Across the 2000s, under the shimmering lights of Hollywood, a murderer lay in wait. Watching, waiting and stalking his young and beautiful female neighbors, Michael Gargiulo bided his time until his opportune moment arrived – while they were sleeping. Breaking into their safe havens - their homes - he butchered his victims and then moved to a new location in tinsel town to find his next target.
Across six episodes, criminal psychologist Dr. Michelle Ward talks with friends and acquaintances of Michael Gargiulo, investigators, experts and attorneys from the case, all to uncover the twisted world of The Hollywood Ripper.
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Michael Gargiulo’s final victim bravely fights him off, leading to his eventual arrest. A media frenzy takes place as the serial killer takes the stand. With multiple powerful witness testimonies, shocking evidence and the death penalty on the table, a gripping court case takes place to determine Michael’s fate. Speaking with journalists, a victim’s friend, witnesses, experts and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward follows the court proceedings blow by blow to uncover what is in store for the Hollywoo...
Another woman is found murdered, and this time Michael has gone even further with his brutality. In the wake of the investigation, there is a break in the case. Clear patterns are emerging and link multiple overkill murders of young women to the possibility of one suspect – Michael Gargiulo. The heat is on, but Michael continues to terrorize the women around him. Speaking with detectives and experts, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates another frenzied murder and how Michael behaves when he has chose...
Detectives continue to work on finding Ashley Ellerin’s killer and finally their attentions turn to her neighbor, Mike the furnace guy. Police try to track Michael down, but it proves very difficult rather quickly. Dr. Michelle Ward digs into Michael’s past relationships to find that not only does he manipulate these women, but a series of terrifying behavior emerges. Speaking with victim’s friends and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward explores the manhunt and how patterns of Michael’s sadistic beha...
22-year-old Ashley Ellerin is found brutally murdered in her apartment by her roommate. The scene is closed off and police search for any evidence that identifies her killer. Detectives don’t know yet that it’s Mike the Furnace Guy and they open the investigation up to Ashley’s large circle of Hollywood friends, including a famous actor. Dr. Michelle Ward speaks with Ashley’s friend and detectives about the horrific ordeal and uncover the tragic details of her murder. Dr. Ward delves into Michae...
A teenage girl has been murdered in Gargiulo’s hometown on her front doorstep and when police look to question him after an unusual encounter with the victim’s parents, Michael has escaped to Los Angeles. Working as a bouncer and aspiring actor, Michael is not hiding in the shadows. He sets his sights on a young beautiful woman and begins to stalk and insert himself into her life under the guise of his new job – a heating and cooling repair man. Speaking to experts and the victim’s friends, Dr. ...
Season nine of Mind of a Monster begins in Hollywood in 2019. A woman is testifying about how she fought off Michael Gargiulo as he brutally stabbed her while she was in bed. Her bravery led to the unmasking of a serial killer who stands trial for her attempted murder and the murder of two other women. Evidence concerning another female victim is also presented despite her murder taking place in Illinois. Michael is also charged with this crime. Speaking to friends and journalists, Dr. Michelle ...
2000s Hollywood: the bright lights for dreamers who want to become famous. Michael Gargiulo made his name in another way – as a brutal murderer with no mercy. Watching, waiting and stalking his young and beautiful female neighbors, Michael bided his time until his opportune moment arrived – while they were sleeping. Breaking into their safe havens - their homes - he butchered his victims and then moved to a new location in Tinsel Town to find his next target, all while evading capture from detec...
When he realizes that his demands are not going to be met, incarcerated serial killer Israel Keyes pulls off one final power play. To identify other victims Keyes murdered, frustrated investigators must try and piece together remaining clues. Do his paintings of skulls mean anything, or is he having the last laugh? The investigation into his secret crimes continues to this day. Speaking with journalists and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward looks into potential victims of The Cross-Country Killer – ...
After getting caught using the victim’s bank card, Israel Keyes admits to killing local girl Samantha Koenig and disposing of her body in a frozen lake. When he gives a horrific blow-by-blow description of how he did it, investigators realize they have caught a very experienced serial killer. But Keyes won’t reveal any more victims unless they meet his impossible demands. Speaking with detectives and experts, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates how this master of discretion abandoned his rules and en...
