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Tapes from the Darkside

Tapes from the Darkside

By: T. Z. Borden
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A true crime podcast that pulls apart the worst things people have ever done. Using real source audio, primary records, and a deep investigative lens. We try to uncover the only question that matters: why.

The worst monster isn’t out there. It’s us. It’s me. It’s you.


Support us on Patreon. Premium feed, bonus episodes, ad-free, early, in lossless audio.
https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside

Or make a one-time donation:
https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/paypal/Copyright T. Z. Borden 2026 Social Sciences True Crime World
Episodes
  • S12, Chapter 1: The App on the Phone

    S12, Chapter 1: The App on the Phone
    Jun 29 2026
    Everyone remembers their first win. I remember mine.

    The chief of police of New Haven, Connecticut surely remembered his. And in the twelve months that followed, he wagered $4.4 million on sports betting apps from the phone in his pocket.

    This is the story of Karl Jacobson's fall, told alongside my own 10-day descent into the same apps. Come and see what Karl felt from the inside, and the devastating lesson I learned with him: the most dangerous part of gambling isn't losing. It's winning.

    The App on the Phone is the new season from Tapes from the Darkside.

    For the first time, you can download/stream this episode as a lossless WAV file, the exact uncompressed quality I master it in.

    https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside

    If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 — call or text 1-800-522-4700. Free and confidential.

    Credits and Sources

    Editing help by:

    Troy Piano on Airgigs.com

    Archival audio & media
    * Karl Jacobson interview — Dateline New Haven, WNHH-LP FM (New Haven Independent community radio), 2022–2023
    * Karl Jacobson swearing-in remarks — [broadcaster/source to confirm]
    * New Haven Police Department press conference on the Jacobson charges — [broadcaster/source to confirm]
    * Duke vs. UConn, NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game call — [network to confirm: CBS/TBS/TNT]
    * Sports betting advertisement (FanDuel/DraftKings promotional spot) — [advertiser to confirm]

    Reporting & court records
    * Arrest warrant affidavit, State of Connecticut v. Karl Jacobson, Connecticut State Police, February 2026
    * New Haven Independent (Thomas Breen reporting), 2026
    * University of New Haven, "Father and Daughter Share a Passion for Criminal Justice," December 2021

    Scientific & academic sources
    * Clark, L., et al. "Gambling Near-Misses Enhance Motivation to Gamble and Recruit Win-Related Brain Circuitry." Neuron, 2009.
    * Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-5), American Psychiatric Association, 2013 — reclassification of gambling disorder.
    * Nathan Novemsky, Yale School of Management — commentary on Connecticut sports-betting legalization.
    * Research on DRD2 Taq1A allele and addiction heritability; twin-study heritability estimates for gambling disorder.
    * U.S. sports betting market figures (American Gaming Association data, 2017–2024).

    Music
    * Matooma — "Infinite Emptiness"; CTRL S — "SpaceTimeThought"; Shahead Mostafafar — "Into the Next Dimension"; Jamie Bathgate — "Atmo"
    * AUGUSTA TREVERORUM — from the album 1991. agsttrvrrm.bandcamp.com
    * 20SIX Hundred — "Cimmerian Shade / Last Moments," from the album The Cold Rise From Sleep (2015). Used with permission / licensed. 20sixhundred.bandcamp.com

    Special thank you to:
    Uncle Chris for his post credit contribution.
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • S11, Chapter 6: Finale

    S11, Chapter 6: Finale
    Apr 19 2026
    This is the final episode in the Toolbox Killers series. Thanks for your patience.

    A new series is coming soon.

    patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside

    —

    For those curious, explanation of where I've been:
    https://www.patreon.com/posts/155116830
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • S11, Chapter 5: Killing Binge

    S11, Chapter 5: Killing Binge
    Dec 30 2025
    "We've all heard women scream in horror films ... still, we know that no-one is really screaming. Why? Simply because an actress can't produce some sounds that convince us that something vile and heinous is happening. If you ever heard that tape, there is just no possible way that you'd not begin crying and trembling. I doubt you could listen to more than a full sixty seconds of it."

    Roy Norris, describing his recollections of the audio tape the pair had created of Shirley Ledford's rape and torture.

    —

    Support the show:

    patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside

    —

    Audio Sources:

    The Toolbox Killer (2021)
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15575214/

    —

    Music Credit:

    20six Hundred
    https://20sixhundred.bandcamp.com/

    Augusta Treverorum
    https://linktr.ee/trvrrm

    —

    Follow me.

    https://www.instagram.com/thedarksidepod/
    https://www.facebook.com/tapesfromthedarkside/
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/tapesfromthedarkside

    —

    More links.

    Leave us a Review (...it really helps!)
    https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/rate/

    PayPal Donations
    https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/paypal/
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
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