In 1979, sixteen-year-old college prodigy James Dallas Egbert III disappeared from Michigan State University, and instead of asking how a gifted kid fell through the cracks, America panicked.

In this debut episode of Nerd Crime Files, Nate explores the true story behind James’ disappearance, the infamous steam-tunnel myth, and how Dungeons & Dragons became a convenient scapegoat for fear, misinformation, and moral panic. From sensational media coverage to pop-culture fallout like Mazes and Monsters, this episode traces the origins of the Satanic Panic and the recurring pattern of blaming imagination instead of addressing mental health.

This isn’t a story about a game causing harm.

It’s a story about what happens when panic moves faster than empathy.

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