Is the world predominantly good with pockets of evil, or evil with sprinkles of good here and there? I\u2019m just a civilian, but with the work I do in the law-enforcement community coupled with all of the true crime I cover for <\/span>Podcast Magazine<\/span><\/i>\u00ae, I find myself asking myself that question more often.<\/span><\/p>\n

I asked Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi, former homicide prosecutor and co-host of <\/span>Anatomy of Murder<\/span><\/i>, to weigh in (be sure to read to the end to get her response).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When I began my conversation with Anna-Sigga, who launched her show in October 2020, I mentioned how much I enjoyed the episode I had just listened to and, half-jokingly, said I was also depressed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat is not the goal,\u201d<\/span><\/i> she laughed. <\/span>\u201cAt the same time, it made you <\/span><\/i>feel<\/span>, and that\u2019s important. I think it\u2019s important to remember that these aren\u2019t just stories. They\u2019re real-life events.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

To that end, I mentioned that it is my belief that most true-crime podcasts aren\u2019t simply entertainment. They provide a service to society by keeping many cases alive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate your perspective,\u201d<\/span><\/i> replied Anna-Sigga. <\/span>\u201cIf I thought true-crime podcasts were just entertainment, I would have never entered this world, because I wear that former-prosecutor \u2018hat.\u2019 So I have to feel good about it from that perspective.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n

Curious whether she now considers herself a former prosecutor who happens to be a podcaster, or a podcaster who happens to be a former prosecutor, she clarified:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am a former prosecutor in everything I do. That is my true passion. I actually thought I would retire being a prosecutor. After 21 years, 16 of those in homicide, it weighed heavily.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Anna-Sigga went on to talk about how much she enjoys the true-crime podcasting space. In essence, she is able to apply her unique talents to a passion that is far less stressful than being a top-notch prosecutor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna-Sigga and co-host Scott Weinberger, a former Deputy Sheriff, do a splendid job of covering a case from multiple angles. The commentary and insights they bring to each episode is thoroughly enjoyable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It would seem that, after decades of hearing and viewing details of many gruesome and harrowing cases, not much would disturb them\u2026 but it still happens, on occasion.<\/span><\/p>\n

We discussed one particular case involving a home invasion covered in an episode called \u201cThe Evil That Lurks,\u201d aired on October 28, 2021. Anna-Sigga was unnerved by the victim\u2019s account, commenting how being taken aback by the details of a crime doesn\u2019t <\/span>\u201chappen that often\u201d<\/span><\/i>:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember where I was and where I was sitting when I had to turn off that interview. Sometimes, as much as I know these are real-life events, and I look at them all from that perspective, someone describes a case in a particular way that puts you there. That <\/span><\/i>[specific case]<\/span> was someone literally being taken out of their home while their child slept and exposed to the worst that humanity has to offer. There was just something about that. Certain cases shake you literally to the core, and that was one of them.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

While I am pleased Anna-Sigga is not often shaken that way, as we might not have <\/span>Anatomy of Murder<\/span><\/i>, it speaks to the human nature of covering these cases. Sometimes, empathy fatigue, a term many first responders use, sets in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, Anna-Sigga said, <\/span>\u201cThis is a world I am strangely comfortable in. While it is as horrible as it is, you can\u2019t do this type of work if you\u2019re not. I am used to hearing about many scenarios.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Anna-Sigga recalled an instance when a fellow lawyer she was having lunch with asked her to put some clearly visible crime-scene photos away.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cAs a prosecutor, it doesn\u2019t faze you as much,\u201d<\/span><\/i> she continued. <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s part of my world. It\u2019s my evidence. It\u2019s what I have to figure out, so I study them all the time. I think we all have things we are built to do, and this is it for me. I don\u2019t know what that says about my brain.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Given her talents and background, I wondered what attracted Anna-Sigga to co-host <\/span>Anatomy of Murder<\/span><\/i>. She pointed to her working relationship with Scott, who she worked with on the TV series, <\/span>True Conviction<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are certain people you just click with, and Scott and I clicked quite quickly,\u201d<\/span><\/i> she explained. <\/span>\u201cI felt he had integrity, and that matters a lot to me. He also got it. He got that I cared more about the case than how it appeared. I want to know that if the family members of that victim are in the audience, they are okay with the way I\u2019m talking about it. And he got that.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

It\u2019s that camaraderie and back-and-forth between co-hosts that makes <\/span>Anatomy of Murder<\/span><\/i> just a little different and, quite frankly, special. <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s a good exchange of ideas,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Anna-Sigga commented. <\/span>\u201cWe often agree, but not always. I think that\u2019s interesting, too. There are plenty of detectives I am close to and I trust. There have been many intense moments in my office when they wanted me to authorize an arrest and I said, <\/span><\/i>\u2018No,\u2019<\/span> or that I didn\u2019t see something that they thought was so clear-cut. That\u2019s part of the process.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

