The Megyn Kelly Show

Episode: Unabomber Look Back, Karen Read Trial, Zodiac Killer Deep Dive – Megyn’s "True Crime" Mega-Episode
Date: March 15, 2026
Host: Megyn Kelly (SiriusXM)
Guests: Terry Turchi (former FBI, Unabomber Task Force), Peter Tragos (attorney, "The Lawyer You Know"), Tom Colbert (investigative journalist, The Case Breakers)

Episode Overview

In this “mega-episode,” Megyn Kelly explores three gripping true crime sagas:

• The pursuit and capture of the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, with former FBI agent Terry Turchi
• The controversial trial and acquittal of Karen Read, with attorney and legal analyst Peter Tragos
• An in-depth look at the still-unsolved Zodiac Killer case, with investigator Tom Colbert

The episode is structured in three main acts, each centered on one case, focusing on investigative details, law enforcement challenges, forensic science, and courtroom drama. The tone is probing, compassionate, occasionally skeptical, and consistently skeptical of official narratives when warranted.

I. The Unabomber: Behind the Investigation

Guest: Terry Turchi, former FBI, Unabomber Task Force Lead
[Start: 00:45]

Main Theme

A painstaking examination of how the FBI, facing a uniquely meticulous and cunning serial bomber, coordinated a years-long investigation leading to Ted Kaczynski’s capture — as told by one of the case’s leaders, Terry Turchi.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Task Force’s Herculean Effort

  • Building the investigation "bit by bit, day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year," eventually compiling the evidence needed to identify and capture Kaczynski ([03:34]).
  • The critical role of teamwork across agencies: FBI, ATF, Postal Inspection Service. Notable personalities included Jim Freeman, Max Noel, Joel Moss, Kathy Puckett, Molly Flynn ([04:09]).

• Kaczynski’s Cunning and Bombing Techniques

  • Kaczynski’s extraordinary efforts to evade detection: planting false DNA, using junkyard materials, stripping batteries, sanding wood, removing fingerprints ([06:42]).
  • "He actually spent just as much time doing that, Megan, just as you laid out as he did building the bombs." – T. Turchi ([06:42])
  • He took pride in bomb making, was emotionally impacted when bombs malfunctioned ([09:00]).

• Investigative Innovations

  • Lack of precedent for lone serial bombers forced the team to create its own “training and educational process” ([09:00]).
  • Creation of the Unabomb Fact, Fiction, and Theory document to systematically separate myths from leads ([30:25]).
  • Proactive data analysis: teams pooled millions of data points into a single searchable database, switching from reactive to proactive suspect generation ([30:25]).

• Criminal Profile Development

  • Not just physical clues but psychological — dry stretches in case activity linked back to Kaczynski’s behavioral patterns (e.g., going underground after being spotted) ([38:28]).
  • Key insights from profiler Kathy Puckett: Unabomber was obsessive, perfectionist, deeply secretive, and motivated less by ideology than anger and attention-seeking ([43:32]).

• Major Break—The Manifesto and the Role of Family

  • The 35,000-word manifesto was published at the FBI’s urging, hoping someone would recognize Kaczynski’s unique phrasing and ideology ([56:54]).
  • His brother, David Kaczynski, and sister-in-law Linda recognized his writing, providing critical evidence through a 23-page essay and years of correspondence ([62:50]).
  • "I think we might have found the Unabomber." – T. Turchi ([62:50])

• The Arrest

  • Careful planning and use of community allies led to a nonviolent arrest at Kaczynski’s Montana cabin, where exhaustive physical evidence was discovered: the manifesto, bomb components, and a live bomb ([80:46]).
  • "There in the cabin were aviator sunglasses and gray hooded sweatshirt..." ([80:46])

• Aftermath & Lessons Learned

  • Kaczynski pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty; motivations were ultimately personal revenge and anger rather than pure ideology ([84:19], [85:58]).
  • Reflections on law enforcement: need for public cooperation, prioritizing basic investigative principles alongside innovation ([98:16]).
  • "We are nothing without the public... Law enforcement in a constitutional republic is about the people." – T. Turchi ([98:16])

