Homocidal Tendency: A Queer True Crime Podcast

​There is a specific kind of thrill we look for in a dark ride. We willingly plunge into the pitch black, waiting for the jump scare, knowing that eventually, the track leads back out into the light.

But on the freezing night of June 9th, 1979, the fake monsters inside Sydney’s Luna Park Ghost Train were replaced by a very real, lethal threat.

​This week on Homocidal Tendency, we head to the neon-lit, gritty waterfront of 1970s Sydney, Australia, to uncover a mass-casualty event that was quickly swept under the rug by a deeply corrupt police force. 

We discuss how a beloved amusement park became a death trap, and how the tragedy leads directly back to Abe Saffron an untouchable mafia kingpin who built his underworld empire by exploiting and weaponizing the city's marginalized queer community.

​Sometimes, the real monsters don't live in the haunted house. Sometimes, they own the deed to the property.

Sources & Further Deep Dives:

• ​Documentary: Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2021). A groundbreaking investigative series that blew the lid off the police cover-up.
• ​News Report: Claims Sydney underworld figure Abe Saffron orchestrated Luna Park Ghost Train Fire (ABC News).
• ​Documentary: King of the Cross: Abe Saffron - For a closer look at the sheer scale of the corruption and the empire Saffron built in Kings Cross.

​Support the Podcast:

If you enjoyed this deep dive, please take a second to hit that follow button and leave us a rating! It is the absolute best way to support the show and help us bring these forgotten stories out of the shadows.

​Follow Us on Social Media:

Head over to our Instagram and TikTok for all the visual evidence for this episode, including archival photos of 1970s Luna Park, the crime scene, and the neon-soaked streets of Kings Cross.

https://linktr.ee/HomocidalTendency

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Episode 15: The Atlanta Hustler Murders

​Episode Summary:

The monsters aren’t always wearing masks in the woods. Sometimes, they are waiting in the exact spaces the rest of the world decided to ignore.

​In the mid-1980s, Atlanta was aggressively branding itself as the gleaming capital of the "New South." But just blocks away from the shining new skyscrapers, a perfect storm of systemic racism, deep-seated homophobia, and the terrifying peak of the AIDS panic was pushing the city's most vulnerable citizens into the shadows.

​This week, Matt takes a deep dive into the chilling case of Michael Devern Terry. 

Operating with complete impunity for almost a year, Terry weaponized the decaying urban architecture of Atlanta and the apathy of the police to hunt down marginalized, Black, queer men. 

We break down Terry's escalating criminal past, the grim daily reality of "the stroll," the psychological horror of internalized homophobia, and the arrogant mistake that finally brought his reign of terror to an end.

​Episode Breakdown:

• ​The Anatomy of Escalation: Tracing Terry's early criminal record and how he rehearsed for murder.
• ​The Two Atlantas: Exploring the stark contrast between the booming "New South" and the city's decaying, abandoned blind spots.
• ​The Stroll & Survival: The harsh reality and extreme dangers of sex work in 1980s Atlanta.
• ​The Timeline of the Forgotten: Tracking the tragic, year-long spree and the specific Modus Operandi that exploited society's apathy.
• ​The Mirror and The Rage: A behavioral analysis of the killer's intense internalized homophobia and how it manifested at the crime scenes.
• ​The Kennesaw Avenue Mistake: The arrogant blunder that led to Terry's arrest, his absurd interrogation room lies, and the chaotic trial that followed.

​In Memoriam:

We tell these stories not to glorify the killers, but to make sure the victims are finally seen in the light. In this episode, we remember the six men who deserved better from their city:

• ​Richard Williams (24)
• ​Curtis Lee Brown (21)
• ​Alvin George (31)
• ​Jason B. McColley (18)
• ​George Willingham (30)
• ​Daryl O. Williams (20)

​Listen & Subscribe:

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

​Homocidal Tendency: A True Crime Podcast 

AND Follow us on the socials 

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Stay safe out there, and we'll see you in the shadows.

