About This Episode
What is this episode about?
The episode "A Prime Minister's Murder, a Cult Expert, and the Moonies" from Criminal covers the 2022 shooting death of Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the investigation that followed. The episode traces how investigative journalist Eito Suzuki began drawing connections between the killing of the Prime Minister and the Unification Church, whose followers are known as the "Moonies."
Host Phoebe Judge interviews New Yorker writer Tammy Kim, who reported on the story and wrote about it for The New Yorker. Their conversation examines how a journalist's reporting began linking a political assassination to a controversial religious organization, and what that connection revealed about the forces surrounding Abe's death.
Hosts and release
Phoebe Judge hosts Criminal, a true crime podcast that explores stories of people who have done wrong, been wronged, or found themselves somewhere in the gray area in between. The show is produced by Lauren Spohrer and has published weekly episodes every Friday since its debut in January 2014. This episode, number 10009, runs 38 minutes and was released on November 10, 2026.
