Proof Crime Podcast

06/04/2026

It may not feel like it in Michigan, but homicides are down since last year. Read all about crime rates on https://usafacts.org/articles/which-cities-have-the-highest-murder-rates/

We've been examining murders solved by the Kalamazoo Cold Case team, and whether the rates overall are up or down, they always seemed to miraculously solve cases that had been cold for a long, long time. Though, now that we're investigating, we believe there is a LOT more to this story.

Listen to Proof Season 3: Murder at the Bike Shop to learn more about the murder of Earl O'Byrne.

https://www.proofcrimepod.com/

05/28/2026

Earl O'Byrne hired kids to work at Kalamazoo Cycle, and they mostly loved it. Kids got to work, and often a reduced-cost or free bike. Scott Baldwin, who later was arrested for murdering Earl, worked for him for a very short time as a young teen. The murder was several years later, when Scott a working adult. And Scott wasn't even indicted until almost 20 years later. Check out this overview of Proof Season 3: Murder at the Bike Shop. The voices you hear are those of Scott Baldwin, after he was incarcerated for Earl's murder, and Karen Raymond, Earl's longest-term employee who had become the closest thing to family. She knew Earl wouldn't just open the shop for anyone. Listen to Episode's 1-2 for an overview of the question: Who could have gotten into a place with such good security and how did all the outside doors get locked if Baldwin didn't have Earl's keys? These are just some of the brain twisters the PROOF team begins to unravel. And the good news is, if you get caught up in the story - you can binge the WHOLE THING now. Pass along to any friends who love a pod.

05/28/2026

Great, life-changing results!

The first thing Dell Crawford did when he got out of prison in March was go to the gas station and pick up a Milky Way candy bar. He had been serving a 20 to 40-year sentence for a murder he did no…

05/27/2026

With a season full of twists, turns, and misconduct of all kinds, we thought we'd reflect on the murdered man. Season 3 of Proof Crime Pod, "Murder at the Bike Shop," is all about the murder of Earl O'Byrne, an iconic Kalamazoo curmudgeon who was killed in his shop (where he lived) in 1988.

Did you know that there was a $25,000 reward offered by a local businessman - which would be nearly $75,000 in today's money?

$75,000. Amazing that they took more than a decade to arrest someone - in our opinion, potentially the wrong someone.

Listen again, or forward this post to a friend who might love Season 3.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/murder-at-the-bike-shop-ep-1-toes-first/id1611647977?i=1000745874121

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qrMoZ1kBEbUe3F2qq2aBZ

05/25/2026