In mid-century Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Rachel Crook was a familiar figure around town. The 71-year-old ran a fish store called Crook's Corner. That same site, under the same name, would eventually become a celebrated restaurant. But back in the Forties and Fifties, Crook's was a modest shop, selling fish, fabric remnants, pecans, and featuring the town’s first laundromat. Rachel Crook worked there every day, and after hours she retired to a small apartment in the back to spend the evening writing her dissertation in economics. She'd been pursuing a doctorate at UNC for 20 years.

On August 29th, 1951, Rachel Crook mysteriously disappeared. Her body was discovered the next day outside of town. The woman had been brutally murdered, and initial reports were that she'd been raped. 

Who Killed Rachel Crook is a four-part podcast series. Episode One, "Citizen Crook," introduces listeners to the fascinating, quirky and self-determined Rachel Crook, and to the town's reaction to her killing. It examines the media coverage of this well-liked woman who defied labelling. 

The series is narrated by 27 Views podcast producer and writer Elizabeth Woodman. Dramatization in this episode is read by Jane Holding, Jill McCorkle, James Rainsford, Sam Coleman, Eryk Pruitt, John Bemis, Pat Revels, and Tom Rankin.