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Ashley Flowers

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Ashley Flowers
Born (1989-12-19) December 19, 1989 (age 35)
South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
OccupationPodcaster
Years active2017-present
Known forTrue crime podcasting
Notable workAll Good People Here
Crime Junkie
Websitecrimejunkiepodcast.com

Ashley Flowers (born December 19, 1989) is an American podcaster, writer, and entrepreneur.[1] She is best known as the creator and host of Crime Junkie, a weekly true crime podcast that garners 10 million listeners a week.[2][3] Ashley is recognized as the top female podcaster in the United States, with Crime Junkie commanding the largest female audience of any podcast in the country.[4][5][6] In August 2022, Flowers' debut novel, All Good People Here, became a New York Times bestseller.[7]

Early life

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As a child, Flowers was an avid reader of mystery and crime novels, such as the Nancy Drew series, and watched television shows like Matlock, imagining she might one day become a cold case detective.[8]

Flowers initially worked in biomedical research and later transitioned into sales.[9] During her commutes, she listened to true crime content, including the podcast Serial, which was recommended to her by her childhood friend, Brit Prawat.[8][10][11][12]

Career

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Flowers volunteered and eventually became a board member for Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana. When asked how Crime Stoppers might reach a younger audience, she developed Murder Monday, a 20-minute show that aired on a local radio station, with each episode focusing on a different case.[9][13][14] Flowers hosted Murder Monday for a year before creating the podcast Crime Junkie with Prawat.[10][14]

Podcasting

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In 2017, Ashley Flowers founded the podcast network, Audiochuck, which she named after her dog, Charlie ("Chuck").[11][14][15][16][8] She invested her life's savings of $13,000 into the company to fund its initial operations.[14] She sourced her initial revenue through a combination of Patreon memberships and advertising revenue.[9][17]

In 2021, Flowers brokered a multiyear partnership between Audiochuck and SiriusXM, reportedly valued at over $100 million.[14] The deal granted SiriusXM exclusivity over ad sales for all Audiochuck podcasts, including Crime Junkie, Anatomy of Murder, CounterClock, and Park Predators.[17][18][19]

As of July 2022, Audiochuck had expanded to include 16 podcasts in its network,[12] generating over 1.26 billion downloads, and employing nearly 30 people.[12] That year, Audiochuck was ranked as the top free channel on Apple Podcasts[20] and was the second most popular free podcast channel in 2023, following iHeartPodcasts.[21]

The network's offerings include various popular shows, including CounterClock, a 2020 podcast hosted by Delia D’Ambra and produced by Audiochuck,[22] and Anatomy of Murder, which won the Webby Award for People's Voice Winner in 2022.[23] In May 2024, Flowers launched a new podcast series titled Crime Junkie AF, featuring guest discussions on various cases, as well as Crime Junkie Radio, the only true crime streaming channel on the SiriusXM app.[24] Flowers announced the relaunch of her mystery podcast So Supernatural on September 6, 2024.[25]

Crime Junkie

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Main article: Crime Junkie

Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat have co-hosted Crime Junkie, the flagship Audiochuck podcast, since 2017.[8] The first episodes were recorded in an extra bedroom of Flowers' home, with Prawat joining via telephone from South Bend, Indiana.[14] Crime Junkie quickly gained popularity in its first few years with Rolling Stone naming Crime Junkie one of the best true crime podcasts of 2018, leading Flowers and Prawat to announce a national Crime Junkie tour in July 2019.[10][26][27] By 2022, Crime Junkie was the second most-listened-to podcast in the U.S., according to Edison Research.[14] That same year, Crime Junkie was the No. 1 most-listened-to show on Apple Podcasts in the U.S., and was also recognized as the most followed and most shared show on the platform.[20] In 2023, Crime Junkie maintained its position as the No. 1 most-listened-to podcast overall on Apple Podcasts in the U.S.[21] As of 2024, Crime Junkie has over 1 billion downloads and more than 400 episodes.[28]

In 2019, Flowers and Prawat were accused of plagiarizing content, in some cases verbatim, from various sources, including newspaper articles, other podcasts, and the TV show On the Case with Paula Zahn for Crime Junkie.[29][30][27] Flowers responded to claims and legal action taken by The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette by removing at least five episodes of Crime Junkie[31][29][32][30] with Flowers stating to Variety that the episodes' "source material could no longer be found or properly cited."[9][33]

