In this episode of Sirens, I’m joined by Rachel Corbett, journalist, academic, and author of The Monsters We Make, for a deeply thoughtful conversation about crime, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves about evil.

Rachel shares how her own childhood experiences—and the moments that shaped her understanding of violence and fear—ultimately led her down the path of researching crime, criminal behavior, and the FBI’s approach to criminal profiling. What began as personal curiosity evolved into years of research that challenge some of the most widely accepted assumptions in true crime.

We talk in depth about The Monsters We Make, including what inspired the book, how personal history intersects with academic inquiry, and why criminal profiling may not be the reliable investigative tool pop culture has led us to believe. Rachel breaks down how profiling gained its reputation, where it has fallen short, and why its perceived success often looks very different when examined closely.

This episode explores the tension between storytelling and science—and asks hard questions about how myths are created, repeated, and cemented in both law enforcement and media.

Find more about Rachel at https://www.rachel-corbett.com/.

Mentioned in this episode:

Allegedly: POCO

Get Allegedly: True Crime From Pontotoc County, OK today. Available in paperback, hardback, and ebook from any major store, including library apps.

Hosted by Raven Rollins

Tulsa’s infamous Hex House wasn’t just a haunted legend—it was real. Beneath the surface of an ordinary duplex at 10 East 21st Street lay a story of control, psychological manipulation, and hidden abuse that gripped the city in the 1940s. Two women were found living in a cold, dark basement—isolated, exploited, and convinced they were earning salvation under the direction of a woman named Carol Ann Smith.

In this episode, Raven unearths the true history behind the Hex House. It’s a story of power, belief, and the dangerous ways devotion can be twisted.

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Allegedly Today!

Find Allegedly at your favorite online retailer or library app today!

In this episode, I sit down with brothers Brian and Cameron Santana, co-authors of A Murder on Campus: The Professor, The Cop, and North Carolina’s Most Notorious Cold Case. We talk about the brutal, unsolved 1973 murder of Virginia Marie Olson, a 19-year-old college student whose body was discovered near the campus of UNC-Asheville.

Over 50 years, the case would haunt three generations of investigators and the entire Asheville community, marked by dead ends, disturbing parallels, and whispers of notorious suspects. Brian, a veteran cop, and Cameron, a college professor, teamed up to tell this story with a rare blend of insider insight and narrative depth.

Get the book here: https://amzn.to/4l06pYt

Listen to Santana True Crime wherever you get your podcasts.

Advocacy. Investigation. Education. Storytelling.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Get Allegedly Today!

Find Allegedly at your favorite online retailer or library app today!