Podcast · True Crime

Examined: The Backfire Effect

by Pushkin Industries · English · True Crime

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New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 36 min
Latest: 5 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026 · 40 minNew

Episode 5: Time Barred

The trial of Temujin Kensu had happened quickly, just six months from arrest to verdict. What came next was unbearably slow. And with every year that passed, his odds of getting out of prison would go down. But then, one judge decided to rule in his favor. Was this his chance? You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ or at ⁠Pushkin.fm/plus⁠ . Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other true crime podcasts throughout the year.…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S6 · E4 · 28 Sep 2026 · 34 min

Episode 4: The Alibi

At trial, Temujin Kensu’s defense is simple — he was across the state when the crime occurred. In court, he brings multiple witnesses to testify that they saw him in the Upper Peninsula, more than 400 miles from Port Huron. But then prosecutor Robert Cleland pulls an unusual Hail Mary. You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ or at ⁠Pushkin.fm/plus⁠ . Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other true crime podcasts…
S6 · E3 · 21 Sep 2026 · 35 min

Episode 3: The Ninja

In November 1986, Robert Cleland was the head prosecutor in St. Clair County, Michigan. The morning after Cleland lost a statewide race for Attorney General, Scott Macklem was murdered. Cleland decided to prosecute the case himself, depicting the defendant as a dangerous ninja out for revenge. You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ or at ⁠Pushkin.fm/plus⁠ . Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other true crime podcasts…
S6 · E2 · 14 Sep 2026 · 43 min

Episode 2: The Hypnotist

Temujin Kensu spent much of his youth wandering, mainly in his home state of Michigan. In 1986 he and his then-fiancée moved to a cabin outside Port Huron, where he briefly dated someone else. A few weeks later, he and his fiancée moved again, more than 400 miles away, to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He says he was there on November 5, 1986. But that didn’t stop police from accusing him of a murder he said he could never have committed. You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show…
S6 · E1 · 14 Sep 2026 · 32 min

Episode 1: The Good Cop

On the morning of November 5th, 1986, students at a community college in Port Huron, Michigan, heard the sound of what many thought was a car backfiring. It was a gunshot, and it killed a student named Scott Macklem. The murder would leave the community shocked, and police baffled. Until they found a suspect: a young man who lived across the state. You can hear the entire season of Examined: The Backfire Effect, ad-free, right now by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus . Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks,…
S6 · 8 Sep 2026 · 3 min

Trailer: The Backfire Effect

In 1986, a man named Scott Macklem was killed in broad daylight. Eight days later, a suspect was arrested. But now, almost 40 years later, reporter Josie Duffy Rice is re-examining this case. Has the wrong man been in prison this whole time? New episodes drop September 14. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to binge the entire season, ad-free. Find Pushkin+ on the Examined show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S6 · 4 Sep 2026 · 2 min

Lost Hills is Becoming Examined

Lost Hills has been quiet for a bit, so we've decided to do something different: turn this feed into a home for a new kind of story, told fresh each season. Starting this fall, this feed becomes Examined — a show about overlooked cases that never got the real investigation they deserved and need to be unpacked. These are stories about crime, punishment, and the people caught inside the criminal legal system. Every season, a new host will dig into one of these stories with the kind of in-depth reporting you’ve always heard in this feed. First up: Examined: The Backfire Effect,…
S5 · E8 · 2 Mar 2026 · 53 min

Episode 8: The Finish Line | Valley of Shadows

A reunion between two retired detectives brings new focus to the Aujay investigation, just as Hayley and Betsy find out about another tragedy in the Punchbowl area. When a woman and her father are shot dead in deputy Engels’ home, the fatalities should’ve prompted the sheriff’s department to take a harder look at the alleged dirty deputy. But, instead, the LASD tries to bury the matter and — just like in the Aujay case — the deaths are ruled suicides. Hayley and Betsy press the department for answers about these and other suspicious deaths that occurred in…
S5 · E7 · 23 Feb 2026 · 51 min

Episode 7: The Trial | Valley of Shadows

While the DEA showers Hager in accolades, the LASD turns against him. But Hager fights back, and drags the department’s dirty secrets out into open court. Betsy and Hayley go through thousands of pages of court documents, including internal LASD memos and recordings, to find out what the department knows about Aujay’s disappearance. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here . Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus . See omnystudio.com/listener for…
S5 · E6 · 16 Feb 2026 · 43 min

