Real Cases. Real Cops. Real Talk.
Crime Time Inc.
Former detectives Tom Wood and Simon McLean bring you inside Scotland's most gripping criminal cases. Real investigations. Real insight. No fluff.
5
Seasons
268+
Episodes
★ 5
Apple Podcasts
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S5 · E43 · 21:34
ex-Detectives review Earl Van Best Jnr as a Zodiac Killer Suspect
In this episode of Crime Time Inc, hosts Tom Wood and Simon McLean join researcher Alex to continue their deep dive into the Zodiac killer case, turning their attention from the evidence itself to the deeply human story behind one of the most enduring suspects — a man whose abandoned son became convinced his estranged father was the infamous serial killer. Tom, drawing on decades of experience as a senior investigating officer on cases including the World's End murders and the Robert Black abductions, offers a compelling psychological perspective on why family members of terrible people sometimes come forward to link their relatives to high-profile unsolved crimes. As he explains, these individuals are rarely faking it; they genuinely believe what they're saying, driven by a deep need to make sense of the cruelty they experienced. It's a way of externalising their pain, of finding an explanation grand enough to account for the abandonment and neglect they suffered. The conversation opens up into a broader and thought-provoking discussion about the exploitation of serious crime. Simon raises the uncomfortable truth that bestselling books, films, and television programmes have been built on the back of cases like the Zodiac, Jack the Ripper, and countless others — an industry where there is, as Tom puts it, no quality control and no board of censors. With the rise of artificial intelligence, the hosts note, the barrier to producing speculative true crime content has never been lower. It's a candid moment of self-awareness from two men who make their living in the genre, and they handle it with characteristic honesty and humour. Tom takes the opportunity to share the remarkable story behind his own book, *Ruxton: The First Modern Murder*, recounting how a bundle of case papers — tied with the original pink police tape, unread for over eighty years — was discovered in a Portobello attic and eventually found its way to his desk. The documents, belonging to a deceased Edinburgh CID detective, contained a wealth of new information about a well-known case and told the story of an ordinary county police sergeant who, with no resources and no CID experience, did extraordinary investigative work. It's a story that underscores a theme that has run through Crime Time Inc from the very beginning: the critical importance of protecting and properly investigating the crime scene, a principle as vital today as it was in 1935. Simon also teases his forthcoming novel, *Kintyre*, which Tom reports he has read in excerpt and enjoyed very much. The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion about cold case responsibility. Tom poses the question of who, if anyone, is still actively investigating the Zodiac murders, and whether modern forensic advances have ever been applied to the original evidence. He draws a parallel with the ongoing Police Scotland search for the remains of Renee MacRae and her young son — a case that is solved and whose perpetrator is dead, yet where the duty to victims' families compels continued work. The hosts reflect on the value of structures like Police Scotland's Homicide Review Board and wonder whether any equivalent systematic review has ever been applied to the full range of killings attributed to the Zodiac. It's a fitting end to an episode that balances sharp investigative thinking with genuine humanity, and listeners are reminded that the Zodiac series will continue with further suspects and a full case summary in upcoming episodes. Zodiac Killer, Zodiac Killer podcast, Zodiac murders, unsolved serial killer, true crime podcast, Zodiac suspects, Zodiac evidence, San Francisco murders, 1960s serial killer, cold case investigation, Zodiac cipher, true crime analysis, Zodiac Killer theory, unsolved mysteries, crime podcast, serial killer case study, Zodiac Killer identity, true crime storytelling, criminal investigation, famous unsolved cases About Crime Time Inc. Season 5 of Crime Time Inc. broadens its reach across two sides of the Atlantic. This season features cases from Scotland and across the wider UK — rooted in real investigative experience — alongside deep dives into some of the most infamous murder cases in American history. Hosted by former detectives Simon and Tom, with experience in both the UK and the United States, including time working alongside the FBI, the show strips away sensationalism to explain how crime and justice really work. Two crime worlds. One podcast. New episodes released regularly throughout the season. Our Website: https://crimetimeinc.com/ If you like this show please leave a review. It really helps us. Please help us improve our Podcast by completing this survey. http://bit.ly/crimetimeinc-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 · E42 · 28:13
Was Earl Van Best Jr the Zodiac Killer? The Gary Stewart Theory Examined
In this episode, we examine one of the most emotionally powerful and controversial theories ever attached to the Zodiac case: the claim that Earl Van Best Jr was the killer. At the centre of the story is Gary Stewart, a man abandoned as a baby who spent decades searching for the truth about his biological father. What he found was not peace, but a theory that would become a bestselling book, a major documentary, and one of the most debated suspect narratives in true crime. We trace the disturbing life of Earl Van Best Jr—from his relationship with 14-year-old Judith Gilford, to his arrest, disappearance, and lonely death in an unmarked grave in Mexico City. We also revisit the Zodiac murders, the letters, the ciphers, the taunts to police and journalists, and the mystery that still grips investigators more than half a century later. Then we break down the evidence Gary Stewart presented against his father: the resemblance to the Zodiac sketch, the alleged name hidden in the ciphers, the Paul Avery connection, the claimed fingerprint match, the disputed handwriting evidence, and Van Best’s reported interests in opera, puzzles and codes. Finally, we examine why so much of that case began to fall apart under scrutiny—and what this story reveals about grief, identity, abandonment, and the human need to make sense of the unbearable. This is not just a story