Shows
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: Dorángel Vargas – El Comegente ("The People Eater")“Eating people is like eating pears.”Dorángel Vargas—known in Venezuela as El Comegente (“The People Eater”)—is one of the most disturbing figures in modern true crime. A homeless man living beneath bridges in the Andean state of Táchira, Vargas confessed to killing and eating multiple men during the late 1990s.But this episode of The A-Z Of Psychopaths asks a question that most true crime podcasts avoid:Was Dorángel Vargas actually a psychopath? Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, Vargas presents...
2026-02-0606 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: Ottis Toole – Confession & CredibilityOttis Toole: the serial killer who confessed to almost everything. Ottis Toole is remembered as one of America’s most disturbing serial killers — a drifter, arsonist, alleged cannibal, and prolific confessor who claimed responsibility for dozens of murders, including some he almost certainly did not commit.In this episode of The A-Z Of Psychopaths, Simon Ford examines the life and crimes of Ottis Toole, separating what is known from what is claimed. From his chaotic childhood and cognitive impairments to his close association with Henry Lee Lucas, Toole’s case raises an uncomfortable question at the...
2026-01-3008 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: Doctor Harold Shipman – "Doctor Death"A trusted family GP.A reassuring bedside manner.With a liking for lethal injections.Harold Shipman is believed to have murdered more than 200 patients, making him the most prolific serial killer in British history. He didn’t stalk strangers or lurk in the shadows — he operated in plain sight, protected by professional status, routine, and trust.In this episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford examines how Shipman exploited authority, medical knowledge, and the assumptions of those around him — and why his crimes represent a catastrophic failure...
2026-01-2705 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: Richard Ramirez – The Night StalkerRichard Ramirez didn’t stalk victims because they were chosen. He stalked them because they were there. Armed with no fixed pattern, no consistent victim type, and a worldview steeped in chaos, Ramirez terrorised California in the mid-1980s — breaking into homes at random, switching methods, and leaving behind scenes of extraordinary violence.In this episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford examines what made Ramirez so uniquely frightening: his lack of boundaries, his thrill-seeking brutality, and the unsettling truth that chance — not planning — often decided who lived and who died. Because when a kill...
2026-01-2305 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: Marie Besnard – The Queen Of PoisonersWherever she went, death followed – but the authorities never had the evidence to convict her.Marie Besnard was accused of murdering at least a dozen people over three decades, quietly dispatching husbands, relatives, and neighbours with arsenic while maintaining the image of a respectable provincial widow. But here’s the twist: after years of trials, scientific disputes, and forensic confusion, Besnard walked free. So was she a calculating serial poisoner — or the victim of flawed science, hysteria, and a justice system struggling to keep up with toxicology?In this episode of The A–Z Of...
2026-01-1905 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesA Psycho Killer Christmas Message To Our FansThanks for your support during a fantastic year!Hi, it’s Simon here. On behalf of Jacques and me, we want to wish you a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2026!This year has been huge — three new strands, a growing community of true-crime fans, and more ambitious plans ahead.Listen in for a festive message and a glimpse of what’s coming in the New Year, including bonus content, Patreon perks, and our back catalogue for binge-worthy listening.Become a Patreon supporter for more of the authentic, true-c...
2025-12-2301 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: Charles Ng – sadist, manipulator, and one half of a killing machine.He built a torture bunker and videotaped acts of depraved cruelty.Charles Ng is one half of one of America’s most disturbing criminal duos. Alongside Leonard Lake, he participated in a series of kidnappings, tortures, and murders carried out in a remote bunker in the foothills of California.Their videotapes — cold, clinical, and horrifying — remain among the most chilling pieces of evidence in US criminal history. In this episode, Simon Ford examines Ng’s background, his manipulative personality, and the toxic partnership that allowed Lake’s violent fantasies to become reality.We also lo...
