It’s 2010 in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Local man, Stephen Griffiths has just returned home from a night out with a woman in tow. Seconds later, she's seen on security footage running for her life away from his apartment. Griffiths, seen with a crossbow, chases after her and shoots her, before dragging the woman back inside his apartment. She is never to be seen alive again. But he doesn't try to hide this. In fact, he flaunts it, with the hopes of living up to his idol–the Yorkshire Ripper. This...
Jun 17, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Yosemite National Park, located in the picturesque Sierra Nevada mountains, was all but serene for five months in 1999. Fear ran rampant as four women were viciously murdered. The prime suspect was 37-year-old Cary Stayner, a handyman at a local lodge. After being arrested in July of that same year, he astonished everyone with what he did next. This episode is sponsored by: IPVanish PrettyLitter - Promo code: WMAK Vodacast Original music by Daniel Birch , Kai Engel , JOHNWALLY , Ben Krejci , Kev...
Jun 10, 2021•36 min•Season 3Ep. 11
On December 2nd 2015, Horst Kroner boarded a plane to Thailand, intending to spend his vacation sleeping with various women. While he was away, neighbors became increasingly concerned about the whereabouts of Kroner's wife. They didn't know it yet, but two days before his trip, the man had viciously murdered his wife, bludgeoning her to death while she slept before hiding her body. This episode is sponsored by: Vodacast StoryWorth Best Fiends Original music by Ben Krejci , Lee Rosevere , Kai Eng...
Jun 03, 2021•41 min•Season 3Ep. 10
On August 19th 1987, the citizens of Hungerford in Berkshire woke up to a seemingly picturesque summer's day. While a mother sat in a park with her children, she was approached by a young man named Michael Ryan. As she turned to face him, Michael Ryan shot her. What followed was a day of terror, as the town was thrown into chaos and authorities were inundated with conflicting information. As they desperately tried to locate the killer, Michael Ryan continued to claim victims. This episode is spo...
May 27, 2021•42 min•Season 3Ep. 9
April 7th, 2016, police were called to the Peabody Estate in South London after receiving complaints from tenants about a putrid smell. The two police officers knocked on the door of 49-year-old Stefano Brizzi’s apartment and waiting for them inside was a gruesome sight. The body belonged to 59-year-old police officer Gordon Semple. The officers would soon find out that Semple had met his killer while using a dating app. This episode is sponsored by: Warby Parker Original music by Daniel Birch ,...
May 20, 2021•35 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In the summer of 1996, all of Belgium was in shock when two young girls who had been kidnapped, raped, and tortured were rescued from a makeshift dungeon below a house in Marcinelle. As the weeks passed, the bodies of four other young girls were found buried at properties linked to the same man. It was the beginning of a terrible nightmare for the entire nation. With the help of his wife, Michelle Martin, convicted pedophile Marc Dutroux's unhealthy desire for young girls had turned deadly. This...
May 13, 2021•43 min•Season 3Ep. 7
It's July 1st, 2000, and an eight year old schoolgirl is playing in a field outside of her grandparent’s house at Littlehampton in West Sussex. She disappears from sight for only a moment, but that is enough time for her abductor to make his move and steal the child. What follows is an emotional search for the little girl, who would never be found. With little to no evidence tying anyone to the scene, this proved to be a difficult case, and extremely upsetting for everyone involved. This episode...
May 06, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In July 2010 in Northumberland England, a jealous ex-boyfriend goes on a violent rampage after deciding that police have taken too much from him, including his relationship. He effectively declares war on the police after killing his ex's new partner, and shooting an officer, both from point blank range. Then he went into hiding, alarming the police, his now #1 target. This episode is sponsored by: IPVanish Daily Harvest - promo code: WHAT Gabi Original music by Ben Krejci , Lee Rosevere , Kai E...
Apr 29, 2021•41 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In April 1991, doctors at Grantham and Kesteven hospital in Lincolnshire were perplexed. In just two months, the health of 13 children had mysteriously deteriorated and four of them had died. But this was no unfortunate coincidence. One of the nurses was deliberately attempting to kill her young patients by injecting them with deadly poison. This episode is sponsored by: IPVanish Original music by Almusic34 , Daniel Birch , Kai Engel , Ben Krejci , KRISTIANKULTA , JOHNWALLY , and Lee Rosevere . ...
Apr 22, 2021•44 min•Season 3Ep. 4
On October 3rd, 2012, Coral Jones gave an emotional televised appeal for the safe return of her daughter, April. The five-year-old had been missing for 36 hours – she’d vanished while playing outside her home in the rural welsh town of Machynlleth. The entire community came together to help the police search for the missing girl. There was a real hope that April would be found alive. But the search would be in vain… A local 46-year-old man named Mark Bridger, who was known to the family, had abd...
