April 29, 2025 • 12 mins
April 2025 brought chilling headlines from around the world. In this special ClueTrail Bulletin episode, we recap the biggest and most unsettling crime stories of the month—from violent cult leaders and international manhunts, to school stabbings and shocking conspiracies. True crime in real time.
Dive into the latest with ClueTrail: where every headline has a hidden story.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to Cloutrel Bulletin, the latest series from
Cloutrel, where we step out ofthe past and into the present,
bringing you the biggest,strangest and most unsettling
crime stories making headlinesaround the world this month.
We begin April's episode on asomber note.
(00:38):
The world said goodbye toVirginia Giuffre, who passed
away at just 41.
Virginia wasn't just a nametied to Jeffrey Epstein's crime.
She was a symbol of survivaland resilience.
From exposing Epstein andGhislaine Maxwell's network to
(00:59):
standing up to Prince Andrew,virginia's bravery forced global
attention on the dark world oftrafficking and abuse.
Her family called her a fiercewarrior and that's exactly how
she'll be remembered.
(01:20):
We are going next to Sydney,where a quiet suburban street
became the scene of a terrifyingattack.
This looks straight out of afilm.
A 45-year-old woman waskidnapped from her home in
Bankstown by five armed men.
Within an hour, what policebelieved to be her body was
(01:42):
found in a burnt-out car.
What police believed to be herbody was found in a burnt-out
car.
If that wasn't horrific enough,an eight-year-old boy known to
the woman was also violentlyassaulted during the attack.
The child remains in thehospital in an induced coma,
(02:03):
with doctors fearing he willsuffer long-term complications.
Another child, aged 15, wasalso at the house when the
kidnapping happened, but he wasleft unharmed, although because
of the trauma the child wentthrough, unfortunately this will
leave lifelong scars.
According to the New South WalesPolice, this wasn't random.
Detectives have linked thecrime to an organized crime
(02:26):
network allegedly connected tolarge-scale drug manufacturing.
The intended target was thewoman's partner, who, police say
, was involved with thesyndicate.
Most likely to settle a scoreor seek some sort of revenge
against him, they targeted hisinnocent family members.
(02:46):
This was somethinginvestigators called rare and
unprecedented.
No arrests have been made yet,but police in both New South
Wales and Victoria have launcheda full-scale investigation,
including raids uncovering druglabs in rural properties.
Let's hope all thoseresponsible are caught for this
(03:08):
horrific crime.
One of the most disturbing casesto emerge from Europe this
April was of a German palliativecare doctor who has been
charged with the murder of 15patients.
What is scary, investigatorsfear that number could rise.
(03:31):
The 40-year-old physician,whose identity is protected
under German's privacy laws, isaccused of giving a cocktail of
anesthetics and muscle relaxantsto his patients.
These drugs would quietlyparalyse his patients' breathing
, leading to death withinminutes.
(03:51):
Twelve women and three men agedbetween 25 and 94, allegedly
died at the hands of this doctor.
These were people who trustedhim at their most vulnerable
moments.
This case goes beyond medicalmurder moments.
This case goes beyond medicalmurder.
Prosecutors allege that on fiveoccasions he set fire to his
(04:16):
victims' homes in an attempt todestroy evidence.
In one chilling instance, heallegedly killed two patients in
a single day, and when hisattempts to burn down the second
victim's home failed, he justcasually called a relative,
pretending to be concerned afterfinding no one home.
This doctor was arrested inAugust 2024 after being linked
(04:41):
to four deaths, but asinvestigations deepened, more
suspicious fatalities emerged,with no further exhumations
planned.
Authorities are now seeking alifelong professional ban and
preventive detention.
This is the type of sentencereserved only for the most
dangerous offenders in Germany.
(05:03):
We will keep you updated asthis case unfolds.
This case unfolds.
We stay in Germany for now andturn to a developing story where
a village of just 2,200 peoplehas been shaken by a brutal
crime.
In the early hours of themorning, police in Weidfeld,
(05:26):
western Germany, responded to anemergency call.
Inside the home, theydiscovered a horrifying scene
the bodies of a 47 year old man,a 44 year old woman and their
16 year old son were discovered.
