The Silver Linings Handbook

On September 4, 2026, Lindsay Clancy’s trial ended without a unanimous verdict on her criminal responsibility - a result that left the public divided and the deeper questions unresolved. I’m joined this week again by Dartmouth professor Clara S. Lewis, author of American Infanticide, for a wide‑ranging conversation about what the Clancy case reveals about maternal mental health, psychosis, and the limits of our legal system.
We revisit Clara’s earlier work on Emily Weaver, discuss Laken Snelling’s recent manslaughter plea, and explore why society still struggles to assess, treat, and legally interpret crises like postpartum psychosis and pregnancy denial. Clara breaks down the centuries‑old narratives that continue to shape how these cases are prosecuted, while we reflect on the clinical and personal realities of psychosis that the courtroom often can’t capture.
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The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2, Maria DiLorenzo takes us inside her unlikely relationship with the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway - how it began, why he chose to write her back, and what she learned from years of letters and calls. We explore his manipulations, his contradictions, and the unsettling intimacy that forms when a journalist steps into a serial killer’s world.
Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com
Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:
https://silverliningshandbook.com/
Check out our Patreon to support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623
Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:
https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store
Visit The True Crime Times Substack at:
https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com
Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at:
The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack
The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Janet Malcolm once wrote that every journalist who truly understands their work knows its moral ambiguity. She was describing the uneasy intimacy between reporter and subject — and how that bond can fracture. But sometimes, the journalist isn’t the most manipulative person in the room. Maria DiLorenzo, one of the only journalists to interview Gary Ridgway, joins me to explore her years‑long relationship with the Green River Killer, his double life, his psychology, and the early failures that let him keep killing.
Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com
Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:
https://silverliningshandbook.com/
Check out our Patreon to support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623
Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:
https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store
Visit The True Crime Times Substack at:
https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com
Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at:
The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack
The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former Chicago Homicide Detective Michele Wood returns with an unfiltered look at the cases that haunt her, the ones that cracked open years later, and the ones she’s hoping will close. She talks witness intimidation, cold‑case breakthroughs, and what justice really looks like in neighborhoods living with daily violence.
Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com
Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:
https://silverliningshandbook.com/
Check out our Patreon to support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623
Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:
https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store
Visit The True Crime Times Substack at:
https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com
Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at:
The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack
The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michele Wood is a 25-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, a longtime homicide and cold-case detective, an FBI-certified hostage negotiator, and the author of the book Model Detective. Michele traces the roots of her career back to her childhood in gang-plagued Logan Square, including the violent attack she survived at age 11 that sharpened her instincts and set her on the path toward policing. For Michele, being a homicide detective is ultimately a calling - a commitment to speak for those who can no longer speak for themselves.
Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com
Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:
https://silverliningshandbook.com/
Check out our Patreon to support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623
Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:
https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store
Visit The True Crime Times Substack at:
https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com
Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at:
The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack
The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.