Apr 15, 2021•47 min•Season 3Ep. 3
On June 2nd 1985, San Francisco police were called to a lumberyard to apprehend a shoplifter. By the time they arrive the suspect had already fled, but the man's partner is still at the scene. The man in in possession of a gun fitted with an illegal silencer, so they arrest him. But while in custody at the station, the suspect swallows a cyanide pill he had hidden in his clothing. Authorities would soon uncover the truth; this man had been one half of a sick and twisted serial killing duo. And t...
Apr 08, 2021•43 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In the winter of 2006, the town of Ipswich, England was left horrified as the bodies of five missing female sex workers were found by police. The discovery launched a massive manhunt that resulted in police questioning over 2,000 men. Police raced against time to find the killer, all while women continued to risk their lives, hoping they would not become another victim of Steve Wright. This episode is sponsored by: Daily Harvest Original music by Ben Krejci , Kai Engel , Nctrnm , Daniel Birch , ...
Apr 01, 2021•39 min•Season 3Ep. 1
What Makes a Killer is a series that chronicles the lives and crimes of the world’s most notorious killers. In every episode host Jennifer Nittoso will trace a killer’s origins, examine their behavior, and follow their path to bloodshed. As always, this season we’ll hear from family members, survivors, and experts to uncover what led these killers to commit their crimes. On this season, we will cover thirteen new killers, each more sinister than the last. The identities of The Suffolk Strangler,...
Mar 25, 2021•2 min
On May 10, 2012, a blazing fire engulfed a family home in Allentown, Derby. The parents, Mick and Mairead Philpott, were able to get out alive, but there were six children trapped inside. All six perished in the tragedy . . . but it was not an accident. It came as a shock to his neighbors - but not to the authorities - that Mick Philpott was involved in orchestrating the fire in a complicated scheme for power and revenge. This episode is sponsored by: Better Help Original music by Ben Krejci , K...
Sep 24, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In April 1973, in Santa Cruz California, a 24 year old man is on the run for the violent murder of his mother and her best friend. The only problem? Authorities have no idea that the crime has been committed. After three days of driving, and with no media coverage of his crime, the man makes a surprising call...to the police. And that's not the only twist, he is responsible for multiple other murders that are being investigated by the police, and he confesses to all of them in graphic detail. Th...
Sep 17, 2020•44 min•Season 2Ep. 12
On August 2nd, 2012, twelve year old Tia Sharp went missing after supposedly traveling by train to meet up with some friends for the day. She is due back home in the evening evening, but she never arrived. What followed her disappearance was one of the most publicized search campaigns in British history. But on August 10th, it all came to an abrupt end, with a twist that shocked both the public, and Tia’s family. Tia’s body, and her killer, had been right in front of the cameras the entire time....
Sep 10, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 11
On June 20, 1970, the hunt was underway for a missing 12-year-old girl named Robin Samsoe. She had last been seen with her friend talking to an older man with a camera. When the man's description was circulated, he was immediately recognized by his parole officer . . . but also recognized for having appeared on a television show - The Dating Game . This episode is sponsored by: Spycast Podcast Original music by Ben Krejci , Daniel Birch , Kevin MacLeod , Kai Engel , Nctrnm , and Lee Rosevere . S...
Sep 03, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 10
On May 31st, 1983, Polish police were dispatched to check out a supposed robbery. A neighbor had called when he realized his pig cooker was stolen . . .but police were well aware that the accused man, Pawel Tuchlin, was guilty of things that were far more sinister. For years, the man had been stalking women around Poland and attacking them with a hammer . . . and for years, police had done nothing to apprehend him. This episode is sponsored by: Something Was Wrong Podcast Better Help Original mu...
Aug 27, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 9
On November 12th, 2002 police received a call from a terrified 14 year old boy and his 11-year-old sister. They had returned home from school to find their mother, Heather Barnett, brutally murdered. Police arrive at the scene to find the victim’s children being comforted by a neighbor. Neither police nor the children realize they are being consoled by the very man who murdered their mother. And it would take another 8 years, and the discovery of another body 14 hundred miles away, to finally br...
Aug 20, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In February 1988, a 29-year-old John Duffy was on trial for the rape and murder of three women. He was a terrifying figure, and infamous across London. His arrest brought an end to a horrific four-year crime spree across the British capital, but he was only a half a murderous duo. Duffy refused to give up the name of his accomplice, and without any leads, the police have no choice but to wait. It would be another 15 years before the other man was found guilty for his part in the heinous crimes. ...
