Eight-part series uncovers the truth behind a string of deaths in Missouri at Truman State University’s Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity house, the most infamous suicide cluster in American history

Listen to the official audio trailer now HERE

ST. LOUIS – October 7, 2025 – iHeartPodcasts and Coolfire Studios announced today the launch of The Peacemaker, a new true-crime podcast hosted by investigative journalists Ben Westhoff (Fentanyl, Inc.) and Ryan Krull (St. Louis Magazine). The eight-part investigative series drops Tuesday, October 14, with new episodes released weekly, available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard. 

The Peacemaker will take listeners to Truman State University, a small liberal arts college in Missouri often called the “Harvard of the Midwest.” Between 2016 and 2017, the campus was shaken by a rash of suicides. Many of them were from the Alpha Kappa Lambda (AKL) fraternity and all had close ties to a fellow student named Brandon Grossheim.

Grossheim, the house manager at AKL, was close friends with all of the victims and found some of their bodies. After their deaths, he began dating some of the victims’ girlfriends and wearing one of the victim’s clothes. He was kicked out of his fraternity and is now being sued in civil court over the deaths. Yet not everyone believes Grossheim is guilty. Some call him a caring and empathetic underclassman who had a string of bad luck. He even called himself “The Peacemaker” for his supposed ability to counsel his classmates in their darkest moments. 

But as the suicides continued mounting and police interviewed him at death scenes over and over again, suspicion grew. Why was he so closely tied to all of these suicides? Was he somehow responsible for them? Through exclusive interviews and on-the-ground reporting, hosts Westhoff and Krull will expose new revelations and never-told details, going deeper than anyone has before on this disturbing case—one that continues to divide a college town, perplex the devastated families of the bereaved, and raise urgent questions about mental health, responsibility and justice.

The Peacemaker will bring to light shocking revelations about what really happened inside the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity house and the man at the center of it all. 

The Peacemaker is distributed by iHeartPodcasts. Listeners can hear the trailer now, here.

Editor’s Note:

Include the podcast audio player directly into your article or website using the following embed code.

<iframe allow="autoplay" width="100%" height="300" src="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-peacemaker-297896120/?embed=true" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Download the show cover art HERE.

ABOUT COOLFIRE STUDIOS 
Coolfire Studios is a full-service creative and production company based in St. Louis. The studio develops branded entertainment, commercials, documentaries, podcasts, and large-scale content marketing programs for national and global brands. Their work spans from high-end cinematic storytelling to scalable digital and social content, giving them flexibility to serve both Fortune 500 companies and fast-moving marketing teams.

Beyond branded work, Coolfire has a rich history in original unscripted television, producing hit series for major streaming platforms and TV networks. This blend of entertainment pedigree and brand experience gives the team a unique edge, approaching every project with the creative flair of television storytelling and the precision of marketing performance.

ABOUT BEN WESTHOFF
Ben Westhoff is a St. Louis based-investigative journalist and author of the best-selling books Fentanyl, Inc. and Original Gangstas. Focusing on drugs, culture, and poverty, his books are taught around the country and have been translated into languages all over the world. He has written for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and has appeared on Fresh Air and Joe Rogan.

ABOUT RYAN KRULL
Ryan Krull has covered St. Louis and Missouri for ten years, as a freelance reporter, for the Riverfront Times and now for St. Louis Magazine, where he co-authors the popular St. Louis Daily newsletter.