It Takes Two...To Make A Nightmare Come True
A new Psycho Killer series uncovering the world’s deadliest killer couples.
Starts Monday, 29 September 2025.
Serial killers usually act alone. But sometimes, two damaged personalities collide — and the results are catastrophic.
It Takes Two is the brand-new series from Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories. Across autumn 2025, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell dive deep into the psychology of history’s most infamous killer couples — from notorious names to cases you may never have heard of.
What happens when one partner’s fantasies feed another’s cruelty? How does a relationship turn into a murder pact? And why, when killers come in pairs, is the outcome so much more destructive?
Our opening episode investigates Leonard Lake and Charles Ng, who turned a remote Californian cabin into a nightmare prison of torture and death.
It Takes Two… A collision of personalities. A catalogue of victims. And the darkest stories of all.
Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories
Simply the best podcast for lovers of authentic, intelligent true-crime investigations
Welcome to Psycho Killer. If you’re obsessed with authentic true-crime stories you’ve come to the right place. Psycho Killer is a podcast made by real homicide investigators for true-crime connoisseurs like you.
Psycho Killer combines a detective’s powers of investigation with a journalist’s nose for a story to bring you insights and exposés from the darkest corners of the human psyche.
Our British sleuths pore over the evidence, challenge contemporary decisions and take nothing for granted. We reveal what really happens in a murder hunt — the triumphs and the tragedies.
So go ahead. Get closer. We'll see you on the dark side.
Osama Bin Laden: Psychopathy, Power And The Price Of Belief
This month marks 24 years since the 9/11 attacks on America — the deadliest terror strike since Pearl Harbour. To mark the anniversary, Psycho Killer investigates the rise and fall of Osama Bin Laden. Was he a religious zealot, a freedom fighter, or a psychopath? Perhaps all three.
Using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) and the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality (CAPP), Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell apply two clinical tools to Bin Laden’s life and legacy. The result? More than one conclusion — and a portrait of a man whose blend of belief, power, and manipulation shaped the world we live in today.
Acknowledgements
- The Obama White House (2009) YouTube
- ITN (1980) YouTube
- ABC News (2011) YouTube
- PeriscopeFilm (2023) YouTube
- CNN (1997) YouTube
- WatchMojo.com (2017) YouTube
- Anonymous (2001) YouTube
- BBC News (1998) YouTube
- FUNKER530 (n.d.) YouTube
- Anonymous (2011) YouTube
- BBC News (2022) YouTube
- BBC News (2021) YouTube
- FUNKER530 (2021) YouTube
- Anonymous (n.d.) YouTube
The Lobotomist, Part 2: Power, Damage & Denial
Explicit – contains surgery details.
Walter J. Freeman II thought he was a revolutionary. And in a way, he was. He operated during three revolutionary decades of the twentieth century – years that saw the coming of nuclear power, antibiotics and humanity's first tentative steps into space. But his technique was more medieval than post-modern. The cutting edge of his trademark instrument was the point of an icepick – or at least, a wicked-looking tool derived from one. Yet, here was an individual who convinced himself he was doing humanity a service, while all around, patients were wheeled away on gurneys with their humanity neutralised.
Was Freeman mad, bad, psychopathic... or just deluded? And where does the dividing line fall that separates those traits? Indeed, can they be separated, or do they seep into each other, like blood seeping into bandages, until all we see is crimson? The red mist of a horror too awful to comprehend – a physician sworn to not harm, acting with official sanction in a way that no physician should.
In the second part of The Lobotomist, we answer that question as dispassionately as we can, despite the trail of bodies and tortured souls the good doctor left in his wake. What tools do we have to comprehend the incomprehensible paradox of Walter J. Freeman II? Was he well-meaning, misguided, or something much darker? Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats, because the jury is in.
Listen to "The Lobotomist – Part 2: Power, Damage & Denial" on Spreaker.
The Lobotomist: Walter Jackson Freeman II — Part 1: Ice Picks & Ego Trips
Explicit – surgery details
The story of Walter J. Freeman II is as disturbing as it is bizarre. He pioneered the transorbital lobotomy, a radical and, to modern minds, barbaric form of brain surgery. Freeman left behind him a trail of devastation – shattered lives and a body count that reached the hundreds. Yet it took the authorities two decades to come to their senses and stop him.
