Are You Captain Purple
In the summer of 1983, Bedford, Indiana, was visited by a mysterious figure who left food, clothing, and handwritten letters at the doors of those in need. He left his gifts along with what would be his signature - a set of purple spray-painted footprints and called himself Captain Purple. For 43 years, his true identity has remained a mystery—until now? “Are You Captain Purple?” is an investigative podcast documentary series that revisits this hometown legend with fresh leads, never-before-published notes, and interviews with those who were forever changed by his generosity. Led by Emmy-nominated journalist Nick Storm and Bedford native Derek Ingersoll, the podcast explores not only who Captain Purple was, but why he did what he did—shining a light on the power of kindness, compassion, and community. Are You Captain Purple has quickly grown from a regional mystery into a nationally recognized independent podcast. The series was featured by Apple Podcasts, helping propel it onto the Apple Podcasts charts, where it climbed as high as No. 13 among the Top 100 Series and into the Top 40 in True Crime. The podcast has also been discussed and featured by USA Today, the Louisville Courier Journal, iHeartRadio, Bloomington Herald-Times, Indianapolis media and other outlets, generating coverage well beyond the Bedford, Indiana community where the story began.
Episodes
In the summer of 1983, Bedford, Indiana, was visited by a mysterious figure who left food, clothing, and handwritten letters at the doors of those in need. He left his gifts along with what would be his signature - a set of purple spray-painted footprints and called himself Captain Purple. For 43 years, his true identity has remained a mystery—until now?
“Are You Captain Purple?” is an investigative podcast docume...
Bedford, Indiana, 1983. A mysterious person leaves spray painted footprints at the steps of a local church and a letter declaring himself ‘Captain Purple.’ Other similar messages start appearing across the 12 square miles of the small Indiana town. Youth Pastor Harold Neeley recounts finding the letter at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, and the national interest, and fear that followed. Despite the nature of small to...
The search for suspects and inconsistencies between a file at the Bedford Police Department in 2025 and the stories of an officer from 1983 have Nick Storm and Derek Ingersoll chasing after the police.
In 1983, Bedford was distrustful of the captain, at least until some took a public stand. Nick and Derek track down Richard King, who was visited by Captain Purple in spring of 1983, and hear how that encounter prompted him to...
Nick and Derek continue their investigation into Captain Purple, the mysterious do-gooder in Bedford, Indiana, from the summer of 1983 that drew national attention.
In this episode they revisit the town’s pivot into accepting Captain Purple. They also find an interesting connection into the K Street corridor of the town where a nexus of Captain Purple visits are reported, and they make contact with the widow of former ...
Captain Purple is being chased by newspaper sports reporter Gary Gosch. The caped do-gooder also leaves a package and a request with the local radio station WBIW, and hangs a massive banner from an old structure along the highway.
Nick and Derek make contact with Rosemarie Sylvester, the main Captain Purple reporter from the Bedford Times Mail in 1983, and she offers information no one has ever heard before.
Bedford Police Officer Don Taylor has been named by his former colleagues and others as being the elusive do-gooder. What will he say after 43 years of speculation?
Are you Captain Purple? You can be. Check our webstore.
Original music in this episode by Owen Beverly.
‘You’re Never Satisfied’ by Ivory Wire.
Source notes for episode 5 are available here.
Love what we’re doing? Make a donation ...
After decades without a peep from Captain Purple the character remerges in Bedford in late 2016. Another newspaper reporter takes up the search into the mystery.
Nick and Derek get a letter from Captain Purple.
Are you Captain Purple? You can be. Check our webstore.
Original music in this episode by Owen Beverly.
‘IKYTYK’ by Quiet Confidence.
Long missing files regarding Captain Purple are located and a new suspect emerges.
Are you Captain Purple? You can be. Check our webstore for Captain Purple shirts.
Original music in this episode by Owen Beverly.
‘I Need Love’ by Mechanical River.
Love what we’re doing? Make a donation to support our independent storytelling.
The stunning finale of Are You Captain Purple.
Original music in this episode by Owen Beverly.
‘Heartstrings’ by Indianola featuring Owen Beverly.
Want to own a replica of the original Captain Purple Fan Club shirts that Janice Hamilton produced? Check our webstore.
Love what we’re doing? Make a donation to keep this reporting alive.
Have a hometown mystery to pitch? Email us at areyoucaptain...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.