On Murder; On a Con Man

I wrote two pretty on-brand stories in July.

For The Atlantic, I wrote about Matthew Cox, a man who was on the most-wanted list after committing millions of dollars of mortgage fraud, and how he established new career from prison… as a true crime writer. Is this a sincere attempt at reinvention or is it just an indication that Cox has an instinct for hot markets?

For Outside, I wrote about two hikers — Louisa Jespersen and Maren Ueland — who were murdered by ISIS sympathizers when they hiked Mount Toubkal in Morocco last December. I lived in Morocco over a decade ago and have fond memories of the hike & the region. I wanted to use this piece to explore how acts of terrorism reveal the fragile, tourist-dependent economies of places like the Atlas Mountains.