During those years, he worked with official approval at institutions across the United States. He even became a travelling sales-surgeon, peddling his procedure like snake oil, driving from state to state in a vehicle that came to be known as the 'lobotomobile'. His patients, which we would now call victims, included the rich and famous. Some gave consent. Others did not.
Until his death, Freeman insisted he had altruistic intentions. He wanted to cure the incurable with his ground-breaking surgical technique. He tried to send people back to their families the way they used to be, before mental illness took hold. That is the case for the defence. The prosecution alleges that Walter J. Freeman II was something darker. That his motives were far from selfless. That he was, in fact, a psycho killer of the first order.
Listen to "The Lobotomist: Walter Jackson Freeman II — Part 1: Ice Picks & Ego Trips" on Spreaker.
The Bizarre Journey of Henri Landru’s Severed Head
Step inside one of true crime’s strangest afterlives. In this bonus episode of Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories, we follow the grisly journey of Henri Désiré Landru’s severed head—from the guillotine in 1920s France to its eerie display in Hollywood’s infamous Museum of Death.
Landru, known as the “Bluebeard of Gambais,” was convicted of murdering at least ten women and a teenage boy during World War I. But what happened to his head after the blade fell is a mystery tangled in rumour, lost records, and bizarre twists.
Was it preserved for science, smuggled as a macabre trophy, or simply passed from collector to collector? Join us as we explore the historical trail, the ethical questions, and the unsettling fascination with turning killers into curiosities.
Acknowledgements
KCAL News (2015). 'The Museum of Death is filled with lively exhibits – if you don't faint.' Available on YouTube.
Listen to "The Bizarre Journey of Henri Landru’s Severed Head" on Spreaker.
Henri Désiré Landru: French Serial Killer, The Bluebeard Of Gambais (Part 2)
Explicit
In our last episode, we met Henri Désiré Landru: serial seducer, swindler, and killer — a man who lured lonely women to his villa at Gambais and turned them into ash.
Now, the net is closing. In this second instalment of The Bluebeard of Gambais, we follow the tenacious detective who pursued Landru across a war-torn France — and finally brought him to justice.
We’ll take you inside the courtroom where Landru stood trial for eleven murders — and the public couldn’t look away.
With forensic precision and historical rigour, we examine the evidence, the gender politics, and the media frenzy that gripped a nation. From the witness box to the guillotine — this is true crime at its most shocking.
Henri Désiré Landru: French Serial Killer, The Bluebeard Of Gambais (Part 1)
Explicit
This is the chilling true story of Henri Désiré Landru — France’s most infamous serial killer. He posed as a lonely hearts suitor… but behind the doors of his villa at Gambais, women disappeared without a trace.
It took one of the most painstaking investigations in French criminal history — and a detective who refused to give up — to expose the horror Landru was hiding in plain sight.
At Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories, we don’t just recount the crimes. We go deeper. With forensic accuracy and historical integrity, each episode is crafted by veteran journalist Simon Ford and former major crime detective Jacques Morrell. Subscribe now — and discover why, over 60 episodes in, Psycho Killer has become true crime’s most addictive descent into darkness.
The Sickening Crimes Of Ian Huntley: Part 3
Explicit
In the final part of our Ian Huntley trilogy, Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories asks: can a psychopath ever truly feel remorse? And if they can’t be cured—can they at least be taught to reform?
We explore Huntley’s prison behaviour and recorded expressions of regret, set against the pioneering research of British forensic psychologist Dee Anand. His group, Beyond Diagnosis, argues that even psychopathy can be addressed—if we ask not “what’s wrong with you?” but “what happened to you?”
Featuring real psychological insight, forensic rigour, and professional expertise, Psycho Killer continues to set the standard for intelligent true crime storytelling.
Catch up on Parts 1 & 2 now, and support the show on Patreon.
Listen to "A Psychopath At School: The Sickening Crimes Of Ian Huntley (Part 3)" on Spreaker.
The Sickening Crimes Of Ian Huntley (Part 2)
Explicit
In the second part of our deep dive into the Soham murders, Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories examines Ian Huntley’s disturbing psychological profile through the lens of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (Revised). What does his score reveal about his mind—and his motives?
We also explore the complex role of Maxine Carr: was she a willing accomplice, or a victim of coercive control? With forensic storytelling, gold-standard journalism, and insight from a real former detective, Psycho Killer goes beyond the headlines to uncover the uncomfortable truths behind this notorious case.