2025-12-1504 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe Black Panther: Lynn Dorling – A Witness To HistoryJoin us live at 19.30 GMT, Thursday, 11 December 2025, from the exact location where the Black Panther was brought down.For Lynn Dorling, Thursday, 11 December 1975, was just another day at the village school in Blidworth, where she was head teacher. But the next day, Friday, would be a day like no other.Overnight, just down the road in Rainworth, another colliery community, Britain's most wanted fugitive had been arrested in dramatic circumstances. The children arrived bursting with the news – and bursting with pride at the bravery of the grown-ups who'd helped tackle an armed killer with th...
2025-12-1110 minPsycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesPsycho Killer: In The Footsteps Of The Black PantherTo mark 50 years since the capture of Britain's most wanted fugitive, Jacques and Simon retrace the Panther's movements on the night he was caught.Donald Neilson, dubbed the Black Panther for his ruthless cunning and stealthiness, thought he was above the law. Invincible, even. So when a couple of Bobbies asked him what he was up to one night in December 1975, Neilson responded by hijacking their patrol car at gunpoint.His plan? Nobody really knows, but we suspect it would have been curtains for the unfortunate cops. Then, providence threw them a lifeline.
2025-12-1033 minPsycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe Black Panther: 50th Anniversary PreviewA predator with a shotgun. A village that refused to let him escape.On 11 December 1975, armed robber and murderer Donald Neilson — the Black Panther — was finally captured in the Nottinghamshire village of Rainworth. In this 10-minute on-location scene setter, presenter Simon Ford revisits the streets where it happened, explaining who the Panther was, why he was feared, and how the people of Rainworth helped bring him down.The episode includes gripping eyewitness testimony from local man Paul Cullen, who, as a teenager, watched the dramatic struggle outside the village fish-and-chip shop.On 11 Dece...
2025-12-0811 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: Charles Manson – The PuppetmasterManson didn’t kill people. He convinced people to kill.Charles Manson never stabbed, shot, or strangled any of the victims in the Tate–LaBianca murders — yet he was the driving force behind every killing. Through psychological manipulation, apocalyptic ideology, and a cult-like hold on his followers, Manson created one of the most disturbing criminal networks of the 20th century. In this episode, Simon Ford examines the roots of Manson’s influence, the psychology that underpinned his control, and the crimes that cemented his place in true-crime history. From the counterculture backdrop to the forensic...
2025-12-0504 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesA-Z Of Psychopaths: Henri Landru – The Bluebeard Of ParisA polite smile, a marriage proposal, and a stove full of ashes.Henri Désiré Landru was one of France’s most notorious killers — a polite, moustachioed gentleman who lured vulnerable women with promises of marriage during World War I. Once they entered his villas, they vanished forever. In this episode, Simon Ford examines Landru’s double life, his careful record-keeping, and the forensic evidence that shocked France. Was he a cunning predator shaped by wartime chaos, or a calculating psychopath hiding in plain sight?We break down his crimes, his psychology, and the e...
2025-12-0104 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesA-Z Of Psychopaths: Richard Kuklinski – The IcemanMob enforcer. Contract killer. Self-made legend.Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski is one of America’s most infamous contract killers — a man who claimed to have murdered more than 100 people while working for New Jersey and New York crime families. But behind the macabre legend lies a killer who blended real violence with outright invention. In this episode, Simon Ford looks at the psychology, the mob connections, and the mythmaking behind Kuklinski’s criminal career. From freezing bodies to confuse coroners to his chilling interviews with forensic psychologist Dr Park Dietz, Kuklinski remains a disturbing figure at t...
2025-11-2804 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesA-Z Of Psychopaths: Jack The Ripper – The Phantom Of WhitechapelUnmasking the psychology behind London’s most infamous phantom.In this 5-minute deep dive into criminal history, journalist and true crime storyteller Simon Ford revisits the most famous unsolved murder spree of all time.Jack the Ripper murdered at least five women—Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly—in a frenzy of theatrical brutality that shocked Victorian London. But beyond the myth, the fog, and the fear… who was he? This episode explores:The killings and their escalating violenceWhy the identity of Jack the Ripper remains fiercely...