Flowers later acknowledged her ignorance of proper attribution[34] and now ensures that Crime Junkie episodes provide proper credit to source material.[34]

The Deck

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In February 2022, Ashley Flowers launched The Deck, a weekly series hosted by herself that focuses on cold cases with few leads.[8] According to Flowers, she developed the idea while volunteering with Crime Stoppers, where she first encountered cold cases featured on playing cards distributed to prisons.[35] The podcast quickly gained popularity, becoming the No. 1 new show in the U.S. on Apple Podcasts in 2022.[20]

The Deck Investigates

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In December 2022, The Deck Investigates, Flowers first original investigative podcast began an 11-city live tour, exploring the 1984 murder of Darlene Hulse in Argos, Indiana.[36] In 2023, The Deck Investigates ranked No. 3 on the list of the year’s new shows on Apple Podcasts.[21]

Nonprofit

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In June 2020, Ashley Flowers founded the nonprofit Season of Justice, which provides grants to laboratories for DNA testing to solve cold cases.[37] In 2021, Season of Justice received 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.[13] As of July 2021, the nonprofit had donated more than $225,000 to families and others involved with 31 cold cases.[13][38] The organization has supported over 141 cases, including in 2024 helping to solve the 1975 Indianapolis "Slasher" cold case through DNA testing.[39][40]

Writing

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In January 2022, Ashley Flowers signed a publishing contract with Bantam Books for her debut novel, All Good People Here, which was co-written with Alex Kiester.[37][41] Flowers said that a true crime cold case inspired details in her novel, which is set in a small town in Indiana.[16][42] All Good People Here was released on August 16, 2022, and became a New York Times bestseller.[7] It received a favorable review from Publishers Weekly and was a Publishers Weekly bestseller.[43][44] The story follows a journalist who investigates the unsolved murder of her neighbor, leading her to uncover secrets in her hometown, and a disappearance of another girl two decades later.[12]

In 2024, Flowers and Kiester announced they were working on a new book centered around sisterly relationships.[45] The crime novel, The Missing Half, is set to be published on May 6, 2025.[46] It will follow two women whose respective sisters' have unsolved disappearances and team up to discover what happened.[46]

Personal life

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Ashley Flowers currently lives in Indiana and works in Indianapolis.[8] She has a daughter, Josie and a dog named Charlie (known as Chuck), who inspired the name of her podcast network, audiochuck.[14][11][15]

