Anngelle Wood uncovers New England’s ‘Crime of the Truest Kind’
Boston radio personality launches independent podcast series exploring some of the region’s host heinous acts
LISTEN TO ALL 19 EPISODES: CRIMEOFTHETRUESTKIND.COM
From Whitey Bulger to the Station Nightclub Fire, Anngelle Wood retells the tales that made the news and shaped a culture
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BOSTON, MASS. -- Across its six states and diverse populace, New England may as well be its own country. Unfortunately, like any country, it has its share of crime. But crime stories in New England -- the ones that scream from the headlines and lead the nightly news -- always seem to have multiple layers, some unexpected twists, and backstories as complex and distorted as the people who live here. Longtime Boston radio DJ and personality Anngelle Wood has uncovered, deconstructed, and unwrapped these stories via her new true crime podcast, Crime of the Truest Kind.
What launched in October 2020 with a two-part series on notorious Boston mobster Whitey Bulger has now grown to a bi-weekly series fast approaching 20 episodes. With a rapidly growing fanbase, Crime of the Truest Kind has taken Wood and her listeners to cities and towns all across the region -- across Massachusetts from Groveland and Peabody to Hopkinton and Canton, from West Warrick, Rhode Island to Mont Vernon, New Hampshire -- while uncovering the gritty details of New England’s most heinous acts.
And Wood does it with a storyteller’s flair and a human’s compassion. These are stories about the victims of these crimes, and the normal lives they lived, as much as the evil beings that committed them.
“It's a responsibility, I believe, to cover these cases,” Wood says. “The victims and the families cannot be fodder for laughter and taunts. Empathy should always be present. I do not, however, protect the feelings of murderers and criminals.What is most important is telling an accurate story with empathy for the families of those involved. These are people who've had an enormous burden to bear with the loss of their loved ones. Now there are people digitally lurking into their lives. As a professional broadcaster, I take that seriously. We all should as human beings.”
The list of subjects tackled by Wood is fascinating: Michael McDermott’s December 2000 murderous rampage at the Edgewater Technologies office in Wakefield; a three-part series on the horriffic 2004 Station Nightclub Fire in Rhode Island that killed 100 concertgoers; the shocking 1986 murder of Canton high schooler Shaun Ouillette. In each carefully researched and worded episode, Wood brings the listener to the crime scene with detail, perspective, and solicitude. It’s an engaging listen for those new to the events themselves (it does not require New England residency to come along for the ride), as well as a chilling reminder for those who can recall the days they happened.
“Crime of the Truest Kind is centered in New England, a place I have lived my entire life,” Wood says. “I am reminded regularly of some old news story I'd forgotten about. I have covered and will cover stories that impacted me as well. I have learned tricks on how to get old news stories and I have started to reach out to local journalists who've covered the cases. Some stories are really difficult to find factual information, while others have little info available. I start each show with local history about the town and talk about people from the region and places related to the crime story. It allows me to riff, add my personality to what is always heavy subject matter. Learning things about the region is great fun. I always learn something new.”
Wood’s love for the true crime genre dates back to her childhood, when she would sit with her grandmother and read her often salacious and graphic detective magazines -- forensics, profiling, psychology of crime, serial killings, all of those things fascinated her, and the details of each case stayed with her long after reading. Her background in radio -- on long-gone legacy stations like WBCN and WFNX, as well as host of the long running and now independently operated and produced Boston Emissions radio program -- led her to be an early and avid fan of podcasts. While vacationing in Maine last summer, reading Dave Wedge and Casey Sherman’s Hunting Whitey, she decided to turn a lifelong interest into a dedicated practice.
“I had a name within minutes and that was that,” Wood admits. “I've never been one to drag my feet on anything once I decide I want it. But much of what I have learned over my 20-plus years as a radio DJ has translated very well. Research, preparation, writing, recording, voicing, production. The beauty of those years in radio is that I figured out early on to learn as much as possible -- how to record audio, edit. I love people's reactions to it, I especially love when people I know discover it and listen. Like my years as a DJ, I enjoy hearing from listeners. People have started to send news items and show ideas. That's a very cool part of this.”
Anngelle Wood is available for interviews and appearances. Contact michael@publisist.co or crimeofthetruestkind@gmail.com for more information.
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‘Crime of The Truest Kind’ short bio:
Centered on New England crime stories with regional history, each episode of Crime of the Truest Kind walks you through a local crime story, details the people and places involved in that story, and unravels the details of what happened. Each episode is hosted and researched by longtime Boston radio DJ Anngelle Wood.
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A message from host Anngelle Wood:
“I’m from Massachusetts. I grew up in a small town outside of Boston, about 30 miles north. When my family would visit relatives in Pennsylvania they would ask us, ‘how’s Boston?’ We’d scoff and say that we didn’t live in Boston. We were snot nose kids with dirty fingernails who’d just traveled 15 hours in the back of a truck.