Listen now—and don’t forget to support the podcast on Patreon.
Listen to "A Psychopath At School: The Sickening Crimes Of Ian Huntley (Part 2)" on Spreaker.
The Sickening Crimes Of Ian Huntley (Part 1)
Explicit
As featured in Podcast Today
When 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman vanished from the quiet town of Soham in 2002, Britain was gripped by a tragedy that quickly spiralled into one of the most disturbing child murder cases in modern history. In this first episode of a three-part investigative series, Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories examines the early signs, missed red flags, and manipulative behaviours of Ian Huntley—the school caretaker who inserted himself into the heart of the investigation… while knowing exactly what had happened to the girls.
Listen to Part 1 now — and subscribe so you don’t miss Parts 2 and 3, where we explore the media’s role in unmasking Huntley, Maxine Carr’s disturbing involvement, and the psychological profile that puts him squarely on the psychopathy spectrum.
Listen to "A Psychopath At School: The Sickening Crimes Of Ian Huntley (Part 1)" on Spreaker.
Acknowledgements & Source Material
- BBC 10 O'clock News (2003). Huntley and Carr sentenced – Duncan Kennedy reports. Watch on YouTube
- BBC Six O'clock News (2002). Police retrace the last-known steps of the missing ten-year-olds – Clarence Mitchell reports from Soham. Watch on YouTube
- CNN (2002). News report on Soham murders: police announcement that two bodies had been found. Watch on YouTube
- Good Morning Britain/The Sun (n.d.). Huntley 'apologises' for Soham murders. Watch on YouTube
- The Independent (2022). Journalist Brian Farmer recalls Soham killer’s suspicious answers 20 years on. Watch on YouTube
- ITV News (2013). Soham 10 Years On – includes Jeremy Thompson's interview with Maxine Carr. Watch on YouTube
- ITV News (2010). Ian Huntley recovers after prison attack. Watch on YouTube
- ITV News at 10 (2002). Ian Huntley will stand trial next summer. Watch on YouTube
- ITV News (2002). Jeremy Thompson's interview with Ian Huntley. Watch on YouTube
The Double Life Of Jimmy Savile (Part 2)
Explicit
In the second part of our investigation into Jimmy Savile, we go deeper into one of the most disturbing cover-ups in British criminal history. How did a man accused of hundreds of sexual assaults operate with impunity for decades—inside hospitals, children’s homes, and even the BBC itself? Who protected him? And why did it take so long for victims’ voices to be heard?
With exclusive insight from veteran detective Jacques Morrell and gold-standard journalism from Simon Ford, this episode dissects the systemic failures, psychological profile, and chilling manipulation that made Savile Britain’s most prolific sexual predator. We score him against the Hare Psychopathy Checklist to ask the critical question: Was Jimmy Savile a psychopath? If you thought Part One was shocking, Part Two is essential listening.
Subscribe now and support the Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories on Patreon.
Listen to "The Double Life Of Jimmy Savile (Part 2)" on Spreaker.
The Double Life Of Jimmy Savile (Part 1)
Explicit
Jimmy Savile was one of Britain’s most famous celebrities — a beloved TV presenter, tireless charity fundraiser, and knight of the realm. But behind the tracksuits, cigars, and catchphrases lay something far darker.
After his death in 2011, hundreds of victims came forward, revealing him to be one of the most prolific sexual predators in British history. In this first episode of Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories, we dig beneath the surface to explore how Savile groomed an entire nation.
How did he hide in plain sight for decades? Why did no one stop him? And what does his story tell us about power, celebrity, and institutional failure?
We’ll uncover chilling evidence, confront uncomfortable truths, and hear from experts who’ve studied his case in forensic detail, including how he measures up against the Hare Psychopathy Checklist.
Whether you remember Jimmy Savile or are hearing his name for the first time, this story will shock you to your core. Subscribe now, and join us as we expose the mind — and the crimes — of a man who fooled the world.
Listen to "The Double Life Of Jimmy Savile (Part 1)" on Spreaker.
Acknoweldgements
- BBC/slackbacker24, 2012. Jimmy Savile & Margaret Thatcher. [video] YouTube.