Notable Quotes

• "He was brutal, brilliant in hiding his identity…taking steps to plant evidence in his bombs that…was…an attempt to mislead you." – Megyn Kelly ([05:43])
• "When you’re years later trying to put all this and you get a break like that and a witness like that, it really is important." – Terry Turchi, on the eyewitness composite ([28:37])
• "[Kaczynski] actually goes into that… I’m doing this because I’m angry. There was really no rationality…" ([84:19])
• "You can’t overlook things that you would do in any case…And at the same time, you can’t be tied to a system which doesn’t move fast enough." – T. Turchi ([98:16])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Manifesto Breakthrough: [56:54]–[62:50]
• Cabin Search & Physical Evidence: [80:46]–[82:56]
• Kaczynski’s Motive & Plea Deal: [84:19]–[85:58]
• Lessons for Law Enforcement: [98:16]

II. The Karen Read Murder Trial: Doubt, Corruption, and Acquittal

Guest: Peter Tragos, attorney and legal analyst
[102:53]

Main Theme

A controversial 2025 Massachusetts murder case, its flawed investigation, the trial's drama, and the aftermath — illuminating issues with police procedure and the justice system.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Basics of the Case

  • Karen Read accused of killing her boyfriend, Officer John O'Keefe, alleged to have run him over with her Lexus after a night out and heated argument ([103:21]).
  • Read's defense: she did not hit him; claims law enforcement covered for themselves/colleagues involved in his actual death ([104:15]).

• Prosecution vs Defense Evidence

  • Strong facts for prosecution: alleged statement by Read ("I hit him, I hit him") and tail light plastic found on O’Keefe’s clothes ([105:20]).
  • Strong facts for defense: third party witness testimony, weak physical evidence (no crash damage logged by Lexus; alternate explanation for tail light break), and a suspicious Google search by someone inside the house before O’Keefe was found dead ([107:24]).
  • Forensic uncertainty regarding timing of the “how long to die in cold” Google search: "it felt impossible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt" ([127:23]).

• Police Investigation & Corruption

  • Investigative errors: improper securing of evidence, taillight pieces showing up at different times, questionable witness credibility, damning texts among officers discussing “pinning” the case on Read ([117:50], [119:42]).
  • Lead investigator fired for bias and gross misconduct; prosecution dropped problematic witnesses in second trial ([134:37]).

• Jury’s Rationale

  • Several jurors cited reasonable doubt as the key factor; some believed Read was outright innocent ([131:59]).
  • "[The prosecution] couldn't prove anything... there was holes in the case that left for reasonable doubt." – Juror ([132:14])

• Aftermath & Civil Litigation

  • O’Keefe’s family sues Read for wrongful death; Read counter-sues officers and house’s occupants for conspiracy to frame her ([137:13]).
  • Issue of public and media influence; “Turtle Boy” as a prominent advocate for Reed’s defense, raising questions about grassroots intervention in legal cases ([145:08]).

• Lessons for Legal Practice

  • "How not to investigate and prosecute a case" – Peter Tragos ([148:04])
  • Importance of witness credibility, possible influence of poor ethics among law enforcement, and risks of overcharging ([151:36]).

Notable Quotes

• “If you can’t put the lead investigator on and you can’t put half your evidence on because you don’t trust it yourself, maybe you shouldn’t be prosecuting this case.” – Peter Tragos ([148:04])
• "Do I know that there was not enough proof or evidence secured by the police to convict Karen Reid? Absolutely." – Juror ([133:14])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Breakdown of key prosecution & defense evidence: [105:20]–[112:21]
• Investigative misconduct & texts: [117:50]–[119:42]
• Jury foreman and verdict: [130:56]–[132:14]
• Civil litigation: [137:13]–[141:33]
• Social media and public opinion: [145:08]

III. The Zodiac Killer: A Cold Case Deep Dive

Guest: Tom Colbert, The Case Breakers
[154:14]

Main Theme

A robust re-investigation into the Zodiac serial killings, the current state of the evidence, and the ongoing debates about the killer’s true identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Overview of the Zodiac Killings

  • Five confirmed killings (potentially up to 34 by Zodiac’s own claim) in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
  • Serial killer’s pattern: lovers’ lanes, random violence, taunting letters, mysterious ciphers ([154:14]–[165:13]).