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Imagine risking your freedom, your career, and your country for a forbidden romance... only to realize you don’t know the first thing about the person sleeping next to you.

​This week on Homocidal Tendency, we are stepping out of the shadows of Beijing and into one of the most bizarre, devastating, and theatrical true crime cases of the 20th century. In 1964, a lonely French diplomat named Bernard Boursicot fell in love with a beautiful, mysterious Beijing Opera singer named Shi Pei Pu. What followed was a 20-year web of international espionage, stolen classified documents, and a lie so absolute it eventually broke a man’s mind.

​How do you share a life, a bed, and a child with someone for two decades without seeing the truth? We break down the Cold War paranoia, the crushing weight of internalized homophobia, and the brutal interrogation room reveal that brought the ultimate illusion crashing down.

​Further Watching & Reading:

• ​The Play: M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang (1988 Tony Award Winner for Best Play). A brilliant theatrical subversion of the case.
• ​The Movie: M. Butterfly (1993). Directed by the legendary master of psychological and body horror, David Cronenberg, and starring Jeremy Irons.

​Support the Show:

If you enjoyed stepping into the dark with us this week, please hit that follow button and leave a 5-star rating and review! It is the absolute best way to help the podcast grow.

• ​Follow us on Instagram/Threads/X: @HomocidalTendency

https://linktr.ee/HomocidalTendency

• ​Join the conversation: Did Bernard really not know for twenty years, or did he just refuse to see what was right in front of him? Let us know in the comments

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How does a killer commit a frenzied, brutal murder in the middle of a bustling university building in broad daylight, and walk away like a ghost?

 This week, we are unlocking the doors of 1 Spadina Crescent a massive, 19th-century gothic fortress with a dark history to explore one of Toronto’s most baffling unsolved cold cases.

​In January 2001, beloved Fine Arts professor and brilliant queer artist David Buller was found slaughtered inside his secluded studio office. With zero DNA left behind, a missing murder weapon, and an eerie silence surrounding the attack, investigators were left with a locked-room mystery that continues to haunt the campus 25 years later. 

We explore the cutthroat world of academia, the chilling foreshadowing found in David's final 1980s and 90s-inspired artwork, and the spatial anomalies of a building that practically helped a killer escape.

Key Takeaways & Visuals

• ​The Crime Scene: The twisting, labyrinth-like layout of 1 Spadina Crescent played a massive role in the killer's ability to escape unseen. Be sure to check our social media for the conceptual floor plan discussed in today's episode.
• ​The Artwork: We highly encourage you to seek out David Buller's incredible portfolio, specifically noting the dark transition his pieces took in his final years.

https://ccca.art/creator/98/

• ​The Village Connection: A chilling look back at how the Church and Wellesley Gay Village, intended as a safe haven, was navigated by predators long before the reign of Bruce McArthur.

​Resources & Links

• ​Visual Deep Dive: Watch the To Catch a Killer documentary episode featuring spatial analysis of the crime scene and expert breakdowns of David's final paintings: Watch Here
• ​Follow the Show: See the crime scene floor plans, teaser images, and episode updates over on our Bluesky and Instagram pages at @HomocidalTendency.

https://linktr.ee/HomocidalTendency

​Call to Action: Do You Have the Missing Piece?

​The $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of David Buller's killer remains unclaimed. If you were a student or faculty member at the U of T Fine Arts department in the winter of 2001, a memory you brushed off 25 years ago might be the key to breaking this case wide open.

• ​Contact the Toronto Police Service Homicide Unit: 416-808-7400
• ​Leave an Anonymous Tip via Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.222tips.com.

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What happens when a monster only hunts other monsters? This week on Homocidal Tendency, we descend into the subterranean basement of HMP Wakefield to unlock the terrifying, tragic truth behind Britain's most isolated prisoner: Robert Maudsley.

​For over 40 years, Maudsley has lived inside a custom-built, bulletproof glass cage. The British tabloids branded him "Hannibal the Cannibal" and "The Brain Eater," painting him as a boogeyman so lethal he couldn't be housed with other human beings. But the truth is far more complicated, and deeply rooted in the marginalized, vulnerable queer underground of 1970s London.