- BBC – Top of The Pops, 2025. The Most Vile Disturbing Jimmy Savile video. [video] YouTube Shorts.
- BBC – Radio 4, 2011. Jimmy Savile Death Announcement. [video] YouTube.
- BBC – The News Agents, 2023. Meirion Jones on Steve Coogan’s portrayal in 'The Reckoning'. [video] YouTube.
- BBC – Jim’ll Fix It, 2023. Disturbing Clip of Jimmy Savile and Gary Glitter... You Couldn't Make It Up!. [video] YouTube Shorts.
- BBC – Jim’ll Fix It, 2025. Creepy Jimmy Savile encourages guests to kiss and grab girls. [video] YouTube.
- BBC/MusicalMemoryLane, 2010. The Jim’ll Fix It theme tune. [video] YouTube.
- Channel 4 News, 2012. Broadmoor: Savile was 'a lunatic in charge of the asylum'. [video] YouTube.
- Channel 5 News, 2013. Savile victim speaks out. [video] YouTube.
- ITN, 2020. Sir Jimmy Savile, Charles and Princess Diana open the Stoke Mandeville Hospital. [video] YouTube.
- ITN/On Demand News, 2011. GOODNESS GRACIOUS: Jimmy Savile's golden farewell. [video] YouTube.
- ITV News/TVS, 2012. Allegations against Jimmy Savile increase. [video] YouTube.
- ITV News/The Telegraph, 2012. Jimmy Savile 'gave me cigarettes for sex'. [video] YouTube.
- Netflix, 2022. Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story | Official Trailer. [video] YouTube.
- Sky News, 2015. Gary Glitter Found Guilty Of Sex Offences Against Underage Girls. [video] YouTube.
- Surrey Constabulary/Alfred James Stewart, 2024. Sir Jimmy Savile Police Interview 1/09/2009. [video] YouTube.
- TvFilmMedia, 2025. Full Disturbing Fix-It Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris from 1976. [video] YouTube.
Andrei Chikatilo: The Butcher Of Rostov (Part 2)
Expicit
It took over a decade and more than fifty brutal murders before Soviet authorities finally captured Andrei Chikatilo. Dubbed The Butcher of Rostov, his cold, clinical detachment stunned even the most hardened investigators.
In this second part of our deep dive, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell follow the hunt to its chilling conclusion – the arrest, trial, and execution of the USSR’s most prolific serial killer.
They perform a psychological autopsy of a man who sodomised, tortured, and cannibalised his victims – most of them women and children. What made him? How did he slip through the cracks for so long? And the most disturbing question of all: could it happen again – in a democracy, in our own time?
Listen to "Andrei Chikatilo: The Butcher Of Rostov (Part 2)" on Spreaker.
Andrei Chikatilo: The Butcher Of Rostov (Part 1)
Explicit
In this episode, we dive into the horrifying case of Andrei Chikatilo, Russia’s most prolific serial killer. Over 12 years, he murdered at least 52 women and children—his crimes hidden by a Soviet system that refused to admit serial killers even existed.
- Who was Andrei Chikatilo?
- Was he insane or calculating?
- What can his case teach us about psychopathy, pathology—and state denial?
Former detective Jacques Morrell and investigative journalist Simon Ford piece together court records, psych reports and rare Soviet sources to expose the brutal truth.
Don’t miss Part Two next week — subscribe and turn on notifications!
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Spreaker
Listen to "Andrei Chikatilo: The Butcher Of Rostov (Part 1)" on Spreaker.
Are Psycho Killers Born Or Made?
Explicit
Dive into one of true crime’s most chilling debates in this gripping episode of Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories.
Hosts Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell explore the twisted lives of Jeffrey Dahmer and Adolf Hitler to uncover whether nature or nurture drives people to commit unspeakable acts.
Combining forensic psychology, historical analysis and raw storytelling, this episode offers a haunting journey into the minds of notorious killers. If you're fascinated by psychopathy, serial killers and the dark side of human behaviour, this is essential listening.
Subscribe now for authentic, intelligent, true crime like no other.
Acknowledgements
- Chang, J. and Halliday, J. (2005) Mao: The Unknown Story. London: Jonathan Cape.
