Unsafe Spaces: Tampa's Missing Men
For close to two decades, gay men in Tampa were disappearing at an alarming rate.
It was only as America became more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community that people, and the media, actually started to care that these men were missing.
And in the wake of a decades-long battle for equality, it was all the more devastating for the gay community to discover: It was one - or maybe even two - of their own who were responsible for what would become some of Florida’s most heinous and disturbed crimes.
Unsafe Spaces continues the style and ambition of host Josh Hallmark's True Crime Bullsh** podcast. It is obsessive, curious, challenging; and examines not just the crimes it covers, but the cultural and political impacts of and on them.
Unsafe Spaces arrives in your podcast feed on October 19th.
It was only as America became more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community that people, and the media, actually started to care that these men were missing.
And in the wake of a decades-long battle for equality, it was all the more devastating for the gay community to discover: It was one - or maybe even two - of their own who were responsible for what would become some of Florida’s most heinous and disturbed crimes.
Unsafe Spaces continues the style and ambition of host Josh Hallmark's True Crime Bullsh** podcast. It is obsessive, curious, challenging; and examines not just the crimes it covers, but the cultural and political impacts of and on them.
Unsafe Spaces arrives in your podcast feed on October 19th.
Our Editor's Take
Unsafe Spaces: Tampa's Missing Men is a true crime podcast series. Host Josh Hallmark explores a series of disappearances among Tampa's LGBTQIA+ community. These cases occurred in the '90s and early 2000s and targeted gay men. This was a time when America's culture was still uncomfortable with homosexuality. As a result, the homicide investigation was an arduous process. As the show reports, some victims found prosecutors to be as harsh with them as they were with the culprits. As investigators would later discover, the perpetrators were gay men themselves. Gay men had spent years fighting for equality, and this revelation was a horrible blow to the community.
The convicted men, Steven Lorenzo and Scott Schweickert, met in an AOL chat room. In their communications, they exchanged violent fantasies. They discussed drugging, assaulting, and torturing unsuspecting men. After drugging several victims for sexual torture, their crimes escalated to two murders. The killers would commit unspeakable acts and show no remorse. The murder victims were Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz. Before these horrific murders, Lorenzo and Schweickert left several victims alive. Their harrowing testimonies were a crucial component of the trial. This podcast tells their stories.
Hallmark is a gay man who has a deep connection with this crime story. On Unsafe Spaces, Hallmark does more than chronicle the nefarious deeds of aspiring serial killers. This podcast explores the impact of these crimes on the gay community. Hallmark uses his platform to share about this marginalized group. He speaks with gay men on the show to reveal their lived experiences. He also hosts Our Americana, where he explores the culture of America's small towns.
Other guests on the show include the hosts of other podcasts. Dr. Scott, host of LA Not So Confidential, has been a guest. He shares his thoughts on the psychology behind the case. The Binge Movie Podcast's Jason LeRoy has also joined the show. Hallmark gives the story an empathetic and emotional treatment. Unsafe Spaces provides a deep examination of one of Florida's most horrifying crimes.
Episodes