But, the truth is, when you grow up near Boston, it’s kinda Boston. Most in our general vicinity are born with this special attribute of being “in on the joke,” filled to the brim with sarcasm. Most of us. It’s dickish, I know. And the accent. What’s unfortunate is that they always get it wrong. Unless you’re from here. We always watch the movies and make loads of fun of it. The Perfect Storm of terrible. And there have been a lot over the last few years. It’s the tax credits. Usually about bank robberies, boxing, and bagpipes--with some hysterical woman with a gutter mouth and rippin’ butts. The obvious stereotypes. Thanks, though, to the Afflecks, and the Wahlbergs, and the Dropkick Murphys -- all of whom seem to appear in most of those movies. The Fucking Departed. The movie about Whitey Bulger. I shouldn’t say that. The Jack Nicholson character modeled on the misdeeds of one Whitey Bulger, reportedly, and directed by Martin Scorsese. I will not even pretend. I love this stuff. No word of a lie.
But this isn’t a podcast about Boston, specifically.
What else? I am a Radio DJ. I foster and adopt dogs--mainly English Bulldogs through Long Island Bulldog Rescue. They handle the north east region.
Obviously, I am a true crime enthusiast whose decades of interest and useless knowledge has finally been put to use. I listen to a lot of podcasts. I know unnecessary details about things that make people uncomfortable. Thanks for checking out the show. And lock your damn doors.”
-- Anngelle Wood
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‘Crime of the Truest Kind’ episode index:
Episode 1: Whitey Bulger: The Stacked Jack of Death, Boston, Massachusetts (Part One)
Episode 2: Whitey Bulger: Lock In A Sock, Boston, Masschusetts (Part Two)
Episode 3: Kim and Jaimie Cates, Crime of the New England Crime, Mont Vernon, New Hampshire
Episode 4: Colleen Ritzer, Murder at Danvers High, Danvers, Massachusetts
Episode 5: Charles Stuart, Boston Murder Hoax
Episode 6: Leeann Millius and Kim Farrah, Murder at Hedgehog Pond, Salem, New Hampshire
Episode 7: Michael McDermott, Day After Christmas Massacre, Wakefield, Massachusetts (Part One)
Episode 8: Michael McDermott, The Malingerer, Wakefield, Massachusetts (Part Two)
Episode 9: Neil Entwistle, Happy Family Murder, Hopkinton, Massachusetts (Part One)
Episode 10: Neil Entwistle, Daddy’s Double Life, Hopkinton, Massachusetts (Part Two)
Episode 11: The Station Nightclub Fire, West Warwick, RI, with Author Scott James (Part One)
Episode 12: Surviving The Station Nightclub Fire, West Warwick, RI, with Tom Stewart (Part Two)
Episode 13: After The Fire, West Warwick, RI, with John Laurenti (Part Three)
Episode 14: Kristen Crowley, An Unfathomable Death, Peabody, Massachusetts
Episode 15: Shaun Ouillette, Forever Fourteen, Canton, Massachusetts (Part One)
Episode 16: Shaun Ouillette, Forever Fourteen, Canton, Massachusetts (Part Two)
Episode 17: Beth Brodie, Crime Of The Hometown Kind, Groveland, Massachusetts
Episode 18: Reading Hockey Dad Death, Reading, Massachusetts
Episode 19: Victoria Snelgrove, No Triumph, All Tragedy, Boston, Massachusetts
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Praise for ‘Crime of the Truest Kind’ [Apple Podcasts]:
“Love the humor infused into the conveying of details, and how she gives town stats at the beginning of each story. There's a great balance of storytelling, humor and New England factoids. My hometown (Hopkinton) episode is my favorite so far.” _ AECurran
“I love, I mean I absolutely LOVE your content. I live and have grown up in New England my entire life. Your content is perfect for a local like myself. Keep up the great work.” _skipstac
“What a perfect podcast. Anngelle has managed to create a perfect balance of gravity, humor, and just darn interesting stuff! If you like true crime and New England this is the podcast you’ve been looking for.” _The Golden Holden
“The details in this podcast are exquisite, perfectly sets up the time and vibe of the locale where these heinous murders take place. The fact that I was driving by Hedgehog Park while listening to the Hedgehog Park murders episode didn’t add to the story as much as Angelle puts into it. Hit that subscribe, do yourself the favor.”_ jakegoddamit
“New England has always had its own strange culture and with that comes its own brand of crime. Anngelle covers fascinating cases with concise and capturing detail. I love the local facts that she uses to draw you in and set the scene. It’s refreshing to listen to a true crime podcast that manages to juggle authenticity, candidness, and a passion for storytelling all at once.” _spookydumont
“Anngelle Wood is a very knowledgeable host and has a great voice for podcasting! The stories are well produced and she adds a personal touch. Love the pod keep up the good work.” _Murder Squad Podcast
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Media contact and all press/radio inquiries: michael@publisist.coor crimeofthetruestkind@gmail.com.
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