Home Podcasts I’m Not a Monster Presents… Where is Austin Tice?

I’m Not a Monster Presents… Where is Austin Tice?

BBC Sounds 29 Episodes Nov 13, 2020

Josh Baker investigates one of the most prominent missing-person cases in recent history: the abduction of American journalist Austin Tice in Syria. The series explores a shadowy world of fear, greed, and betrayal, examining the circumstances surrounding Tice's disappearance and the search for answers. It's a gripping true-crime documentary from BBC Sounds.

Episodes

I'm Not A Monster: Trailer Nov 13, 2020 167 An American mother living in the heart of the ISIS caliphate. Her husband an ISIS sniper. Her 10-year-old son forced to threaten the U.S. president in a propaganda video shown around the world. She claims she was tricked into taking her young children to war-torn Syria, but where does her account end and the truth begin? Over four years journalist Josh Baker unravels a dangerous story where nothin

I'm Not A Monster: 1. I Love You, I Miss You Nov 23, 2020 1204 A suicide bombing in Iraq and a home video from inside the ISIS caliphate begin the search for a family trapped in Syria. A desperate plea arrives from an American woman who says she wants to escape the Islamic State group with her young children. This episode includes descriptions of violence and some upsetting scenes involving children.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Pro

I'm Not A Monster: 2. Read Between the Lines Nov 30, 2020 1861 A man who says he’s a people smuggler offers to help the family, while a drive around a suburb in Indiana reveals their past. Sam’s father adds a new twist on who his daughter really is.This episode includes descriptions of violence and some upsetting moments involving children.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Joe Kent and Max Green Production assistant: Lucie Su

I'm Not A Monster: 3. My Name is Yusef Dec 7, 2020 1446 The Islamic State group forces Sam’s son Matthew to spread its propaganda. Josh searches the woods of Idaho looking for a man on an elk hunt. Then an obscure tweet leads him to Syria to try to find the family.If you know something that you think might help the investigation please email notamonster@bbc.comReporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Joe Kent and Max Green Pr

I'm Not A Monster: 4. She’s Like My Mother Dec 14, 2020 1724 A young boy in the mountains of Northern Iraq makes Josh question what he knows about Sam. Then ten days searching war-torn Syria lead to an offer of help, but can it be trusted?This episode includes descriptions of violence and some upsetting moments involving children.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Joe Kent and Max Green Production assistant: Lucie Sullivan C

I'm Not A Monster: 5. We Had a Great Life Dec 21, 2020 1828 Josh is face-to-face with Sam after a year trying to track her down. On a military base in Syria, she begins to tell her side of the story. She says it all started as a family holiday.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Joe Kent and Max Green Production assistant: Lucie Sullivan Composer: Sam Slater Mixed By: Tom Brignell Series Editor: Emma RipponCommissioning Exec

I'm Not A Monster: 6. Now I’m Calling the Shots Dec 28, 2020 1926 A torture prison, buying slaves and a dramatic escape: Sam continues her account of her years in Raqqa.This episode includes references to sexual abuse, extreme violence and some upsetting moments involving children.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Joe Kent and Max Green Production assistant: Lucie Sullivan Composer: Sam Slater Mixed by: Rod Farquhar Series Edito

I'm Not A Monster: 7. On American Soil Jan 18, 2021 2364 As Josh starts to uncover more about the family’s past, Sam tries to explain away some of the many discrepancies in her story. Then, a connection to the FBI raises new questions about her.If you know something that you think might help the investigation please email notamonster@bbc.comReporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Joe Kent and Max Green Production assistant: L

I'm Not A Monster: 8. I Take My Book Back Jan 25, 2021 3103 Josh retraces Sam’s steps in Syria and asks could she have been an ISIS supporter all along? He meets her old neighbours in Raqqa, visits the infamous torture prison where she says she was held and meets an Islamic State group member who knew her personally.This episode includes references to violence.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Joe Kent and Max Green Produc

I'm Not A Monster: 9. The Rest Be Damned Feb 1, 2021 2012 After years of insisting she’s innocent, Sam pleads guilty and Moussa’s exes reveal more about the man that led her to Syria. Sam’s team claims she was “a wife under the thumb of her violently abusive and radical husband” but the prosecution says she has “credibility issues” and tells stories that serve her personally. So how long will she spend in prison?This episodes contains some upsetting mome

I'm Not A Monster: 10. It’s All Behind Me Now Feb 12, 2021 1923 Sam’s son Matthew was just seven when he was taken to Syria and the Islamic State group. He thought he’d never see America again. Now he’s back with his dad and talks of the “sweet relief” of being home.Josh finds out how he and Sam’s other children are doing now.This episode includes references to violence and some upsetting moments involving children.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker a

