Criminal
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Criminal episodes

  • Cromwell Street Killers
    In this episode, we delve into the horrific story of Fred West and Rosemary West, a British serial killer couple who turned their home at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, into the site of the darkest torture and murder in British criminal history. Starting from Fred's childhood marked by incest, violence, and brain damage from a motorcycle accident, to his meeting with Rose, who also carried deep psychological wounds, this episode reveals how they killed at least 12 victims, including their own children, Charmaine and Heather West.
    Horrifying details emerge, from systematic sexual torture, dismemberment, to burying bodies in the backyard. Fred’s confession of his obsession with victim Anna McFall, the discovery of missing bones, and speculation about fetishes and cannibalism make this case the ultimate symbol of a “house of horrors.”


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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    46 min
  • Ted Bundy: Charming Killer
    In this episode, we dive into the dark life of Ted Bundy, one of America’s most notorious serial killers, responsible for the murder of dozens of young women across multiple states. From a childhood built on lies—where he was raised believing his grandmother was his mother—to his transformation into a charming and intelligent law student at the University of Washington, this episode uncovers chilling details behind his crimes.
    Unique and disturbing facts include how Bundy used a fake cast to lure victims in crowded public parks, his dramatic escape from jail by jumping out of a library window, and the brutal Chi Omega sorority house attack, which left two women dead and two others seriously injured. We also explore Bundy’s psychological motives, including rejection, obsession with control, and escalating fantasies involving necrophilia and mutilation—raising the haunting question: Was Ted Bundy born a killer, or shaped by his environment?


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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    45 min
  • Vivian Ruiz’s Killer Revealed: The Jane Doe Fingerprint Case
    In this episode, we delve into the mystery of a brutal murder known as the Jane Doe case, in which the body of a woman was found wrapped in garbage bags on the side of a road in Sydney in December 1991. The victim, initially unidentified, was later confirmed to be Vivian Ruiz, a dancer and part-time sex worker who dreamed of going overseas. The case is filled with striking details, including the killer’s fingerprints left on a newspaper that had been forced down the victim’s throat—an extremely rare forensic phenomenon known as “tonal reverse”—as well as evidence such as German Shepherd dog hair, beach sand, and bloodstains found in a van the perpetrator later sold. Police faced major challenges in identifying the victim, relying on digital facial reconstructions, mannequins dressed in similar clothing, and searches throughout the King’s Cross area. Meanwhile, the suspect, Richard White—the victim’s boyfriend, who struggled with steroid and drug addiction—fled to England before eventually being extradited.
    In this episode, you’ll learn about the evolution of revolutionary fingerprint forensic techniques, how police endured months of frustration while trying to identify the victim, and the impact of the volatile relationship between victim and perpetrator, marked by domestic violence. We also examine how circumstantial evidence—such as stolen money and false alibis—ultimately built a case that led to a 15-year prison sentence.


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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    44 min
  • Dorothy Stratten's Playboy Murder
    In this episode, we dive into the brutal murder case that shocked the entertainment world in 1980, when Dorothy Stratten—Playboy’s beautiful and talented Playmate of the Year—was found naked and dead in her West Los Angeles home alongside her husband, Paul Snider. Compelling details include a tragic love triangle involving Hollywood director Peter Bogdanovich. Dorothy fell in love with Bogdanovich while filming They All Laughed, while Paul—a small-time con artist who discovered Dorothy at a Dairy Queen in Vancouver—became increasingly desperate and obsessive. Just days before the murder, Paul purchased a shotgun. Evidence at the scene—such as a specially modified sex bench with medical tape and strands of Dorothy’s blonde hair—suggested he forced Dorothy into a sexual encounter before shooting her in the head and then taking his own life. The case initially appeared to be a murder-suicide, but an in-depth investigation by LAPD detectives Richard de Anda and Glenn Ackerman revealed motives rooted in jealousy, bankruptcy, and rejection from the Playboy Mansion.

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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    45 min
  • Michelle Nice: The Covered-Up Murder
    In this episode, we delve into the murder case of Michelle Nice, a Filipino mother of three who was found dead inside a Toyota Land Cruiser stuck in a frozen river, with the engine still running and blood on the steering wheel. Initially appearing to be a tragic accident, bloodstains, mismatched footprints, and evidence of blood cleanup in the garage of their luxurious home revealed that this was a premeditated murder by her husband, Jonathan Nice, a frustrated pharmaceutical scientist whose career had failed and whose wife had an affair with gardener Miguel De Jesus. Unique and intriguing facts include modified shoes to create fake footprints, an angry poem found on Jonathan's desk, and the dark aftermath where Jonathan, after being released from prison, defrauded the owners of a sick dog with fake drugs worth millions of dollars, exploiting their grief for personal gain. This case is filled with themes of obsession, deception, and the destruction of a family that appeared perfect from the outside.

