Bear Brook
Bear Brook, hosted by Jason Moon, is the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio. Season 1 - Two barrels. Four Bodies. And a cold case that’s changing how murders will be investigated forever. Season 2: A True Crime Story - Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. The only evidence against him? His own taped confession. More than 30 years later, is it possible to get to the truth – and who gets to tell it? Season 3: A Private Matter - A Christmas tree farmer vanishes from his small town. His wife n...
A Private Matter, Episode 4
More than three years after Jay's last known sighting, some in the family suspect foul play. Police explain why they haven't charged Patty with a crime. Then, a strange phone call leads to a new search. Could Jay still be found? The science of search and rescue offers some clues.
To hear this season of Bear Brook ad-free, click here to become a member of our Patreon.
Bear Brook is a production of the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio. If you have tips or more information, email us at be...
A Private Matter, Episode 3
A volunteer sleuth digs into Jay's case and reveals a surprising connection to a major figure in the world of astrology, a "Spiritual Sparkplug" named Isabel Hickey.
To hear this season of Bear Brook ad-free, click here to become a member of our Patreon.
Bear Brook is a production of the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio. If you have tips or more information, email us at [email protected].
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A Private Matter, Episode 2
Jay's daughter explains how she finally realized her father was missing and shares another side to Patty most people don't know. Police make a new discovery about the timing of Jay's disappearance.
To hear this season of Bear Brook ad-free, click here to become a member of our Patreon.
Bear Brook is a production of the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio. If you have tips or more information, email us at [email protected].
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice
A Private Matter, Episode 1
A Christmas tree farmer with dementia named Jay Hickey vanishes from his small town in rural New Hampshire. Jay's wife Patty never reports him missing. A tipster claims "a lot of strangeness is starting to emerge" – and they're right.
To hear this season of Bear Brook ad-free, click here to become a member of our Patreon.
Bear Brook is a production of the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio. If you have tips or more information, email us at [email protected].
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Trailer | Bear Brook Season 3: A Private Matter
A Christmas tree farmer with dementia disappears. His wife never reports him missing. Can anyone find out why?
A Private Matter is the third season of Bear Brook, the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio hosted by Jason Moon. New episodes starting October 21, 2026.
Listen to Bear Brook ad-free and support our journalism at patreon.com/BearBrook.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Introducing: Safe to Drink
Introducing “Safe to Drink:” A New Hampshire town finds out its water has been contaminated by a chemical. The most basic question — whether the water is safe to drink — doesn’t have a clear answer. Nobody seems to know much about this so-called forever chemical, which is weird because… this has all happened before.
From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, "Safe to Drink" is a four-part series about the water contamination story that keeps repeating in town after town — and about the people who fought for answers through a maze of chemistry, regulations, and illnesses.
...Introducing: Operation Night Cat
Click here to listen to the next episode of Operation Night Cat.
A New Hampshire Fish and Game warden follows a tip to a man’s backyard. He finds a twisted game of one-upmanship, digital trophy rooms, and one of the biggest poaching cases in recent state history. Then, the hunting investigation takes a surprising turn when it reveals another set of potential crimes – this time, behind the brick walls of New Hampshire’s State Prison for Men.
Host Nate Hegyi has spent the past year digging into what happened next.
CLICK...
The Middle Child
Investigators make a discovery that brings the case of the Bear Brook murders to a close after 40 years – and reveals a new mystery.
Click here to check out more podcast series from NHPR's Document team.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or...
The 13th Step: Feds Arrest Eric Spofford
Big news on another podcast from the team behind Bear Brook: The 13th Step. That series investigates allegations of sexual misconduct against Eric Spofford, the founder of a major addiction treatment provider in New England, allegations Spofford denies. Now, federal prosecutors say Spofford organized violent acts of vandalism against Lauren, her parents and her editor, all in hopes of shutting that reporting down. Bear Brook has been named an Apple Podcasts Series Essential. Bear Brook, hosted by Jason Moon, is the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio. Season 1 - Two barrels. Four Bodies. And a cold case t...
Introducing: The Final Days of Sgt. Tibbs
Click here to listen to the rest of The Final Days of Sgt. Tibbs
Bear Brook has been named an Apple Podcasts Series Essential.
Bear Brook, hosted by Jason Moon, is the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio.
