Crook County

Crook County

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Ken Tekiela was a celebrated Chicago firefighter and a loving father of two who led a secret double life as a hitman for the Chicago mafia. Is it even possible to keep a life of crime hidden from your wife and kids for two decades? Yes, it is. I know because Ken is my father. In 2013, after a lifetime of deception, he broke down and told me everything, and our whole world changed… CROOK COUNTY is the shocking true-crime podcast about my father's rise through the ranks of the legendary organized crime syndicate, the Chicago Outfit. From whorehouse doorman at the age of 17, to ruthless assassin in his 20's, and the many years that followed covering up crimes for the mafia and crooked cops alike while working as a firefighter/paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department. To finally, moving to the suburbs with his new wife and kids and trying desperately to put it all behind him, until it all came crashing down. We explore in great depth and detail my father’s life of crime and its profound and lasting impact on my family to this very day. From Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts, I’m Kyle Tekiela, welcome to CROOK COUNTY.

Shows with Subscription Benefits

  • Host Payne Lindsey heads to the edge of the arctic circle to investigate two mysterious disappearances from Nome, Alaska. Up and Vanished investigates mysterious cold case disappearances with each new season of the hit true crime franchise. Season 1: The case of missing South Georgia teacher, Tara Grinstead, led to two arrests. Season 2: The disappearance of Kristal Reisinger, a young mother who disappeared from a remote Colorado mountain town. Season 3: The North West Montana disappearance of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, an indigenous woman who went missing from the Blackfeet Nation Indian Reservation. Season 4: The case of missing Alaska Native, Florence Okpealuk and missing 36-year-old Joseph Balderas.

  • In Feb 2018, an aspiring actress vanished from her Hollywood apartment. Rolling Stone journalist Neil Strauss was asked to help the family get answers. Together, they found them...sometimes at great personal risk. Now the award-winning true crime podcast returns, unraveling the baffling and tragic case that started Neil Strauss down the rabbit hole of true crime investigation, along with his wife and his neighbors, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, and concert violinist Ann Marie Simpson. To Live and Die in LA Season 2 is available now. www.livediela.com

  • Explore unsettled true crime cases where culpability has yet to be established. Host Dennis Cooper covers new cases in Culpable: Case Review. In season one, Dennis explored the case of Christian Andreacchio, whose death in 2014 was ruled a suicide after a 45-minute investigation, despite substantial evidence that points to murder. Season two explored the 2013 death of a young mother, Brittany Stykes, who was shot and killed while driving on an Ohio Highway with her 1-year-old daughter seated next to her. New season coming soon!

  • From the producers of Up and Vanished, Sworn pulls back the curtain on the criminal justice system, exposing the untold stories and hard truths behind major cases. Host Philip Holloway, a defense attorney and former prosecutor with a background in law enforcement, not only digs into the legal aspects of these cases but the emotional consequences of their outcomes.

  • From the creators of the acclaimed investigative series Up and Vanished comes a new weekly podcast that offers a fresh look at some of the most puzzling cases in crime. Prepare to unpack mysteries around missing persons, unsolved murders, and wrongful convictions. Join Up and Vanished creator Payne Lindsey and host Maggie Freleng (Wrongful Conviction, Unjust & Unsolved, Murder in Alliance) on their hunt for answers. With the help of others in the true crime community they reveal why cases are rarely as straightforward as they seem. From the team at TenderfootTV, this is Up and Vanished Weekly.

  • From Tenderfoot TV, the creators of the cult-favorite horror podcast, Radio Rental… Rattled & Shook is a weekly, spooky “variety show”. With a combination of creepiness, comic relief, and nostalgia, Rattled & Shook delivers chilling stories with vintage radio show flair. Host Meredith Stedman presents a curated collection of haunting episodes, featuring new themes each week. There’s guests, games, music, and the main course: true scary stories sent in by real people. Subscribe to Tenderfoot+ for ad-free listening and exclusive bonuses. Learn more at tenderfootplus.com.

Join now for ad-free listening & exclusive content

US$4.99/mo or US$39.99/yr after trial

Hosts & Guests

About

Ken Tekiela was a celebrated Chicago firefighter and a loving father of two who led a secret double life as a hitman for the Chicago mafia. Is it even possible to keep a life of crime hidden from your wife and kids for two decades? Yes, it is. I know because Ken is my father. In 2013, after a lifetime of deception, he broke down and told me everything, and our whole world changed… CROOK COUNTY is the shocking true-crime podcast about my father's rise through the ranks of the legendary organized crime syndicate, the Chicago Outfit. From whorehouse doorman at the age of 17, to ruthless assassin in his 20's, and the many years that followed covering up crimes for the mafia and crooked cops alike while working as a firefighter/paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department. To finally, moving to the suburbs with his new wife and kids and trying desperately to put it all behind him, until it all came crashing down. We explore in great depth and detail my father’s life of crime and its profound and lasting impact on my family to this very day. From Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts, I’m Kyle Tekiela, welcome to CROOK COUNTY.

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