Field Trip host Lillian introduces a new investigative podcast called The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop, created by Washington Post reporter Martine Powers. The series investigates a Cold War mystery dating back 40 years to the Caribbean island of Grenada. In 1983, revolutionary leader Maurice Bishop was executed in a coup along with seven others, but the whereabouts of their remains are unknown. Powers spent nearly two years reporting on this story, conducting interviews with more than 100 people across multiple countries. Her sources include Grenadians, Americans, soldiers, diplomats, intelligence officers, and even a U.S. Congress member. The investigation focuses on how U.S. government actions shaped Grenada's fate during this period. In 1983, U.S. paratroopers invaded Grenada with helicopter gunships in a military operation that involved fierce battles. The podcast trailer features interviews with witnesses who claim no knowledge of Bishop's body or burial location. Many people speculate about what happened, but definitive answers have remained elusive for decades. Powers' persistent questioning has yielded new information, including contact with a forensic pathologist who was present in Grenada in 1983. This pathologist, reached by phone, suggests there are serious problems with the official account of events. The series promises new reporting about U.S. involvement in the mystery surrounding Bishop's disappearance. The first two episodes launch on October 23rd, with Washington Post subscribers receiving early access to subsequent episodes on Apple Podcasts. The podcast represents a significant investigative effort to solve one of the Cold War era's enduring mysteries. Powers' extensive reporting suggests that decades-old questions about this Caribbean nation's history may finally have answers. The series combines historical investigation with contemporary journalism to examine how international politics affected a small island nation. The mystery involves not just the fate of Bishop and his associates, but broader questions about U.S. foreign policy in the Caribbean during the 1980s.
