Motive

While driving a Mercedes convertible, multi-millionaire T.J. Jimenez shoots a man in the legs. It's all captured on video. We begin our story outside the jail in downtown Chicago.  See photos, video, court documents and more of the reporting behind this episode by visiting the Motive page at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Clark Martell was at the vanguard of reviving the white supremacist movement. Then, he disappeared. His trail reveals how sex, money, and blood have kept the movement alive.

Atomwaffen was the most extreme white supremacist group, pushing for societal collapse. Today, their ideas are on the streets.

How did President Trump, the border wall, and the 2017 Charlottesville rally play into the education of a white supremacist?

Christian Picciolini grew a violent hate movement for eight years. After he left, it continued to grow. What's his role in fixing the harm?

Daytime TV discovered neo-Nazi skinheads and it was a ratings bonanza. But it also helped to grow the hate movement across America.

The Chicago Area Skinheads are, by some accounts, the first racist skinhead crew to organize in the U.S. What drew in those young recruits? And how one brutal event brought them down.

It was the ‘80s. Reagan was president. And for angsty, angry teens, the punk scene provided family and expression. Until the Nazis showed up and ruined everything.

A shy kid from Chicago shaves his head and prepares for an inevitable race war. In the early 1980s, it looked like organized white supremacy was declining in the U.S. But a generation of racist skinheads breathed new life into the movement. Season 3 of Motive examines the origins of the youth white supremacist movement in America. Episodes are released every Friday. 

To understand the white supremacist movement today, look at the last time a wave of hate pulled in young Americans. A preview of WBEZ’s new season of Motive, coming September 4, 2020.

“Nobody talks about ‘the after,’” one woman said about sexual assault. “The during is terrible, but it’s the after, that’s the hard part.” On the final episode of Motive, the “remembering it for the rest of your life” part of the story.

The verdict in a 2016 gang rape case known as La Manada, or “The Wolfpack,” ignited mass protests across Spain. It kicked off Spain’s #MeToo movement and prompted a call for change to the country’s sexual assault laws. On today’s episode, the case and the fierce debate that followed.

A Spanish prosecutor opened a criminal investigation in the spring of 2018. Almost two years have passed. We go to Spain to see what’s happening.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Calibri} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 48.0px; text-indent: -48.0px; font: 11.0px Calibri} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} The powerful investigative work of the Motive podcast is directly supported by WBEZ members. Your donation today is critical to the future of Motive — and all of the investigative reporting that comes from WBEZ. Plus, when you donate, you’ll be invited to join us for a virtual Q&A after this season wraps. Submit your questions in advance and then join us live to get a behind the scenes look at Season 2 — along with updates on any new developments. Make your donation today and get all the details at wbez.org/support.

While studying abroad in Spain, Hayley McAleese and Carly Van Ostenbridge reported to both the police and their school that they had been sexually assaulted. It didn’t go as expected.

Most of the women in this story did not go to the police. And while some told a friend, family member or therapist what happened, most say they tried to bury it and move on.  Why? And what made these women decide to finally break their silence?

“If you’re robbed while you’re drunk everyone still understands that’s a robbery,” says a former prosecutor. “Or if you’re beaten up while you’re drunk, everyone still understands that’s an assault.” In today’s episode, we look at the double-standard often applied in cases of sexual assault.

Gabrielle Vega alleges her tour guide raped her in 2013. Nearly five years later, she learns she’s not the only one and decides to do something about it.

A college student dies on her 21st birthday in Spain. Authorities rule her death an accident. Years later, questions arise after a TV segment airs about someone she was with that night.

A story of years of silence, how it was broken, and the young women who are finally coming forward to seek justice. A preview of WBEZ’s new season of Motive, coming soon.

The big question is ... why? For photos, video, court documents and more visit the Motive page at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Now a multi-millionaire, T.J. could have done anything. But he called himself Batman and started a violent gang war. For photos, video, court documents and more visit the Motive page at the Chicago Sun-Times.

T.J. gets angry watching a heavyweight match between two persuasive Chicago lawyers. One side claims the police framed T.J. for a murder. The other side claims that T.J. is a murderer.  For photos, video, court documents and more visit the Motive page at the Chicago Sun-Times.

In prison, T.J. becomes a part of the gang hierarchy and dives deep into religion. Not long after inmate number K51114 is released, cracks start to appear.   For photos, video, court documents and more visit the Motive page at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Brian Nelson was the leader of T.J.'s gang: The Simon City Royals. Nelson spent almost thirty harrowing years in prison. What was left when he came out? For photos, video, court documents and more, visit the Motive page at the Chicago Sun-Times.

After his conviction is overturned, T.J. leaves prison and begins enjoying his freedom. Meanwhile, Frank receives some emails from a mysterious man telling him he's got the story all wrong. For photos, video, court documents and more, visit the Motive page at the Chicago Sun-Times.

In 1993, a young man was murdered in front of a Honey Baked Ham store on Belmont Avenue. We return to the scene of the crime to find out what happened on the night that put T.J. in prison for 16 years.  For photos, video, court documents and more, visit the Motive page at the Chicago Sun-Times.

T.J. is charged with murder and sent to juvenile jail. Although only 13 when arrested, he's prosecuted as an adult. For photos, video, court documents and more, visit the Motive page at the Chicago Sun-Times.

A fellow gang member and T.J.'s mom describe the young T.J. before the arrest that put him away for so long. And we hear T.J.'s version of the night of the murder.  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #555555; -webkit-text-stroke: #555555} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Calibri; color: #042eee} span.s1 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none}

It’s a cruel sociological experiment. Lock up a 13-year-old boy for a murder that he swore he didn’t commit. Release him as a 30-year-old man. Then, give him $25 million. New from WBEZ Chicago, Motive is a true crime podcast hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main, with original reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times. Find via Apple Podcasts  | Pocket Casts | RSS