This new episode of Radley Balko’s podcast on The Intercept, Collateral Damage: Blown Cover, takes a hard look at the reckless ways that law enforcement endangers the lives of its most vulnerable informants. The episode is devoted to the heartbreaking story of LeBron Gaither, an 18-year-old informant who was tortured and killed after Kentucky police carelessly revealed his identity. For more information about the lawsuit filed by Gaither’s grandmother, see this post: Police found liable for young informant’s death.
The podcast also features Sarah Stillman, author of the influential New Yorker article “The Throwaways,” in which she exposed the widespread use and abuse of child informants. That article helped inspire a 60 Minutes special episode, “Confidential Informants,” about college students pressured to work as informants. For more stories about the use of young informants, see these posts.