New Narrative Podcast Dives into the Trail of Notorious Serial Killer in San Francisco as the Ongoing Hunt for Truth Continues

The First Two Episodes Are Available Now

New York, San Francisco and London – March 16, 2021 – The San Francisco Chronicle, UK production company Ugly Duckling Films and Sony Music Entertainment, today announced the debut of The Doodler, a new podcast following the still-unnamed serial killer that terrorized the gay community in San Francisco in the ‘70s, nearly five decades ago. The series is hosted by Pulitzer-prize nominated reporter Kevin Fagan of The San Francisco Chronicle and long-time investigative reporter Michael Taylor, with contributions from The Chronicle’s King Kaufman. The first two episodes are available now.

The show begins with an overview of the active investigation into The Doodler, one of the most prolific killers targeting gay men of all time, who left his mark by sketching portraits of his victims before taking their lives. Over subsequent episodes, the series aims to re-investigate the case, and Fagan speaks with a wide variety of guests tied directly or indirectly to the case, hoping that these conversations will lead to the eventual identification and capture of The Doodler.

The Doodler is actively seeking information that could be linked to the case. As part of their investigation, the production team has created an anonymous tip line for anyone with information. Tips can be submitted by calling 415-570-9299.

“I’ve made it my mission to get to the bottom of these murders, alongside talented investigators and with the help of people involved with the case,” said Kevin Fagan. “With our listeners’ help, we aim to put this mystery to rest once and for all, while shedding light on the plight of The Doodler’s victims.”

The Doodler is produced by The San Francisco Chronicle and Ugly Duckling Films in association with podcast production leader Neon Hum. As a leading partner to podcast creators, Sony Music Entertainment will provide its expertise in content creation, marketing and monetization in support of the project.

Listeners can subscribe to The Doodler on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher. For more information on The Doodler and all other Sony Podcast shows, follow @SonyPodcasts on Twitter and Instagram.

About the Production Team

Ugly Duckling Films is a London-based film, television and documentary production company founded by Oscar-nominated producer Lene Bausager. Upcoming productions under the banner include Brit List nominee debut THE BIKE THIEF and John Ogunmuyiwa’s short PRECIOUS for BBC Films and BFI Network, along with the BAFTA winner Guy Hibbert-helmed POMEGRANATE IS THE ANSWER.  Previous films include Sir Ian McKellen documentary PLAYING THE PART, Daniel Craig-starrer FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL, Sean Ellis’ CASHBACK and Lena Headey-starrer THE BROKEN, and Jim Ward Byrkit’s sci-fi indie hit COHERENCE.  Both Lene Bausager and Sophia Gibber are Executive Producers of the podcast. Ugly Duckling Films is represented by WME.

The San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfchronicle.com) is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. Acquired by Hearst in 2000, The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence. With name-brand voices and a keen editorial eye, the Chronicle is an authority that still surprises.  Follow us on Twitter @SFChronicle.

Kevin Fagan is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated longtime reporter at The San Francisco Chronicle. He specializes in murder, homelessness, enterprise news-feature writing and breaking news, taking particular pleasure in ferreting out stories others might not find — from profiling the desperate lives of drug addicts in the street to riding the rails with hobos, finding people who sleep in coffins and detailing the intricacies of hunting down serial killers. His 2003 series ‘Shame of the City’ about homelessness in San Francisco prompted reforms which looked to target the issue via offering supportive housing, while another report on a specific homeless woman called Rita sparked the Homeward Bound program. He is an advocate of solutions journalism, where journalism can evoke social change and directly influence policy, and has been awarded the national James Aronson Award for Social Justice and the national Excellence in Urban Journalism Award. He has been featured on the hit podcast series MONSTER, about the Zodiac killer, and witnessed seven executions at San Quentin. He’s had the inside track on developments in the Doodler case ever since detectives began re-investigating it in 2018.

Michael Taylor is a longtime investigative reporter and editor who has covered some of the biggest crime stories of our time, including the case of the serial killer known as the Unabomber and the murderous saga of the Symbionese Liberation Army. He is retired from The San Francisco Chronicle and does private investigations and freelance writing.

Neon Hum is a leading podcast production company founded by producer, reporter and sound designer Jonathan Hirsch. Based in Los Angeles, it specializes in narrative-driven, high production value, “audio first” documentaries, talk shows and partner content. In December 2019, Sony Music Entertainment announced a strategic investment in Neon Hum as part of a new creative partnership between the two companies to expand their development of original podcast content and launch a range of new shows across multiple genres.

Sony Music Podcasts is a division of Sony Music Entertainment, a global leader in audio at the intersection of music, podcasting, entertainment and technology. Through our diverse global partnerships with leading creators and our team of sales, marketing and business development professionals, Sony Music Podcasts uses our core strengths to help the podcast community achieve greater levels of success. In alignment with our creator-first philosophy, we drive impactful storytelling through compelling content everywhere.