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The story of an 11-year-old convicted murderer and a Dubuque woman's involvement in the dawn of the CIA

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River to River, hosted by Ben Kieffer

On this episode of River to River we listen back to a couple of favorite book interviews from 2022.

Wesley Elkins entered Anamosa State Penitentiary at 4'8" and 75 pounds. He was six years younger than the next youngest inmate. The 11-year-old would spend the next 12 years in prison for the 1889 murder of his father, John, and stepmother, Hattie.

River to River host Ben Kieffer is joined by authors and husband-and-wife duo Tom Wolf and Patricia Bryan to discuss their book, The Plea, in which they explore this early case of horrific youth violence and the legal, social and political environment in Iowa that surrounded it.

Later in the episode, Kieffer talks with New York Times-bestselling author Nathalia Holt about her latest work, Wise Gals: The Spice Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage. The book tells the true story of Dubuque native Jane Burrell, who was the first Central Intelligence Agency officer to die in service in 1948, along with four other female agents who were critical in helping build the CIA out of World War II.

Guests:

  • Patricia Bryan, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill professor of law, author
  • Thomas Wolf, freelance writer, author
  • Nathalia Holt, author

These interviews were originally produced on 9-8-22 and 9-12-22

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River
Samantha McIntosh is a talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University. Since 2022, McIntosh has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.
Dani Gehr is a talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University. Since 2022, Gehr has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.