about whether Earl Van Best Jr was the Zodiac Killer. It is a story about why someone might need him to be. The Zodiac case remains officially unsolved. No individual has ever been formally identified as the killer. Zodiac Killer, Earl Van Best Jr, Gary Stewart, Zodiac Killer Suspects, True Crime Podcast, Unsolved Murders, Zodiac Ciphers, Serial Killer Theories, San Francisco Murders, Paul Avery, Cold Case Investigation, True Crime Analysis, The Most Dangerous Animal of All, Zodiac Documentary About Crime Time Inc. Season 5 of Crime Time Inc. broadens its reach across two sides of the Atlantic. This season features cases from Scotland and across the wider UK — rooted in real investigative experience — alongside deep dives into some of the most infamous murder cases in American history. Hosted by former detectives Simon and Tom, with experience in both the UK and the United States, including time working alongside the FBI, the show strips away sensationalism to explain how crime and justice really work. Two crime worlds. One podcast. New episodes released regularly throughout the season. Our Website: https://crimetimeinc.com/ If you like this show please leave a review. It really helps us. Please help us improve our Podcast by completing this survey. http://bit.ly/crimetimeinc-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 · E41 · 21:29
How Forensics Might Solve the Gary Poste Enigma
In this episode of Crime Time Inc, hosts Tom Wood and Simon McLean take a detailed look at Gary Francis Post as a suspect in the Zodiac killer case, continuing their in-depth series on one of America's most enduring unsolved mysteries. Before diving into the main discussion, the pair share some entertaining memories of police life — the Glasgow dairies and Edinburgh bakeries that served as unofficial gathering spots for officers, the camaraderie with A&E nurses at the Western General Hospital on the night shift, and some memorably brutal lines from staff appraisals. It's a warm, unguarded exchange that captures the culture of policing in Scotland during their era, and a reminder that even in a true crime podcast, the human side of the job matters. The heart of the episode is a rigorous, experience-driven analysis of Post as a Zodiac suspect and the work of the so-called "case breakers" who championed him. Tom and Simon walk through the circumstantial evidence — Post's military background, his time in the San Francisco Bay Area, claimed cipher interpretations spelling out his name, reports of domestic violence, and familiarity with firearms — and systematically weigh each element. Tom, drawing on decades as a senior investigator and his FBI secondment at Quantico, is characteristically measured but skeptical. He notes that firearms familiarity was near-universal among American men of that generation, that access to military PX stores was hardly exclusive, and that the behavioural profile doesn't fit: serial offenders of this type rarely just stop and settle into quiet domestic life. Simon reinforces the point that the evidence supporting Post is almost entirely subjective or speculative, and crucially, that law enforcement investigating the Zodiac case showed no interest in Post — a telling sign given their otherwise fastidious approach to other suspects. A standout theme of the episode is the concept of elimination in major crime investigation. Tom explains, with the authority of someone who led the World's End murders inquiry and spent years on the Susan Maxwell and Vicky Hamilton cases, that elimination must meet an even higher standard than prosecution — you need to be one hundred per cent certain it is not the suspect. He illustrates this vividly with the Emma Caldwell case, where a suspect initially appeared to have a cast-iron alibi of being in prison, only for investigators to discover he had been released on weekend leave at the time of the murder. The discussion also highlights how DNA evidence, so central to Tom's work on the World's End case — explored fully in his bestselling book *The World's End Murders: The Inside Story* (Ringwood Publishing, 2024) — serves as much to clear the innocent as to convict the guilty. It's a nuanced point that underscores why the Zodiac case, with its degraded and poorly preserved forensic evidence, remains so frustratingly unresolved. The episode closes on a lighter note, with Tom revealing he saw the Beatles live in Edinburgh in their very early days, and Simon ribbing him about Paul McCartney's stolen left-handed guitar — a nod to Simon's well-known friendship with McCartney dating back to his days as a young officer in Campbeltown. The pair tease future episodes, including a Zodiac series roundup and a possible deep dive into the Emma Caldwell case, giving listeners plenty to look forward to. About Crime Time Inc. Season 5 of Crime Time Inc. broadens its reach across two sides of the Atlantic. This season features cases from Scotland and across the wider UK — rooted in real investigative experience — alongside deep dives into some of the most infamous murder cases in American history. Hosted by former detectives Simon and Tom, with experience in both the UK and the United States, including time working alongside the FBI, the show strips away sensationalism to explain how crime and justice really work. Two crime worlds. One podcast. New episodes released regularly throughout the season. Our Website: https://crimetimeinc.com/ If you like this show please leave a review. It really helps us. Please help us improve our Podcast by completing this survey. http://bit.ly/crimetimeinc-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Hosts
Straight From the Case Files
Tom Wood
Co-Host
Tom Wood is a retired detective, former Deputy Chief Constable and bestselling author of "Ruxton: The First Modern Murder". With decades of experience in Scottish law enforcement, Tom brings unparalleled insight into criminal investigations and forensic history.
Simon McLean
Co-Host
Simon McLean is a former detective and undercover cop. His experience spans organised crime, serious assault, and complex criminal networks across Scotland.
Chris Burt
Producer
Chris Burt is the producer of Crime Time Inc, handling all aspects of audio production, post-production, and digital content.
Listener Reviews
What Listeners Say
Absolutely Gripping
“Tom and Simon bring an authenticity to true crime that you just can't fake. Having two actual detectives walk you through these cases is incredible. Essential listening.”
— ScottishCrimeFan · Apple Podcasts
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