Podcast Plunge brings you a sometimes-more-than-weekly newsletter that contains a podcast episode recommendation, a deep dive into a topic within that episode, and links to other internet things on that topic.
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Malibu is named for the Ventureño Chumash settlement of Humaliwo, which translates to "The Surf Sounds Loudly." - Wikipedia
THE PODCAST. Listen here.
Lost Hills is a new podcast from Western Sound and Pushkin Industries that premiered earlier this month. It centers around reporter Dana Goodyear’s coverage of a murder that occurred in Malibu Creek State Park in June 2018.
Yes, that Malibu Creek State Park. Well, there’s really just the one, but it’s situated on Malibu Canyon Drive, which Los Angeles residents and visitors will recognize as one of the main roads from the Valley to the ocean. There are strawberry and mango stands along the way, incredible ocean views, and, as Goodyear puts it, “golden light.” I lived in Los Angeles for four years (during the time that the murder and this reporting takes place) and I’d never heard of any foul play taking place at the park. I even went to the park several times throughout. And that’s what this podcast is about.
Here’s the episode description:
After Tristan Beaudette’s murder, other victims come forward telling similar tales. . . of a sniper in Malibu who has been shooting at campers and at moving cars for the past 18 months. Always in the dark of night, at 4AM.
The cops say they can’t connect the crimes, but then they arrest a drifter: 42-year-old Anthony Rauda, who lives under a tarp behind the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station. Is he the killer, or a scapegoat?
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For this edition of Podcast Plunge, we explore Malibu Creek State Park.
THE HIKESPEAK PAGE. Read here.
For those in the hiking know, Hikespeak is an online forum where you can go to get information about a trail or park. It offers an in-depth write-up of the terrain, the nearby facilities, and even suggests how hard or easy the route might be for you and your group.
Note that the page for Malibu Creek State Park doesn’t mention anything about a murder, gunshots, foul play…nothing. No warning. Goodyear notes this in her coverage on Lost Hills. Would-be hikers and overnight campers were given no warning, even after several reports of gunfire were documented, that something fishy might be at hand.
Of note at Malibu Creek State Park:
THE TWEET. Read here.
This tweet brings up a good point. And it’s a point that we have to consider more and more as true crime stories continue to permeate the cultural zeitgeist. Your backyard could very well be next to a spot where something creepy, bad, or unexplained happened.
What do you do? Abandon it altogether? Go, but with caution?
THE TIK TOK. Watch here.
From user jbperea, a self-described “#FOODIE 🍽 / #ADVENTURER 🥾,” here’s a video of the various landscapes one can experience at the park.
THE MALIBU TIMES ARTICLE. Read here.
As I mentioned up above, part of Goodyear’s reporting on the Lost Hills podcast is centered upon the local law enforcement’s failure to offer warnings to the public. Those same “law enforcement officials are now facing a $90 million lawsuit from [Tristan] Beaudette’s widow, Erica Wu, for their failure to warn the public of danger.”
For more podcast recommendations, follow Arielle Nissenblatt.