How police in US are using the power of podcasts to crack unsolved murders

"If you weren't watching the news that night when it happened, or if you didn't pick up a newspaper, you might not know anything about this case, so we wanted to tap into that broader audience."Assuming that the suspect is still alive and out there somewhere, they could be anywhere in the country."The podcast had been downloaded 7,184 times by the end of July, according to APD - yielding several tips, including one which investigators continue to pursue.Elgin Police DepartmentDivers recovered the car of Karen Schepers in the Fox RiverMost departments don't have the staff, budget or time needed to produce podcast content, nor do they have the equipment or expertise.Others hold off for fear of repercussions, lawsuits and civil liability, says retired detective Alcazar.In California, Newport Beach Police Department's podcast about the fugitive Chadwick, for example, was not without controversy. The millionaire was introduced to viewers in Episode 1 as "a man who killed his wife in the peaceful coastal community of Newport Beach, California in October 2012".Chadwick had been charged and pleaded not guilty, but not tried - yet the podcast made no use of the word "alleged" and called the millionaire a "murderer". Critics argued that it flew in the face of innocent-before-proven-guilty parameters and that the job of police was to investigate, not adjudicate.