DIVE INTO THE PAST. "Doppelnamers," a podcast, tells the story of Elizabeth Russell, a woman tried for murder in Eau Claire in 1892. (Pictured are Eau Claire Circuit Court case files at UW-Eau Claire's special collections and archives department.)

If you've ever wondered what kind of life a person who shares your name may have led, you're not alone. Lawyer – and now podcaster – Elizabeth Russell set out to learn more about her "doppelnamer," Elizabeth Russell, who lived in the late 19th century, and the journey resulted in a new podcast.

Told alongside co-hosts Mary Jeanne Stead and Cathy Boyle Almeida, Doppelnamers is an 11-episode podcast that delves into the life of a past Elizabeth Russel: a pioneer woman who was tried for murder in 1892 in Eau Claire.

Russell makes the case that the story of her doppelnamer features many parallels to problems in society today: misogyny; corruption; misinformation; anti-immigrant sentiment; mob mentality; body autonomy; the abuse of sexual power. To tell the story, the Russell of today leads her co-hosts – who have never heard the story before – and listeners through glimpses of life in the late 19th century, so we might better understand her doppelnamer's situation before the events unfold. 

Once the stage is set and players introduced, a tale of intrigue with twists and turns develops, one that resembles a Victorian-era murder mystery. Other doppelnamers are introduced and dismissed along the way (one of them gored by a bull). Russell reports the story, drifting between the hosts' contemporary observations of the past, and written words of yore that feature the colorful language you might expect.

You can listen to the 11-part podcast from Doppelnamers anywhere you listen to podcasts or at doppelnamers.com.