Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder – Details, episodes & analysis
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Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder
CBS News
Frequency: 1 episode/9d. Total Eps: 7
On April 22, 1987, 52-year-old Ruthie Mae McCoy called 911 to report that someone was trying to enter her Chicago housing project apartment through the bathroom medicine cabinet. Police thought she was imagining things, but when authorities finally checked on McCoy two days later, they found her dead with four gunshot wounds. Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder, revisits the real-life account of McCoy's strange death – one of the inspirations for the Candyman horror film. Hosted by journalist and Chicago native Dometi Pongo, this 6-episode limited series – produced by 48 Hours and CBS News – explores why McCoy's desperate calls for help were ignored, the surprising outcome of her murder trial, and the broader systemic issues of racial injustice, housing inequality, and the stigma of mental illness that surround this tragic event.
Recent rankings
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Apple Podcasts
🇫🇷 France - trueCrime
06/03/2025#91🇺🇸 USA - trueCrime
12/02/2025#92🇺🇸 USA - trueCrime
11/02/2025#79🇺🇸 USA - trueCrime
10/02/2025#75🇬🇧 Great Britain - trueCrime
09/02/2025#96🇬🇧 Great Britain - trueCrime
01/02/2025#70🇬🇧 Great Britain - trueCrime
31/01/2025#70🇬🇧 Great Britain - trueCrime
30/01/2025#67🇬🇧 Great Britain - trueCrime
29/01/2025#82🇺🇸 USA - trueCrime
28/01/2025#100
Spotify
No recent rankings available
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See all- https://wondery.com/plus/
75 shares
- https://apple.co/4aEgENo
65 shares
RSS feed quality and score
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See allScore global : 63%
Publication history
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The Strange Death of Ruthie Mae McCoy
mercredi 18 septembre 2024 • Duration 02:41
52-year-old Ruthie Mae McCoy’s frantic 911 call stated, “They want to come through the bathroom.” Nearly three days later, police found her shot to death, her apartment breached through her bathroom medicine cabinet. In Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder, Chicago native and journalist Dometi Pongo uncovers the terrifying reality of McCoy’s murder, which was one of the inspirations for the “Candyman” horror franchise.
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app.
Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo
Subscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Left High and Dry: 1
Episode 1
jeudi 3 octobre 2024 • Duration 32:32
Calling 911 didn't get Ruthie Mae McCoy help. The night she was shot, police didn't even break down her apartment door to check on her. Her body was discovered days later. The bizarre detail that McCoy was killed by someone entering through her bathroom medicine cabinet caught the attention of reporter Steve Bogira who decided to investigate the crime himself. His 1987 Chicago Reader article: https://shorturl.at/scu3P
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app starting September 26th. The series will be widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts starting October 3rd.
Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo
Subscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Deadly Design: 2
Episode 2
jeudi 10 octobre 2024 • Duration 30:47
Ruthie Mae McCoy wasn’t the only person who reported having someone come through her mirror. Host Dometi Pongo looks at the reality of life in Chicago projects and how the design of her building may have contributed to her death.
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app.
Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo
Subscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Suspects Next Door: 3
Episode 3
jeudi 17 octobre 2024 • Duration 33:18
Detective Anthony Mannina and his team find little physical evidence at the scene. When they question witnesses, most point the finger at two young suspects. While cops pursued one kind of justice, Ruthie Mae McCoy's daughter sued the Chicago Housing Authority for not doing more to protect her mother.
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app.
Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo
Subscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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