The intelligence picture is never complete—but sometimes, what’s missing matters most.

Most people think policing starts with an arrest. In reality, it starts with intelligence. In this episode of Detective’s Files, Jacques Morrell explores how surveillance, information, and instinct combine to identify suspects and prevent crime. From the chaos of paper-based systems to today’s digital databases, we examine how intelligence is gathered—and where it can go wrong. Featuring real cases and hard questions about missed signals and information sharing, this is a fascinating look at the unseen side of policing.

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How closely are we really being watched?

In this episode of Detective’s Files: True Crime Tales With Jacques Morrell, former detective Jacques joins Simon Ford to explore the hidden world of police surveillance. From Britain’s vast network of CCTV cameras to the painstaking craft of covertly following suspects, Jacques explains how surveillance works in real investigations—and why it’s far more complex than the movies suggest.

They also examine the legal framework governing covert operations, the psychology of criminals who think they’re being watched, and the training officers undergo to stay invisible.

Plus, Jacques shares a real-life surveillance story where patience, instinct, and a bit of clever thinking paid off.

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In this episode of Detective’s Files, former major crime detective Jacques Morrell reflects on the reality of firearms in British policing — from the culture of knives and blunt weapons in the late 1980s to rare but devastating firearm cases. We examine: 

• UK firearm homicide statistics (1980–present)
• Major British gun massacres — Hungerford, White House Farm, Dunblane
• The 2002 Nottingham RBS/Securicor robbery involving a machine pistol
• How media myths distort public perception of gun crime
• The design and history of the MAC-10 submachine gun
• The evolution of UK firearms legislation
• Why British society still sees guns as culturally alien.

We also explore the legal history behind the UK’s 1988 Offensive Weapons Order — including the infamous “ninja weapon” bans.

This is not sensationalism. It is lived experience, legal reality and forensic perspective. If you want insight grounded in operational truth, this is the podcast for you.

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On 15 April 1989, 97 Liverpool supporters were unlawfully killed during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.

For decades, false narratives blamed the fans. In this episode of The Detective’s Files, former major crime detective Jacques Morrell reflects on public order policing in the 1980s — from riot training and football match duties to the catastrophic failures at Hillsborough.

What went wrong? Could it have been prevented? And how has public order policing changed since?

This is a measured, first-hand account from an officer who was there in the stands as a Nottingham Forest supporter and saw the tragedy unfold.

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The Zodiac didn’t just kill — he performed.

In this episode of A-Z of Psychopaths, we examine the crimes and communications of the Zodiac Killer, whose letters, cyphers, and taunts terrorised Northern California in the late 1960s and continue to fascinate investigators and psychologists today. 

Rather than focusing on suspect speculation, this episode analyses Zodiac’s behaviour through the lens of forensic psychology and criminal profiling. Using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist as a framework—while acknowledging its limitations—we explore whether Zodiac’s actions are consistent with psychopathy, narcissism, sadism, or a dangerous blend of traits driven by control and attention.

We also look at the role of media amplification, the psychology of anonymous offenders, and how unresolved cases evolve into cultural mythology. This is not a hunt for answers—but an examination of what the evidence actually supports.

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This episode includes AI-generated content.

Content warning: This episode discusses filicide, postpartum psychosis, severe mental illness, and religious delusion. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Andrea Yates remains one of the most disturbing—and misunderstood—cases in modern criminal history.

This episode does not sensationalise her crimes. Instead, it examines postpartum psychosis, religious delusion, and the profound failures that preceded the deaths of her children. 

Crucially, we ask why Andrea Yates does not meet the criteria for psychopathy—and what her case teaches us about the dangers of oversimplification in true crime.

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Eight murders. One night. One man’s shocking killing spree.

In January 2009, a quiet town in Hubei Province, China, became the scene of one of the country’s most shocking acts of mass violence. Xiong Zhijun — also known in court records and media reports as Xiong Zhenlin — murdered eight people in less than 15 hours, including a toddler. The killings followed a pattern of personal grievance, rejection, and rage, culminating in an attack that stunned even seasoned investigators. In this episode of The A-Z of Psychopaths, we examine:

• The timeline of Xiong’s spree killings
• His background and psychological stressors
• Whether his actions suggest clinical psychopathy, or a grievance-fuelled violent collapse
• The role of capital punishment and mental health assessment in the Chinese legal system

This is not a story of genius or mystery — it is a study in resentment, entitlement, and catastrophic violence.

Listener discretion advised.

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She was bad to the bone – a heartless, lying serial killer – but was Aileen Wuornos insane, too?

In this episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, we examine one of the most controversial figures in modern true crime. Aileen Wuornos was convicted of murdering seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990 and was executed in 2002 — but debate continues over how her crimes should be understood. 

Was Wuornos a psychopath in the clinical sense? Or was her violence the result of extreme trauma, abuse, and mental illness? Drawing on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist and Wuornos’s own recorded words, this episode explores psychopathy, gendered violence, media narratives, and the dangers of simplistic labels.

Listener discretion advised: this episode discusses sexual violence, murder, and execution.

Acknowledgements
This episode includes audio clips from 'Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer', directed by Nick Broomfield and produced by Lafayette Films for Channel Four (1994). 

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“Eating people is like eating pears.”

Dorángel Vargas—known in Venezuela as El Comegente (“The People Eater”)—is one of the most disturbing figures in modern true crime. A homeless man living beneath bridges in the Andean state of Táchira, Vargas confessed to killing and eating multiple men during the late 1990s.

But this episode of The A-Z Of Psychopaths asks a question that most true crime podcasts avoid:

Was Dorángel Vargas actually a psychopath?

Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, Vargas presents a serious challenge to simplistic labels. Using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) as a clinical framework, this episode examines his behaviour, motives, and mental state—carefully distinguishing psychopathy from severe mental illness.

This is not a sensational account of cannibalism. It is a forensic and psychological analysis of where diagnosis, responsibility, and danger intersect—and why misclassifying offenders matters. 

Hosted by Simon Ford, The A-Z of Psychopaths explores one case per episode, questioning myths around serial killers, violence, and psychopathy through evidence-based analysis.

Listener discretion advised.

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Suave, urbane, and prone to strangling women with their underwear – Jack Unterweger fooled high society.

Jack Unterweger was once held up as a symbol of rehabilitation: a convicted murderer who became a celebrated writer, journalist, and cultural figure. 

Released early from prison, he was embraced by politicians, intellectuals and the media — and even invited to lecture on criminal reform. Then women began to die. Again. 

In this episode of The A-Z of Psychopaths, we examine how Unterweger used charm, intellect and social manipulation to deceive an entire system. We explore his crimes across Austria, Germany and the United States, and assess whether he fits the psychological profile of a psychopath — or something more unsettling still.

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