About this episode

This episode explores the truth behind the Kitty Genovese case and its impact on society and journalism.

Two weeks after Kitty Genovese was killed, the New York Times published a front-page story that claimed 38 of her neighbors had watched her die and done nothing. It was one of the most shocking pieces of journalism of the decade, and it changed everything. The case inspired psychologists to study what they would soon call the Bystander Effect, helped create the nationwide 911 system, and shaped how an entire generation thought about cities, strangers, and human nature. There was just one problem. The story was a lie. In Part 2 of Murder: True Crime Stories, host Carter Roy follows the trial of Kitty's killer, the editor whose career was made by a sensational headline, and the brother who spent decades trying to uncover what really happened the night his sister died, and who actually came to help her. Head over to our Murder True Crime Stories YouTube channel to WATCH our video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@MurderTrueCrimeStories If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Murder: True Crime Stories to never miss a case! Want all 2 parts of every case all at once? Join Crime House+ and get both parts of each case dropped at once ad-free. Join at crimehouseplus.com or if you’re…

People in this episode

Host: Carter Roy

Topics covered

• Kitty Genovese
• Bystander Effect
• true crime
• journalism
• urban studies

Keywords

• Kitty Genovese
• Bystander Effect
• true crime
• New York Times
• urban legend

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Times, Crime House, PAVE Studios

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