In Anchorage, Alaska, 18-year-old Samantha Koenig is abducted while working at a coffee stand, sending panic through the city. Police initially struggle to find a solid lead – until the kidnapper delivers a ransom note. Following the trail down to Texas, FBI agents finally catch up with the suspect – a man called Israel Keyes. But he claims to know nothing about the girl’s disappearance. Speaking with witnesses and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward explores the search for Samantha – and investigates...
In the remote mountains of north-west Washington, Israel Keyes splits his time between taking care of his young family and hunting for victims. When he travels to visit family members in other states, The Cross-Country Killer discovers fresh hunting grounds and develops new methods of killing in secret. Increasingly emboldened, his murder spree culminates in a horrendous attack on a suburban couple. Speaking with witnesses and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates how Keyes perfects his MO ...
After an isolated childhood in the woods, Israel Keyes realises he’s a psychopath – with an urge to rape and kill. When he distances himself from his ultra religious family, he finds a new home in the Army – where his survivalist skillset is appreciated. But his uncontrolled sadism leads to a series of violent encounters that almost get him caught, and he realizes he must set boundaries for himself – and plan a more covert method of killing. Dr. Michelle Ward explores how Israel Keyes separates ...
This episode delves into the disturbing life of Israel Keyes, a discreet and prolific serial killer. It explores his isolated, fundamentalist upbringing in the remote Washington woods and the anti-social principles instilled by his family's extreme Christian identity beliefs. The episode highlights a pivotal moment in his youth, the brutal killing of a cat, which revealed his psychopathic tendencies, and examines his first attempted murder in Oregon, revealing how these early experiences shaped his future as a killer.
2000s Anchorage, Alaska: a beautiful city with vast wilderness and a sparse, spread-out population. It's the perfect hiding ground for a deadly predator to remain off the radar. In its midst is Israel Keyes - a family man and construction worker who doubles up as a master murderer, covering his tracks with precision. His family doesn’t think twice when he leaves for long road trips, during which he methodically plans and carries out incredibly brutal murders with victims selected at random. In t...
This episode delves into the trials of Kristen Gilbert, first for bomb threats where her lack of emotion and claims of memory loss were notable, and then for the shocking murders of patients at a federal hospital. The narrative explores the complex legal strategies of both prosecution and defense, including the unprecedented federal death penalty phase in Massachusetts. It also highlights the profound impact on victims' families and broader systemic issues regarding the detection and prevention of healthcare serial killers.
This episode delves into Kristen Gilbert's manipulative confessions, which she later retracts, and the mounting evidence against her, including a shocking statistical anomaly in patient deaths during her shifts. As the investigation progresses, Kristen's erratic and dangerous behavior escalates to include harassment, property damage, and even bomb threats against her former hospital. Experts analyze her "narcissistic immunity," highlighting her belief that she is untouchable, leading to her eventual capture after investigators cleverly link her to the threats.
This episode details the escalating investigation into nurse Kristen Gilbert, whose erratic behavior and suspicious patient deaths raise alarms among colleagues. After a failed internal review, a dedicated criminal investigation team, led by Bruce Sackman and William Welch, faces unique challenges in proving murder within a hospital setting. Kristen employs manipulative tactics and feigned self-harm, but cracks show under pressure, leading to a startling confession.
This episode explores the escalating reign of terror by nurse Kristen Gilbert on Ward C, where an alarming number of patient deaths and emergency codes occur on her shifts. As her affair with a police officer intensifies, suspicious colleagues begin to track her activities, discovering a pattern of epinephrine use linked to cardiac arrests. Experts reveal how medical serial killers typically operate and the psychological profile behind such heinous acts, including Munchausen by Proxy.
Delve into the chilling case of nurse Kristen Gilbert as she begins her deadly spree at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The episode details the suspicious deaths of vulnerable veterans like Stanley Jagodowski and Henry Houdon, whose sudden cardiac arrests on her shifts raise alarms, yet remain unproven due to their underlying conditions. Learn how Gilbert's increasingly brazen acts, including an affair with a VA police officer and an attempt to poison her own husband, reveal a disturbing thirst for control and attention. The episode culminates in the mysterious death of Henry Houdon, whose autopsy finds no clear cause, hinting at the depths of her depravity.
Explore the unsettling origins of Kristen Gilbert, a nurse who became one of the most prolific female serial killers. This episode uncovers her seemingly idyllic early childhood, contrasted with emerging manipulative traits, attention-seeking lies, and deeply disturbing behaviors like animal harm and identification with villains. We examine her volatile college relationships, refusal of therapy, and the pivotal first instance of deliberate harm to a vulnerable disabled boy, foreshadowing her eventual reign of terror at a VA Medical Center.