This sparked a massive searchoperation with special task
(05:47):
forces, helicopters androadblocks, turning this quiet
village into a lockdown zone.
Residents have been warned tostay inside, avoid picking up
strangers and remain alert aspolice hunt for a suspect they
described as dangerous andfamiliar to the community.
Local reports suggest both thevictims and the suspect were
(06:11):
long-time residents.
This case left the entirecommunity in fear until justice
would be found.
In France this April, horrorstruck the halls of a private
high school in Nantes where a15-year-old student carried out
(06:32):
a brutal stabbing spree, leavingone classmate dead and three
others injured.
Dressed in black, wearing ahelmet and a balaclava, the
teenage boy roamed the schoolarmed with knives, fatally
stabbing a 15-year-old girl 57times before injuring three more
(06:53):
students.
Eyewitness described studentswere running for their lives,
alarms were blaring andclassrooms were being barricaded
from within.
Luckily, a teacher's quickaction in restraining the
attacker put an end to thishorrific incident.
When police arrived, thesuspect reportedly begged
(07:16):
officers to just shoot him inthe head.
Inside his bag, they found ahunting knife, a folding knife
and a fake gun.
As investigators searched foranswers, they found the boy had
emailed a 13-page manifesto tothe other students.
He was denouncing modernsociety and advocating extremist
(07:38):
views.
Classmates later revealed hefollowed neo-Nazi groups online
and had spoken obsessively aboutviolence, pollution and radical
figures.
Leaders called for intensifiedsecurity measures, while
(08:01):
grieving families and classmateswere left to process a
senseless act born fromisolation, hatred and despair.
This was a tragedy and awake-up call for a nation
already grappling with risingviolence in its schools.
In the world of true crime, fewnames have become as infamous in
(08:24):
the recent years as Lori VallowDaybell, the so-called Doomsday
Mum whose apocalyptic beliefsled to a string of horrifying
deaths.
This April, she was convictedonce again, this time in Arizona
, for conspiring to murder hersecond husband, charles Vallow,
(08:46):
back in 2019.
Already serving life sentencesin Idaho for the murders of her
two youngest children, laurienow faces yet another possible
lifetime.
Prosecutors argued that LaurieVallow, with help from her
brother Alex Cox, orchestratedCharles' shooting, their motive
(09:10):
being greed over life insurancepolicy, as well as her obsession
with Charlie Daybell, adoomsday author who preached end
of the worldthe-worldprophecies.
And it's not over yet.
Lori Vallow Daybell still facesanother trial in Arizona,
linked to a separate murderconspiracy charge.
(09:32):
This case continues to be inpublic attention not only
because of its brutality, butbecause it reveals how dangerous
belief systems can become whenmixed with manipulation, power
and a total disregard for humanlife.
Before we close this month'sClue Trail Bulletin, I want to
(09:57):
take a moment to remind you of acase that, nearly two decades
later, still leaves the familydesperate for answers.
This April, the family ofJennifer Kese reminded the world
that they're still searchingfor her.
Jennifer disappeared in 2006,but her case returned to
(10:20):
headlines this month as herfamily continues to uncover
missed opportunities and hiddenfiles.
Her story is a reminder thatfor many families, the search
never stops, and neither shouldpublic awareness.
If you want to learn more,visit jennifercassecom, where
(10:40):
tips are still being accepted.
As we close this edition of ClueTrail Bulletin, cases like Lori
Valo-Daybell leave us with morethan just shock, whether it's
apocalyptic prophecies,dangerous gangs or extremist
manifestos like we saw in Nantes.
(11:02):
Time and time again, we'rereminded that dangerous ideas
don't just stain people's heads.
This month's stories have takenus from organized crime in
Sydney to a doctor betraying hispatients' trust in Germany, to
the corridors of a French schoolscarred by violence, different
(11:23):
motives and different places,all leading to irreversible harm
and lives lost.
And that's your Clue TrailBulletin for April.
If there's a story you'd likeme to cover in depth, or, if you
enjoyed this roundup, let meknow.
I'd love to make this a regularstop on your Clue Trail journey
(11:46):
.