- The New Yorker. ‘Stalin’s Early Years’. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. ‘Adolf Hitler’. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adolf-Hitler
- History Extra. ‘Jeffrey Dahmer: Biography’. Available at: https://www.historyextra.com/
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Behavioral Analysis Unit White Papers on Psychopathy in Political Leadership. Quantico, VA: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Available at: https://www.fbi.gov
- BBC Archives. Excerpts from coverage of Jeffrey Dahmer’s trial. [Television broadcast]. Used under fair dealing for purposes of criticism and review.
- Court TV. Footage from the Jeffrey Dahmer trial. [Television broadcast]. Used under fair dealing for purposes of criticism and review.
Mary Bell: A Child Who Killed
Explicit content
She looked like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, but little Mary Bell became the face of evil. So, who was this 11-year-old convicted of the manslaughter of two little boys? What motivated her? And did her punishment fit her crimes?
This podcast explores the character of Mary Bell through the work of the author, Gitta Sereny, and TV documentaries broadcast since the child killer's release from prison.
Acknowledgements
- Mary Bell: BBC Children of Crime (1998) BBC/Blakeway Productions, available on YouTube.
- Sereny, G. (1972) The Case of Mary Bell: A Portrait of a Child Who Murdered. Newspaper Publishing plc.
- Sereny, G. (1998) Cries Unheard: The Story of Mary Bell. MacMillan.
Listen to "Mary Bell: A Child Who Killed" on Spreaker.
Kids Who Kill: Mary Bell; The James Bulger Tragedy; And The Machete Murder Of Shawn Seesahai
"They chopped him." Those three words from the parents of Shawn Seesahai starkly describe their teenage son's death at the hands of two machete-wielding boys aged just 12, during a confrontation in a park in Wolverhampton, England.
So, are murderers getting younger? Broadly speaking, the answer is 'yes'.
Figures from the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the percentage of homicide convictions going to under-16s compared with other ages doubled over 10 years, from about one in 50 in 2012/13 to one in 25 in 2022/23.
Sky News reports that the 2022/23 figure is the highest since at least 2008/09. But they caveat – since the percentage of under-16s is low overall, the averages can be heavily skewed by relatively few convictions.
In this podcast, former major crime detective Jacques Morrell is joined by broadcaster Karl Cooper. They look at three murders carried out by children and discuss how the law balances retribution and rehabilitation.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the following news organisations for the illustrative clips used in this podcast:
BBC Archive
BBC News
Channel Five News
Channel Four News
Sky News
Thames Television
West Midlands Police
The song, 'Just Know That I Bleached That', performed on TikTok by stackban6z.28 (Casper Caponè).
Watch the complete video recording of the judge's sentencing remarks in the Shawn Seesahai murder trial.
Learn more about reporting restrictions for children in criminal cases.
Mussolini: Italy's Psycho Dictator (Part 2)
Spring, 1945.
As Italy collapsed into anarchy and the Allies drove north, the fate of fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, was in the hands of a partisan militia claiming to represent the country's legitimate government.
The death of Il Duce and his mistress Claretta Petacci marked the end of his rule, but not the end of Italian fascism. As Jacques Morrell discovered, the far right remains influential in present-day Italian politics.
So what exactly happened in those chaotic days in April 1945? Did Mussolini receive justice, or were his executioners just as bad as he was? In an age dominated by posturing tyrants, did lesser psychopaths go unpunished?
Acknowledgements
The Associated Press/British Movietone
The United States Signal Corps/Footagefarm
War Life
Listen to "Mussolini: Italy's Psycho Dictator (Part 2)" on Spreaker.
Mussolini: Italy's Psycho Dictator (Part 1)
Benito Mussolini was a textbook psycho – arrogant, grandiose and heartless. He established a fascist dictatorship in Italy by brutally repressing his political opponents.
Mussolini invaded Ethiopia and Libya, where his troops committed extensive war crimes, including civilian massacres and the use of chemical weapons. He took Italy into World War Two, a national catastrophe that led to widespread death and suffering.
In the first of two podcasts, journalist Simon Ford and retired detective Jacques Morrell explore the events surrounding Mussolini's fall from power. How can a psycho enthral a nation – and are there lessons for our time in the story of Mussolini: Italy's psychopathic dictator?
Acknowledgements
The Associated Press/British Movietone
The United States Signal Corps/Footagefarm
War Life
Listen to "Benito Mussolini: Italy's Psycho Dictator" on Spreaker.