Dr. Michelle Ward delves into the case of Kristen Gilbert, a healthcare serial killer known as "The Killer Nurse," who murdered and attempted to murder patients at a Northampton VA Medical Center. This series explores the shocking betrayal of trust as a caregiver secretly became a prolific killer, with her victim count potentially reaching into the hundreds.
On September 23rd, Dr. Michelle Ward returns for another season, and this time she's covering serial killer Kristen Gilbert. From 1989 to 1995, nurse Kristen Gilbert claimed the lives of 4 patients. Across six episodes, criminal psychologist Dr. Michelle Ward consults with detectives, victim’s families, and witnesses to investigate her life and crimes on Ward C. Episode 1 releases September 23rd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
We bring the series to a close with a special episode dedicated to the story of Cindy Paulson, the 17-year-old sex worker who turned the entire Hansen case around. In 40 years, Cindy has never spoken in public about her experience. Now we fly to meet her for an exclusive interview. We talk about her childhood and what led her into sex work, we hear her side of Hansen’s attack and the police’s subsequent negligence. We learn how she began to trust Glenn Flothe, and where she disappeared to. We en...
Robert Hansen meets with the prosecution, and the true extent of his crimes becomes apparent, surprising even his defense lawyers. But he doesn't remember any of his victims' names. What follows is the painstaking recovery of bodies and the attempts to identify them. Dr. Michelle Ward revisits the story of Delynn Frey and tells of her family's heartache as the wait to identify her body stretches into years. Two other unidentified victims' stories take us to the present day, and the cold case inv...
The episode delves into the frantic search for evidence at Robert Hansen's home and the interrogation where he maintains his innocence. It highlights the strategic withholding of murder charges by investigators while crucial evidence like a rifle and victims' jewelry are found. The defense team's initial belief in Hansen's credibility slowly erodes as the true scope of his crimes, revealed by flight maps indicating grave sites and the dramatic confession interview, comes to light, culminating in a chilling realization of his monstrous nature.
This episode delves into the Anchorage serial killer investigation led by Detective Glenn Flothie, who connects several missing dancer cases to Robert C. Hansen. It features the powerful, firsthand account of Christy Hayes, a woman abducted by Hansen who miraculously escaped and endured years of police disbelief and Hansen's continued harassment. Flothie meticulously builds his case by leveraging Christy's and Cindy Paulson's testimony, securing a crucial search warrant, despite resistance and the discovery of missing evidence during the raid.
Patrol Cop Greg Baker is convinced bakery owner Robert Hansen is a serial killer, despite his superiors dismissing the case. This episode delves into Hansen's troubled past, from a strict childhood in Pocahontas, Iowa, marked by a domineering father, a debilitating stutter, and an arson conviction, to his life in Anchorage. It highlights how a plea deal in an early assault case, which dismissed rape charges against a sex worker, emboldened Hansen and allowed his violent tendencies to escalate, leading to further disappearances.
This episode delves into the disappearances of young women in Anchorage, focusing on the troubled past of Deline Frey and the harrowing escape of 17-year-old Cindy Paulson from her abductor, Robert Hansen. It critiques the flawed police investigation where systemic biases led officers to dismiss Paulson's credible testimony. Despite superiors closing the case, two dedicated officers independently continue to pursue justice, highlighting the challenges victims face.
In 1980s Anchorage, Detective Maxine Farrell battles institutional indifference as she connects the discovery of "Eklutna Annie" to a growing list of missing dancers and sex workers. Despite her superiors dismissing her serial killer theory, Maxine uncovers the exploitative "Talents West" operation that brought vulnerable women to the dangerous, male-dominated oil boom city. The episode highlights the high crime rates and the systemic factors that made these women targets, while Maxine compiles her own list of suspects for a killer no one else believes exists.
Join criminal psychologist Dr. Michelle Ward as she unravels the chilling case of "The Butcher Baker," one of the U.S.'s most prolific but lesser-known serial killers. Set in chaotic 1980s Alaska, this series investigates women disappearing from Anchorage's 4th Avenue, exploring police investigations, mafia links, and sex trafficking. Ward talks to survivors and experts, uncovering audio tapes and reports to reveal the killer's identity and delve into his dark psychology.
