—> After listening to this episode, Maria has this say: “I was just thinking about the irony of my podcast interview and how much of what I said is so relevant to mom passing away as we release the film (joy and pain!). And I had no idea mom was going to die.” <—

In this unforgettable episode, we sit down with Maria Semander Crawford to discuss The Empty Chair, a short film that tells the story of her sister Elena’s murder by little-known serial killer Coral Eugene Watts—and the decades-long fight for justice that followed.

This isn’t your typical true crime tale. It’s a deeply personal, emotional journey about grief, advocacy, and how one family refused to be silenced by a broken system. Maria opens up about the day her sister was murdered, the years of legal hurdles her family faced, and the extraordinary activism of their mother, Harriett Semander.

Sadly Harriett passed away just before the film became available to buy. She did see it, though. As much as this story is about Elena, it's more so about Harriett. May she rest in peace.

Along the way, we also discuss:

• Marvel’s mega-livestream casting chaos
• The cartoon apocalypse trend (seriously, what are they doing to Mickey Mouse?)
• TV picks including Happy Face, The Pitt, and more
• A Looney Tunes movie that surprisingly hits the apocalypse vibes 😆

Timestamps

00:00 — MCU overload, coming soon, and our recommendations

14:10 — Cort’s Corner (Beyond the Gates)

22:36 — Interview with Maria Semander Crawford begins

24:12 — The day Elena was murdered

31:04 — Who was Coral Eugene Watts?

44:29 — Why no one’s heard of him—and how close he came to being released

50:52 — Turning grief into activism

1:00:00 — Casting The Empty Chair and the film’s future

1:10:25 — Final thoughts and how you can help

🎬 Watch The Empty Chair

Apple TV+

Prime Video

Google Play

📝 Subscribe to the newsletter to stay updated on the campaign to turn this into a limited series.

theemptychairmovie.com

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Original music by Garrett Thompson

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