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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    45 min
  • The Murder of Ana Repkina by Will Hargrove
    In this episode, we uncover the shocking murder case of Ana Repkina, a 26-year-old Russian woman who came to the United States to build a new life with her boyfriend, Will Hargrove. Unique and intriguing facts include the discovery of her body in a remote forest area near Elhorn, Oregon, in April 2017, with precise gunshot wounds and signs of a premeditated murder; the use of the victim's bank card for strange purchases such as car insurance and Lego toys after her death; and Hargrove's obsession with the concept of time travel and alternate realities, revealed through his online searches and personal messages. The case involves a complex love triangle with Michelle Chavez, who is known to have emotionally pressured Hargrove, as well as forensic evidence such as soil traces in the car trunk and ballistic evidence from the weapon that lends credibility to the findings.

    In this episode, you will learn how obsession, jealousy, and psychological instability can lead to fatal tragedy, as well as the importance of recognizing warning signs in long-distance relationships. We also discuss lessons about international migration and the associated risks, based on a chronological analysis of the crime and the trial that resulted in a life sentence for Hargrove.


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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    33 min
  • Rachel Kills Mother
    In this episode, we delve into a horrifying family murder case in Huntington Beach, California, where the body of Barbara Ann Mullenix, a 56-year-old woman obsessed with control, was found wrapped in sheets and duct tape in Newport Beach harbor in September 2006, after being identified through the serial number of her breast implant. Shocking unique facts include how her own daughter, Rachel Mullenix (19 years old), and her boyfriend Ian Allen (21 years old), were involved in the murder with repeated stab wounds indicating anger or panic, as well as their attempt to flee to Louisiana while leaving digital traces like online searches on how to dispose of a body and text messages hinting at plans to "start a new life" without their mother.
    In this episode, you'll learn how the prolonged family conflict between the overprotective Barbara and the rebellious Rachel led to tragedy, as well as important lessons about the dangers of emotional manipulation, the importance of early intervention in family issues, and how forensic evidence like DNA, camera footage, and search history can uncover hidden truths. This is a story about communication failures that sparked violence, reminding us to be more sensitive to signs of family tension before it's too late.


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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    35 min
  • Gilgo Beach Victims
    In this episode, we uncover a terrifying serial murder case in Long Island, where four women—Maurine Brainard Barnes, Melissa Bartelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costelo—were found buried symmetrically at Gilgo Beach in December 2010, after disappearing for years without serious investigation. Shocking unique facts include how the perpetrator, architect Rex Heuerman, used online platforms to target vulnerable women, leaving bodies in neat packages as if following a script, and making anonymous threatening calls to the victims' families. This discovery unfolded after a police dog found the first package, revealing a pattern overlooked for years due to the system's indifference toward women living on society's fringes.
    In this episode, you'll learn how an investigation delayed for more than a decade finally led to Heuerman's arrest through analysis of telecommunications data, DNA, and his online search history, as well as important lessons about the need to connect missing persons reports and listen to victims' families' voices. This is a story of systemic failures that allowed a predator to operate freely, reminding us to be more vigilant about social vulnerabilities. 


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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    33 min
  • Lori Leonard: Missing & Murdered

    In this episode, we delve into the mystery of Lori Leonard's disappearance, a 33-year-old single mother who was responsible and lived a quiet life in Titenango, New York, vanishing in May 2005 while heading out to buy baseball tickets as a surprise for her children. Unique and intriguing facts include the discovery of her body wrapped in fabric and locked inside a metal box in the Champlin Canal three months later, with microscopic traces such as fabric fibers, fingerprints, and fragments of construction gloves pointing to the perpetrator; as well as the car seat adjusted for a taller driver, indicating involvement of someone other than Lori. This case uncovers the dark past of Sean Doyle, Lori's ex-boyfriend who had previously assaulted another woman, with evidence like the key matching the box's lock, similar duct tape, and testimony from the previous victim describing patterns of control and violence that mirrored the case.
    In this episode, you will learn how the police reconstructed Lori's last day through phone data, eyewitness accounts, and forensic analysis that revealed a premeditated murder plan, as well as the emotional impact on the family who lost a reliable and loving figure. You will understand the dangers of toxic past relationships, the importance of recognizing signs of controlling behavior, and how strong circumstantial evidence can build a criminal case without direct witnesses. 


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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    34 min
  • Gattis & Green Killings
    In this episode, we uncover two of the most brutal family murder cases in American history. The first case takes us to Thanksgiving 2017 in Virginia, where Christopher Gattis shot and killed his wife Janet, his daughter Candace, and her boyfriend Andrew. Unique evidence emerged from digital traces: Google searches about self-defense before the killings, phone GPS placing all victims in the same room at the time of the shooting, and selectively deleted security footage. The second case exposes repeat offender Gregory Green—who, after murdering his pregnant wife in 1991 and being released after 16 years in prison, carried out another massacre in 2016 against his new wife Faith Green and their four children in a brutal execution involving shootings, carbon-monoxide poisoning, and torture.
    In this episode, you will learn how digital evidence can dismantle claims of “self-defense,” how gunpowder residue, 911 recordings, and behavioral patterns reveal murders carefully planned in cold blood. You will also learn about the enormous risks of releasing repeat violent offenders without strict supervision, the importance of recognizing warning signs of domestic abuse, and why checking a partner’s past can ultimately save lives.


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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    44 min

About Criminal

From the publisher's feed

Criminal is the first of its kind. A show about people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle of Investigation.

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