I'm Not A Monster: 11. Epilogue: The Wounds and the Scars Nov 16, 2021 1802 What happened to the family Josh was staying with when the Islamic State group struck in 2016?I’m Not a Monster began after Josh was injured by an ISIS truck bomb in Mosul, Iraq. If it wasn’t for an old contact reaching out to see how he was doing, he may never have heard about Sam and Matthew.Now he returns to the Iraqi city and finds that while the fighting may be largely over, the people of Ira

I'm Not A Monster: 12. Those We Leave Behind Jan 18, 2022 1544 In Northern Iraq, Josh finds out how two people you’ve been asking about are doing now.In 2014, the Islamic State group killed thousands of members of the Yazidi religious community and kidnapped and enslaved many, many more. Ayham and Saud were both taken from their families and ended up in Syria where they were eventually bought by Sam and her husband Moussa.Josh first met them just after they’d

I'm Not A Monster: 13. Your Questions Answered Jan 25, 2022 1864 Since the series ended, so many of you have got in touch wanting to know more. With the help of criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw, Josh answers your questions.Presenters: Josh Baker and Dr Julia Shaw (host of the Bad People podcast on BBC Sounds) Mixed by: Tom Brignell Producer: Joe Kent Production Co-ordinator: Janet Staples Editor Emma Rippon“I’m Not a Monster” is a collaboration between BBC P

The Shamima Begum Story: Trailer Jan 4, 2023 224 Investigating the story of Shamima Begum. At 15, she ran away from her London home with two school friends to join the terror group ISIS in war torn Syria. Now she wants to come back. It’s a tale that has gripped the world, but there are different ways to tell it.Josh Baker has been following the story since 2015 when Shamima Begum left for the Islamic State group. For Series 2 of I’m Not a Monst

The Shamima Begum Story: 1. It Felt Like a Dream Jan 11, 2023 1935 Three London schoolgirls disappear, heading for a war zone. Four years later only one emerges from the ashes of ISIS. Nobody knows what really happened to her. Josh Baker meets Shamima Begum in Syria to begin unpicking her story. Almost eight years earlier, he was filming in Shamima’s local mosque when news broke that she and her friends had gone missing, it made global headlines. He was there wh

The Shamima Begum Story: 2. The Point of No Return Jan 18, 2023 1896 Following Shamima Begum’s route reveals a dangerous Islamic State group smuggling network, but that’s not all. A local taxi firm isn’t what it seems and a gangster threatens to make Josh “disappear.” It all ends in an underground carpark with a stack of secret documents and a warning.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Josh Baker, Sara Obeidat and Joe Kent Field pro

The Shamima Begum Story: 3. Double Agent? Jan 25, 2023 2271 The man who smuggled Shamima Begum to Syria claims he was spying for Canada. What's the truth? And could she and her school friends have been stopped from reaching the Islamic State group?Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Josh Baker, Sara Obeidat and Joe Kent Field producers: Hussam Hammoud Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Theme music: Sam Slater and Gunni Tynes Mix an

The Shamima Begum Story: 4. When You’re In Love Feb 1, 2023 2023 Friendship, propaganda and the promise of paradise - why Shamima Begum left London at 15 for the Islamic State group in war torn Syria. But how did she ignore the group’s brutal violence? And who convinced her to go?The feature length documentary, "The Shamima Begum Story", will be on BBC2 at 9pm on February 7th.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Josh Baker, Sara O

The Shamima Begum Story: 5. Empty Paper Feb 8, 2023 2069 Shamima Begum’s new life under ISIS isn’t what she expected. She says what she thought would be paradise is more like a prison. At just 15 years-old she finds herself trapped in an ISIS guesthouse, where the only way out is to get married. In his first interview since 2019, Islamic State group fighter Yago Reidjik reveals how he became her husband and what their life together was like.This episod

The Shamima Begum Story: 6. Father Figure Feb 15, 2023 2408 With her new husband in prison, Shamima Begum is left in the care of a stranger, but who is he? Josh travels to the heart of the former caliphate as he searches for clues and investigates what her life with the Islamic State group was like.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Josh Baker, Sara Obeidat and Joe Kent Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Theme music: Sam Slater Mi

The Shamima Begum Story: 7. Trapped Feb 22, 2023 1920 Someone close to Shamima Begum is looking for a way out of the so-called caliphate.Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Josh Baker, Sara Obeidat and Joe Kent Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Theme music: Sam Slater Mix and sound design: Tom Brignell Production coordinator: Janet Staples Series Editor: Jonathan Aspinwall Head of Long Form Audio: Emma Rippon Commiss

