Welcome to your weekly journey into the darkest corners of human nature. Join Harvey Guillén every Monday as he explores crimes that seized the public’s attention, from jaw-dropping heists and devastating cons to serial murders and deadly rivalries. Each episode unfolds a single case, examining not just the events themselves, but what continues to linger beneath the surface.
Killer Stories is a Spotify Podcast. New video episodes on Mondays!
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A charismatic leader convinces his devoted followers that salvation awaits aboard an alien spacecraft trailing a comet—leading the Heaven’s Gate cult to a tragic, otherworldly mass suicide that exposed the dangerous power of blind faith and cosmic delusion. Sources for this episode include: Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults (HBO Max) Heaven’s Gate: America’s UFO Religion by Benjamin E. Zeller Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults by Janja A. Lalich Keep up with Killer Stories! Inst...
A brilliant con man turns his life into a high-stakes romantic heist, embezzling fortunes and pulling off mind-bending jailbreaks—all to keep the man he loves in the lifestyle he thinks he deserves. Sources for this episode include: I Love You Phillip Morris : A True Story of Life, Love and Prison Breaks by Steve McVicker Reporting from Alex Hannaford in Esquire The Guardian Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok: @killerstoriespod X: @killerst o rieshq Learn more about...
26-year-old "trunk murderess" Winnie Ruth Judd killed her two best friends one hot Phoenix night in 1931. Then she stuffed both of them into trunks and loaded them on a train to Los Angeles. What the press assumed was a simple case of jealousy only got messier with each new version of the story Winnie told. Sources for this episode include: The Trunk Murderess: Winnie Ruth Judd by Jana Bommersbach The Arizona Memory Project “Ruthless: A Long-Lost Confession Letter May Finally Tell the Real Story...
When McDonald’s ran its beloved 1990s Monopoly sweepstakes, Jerome "Uncle Jerry" Jacobson had one job: Protect the game pieces. Instead, he used his position as Head of Security to rig the game. For years. To the tune of over $24 million in cash and prizes. Sources for this episode include: "How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions." by Jeff Maysh The Daily Beast, July 29, 2018. Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok: @killerstoriespod X: @killer...
Delve into the shocking saga of Audrey Marie Hilley, whose insatiable desire for money and control led her to poison her husband, Frank, and later attempt to kill her daughter, Carol, with arsenic. After Frank's death and Carol's hospitalization, Marie's web of lies unraveled, leading to her arrest for fraud. She then embarked on multiple, fantastical escapes and adopted new identities, including a fabricated twin sister, all to evade justice. This episode chronicles her dramatic life on the run and ultimate demise.
A boisterous entertainer and wannabe opera singer disappears from her London home. Before detectives find human remains in the basement, her mild-mannered husband flees across the Atlantic with his lover, in disguise. Sources for this episode include: Thunderstruck by Erik Larson Molecules of Murder: Criminal Molecules and Classic Cases by John Emsley Story of a Murder by Hallie Rubenhold“Was Dr Crippen innocent of his wife's murder?” (BBC) Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriesp...
In 1980s Los Angeles, charismatic hustler Joe Hunt created the "Billionaire Boys Club," luring rich kids into a sophisticated Ponzi scheme. What began as an illusion of wealth soon turned deadly as desperate attempts to maintain the facade led to betrayal, extortion, and the brutal murders of Ron Levin and an Iranian millionaire. The episode explores how ambition and privilege fueled a criminal enterprise that ultimately unraveled, leaving a trail of death and a legacy of denial.
A small Connecticut town witnesses its first murder ever. The culprit is an unlikely, quiet teenager who swears he was not in control of his own body. His supporters, however, think they know exactly what drove the young man to kill his victim: a case of demonic possession. Sources for this episode include: The Devil in Connecticut by Ed Brittle, Ed Warren, and Lorraine Warren Lynn Darling’s reporting for The Washington Post Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok: @kill...
