A British weapons expert caught in a political firestorm. A German immigrant who became America's first double agent.

In this episode of the Secret Squirrel Files, Katie and Phoebe explore the mysterious death of Dr. David Kelly and the remarkable story of William Sebold, whose work helped dismantle the largest Nazi spy ring ever uncovered in the United States. Two cases, decades apart, that reveal the human side of intelligence, espionage, and national security.

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Dive into one of the most devastating espionage betrayals in American history — and one of the strangest unsolved disappearances tied to the military intelligence world. In this episode of Secret Squirrel Files, we unpack the shocking case of CIA officer Aldrich Ames, the Cold War double agent who sold out U.S. intelligence assets to the Soviet Union, compromising more than 100 operations and changing national security vetting forever. From financial red flags and polygraphs that should have failed, to the insider threat lessons that still shape security clearance policy today, this case reveals how one trusted insider caused catastrophic damage from within.

Then, we shift to the eerie and unresolved disappearance of Army specialist Justin Burgwinkel. A young soldier fascinated by covert operations, Burgwinkel vanished in 1993 after exhibiting increasingly paranoid behavior, making cryptic references to “missions,” carrying a mysterious briefcase, and warning loved ones that if his dog tags were ever found, it meant he was dead. Was he suffering a psychological breakdown, fabricating a secret identity, or caught up in something far more dangerous?

From Cold War espionage to unsolved military mysteries, this episode explores the blurry line between secrecy, paranoia, intelligence culture, and real-world consequences.

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This week on Secret Squirrel Files, Katie and Phoebe explore two terrorism cases that permanently reshaped national security, aviation safety, and America’s understanding of extremism. First, Katie unpacks Operation Bojinka — the terrifying 1995 terror plot that foreshadowed 9/11 and nearly brought down multiple commercial airliners over the Pacific. Then, Phoebe examines the Oklahoma City bombing and the radicalization of Timothy McVeigh, the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history at the time.

The conversation dives into the warning signs investigators uncovered, the failures and vulnerabilities exposed by both attacks, and how these events transformed counterterrorism efforts in the United States. From aviation security protocols to the lasting effects of extremist ideology, this episode explores the real-world consequences of terror plots that still shape our lives today.

⚠️ Listener discretion advised: this episode discusses terrorism, mass casualties, and violence involving children.

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