Before any episode reaches you, it goes through four verification steps. This page explains exactly what they are, so you know what to expect from every story here.
We start from the source closest to the event itself: official reports, court documents, statements from investigative bodies (FBI, public prosecution, etc.), or books written by parties directly involved in the case. We then review press coverage from known, credible media outlets, and avoid sites that spread information without a clear source or repeat unverified rumors.
An official source, to us, means: a government or judicial body (court, police, national archive), a major media institution with a long track record of credibility, or a party directly involved in the case (a book written by someone who lived the event, or a documented interview). Every source we use in an episode is listed on that episode's documentation page with a direct link you can verify yourself.
Every case has a fully confirmed part (dates, names, court rulings), and another part that might be a theory or a single person's account. We make that distinction clear within the episode itself — if a detail isn't 100% confirmed, we say so explicitly ("according to...", "not yet confirmed..."). We never present a theory as established fact.
A single person's testimony (even a party directly involved in the case) is treated as one source among several, not as absolute fact. When testimony conflicts with an official document or court ruling, we give weight to the official document, and clearly note the discrepancy if it matters to the story.
The goal isn't just to scare you or hook you — it's for you to walk away from every episode knowing something real happened, not just having heard a story.
— Khalil Al-Refai, on The Last File