​From the grim streets of Piccadilly Circus to a horrific nine-hour barricade inside the gothic walls of Broadmoor Hospital, we are tracking the violent escalation of a severely traumatized young man who the system refused to help. Was his brutal, vigilante-style murder spree against child abusers a calculated act of evil, or the inevitable explosion of a broken system?

​Step into the Monster Mansion, and don't trust the shadows.

​Case Resources & Mentions:

• ​HMP Wakefield (The Monster Mansion)
• ​Broadmoor High-Security Psychiatric Hospital
• ​The "Cyanide or Cockatoo" Petition Letters (2000)
• ​Red Dragon & The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (Timeline debunking)

​Support the Show:

If you enjoyed our deep dive into the darkness this week, please leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It is the best way to help other horror and true crime fans find the show.

• ​Join the Conversation: Head over to our Instagram and X (Twitter) @HomocidalTendency to see the actual blueprint of Maudsley's glass cell and let us know where you stand on the vigilante debate.

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To the outside world, Christine and Léa Papin were the "perfect pearls" of Le Mans. 

They were quiet, submissive, and kept the Lancelin household running with terrifying perfection. 

But behind the walls of No. 6 Rue Bruyère, the silence was deafening, and a deadly psychological pressure cooker was whistling.

​On a rainy night in February 1933, a simple blown fuse triggered one of the most gruesome and infamous crimes in French history. What happened on that dark staircase wasn't just a murder; it was an obliteration.

​This week, we are tearing down the walls of the Papin sisters' attic fortress.

 We’ll explore the childhood trauma that bonded them, the suffocating class divide that isolated them, and the psychological phenomenon of folie à deux that turned two terrified maids into the monsters of French nightmares.

​In this episode, we discuss:

• ​The "Two Mothers" theory and escaping childhood abuse.
• ​The psychological torture of Madame Lancelin's "White Glove" inspections.
• ​A minute-by-minute breakdown of the 30-minute massacre.
• ​The courtroom battle: Were they insane, or just evil?
• ​The tragic aftermath and the severance of "The Couple."

​Connect with the Show:

• ​Instagram & Bluesky: @HomocidalTendency
• ​View the crime scene and evidence photos:

https://linktr.ee/HomocidalTendency

​If this story kept you up at night, please hit that Follow button and leave a 5-star rating and review. It helps the podcast grow and helps other true crime fans find us! Keep your doors locked, and for god's sake... check your iron.

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In 1913, New York City was captivated by a horror story that seemed too gruesome to be true. A handsome, intellectual Catholic priest living a double life: performing Mass by day, and running a counterfeiting ring and a slaughterhouse by night.

​In this episode, Matt deep dives into the twisted life and crimes of Father Hans Schmidt—the only Catholic priest ever executed in the United States. From his blood-soaked childhood in Germany to the secret "love nest" in Harlem where he married his housekeeper in a fake ceremony, we uncover the man behind the collar.

​Was he a religious fanatic commanded by St. Elizabeth to drink blood? A cold-blooded counterfeiter trying to get rich? or a sexual predator who used God as a cover for his darkest urges?

​In This Episode, We Cover:

• ​The Origin Story: Growing up in the shadow of a German slaughterhouse and the chilling "Goose Incident" that marked the beginning of his blood fetish (hematolagnia).
• ​The Double Life: How Schmidt balanced life at St. Boniface Rectory with a secret identity as "Dr. Emil Van Dyke" in a rented Harlem apartment.
• ​The Queer Angle: The mysterious and intense relationship with his counterfeiting partner, Dr. Ernest Muret. Was Anna Aumuller just a "beard" for Schmidt’s real life?
• ​The Crime: The brutal murder and dismemberment of Anna Aumuller, and the "Cinderella Clue" (a laundry stamp) that led Inspector Faurot right to the church steps.
• ​The Trial of the Century: The "insanity" defense, the tales of blood sacrifice, and the media circus that branded him "The Vampire Priest."
• ​The Execution: His final moments in "Old Sparky" at Sing Sing Prison.

