>>> I WANT TO TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT A VERY INFAMOUS WOMAN. IN THE '60s, HER FACE MADE THE FRONT PAGE OF NEWSPAPERS. SHE WAS HATED BY THE PUBLIC, ACCUSED OF KILLING HER TWO YOUNG CHILDREN. BUT NOW, HALF A CENTURY LATER, WE CAN RE-EXAMINE THE CASE FROM ALL SIDES AND SEE IF THAT PUBLIC HATE WAS WARRANTED OR IF JUST MAYBE SHE WAS THE VICTIM, HAVING LOST HER CHILDREN AND THEN BEEN PUT ON TRIAL AS PART OF A WITCH HUNT. THIS IS THE STORY OF ALICE CRIMMONS. >> THAT IS HOW YOU START A STORY. THAT WAS A CLIP FROM OUR NOVEMBER PODCAST OF THE MONTH, "CRIME JUNKIE." ACTUALLY, IT'S IN THE TOP FIVE OF ANY PODCAST ALL OVER THE WORLD. >> THE SHOW HAS OVER 1 BILLION DOWNLOADS AND THE CREATOR AND HOST OF THE SHOW JOINS US NOW. PLEASE, EVERYONE, WELCOME ASHLEY FLOWERS. >> THANK YOU. >> WOW, SO, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF CRIME STORIES TO CHOOSE FROM, BUT HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH ONES MAKE THE CUT, WHICH ONES YOU DECIDE TO FEATURE? >> EARLY ON, WHEN I HAD NO FOLLOWING, I PICKED THE CASES THAT STOOD OUT TO ME AFTER 30 YEARS, BECAUSE I REALLY FEEL LIKE I UNDERSTAND MY AUDIENCE. I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, I HAVE MY PULSE ON THAT. AND IT WAS RESONATING WITH THEM, AND NOW THAT WE DO HAVE A LARGE AUDIENCE, WE HAVE A CASE SUGGESTION FORM WHERE WE GET TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE REACHING OUT A MONTH. AND WE'RE PICKING -- PRIORITIZING WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT REACHES OUT, WHEN FAMILIES REACH OUT, AND WE HAVE AN ORIGINAL REPORTING TEAM THAT'S OUT THERE LOOKING FOR THE CASES THAT AREN'T GETTING PUBLICITY. >> YOU SAID -- OKAY, WE STARTED OUT TALKING ABOUT THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE TRUE CRIME PODCAST IN THE WORLD. THERE'S SO MANY PODCASTS OUT THERE. BUT YOU JUST SAID, BACK WHEN I HAD NO AUDIENCE. HOW DO YOU GO FROM NO AUDIENCE TO SITTING HERE, LITERALLY AS ONE OF THE TOP PODCASTS IN THE WORLD? >> HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? >> I THINK IT'S ALL BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO GENUINE. I DIDN'T GET INTO PODCASTING BECAUSE IT WAS POPULAR. I LOVED THE MEDIUM. AND I DIDN'T PICK TRUE CRIME BECAUSE IT'S HAVING A MOMENT. LIKE, I AM SO INVESTED IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THESE CASES, AND I THINK THAT REALLY COMES THROUGH. AND I THINK OUR SHOW IS ONE OF THE FIRST SHOWS THAT REALLY GAVE PEOPLE A WAY TO GIVE BACK. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. I HEAR THESE STORIES. NOW WHAT? WHAT CAN I DO? AND OUR SHOW HAS EDUCATIONAL FACTORS. WE'RE HELPING THE COMMUNITIES AND THE VICTIMS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. I EVEN WENT ON TO START MY OWN NONPROFIT CALLED SEASON OF JUSTICE THAT FUNDS TESTING FOR COLD CASES, AND WE'VE SOLVED THREE HOMICIDES. AND SO, I THINK THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING AND RESPONDING TO. >> IT'S NOT JUST STORYTELLING. IT'S NOT JUST FASCINATION WITH THE ABOMINATION. IT'S REAL ADVOCACY THAT YOU'RE CONTRIBUTING TO ACTUALLY HELPING FAMILIES GET RESOLUTION OR ANSWERS. >> YES. >> AND SO, TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH THIS. WHERE YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS. I MEAN, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE FUTURE PLANS TO GROW EVEN LARGER? >> YEAH, I MEAN, BIGGER, BETTER THINGS. I WANT TO KEEP IT AT THE CORE. I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IN WORKING WITH VICTIMS, WORKING WITH THEIR FAMILIES IS SO IMPORTANT, AND AGAIN, IT'S WHAT'S GOTTEN US HERE, AND I NEVER WANT TO LOSE THAT. BUT THE LARGER WE GROW, THE WIDER OUR AUDIENCE IS, THE MORE WE CAN DO TO HELP. >> DO YOU HEAR BACK? I'M IMAGINING YOU'RE WORKING WITH, BUT WHAT DO YOU HEAR BACK FROM THE FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO YOU HELPED SOLVE? >> SEASON OF JUSTICE, WE DON'T COVER THOSE CASES ON "CRIME JUNKIE." AND SO, THERE'S A LOT OF SEPARATION BETWEEN US AND THE FAMILIES. I'VE NEVER HEARD FROM THE FAMILY. WE GET MESSAGES FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT SAYING, THIS WAS OUR ONLY WAY, THANK YOU. AND I DON'T NEED TO HEAR FROM THEM. THEY GOT THEIR RESOLUTION. THEY DON'T OWE ME ANYTHING. BUT AS FAR AS THE CASES THAT WE COVER ON THE SHOW, WE GET REACHED OUT TO BY FAMILY ALL THE TIME, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY MY VERY FIRST EPISODE I EVER DID, AGAIN, WHEN I HAD NO FOLLOWING, THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE VICTIM'S DAUGHTER REACHED OUT TO ME, THANKING ME FOR NOT FORGETTING ABOUT HER MOM. WE DID A FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEW, AND IT WAS SUCH A GOOD REMINDER, THESE ARE NOT STORIES. THERE ARE REAL PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO HEAR EVERY WORD WE SAY. THAT'S SO IMPORTANT IN THE CONTENT WE'RE CREATING. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. "CRIME JUNKIE" IS AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE YOU LISTEN