Episode 6: The Big Takedown | Valley of Shadows

Brandenburg is taken off the Aujay case, but the LASD can’t stop Hager and the federal task force. With the help of wiretaps, informants, and 18 months of investigation, the team pulls off one of the largest drug stings in Antelope Valley history and nets a key witness in the Aujay case. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here . Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of Shadows show page on Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm/plus . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E5 · 9 Feb 2026 · 43 min

Episode 5: The Legend of Bigfoot | Valley of Shadows

Decades before Jon Aujay’s disappearance, the Devil’s Punchbowl was infamous for something else: Bigfoot sightings. Sasquatch became a known boogeyman in the area. But beneath the folklore lies something real —- a local deputy, named Rick Engels, whose reputation inspires a different kind of fear. As detectives Brandenburg and Hager look into their colleague, they uncover a surprising connection to the Aujay case. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here . Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Valley of…
S5 · E4 · 2 Feb 2026 · 47 min

Episode 4: Outlaw Country | Valley of Shadows

As Detective Brandenburg follows leads in the Aujay case, he finds himself with an unlikely ally. A young buck narcotics detective named Darren Hager, who’s trying to dismantle a meth syndicate run by a local biker gang. Hager discovers that his bikers have a disturbing connection to Aujay’s disappearance — and to some of his own LASD colleagues. So he brings in the big guns, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and they launch a covert task force. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here . Binge the entire season of Valley of Shadows, ad-free, by subscribing to…
S5 · E3 · 26 Jan 2026 · 47 min

Episode 3: Tweaker Talk | Valley of Shadows

At the time of Jon Aujay’s disappearance, California is under siege by a meth epidemic and the Antelope Valley is the epicenter. So when investigators receive tips that Aujay was killed after stumbling upon a meth lab, it seems like a theory worth looking into. But LASD detectives are quick to dismiss the leads. Questioning why the cops are so dismissive, Betsy and Hayley discover there was one cop, Homicide Detective Larry Brandenburg, who bucked the company line and refused to let the Aujay trail go cold. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack here . Binge the entire season of…
S5 · E2 · 19 Jan 2026 · 41 min

Episode 2: An Unreasonable Act | Valley of Shadows

Find episode 1 of Valley of Shadows on the Valley of Shadows show page. After deputy Jon Aujay disappears, the sheriff’s department claims he was suicidal — pointing to marital troubles and erratic behavior in the weeks before he vanished. But the LASD’s official story doesn’t square with what Aujay’s loved ones and colleagues remember. Then, investigators start to hear rumors that the deputy didn’t take his own life, but was murdered for something he witnessed out in the desert. Hear the full Valley of Shadows soundtrack on Spotify . Binge the entire…
S4 · 13 Nov 2024 · 20 min

Important Lost Hills - Dark Canyon Update | Lost Hills

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department listened to our podcast and now they’re asking us some new questions — and answering some of ours. Are they ready to reopen the investigation into Mitrice’s death? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E12 · 17 Jul 2024 · 42 min

12. Dig Two Graves | Lost Hills

Dana lays out all the evidence, and we await results from forensic testing. We reconnect with Mitrice’s loved ones, as they celebrate what would have been her 39th birthday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E11 · 15 Jul 2024 · 34 min

11. The Suitcase | Lost Hills

A round of cold calls yields brand new information tying the Person of Interest to Mitrice. We return to the fort in the woods, and make a startling discovery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E10 · 10 Jul 2024 · 30 min

10. The Wallypad | Lost Hills

The home of a local firefighter is infiltrated by an informant hoping to get more information on the Person of Interest. And a hike planned for Dark Canyon instead leads to the Lost Hills Station. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E9 · 8 Jul 2024 · 33 min

9. Fearful Witness | Lost Hills

A 2011 exhumation of Mitrice’s remains leads to a second autopsy. Meanwhile, a woman describes a disturbing encounter in Monte Nido around the time of Mitrice’s death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E8 · 3 Jul 2024 · 37 min

8. Rick Trouble | Lost Hills

We learn everything we can about our Person of Interest — a longtime member of the Monte Nido community, who went from golden boy to convict to off-the-grid survivalist living in the woods. We check his criminal history and discover a troubling pattern of violence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E7 · 1 Jul 2024 · 35 min