​The "Homocidal Tendency" Deep Dive:

We look beyond the headlines to ask: Was Schmidt actually insane? Or was he a psychopath who viewed people—men and women alike—as props in his own divine play? We explore the theory that his "blood lust" was a replacement for traditional sexuality and how he used the priesthood to mask a lifetime of predation.

​Content Warning:

This episode contains graphic descriptions of dismemberment, sexual coercion, religious trauma, animal cruelty, and botched medical procedures. Listener discretion is advised.

​Resources & Visuals:

• ​Check out our Instagram for the "Murder Map" of the Harlem apartment and the original 1913 sketches of the trial.
• ​Historical Context: The "Yellow Journalism" wars of Hearst vs. Pulitzer that turned this case into a national spectacle.

​Credits:

• ​Host: Matt
• ​Podcast: Homocidal Tendency
• ​Research: Deep dive into 1913 NYPD records, the "Hudson River Torso" files, and contemporary psychiatric reports on Hans Schmidt.

​Tags/Keywords:

#TrueCrime #FatherHansSchmidt #HansSchmidt #QueerTrueCrime #History #NYCHistory #1913 #KillerPriest #SerialKiller #Forensics #OldSparky #Horror #HomocidalTendency #LGBTQTrueCrime #ReligiousTrauma #VampirePriest

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​"Say goodbye to your friend Larry, because you won’t see him after tomorrow."

​It was February 12, 2008, inside a computer lab at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, California. The only sounds were the clack-clack-clack of keyboards and the low hum of teenage chatter.

​In the front row sat 15-year-old Larry King, wearing his signature knee-high brown suede boots and makeup. He was bold, gender-nonconforming, and—in the eyes of many—a "problem" to be solved.

​Directly behind him sat 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, a popular athlete hiding a dark secret of domestic abuse and neo-Nazi indoctrination.

​For weeks, their interactions had been a collision of two worlds: Larry weaponizing flirtation to survive bullying, and Brandon viewing that flirtation as a threat to his manhood. When Larry asked Brandon to be his Valentine in front of the lunch crowd, the fuse was lit.

​In this deep dive, we peel back the layers of a tragedy that changed California law forever. We explore:

• ​The Victim: Larry’s complex journey through the foster system and his brave exploration of gender identity (Leticia).
• ​The Killer: Brandon’s "Jekyll and Hyde" life—the polite student by day, the white supremacist trainee by night.
• ​The System: How a school paralyzed by "neutrality" and a legal system swayed by "Gay Panic" failed a child who just wanted to wear high heels.

​Triggers: Gun violence involving minors, hate crimes, domestic abuse, homophobia/transphobia, and victim-blaming legal strategies.

​Featured in this Episode:

• ​The "Boots" & The Dress Code: How Larry used fashion as armor.
• ​The Warning Signs: The "leakage" of intent that students heard but never reported.
• ​The Trial: How a defense team turned a victim into a villain and secured a controversial plea deal.
• ​The Aftermath: "Larry's Law," the 21-year sentence, and where they are now.

​Resources & Support

​If you or someone you know is struggling with bullying or needs support regarding gender identity, please reach out. You are not alone.

• ​The Trevor Project: 24/7 crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth. Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678. thetrevorproject.org
• ​GLSEN: Working to create safe and inclusive schools for all. glsen.org
• ​988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (USA).

​Connect with Homocidal Tendency

​If you enjoyed this deep dive, please rate and review the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It helps us keep the lights on and the research going.

• ​Instagram:@[HomocidalTendenc]
• ​Twitter/X: @[Homocidalpod]
• ​TikTok: @[HomocidalTendency]
• Bluesky @[HomocidalTendency]

​Rest in Power, Larry King (1993–2008).

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San Francisco, 1974. The "Summer of Love" has faded into a gritty, neon-soaked reality. In the shadows of the Castro and the Tenderloin, a predator is hunting. But he doesn't use a gun or a mask. He uses a sketchbook.

