Prime-time programming is about to get a lot more intense as 20/20 tells the sordid tale of a man who killed his business partner and then hatched an elaborate plan to cover it up in a two-hour broadcast, and a multipart podcast.
- After Christopher Smith abruptly vanished from Southern California, email messages supposedly from him continued to land in the inboxes of his friends and family for months afterward, assuring them he was safe and traveling the world.
- Although initially believable, the e-mails gradually became stranger and stranger, alarming those close to him. Eventually, authorities uncovered the sinister truth that Smith’s business partner, Edward Shin, murdered him and then hatched an elaborate plan, including the fake emails, to cover it up.
- 20/20’s two-hour broadcast and multipart podcast tell the complicated tale of how authorities carefully connected the dots which landed Shin in prison for life.
- ABC News chief national correspondent Matt Gutman sat down for an extensive jailhouse interview with Shin, who opened up about killing Smith; his shady past; and why he’s remained silent about the location of Smith’s body—a burning question authorities are still trying to answer.
- The program and podcast also feature new details, from access to the investigative case file to interviews with those close to the story.
- 20/20 airs Friday, January 24 (9:00 – 11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. 20/20’s “Cutthroat Inc.” podcast, hosted by Gutman, will be available for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Luminary, Pandora, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and the ABC News app, starting Thursday, February 27, with new episodes posting every Thursday.
- 20/20 is anchored by David Muir and Amy Robach. David Sloan is senior executive producer.
- The podcast is produced by ABC Audio, producers of the No. 1-rated “The Dropout,” “Truth and Lies: Jeffrey Epstein,” “Have You Seen This Man?” and “A Killing on the Cape” podcasts. Terri Lichstein is executive producer.