About This Episode
A friend's request opens a closed case to the public
In September 2023, Texas man Austin Kanuch was killed under circumstances that have stayed with everyone who knew him. A father of three, his death left family and friends grieving and searching for answers. Now, popular true crime podcast True Crime Society has chosen to release an episode about the case to a wide public audience — at the direct request of one of Austin's close friends, who wanted the story to reach as many people as possible.
The episode was originally published as exclusive content for paying Patreon subscribers in January 2026, but was made freely available in May 2026. It is not uncommon for true crime podcasts to receive requests from victims' families and friends — sometimes asking them to stay silent, sometimes urging them to speak out. In this case, it was clearly the latter.
True Crime Society and the podcast's approach
True Crime Society is an established American true crime podcast series that has, since its founding, covered a wide range of murder investigations, missing persons cases, and other criminal matters from across the United States. The podcast is known for its close attention to case details and its engagement with the people affected by the crimes.