Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
White Smoke: America's Chemsex Killer By cover art

White Smoke: America's Chemsex Killer

By: Patrick Strudwick
Narrated by: Patrick Strudwick
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Episodes
  • Trailer

    Trailer
    Apr 27 2023

    When the body of a young, gay, Black man, Gemmel Moore, was pulled out of the West Hollywood apartment of Ed Buck - a white, millionaire donor to the Democratic party - the coroner called it an accidental overdose. The police didn’t arrest Buck. And the media refused to report on it.

    But just 18 months later, when a second Black man, Timothy Dean, was found dead in the same apartment from the same drug, the police still didn’t arrest Buck, sparking a series of terrifying questions. Why was Buck still free when two men had died in his home surrounded by drugs? How much were his wealth and political connections protecting him? And how many more men might have been harmed in that apartment?

    In White Smoke: America’s Chemsex Killer, investigative journalist Patrick Strudwick uncovers the secret world behind this explosive Hollywood scandal. Through original reporting, we discover how a cocktail of power, racism, sexual exploitation, and drug abuse had been detonating in Buck’s apartment for years. And how it’s connected to a wider chemsex scene playing out in queer communities all around the world - one that provides the perfect hunting ground for predators.

    But those communities are fighting back. In this series, we meet the men who lived a nightmare inside Buck’s apartment, the friends of the men who died, and the activists who triggered a movement to get Buck off the streets.

    White Smoke: America's Chemsex Killer is a Whistledown Production for Audible.
    Show more Show less
    4 mins
    Try for $0.00
  • Episode 1: Escape

    Episode 1: Escape
    May 4 2023
    Los Angeles, 2019. When a drugged Black man escapes the home of Ed Buck — a white, gay millionaire donor to the Democratic party — his only thought is survival. But by fleeing and phoning 911, the man sets in motion a dramatic chain of events that uncovers many more victims and an entire secret world of sex, meth, and racist predators.
    Show more Show less
    34 mins
    Try for $0.00
  • Episode 2: Gemmel

    Episode 2: Gemmel
    May 4 2023
    The first man to die in Ed Buck’s apartment from a meth overdose was a 26-year-old gay Black man named Gemmel Moore. But Buck was not arrested and the media didn’t pay much attention. His friends and family feared that Gemmel’s race, sexuality and class meant that no one in power would care — and that the wealth, whiteness and political influence of Buck was stopping the police from investigating. So they launched a protest movement that makes Ed Buck an international news story.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr
    Try for $0.00
Serial Killers LGBTQ+ Studies
Show more Show less

Dear Listener,

Why does this story matter to me, to you, and perhaps to everyone?
"When you hear about this case, it sounds dark and maybe disconnected from your own life. For a moment, that’s what I thought too, even though I’d reported on chemsex crimes before and had nearly lost loved ones to it. But then I met the people involved—the brilliant, courageous people who fought back, who used their energy and creativity to stop more people from being harmed, and who created a media storm to amplify their voices all around the world.
As I sat in their houses and heard their stories, what rang out to me beyond their humanity and strength, was how easy it can be for any of us, under the right circumstances, to be exploited or abused. Even if this might never happen to you, it could easily happen to someone you love: your son, your friend, your brother. But because so much of this is hidden and happening in secret, you may not realize how close they are to danger. People are at risk every day, in any street, in every neighborhood. The more we understand this, the more people can be saved. Underneath it all is shared experience. We all feel isolated and lonely at times. We all crave connection and escape. In this series, we hear where this can lead, and who really needs protecting—before it’s too late." - Patrick Strudwick, writer of White Smoke

What listeners say about White Smoke: America's Chemsex Killer

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    29
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    29
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    29
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Morgan Lea

A story that needs to continue to be told

I’d never heard of Buck before this podcast and I’m so glad I listened. As a black woman I know most of the world turns a blind eye to social issues that affect blacks—especially in America, so I cannot say hearing any of this was shocking. What was shocking is the level of brutality and torture that went ignored and the number of people who still didn’t know about it in LA after the trial.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Martha

An important reflection on race and abuse

Although this story is not easy to listen to at times, it’s well worth it. It’s a fascinating exploration of how deeply embedded racism is in this country as bound up in a disturbing trend of “party and play”, that mixes drugs and sex in an effort to turn on as well as debase.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Violet

Much more in-depth than I expected

I loved this! It shed light on an important topic that many outside the LGBT and Black communities may not know about. Told with sensitivity and very thorough.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Megan Blake

So good!

Such a thoughtful and considerate approach to a terrible series of events. I was so impressed by this work!

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Ryan Robert Gierach

Whew. Outstanding Journalism!

I played a small role in this drama and spoke to reporters from around the world in the aftermath of the initial account. None did as fine a job of finding and putting on record Ed Buck's victims, nor did any of them publish their heart rending accounts. Patrick Sudwick's work here is seminal on a 21st century subject bound to jump from the gay world into the straight world.
Production values are top drawer. Patrick's manner is empathic. Compassion and respect for Ed Buck's prey shines through it.
Ed Buck's story, and the reasons undergirding his predatory late life, are also treated with respect, with the journalists here exposing his personal demons issuing from the sexual, physical and emotional abuse of his father and the priests he was told would help him.
Yes, a condemning portrait of a serial killer, but one that portrays the man as a human being, and therein is the cautionary tale.
Childhood abuse victims become addicts who become abusers.
There but for the grace of God go I.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User

Amazing reporting

One of the most empathetic and smartest crime series I've ever listened to, White Smoke brings light to a serious and disturbing blend of drugs, sex, and systemic inequalities. Whenever Patrick seems to digress, expect to hear stuff that will make you angry.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User

freakin' awesome

so far, it's really good! I'm truly enjoying it thus far- can't wait to hear the rest!

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for JE YerGalVal

Very well done

Let me preface this by saying I’m not gay, I’m not black, I’m not a man, I don’t live in LA or even on the West Coast. I had no idea what chemsex was.... I only added this to my library b/c it was free, but I'm SO glad I did. As hard as it was to hear and learn about the struggles of these beautiful and possibly lost souls, their story needs to be heard. We (Americans) have a huge problem with this type of abuse - in so many different ways to all PEOPLE of all ages. The FACT that the media and politicians PROTECT the abusers is even more heinous than the crimes. The last episode is especially hopeful. Finding the root cause of addiction (in all forms) is the key to helping others not fall into the traps that bind them and ruin their lives. Throwing money at their problems is not the answer, education and a solid and safe support system is. Oh and getting rid of the politicians and the media would massively improve our lives. They are the reason we are “divided”.
I'm impressed with Patrick Strudwick and I look forward to hearing whatever he does next.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for -Lnn

Powerfulâ... Enlightening

Insight to inequalities, addiction, people preying on others. There's hope as evidenced by Buck's trial.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Alexandra Geraets

Harrowing

A harrowing story of power, domination, drugs, sex, and loss. Patrick Strudwick is an empathetic host, encouraging his interviewees to speak for themselves. Through interviews, the dead are humanized, the living are heard and empowered, and a predatory villain is ultimately revealed.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful