It's back: Graham Media Group is announcing a new, eight-episode season of “Shattered,” an original true-crime podcast series. Season two, hosted by Kevin Dietz, takes listeners through the life of Richard Wershe Jr., aka “White Boy Rick,” the youngest-ever FBI informant-turned-drug dealer.
Season two of the eight-part series, "Shattered: White Boy Rick," chronicles the series of circumstances that led the 14-year-old to become a valuable drug informant during the apex of the War on Drugs. Once the FBI and Detroit Police Department no longer needed Wershe’s information, he transformed into a drug dealer in his own right, only to be sentenced to life without parole when he was 17.
Dietz, an Investigative Reporter with WDIV-Local 4 who has covered news in Detroit for almost three decades, takes listeners through the life of Wershe Jr.
“When Dietz decided to take on the story of White Boy Rick, he didn’t (just) report the facts. He lived and breathed the story, doggedly finding every angle possible and every interview available, by spending days, nights and many weekends with those close to this story," said Ro Coppola, Executive Producer of Special Projects at WDIV. "He single-handedly kept Wershe’s parole story alive in the public and with the authorities.”
“The story of Richard Wershe Jr. is unique on many levels,” Dietz said. “From behind bars, Wershe helped the FBI catch more criminals but also became involved in an illegal car theft ring. While some in law enforcement say his informing should have led to his release from prison decades ago, others say his willingness to help steal cars shows he has not been reformed and should stay locked up. Wershe holds the dubious honor of being the longest serving nonviolent juvenile offender in Michigan history and remains behind bars today, more than 30 years after his arrest.”
The series features extensive interviews with Wershe, law enforcement officials, former drug bosses, legal professionals who worked on the case, as well as family and friends of Wershe’s. The podcast is released in advance of the forthcoming Hollywood feature film, also titled “White Boy Rick,” starring Matthew McConaughey (who appears in the podcast, as well).
Shattered: White Boy Rick premieres Sept. 6, 2018. The entire series will be available for free on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast listening platform.
For more information, visit whiteboyrickpodcast.com