True crime has become one of the biggest genres in American media, laying bare the most brutal, opaque and spine-chilling sides of the human experience. The Capital Region has an infamous place in the annuls of the nation’s real-life horror stories. From torture cabins in the woods to Downtown Sacramento’s Victorian “murder house,” this area has kept storytellers busy with mind-numbing cases for nearly four decades.

The next ENLIGHTENMENT salon is especially for you True Crime aficionados, as we talk about why this genre feels so powerful in Sacramento, and why it has such a hold on the national psyche.

All three speakers on the couch are current or former professional crime journalists in Northern California – and all three have been deeply involved in unraveling the deeds of our region’s most notorious murderers.

* Scott Thomas Anderson, writer and producer of the true crime podcast Trace of the Devastation, will discuss how that project was born from his own childhood connection to the serial killers, Leonard Lake and Charles Ng.

* Steve Martarano, former crime journalist for the Sacramento Union, will take us back to when he was the first reporter on scene for what turned into discovering the unforgettable “Murder House” on F Street.

* Dakota Morlan, former crime reporter for the Calaveras Enterprise, will talk about how her one-on-one interview with maniacal killer Karl Karlson, and firsthand coverage of his trial, led to her appearances on Dateline NBC and the California True Crime podcast.

Ruhstaller BSMT has a variety of beers on tap, as well as kombucha, wine and sparkling water. Light snacks will be available, but please feel free to BYO food.

To claim your seat, register here on our Eventbrite page.