The Consult: Real FBI Profilers

In this follow-up episode, we revisit our analysis of Bryan Kohberger, considering recently released police reports and investigative documents. We examine how these new materials refine our understanding of Kohberger and the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.

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Larry Harnisch, retired Los Angeles Times reporter and a leading subject-matter expert on the Black Dahlia case, joins the show to discuss his decades-long research into the 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, detailing his investigative approach and efforts to separate fact from myth. We also examine retired FBI profiler John Douglas’s behavioral analysis, which aligns closely with the suspect Larry finds most plausible. We a...

In this episode, Dr. Paige Wilcoxson joins the show to discuss what true crime often gets wrong about forensic psychology. Dr. Wilcoxson worked as a clinical and forensic psychologist, and her experience spans training in forensic hospitals, working in high-and maximum-security prisons, and serving as a professor in both the U.S. and the U.K. While working on her doctorate, she spent time in the FBI’s BAU, where she contri...

In the third and final part of our analysis of the Black Dahlia case, we discuss our observations of the offender. Based on the crime scene, autopsy findings, and what we know about Elizabeth Short, we develop a profile of the person responsible for her murder.

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In the second part of our analysis of the Black Dahlia case, we examine the victimology of Elizabeth Short. Who was she, and what can her life tell us about the person who killed her? We explore her background, relationships, lifestyle, and movements leading up to her death.

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We begin our analysis of one of the most infamous unsolved murders in American history—the Black Dahlia case. In this episode, we focus on the crime scene and autopsy of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short, whose body was discovered on January 15, 1947, in a vacant lot in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. She had been bisected at the waist and subjected to extensive post-mortem mutilation.

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Dr. Ann Burgess joins the show to discuss her book Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance. An internationally recognized pioneer in the assessment and treatment of trauma and abuse victims, Dr. Burgess collaborated with the FBI Academy to study serial offenders and the connection between child abuse, juvenile delinquency, and later violent crime. We discuss her groundbreaking work wit...

In this episode of The Consult, I talk with Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee, hosts of The Murder Sheet podcast and authors of Shadow of the Bridge: The Delphi Murders and the Dark Side of the American Heartland. We discuss their book with a focus on the behavior in the case of Abigail Williams and Liberty German—and what it reveals about the offender.

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In this final episode of our three-part analysis of the West Memphis Three case, we bring together everything we’ve learned about the murders of Michael Moore, Steve Branch, and Christopher Byers on or about May 5, 1993, and share our overall assessment of the case. Part 3 of 3.

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In this episode, we look at the autopsies and victimologies of the three boys: Michael Moore, Steve Branch, and Christorpher Byers. We review what the medical examiner found, the condition of the bodies, and the significance of the injuries. We also examine the boys’ victimology to better understand who they were and what risk factors may have drawn the offender’s attention. Part 2 of 3.

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In this first episode of our three-part analysis of the West Memphis Three case, we look at the events of May 5, 1993. That afternoon, three 8-year-old boys, Michael Moore, Steve Branch, and Christopher Byers, went missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. The next day, they were found in a drainage ditch in an area known as Robin Hood Hills. They had been murdered.

We cover the timeline of their disappearance, the search efforts,...

In this episode, Alyssa and Michael McFarland, hosts of Tragedy: A True Crime Podcast, join the show. We discuss the unsolved murder of George “Jody” Kilgore, who was stabbed in his driveway, in broad daylight, on October 6, 2014. He was 50 years old.

For Michael, this case is deeply personal—Jody was his relative—and both he and Alyssa have devoted an entire season of their podcast to telling Jody’s story. In our conversat...

In this third episode on the unsolved murder of Karina Holmer, geographic profiler Doug MacGregor joins the show. Doug takes a close look at the locations tied to Karina’s case and what they might reveal about the offender, his comfort zones, and the behaviors behind his choices. We also talk about how geographic profiling and behavioral analysis work together to help narrow the focus in an investigation.

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We continue our analysis of the case of Karina Holmer, a 20-year-old au pair from Sweden who was last seen outside a nightclub in Boston in the early morning hours of June 22, 1996. On the afternoon of June 23, the upper half of her body was found in a trash bag in a dumpster about a mile from where she was last seen. We continue our review of the case facts, discuss victimology, and offer our observations about the offend...

In this episode, we begin our examination of the June 1996 murder of Karina Holmer, a young au pair from Sweden working in the United States. Karina was last seen alive in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 22, in downtown Boston. The next day, her torso was discovered in a trash bag inside a dumpster, about a mile from where she was last seen. She had been severed at the waist. We discuss the known facts and the ev...

In this episode, Investigator Rita Curley from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Equal Opportunity Office joins the show. In addition to her role as an investigator, Rita draws on her background in law enforcement and her experience as a mother to a child with autism to train officers on recognizing and appropriately responding to individuals who may be neurodivergent. She dispels common misconceptions about autism...

We continue our discussion of the murders of four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The students were killed in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022. The offender pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025. We continue to explore motive, discuss how we would classify the killer behaviorally, and consider whether he was likely to kill again. Part 2 of 2.

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We discuss the murders of four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The students were killed in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022. We are covering this case now because Bryan Kohberger recently pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025. We review the known facts of the crime and analyze what they suggest about the offender’s behavior and possible motive. Part 1 of 2.

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In this episode of The Consult, I talk with Jill, host of Murder Shelf Book Club Podcast, a true crime book club in podcast format. Jill has a passion for digging into true crime stories through books, and she brings a thoughtful, well-researched approach to every case she covers.

We talk about how she chooses the books for her show, how our understanding of crime has changed over time, and how those shifts are reflected in...