Killer Minds: Serial Killers & True Crime Murders

Killer Minds: Serial Killers & True Crime Murders

"Killer Minds" takes you deep into the psychology of history’s most chilling murderers—from infamous serial killers to ruthless cult leaders, deadly exes, and terrifying spree killers. Every Monday and Thursday, hosts Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels, a clinical and forensic psychologist, blend gripping true crime storytelling with expert psychological analysis to uncover what drives people to kill. From the calculated minds of serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy to crimes of passion and cold-blooded murders, "Killer Minds" goes beyond the headlines to explore the twisted psychology behind the crimes. What fuels their darkness? How do their minds work? And most hauntingly—could they have been stopped? "Killer Minds" is a Crime House Studios original. New episodes drop every Monday and Thursday. Follow "Killer Minds" wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us at @KillerMinds on social media.

Episodes

December 8, 2025 64 mins
Before he became one of America’s most notorious serial killers, John Wayne Gacy was a respected businessman, community volunteer, and beloved party clown in suburban Chicago. But behind the makeup of “Pogo the Clown” hid a deeply disturbed man shaped by abuse, trauma, and rage.In this first episode, host Vanessa Richardson and criminal psychologist Dr. Tristin Engels trace Gacy’s early life — from a violent childhood and secret co...
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After shooting cyclist Mo Wilson in cold blood, Kaitlin Armstrong vanished. Using her sister’s passport, she fled the U.S. for Costa Rica — changing her name, dyeing her hair, and even getting plastic surgery to hide from authorities. But as investigators closed in, Kaitlin’s confidence became her downfall.In Part 2, Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels follow Armstrong’s desperate escape across borders, her stunning capture i...
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December 1, 2025 53 mins
When Austin-based yoga instructor Kaitlin Armstrong met elite cyclist Colin Strickland, their relationship seemed passionate and driven by shared ambition. But behind the calm surface, jealousy simmered. When Colin reconnected with rising cycling star Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, Kaitlin’s insecurity spiraled into obsession — and ultimately, murder.In Part 1, Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels unravel how Kaitlin’s deep-seated a...
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The holiday of gratitude turns to horror once again.In this second installment, Killer Minds explores two shocking cases: a deadly family feud in Oakland that ends with a Thanksgiving Day hostage crisis and triple homicide, and the terrifying story of Joel Michael Guy Jr., who meticulously plotted to kill and dismember his parents for their life insurance.Through these cases, hosts Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels, joined ...
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Thanksgiving is meant for gratitude — but sometimes, it brings out the darkest parts of the human mind. In this chilling special, the Killer Minds team, joined by Murder: True Crime Stories host Carter Roy, examines two Thanksgiving tragedies: the 2009 Merhige family massacre, when a Florida man opened fire on his relatives after years of mental decline and resentment, and the gruesome murder of Bill Nelson by his wife, Omaima, wh...
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November 20, 2025 52 mins
For more than 30 years, Dennis Rader terrorized Wichita, Kansas — living a double life as a devoted husband, church leader, and Scoutmaster by day, and a sadistic killer by night. As he taunted police and played a deadly game of cat and mouse, Rader’s arrogance would ultimately become his undoing. In this shocking conclusion, Vanessa and Dr. Engels break down the psychology of a man driven by control, secrecy, and a need for fame...
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November 17, 2025 51 mins
Before he was known as the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader was a quiet Midwestern boy with a dark imagination. Behind his polite smile and churchgoing charm, Dennis harbored fantasies of control, torture, and death. In this first episode, Killer Minds hosts Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels uncover how Rader’s early experiences — from childhood humiliation to secret obsessions — shaped one of the most chilling serial killers in A...
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November 13, 2025 48 mins
After Melissa James’s body is found, Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan insist they’re innocent — until the lies start to crumble. As detectives chase the couple across state lines, a twisted story of vanity, manipulation, and violence emerges. From bodybuilding fame to life behind bars, Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels dissect how ambition, arrogance, and desire turned this once-golden couple into killers. What happens when obs...
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November 10, 2025 55 mins