Season 1 - Two barrels. Four Bodies. And a cold case that’s changing how murders will be investigated forever.
Season 2: A True Crime Story - Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. The only evidence against him? His own taped confe...
Emelia's Thing
A young police officer unexpectedly finds herself back in New Hampshire, and she’s not the same person she was when she left. Something happened to her – to all of us. But for Officer Emelia Campbell, this thing still lives in her brain and her body. This is her story of survival.
Bear Brook, hosted by Jason Moon, is the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio.
Season 1: Two barrels. Four Bodies. And a cold case that’s changing how murder will be investigated forever.
Season 2 - A True Crime Story...
Introducing: What Remains from Outside/In
Introducing “What Remains,” a special series from NHPR’s Outside/In. A classroom display of human skulls sparks a reckoning at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia. A movement grows to “abolish the collection.” The Penn Museum relents to pressure. But there are more skeletons in the closet. To hear all three parts, including the prologue, subscribe to Outside/In.
SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE TEAM BEHIND BEAR BROOK BY MAKING A DONATION HERE!
Introducing: The Youth Development Center
For three decades, Andy Perkins didn’t talk about what happened to him at a place called YDC – the Youth Development Center. Then, he saw something on the news, and he realized he wasn’t the only person with a story about YDC. Andy gives us a rare glimpse into the black box of the juvenile justice system.
Click here to read the companion digital story made in collaboration with The Pudding.
If you have suffered abuse and need someone to talk to, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. If you’...
Update: The Reversal
The state of New Hampshire has made a sudden about-face: Prosecutors have now agreed to DNA test old evidence in Jason Carroll’s case. It’s the biggest development in the case in 35 years – and one step closer to possibly learning who killed Sharon Johnson.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com. To hear more stories by Jason Moon and NHPR's Documen...
Bonus: ‘Crime Story’
It’s been one year since we dropped Bear Brook Season 2. Here’s where things stand with Jason Carroll’s case and a refresher on how we got here – and where the case is going. Host Jason Moon talks with Kathleen Goldhar of CBC’s “Crime Story” podcast about the series.
SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE TEAM BEHIND BEAR BROOK BY MAKING A DONATION HERE!
Join us for Bear Brook Live
Join us for Bear Brook Live at WBUR CitySpace in Boston on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. Host Jason Moon and psychologist Dr. Fabiana Alceste will go deep on the science of false confessions, discuss the latest in Jason Carroll’s case, and take your questions. For tickets and more information, visit www.wbur.org/events.
Introducing: The 13th Step
Reporter Lauren Chooljian starts getting tips about the founder of New Hampshire’s largest addiction treatment network. He is allegedly sexually harassing or assaulting women — employees and former clients at his facilities. The tips send Lauren on a journey deep into the addiction treatment industry, which, as one source says, “needs a #MeToo movement.” The 13th Step is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio’s Document team. Listen to the whole series now by clicking here.
SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE TEAM BEHIND BEAR BROOK BY MAKING A DONATION HERE!
Introducing: The Last Ride
Introducing The Last Ride: Two young men of color vanished three months apart, on the same road in Naples, Florida, under eerily similar circumstances nearly 20 years ago. They were last seen with the same white sheriff's deputy. The since-fired deputy said he gave the men rides to Circle K stores, a story that could never be corroborated. He's the only person of interest but has never been charged. No one has.
Listen to The Last Ride on NPR One or wherever else you get your podcasts
A Special Announcement
Join Bear Brook's Jason Moon and Undisclosed host Rabia Chaudry for a live, on-stage conversation on Wednesday, May 17 at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord, New Hampshire.
The event will be moderated by NHPR's podcast director Rebecca Lavoie, who is also the host of the hit podcast Crime Writers On, and will be a wide-ranging conversation about the Jason Carroll case, the lines between journalism and advocacy, the ethics of true crime storytelling, why some voices in the genre get more traction in the real world, and much more.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS AN...
The Box
The true crime media spotlight shines on Jason Carroll. Then, a chance encounter leads to a surprising discovery that changes the course of his case.
For more on the case and to see selected data on exonerations, visit bearbrookpodcast.com.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon John...
This Side of the Line
How could someone possibly confess to murder if they didn’t do it? A modern understanding of confessions sheds new light on Jason Carroll’s case.
