About This Episode
What is this episode about?
The episode "Sins Of The Earth: Part One - Before There Was Jefferson" from The Devil Within opens a new investigative arc called Sins Of The Earth, tracing the deep history of the land beneath Jefferson Township, New Jersey. Rather than returning directly to the 1988 case that made the town infamous, this premiere installment, Before There Was Jefferson, travels more than a billion years into the past to examine the geological formation of the New Jersey Highlands, the iron-rich mountains, and the rivers and forests that sustained generations of Lenape communities before European settlement.
The episode then follows the arrival of Dutch, English, and German settlers, describing how forests were cleared for fuel, rivers were harnessed for power, and mountains were mined for mineral wealth as an emerging iron industry reshaped the landscape. Drawing inspiration in part from Caroline Fraser's "Murderland," the episode raises a provocative and explicitly unproven question: whether the environmental consequences of America's industrial past could have influenced the generations that came after. In January 1988, fourteen-year-old Tommy Sullivan killed his mother, Betty, before taking his own life in Jefferson Township — a tragedy long surrounded by allegations of Satanism and demonic influence that remains unresolved nearly four decades later. This episode sets that story aside to establish the land itself as the starting point of the investigation.
Hosts and release
Branden Morgan hosts The Devil Within, a filmic true crime and supernatural podcast exploring unsolved mysteries, legends, and documented crimes. The episode runs 28 minutes and is available on Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
