‘Sworn’ Follows Familiar Path to Unknown Places

Last updated on July 17th, 2017

Sworn was at the top podcasts charts (and iTunes) before the first episode was even released (as they proudly state in the first episodes). Whether the listeners stay will likely depend on the content. It is clear from its first episodes, though, that Sworn may well benefit from the path cut by its sister true crime podcast, Up and Vanished.

Related reading: Top Podcasts of 2017, So Far.

Up and Vanished dove headfirst into the 2005 disappearance of a beauty-queen-turned-teacher in small town Georgia. The investigative series not only resulted in a grand jury indictment but also made Up and Vanished a hit, garnering over 33 million downloads and reaching as high as No. 2 on the iTunes charts.

Sworn’s website describes the show as pulling back “the curtain on the criminal justice system exposing the untold stories and hard truths behind major cases, wrongful convictions, controversial legislation, and more.” The host, Philip Holloway, is an attorney with a background in law enforcement, who has also been featured as a CNN legal analyst.

The first two released episodes cover “The Lake Oconee Murders.” The case centers on the murders of an elderly couple – the husband found beheaded in the garage and the wife dumped into the lake. The case, as described, seems to have little physical evidence and the complete absence of motive in the initial. Despite significant efforts, law enforcement has yet to make any arrests in the three year old killing.

Sworn’s first episodes dove into the basic facts of the case and included an exclusive look at crime scene photographs from the Sheriff investigating the claim. Initial listeners seem delighted with the content with first week rankings garnering four stars or better. The sustained popularity of the show may well hinge upon where the evidence takes us in the Lake Oconee case (assuming that the focus remains there, that is). What we know now is that Sworn is off to a very big start.