Kevin Smith seemed like your typical pastor. He was a respected member of his community in Montego Bay, preaching the Bible to hundreds of congregants each week. But he also preached conspiracy theories from his social media account. On October 17, 2021, Smith sent a message on Facebook instructing his followers to get to the church. He told them “the Flood is coming”. Members of his congregation packed their suitcases and rushed over. But when they arrived, that’s when the real danger began. Three people were killed, two of them, witnesses allege, as part of a human sacrifice.

This week on Crime Story, reporter Rachel Browne explains how a pastor’s pandemic conspiracy theories turned a church into a cult and a crime scene.

Maria Hinojosa first met David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez when he was serving life without parole — sentenced as a juvenile. What began as a chance visit inside a Pennsylvania prison grew into a decades-long story of friendship, justice and redemption.

Suave’s journey out of prison exposes the harsh realities of juvenile sentencing, the complexities of freedom under lifelong parole, and the fragile line between journalist and subject. Along the way, Maria confronts the emotional toll this story takes on her family and herself.

If you like this episode, we think you’ll enjoy Trouble in Sweetwater: Connie Walker investigates a crisis of policing on America’s largest reservation.

Not every journalist is willing to explore the darkest corners of humanity. It’s hard. It’s haunting. And not everyone can stomach what they would discover But Ian Urbina has made a career out of going there.

In his podcast, The Outlaw Ocean, Ian explores the most lawless place on earth – the vast unpoliceable ocean. He’s back with season two where he sheds light on secretive Libyan prisons, flagrant human rights abuses off the shores of China, and the horrors of a shrimp processing plant in India.

And this week, we have something special for you. Ian sat down with Daemon Fairless, host of the podcast Hunting Warhead, to discuss what it takes to report crime on the ocean.