How do you smuggle a convicted killer out of a maximum-security prison? Apparently, you just need a cardboard box, some packing tape, and a dog trainer nobody suspects. Sources for this episode include: Living With Conviction by Toby Dorr Breakout (Dateline NBC) Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok: @killerstoriespod X: @killerstorieshq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dave Krupa's casual online dating life takes a sinister turn after a new girlfriend, Cari, mysteriously vanishes, replaced by years of increasingly hostile text messages, vandalism, and stalking. As Dave and his on-again, off-again partner Liz endure the relentless harassment, a parallel missing person investigation reveals that Cari's mother suspected foul play all along. The truth ultimately exposes Liz as the cunning mastermind behind Cari's disappearance and the subsequent terror campaign, meticulously faking Cari's communications and orchestrating events, culminating in a chilling discovery that confirms her horrific crime.
A Chicago respiratory therapist is brutally murdered in her apartment. Did her ghost solve her own case? Sources for this episode include: Teresita: The Voice from the Grave by John O’Brien and Edward Baumann “A Chicago Murder Solved By a Ghost” (Chicago Tribune) “Voice from grave names murderer, begs vengeance” (Boston Globe) Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok: @killerstoriespod X: @killerstorieshq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...
In 1968, Barbara Jane Mackle was abducted from her motel room and buried alive in an underground box by George Wright, an escaped convict, and his girlfriend, Ruth. The elaborate, yet often clumsy, kidnapping plot baffled the FBI as they navigated convoluted ransom demands and a botched money drop. Barbara's resilience and her family's relentless efforts, alongside law enforcement, led to a dramatic rescue after 83 harrowing hours underground.
A seemingly heartbroken newlywed becomes the face of a shocking murder-for-hire plot—caught on tape before the crime can even happen. But as the trial unfolds, the real mystery isn’t what she planned, it’s how far reality can bend when everyone knows the cameras are watching. Sources for this episode include: Murder for Hire, "Crocodile Tears" (S1, E11 - 2019) Cnapped, "Dalia Dippolito (S8, E10 - 2012) "Murder Plots, Bumbling Cops, and Con Men: When Reality TV Goes Wrong" (VICE) "Florida Woman D...
Desperate to fit in, a teenage girl targets the most popular student at her school. The way she sees it, they can either be friends – or enemies. Sources for this episode include: “Death of a Cheerleader” by Randall Sullivan, reprinted in Best of Rolling Stone A Killer By Design by Ann Burgess The 1980s: The Deadliest Decade “The Cheerleader Murder” Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok: @killerstoriespod X: @killerstorieshq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc...
When a young model vanishes in Italy, the story seems disturbingly familiar—until her sudden reappearance raises more questions than answers. As investigators dig deeper, a case that looked open-and-shut twists into something far stranger. Sources for this episode include: Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping (2025, BBC Three) directed by Stuart Bernard and Miles Bladen-Ryall "Model Says She Was Kidnapped, Auctioned as Sex Slave on Dark Web" (Vice) "Model Chloe Ayling Was Lured to Italy and ...
Plenty of scam artists have pretended to be psychics. Not many of them secretly employ their daughters to sweep a client off their feet with their own purported psychic gifts. But then again, not every con artist has $15 million at stake. Sources for this episode include: Rachel Lee Sentencing Memorandum & Indictment 20/20: " Sweetheart Swindle" (2015, ABC News) Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok: @killerstoriespod X: @killerstorieshq Learn more about your ad ch...
When a lonely church volunteer in small-town Pennsylvania becomes obsessed with her new pastor, her festering jealousy toward a kindhearted fellow parishioner twists into delusion. Sources for this episode include: Love Me or Else: The True Story of a Devoted Pastor, a Fatal Jealousy, and the Murder that Rocked a Small Town by Colin McEvoy and Lynn Olanoff Dateline "Deadly Sanctuary" (2009, NBC) Lehigh Valley Live News Coverage Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok: @k...
A 76-year-old career criminal leads a crew of pensioner thieves in Britain’s biggest-ever burglary—an “Ocean’s Eleven with bad knees” that nets £14 million in loot. Sources for this episode include: The Last Job: The Bad Grandpas and the Hatton Garden Heist by Dan Bilefsky Hatton Garden: The Inside Story (2019) Directed by Tim Conrad “One last job: the inside story of the Hatton Garden heist” (The Guardian, 2016) by Duncan Campbell Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok...
The world’s most iconic male strip show becomes a battleground of ego, greed, and murder when its visionary founder spirals from fame into paranoia—unleashing a deadly plot that shocks the entertainment industry. Sources for this episode include: A&E’s Secret of the Chippendales Murders The surreal true crimes behind Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales (Vox) The secret story of the Chippendales (The Independent) Chippendales: The Indian whose US strip club empire ended with a murder Chippendales ...
