Christopher Allen, an aspiring war reporter, was just 26 when he was shot and killed in South Sudan. At first, it looked like another tragedy of war… a young journalist caught in the crossfire. Until, just hours after his death, his story splintered. The government claimed he wasn’t a journalist at all, but a foreign fighter – a legitimate target. Other evidence suggested he was killed on purpose for being a reporter. In this new series from Tortoise and the team behind Sweet Bobby, Pig Iron is a story about the dark seduction of war, and what really happened to Christopher Allen.  

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Five years after his death on a distant frontline in South Sudan, the truth about what happened to Christopher Allen is still a mystery. Was he a reckless freelancer? A mercenary? Or a young and ambitious reporter, caught in the crossfire? Approached by a family member looking for answers, journalist Basia Cummings begins investigating.

Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At just 22 years old, Chris travels to Ukraine for his spring break, keen to see war up close. For the first time, he experiences the thrill and horror of the frontline. He's hooked. Five years later, Basia, along with Chris's cousin, Jeremy, visit Chris's parents in America to piece together who he really was. There they learn a troubling new detail about Chris's time in Ukraine.

All episodes of Pig Iron are now available for free. Tortoise members and Tortoise+ subscribers on Apple Podcasts can listen to the entire series, ad-free and get access to bonus content, coming soon. Just subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you will also get access to more of our investigations, and invites to exclusive events. Go to tortoisemedia.com/pigiron and enter the code Basia50 for half price membership.

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