Break in the Case

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In their own words

Follow NYPD detectives as they take you behind the scenes of New York City's most notorious criminal cases. Each episode revisits cases that once seemed impossible to crack, from cold cases to investigations that took unexpected turns. In Season 4, "Stories from ESU," some of NYPD's most highly-trained officers recount life or death emergencies as they risk everything to keep New Yorkers safe. This podcast is supported by the independent nonprofit New York City Police Foundation, and is written and produced by Jill Bauerle and Kenzie De Laine II. The podcast’s narrator, retired Detective Sergeant Wally Zeins, served at the NYPD from 1973 to 2003.

Why you'd press play

The bomb squad's first robot dies; the second sticks on the stairs. You're staying for the human plan.

Press play if you want

  • to hear why finding the right Brooklyn front door became a high-stakes problem
  • to follow bomb technicians through the decisions they faced when both robots failed
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Talks about

Best episodes of Break in the Case

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

The Brooklyn Job, Part 4Dec 23, 2025

Two failed robots leave bomb technicians facing deadly Brooklyn pipe bombs by hand.

The Brooklyn Job, Part 4 turns a bomb-disposal call into a taut account of pressure, judgment, and nerve. With two robots out of commission, Yurkiu and Teamsma have to approach pipe bombs packed with nails and nine millimeters by hand.

The Brooklyn Job (Part 2): No Win SituationDec 23, 2025

A Brooklyn bomb scare turns on whether a pencil sketch and apartment details match the building in question.

A late-night call from Brooklyn's 88th precinct pulls retired bomb squad detective Paul Yerkew into a report from an Egyptian national who says his roommates are assembling bombs.

The Buffs of the Police DepartmentDec 23, 2025

A retired ESU detective traces the gear, hard calls, and mentorship that shaped the work.

Emergency Service Unit work comes into sharp, practical focus through retired detective Laura Galenian, who spent 28 years with the NYPD, including her final 22 in ESU.

The Brooklyn Job (Part 3), Bomb FactoryDec 23, 2025

A wary immigrant, a rookie translator, and a Park Slope bomb raid make one apartment door a test of trust.

A 4 a.m. raid on a Park Slope apartment turns into a tight study of trust under pressure. Abdul Rahman Massaba rides with the NYPD's ESU toward the apartment he shares with Mezir and Khalil, who have been making bombs.

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Episodes

  1. 1

    The Buffs of the Police Department

    Hidden gem

    Break in the Case season four opens on the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, which Wally Zions describes as the team police call when patrol officers need specialized backup.

    Dec 23, 2025·22m·1 clip
  2. 2

    The Brooklyn Job (Part 2): No Win Situation

    On July 31, 1997, retired NYPD bomb squad detective Paul Yerkew responds after an Egyptian informant named Misaba claims five explosives are being assembled near Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue station.

    Dec 23, 2025·21m·1 clip
  3. 3

    The Brooklyn Job Part 1

    In Break in the Case: “The Brooklyn Job Part 1,” John Kowalczuk and Eric Huber hear a man say “bomb” near Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue station in July 1997.

    Dec 23, 2025·21m·1 clip
  4. 4

    Liberating Lady Liberty

    Hidden gem

    On July 4, 2018, the National Park Service evacuated Liberty Island after Patricia Okumo climbed the Statue of Liberty during a Rise and Resist protest.

    Dec 23, 2025·17m·1 clip
  5. 5

    The Most Stressful Jobs

    Hidden gem

    ESU negotiators use an 80-20 listening rule to build rapport and seek voluntary compliance.

    Dec 23, 2025·28m·1 clip
  6. 6

    The Brooklyn Job, Part 4

    Hidden gem

    Break in the Case: The Brooklyn Job, Part 4 follows the NYPD response to the July 31, 1997 apartment raid at 248 4th Avenue in Brooklyn.

    Dec 23, 2025·29m·2 clips
  7. 7

    The Brooklyn Job (Part 3), Bomb Factory

    Hidden gem

    Break in the Case: "The Brooklyn Job (Part 3), Bomb Factory" follows an NYPD ESU raid on 248 4th Avenue in Brooklyn after Abdul Rahman Massaba tells police that his roommates are making bombs.

    Dec 23, 2025·31m·2 clips
  8. 8

    New York Zodiac Copycat: East New York, Then and Now

    Jun 6, 2023·18m
  9. 9

    New York Zodiac Copycat: The Trial

    May 30, 2023·24m
  10. 10

    New York Zodiac Copycat: Only Orion Can Stop the Zodiac

    May 23, 2023·23m
  11. 11

    New York Zodiac Copycat: East New York Chaos

    May 16, 2023·21m
  12. 12

    New York Zodiac Copycat: Return of the Zodiac

    May 9, 2023·30m
  13. 13

    New York Zodiac Copycat: We Need to Put This Fire Out

    May 2, 2023·25m
  14. 14

    New York Zodiac Copycat: Kid, You've Got the Case

    Apr 25, 2023·23m
  15. 15

    The Real Crimes of the Fake German Heiress

    Apr 15, 2022·33m
  16. 16

    Queens Sniper Part 2

    Feb 11, 2022·44m
  17. 17

    Queens Sniper (Part 1)

    Dec 16, 2021·26m
  18. 18

    Two Homicides, One Gun, and a Pink Bag

    Nov 4, 2021·18m
  19. 19

    Ming the Harlem Tiger

    An NYPD officer recalls the 2003 tiger attack on Roy Horn and the department's reaction.

    Oct 21, 2021·32m
  20. 20

    The Man in the Baseball Hat

    Retired NYPD detectives recount the investigation of a series of assaults and robberies targeting elderly victims in 2011.

    Oct 7, 2021·21m
  21. 21

    Dark Web Undercover

    Sep 23, 2021·15m
  22. 22

    Who Killed Henryk? The Unsolved Homicide of 9/11

    This episode recounts the 9/11 terrorist attack from the perspective of NYPD first responders and investigators.

    Sep 9, 2021·25m
  23. 23

    Who is Monique?

    NYPD detectives recount the investigation of an unidentified woman's murder in South Brooklyn, seeking public help to solve the cold case.

    Dec 10, 2019·41m
  24. 24

    Baby Hope: In the Box

    Dec 3, 2019·47m
  25. 25

    Baby Hope: The Girl in the White Dress

    Nov 19, 2019·58m
  26. 26

    Baby Hope: A Colder Case

    Nov 13, 2019·52m
  27. 27

    Baby Hope: We Are Them

    Nov 5, 2019·36m
  28. 28

    Baby Hope: Into the Woods

    Oct 29, 2019·28m