• Deciphering the Zodiac

  • Letters and cryptograms often contained clues or taunts; some supposedly revealing his identity if solved ([158:31], [200:37]).
  • “He was shopping for media. He wanted to be a celebrity in his own warped mind.” – Tom Colbert ([191:12])

• Colbert’s Theory: Gary Francis Post as Zodiac

  • Colbert and the Case Breakers believe the Zodiac was Gary Francis Post, a WWII vet and painter who moved to the High Sierras and led a small criminal “posse.”
  • Supporting evidence cited: matching ballistics, shoe size, location overlaps, confessions to inner circle, eyewitness sketches, alleged DNA leads, and testimony from ex-posse members ([214:53], [218:48]).
  • “Everything is all in the right spot now, I think...there is so much I haven't told you. There are so many pieces of evidence, so many clues, so many quotes, affidavits, shoe size. Everything is all in the right spot.” – T. Colbert ([250:28])

• Skepticism and Limitations

  • Lack of definitive DNA evidence; many official departments remain unconvinced and cite chain-of-custody and casework issues.
  • Alternate theories (Ed Edwards, etc.) and the prevalence of so-called “Zodiacers.”
  • Featured sound bite from Paul Holes (Golden State Killer investigator):
    • “I put no weight on them whatsoever… I've seen it too many times. They throw these names out there, and this is the Zodiac. I'm not convinced. And I don't think the Zodiac has been identified yet.” ([253:54]–[255:08])

Notable Quotes

• “This was his way to be a celebrity in his own warped mind.” – Tom Colbert ([191:12])
• “The only way I am going to believe that the Zodiac has been identified is if they get that objective identifying evidence that shows this is the guy.” – Paul Holes ([255:12])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Zodiac’s M.O. and confirmed killings: [154:14]–[165:13]
• Riverside “outlier” murder & evidence review: [171:36]–[177:50]
• Posse and the Gary Francis Post theory: [214:53]–[227:21]
• Critique from Paul Holes: [253:54]–[255:12]

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “No two people write alike. When we got the manifesto, we really thought, there’s no way someone hasn’t seen these ideas, these phrases before.” – T. Turchi ([57:41])
• “He was totally unkempt and disgusting and smelled bad and hadn’t showered… How weird, you think of perfectionism as rigidly clean.” – Megyn Kelly ([43:32])
• “This is about anger. It's about what a person like this… has welled up inside them. They are angry. And certainly Theodore Kaczynski was angry.” – T. Turchi ([84:19])
• “The only way I’m going to believe the Zodiac has been identified is if they get objective identifying evidence… It must be him. And I will tell you, it’s coincidence.” – Paul Holes ([255:12])

Flow of the Episode

The show moves from a stepwise criminal probe (Unabomber) to the messier, emotionally charged world of courtroom drama and legal process (Karen Read), before culminating in the fever-dream world of cold case sleuthing and the darker corners of popular true crime (Zodiac Killer). The episode is both journalistically rigorous and invitingly accessible for a broad audience, offering not just facts but tactical wisdom, ethical dilemmas, and moments of both grim amusement and poignant reflection.

For Listeners: Should You Listen?

If you enjoy deep dives into true crime history, law enforcement strategy, and legal controversies, this episode is engaging, detailed, and often eye-opening—balancing humanity for the victims and suspects with a clear-eyed look at the evidence, the personalities, and the enduring mysteries.