7. In the Shit | Lost Hills

Looking for a way into Dark Canyon, we follow a former pot grower on a treacherous route, and pay a visit to the Porn Ranch, which borders Dark Canyon. Plus, a retired LASD sergeant reveals that there was a Person of Interest in the case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E6 · 26 Jun 2024 · 32 min

6. Reconnaissance | Lost Hills

Eleven months after her disappearance, Mitrice’s naked remains are discovered in an abandoned pot field in Dark Canyon, just above Monte Nido. Deputies on scene make a controversial decision, sparking conflict with the LA County Coroner. And Mitrice’s recovered clothing goes missing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E5 · 24 Jun 2024 · 33 min

Bonus: Get Jim | Lost Hills

Three years before Mitrice’s arrest, Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving on Pacific Coast Highway. An interview with the arresting officer, James Mee, reveals the power wielded by celebrities in Malibu. Would Mitrice’s story have ended differently if she were rich and famous? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E5 · 19 Jun 2024 · 40 min

5. So Close | Lost Hills

As the months pass with no sign of Mitrice, rumors abound. Law enforcement questions the artist behind a creepy mural. And deputies raid a fort in the wilderness looking for human remains. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E4 · 17 Jun 2024 · 32 min

4. Hopscotch | Lost Hills

Six hours after her release from Lost Hills Station, Mitrice is spotted in the rural community of Monte Nido. Investigators find Mitrice’s footprints, and neighbors report unusual disturbances around the time of her disappearance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E3 · 12 Jun 2024 · 42 min

3. Call for Help | Lost Hills

Mitrice arrives at Geoffrey’s restaurant in Malibu on Sept. 16, 2009, claiming she’s there to “avenge the death of Michael Jackson.” When she walks out without paying, a restaurant staffer calls 911. Deputies bring Mitrice to Lost Hills Station, where Mitrice’s cellmate overhears a worrying conversation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E2 · 10 Jun 2024 · 42 min

2. My Light | Lost Hills

Investigators search Mitrice’s impounded car and find several journals she wrote in the last months of her life. Never before shared publicly, the journals offer details about Mitrice’s mental state and her complicated love life. We track down an old girlfriend, who reveals Mitrice’s secret struggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E1 · 10 Jun 2024 · 36 min

1. Vultures | Lost Hills

As Mitrice Richardson’s disappearance dominates news headlines, the Sheriff’s Department defends its decision to release her with no phone, no wallet, and no ride. Meanwhile, Mitrice’s autopsy raises puzzling questions about a missing bone, and a long-buried interview introduces a new witness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · 30 May 2024 · 4 min

Coming Soon - Season 4, Dark Canyon | Lost Hills

The disappearance and death of Mitrice Richardson remains Malibu, CA’s most baffling unsolved case. It’s been nearly 14 years since her remains were discovered in a remote canyon, and still, no one has been held accountable for her demise. From the beginning, the LA County Sheriff’s Department said Richardson’s case likely couldn’t be solved. And to this day, her death remains a mystery. The truth lies in the remote Malibu community where Mitrice was last seen. And now, finally, people are starting to talk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · 27 Jul 2023 · 25 min

Black Heroes of Surfing | Lost Hills

Textured Waves is a Black female surf collective focused on promoting diversity in the water and teaching Black youth to surf. In this bonus episode, Dana talks to two of the collective’s founding members, Chelsea Woody and Martina Duran, about joy in the ocean, localism, and an accomplished Black surfer from the era of Miki Dora. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About Examined: The Backfire Effect

About Examined: Overlooked cases that never got the real investigation they deserved. Each season features deeply reported stories about crime, punishment, and the people inside the criminal legal system. Nearly 40 years ago, in the parking lot of a community college in Port Huron, Michigan, a 20-year-old student named Scott Macklem was shot dead in broad daylight. His murder shocked the community. It made no sense. The police quickly found their suspect. There was only one problem: the man said he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. And he could prove it. In Examined: The Backfire Effect, journalist Josie Duffy Rice talks with eyewitnesses, investigators and local reporters to unravel a shocking story of judicial apathy and expedience — a story that leaves no one off the hook.

Examined: The Backfire Effect is a English true crime podcast from Pushkin Industries. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Pushkin Industries
Language: English
Category: True Crime
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 36 min
Latest episode: 5 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1549249596
Rights: 2026 Western Sound & Pushkin Industries

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