Motive: episodes

49 recent episodes from the show's feed. Back to the show

1. 7: Tipping Point

   Oct 16, 2020 · 38 min

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

2. 6: The New Nazis

   Oct 9, 2020 · 43 min

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

3. 5: What To Do With Christian

   Oct 2, 2020 · 35 min

   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?

4. 4: Boots To Suits

   Sep 25, 2020 · 40 min

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

5. 3: Union And Division

   Sep 18, 2020 · 36 min

   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.

6. 2: Romantic Violence

   Sep 11, 2020 · 35 min

   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.

7. 1: The Hate Crate

   Sep 4, 2020 · 35 min

   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.

8. 'Motive' Season 3 Podcast Trailer

   Aug 21, 2020 · 2 min

   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.

9. 8: The ‘After’

   Mar 27, 2020 · 29 min

   “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.

10. 7: La Manada, The Wolfpack

    Mar 20, 2020 · 33 min

    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.

11. 6: The Investigation

    Mar 13, 2020 · 35 min

    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.

12. Preview: Season 2 Q&A

    Mar 6, 2020 · 2 min

    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 S

13. 5: Did Anyone Know?

    Feb 28, 2020 · 35 min

    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.

14. 4: Can’t Tell Anyone

    Feb 21, 2020 · 27 min

    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?

15. 3: Blackout

    Feb 14, 2020 · 29 min

    “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.

16. 2: Gabrielle Vega

    Feb 7, 2020 · 33 min

    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.

17. 1: Lauren Bajorek

    Feb 7, 2020 · 34 min

    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.

18. 'Motive' Season 2 Podcast Trailer

    Jan 24, 2020 · 2 min

    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.

19. 10: Mother's Day

    Nov 22, 2019 · 31 min

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

20. 9: Batman On The West Side

    Nov 15, 2019 · 33 min

    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.