2025-11-2404 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesA-Z Of Psychopaths: Israel Keyes – The Methodical MonsterHe buried “kill kits” across America… but that was only the start of Israel Keyes’ monstrous planning.Israel Keyes is one of the most terrifying killers in modern American history — not because of the crimes we can prove, but because of the ones we can’t. Keyes built “kill kits” years before he used them, travelled thousands of miles to find random victims, and prided himself on having no recognisable pattern.In this episode, Simon Ford unpacks the forensic details, psychological insights, and chilling contradictions behind Keyes’ double life. From his calm, calculated interviews to the cold effici...
2025-11-2105 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesIt Takes Two... Charles Starkweather & Caril Ann Fugate: 1950s Teen Rampage KillersSometimes love is blind… and sometimes it’s deadly.In 1958, Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend Caril Fugate embarked on a killing spree across Nebraska that left 11 people dead and America terrified. But was Caril a victim—or an accomplice? In this episode, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell dissect the couple’s toxic relationship, their violent road trip, and the long shadow the case still casts over true crime, youth culture, and media sensationalism.Hear how the courts ruled, what happened to Caril, and why the debate over her guilt or innocence continues...
2025-11-1917 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesA-Z Of Psychopaths: H Is For Holmes – America's First Serial KillerEnter the "Murder Castle" in our latest, chilling, bite-sized episode.H.H. Holmes is often described as America’s first serial killer, but that title barely captures the scale of his crimes. A charming conman and medical swindler, Holmes built a three-storey “Murder Castle” in Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair — complete with secret passages, soundproofed rooms, and hidden furnaces.In this episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford explores Holmes’s chilling psychology. From pathological lying and manipulation to financial fraud, bigamy, and murder for profit, Holmes exhibited the hallmarks of a true psychop...
2025-11-1704 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: G Is For Gacy – The Killer ClownBeneath the clown makeup, he hid 33 bodies — and the soul of a psychopath.John Wayne Gacy — the “Killer Clown” — was one of America’s most horrifying murderers.By day, he was a respected businessman and community volunteer. By night, he tortured and killed young men, burying thirty-three bodies beneath his suburban Chicago home.In this chilling episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford examines Gacy’s double life and the psychological traits that made him such a dangerous predator. Using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, he uncovers how superficial charm, narcissism, and total lack of re...
2025-11-1404 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesIt Takes Two... Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow: A New PerspectiveWhen Bonnie met Clyde, a myth began — but what actually drove them to kill?Step into the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow — but not as you know it. This isn’t a simple love-and-crime saga. It’s a study of two personalities colliding, of fear and fascination, of power and vulnerability. In this episode of It Takes Two, journalist Simon Ford and former major-crime detective Jacques Morrell bring you:The historical backdrop of 1950s America — from juvenile delinquency panic to the lure of the motor-car getaway.An in-depth look at the personal dynamic of Bonnie...
2025-11-1220 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: F Is For Fish – The Brooklyn VampireHe called himself “a real-life boogeyman.”Albert Fish was every parent’s worst nightmare. A kindly old man on the outside, but beneath the surface — a sadist, cannibal, and predator of children. In this deeply disturbing episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford examines the twisted psychology of “The Brooklyn Cannibal” — a man whose crimes shocked America and still haunt the true-crime world today.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.
2025-11-1004 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesPsycho Killer Presents: The Detective's Files (Episode 5) – ABH Gone WrongPolice speak in code — but what does it really mean when a detective says ‘ABH gone wrong’?When a detective says “ABH gone wrong,” what do they really mean? Is it code, cold detachment — or something darker? Behind every headline and police press briefing lies a secret language: blunt, efficient, and sometimes brutal. In this episode of The Detective’s Files, Simon Ford and former detective Jacques Morrell decode the jargon of murder investigations — uncovering how words can reveal, conceal, and even distort the truth. It’s a rare glimpse inside the mind of the police and the media they...