The Shamima Begum Story: 8. No Plan B Mar 1, 2023 1782 Raqqa falls, the so-called caliphate crumbles and a pregnant Shamima Begum is desperate to come home.After she and her husband Yago walk out of the ashes of the Islamic State group, she’s discovered in a detention camp where she gives an interview that will change her life. Reporter: Josh Baker Written by: Josh Baker and Joe Kent Producers: Josh Baker, Sara Obeidat and Joe Kent Composer: Firas Abo

The Shamima Begum Story: 9. State of Mind Mar 8, 2023 2239 No longer a vulnerable schoolgirl, but a seemingly unrepentant adult. Shamima Begum enrages the British public and ends up stuck in Syria.A series of media interviews come to shape how she’s perceived - with long lasting consequences.Reporter: Josh Baker Written and produced by: Josh Baker, Sara Obeidat and Joe Kent Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Theme music: Sam Slater Mix and sound design: Tom Brig

The Shamima Begum Story: 10. The World’s Unwanted Mar 22, 2023 2707 What happened to the girl Shamima Begum says convinced her to join the Islamic State group?Less than 24 hours before this episode was published ,we got the answer. Reporter: Josh Baker Written and produced by: Josh Baker, Sara Obeidat and Joe Kent Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Theme music: Sam Slater Mix and sound design: Tom Brignell Production coordinators: Janet Staples and Helena Warwick-Cross S

The Shamima Begum Story: Our Live Show Aug 8, 2023 70 What do you want to know about The Shamima Begum Story and the making of the podcast? Join us on Tuesday the 12th of September in London, as Josh answers your questions about the series, share more about how it was made and some extra things we’ve learnt about the story.Apply for FREE TICKETS: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/shamima-begum Email your questions: josh@bbc.co.uk

The Shamima Begum Story: Josh Baker Answers Listener Questions Nov 29, 2023 3186 Josh answers your questions about Shamima Begum and the making of the multi-award winning series. Recorded in front of an audience at the BBC’s Radio Theatre in London, Naga Munchetty puts your questions to Josh including: what is it about this story that captures the imagination and curiosity of so many people? How did Josh keep safe while making the podcast? And, Should Shamima Begum be seen

The Shamima Begum Story: The Court Decides Feb 23, 2024 384 Nine years to the day since Shamima Begum entered ISIS controlled Syria, she’ll find out whether she’s any closer to coming back to Britain. Josh is at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London to hear whether Begum’s lawyers have succeeded in arguing that the British government’s decision to take away her citizenship was unlawful.After she emerged from the remnants of the Islamic State group

Where Is Austin Tice?: 1. "We Believe He’s Alive" Sep 8, 2026 1930 Josh Baker investigates one of the biggest missing-person cases of our time. American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria, but the US president says he’s alive. For more than a decade Austin's mother Debra has been leading the search for her son. As Josh Baker and Sara Obeidat travel to Syria to help Austin’s mother’s search, a source gives Josh information that might unlock where he is - and

Where Is Austin Tice?: 2. "A Black Box" Sep 10, 2026 2435 In the chaos after the Syrian regime’s downfall, the hunt for Austin Tice is on. Josh Baker and his fellow investigative journalist Sara Obeidat are in Damascus as bombs fall and gunfights break out. Armed with a list of locations where Austin may have been held, they race across the Syrian capital searching for any sign of him. They find horrifying evidence of detention and torture on an industri

Where Is Austin Tice?: 3. The American Journalist Sep 15, 2026 1880 The Austin Tice files begin to give up their secrets. Josh and Sara uncover names, locations and new leads about what happened to Austin Tice. But to understand them, they have to go back to the start - to Austin’s own journey through Syria, the rebels he befriended, and the road he took before he vanished. That road leads to a town outside Damascus - and a shocking discovery.Archive: CNN; Sky New

Where Is Austin Tice?: 4. The Driver Sep 17, 2026 2484 Josh and Sara piece together Austin’s final route into Damascus. They find the farm where he celebrated his 31st birthday - the last place his mother spoke to him. Then comes an unprecedented discovery. For years, the story was that Austin was taken at a checkpoint. But what Josh and Sara uncover suggests something far more deliberate. And at the centre of Austin’s disappearance is one man.Archive

Where Is Austin Tice?: Trailer Sep 1, 2026 133 Josh Baker enters a dangerous world of fear, greed and betrayal as he sets out to uncover the truth behind one of the biggest missing-person cases of our time - the abduction of American journalist Austin Tice.Archive: NBC; PBS; CNN.Writer and showrunner: Josh Baker Investigative producer: Sara Obeidat Series producer: Simon Maybin Field producing: Ouday Al Hussein Additional producing: Lucy Burns

I’m Not a Monster Presents… Where is Austin Tice?

Episodes

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