Husband and wife Ricky and Ashley host the Crime Salad Podcast. They wanted to create a more decent true crime podcast. They try to honor the victims through ethical storytelling. These true crime stories are familiar and upsetting. Fans of the genre may know of Anthony Sowell (the Cleveland Strangler). They also may know of the Haight Family murders. What may be lacking from some other reporting is a level of empathy. This podcast is different. Host Ashley starts an episode by telling a story from her life. She speaks about the instinct to protect one's children.
One Crime Salad episode is about Letecia Stauch, who killed her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon. There is a recording of Gannon's mother, Landen, speaking about her son after he disappeared. Ashley notes that she can hear fear in Landen's voice but also hope.
Another goal of the podcast is to educate and empower listeners. Podcasts sometimes help an older case get new visibility. One Crime Salad episode is "The Disappearance of Kristin Smart." In 1996, a young woman disappeared. Five years later, the law declared her dead. There wasn't enough evidence for Kristin's family to get closure. This changed in 2019 when someone released a podcast series on the case.
Crime Salad may add clarifying details to upsetting news stories. Having more context might help listeners keep themselves and each other safe. One episode tells the sad story of Ashley Bush. She was 31 weeks pregnant when someone abducted her. She disappeared after responding to a Facebook post about a job. Another somber case is about Ana Walshe. The episode ends with a note Ana left in a champagne box. She expected to drink that champagne on New Year's Eve, but she didn't make it. The note was about hope for a better year.
Ashley and Ricky try to navigate the complex true crime genre with intention and care. Episodes usually start with trigger warnings. These can help listeners ensure their reactions will not be too intense. Most Crime Salad episodes are between 30 and 45 minutes. New episodes debut several times a month.
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