
The Debutante
Now, with a Stunning Bonus Episode!
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Narrated by:
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Jon Ronson
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By:
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Jon Ronson
This is the story of a Tulsa debutante who, as a result of a series of unlikely and often very bad life choices she made in the '90s, found herself in the midst of one of the most terrible crimes ever to take place in America.
Thirty years ago, award-winning journalist Jon Ronson stumbled on the mystery of Carol Howe-a charismatic, wealthy former debutante turned white supremacist spokeswoman turned undercover informant. In 1995, Carol was spying on Oklahoma's neo-Nazis for the government just when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.
Ever since then, Carol has haunted the imaginations of survivors and investigators because of a rumor that had begun to swirl: If her information had only been listened to, she could have prevented the worst domestic terrorist attack in US history.
The question mystified Ronson. In The Debutante, he embarks on an investigative journey to seek the truth about the woman who grew up in a world of privilege and opportunity and whose teenage rebellion spiraled out of control, leading her to extreme radicalization.
The Debutante takes a closer look at Carol's world, where truth is shrouded and seldom guaranteed. Rare court tapes, diary entries, undercover ATF surveillance audio, and interviews with those who crossed paths with Carol depict a complex woman whose motivations have been hypothesized about for decades. With curiosity and insight at the forefront of his work, Ronson delivers a new perspective on the extraordinary story of Carol Howe.
Now The Stunning Conclusion To The Debutante
In 1996 Carol wrote to her parents, “In my new life, I will have to be very average to avoid suspicion.” Then she vanished from the world. Until January 2025, when Jon Ronson received an extraordinary message from a woman who said she was Carol’s neighbor. As a result of the devastating information in the message, Jon travelled to the small town in Tennessee where Carol had been living under an assumed name to meet those closest to her. In this brand new epilogue, they share for the first time incredible stories that paint a much fuller picture of Carol, from her childhood to her final days.
©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2023 Audible Originals, LLC.Listeners also enjoyed...




















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The Debutante
- Now, with a Stunning Bonus Episode!
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Thirty years ago, award-winning journalist Jon Ronson stumbled on the mystery of Carol Howe—a charismatic, wealthy former debutante turned white supremacist spokeswoman turned undercover informant. In 1995, Carol was spying on Oklahoma’s neo-Nazis for the government just when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.
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Interesting but not compelling
- By Gail Jester on 04-15-23
The mysterious woman who warned of Oklahoma City
Untangle the mysterious life of a Tulsa debutante.

About the Creator and Performer
Featured Article: The Best Unsolved Mystery Podcasts to Uncover Your Inner Investigator
There are so many unsolved mysteries in the world, from murders that have stumped investigators for decades to the enigma of extraterrestrials, supernatural phenomena, and the afterlife. Such seemingly eclectic subjects all stimulate our capacity to wonder and have fascinated humans for as long as we've been telling stories. No wonder that some of our favorite podcasts seek to shed light on such mysteries, both big and small.
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Interesting story...
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Smoke, not fire
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Interesting, informative and really well done
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Do they really hear you?
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Very Interesting
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Ronson yet again delivers….
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Wonderful
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Most interesting to me while listening was thinking about, and knowing about, all of this happening on a day to day basis now, everyday in this country and others! Perhaps even more so these days! This story is very relevant for these times!
Just when you think you’ve heard it all
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Jon is a fabulous story teller
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Engaging investigation
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