The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop

Introducing “The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop”

Grenada’s Black revolutionary leader, Maurice Bishop, was executed in a coup in 1983, along with seven others. The whereabouts of their remains are unknown. Now, The Washington Post’s Martine Powers uncovers new answers about how the U.S. fits into this 40-year-old Caribbean mystery.“The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop” is an investigative podcast that delves into the revolutionary history of Grenada, why the missing remains still matter and the role the U.S. government played in shaping the fate of the island nation.

Episode 1: “Somebody knows”

Every 19th of October, Grenadians mark a somber anniversary: the 1983 execution of the country’s former prime minister and revolutionary leader, Maurice Bishop, and others who died alongside him. The people of this Caribbean nation still have no closure 40 years later. The remains of Bishop and his supporters were never returned to their family members and are missing to this day. In the first episode of “The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop,” The Washington Post’s Martine Powers takes us on the personal journey that led her to learn about Grenada’s history. Martine delves into why Bishop was such an influential figure, what made the United States nervous about him and why the mystery of his missing remains continues to haunt so many on the island. You can find photos and documents from the investigation in our special episode guide here [http://washingtonpost.com/emptygrave?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-empty-grave-of-comrade-bishop].Subscribers to The Washington Post can get early access to episodes 3-6 of the series on Apple Podcasts, as well as ad-free listening. Link your Post subscription now or sign up to become a new Post subscriber here.

Episode 2: “We all had great expectations”

Maurice Bishop was a charismatic leader who captured the imagination of many Grenadians. But the revolution he helped spark began to buckle under pressure within his own party. Martine Powers tries to understand the life of Bishop and what propelled him into the position of prime minister, the promise of the beginning of the revolution and the events that led to his brutal death. That history reveals why the mystery of the missing remains haunts Grenada to this day. Martine speaks with Bishop’s sister, his fellow revolutionaries and the family members of some of the other victims killed on Oct. 19, 1983. They tell harrowing stories of having their own lives endangered, the last moments they saw their loved ones alive and what it’s been like to not be able to give them a proper funeral. You can find photos and documents from the investigation in our special episode guide here [http://washingtonpost.com/emptygrave?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-empty-grave-of-comrade-bishop].Subscribers to The Washington Post can get early access to the rest of the series, on Mondays, on Apple Podcasts, as well as ad-free listening. Link your Post subscription now or sign up to become a new Post subscriber here.

Episode 3: “We brought them to Calivigny”

Annie Bain saw something 40 years ago that she’s been contemplating since: her husband’s ring, which was brought to her in the weeks after he died — and which she believes is proof that there are people who know what happened to his remains and those of the seven others killed with him on Oct. 19, 1983. This clue and Annie’s other recollections bring The Washington Post’s Martine Powers to the doorsteps of two men: a soldier who witnessed where the bodies were first taken, and a detective who tried to get answers about the remains in the aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Grenada. Martine gets one step closer to the empty grave and to new questions about the actions of the U.S. military.You can find photos and documents from the investigation in our special episode guide here. Subscribers to The Washington Post can get early access to the rest of the series on Mondays on Apple Podcasts, as well as ad-free listening. Link your Post subscription now or sign up to become a new Post subscriber here.

Episode 4: "The Army wants to look at some bodies"

Professor Robert Jordan was among the few people still on the campus of St. George’s University in November of 1983, in the days after the U.S. invasion of Grenada. One day a strange request came in: The U.S. military wanted to use his anatomy lab at the university for a forensic exam.Martine Powers visits what is left of the old lab and hears the professor’s story about what he saw that day. What transpired in that examination 40 years ago has raised serious questions about the identity and condition of the remains recovered from the pit at Calivigny.Later in the episode, Martine puts some of those questions to the “Grenada 17,” the individuals held responsible for the murder of Maurice Bishop and the others killed with him. She asks: What did they do with the bodies? And could they be omitting information that could explain the mystery?You can find photos and documents from the investigation in our special episode guide here. Subscribers to The Washington Post can get early access to the rest of the series on Mondays on Apple Podcasts, as well as ad-free listening. Link your Post subscription now or sign up to become a new Post subscriber here.