Chance Encounters

When a Russian-born American citizen named Ilya Beloozerov is gunned down by the FBI in 2024, the authorities refuse to say why they’d killed him. CNN’s Isabelle Chapman embarks on a sprawling investigation that takes her from the Mississippi parking lot where he died to Washington, D.C. to unravel the mystery: Why did Ilya abruptly leave his family and his job and head for the border with laptops and cash? Why is there still no official explanation of his death? And maybe most importantly: Was Ilya a spy?
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Great Escapes is a series about how sometimes travel doesn't go as planned, and how those moments often lead to the best stories. From a daring rescue atop the highest mountain in the Alps, to the moment two American tourists realized they were trapped inside a centuries-old Scottish castle.

Read along with the third episode at cnn.com/travel.

We'd love to hear your feedback on this episode. Let us know what you think by contacting CNN Travel via the contact form embedded in our articles.

Writer & Narrator: Francesca Street

Producer: Dan Bloom

Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig

Editor: David Allan

Global Editor, CNN Travel: Barry Neild

VP, Digital Franchises: Robert Boyle
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Great Escapes is a series about how sometimes travel doesn't go as planned, and how those moments often lead to the best stories. From a daring rescue atop the highest mountain in the Alps, to the moment two American tourists realized they were trapped inside a centuries-old Scottish castle.

Read along with the second episode at cnn.com/travel.

We'd love to hear your feedback on this episode. Let us know what you think by contacting CNN Travel via the contact form embedded in our articles.

Writer & Narrator: Francesca Street

Producer: Dan Bloom

Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig

Editor: David Allan

Global Editor, CNN Travel: Barry Neild

VP, Digital Franchises: Robert Boyle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Great Escapes is a series about how sometimes travel doesn't go as planned, and how those moments often lead to the best stories. From a daring rescue atop the highest mountain in the Alps, to the moment two American tourists realized they were trapped inside a centuries-old Scottish castle.

Read along with the first episode here.

You can find the series in written audio and video formats by visiting cnn.com/travel. We'd love to hear your feedback on this episode. Let us know what you think by contacting CNN Travel via the contact form embedded in our articles.

Writer & Narrator: Francesca Street

Producer: Dan Bloom

Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig

Editor: David Allan

Global Editor, CNN Travel: Barry Neild

VP, Digital Franchises: Robert Boyle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

American Kerri Cunningham fell for Brit Dirk Stevens when they met as teenagers on vacation. They were each other’s first love but lived on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Then almost three decades later, they unexpectedly reunited.

Read more Chance Encounters by Francesca Street

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Episode photo: iStock/Getty Images
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