References

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  1. ^ "ASHLEY FLOWERS December 19, 2023". National Today. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. ^ "'Queen of True Crime' expands podcasting business in Indianapolis". wthr.com. 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  3. ^ "Sierah Joughin story featured on 'Crime Junkie' podcast". wtol.com. April 23, 2021. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  4. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  5. ^ Research, Edison (2024-03-20). "The Top 10 Podcasts Among U.S. Women". Edison Research. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  6. ^ Spangler, Todd (2023-11-28). "Apple Podcasts Most Popular Shows of 2023: 'Crime Junkie,' 'Scamanda' Top U.S. Charts". Variety. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  7. ^ a b "Best Sellers - Books - Sept. 4, 2022 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rosman, Katherine (2022-02-02). "Ashley Flowers Wants to Up the Ante of True Crime". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  9. ^ a b c d Spangler, Todd (2019-08-15). "'Crime Junkie' Podcast Host Ashley Flowers Responds to Plagiarism Allegations". Variety. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  10. ^ a b c Wren, Adam (2019-11-07). "The Problem With Crime Junkie". Indianapolis Monthly. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  11. ^ a b c "'Crime Junkie' shares her passion in every podcast". wthr.com. March 25, 2019. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  12. ^ a b c d Olsher, Steve (2022-07-29). "Ashley Flowers: The Queen Of True Crime". Podcast Magazine®. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  13. ^ a b c Marks, Andrea (2021-07-15). "Podcaster Ashley Flowers Launches Nonprofit to Fund DNA Testing in Cold Cases". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h "The Queen of True Crime". ELLE. 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  15. ^ a b "'Crime Junkie' Queen Ashley Flowers on True Crime and Motherhood". NECN. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  16. ^ a b "Crime Junkie Host Ashley Flowers Discusses Her Debut Novel and How She Fell in Love with True Crime". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  17. ^ a b Chan, J. Clara (2021-10-26). "'Crime Junkie' Network Audiochuck Inks Multi-Year Ad Sales Deal With SiriusXM". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  18. ^ Spangler, Todd (2021-10-26). "'Crime Junkie' Host Ashley Flowers Inks Exclusive SiriusXM Deal for Ads, Content Development (Podcast News Roundup)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  19. ^ "Ashley Flowers' Audiochuck Inks Long-Term Ad Sales And Distribution Deal With SiriusXM". Insideradio.com. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  20. ^ a b c Spangler, Todd (2022-12-05). "'Crime Junkie' Is No. 1 Show on Apple Podcasts for 2022". Variety. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  21. ^ a b c Spangler, Todd (2023-11-28). "Apple Podcasts Most Popular Shows of 2023: 'Crime Junkie,' 'Scamanda' Top U.S. Charts". Variety. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  22. ^ "This Week in True-Crime Podcasts: The Sneak, CounterClock, and More". Vulture. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  23. ^ "People's Voice Winner". Webby Award.
  24. ^ Gaspich, Caroline (2024-05-23). "Crime Junkie host announces new podcast and fans are 'absolutely obsessed'". The Mirror US. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  25. ^ PodcastingToday (2024-08-24). "Mystery podcast So Supernatural returns with fresh look - PodcastingToday". Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  26. ^ Hookey, Sarah. "True-Crime Podcast CRIME JUNKIE Announces National Tour". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  27. ^ a b Arguello, Toby (2021-12-01). "The Untold Truth Of Crime Junkie - Grunge". Grunge.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  28. ^ Gaspich, Caroline (2024-05-23). "Crime Junkie host announces new podcast and fans are 'absolutely obsessed'". The Mirror US. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  29. ^ a b DePompei, Elizabeth. "Indianapolis-based true crime podcast pulls several episodes after plagiarism accusations". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  30. ^ a b McNeal, Stephanie. "The Hosts Of The Popular Podcast "Crime Junkie" Are Accused Of Quietly Deleting Episodes Over Plagiarism". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  31. ^ "Arkansas Newspaper Threatens Legal Action Against 'Crime Junkie.'". Insideradio.com. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  32. ^ Quah, Nicholas (2019-08-23). "A Plagiarism Scandal Shakes Up the True-Crime Podcast World". Vulture. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  33. ^ Taylor, Derrick Bryson; Hauser, Christine (August 23, 2019). "Accused of Plagiarism, A True-Crime Podcast Pulls Several Episodes". The New York Times – via Proquest.
  34. ^ a b Indianapolis Business Journal (2023-01-15). "'Crime Junkie': Podcasting is only the beginning for podcast host Ashley Flowers". The Republic News. Retrieved 2024-09-06. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  35. ^ Scott, H. Alan (2023-09-27). "Crime Junkie's Ashley Flowers' passion for true crime lets her 'give back'". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  36. ^ Sarachan, Risa. "'The Deck Investigates With Ashley Flowers' Hit Podcast Begins 11-City Tour". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  37. ^ a b "Ashley Flowers Shares Update On 'Crime Junkie' Co-Host Brit Prawat After Health Scare". ET Canada. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  38. ^ Ganz, Jami (September 27, 2021). "A 'junkie' for crime gets real; Podcaster creates nonprofit to help solve cold cases". New York Daily News – via Proquest.
  39. ^ McNevins, Katherine (March 14, 2023). "SXSW Panel Recap: Beyond Podcasting: How Ashley Flowers Redefined True Crime Storytelling". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  40. ^ Mack, Justin (January 19, 2024). "1975 Indy "Slasher" cold case solved via DNA testing". Axios. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  41. ^ Deahl, Rachel. "Book Deals: Week of January 31, 2022". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  42. ^ Egan, Elisabeth (2022-09-01). "Ashley Flowers Loves an Airport Bookstore". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  43. ^ "All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  44. ^ "This week's bestsellers from Publishers Weekly | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  45. ^ Messer, Miwa (2024-01-04). "Poured Over: Ashley Flowers & Alex Kiester on All Good People Here". B&N Reads. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  46. ^ a b "Ashley Flowers Reveals Cover of New Crime Novel — and What Inspired Her to Write It (Exclusive)". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
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