​He is "The Doodler"—a serial killer who charmed his victims with charcoal portraits before luring them to their deaths in the dunes of Ocean Beach. He killed five men. He assaulted countless others. And then, he vanished.

​In this episode of 
Homocidal Tendency
, we open the file on one of the most frustrating cold cases in American history. We explore the "Glass Closet" that protected the killer, the heroic Black detectives who solved the case but couldn't close it, and the shocking confession given to a psychiatrist that can never be used in court.

​The suspect is still out there. The case is still open. 

​🚨 Call to Action: Help Close the Case

​The Doodler is believed to be alive and residing in the San Francisco Bay Area (East Bay).

​View the Sketches: Check our Instagram @[homocidalTendency] to see the 1975 sketch vs. the 2019 age-progression.

​The Tip Line: If you have information, contact the SFPD Cold Case Unit anonymously at (415) 553-1145

​🔗 Support the Show

​Rate & Review: Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! It helps alot.

https://linktr.ee/HomocidalTendency

Key words

TheDoodler TrueCrimePodcast ColdCase SerialKiller Unsolved SanFrancisco SFHistory TheCastro LGBTQHistory TrueCrimeCommunity HomocidalTendency CrimeJunkie Podcast NewEpisode MurderMystery 1975 Justice Investigation ColdCaseUnit BayAreaCrime

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​"I wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone."

​In the winter of 1995, the quiet coast of North Wales became the set of a real-life slasher movie. Four men were brutally murdered in four months. The killer wasn’t a drifter or a gangster—he was a respected local businessman.

 Peter Moore was the soft-spoken owner of the Focus Cinema, a man known for his love of teddy bear sweaters and his devotion to his late mother.

​But when the sun went down, the "Teddy Bear" vanished. In his place was "The Man in Black"—a leather-clad predator who prowled the A55 Expressway in a white van, hunting for victims to satisfy a dark obsession he had watched on screen for years.

​In this episode, we dive into the twisted mind of Britain’s "most dangerous man," exploring how a fixation on 
Friday the 13th
 bled into reality, the "Jason" defense that stunned a courtroom, and the eerie, decaying cinema where he hid his secrets.

​📼 In This Episode:

​The Villain: Peter Moore, the "Jekyll and Hyde" of North Wales who kept a shrine to his mother in one house and a Nazi bunker in the other.

​The Movie: How Moore treated his crimes like a film production, from the "costume" to the "director's commentary" confession.

​The Victims: Remembering Henry Roberts, Edward Carthy, Keith Mersh, and Tony Davies.

​The Twist: The "Jason" Defense—did Moore invent a fictional doppelgänger based on Jason Voorhees to take the fall?

​The Locations: An urban explorer’s look at the rotting Focus Cinema in Bagillt and the desolate "Triangle of Terror" along the A55.

​📍 The Locations (Check our Instagram for the Map):

​Bagillt: The Focus Cinema (The Lair)

​Pensarn Beach: The Dunes (The final murder site)

​Clocaenog Forest: The burial site

​The A55 Expressway: The "Hunting Ground"

​🔪 Horror Tropes Discussed:

​The "Evil Twin" / Doppelgänger Defense.

​The "Slasher" archetype (The Man in Black).

​
Friday the 13th
 (Jason Voorhees).

​🔗 Connect With Us:

​Instagram: @HomocidalTendency – 
Head there now to see the "Triangle of Terror" map, the photos of the cinema

https://linktr.ee/HomocidalTendency

​Question of the Week: Peter Moore blamed "Jason" for the murders. In the battle of Slasher Villains, is Jason Voorhees actually the scariest, or did Moore pick the wrong idol? Let us know in the comments!

​⭐️ Support the Show:

​If you enjoyed this deep dive into the archives, please leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other horror fans find their way to our lobby.

​Host: Matt

Genre: Queer True Crime

​
Disclaimer: This episode contains detailed descriptions of violence and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

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