American Nightmares
Every headline hides a deeper story. American Nightmares pulls you into the most unsettling true crime cases—one season, one case at a time. These are the crimes that kept detectives awake, shattered families, and left entire communities on edge.Told through raw interviews, gripping investigative detail, and cinematic storytelling, each season reveals how these nightmares unfolded—and the long road to uncovering the truth. You may think you know the story. You don’t. Season 5 - Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult It looked like a quiet small-town neighborhood, defined by manicured lawns and flower gardens. But behind the façade, more than a hundred residents were part of the Zion Society, a secretive cult that hoarded weapons and groomed children for sexual abuse under the control of an unassuming, soft-spoken leader. When a young woman escaped and went to authorities, the truth finally began to unravel. Season 4 - 22 Hours: A Second Look Host Megan Cloherty returns for a new season of American Nightmares. In the upcoming season, we revisit the story that launched the series: a D.C. power couple, their 10-year-old son, and their housekeeper—held hostage for nearly 24 hours before being murdered inside their own home. Now, 10 years after the crime and 6 years since we first told the story, Season 1 returns with all-new content, fresh interviews, and exclusive updates that shed new light on a case that still resonates today. Season 3 - Unknown Subject For nearly a decade, he crept in the shadows, attacking women in the middle of the night — and then vanished. The 1998 murder of a brilliant scientist near Georgetown University marked a terrifying escalation. Investigators had DNA linking him to multiple crimes, but for years, he had no name — only the label “Unknown Subject.” This season uncovers the chilling case of the Potomac River Rapist, and the patrol cop who finally cracked it. Season 2 - Murder in a Safe Place In a quiet hospital just outside Washington, D.C., a 50-year-old nurse named Sherry Crandell was raped and murdered inside her workplace — a place that was supposed to be safe. With DNA, fingerprints, and even a witness to the crime, police had evidence — but no suspect. This season revisits the cold case that continues to baffle investigators and devastate a family, more than two decades later. Season 1 - 2 Hours: An American Nightmare One of the most shocking crimes in modern American history: a prominent couple, their 10-year-old son, and their housekeeper taken hostage and brutally murdered in their Washington, D.C. home. Over the course of 22 horrifying hours, they endured torture and terror before their killers tried to burn the evidence. This award-winning debut season revisits the infamous Mansion Murders, exposing new details and the twisted logic behind a senseless act of violence.
Episodes
It began with a fire. A man driving through an upscale neighborhood in Washington, D.C., in 2015 spotted smoke pouring from one of the homes. It was the first sign something terrible had happened on Woodland Drive. This episode is written and produced by reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. Julia Ziegler is the content adviser. Visit www.22HoursPodcast.com for photos, maps and an interactive blog. “22 Hours: An America...
For the Savopoulos family and Vera Figueroa, May 13, 2015, began like any other Wednesday. Then things went terribly wrong. Through phone records, text messages and eyewitnesses, we recreate the timeline of their last 22 hours. This episode is written and produced by WTOP News reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. WTOP Digital News Director Julia Ziegler is the content adviser. Visit 22HoursPodcast.com for more insider ...
Hours after the victims are taken hostage, a ransom is delivered to the mansion on Woodland Drive. But it doesn’t save the victims -- the calls, text messages and voicemails end, leaving key parts of the timeline unexplained. But after the trial, a new theory emerges explaining how the killer got inside the house. This episode is written and produced by WTOP reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. Julia Ziegler is the con...
The Savopoulos house was held in evidence for weeks as crime scene investigators looked for clues. In the end, five pieces of forensic evidence linked Daron Wint to the killings, including a sliver of his DNA on the crust of a pizza that had been delivered to the house while he held the family captive. But was the forensic evidence a slam dunk? This episode is written and produced by reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore...
Over the 22 hours the victims were taken captive and then killed, the prime suspect goes missing and his normally active Facebook account goes dark. We track Daron Wint's whereabouts during that crucial time. Also in this episode, an introduction to some of the key players in the courtroom: the federal prosecutors who spent years building their case against Wint and the team of public defenders who tried to pin the blame o...