Thank you for listening to ClueTrail Bulletin and I'll see you
next month as we continue tofollow the clues in real time.
Thank you.
Welcome to Cloutrel Bulletin, the latest series from
Cloutrel, where we step out ofthe past and into the present,
bringing you the biggest,strangest and most unsettling
crime stories making headlinesaround the world this month.
We begin April's episode on asomber note.
(00:38):
The world said goodbye toVirginia Giuffre, who passed
away at just 41.
Virginia wasn't just a nametied to Jeffrey Epstein's crime.
She was a symbol of survivaland resilience.
From exposing Epstein andGhislaine Maxwell's network to
(00:59):
standing up to Prince Andrew,virginia's bravery forced global
attention on the dark world oftrafficking and abuse.
Her family called her a fiercewarrior and that's exactly how
she'll be remembered.
(01:20):
We are going next to Sydney,where a quiet suburban street
became the scene of a terrifyingattack.
This looks straight out of afilm.
A 45-year-old woman waskidnapped from her home in
Bankstown by five armed men.
Within an hour, what policebelieved to be her body was
(01:42):
found in a burnt-out car.
What police believed to be herbody was found in a burnt-out
car.
If that wasn't horrific enough,an eight-year-old boy known to
the woman was also violentlyassaulted during the attack.
The child remains in thehospital in an induced coma,
(02:03):
with doctors fearing he willsuffer long-term complications.
Another child, aged 15, wasalso at the house when the
kidnapping happened, but he wasleft unharmed, although because
of the trauma the child wentthrough, unfortunately this will
leave lifelong scars.
According to the New South WalesPolice, this wasn't random.
Detectives have linked thecrime to an organized crime
(02:26):
network allegedly connected tolarge-scale drug manufacturing.
The intended target was thewoman's partner, who, police say
, was involved with thesyndicate.
Most likely to settle a scoreor seek some sort of revenge
against him, they targeted hisinnocent family members.
(02:46):
This was somethinginvestigators called rare and
unprecedented.
No arrests have been made yet,but police in both New South
Wales and Victoria have launcheda full-scale investigation,
including raids uncovering druglabs in rural properties.
Let's hope all thoseresponsible are caught for this
(03:08):
horrific crime.
One of the most disturbing casesto emerge from Europe this
April was of a German palliativecare doctor who has been
charged with the murder of 15patients.
What is scary, investigatorsfear that number could rise.
(03:31):
The 40-year-old physician,whose identity is protected
under German's privacy laws, isaccused of giving a cocktail of
anesthetics and muscle relaxantsto his patients.
These drugs would quietlyparalyse his patients' breathing
, leading to death withinminutes.
(03:51):
Twelve women and three men agedbetween 25 and 94, allegedly
died at the hands of this doctor.
These were people who trustedhim at their most vulnerable
moments.
This case goes beyond medicalmurder moments.
This case goes beyond medicalmurder.
Prosecutors allege that on fiveoccasions he set fire to his
(04:16):
victims' homes in an attempt todestroy evidence.
In one chilling instance, heallegedly killed two patients in
a single day, and when hisattempts to burn down the second
victim's home failed, he justcasually called a relative,
pretending to be concerned afterfinding no one home.
This doctor was arrested inAugust 2024 after being linked
(04:41):
to four deaths, but asinvestigations deepened, more
suspicious fatalities emerged,with no further exhumations
planned.
Authorities are now seeking alifelong professional ban and
preventive detention.
This is the type of sentencereserved only for the most
dangerous offenders in Germany.
(05:03):
We will keep you updated asthis case unfolds.
This case unfolds.
We stay in Germany for now andturn to a developing story where
a village of just 2,200 peoplehas been shaken by a brutal
crime.
In the early hours of themorning, police in Weidfeld,
(05:26):
western Germany, responded to anemergency call.
Inside the home, theydiscovered a horrifying scene
the bodies of a 47 year old man,a 44 year old woman and their
16 year old son were discovered.
This sparked a massive searchoperation with special task
(05:47):
forces, helicopters androadblocks, turning this quiet
village into a lockdown zone.