2025-11-0840 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: E Is For Ed (Gein) – The Butcher Of PlainfieldGrave robber and the real-life inspiration for Norman Bates and Leatherface.Ed Gein, the mild-mannered handyman from Plainfield, Wisconsin, shocked the world when police discovered what lay behind his farmhouse walls: human remains, skin masks, and grisly trophies made from corpses. But beneath the horror lies a deeper psychological question — what drove him to do it? In this episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford dissects the life and crimes of Ed Gein, the so-called “Butcher of Plainfield.” They explore his twisted devotion to his mother, Augusta, his macabre “projects” inspired by loneliness an...
2025-11-0704 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: D Is For Doss – The Giggling GrannyShe baked pies for her neighbours — and buried her husbands in the garden. Meet Nanny Doss: The Giggling Granny.She looked like everyone’s favourite grandmother — smiling, baking, and always laughing.But Nanny Doss’s laughter hid a terrible secret. Over three decades, she poisoned, smothered, and strangled 11 members of her own family — husbands, children, her mother, even her sister.Her motive? A twisted mix of romance, resentment, and control. Known as The Giggling Granny, Doss confessed with a smile — and kept on giggling as she described each killing in detail.In this epis...
2025-11-0303 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: C Is For Cianciulli – The Soap-Maker Of CorregioShe was convinced her children would die unless she made a human sacrifice.In Episode 3 of The A-Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford delves into one of Italy’s most macabre murderers: Leonarda Cianciulli — the Soap-Maker of Correggio.During the chaos of World War II, Cianciulli murdered three women and used their remains to make soap and teacakes.But behind the horror lies a deeper question: what twisted psychology drove a superstitious mother to kill in the name of protection?Discover the disturbing blend of delusion, ritual, and maternal obse...
2025-10-3104 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesA-Z Of Psychopaths: B Is For Báthory – The Bloody CountessShe lured peasant girls to her castle, and they were never seen again.In the second episode of The A-Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford investigates the legend — and the truth — behind Countess Elizabeth Báthory, often called “The Bloody Countess.”Accused of torturing and killing hundreds of young women, Báthory’s story sits at the crossroads of myth, misogyny, and madness.Was she a sadistic noblewoman or a victim of political intrigue? We separate fact from folklore in this haunting mini-episode.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com...
2025-10-2704 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesThe A-Z Of Psychopaths: A Is For Alcala – The Dating Game KillerHe really did go on TV in the middle of his murder spree.In the first episode of The A-Z of Psychopaths, we explore the chilling crimes of Rodney Alcala, infamously known as “The Dating Game Killer.” Join Simon Ford as he unpacks Alcala’s manipulative personality, his methodical approach to murder, and the psychological patterns that made him one of America’s most notorious serial killers.This episode sets the stage for our A-to-Z exploration of history’s most disturbing minds.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.co...
2025-10-2404 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesIt Takes Two... Paul Bernardo And Karla Homolka: Love, Control And The Banality of EvilWhen love turns lethal: the Ken and Barbie Killers.In this episode of It Takes Two…, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell explore Canada’s most chilling criminal couple: Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. Were they partners in evil — or a manipulator and his victim? A gripping, psychological deep dive into love, power, and shared psychopathy.References & AcknowledgementsWe gratefully acknowledge the following sources that informed this episode:Radio-Canada Interview with Karla Homolka (Joyce Napier, 2005) — Parts 1 & 2 available on YouTube:Part 1Part 2This rare inte...
