Unmasking the psychology behind London’s most infamous phantom.

In this 5-minute deep dive into criminal history, journalist and true crime storyteller Simon Ford revisits the most famous unsolved murder spree of all time.

Jack the Ripper murdered at least five women—Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly—in a frenzy of theatrical brutality that shocked Victorian London. But beyond the myth, the fog, and the fear… who was he? This episode explores:

• The killings and their escalating violence
• Why the identity of Jack the Ripper remains fiercely debated
• Our long-form investigation into prime suspect Robert D’Onston Stephenson
• The behavioural traits that strongly suggest psychopathy.

For the full investigation, listen to:
Jack the Ripper: Psycho or Satanist? 

Next in the series: K is for Kuklinski — The Iceman.

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He buried “kill kits” across America… but that was only the start of Israel Keyes’ monstrous planning.

Israel Keyes is one of the most terrifying killers in modern American history — not because of the crimes we can prove, but because of the ones we can’t. Keyes built “kill kits” years before he used them, travelled thousands of miles to find random victims, and prided himself on having no recognisable pattern.

In this episode, Simon Ford unpacks the forensic details, psychological insights, and chilling contradictions behind Keyes’ double life. From his calm, calculated interviews to the cold efficiency of his crimes, Keyes remains a disturbing reminder that the most dangerous predators are the ones you never see coming.

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Sometimes love is blind… and sometimes it’s deadly.

In 1958, Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend Caril Fugate embarked on a killing spree across Nebraska that left 11 people dead and America terrified. But was Caril a victim—or an accomplice? 

In this episode, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell dissect the couple’s toxic relationship, their violent road trip, and the long shadow the case still casts over true crime, youth culture, and media sensationalism.

Hear how the courts ruled, what happened to Caril, and why the debate over her guilt or innocence continues today. 

New to Psycho Killer? Prepare for deep dives into dark minds, flawed justice systems, and stories that linger long after the tape stops.

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Enter the "Murder Castle" in our latest, chilling, bite-sized episode.

H.H. Holmes is often described as America’s first serial killer, but that title barely captures the scale of his crimes. A charming conman and medical swindler, Holmes built a three-storey “Murder Castle” in Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair — complete with secret passages, soundproofed rooms, and hidden furnaces.

In this episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford explores Holmes’s chilling psychology. From pathological lying and manipulation to financial fraud, bigamy, and murder for profit, Holmes exhibited the hallmarks of a true psychopath decades before criminology had language for it.

Join Simon Ford as he uncovers how Holmes engineered a building — and a life — designed for deception and death.

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Beneath the clown makeup, he hid 33 bodies — and the soul of a psychopath.

John Wayne Gacy — the “Killer Clown” — was one of America’s most horrifying murderers.
By day, he was a respected businessman and community volunteer. By night, he tortured and killed young men, burying thirty-three bodies beneath his suburban Chicago home.

In this chilling episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford examines Gacy’s double life and the psychological traits that made him such a dangerous predator. Using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, he uncovers how superficial charm, narcissism, and total lack of remorse transformed a pillar of the community into a monster.

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When Bonnie met Clyde, a myth began — but what actually drove them to kill?

Step into the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow — but not as you know it. This isn’t a simple love-and-crime saga. It’s a study of two personalities colliding, of fear and fascination, of power and vulnerability. In this episode of It Takes Two, journalist Simon Ford and former major-crime detective Jacques Morrell bring you:

• The historical backdrop of 1950s America — from juvenile delinquency panic to the lure of the motor-car getaway.
• An in-depth look at the personal dynamic of Bonnie and Clyde: the 14-year-old girl, the 19-year-old man, and the deadly path they shared.
• A new angle: how culture, violence and identity merged in one of the most notorious outlaw romances of the 20th century.

Whether you’re a true-crime enthusiast or interested in the psychology of partnership and coercion — this one is for you.

Acknowledgements
The sound effects of the 1936 Ford Flathead V8 are courtesy of AutoEsoterica on YouTube.

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He called himself “a real-life boogeyman.”

Albert Fish was every parent’s worst nightmare. A kindly old man on the outside, but beneath the surface — a sadist, cannibal, and predator of children. 

In this deeply disturbing episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford examines the twisted psychology of “The Brooklyn Cannibal” — a man whose crimes shocked America and still haunt the true-crime world today.

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Police speak in code — but what does it really mean when a detective says ‘ABH gone wrong’?

When a detective says “ABH gone wrong,” what do they really mean? Is it code, cold detachment — or something darker? Behind every headline and police press briefing lies a secret language: blunt, efficient, and sometimes brutal. In this episode of The Detective’s Files, Simon Ford and former detective Jacques Morrell decode the jargon of murder investigations — uncovering how words can reveal, conceal, and even distort the truth. It’s a rare glimpse inside the mind of the police and the media they feed — and a chilling reminder that in the world of crime, language can be as deadly as the act itself.

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Grave robber and the real-life inspiration for Norman Bates and Leatherface.

Ed Gein, the mild-mannered handyman from Plainfield, Wisconsin, shocked the world when police discovered what lay behind his farmhouse walls: human remains, skin masks, and grisly trophies made from corpses. But beneath the horror lies a deeper psychological question — what drove him to do it? 

In this episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford dissects the life and crimes of Ed Gein, the so-called “Butcher of Plainfield.” They explore his twisted devotion to his mother, Augusta, his macabre “projects” inspired by loneliness and delusion, and his lasting influence on horror icons from Psycho to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Finally, we use three key traits from the Hare Psychopathy Checklist to examine whether Ed Gein really fits the profile of a psychopath — or whether he was something even more disturbing.

The A–Z of Psychopaths is a Psycho Killer production.

Special Mention: Laurie Metcalf’s extraordinary performance as Augusta Gein in Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix) brings chilling realism to one of the most controlling maternal figures in criminal history. In our view, she deserves an Emmy. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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She baked pies for her neighbours — and buried her husbands in the garden. Meet Nanny Doss: The Giggling Granny.

She looked like everyone’s favourite grandmother — smiling, baking, and always laughing.
But Nanny Doss’s laughter hid a terrible secret. Over three decades, she poisoned, smothered, and strangled 11 members of her own family — husbands, children, her mother, even her sister.

Her motive? A twisted mix of romance, resentment, and control. Known as The Giggling Granny, Doss confessed with a smile — and kept on giggling as she described each killing in detail.

In this episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford uncovers the monstrous psychology behind the apron and the smile. Was Nanny Doss simply a product of her time… or something far more chilling?

Like and share with your psychopathically inclined friends — and tell us which psycho you’d like to hear next because we can always start again at A. There’s no shortage of psychopaths in our sick, sad world… is there?

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