Residents have been warned tostay inside, avoid picking up
strangers and remain alert aspolice hunt for a suspect they
described as dangerous andfamiliar to the community.
Local reports suggest both thevictims and the suspect were
(06:11):
long-time residents.
This case left the entirecommunity in fear until justice
would be found.
In France this April, horrorstruck the halls of a private
high school in Nantes where a15-year-old student carried out
(06:32):
a brutal stabbing spree, leavingone classmate dead and three
others injured.
Dressed in black, wearing ahelmet and a balaclava, the
teenage boy roamed the schoolarmed with knives, fatally
stabbing a 15-year-old girl 57times before injuring three more
(06:53):
students.
Eyewitness described studentswere running for their lives,
alarms were blaring andclassrooms were being barricaded
from within.
Luckily, a teacher's quickaction in restraining the
attacker put an end to thishorrific incident.
When police arrived, thesuspect reportedly begged
(07:16):
officers to just shoot him inthe head.
Inside his bag, they found ahunting knife, a folding knife
and a fake gun.
As investigators searched foranswers, they found the boy had
emailed a 13-page manifesto tothe other students.
He was denouncing modernsociety and advocating extremist
(07:38):
views.
Classmates later revealed hefollowed neo-Nazi groups online
and had spoken obsessively aboutviolence, pollution and radical
figures.
Leaders called for intensifiedsecurity measures, while
(08:01):
grieving families and classmateswere left to process a
senseless act born fromisolation, hatred and despair.
This was a tragedy and awake-up call for a nation
already grappling with risingviolence in its schools.
In the world of true crime, fewnames have become as infamous in
(08:24):
the recent years as Lori VallowDaybell, the so-called Doomsday
Mum whose apocalyptic beliefsled to a string of horrifying
deaths.
This April, she was convictedonce again, this time in Arizona
, for conspiring to murder hersecond husband, charles Vallow,
(08:46):
back in 2019.
Already serving life sentencesin Idaho for the murders of her
two youngest children, laurienow faces yet another possible
lifetime.
Prosecutors argued that LaurieVallow, with help from her
brother Alex Cox, orchestratedCharles' shooting, their motive
(09:10):
being greed over life insurancepolicy, as well as her obsession
with Charlie Daybell, adoomsday author who preached end
of the worldthe-worldprophecies.
And it's not over yet.
Lori Vallow Daybell still facesanother trial in Arizona,
linked to a separate murderconspiracy charge.
(09:32):
This case continues to be inpublic attention not only
because of its brutality, butbecause it reveals how dangerous
belief systems can become whenmixed with manipulation, power
and a total disregard for humanlife.
Before we close this month'sClue Trail Bulletin, I want to
(09:57):
take a moment to remind you of acase that, nearly two decades
later, still leaves the familydesperate for answers.
This April, the family ofJennifer Kese reminded the world
that they're still searchingfor her.
Jennifer disappeared in 2006,but her case returned to
(10:20):
headlines this month as herfamily continues to uncover
missed opportunities and hiddenfiles.
Her story is a reminder thatfor many families, the search
never stops, and neither shouldpublic awareness.
If you want to learn more,visit jennifercassecom, where
(10:40):
tips are still being accepted.
As we close this edition of ClueTrail Bulletin, cases like Lori
Valo-Daybell leave us with morethan just shock, whether it's
apocalyptic prophecies,dangerous gangs or extremist
manifestos like we saw in Nantes.
(11:02):
Time and time again, we'rereminded that dangerous ideas
don't just stain people's heads.
This month's stories have takenus from organized crime in
Sydney to a doctor betraying hispatients' trust in Germany, to
the corridors of a French schoolscarred by violence, different
(11:23):
motives and different places,all leading to irreversible harm
and lives lost.
And that's your Clue TrailBulletin for April.
If there's a story you'd likeme to cover in depth, or, if you
enjoyed this roundup, let meknow.
I'd love to make this a regularstop on your Clue Trail journey
(11:46):
.
Thank you for listening to ClueTrail Bulletin and I'll see you
next month as we continue tofollow the clues in real time.
Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Cold Case Files: Miami
Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides. Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.