that exposes the “heater case” mentality and raises questions about the incentives, ethics, and errors behind “getting the right guy.”

As an origin episode, it promises both the emotional punch of long-term friendship and the slow detangling of a justice system gone astray—signaling that Crying Wolf will not be a typical wrongful conviction story.