An online love triangle explodes into deception and murder when a middle-aged factory worker poses as a young Marine to seduce a teenage girl. Sources for this episode include: Talhotblond (2009) Directed by Barbara Schroeder “An IM Infatuation Turned to Romance. Then the Truth Came Out” (WIRED, 2007) by Nadya Labi ABC News coverage (2010) Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespod TikTok: @killerstoriespod X: @killerstorieshq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...
After eight years sharing stories about serial killers, we’re stepping fully into a new chapter of the show. Same meticulous research and sharp storytelling you love, whole new range of gripping crimes to explore. All with the incomparable Harvey Guillén at the helm! Watch the video trailer to see what’s ahead. First episode drops January 19th! Killer Stories is a Spotify Podcast. New video episodes drop on Mondays. Follow along @killerstoriespod ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast...
Hey listeners, we’re beyond excited to introduce you to your new host, Harvey Guillén! Stay tuned as he ushers in a new era of the podcast you know and love—now with video this season! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today is the last day of Takeover Month, thank you for joining us! We’ll be back in January with brand new episodes and a brand new host. Investigator Slater ( Psychopedia ) takes us into the minds of criminals and killers with an incredible attention to detail and a pop quiz to keep us on our toes. In this episode she covers the larger questions around the 1980 murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl inside a hospital chapel. Stay up to date with changes coming to the feed on @serialkillerspodcast !...
It’s Takeover Month! Throughout December we will be highlighting the best of the true crime community, with a new episode every week from creators we love. We’ll be back next month with brand new episodes and a brand new host! Crimehub is the place to go when you can’t get over a case, and you need every single detail. Their storytelling style guides you through the story as if you were there. If you’d like to stay up all night, listen to this episode about the deadliest act of familicide in U.S...
It’s Takeover Month! Throughout December we will be highlighting the best of the true crime community, with a new episode every week from creators we love. We’ll be back next month with brand new episodes and a brand new host! Sarah Turney ( Voices for Justice ) inspires us to be better true crime listeners. Her episodes go beyond the headlines to “engage with empathy” and explore the nuances behind criminal acts and those affected by them. In this episode, Sarah looks at the case of the Decker ...
It’s Takeover Month! Throughout December we will be highlighting the best of the true crime community, with a new episode every week from creators we love. We’ll be back next month with brand new episodes and a brand new host! Alan Cross ( Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry ) usually hosts the ‘Ongoing History of New Music’ podcast, but on this show he takes a closer look at the crimes and unsolved mysteries of music’s most infamous players. If you like knowing the dark history of...
Heart Starts Pounding investigates the harrowing case of Jean Pormenov, a vulnerable streamer who succumbed to systematic torture broadcast live on the Kick platform. The episode delves into Jean's manipulation, the financial incentives driving extreme content, and how platforms like Kick profit from degradation. It also examines the broader issue of online exploitation, comparing it to modern-day freak shows, and questions the role of algorithms in perpetuating harm.
Ed Gein, the notorious "Butcher of Plainfield," is examined from his 1957 arrest for Bernice Worden's murder through his trial and institutionalization. The episode explores his claims of amnesia, the media's chaotic role, and how he was ultimately ruled not guilty by reason of insanity, despite being convicted of murder. It concludes with his life in state hospitals, his death, and his chilling impact on popular culture as a muse for horror villains, revealing the enduring public fascination with his macabre story.
We explore the twisted mind of Ed Gein, whose gruesome killings inspired horror movies Pyscho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. Gein was known for years as the local handyman in Plainfield, until it was uncovered in 1957 that he killed two women and robbed the graves of multiple other women. Stay up to date with changes coming to the feed on @serialkillerspodcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
This Halloween special delves into the terrifying urban legend of the Texas Candy Lady, a mythical child-killer who lures victims with sweets. The episode weaves a fictional narrative about a boy's encounter with this figure, juxtaposing it with real-life historical cases. It examines the 1874 Charlie Ross kidnapping, the Ronald O'Brien poisoned candy murders, and serial killer Dean Corll, all of which tragically echo the legend's core warning: never trust strangers, especially when candy is involved.
