Murder in Miami

Detective Denmark deep dives into Clay Williams' medical case file and the main players of Murder in Miami contemplate their current thoughts in light of past perceptions and recent revelations about Lamar, Lonestar and loyalty.

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Bonus 8: Murder in Miami's original music and soundscaping was crafted by our audio editors and sound designers (Nikolas Harter, Evan Tyor and Taylor Chicoine) and plays an enormous role in bringing the show's era to life. In this week's bonus episode we wanted to share the uninterrupted singular Murder in Miami soundtrack created- and featuring music- by Evan Tyor, Phil Mayer, John Murchison and Taylor Chicoine. We hope you enjoy! 

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Ron Elliott spent the night before the crash at Lamar Chester’s farm in Cleveland, Georgia. He shared his memories and thoughts about the events leading up to Chester’s death with Phil.

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Bonus 7: In 1979, a joint DEA/FBI task force in Miami busted the Black Tuna Gang, a major marijuana smuggling ring responsible for bringing 500 tons of marijuana into the United States over a 16-month period. Black Tuna’s leader, Bobby Platshorn, shares the set-up that led to his serving twenty-nine years in federal prisons- and Ron ‘The Astronaut’ Elliott’s role in it.

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After being told by Chester that her life was in danger, Lesley flees Cleveland, Georgia only to find herself further ensnared in a federal investigation.

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Bonus 6: A movie about a cocaine snorting bear going on a brutal killing spree hits home with CB Hackworth, although it misses the mark when marketed as non-fiction.

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After attempting for months to locate the mysterious woman caught up with Lamar and Lonestar, Lauren finally makes contact with Lesley Bickerton, Chester’s controversial former accountant.

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Bonus 5: The late 80s were loaded with ramifications of the unprecedented influx of drugs in Miami and the officers trying to police it. Former Miami Dade Detective Jeff Lewis sheds light on one of the infamous era’s most malignant periods of crime and out of control corruption for Miami’s law enforcement.

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Phil agrees to travel to Georgia to assist Chester in assembling his graymail defense. Questions about Clay William’s unsolved murder arise when it’s linked to testimony in Operation Lonestar. Covering the sprawling investigation pulls a young reporter named CB Hackworth into Chester’s corrupting orbit and the presence of Happy Miles.

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Bonus 4: Lauren shares an early childhood memory laced with cocaine and celebrity before seeking the insight of Jerry Lee Wilson- a fascinating former dope pilot who made millions as a marketing-savvy inventor.

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Cocaine further ups the ante as the Coconut Grove group pops up on the radar of multiple levels of law enforcement. As the attention intensifies, so does the focus on ties the group- especially Chester- has with the Bahamas and its government.

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Bonus 3: Mr. Happy Miles shares the surprising inspiration that took him from The Commodore to eventually working with the cartel.

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Chester was part of an elite circle of prolific smuggling pilots who ruled the air in the early 80s. A man known as Happy Miles was also one of the power players that sprang from Coconut Grove - and he recalls some of the incredible and illicit adventures they shared. 

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Bonus 2: Phil's former girlfriend Ruth shares the strangest murder she remembers from her days as a newspaper reporter in early 80s Miami.

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Stanford’s path finally crosses with the man behind Intercept’s operations, dashing drug smuggler Lamar Chester. Their encounter raises serious questions as to Intercept’s underlying interest in Stanford- and their understanding of who is really employing him.

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Bonus 1: Detectives Denmark and Lewis share stories about the surreal level of gruesome crime in early 80s Miami- with interesting overlap.

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Phil finds himself stepping into the private detective position vacated by the killing of Clay Williams. Questions remain about Clay, his murder and Intercept agency- leading Phil to wonder whether the men he’s working for- and their biggest client- could be tied to much more than just routine investigations.

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Phil Stanford leaves political reporting in Washington D.C. to cover crime stories and stumbles directly into the dangerous, cocaine-fueled world of Miami in the early 1980s. In the process he finds himself intertwined with an unsolved murder after a chance encounter at a dive bar with a private detective named Clay Williams. 

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In the 1980s crime journalist Phil Stanford dove into the decadent and dangerous world of Miami just as the city was becoming the cocaine- and murder- capital of the United States. His path would place him in the crosshairs of a federal investigation focusing on a mysterious and controversial drug smuggling pilot who claimed to be an operative of the American government- all while flaunting his extensive illicit activity. Murder in Miami traces the connection between the murder of a missing Miami private investigator to the sprawling roots of an international money laundering scheme as Stanford tries to make sense of his role in a surreal story of spies, smugglers, killers and corruption. All reaching to the highest levels on both sides of the law.

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Three years ago the Murder in Oregon podcast posed the question ‘Who Killed Micheal Francke?’ and on September 29th, 2022 a court answered: NOT the man who was convicted of his murder and spent nearly 30 years in prison. Reactions from journalist Phil Stanford and Michael Francke's brothers.

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