Podcasts · True Crime

Bear Brook

NHPR

26 episodes · in order

Bear Brook, hosted by Jason Moon, is the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio.

More about the show

Season 1 - Two barrels. Four Bodies. And a cold case that’s changing how murders will be investigated forever.

Season 2: A True Crime Story - Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. The only evidence against him? His own taped confession. More than 30 years later, is it possible to get to the truth – and who gets to tell it?

Season 3: A Private Matter - A Christmas tree farmer vanishes from his small town. His wife never reports him missing. Can anyone find out why? New episodes starting Oct. 21, 2026.

Stephen King called both seasons “the best true crime podcasts I've ever heard. Brilliant, involving, hypnotic.” The New Yorker said season one “stands out for its ambition, complexity, and thoughtful tone.”

Episodes

  1. Bear Brook: The Trailer

    · 4:03 · Trailer

    Two barrels. Four bodies. And the decades-long mystery that led to a serial killer. Bear Brook: A podcast about a cold case that's changing how murders will be investigated forever. From New Hampshire Public Radio.…

  2. S1, Ep. 1 | Hide and Seek

    · 36 min · S1 E1

    Three boys kick over a mysterious barrel in the woods. A small town cop fishes for answers. Evidence is buried, and the case goes cold. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made…

  3. S1, Ep. 2 | Known Only To God

    · 46 min · S1 E2

    The discovery of a second barrel raises questions. A stalled investigation churns back to life and then stalls again. An amateur sleuth takes Jason into the forest. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station.…

  4. S1, Ep. 3 | A Smaller Haystack

    · 29 min · S1 E3

    After 30 years of torpor, investigators finally inch the Bear Brook case forward. A geologist uncovers the history buried in human teeth and hair. The faces of the victims are reconstructed. Bear Brook is made by…

  5. S1, Ep. 4 | Eunsoon Jun

    · 49 min · S1 E4

    An ominous New Year’s party introduction. An estranged cousin goes missing. Police question a man with multiple identities. A search leads authorities to his basement. Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating…

  6. S1, Ep. 5 | Bloodline: Part 1

    · 44 min · S1 E5

    A child is abandoned. Timelines come together. A family tree begins to take shape. A chameleon is revealed. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more…

  7. S1, Ep. 6 | Bloodline: Part 2

    · 28 min · S1 E6

    This is part two of episode 5. A child is abandoned. Timelines come together. A family tree begins to take shape. A chameleon is revealed. Want to make sure that NHPR continues creating projects like Bear Brook? Click…

  8. S1, Ep. 7 | Chameleon

    · 1 h 05 min · S1 E7

    The case that was solved in reverse leaves many questions unanswered. New methods of inquiry are used to crack other cold cases. Do groundbreaking techniques come at the cost of genetic privacy? Bear Brook is made by…

  9. S1, Ep. 8 | Update: Ripple Effects

    · 12 min · S1 E8

    This is the first short update in the story of the Bear Brook murders that we’ll be producing to let listeners know about any breaking news in the case. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent…

  10. S1, Ep. 9 | Update 2: Eric Rasmussen

    · 23 min · S1 E9

    A son remembers his father, and searches for clues in his military paperwork. A conversation with one of Terry Rasmussen's surviving children. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts…

  11. S1, Ep. 10 | The In-Between

    · 42 min · S1 E10

    A clue is found buried on an internet message board. DNA is wrestled from rootless hair. Two investigators work parallel leads, and authorities call a press conference. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio…

  12. Trailer | Bear Brook Season 2: A True Crime Story

    · 5:39 · Trailer

    Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. The only evidence against him? His own taped confession. More than 30 years later, is it possible to get to the truth – and who gets to…

  13. S2, Ep. 1 | Extraordinary

    · 44 min · S2 E1

    Sharon Johnson’s family and friends have spent the last 35 years coping with her brutal murder. But what if that story was based on a lie? Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have…

  14. S2, Ep. 2 | The Pursuit

    · 45 min · S2 E2

    We begin with the story police told about Sharon Johnson’s murder. The veteran detective on the case develops a theory involving her husband and a teenager. A surprising admission leads to a new break in the case. For…

  15. S2, Ep. 3 | The Breaking Point

    · 56 min · S2 E3

    Police interrogate a second teenager named Jason Carroll – with help from Jason’s own mother. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to what…

  16. S2, Ep. 4 | ‘Promises Have Been Made’

    · 50 min · S2 E4

    One set of confessions leads to another and three men are arrested for Sharon Johnson’s murder. Then, an alleged secret comes to light that changes everything. For more on the case and to see a timeline of the…

  17. S2, Ep. 5 | Trial in a Trial

    · 52 min · S2 E5

    A new true crime story is told and when juries hear it, it leads to different results for all three defendants. During the first trial, the lead detective makes a big mistake. For more on the case and to see a table…

  18. S2, Ep. 6 | ‘Don’t Roll the Dice’

    · 59 min · S2 E6

    Jason Carroll stands trial twice – and the juries come up with their own versions of what happened. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made your support even more critical to…

  19. S2, Ep. 7 | This Side of the Line

    · 58 min · S2 E7

    How could someone possibly confess to murder if they didn’t do it? A modern understanding of confessions sheds new light on Jason Carroll’s case. For more on the case and to see selected data on exonerations, visit…

  20. S2, Ep. 8 | The Box

    · 52 min · S2 E8

    The true crime media spotlight shines on Jason Carroll. Then, a chance encounter leads to a surprising discovery that changes the course of his case. For more on the case and to see selected data on exonerations,…

  21. S2, Ep. 9 | Update: The Reversal

    · 33 min · S2 E9 · Explicit

    The state of New Hampshire has made a sudden about-face: Prosecutors have now agreed to DNA test old evidence in Jason Carroll’s case. It’s the biggest development in the case in 35 years – and one step closer to…

  22. S1, Ep. 11 | Update: The Middle Child

    · 50 min · S1 E11 · Explicit

    Investigators make a discovery that brings the case of the Bear Brook murders to a close after 40 years – and reveals a new mystery. Click here to check out more podcast series from NHPR's Document team. Bear Brook…

  23. Trailer | Bear Brook Season 3: A Private Matter

    · 3:07 · Trailer

    A Christmas tree farmer with dementia disappears. His wife never reports him missing. Can anyone find out why? A Private Matter is the third season of Bear Brook, the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New…

  24. A Private Matter, Episode 1

    · 26 min · S3 E1

    A Christmas tree farmer with dementia named Jay Hickey vanishes from his small town in rural New Hampshire. Jay's wife Patty never reports him missing. A tipster claims "a lot of strangeness is starting to emerge" –…

  25. A Private Matter, Episode 2

    · 43 min · S3 E2

    Jay's daughter explains how she finally realized her father was missing and shares another side to Patty most people don't know. Police make a new discovery about the timing of Jay's disappearance. To hear this season…

  26. A Private Matter, Episode 3

    · 40 min · S3 E3

    A volunteer sleuth digs into Jay's case and reveals a surprising connection to a major figure in the world of astrology, a "Spiritual Sparkplug" named Isabel Hickey. To hear this season of Bear Brook ad-free, click…

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