S2 EP1: Underwater and on the Run

This is Season 2, Episode 1 of Documented187:

Listener discretion is advised.

There is a visual glitch from 48:06​ - to 48:33​, but the audio is still correct. Apologies for the black screen - thanks for sticking with it!

In November 1971, the quiet town of Westfield, New Jersey learned that “low crime” doesn’t mean “no evil.”

Under the Tiffany skylight of a nineteen-room mansion called Breeze Knoll, a horrendous event took place. The perpetrator vanished for eighteen years under a new name. He remarried, went to church, coordinated carpools, and blended into suburban life so well that no one saw the horror of his past… until a clay bust on America’s Most Wanted knocked hisdisguise clean off.

In this episode, Ayana Noir walksyou through:
• the pressure cooker building inside Breeze Knoll
• the nationwide manhunt that kept hitting dead ends
• the age-progressed bust that finally exposed him
• the trial, the judge’s unforgettable words, and the question of whether justice ever truly caught up

REFERENCES

1. Crime Library: Criminal Minds and Methods — John List, Katherine Ramsland.

2. Karen Tumulty, “17 Years Later, Town Gets Answers to Family Killings,” Los AngelesTimes, April 10, 1990.

3. History.com Editors, “Sunday school teacher murders his family and goes undercover for 18years,” Updated May 27, 2025.

4. United States v. John Emil List, trial records, Union County, New Jersey (1990).

5. “John List,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (Accessed 2025).

6. ABC News — 'The Hit List,' Primetime/20-20 coverage and interview segments with John List.

7. New York Times archival coverage of the List family murders and trial (1971–1990).

8. America’s Most Wanted archival segment (May 21, 1989) featuring forensic sculptor Frank Bender.

9. Dummies.com Crime/History features summarizing the John List case.

10. Medium & Vocal long-form investigative articles on the John List case and AMW reconstruction.

11. Local New Jersey news outlets on Breeze Knoll, the arson fire, and community impact.

12. State of New Jersey v. John Emil List.

13. Father Wants Us Dead Podcast