Vanish

People have faked death to escape criminal convictions, debts, and their spouses. In 2007,a man named Amir Vehabovic faked his death just to see who showed up at the funeral (answer: only his mom). John Darwin faked his own death in a canoeing accident in the UK. And the ex-boyfriend of Olivia Newton John, Patrick Mcdermott, is rumored to have faked his death.

It's an appealing soap-opera fantasy, but actually disappearing requires an incredible amount of planning. How do you obtain a death certificate, a believable new identity, or enough money to start a new life? Today -- the answers to those questions, stories of fake death gone wrong, and a man who spends his life bringing back the dead.

PlayingDead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud, by Elizabeth Greenwood

StevenRambam's Investigative Agency, Pallorium, Inc.

Say hello on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our occasional newsletter,The Accomplice. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts:iTunes.com/CriminalShow.

We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery.

Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop.

Episode transcripts are posted on our website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices