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The Idiot

Crime Writers On...True Crime Review by Partners in Crime Media

Apr 13, 202600:46:42Society & Culture

Journalist M. Gessen’s cousin Allen rubbed everyone in their family the wrong way, an annoying windbag who moved from one hustle to another. To win his custody dispute with his ex-wife, he tried to get her deported. He k...

About This Episode

The Idiot is an episode from Crime Writers On...True Crime Review by Partners in Crime Media. Journalist M. Gessen’s cousin Allen rubbed everyone in their family the wrong way, an annoying windbag who moved from one hustle to another. To wi...

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Episode Details

Published Apr 13, 2026, 00:46:42 long, audio available.

Questions About This Episode

What is The Idiot about?

Journalist M. Gessen’s cousin Allen rubbed everyone in their family the wrong way, an annoying windbag who moved from one hustle to another. To win his custody dispute with his ex-wife, he tried to get her deported. He kidnapped their son and fled the country — twice . And finally, he was arrested by the FBI for hiring a hitman to kill her. With relatives holding different opinions on Allen’s actions, Gessen decided to dig deeper into the family dynamic. After talking with the people at the center of the affair, Gessen came to the conclusion that Allen is an idiot. In “The Idiot” from Serial Productions and The New York Times, M. Gessen recounts what happened when their pompous cousin is implicated in a murder-for-hire plot. They offer a grim-yet-humorous look at a family dynamic punctuated by co-dependence and irritation. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE IDIOT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: I'm living on the air in Cincinnati . For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon . Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio . Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Where can I listen to The Idiot?

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Which podcast is The Idiot from?

The Idiot is an episode from Crime Writers On...True Crime Review by Partners in Crime Media.

How long is this episode?

This episode is 00:46:42 long.

When was this episode published?

This episode was published on Apr 13, 2026.

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Are there related episodes from Crime Writers On...True Crime Review?

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Where can I listen to The Idiot?

You can listen to The Idiot on this page when the episode audio is available from the podcast feed.

Which podcast is this episode from?

The Idiot is from Crime Writers On...True Crime Review by Partners in Crime Media.

What are the episode details?

Published Apr 13, 2026 and 00:46:42 long