2025-10-2033 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesIt Takes Two: The Dark Synergy Of Ian Brady And Myra HindleyMurder Was The Glue That Bound ThemIan Brady and Myra Hindley are remembered as the Moors Murderers. But beyond the horror, their story forces us to ask: how does a psychopath recruit a partner, and what happens when love and loyalty become tools of murder? In this episode of Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell explore the dark synergy between Brady and Hindley — complementary fit, closed-world isolation and the momentum of co-offending.We revisit psychiatrist Jeremy Coid’s insight that Brady may have been “born evil,” and hear...
2025-10-1323 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesIt Takes Two… Fred & Rose West: Britain’s Deadliest CoupleThe victims never stood a chance against their combined cruelty.Some killers act alone. Some form a partnership so toxic and unstoppable that the results are catastrophic.In this episode of It Takes Two, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell examine Fred and Rose West, Britain’s most infamous killer couple. We explore Fred’s early life and pre-existing crimes, Rose’s abusive upbringing, and how two damaged people fused into a dark partnership.From their home in Gloucester to the courtroom, discover the psychological dynamics that made them so lethal, and th...
2025-10-0622 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesIt Takes Two: Leonard Lake & Charles NgIt Takes Two to Kill: Leonard Lake & Charles NgSerial killers usually act alone. But sometimes, two broken personalities collide — and the result is catastrophic. In the launch episode of our new series, It Takes Two, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell investigate Leonard Lake and Charles Ng, a sadistic duo who turned a remote cabin in California into a chamber of horrors.We explore their warped backgrounds, the psychology of killer partnerships, and the devastating human toll of their crimes. What happens when one man’s fantasies meet another’s lack of restrai...
2025-09-2925 minPsycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesPsycho Killer Presents: The Detective’s Files (Episode 4) – Fingerprints: A Forgotten Crime SolverFingerprints may not grab headlines like DNA, but they’ve been solving crimes for over a century. In this episode, Jacques Morrell shares stories from his detective career where fingerprints cracked cases ranging from burglary and cheque fraud to cold-blooded murder.Simon and Jacques also trace the history of fingerprinting: from its discovery in the 19th century, to the first conviction in Argentina in 1892, and high-profile British murder cases where a single print made all the difference.Join us as we reveal how fingerprints remain one of the most reliable—and sometimes overlooked—tools in for...
2025-09-2528 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesWhy Does America Have The Most Serial Killers? Part 2: Bureaucracy, Guns & Pop CultureWhy Bureaucracy, Hollywood, and the NRA Helped Serial Killers ThriveWhy does America remain the global epicentre of serial killers? In Part Two of Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell uncover how bureaucracy, pop culture, and gun culture shaped the rise of American serial murderers.From the FBI’s behavioural profiling to the National Rifle Association’s influence, from Hollywood’s romanticisation of killers to the chilling question of whether Millennials and Gen Z will break the cycle, this episode digs deeper into America’s darkest shadows.We exami...
2025-09-2227 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesWhy Does America Have The Most Serial Killers? Part 1: The Perfect StormInside America’s Darkest Secret: The Serial Killer Capital of the World.Why does the USA have more serial killers per capita than any other country?From Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer to the Golden State Killer and Samuel Little, the United States has produced almost 70% of all known serial murderers—despite making up less than 5% of the world’s population. In this episode of Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell uncover the data, the history, and the psychology that explain America’s dark reputation.We explor...
2025-09-1522 min
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime StoriesPsycho Killer Presents: The Detective's Files – True Crime Tales With Jacques Morrell (Episode 2)Behind every sudden death, there’s a story—and a detective who has to uncover it.In this second episode of The Detective’s Files, Jacques Morrell sits down with Simon Ford to explore how the police investigate unexpected deaths.From natural causes to cases of suicide, Jacques reflects on his time in uniform—sharing first-hand experiences with the deceased and their families, and explaining the vital roles of the police surgeon and coroner.While procedures have changed over the years, Jacques reveals that professionalism is always defined by calmness, compassion, and respect i...
2025-09-1032 min