Town file
Freeland, Washington
Freeland, Washington (Island County, Washington) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 624, "Beauty Queen Conspiracy Murder" (22 August 2025).
- Town
- Freeland
- County
- Island County
- State
- Washington
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 624
- Approximate location
- 48.028, -122.550
Episode 624 / 22 August 2025 / 73 min / express
Beauty Queen Conspiracy Murder
"It's Freeland, Whidbey Island, Washington. The town is Freeland... on Whidbey Island, which is in Washington... This is in Island County, seems appropriate." about 0:04:06
The case: Murder of Russell Douglas (December 26, 2003). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2025
- Population
- about 1,966
- Median household income
- $82,474
- Median home value
- $667,400
History, in brief
- George Washington Daniels and others incorporated the Free Land Association in 1900 and established the colony on land they purchased through a trust company. about 0:06:03
- Members purchased dividend-paying shares in the Association Store Fund and Machinery Fund and could pay for their land with the dividends, so the founders considered the land free. about 0:06:20
- The town was named Free Land because the founders considered their land to be free. about 0:06:33
- By 1902 members had to purchase their land outright, which ruined the whole scheme. about 0:06:44
- The town considered itself a cooperative profit-sharing association and rejected the rigid communal structure of other colonies on the island. about 0:06:50
- It described itself to the newspaper as simply a settlement of socialists cooperating on semi-capitalistic principles. about 0:06:50
The reviews read out
5 stars
"I love this town, probably one of the best places I have ever lived; it is such a safe place and I can really enjoy life here."about 0:07:19
4 stars
"Not much crime at all, just a few robberies, which make the police a little lackadaisical."about 0:07:33
2 stars
"It rains all the time, written in all caps."about 0:07:58
2 stars
"Very pricy and not very family friendly; no such thing as nightlife or clubbing."about 0:08:08
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Clearview, Washington23 miles
- Sequim, Washington25 miles
- Kirkland, Washington28 miles
- Lopez Island, Washington36 miles
- Port Angeles, Washington42 miles
- Acme, Washington50 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.