Missing Without A Trace: The Aussie Backpacker Murders And Other Disappearances
The handsome fellow in the picture was convicted of multiple sadistic murders. His name was Ivan Milat and – although he never admitted any of his crimes – his name has gone down in history as Australia's most notorious serial killer.
In this podcast we look into the so-called 'backpacker murders'; we take a critical view of Australia's missing persons problem and assess official efforts to address it.
We also explore the possibility of a link between Australia and a decades-old English cold case.
The Mysterious Death of Alfred Swinscoe
This podcast is about an active murder investigation with a twist – the crime went undetected for more than 50 years.
In 1967, the family of Alfred Swinscoe assumed he'd walked out, disappeared, and started a new life elsewhere. The police thought so also, and they closed the file.
Then, one spring morning in 2023, workers digging a new drain stumbled upon human remains. Alfred Swinscoe's grandson got in touch, and 21st-century forensics did the rest. The coal miner from Pinxton in Derbyshire had been killed, and his body buried on the edge of a remote wood.
Now detectives have to answer a question over half a century old:
Who murdered Alfred Swinscoe?
Listen to "The Mysterious Death of Alfred Swinscoe" on Spreaker.
Jack The Ripper: The Only Clue Left By The Killer
Warning: explicit
Jack the Ripper. The unknown serial killer murdered and mutilated at least five women in the East End of London in 1888.
Every time he gave the police the slip. He only made one mistake – dropping a piece of apron ripped from his fourth victim.
Catherine Eddowes was murdered in Mitre Square in the City of London. A copper found the apron piece in Goulston Street, less than half a mile away in Whitechapel.
Chalked on the brickwork above it was the now-notorious Goulston Street Graffito: ‘The Juwes are not the men that will be blamed for nothing.’
So, what was the East End like at the time of the killings? And how would a modern homicide team investigate them?
Jacques Morrell and Simon Ford joined Ripperologist, Mick Priestley, for a tour of Jack the Ripper's backyard.
Listen to "Jack The Ripper: Halloween Special" on Spreaker.
For books and gifts, and to book a tour, go to www.ripperworld.net.
Jack The Ripper: The Witnesses
The second instalment of our Jack the Ripper investigation probes the reliability of the witnesses who came forward. Were they attention seekers? Were they profiteers? Or were they, perhaps, covering their tracks? Jacques Morrell asked M.P. Priestley – official tour guide and author of Jack the Ripper, One Autumn in Whitechapel – for his expert opinion.
Listen to "Jack The Ripper: The Witnesses" on Spreaker.
Learn more about M.P. Priestley and his work as an author, guide and Ripperologist. His book, Jack the Ripper – One Autumn in Whitechapel is available from Amazon.
Jack The Ripper: Psycho Or Satanist?
Warning: graphic content
Mystery surrounds the mass murderer known as Jack the Ripper. He prowled the back streets of London's East End preying on the poor and the vulnerable.
This devil butchered his victims and left their mutilated corpses down dark alleys, on doorsteps, and in doss houses. Then, the killer vanished, seemingly into thin air.
What spurred the Ripper on his rampage? Some believe he was driven by dark forces conjured from hell itself. The evidence, they say, is plain to see – if you know what to look for.
In this podcast we go to Whitechapel – Jack the Ripper's hunting ground – in search of answers.
Listen to "Jack The Ripper: Psycho Or Satanist?" on Spreaker.
Acknowledgements
Jack the Ripper (Paramount, 1959) directed by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman.
The Riddle of the Goulston Street Graffito
Robert D'Onston wrote to the City of London police explaining the message chalked at the entrance to 108-119 Wentworth Model Dwellings. Commissioner Sir Charles Warren said there was no "... dialect or language in which the word Jews is spelt Juwes".
D'Onston told the Ripper detectives to write 'Juwes' in script and: "... place a dot over the third upstroke [to spell] 'The Juives' which, I need not tell you, is the French word for Jews."
The letter continued: "The murderer unconsciously reverted, for a moment, to his native language..." leading D'Onston to the conclusion that:
"1. The man was a Frenchman. 2. He had resided a long time in England ... 3. He had resided a long time in the East End ... 4. It is probable (not certain) that he is a notorious Jew-hater, though he may only have written it to throw a false scent."
What do you think? Was D'Onston onto something? Below left is the message as copied by the police and right with D'Onston's dot placed over the third upstroke.
'Mad Billy' Hughes: The Pottery Cottage Murders
The Pottery Cottage murders occurred between the 12th and the 14th of January 1977.
William Thomas Hughes escaped from custody while being transferred from prison to court to face charges of rape and grievous bodily harm.
Hughes stabbed his escort – two prison officers – then did a runner. But the winter weather was the worst for a generation. He needed to lie low until the hue and cry passed by.
Pottery Cottage gave Hughes the shelter he needed. But it gave him another problem; a family lived there, and they had to be controlled. So Hughes took them hostage – and from that moment on, their fate was sealed.
Advisory: contains very strong language.
Location recording by Karl Cooper, Podcast Partners UK.
Listen to "The Pottery Cottage Murders" on Spreaker.
Barry Prudom: Psycho Killer Investigates The 'Phantom In The Forest'
Barry Prudom was an electrician with a vivid fantasy life and a passion for all things military. You might compare him to that famous fictional daydreamer Walter Mitty. But unlike Mitty, Prudom lost sight of the line between fantasy and reality.
He had a bash at joining the special forces, but the SAS knocked him back. Wounded, Prudom retreated into himself. His relationships failed and he drifted – from job to job, from continent to continent.
Resentment and fantasy were his closest companions. In his mind, he was a commando following the assassin’s creed. Somewhere along the line, he got his hands on a pistol – a tool of the trade rare in rural Yorkshire. The die was cast and inevitably fantasy turned into bloody reality.
Barry Prudom, Barry Prudom
He's coming for you with his gun
Barry Prudom, Barry Prudom
He's Public Enemy number one
('Barry Prudom' – song by Combat 84)
Listen to "Barry Prudom: The Making Of A Mass Murderer" on Spreaker.
Acknowledgments
‘Barry Prudom’ by Combat 84 (re-released by Splattered! Records, 2019)
Extracts from the documentary, ‘Manhunt: Phantom in the Forest’ (ITV, 2002)
Barry Prudom: In The Footsteps Of A Cop Killer
It was a routine traffic stop for PC David Haigh. He'd made hundreds over the years. But there was something strange about this car parked in remote woodland. Call it copper's intuition. PC Haigh knocked on the driver's window. The last thing he saw was the muzzle of an automatic pistol. And the last thing to go through his head was a .22 calibre bullet.
So began the 18-day rampage of cop killer Barry Prudom: an unremarkable electrician from Leeds by day; a self-styled SAS trooper by night. Prudom's interest in the military became an obsession when the army turned him down. In the summer of 1982, he was the target of the biggest manhunt the UK had ever seen. He killed again – shooting dead a civilian and a police sergeant, and wounding another police officer – before the police called on the services of a real SAS veteran, the tracker and survivalist Eddie McGee.
McGee led the police to Prudom's hiding place in the North Yorkshire town of Malton. A single report rang out, followed by a volley of police gunfire that peppered Prudom's bivouac. But the fugitive was already dead: that first shot had been the sound of Prudom taking his own life.
Ex-major crime detective, Jacques Morrell, has been visiting some of the places linked to Barry Prudom. He joined Psycho Killer teammate Simon Ford for a chat on the banks of the River Trent in Nottinghamshire.
Listen to "Barry Prudom: In The Footsteps Of A Cop Killer" on Spreaker.
Mark 'Reds' Martin: The Nottingham Serial Killer
sex, violence, language
The newspapers called him the Sneinton Strangler after the district of Nottingham where he plied his trade.
Mark Martin operated in the shadows. While others walked by 'Reds', as he was known, always had time for the hungry and homeless.
But he was no Samaritan. He took what little they had – their benefits, their drugs, their remaining shreds of dignity. And when he had sucked them dry, Martin disposed of his victims – or got one of his henchmen to do the job for him.
Mark Martin was a psychopath, a parasite, and a curse on society. It was a blessing the police stopped him when they did.
Listen to "Mark 'Reds' Martin - Nottingham's First Serial Killer" on Spreaker.
Peter Tobin And The Bible John Mystery
Explicit content
This is the face of Peter Briton Tobin.
This is the last face Angelika Kluk, Vicky Hamilton and Dinah McNicol saw before the paedophile, rapist and serial killer ended their young lives.
