New series explores a question: How do you make sense of someone’s truth when it’s wrapped in lies?
Sony Music Entertainment today announced the premiere of What She Buried, a new true crime podcast that investigates the labyrinthine story of Kwaneta Harris, a woman incarcerated in Texas. Hosted by award-winning journalist Justine van der Leun — host of the podcast Believe Her and author of Unreasonable Women — this deeply-reported seven-part series traces the misconceptions and myths surrounding Kwaneta, her life, and her case. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes today.
Seven years ago, journalist Justine van der Leun received a letter that would change her life. The sender was Kwaneta Harris, a prisoner held in extended solitary confinement — and also a remarkable writer with an incredible story. As Justine formed a relationship with Kwaneta, she learned that her story was far more complicated, entangled, and mysterious than anyone could have ever imagined — and she needed to find out more about this complex woman.
At the beginning, Justine didn’t fully know why Kwaneta had gone to prison in the first place — only what the public record showed: a murder conviction. Kwaneta was serving time for the killing of Michael Giles, a military veteran she had known for years. Kwaneta always insisted that she’d been unfairly cast as a monster by prosecutors and the media. Now, she wanted Justine to find the real truth.
What She Buried follows what unfolded as Justine set off to get to the bottom of the story, and moves back in time, looking at what happened between Kwaneta and Michael before and after his death — long-repressed traumas, an on-off romantic relationship turned toxic, a trail of deception that grew stranger at every turn: bad checks, small lies ballooning into elaborate scams, even a false murder confession delivered by a young mother in a Dallas courthouse. Some of it may have been true. All of it may have been. Only one thing was for sure: everything led back to Kwaneta. Through exclusive reporting and firsthand interviews with Kwaneta herself, her family, law enforcement, lawyers, and others close to the case, the series continues to ask the question: Who is Kwaneta Harris, really?
“I began corresponding with Kwaneta back in 2019, and was immediately drawn to her,” said Justine van der Leun. “For years, I believed that I knew her, as well as you can know somebody locked up across the country, and I believed that I understood her story. Then I began reporting on her case more deeply, and everything turned upside down.”
What She Buried is hosted by Justine van der Leun. The series is produced by Matt Shaer and Eric Benson of Campside Media. The podcast is also executive produced by Catherine Saint Louis and Jonathan Hirsch of Sony Music Entertainment.
Listeners can subscribe to What She Buried on The Binge to listen to all episodes, all at once. The series is also available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For more information on The Binge, follow @thebingetruecrime on Instagram, and for all other Sony podcasts, follow @SonyPodcasts.
The post Sony Music Launches What She Buried an Unsettling New True Crime Podcast Exploring the Tangled Web Behind a Killing appeared first on Sony Music.