That periodic disagreement set in mutual respect creates a great chemistry for <\/span>Anatomy of Murder<\/span><\/i>. <\/span>\u201cI think our comfort with one another comes across when we\u2019re talking these things through<\/span><\/i> [on the show],\u201d Anna-Sigga surmised.<\/span> \u201cWe both do our own research. Each of us completes an interview during our research. Then we just talk the cases through.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

She went on to give accolades to the editing crew and podcast music, which is something I noticed from the first episode I listened to. Much like a movie soundtrack, the music should add to the experience without the listener even really noticing it. If you make note of the music as a casual viewer, odds are that the soundtrack isn\u2019t very good and detracts from the finished product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, that isn\u2019t the case with this podcast: <\/span>\u201cThe editor who does most of our production was interviewed for an article specifically about<\/span><\/i> Anatomy of Murder,\u201d said Anna-Sigga. <\/span>\u201cI love what he said, and I got it when I read it. He chooses the music very purposefully, but he doesn\u2019t want you to be focused on it. If you <\/span><\/i>[the listener]<\/span> are, he hasn\u2019t done his job.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

It seems that everyone is doing their job when it comes to <\/span>Anatomy of Murder<\/span><\/i>. Simply put, the podcast works. But at the end of the day, it\u2019s about good content, and the co-hosts for this show are the foundation for that good content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know my topic,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Anna-Sigga stated emphatically while referring to her expertise in covering a case. Still, she is quick to give very high praise to the entire team, referring to the work they do as <\/span>\u201cthe magic sauce\u201d<\/span><\/i> of a quality production.<\/span><\/h3>\n

That led me to wonder how the cases for each episode are chosen. I asked if it was a team effort, or if as a former prosecutor, Anna-Sigga spends hours going through research until finding the exact case she wants to cover.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some truth to that,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Anna-Sigga laughed. <\/span>\u201cWe come at it from different ways. We choose some cases because I literally know the participants. As a former prosecutor, I know a lot of other prosecutors. I know a lot of law enforcement. With that, I hope comes a sense of trust. They know where I\u2019m coming from. They trust that Scott and I are going to care for a case that they care very much about.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

It\u2019s that \u201cinsider\u2019s perspective\u201d that Anna-Sigga talks about that makes <\/span>Anatomy of Murder<\/span><\/i> stand out from many other true-crime podcasts in a very crowded space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are lots of true-crime podcasts with lots of good storytellers and lots of good investigative journalists. And also, a lot of people who come at it with different career bents,\u201d<\/span><\/i> admitted Anna-Sigga. <\/span>\u201cBut I really think it is our knowledge from what we have done over the years and the way we approach the cases <\/span><\/i>[that differentiates us]<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

She also talks about the \u201cheart\u201d that goes into each episode\u2014another part of what makes <\/span>Anatomy of Murder<\/span><\/i> something special:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of people who listen to these cases understand that these are real people, and they feel for them. I want <\/span><\/i>[listeners]<\/span> to actually feel. I think that\u2019s important. We are listening to stories about incidents that have torn apart people\u2019s lives. I don\u2019t want people to feel sad, but I want them to understand. I want them to have that sense of empathy.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

That brings us full circle on feeling, empathy, and my philosophical question about the world and evil that I mentioned at the beginning of this article. Anna-Sigga\u2019s answer:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the world is generally still a good place. If I felt it was more evil, I think I would lay down on my bed and never get back up.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n

\u201cMost people are generally good. Seeing that is an important distinction. We\u2019re looking at some of the worst. I deal with some of the worst. But I believe there is so much good around it that it has never made me waiver. I have my moments that I can\u2019t believe a human being can do some of the things that I have seen, and wow, have I seen some horrible things\u2026 but I still believe most people are good.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A darn good answer, and a darn good podcast.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

July 2021 Issue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is the world predominantly good with pockets of evil, or evil with sprinkles of good here and there? I\u2019m just a civilian, but with the work I do in the law-enforcement community coupled with all of the true crime I cover for Podcast Magazine\u00ae, I find myself asking myself that question more often. I asked Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi, former homicide prosecutor and co-host of Anatomy of Murder, to weigh in (be sure to read to the end to get her response).\u00a0 When I began my conversation with Anna-Sigga, who launched her show in October 2020, I mentioned how much I enjoyed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":11158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[1355,1799,1354,606,1357,1800,1801,216],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n