Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery

20/20 True Crime
Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery

Karen Silkwood’s death 50 years ago this November continues to haunt Oklahoma and the nation. The 28-year-old plutonium plant worker died in a fatal crash while driving to meet a reporter with The New York Times allegedly to deliver evidence documenting unsafe conditions at the plant. Two reporters who covered the Silkwood story in 1974 have spent years trying to piece together what many in Oklahoma speculate: Karen Silkwood may have died for what she knew. Fifty years later, hear newly-discovered investigative tapes, deathbed conversations and long-awaited interviews reexamining what happened that night.

Episodes

  1. EPISODE 1

    The Tapes

    Who was Karen Silkwood and why was her death so captivating that it spawned a Hollywood movie? We’ll meet two Oklahoma reporters determined to run down the facts. An investigator’s tapes rediscovered in a dusty storage vault raise the voices of the dead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    45 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    A Powerful Company

    Karen Silkwood worked for Kerr-McGee, an oil and gas behemoth that was expanding into the nuclear power industry. Escalating production quotas lead to more accidents at the plant, and Karen quietly travels to Washington DC to report concerns about worker safety to her union and to regulators. Before leaving, she volunteers for a risky assignment.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    57 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    Contaminated

    We retrace the final days of Karen’s life: she’s been so badly contaminated by radioactive material that men in hazmat suits show up to inspect her apartment, strip much of it down to the studs, and seal her possessions into 55-gallon drums for disposal. Karen grows fearful the contamination will kill her. Years after her death, Karen's family sues Kerr-McGee for the contamination and for the first time, her allegations against the company are tested in court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 5m

  4. EPISODE 4

    The Investigators

    Three investigators tried to solve the mystery of what happened to Karen Silkwood on that dark highway the night of November 13th, 1974. An accident investigator hired by the union believed so strongly that Karen’s car had been forced off the road that he saved the bumper as evidence, handing it down to his daughter on his deathbed. A private eye pieced together a theory that Silkwood was under surveillance. And a state trooper launched his own investigation inside law enforcement. They all hit dead ends. Or did they? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 2m

  5. EPISODE 5

    The Phantom Vehicle

    Fifty years later, what can that original bumper tell us about the cause of Karen's accident? In our final episode, an accident reconstructionist combs through the original evidence, creates a computer simulation of the crash, and reveals his findings to the Silkwood family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    47 min

  6. 23/10/2024

    Introducing 'Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery'

    Karen Silkwood’s death 50 years ago this November continues to haunt Oklahoma and the nation. The 28-year-old plutonium plant worker died in a fatal crash while driving to meet a reporter with The New York Times allegedly to deliver evidence documenting unsafe conditions at the plant. Two reporters who covered the Silkwood story in 1974 have spent years trying to piece together what many in Oklahoma speculate: Karen Silkwood may have died for what she knew. Fifty years later, hear newly-discovered investigative tapes, deathbed conversations and long-awaited interviews reexamining what happened that night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    2 min
  7. The Crime Scene: Tupac Murder Suspect Speaks Out

    26 MAR

    The Crime Scene: Tupac Murder Suspect Speaks Out

    New from ABC Audio, "The Crime Scene Weekly" is a new podcast for the true crime-obsessed (and -curious). Each week, "The Crime Scene Weekly" focuses on what everybody's talking about in true crime: what all your favorite shows and podcasts are covering, and what's taking over your TikTok feed. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. In this week's episode, the question of who killed Tupac Shakur has been a mystery for nearly 30 years. Now, the only person ever charged in his murder is speaking out for the first time since his arrest — and changing his story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    32 min

Trailer

Hosts & Guests

About

Karen Silkwood’s death 50 years ago this November continues to haunt Oklahoma and the nation. The 28-year-old plutonium plant worker died in a fatal crash while driving to meet a reporter with The New York Times allegedly to deliver evidence documenting unsafe conditions at the plant. Two reporters who covered the Silkwood story in 1974 have spent years trying to piece together what many in Oklahoma speculate: Karen Silkwood may have died for what she knew. Fifty years later, hear newly-discovered investigative tapes, deathbed conversations and long-awaited interviews reexamining what happened that night.

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