Bound by the Cloak

No matter what your background is or where you come from, we are a product of our upbringing. The experience of immigrating to a new place as a child has a profound effect on children, their parents, and the family as a whole. In this episode we speak with Kel, a young author who co-wrote a book about this very experience.

On a seemingly ordinary night in October of 1943, the tranquility of a small Texas town was shattered by a brutal crime that left two survivors in its wake and a community in shock. Christena Stephens details the murder of Roy and Mae Hunt in her book, Bound in Silence: An Unsolved Murder in a Small Texas Town. Despite extensive investigations, the case remains unsolved to this day, shrouded in silence and unanswered questions.

Christena Stephens is a native Texan growing up amongst cotton fields and spending time exploring the nature of the Llano Estacado. After earning two Master of Science degrees, she started a project to preserve a historical Texas ranch, thus began her interest in history, research, and writing. She did not intend to be a historian but was mentored by the best Texas historians. Several of her writings have been published in anthologies, along with her photographs. In science and history, truths need to be accurately told. That is her mission-truth and authenticity. She still resides on the Llano Estacado enjoying sunsets and chance porcupine encounters. She is an ardent advocate of wildlife conservation and her heart belongs to her dogs.

Schenectady, NY is a small city that's had a troubled past. Once known as "The City That Lights and Hauls the World", Schenectady has faced a police corruption scandal as well as other tragic events over the years. In the late 90's and early 2000's, Schenectady's Police Dept. was the focus of a federal investigation by the FBI while under the tenure of former police chief Greg Kaczmarek.

Author David Bushman was traveling up near Albany, NY when he got a Lyft ride from no other than former police chief Kaczmarek. The two formed a relationship which spurred the writing of his book, Forget It, Jake, It's Schenectady: The True Story Behind "The Place Beyond the Pines." The book reflects on the events that transpired while Kaczmarek was chief of police from 1996 to 2002.

This is the conclusion of our two-part episode with Greg Bucceroni. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we also discuss sexual assault statistics, the assistance survivors can receive, and we shed light on the amazing work that various organizations do to support survivors of sexual assault. In particular, we spoke with Rachel Copen from WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence.