Cold Case Murder Mysteries

On September 29, 1982, a chain of events began that rendered 7 Chicago-area residents the victims of a sadistic killer who tainted over-the-counter- medications in local pharmacies. It was an incident that not only spread confusion, fear, and paranoia far and wide, but ultimately revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry's safety standards. However, decades later, the crime remains unsolved, and the victims have received no justice. Join host Ryan Kraus for a psychological profile of the perpetrator in an attempt to unveil the evil face lurking in the shadows.

On the night of December 24, 1945, the Sodder family of Fayetteville, WV went to bed in preparation for Christmas the next morning. But as they closed their eyes, they never could have imagined the nightmare that was about to ensue. A fire would break out in the upper level of their home, which contained two bedrooms thought to have held a total of five children at the time, ranging in ages from 5 to 14. Yet, as the remaining family members escaped, and the home burned to the ground, what seemed to be the imminent death of five young people as the result of a vicious arson soon proved to offer no evidence they succumbed in the fire. Despite an endless search for truth, their parents died never knowing what happened that fateful night. Did the kids perish in the fire, or were they already gone?Join host Ryan Kraus for an examination of this enduring mystery in an effort to uncover the truth about the disappearance of the Sodder children.

Sometime during the night of August 7, 1985, a gruesome mass murder took place within the residence located at White House Farm in Essex, England. Homeowners June and Nevill Bamber, 61, were hosting their 28-year-old daughter, Sheila, and her twin sons, Daniel and Nicolas, who were both 6 years old. Sadly, by morning, all of them will have been shot to death. Even more tragically, the crime scene appears to show the incident was a murder-suicide orchestrated by Sheila, who was troubled by severe mental illness, and seemingly on the verge of losing custody of her kids.But the police can feel something isn't right. Living nearby is the Bamber's son Jeremy, whose story appears to have some holes. Soon enough, he finds himself under suspicion, and a controversy ignites about the true identity of the killer. Was it Sheila, motivated by paranoid delusions related to her Schizophrenia, or did Jeremy Bamber have his sights set on inheriting the family estate for himself, and saw Sheila as an easy target for a scapegoat?Join host Ryan Kraus for a psychological examination of this fascinating, yet horrific crime in an effort to learn the truth about what really happened that fateful night.

On the afternoon of February 16, 2009, a 70-year-old woman named Sandra Herold called 911 in Stamford, CT to report her 200-lb. chimp, Travis, had gone on a rampage outside her home, and was eating her friend, 55-year-old Charla Nash. The docile primate, who had been raised by humans and socialized among the public, from starring in TV commercials and print advertisements to making special appearances, had never harmed a fly.But something changed. And Travis snapped. The question is why.Join host Ryan Kraus for a psychological exploration of the evolutionary divide between humans and wild animals that leads to these tragedies.

On the evening of September 16, 2009, 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson drove to the beach in Malibu, CA alone to enjoy watching the sunset, after which she stopped at a local restaurant to have a nice dinner. But while there, Mitrice's behavior went from curious to inexplicable, and she soon found herself taken to jail for failure to pay the check. Even though it was apparent to the staff she was suffering from some type of mental health issue, deputies at the scene processed her as being of sound mind. And this would have tragic consequences. Hours later, Mitrice was released from jail, and walked off into the darkness of night through some difficult and dangerous terrain. That was the last anybody saw of her ... until August of 2010, nearly a year later, when park rangers discovered her remains at the base of a steep canyon. But despite locating Mitrice, the body didn't afford the definitive answers everyone was hoping to get regarding her fate.In the aftermath, one looming question remains... Was it a tragic accident, or did Mitrice Richardson fall victim to a vicious predator lurking in the shadows? Join host Ryan Kraus for a journey into the mind of madness in an effort to unearth the secrets to the mystery surrounding her death.

In the mid-1980s, on the heels of suffering an abusive childhood, a troubled Townsend, MA teen named Daniel LaPlante began a crime spree that terrorized the residents of the local area where he lived. It started as a string of burglaries, but a thirst for greater thrills developed over time, and his antisocial rampage finally ended with the vicious murders of a pregnant woman and her two young children. By the time it was all said and done, LaPlante was not only serving three consecutive life sentences in prison, but had become the subject of great speculation and legend, making himself a regular topic of conversation around campfires and Ouija boards. Join host Ryan Kraus for a psychological exploration of Daniel LaPlante's mysterious, yet terrifying persona to trace his issues back to their roots.

From 1972 to 1978, infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy, the "Killer Clown" murdered no fewer than 33 young men and teen boys in his ranch home located in Cook County, IL near Chicago, a truth that came to light when the remains of 29 victims were discovered buried in the crawlspace of his house and elsewhere on the property. It was an atrocity that defied words, and left the investigators, in addition to the general public, wondering how any man could be such a cruel, heartless monster. And as they searched for answers in the cold eyes of the 36-year-old predator, what was lurking beneath in his soul revealed that the story started long before the murders, back when Gacy was just a little boy living under the tyrannical wrath of his abusive, alcoholic father. Join host Ryan Kraus for a journey back in time to explore John Wayne Gacy's childhood inside his father's house of horrors, and how it led to him creating his own one day.

On June 12, 1977, busloads of enthusiastic young campers arrived at rural Camp Scott in Mayes County, OK for a two-week getaway hosted by the Girl Scouts that kicked off the summer season. It should have been the time of their lives, a carefree reprieve from the long school year that preceded it. But when night fell, a predator was revealed lurking in darkness throughout the surrounding woods, stalking them like prey. By morning, three innocent girls would be found dead, victims of a vicious assault that shocked a community, and caused the facility to close its doors forever. While numerous suspects came to light in the aftermath, and one even stood trial, the crime remains unsolved to this day. Join host Ryan Kraus for a psychological evaluation of the killer's action in an attempt to create an accurate profile that will, once and for all, finally put a face to this monster.

Anaheim investigator Julissa Trapp is not like other detectives. She’s the only woman on the homicide squad, and a skilled chameleon: undercover cop in vice stings, crime-scene commander, patient confidante of killers. A master interrogator, she invokes her personal experience – and deepest griefs -- as a tool to elicit confessions. When a young woman’s body is found at a trash-sorting plant, Trapp learns the murder may be linked to the disappearance of three other women in nearby Santa Ana. Trapp embarks on a dark journey that brings her face to face with a man who takes “a little piece of her soul.” Listen now at Wondery.fm/coldcaseDT