In a stunning move, Daron Wint, the accused killer, takes the stand. Under unrelenting questioning by federal prosecutor Laura Bach, Daron seems to have an explanation for almost all of the evidence that links him to the killings. It’s almost a perfect puzzle. But will the jury believe him? This episode is written and produced by reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. Julia Ziegler is the content adviser. Visit 22HoursPo...
After hours on the witness stand, Daron Wint’s story begins to falter. Then, one of the lawyers in the case drops a big hint about what’s coming next in one of Washington, D.C.’s most high-profile murder trials.
This episode is written and produced by reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. Julia Ziegler is the content adviser. Visit 22HoursPodcast.com to see the transcript of Daron’s testimony as well as photos, map and ...
Did any of the victims eat the pizza? Why the $40,000 ransom? Did security cameras in the neighborhood capture footage? We hit pause on the case and go into the studio to answer your questions, so far, about the crime, the case and the podcast. A regular episode returns next week.
This episode is written and produced by reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. Julia Ziegler is the content adviser. Visit 22HoursPodcast.com t...
Daron Wint’s bizarre arrest one week after the murders on Woodland Drive only added to the mystery surrounding the case. When he was taken into custody, Daron was with five other people, including his brother, Darrell. But the full story of Daron’s arrest wouldn’t be told until his murder trial -- when prosecutors called brother to testify against brother.
This episode is written and produced by reporters Megan Cloherty and...
After six weeks, dozens of witnesses and hours of testimony, emotions were running high when attorneys delivered their closing arguments. Then the United States v. Daron Wint went to the jury. Some of the men and women who decided Daron Wint’s fate take us inside the deliberation room as they weighed the evidence and came to a conclusion.
This episode is written and produced by reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore....
After Daron Wint’s conviction, federal prosecutors press the judge for the harshest possible sentence and, for the first time reveal his history of explosive rage, violent threats and assaults. At Daron’s sentencing, emotional statements from the two surviving Savopoulos daughters are read in court. As the last regular episode comes to a close, we reflect back.
This episode is written and produced by reporters Megan Clohert...
In our final episode, we again return to the studio and dig through our notes, files and transcripts of the case to answer listener questions. What happened to the $40,000 ransom and was it fully accounted for? What is the timeline of the various fires in the case? And what was the deal with Daron’s alibi, Ed?
This episode is written and produced by WTOP reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. Julia Ziegler is the content ...
An update in the case after nearly two years: Daron Wint’s lawyers have filed an appeal seeking to throw out his conviction and asking for a new trial. Hosts Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore head back into the studio to discuss the latest development. "22 Hours: An American Nightmare" is a production of WTOP News in Washington, D.C. Music featured in "22 Hours: An American Nightmare" is licensed with artist permission. Music ...
In 1998, a nurse was found brutally raped and strangled in the Maryland hospital where she worked. Despite DNA evidence and a fingerprint of the killer left behind at the scene, the case remains unsolved 23 years later. But, could newly uncovered information finally bring justice for Sherry Crandell?
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As Prince George's County Police detectives investigate the murder of nurse Sherry Crandell, they learn of a witness to the attack. A fact police kept deep in their files for 23 years and are revealing for the first time on this podcast.
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With no one in custody and no prime suspects, Prince George's County police devise a plan to get DNA from the hundreds of men working at Prince George's Hospital Center. A tactic that would turn highly controversial and put the police on the defensive.
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In the days after Sherry Crandell was viciously raped and murdered in January 1998, the police in Prince George’s County, Maryland, set up what they called a ‘war room’ to manage a complex and intense investigation. A probe that uncovered shocking details about security on the 40-acre hospital campus.
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Prince George's County Police Detective Bernie Nelson turns to genealogy after seeing another Maryland cold case solved after 28 years. Can the murder of Sherry Crandell be solved the same way?
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Ten months after Prince George's County Police Detective Bernie Nelson began using genealogy to track Sherry Crandell's killer through his relatives - the research continues on a promising family tree.
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