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White Smoke: America's Chemsex Killer

By: Patrick Strudwick
Narrated by: Patrick Strudwick
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LGBTQ+ Studies Murder Serial Killers True Crime
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Episodes
  • Trailer

    Trailer
    Apr 27 2023

    When the body of a young, gay, Black man, Gemmel Moore, was pulled out of the West Hollywood apartment of Ed Buck - a white, millionaire donor to the Democratic party - the coroner called it an accidental overdose. The police didn’t arrest Buck. And the media refused to report on it.

    But just 18 months later, when a second Black man, Timothy Dean, was found dead in the same apartment from the same drug, the police still didn’t arrest Buck, sparking a series of terrifying questions. Why was Buck still free when two men had died in his home surrounded by drugs? How much were his wealth and political connections protecting him? And how many more men might have been harmed in that apartment?

    In White Smoke: America’s Chemsex Killer, investigative journalist Patrick Strudwick uncovers the secret world behind this explosive Hollywood scandal. Through original reporting, we discover how a cocktail of power, racism, sexual exploitation, and drug abuse had been detonating in Buck’s apartment for years. And how it’s connected to a wider chemsex scene playing out in queer communities all around the world - one that provides the perfect hunting ground for predators.

    But those communities are fighting back. In this series, we meet the men who lived a nightmare inside Buck’s apartment, the friends of the men who died, and the activists who triggered a movement to get Buck off the streets.

    White Smoke: America's Chemsex Killer is a Whistledown Production for Audible.
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    4 mins
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  • Episode 1: Escape

    Episode 1: Escape
    May 4 2023
    Los Angeles, 2019. When a drugged Black man escapes the home of Ed Buck — a white, gay millionaire donor to the Democratic party — his only thought is survival. But by fleeing and phoning 911, the man sets in motion a dramatic chain of events that uncovers many more victims and an entire secret world of sex, meth, and racist predators.
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    34 mins
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  • Episode 2: Gemmel

    Episode 2: Gemmel
    May 4 2023
    The first man to die in Ed Buck’s apartment from a meth overdose was a 26-year-old gay Black man named Gemmel Moore. But Buck was not arrested and the media didn’t pay much attention. His friends and family feared that Gemmel’s race, sexuality and class meant that no one in power would care — and that the wealth, whiteness and political influence of Buck was stopping the police from investigating. So they launched a protest movement that makes Ed Buck an international news story.
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    1 hr
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About the Creator and Performer - Patrick Strudwick

About the Creator and Performer

Patrick Strudwick is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist from London. In 2015, after years writing for several leading newspapers, he became the first LGBTQIA+ specialist reporter in a British newsroom when he was appointed LGBTQIA+ Editor of BuzzFeed UK. In addition to his groundbreaking investigations into conversion therapy, Patrick's reporting on chemsex and the crimes surrounding it has led the way internationally-and in 2019 he presented and produced a film for Britain's Channel 4 about the drug GHB being used to rape and kill gay men.
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Dear Listener,

Why does this story matter to me, to you, and perhaps to everyone?
"When you hear about this case, it sounds dark and maybe disconnected from your own life. For a moment, that’s what I thought too, even though I’d reported on chemsex crimes before and had nearly lost loved ones to it. But then I met the people involved—the brilliant, courageous people who fought back, who used their energy and creativity to stop more people from being harmed, and who created a media storm to amplify their voices all around the world.
As I sat in their houses and heard their stories, what rang out to me beyond their humanity and strength, was how easy it can be for any of us, under the right circumstances, to be exploited or abused. Even if this might never happen to you, it could easily happen to someone you love: your son, your friend, your brother. But because so much of this is hidden and happening in secret, you may not realize how close they are to danger. People are at risk every day, in any street, in every neighborhood. The more we understand this, the more people can be saved. Underneath it all is shared experience. We all feel isolated and lonely at times. We all crave connection and escape. In this series, we hear where this can lead, and who really needs protecting—before it’s too late." - Patrick Strudwick, writer of White Smoke

What listeners say about White Smoke: America's Chemsex Killer

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Profile Image for Morgan Lea

A story that needs to continue to be told

I’d never heard of Buck before this podcast and I’m so glad I listened. As a black woman I know most of the world turns a blind eye to social issues that affect blacks—especially in America, so I cannot say hearing any of this was shocking. What was shocking is the level of brutality and torture that went ignored and the number of people who still didn’t know about it in LA after the trial.

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Profile Image for Martha

An important reflection on race and abuse

Although this story is not easy to listen to at times, it’s well worth it. It’s a fascinating exploration of how deeply embedded racism is in this country as bound up in a disturbing trend of “party and play”, that mixes drugs and sex in an effort to turn on as well as debase.

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Profile Image for Violet

Much more in-depth than I expected

I loved this! It shed light on an important topic that many outside the LGBT and Black communities may not know about. Told with sensitivity and very thorough.

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Profile Image for Megan Blake

So good!

Such a thoughtful and considerate approach to a terrible series of events. I was so impressed by this work!

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Profile Image for Alexandra Geraets

Harrowing

A harrowing story of power, domination, drugs, sex, and loss. Patrick Strudwick is an empathetic host, encouraging his interviewees to speak for themselves. Through interviews, the dead are humanized, the living are heard and empowered, and a predatory villain is ultimately revealed.

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Profile Image for Shantizzy

Amazing

What a great documentary. Very well thought out. So many facts were put out there. Learned so much about what is going on in the gay community. Me being a black woman myself, I did not know gay black men were treated like this. The documenter, was so passionate and thoughtful. Highly recommended.

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Profile Image for Jennifer Lynn Oxner

The best podcast I’ve heard in awhile

This is a subject I knew little about and learned so much. So much more to learn, but this is an excellent starting point.

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Profile Image for D. Sienitsky

Great Listen!

kept me engaged! A story I've never heard before and very Interesting thank you!

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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Amazing reporting

One of the most empathetic and smartest crime series I've ever listened to, White Smoke brings light to a serious and disturbing blend of drugs, sex, and systemic inequalities. Whenever Patrick seems to digress, expect to hear stuff that will make you angry.

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Profile Image for Ryan Robert Gierach

whoa! tragedy reported with empathy

the empathic way that Patrick Sudwick approached his subjects and the issue flabbergasted me. that this underground exists in (most likely) every city is an example of white privilege. for instance, had Ryan Geerock not reported the story despite his deep friendship with Buck the story would never have been told. i found his testimony gripping, because he had figured out Buc's weaknesses and motivations through only hints. he didn't shy away from the racist aspect of Buck and his power mad chemsex trip.
there was a lady taking credit for Buck's conviction, named Jasmine Cannot, that didn't participate in this, which we all thought in the ballroom community seems weird.
all in all, great journalism.

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