Aug 13, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 7
On February 8, 1983, a plumbing engineer arrived at an apartment in Cranley Gardens to investigate a blocked drain. When he opened the drain cover, he knew right away that the smell was not anything that would usually be in a pipe . . .and he pulled out large pieces of flesh. It was traced back to the top floor, where lived 27-year-old Dennis Nilsen. When he was arrested, Nilsen was discovered to have murdered at least 13 people - but even Nilsen couldn’t remember how many. This episode is spons...
Aug 06, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 6
On December 1st, 1996, single father Lee Harvey was murdered on the side of the road. The only person who witnessed what happened was his fiancé, Tracie Andrews, who claimed he had been killed in a road rage incident by strangers. But not long after a tearful plea to the press, Andrews’s story began to fall apart. And she went from the number one witness to the number one suspect. Original music by Ben Krejci , Daniel Birch , Kai Engel , Lee Rosevere , and Ad Serpentae. Sergey Cheremisinov , and...
Jul 30, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In August 1985, California police officers rescued a man from an angry mod that attacked him as he exited a bus. What they didn't know, was that they had just detained a man the media had dubbed "The Night Stalker". The killer had spent 14 months terrorizing the state of California, claiming 13 victims. After finally getting a good look at the man, police realized they had just made the arrest of the decade, Richard Ramirez. This episode is sponsored by: Better Help , & SimpliSafe Original m...
Jul 23, 2020•40 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In February 1994, in Sunderland, England, a badly burned body of a teenager was found on a plot of land. It was the third in just three months. Despite all three deaths being similar, and suspicious, pathologists initially ruled out murder. Police didn’t know it yet, but there is a serial killer on the loose, and his name, was Steven Grieveson. This episode is sponsored by: Raycon Original music by Ben Krejci , Kai Engel , Daniel Birch , Kevin MacLeod , and Scott Holmes . Licensed under Creative...
Jul 16, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 3
On November 25th, 1987 in Paris, France. 87-year old Bertha Finalteri was strangled and robbed. It was the latest in a string of older women being robbed, tortured, and murdered . . . but Bertha survived. The culprits were a pair of young lovers, Thierry Paulin and Jean-Thierry Maturin. And when they split up, Paulin continued to steal from helpless women – and admitted to killing at least 21 people. This episode is sponsored by: It was Simple: The Betty Broderick Murders Podcast Original music ...
Jul 09, 2020•43 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In November 1988, detectives in Sacramento California discovered the body of a missing man named Burt Montoya. His body was found buried in the yard of the boarding house he had been living in. The woman in charge of the boarding house was shocked by the discovery of her tenant, but as more and more bodies were discovered, it became apparent that the little old landlady was not as innocent as she looked. Original music by Ben Krejci , Kai Engel , Daniel Birch , and Kevin MacLeod . Licensed under...
Jul 02, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 1
When we face challenges in life, we seek answers from people we believe can help us. When tragedy strikes an exclusive retreat with a self-help superstar, many people are left to wonder: how far is too far? James Arthur Ray was an Oprah-endorsed self-help teacher who achieved fame, fortune, and influence. But friends and family members of his followers questioned his unorthodox methods, and tried to stop him. From Wondery, the makers of “Dirty John,” “Dr. Death,” and “The Shrink Next Door,” come...
Jul 01, 2020•6 min
What Makes a Killer is a series that chronicles the lives and crimes of the world’s most notorious killers. In every episode host Jennifer Nittoso will trace a killer’s origins, examine their behavior, and follow their path to bloodshed. We’ll hear from family members, survivors, and experts to uncover how they became killers. On this season, we will cover thirteen killers, each more sinister than the last. Who was the Death House Landlady? And how did the Sunderland Strangler get his name? All ...
Jun 18, 2020•2 min
On the Season finale of What Makes a Killer: On November 17th 2006, police in the German city of Cologne searched the vehicle of a 47-year man suspected of murder. What they found inside the truck was a collection of gruesome memorabilia. That day, police apprehended Volker Eckert, bringing an end to a 32 year career of murder that spanned five European countries. To this day, the exact number of his victims is still unknown. This episode is sponsored by: Kenko Hello Fresh Original music by Ben ...
Jan 30, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Shortly before midnight on July 22nd, 1991, two Milwaukee police officers were flagged down in their patrol car by a man with a pair of handcuffs dangling from one wrist. The man had escaped from a small one bedroom apartment. When the officers went to investigate, they found themselves in a living nightmare. Between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer killed 17 young men and boys by luring them back to his apartment where he would drug and strangle them. But it wasn’t the act of murder that thrilled ...
Jan 23, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 11