Tobin subjected his young victims to unspeakable cruelty. Then he murdered them and buried their bodies – Vicky and Dinah in his back garden – Angelika under the floorboards of a Catholic church in Glasgow.
Some speculate Tobin was responsible for the disappearances of hundreds of young women and girls. But Tobin, to use a cliché, took his secrets to the grave. He died on 8 October 2022 while serving three life sentences.
This podcast explores the full horror of Peter Tobin's life and crimes, and the links that have been drawn between the serial killer and three murders in Glasgow in the 1960s: the so-called Bible John Killings.
Sources and Acknowledgments
Crimewatch UK, BBC Television, 2010
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
Strathclyde Police
The Daily Mirror
The Daily Record
The Murderer and Me, Znack and Co for Sky Original Documentaries, 2021
Listen to "Peter Tobin And The Bible John Mystery" on Spreaker.
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The Isdal Woman Mystery: Murder or Suicide? And Who On Earth Was She?
They called her the Isdal Woman for two reasons: her charred body was found in a remote ice valley – 'isdal' in Norwegian – and she had no name. Isdal Woman was the ultimate Jane Doe.
The discovery of her remains near Bergen in Norway has puzzled and fascinated investigators for five decades. The deeper you dig, the more baffling the case becomes.
Was the corpse that of a spy or a Nazi hunter? Was Isdal Woman an international criminal? Or was she simply a fantasist who roamed Europe and chose a beautiful spot in the Norwegian mountains as the place to end her life?
Psycho Killer decided to unravel Idsdal Woman's tangled web and answer those questions – once and for all.
Listen to "The Isdal Woman: Who Was She, And Was She Murdered?" on Spreaker.
Charles Rotherham & The Bessie Sheppard Murder
This haunting tale dates back to 1817. Bessie Sheppard was a teenage girl living in turbulent times. Her violent death at the hands of vagrant ex-soldier Charles Rotherham traumatised her community in the heart of Sherwood Forest. Local gentlemen erected a memorial to Bessie and, to the puzzlement of researchers, her murderer. Rotherham was hanged in chains, but as we discovered, his execution was the beginning of a fascinating piece of folklore.
The murder stone is at WTW intervals.many.luck. Please take care if you visit because the site is beside a busy main road.
Listen to "The Haunting Tale Of Bessie Sheppard's Murder" on Spreaker.
The Bunnyman Mystery
Come with us as we chase a rabbit down a hole — a blood-thirsty psychopath dressed in a monstrous, man-size bunny costume. Parents and grandparents in Fairfax, VA, are supposed to warn their children: "Be good, or the Bunnyman'll get you!"
The blood-spattered Bunnyman has won a place in the rogue's gallery of American horror fiction. But is the story based on fact? Who was the Bunnyman? And is he still out there?
Our quest to identify the legendary Bunnyman led us through a maze of myth, mystery and murder.
Prepare to enter a wonderland of nightmares, where nothing is what it seems.
Acknowledgements
- Donnie Darko, Flower Films,2001, written and directed by Richard Kelly.
- For Whom the Bell Tolls (Donnie Darko cinema scene), Steven Baker and Carmen Daye.
- Killing Moon, Echo & The Bunnymen (Sergeant, McCulloch, Pattinson and de Freitas). Produced by David Lord, Korova, 1984.
- Bunnyman, Osiris Entertainment, 2011, produced and directed by Carl Lindbergh.
Listen to "The Bunnyman Mystery" on Spreaker.
Walter Chadwick: A Rival Of Jack The Ripper?
Jack the Ripper was the Devil incarnate. He rose to notoriety from among the countless demons who preyed on the poor and vulnerable of Victorian London. But whereas Jack was driven by unexplained, dark urges, his contemporaries killed and mutilated their victims in the course of more mundane crimes.
These were the robbers and housebreakers who plagued the metropolis. They were quick to resort to violence and the homicide rate soared. London's police struggled to contain an epidemic of lawlessness unrivalled until the rise of the gangsters in 1920s America.
Two cases, in particular, horrified the citizens of London. Both were senseless acts of violence, committed by a psychopath who clearly killed for the sake of killing. One man was suspected of both murders. But would the Metropolitan Police find enough evidence to hang him?
Listen to "Jack The Ripper's Rivals: Did Walter Chadwick Get Away With Murder – Twice?" on Spreaker.
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