The Missionary

One July night in 1995, Deputy Sheriff William G. Hardy was shot behind the Crown Sterling Suites hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. At the same time as the murder, at least 10 people saw Toforest Johnson four miles away at a popular nightclub called Tee's Place. But detectives zeroed in on him as a main suspect in Deputy Hardy’s murder anyway, ultimately resulting in Toforest being tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. For over a quarter century, Toforest has been confined to a 5’ by 8’ cell on Alabama’s death row.   In 2019, investigative journalist Beth Shelburne began covering the case, going down a disturbing rabbit hole revealing many unsettling facts that cast grave doubts about Toforest’s guilt. The facts she found tear at the very foundation of the American criminal justice system: No eyewitnesses or physical evidence tied Toforest to the murder; the state tried to convict a different man for the same crime; and perhaps most disturbing of all, Toforest’s conviction relied on an "earwitness" – a woman who claimed to have eavesdropped on an incriminating phone call, a woman whom prosecutors paid for her testimony, in secret. That payment was not disclosed to the jury, Toforest, or his lawyers until after he had been on death row for 17 years.   From the team behind the award-winning hit podcast Bone Valley, Lava for Good’s Earwitness is an eight-episode docuseries that asks the question, “How did an innocent man end up on death row — and why is the state still trying to execute him over the objection of the prosecutor who put him there?” Shelburne’s unprecedented access to key players—the lead detective, lead prosecutor, witnesses, jurors, and the earwitness herself—illuminate a story filled with disturbing twists, frustrating ambiguities, and shocking admissions. The story of Toforest Johnson and the state's enthusiasm for the death penalty in the face of such troubling evidentiary flaws brings to light the failings of a criminal justice system run amok. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miles and the team learn how Vassilis and his gang pulled off the biggest bank robbery in Greek history without firing a single shot. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A coup in Haiti empowers a new paramilitary squad, bold enough to face down the U.S. military. In Miami, the black book resurfaces – and the killings continue. ​​Available to all on May 18, 2023. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, Missionary fans! iHeartPodcasts and host Catherine Townsend are excited to announce Hell and Gone Season 4! The Little Rock Police Department searched an abandoned car in a small residential park. The keys were in the ignition and the car was out of gas as if it had been left running. The car belonged to 18-year-old Ebby Steppach, and she had vanished without a trace. A thrilling true crime that continues to unravel with every clue. Don't just take our word for it, check out the trailer to decide for yourself! About Hell and Gone: On October 30, 2015, the Little Rock Police Department searched an abandoned car in a small residential park. The keys were in the ignition and the car was out of gas as if it had been left running. The car belonged to 18-year-old Ebby Steppach, and she had vanished without a trace. It seems like everyone in Arkansas knows about Ebby. They know she disappeared in 2015, and her body was found in a storm drain three years later. They know there have been multiple investigations that have led nowhere. And even though Ebby's case has been one of the most extensively covered cold cases in Arkansas, so much of her life and what really happened to her remain a mystery. Ebby's case has been one of the most extensively covered cold cases in Arkansas, but so much of her life and what really happened to her remain a mystery.  What really happened to Ebby Steppach? Listen and subscribe to Hell and Gone here. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After becoming an international controversy, Renee reconsiders her entire life’s work. But the mothers suing her are still nowhere closer to finding answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a string of complaints and a leaked report, Serving His Children is forced to shut its doors. But Jinja’s problems are only beginning. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Renee’s story hit the airwaves, a Ugandan official decides to look into her alleged crimes. He’s shocked by what he finds: nothing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The role that Christian missionaries play in the world has changed a lot over the years. In this episode, we examine the missionary industrial complex — from Barbie Savior to missionary influencers — and discover that Renee Bach isn't an anomaly.. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, a baby named Patricia was a Serving His Children success story. But a video sent to our team throws everything into question. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months of silence, Renee Bach appears on Fox News to defend herself. A few days later, we receive an invitation to meet her in Virginia, face-to-face.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first death at Serving His Children wasn't a child, but a 27-year-old woman. Now, no one can agree on how she died, or if she needed rescuing at all. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renee Bach was 19 when she decided to follow God's calling to Uganda. Ten years later, she's accused of impersonating a doctor and she's blamed for the deaths of more than 100 children. We look into the allegations and talk to Renee's accusers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2009, a young American missionary named Renee Bach built a nonprofit to fight child malnutrition in Uganda. Ten years later, allegations surface that hundreds of children died at her facility. How could this happen? Hosted and reported by Rajiv Golla, Halima Gikandi and Malcolm Burnley.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.