For more on the case and to see selected data on exonerations, visit bearbrookpodcast.com.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon J...
‘Don’t Roll the Dice’
Jason Carroll stands trial twice – and the juries come up with their own versions of what happened.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com. To hear more stories by Jason Moon and NHPR's Document team, click here.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
...
Trial in a Trial
A new true crime story is told and when juries hear it, it leads to different results for all three defendants. During the first trial, the lead detective makes a big mistake.
For more on the case and to see a table of confession discrepancies, visit bearbrookpodcast.com.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Do you have information about the Bear Broo...
‘Promises Have Been Made’
One set of confessions leads to another and three men are arrested for Sharon Johnson’s murder. Then, an alleged secret comes to light that changes everything.
For more on the case and to see a timeline of the interrogations, visit bearbrookpodcast.com.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the...
The Breaking Point
Police interrogate a second teenager named Jason Carroll – with help from Jason’s own mother.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com. To hear more stories by Jason Moon and NHPR's Document team, click here.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
Learn more about you...
The Pursuit
We begin with the story police told about Sharon Johnson’s murder. The veteran detective on the case develops a theory involving her husband and a teenager. A surprising admission leads to a new break in the case.
For more on the case and to see a timeline of Sharon's last day, visit bearbrookpodcast.com.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Do you...
Extraordinary
Sharon Johnson’s family and friends have spent the last 35 years coping with her brutal murder. But what if that story was based on a lie?
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com. To hear more stories by Jason Moon and NHPR's Document team, click here.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook mur...
Trailer: A True Crime Story
Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. The only evidence against him? His own taped confession. More than 30 years later, is it possible to get to the truth – and who gets to tell it?
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Introducing Supervision: A Privilege, Not A Right
When Emily Corwin was a reporter at NHPR covering jails and prisons, she wanted to tell a story about what happens next - a story about parole. Four and half million Americans are on parole right now - about twice the number of people in prisons and jails.
Emily met a guy named Josh Lavenets just as he was entering parole - and she tagged along with her microphone as Josh tried to get back on his feet.
Many months later, Emily published a story about Josh. It didn’t have a happy ending. But as...
Introducing Document: The List
Bear Brook was a story about how amateur investigators and new forensic techniques are remaking the way we solve murders in America. Now, Jason Moon wants to tell you a different story about the criminal justice system.
It starts with a murder, a dishonest cop, and a botched investigation, and leads to decades of secrecy around police misconduct.
Introducing Document S1: The List. Subscribe now to binge all the episodes.
Learn more at nhpr.org/document.
The In-Between
A clue is found buried on an internet message board. DNA is wrestled from rootless hair. Two investigators work parallel leads, and authorities call a press conference.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
Learn more abo...
Eric Rasmussen
A son remembers his father, and searches for clues in his military paperwork. A conversation with one of Terry Rasmussen's surviving children.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
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Ripple Effects
This is the first short update in the story of the Bear Brook murders that we’ll be producing to let listeners know about any breaking news in the case.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
<...Chameleon
The case that was solved in reverse leaves many questions unanswered. New methods of inquiry are used to crack other cold cases. Do groundbreaking techniques come at the cost of genetic privacy?
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
...
Bloodline: Part 2
This is part two of episode 5. A child is abandoned. Timelines come together. A family tree begins to take shape. A chameleon is revealed.
Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Click here to donate $20. Thanks for your support.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bloodline: Part 1
A child is abandoned. Timelines come together. A family tree begins to take shape. A chameleon is revealed.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Eunsoon Jun
An ominous New Year’s party introduction. An estranged cousin goes missing. Police question a man with multiple identities. A search leads authorities to his basement.
Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Click here to donate $20. Thanks for your support.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Smaller Haystack
After 30 years of torpor, investigators finally inch the Bear Brook case forward. A geologist uncovers the history buried in human teeth and hair. The faces of the victims are reconstructed.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
Learn more about your...
Known Only To God
The discovery of a second barrel raises questions. A stalled investigation churns back to life and then stalls again. An amateur sleuth takes Jason into the forest.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
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Hide and Seek
Three boys kick over a mysterious barrel in the woods. A small town cop fishes for answers. Evidence is buried, and the case goes cold.
Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what we do. Click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Photos, transcripts, and more at bearbrookpodcast.com.
Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.
Learn mo...