At the height of their fame, bodybuilding power couple Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan were unstoppable — sculpted bodies, magazine covers, and a fitness empire built on success and control. But beneath the surface of their glamorous life was a world of drugs, jealousy, and rage.When their trusted assistant, Melissa James, is found burned beyond recognition in the trunk of Kelly’s car, police unravel a story of obsession and betrayal th...
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November 6, 2025 48 mins
For years, Charles Cullen slipped through the cracks — fired, rehired, and free to kill again. Hospitals ignored the warning signs. Administrators covered their tracks. And hundreds of patients paid the price. But when a fellow nurse befriends Charles, she becomes the key to his downfall. In this shocking conclusion, Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels reveal how Cullen’s arrogance, obsession, and chilling lack of remorse t...
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November 3, 2025 51 mins
He was trusted to save lives — but used his nursing uniform to hide pure evil. When Charles Cullen entered the medical field, he wasn’t looking to heal patients. He was looking for revenge. Over the course of 16 years, he quietly poisoned hospital patients across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, becoming one of the most prolific serial killers in American history.In this first episode, Killer Minds hosts Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tri...
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Scott Falater claimed he was asleep when he killed his wife, but the court wasn't so sure. In Part 2, we follow the high-stakes trial that pitted science against suspicion, unpacking expert testimony, haunting sleep studies, and a final plea that left the jury wondering if a man could be both grieving… and guilty. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ...
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Scott Falater went to bed next to his wife. Hours later, she was found stabbed and drowned...and all signs pointed to him. In Part 1, Killer Minds investigates the life and mind of a man who claimed he killed while sleepwalking, and the haunting question that followed: Was he conscious or completely unaware? Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-fre...
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October 23, 2025 48 mins
Five students were brutally murdered. Their killer wanted fame...and he got it. In Part 2, Killer Minds unpacks Danny Rolling’s disturbing mental state, the forensic evidence that sealed his fate, and the trial that turned a killer into a twisted horror icon. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscrib...
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October 20, 2025 57 mins
Before he became the “Gainesville Ripper,” Danny Rolling was a broken child in a violent home, and the demons inside him were only just beginning to stir. In Part 1, we uncover the early life of the serial killer who inspired the horror movie "Scream," tracing the trauma, addiction, and dark fantasies that pushed him toward his first kill. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever y...
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Peter Madsen claimed journalist Kim Wall's death was an accident. The evidence said otherwise. In Part 2, we follow the forensic case that dismantled Madsen’s lies, and how psychology, evidence, and survivor testimony helped bring justice for one of the most disturbing crimes in Scandinavian history. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listen...
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Before he became known as a killer, Peter Madsen was celebrated as a visionary. In Part 1, Killer Minds unpacks the life of Danish inventor Peter Madsen, a self-taught engineer whose dreams of rockets and submarines masked a twisted need for domination, control… and something far more sinister. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening an...
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October 9, 2025 40 mins
Roy Norris broke first. Lawrence Bittaker refused to say a word. But the evidence spoke for itself. In Part 2, Killer Minds dives into the investigation and trial of the Toolbox Killers, where Polaroids, confessions, and a single cassette tape revealed the true horror of their crimes. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening and early ac...
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October 6, 2025 51 mins
In 1979, five girls vanished in Southern California. What no one knew was that ex-cons Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris were hunting them...together. In Part 1, we uncover the origin story of the Toolbox Killers: how a prison friendship gave rise to one of the most calculated and sadistic killing sprees in U.S. history. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts...
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With her drug empire expanding, Griselda Blanco wasn’t just feared, she was untouchable...or so she thought. In Part 2, we follow the "Cocaine Godmother’s" ruthless reign in Miami: the body count, the betrayals, and the drug-fueled paranoia that pushed her to the brink. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening and early access to episode...
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