Violent attacks, sadistic taunting, and uncrackable puzzles; in some ways “The Zodiac” laid the foundations for every murderous TV psychopath and movie villain of the next half-century. For our 400th episode we decided to dedicate three whole episodes to the potentially the most famous serial killer in history: how he operated, how his puzzles were solved, and who he might have been.

In part one we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about the Zodiac’s first four victims: David Farady, Betty Lou Jensen, Darlene Ferrin, and Michael Mageau. Two pairs of “young lovers”, all killed at night by a lone gunman, seemingly without a motive…

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When her sister-in-law never returned from a trip to India, Sarbjit Kaur Athwal knew exactly what had happened: her mother-in-law had made no secret of her plan to “get rid of” Surjit – the outspoken thorn in the family’s side.

But Sarbjit also knew what she was up against: a strict code of honour; the threat of shame and total rejection by her community – and the certainty that if she stepped out of line, it would be her turn next.

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With the release of a new Netflix documentary on the Wests, we dove into the archive (way way back to episodes 27 and 28) to get you up to date with our in-depth two-parter on one of the UK's most infamous cases.

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Incest, rape, murder and torture dungeons; the girls take on one of Britain's most notorious serial killer couples - Fred and Rose West.

Over a span of 25 years this pair of sexual sadists carried out unspeakable evil in their cellar at the now infamous 25 Cromwell St, and when the truth was finally revealed it shocked the world.

The girls head into the infamous torture cellar to uncover the horrifying truth about the Wests’ years of depravity. As body after body was found, a haunted Fred confessed to it all – but Rose stayed silent. We hear the incredible survivor testimony that broke a nation’s heart and finally labelled Rosemary West as one of the most evil female serial killers in history.

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ShortHand is released weekly for Wondery+ and Amazon Music subscribers. Listen exclusively and ad-free every Tuesday on Wondery+ through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And depending on where you are in the world, ShortHand is included with your Prime Membership on Amazon Music.

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What happens when humanity’s mouthpiece of God, the holiest man on earth, The Pope, passes away? First and foremost a man bonks him on the head with a centuries-old little hammer to make sure he’s really gone.

From there things only get weirder as all the cardinals are locked inside the Vatican with no access to the outside world, before taking part in an incredibly protracted, ritual-filled voting process, until eventually the world is introduced to the new Holy Father.

This is the Sacred ShortHand.

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In our second part of the Pre-Diddy saga, we take a closer look at the accusations you need to know about – and the 99 problems it could cause for some of his closest associates...

With all the sensational stories swirling around this case, we separate fact from fiction, and find out that the truth is always wilder than the headlines: from ‘MVP bags’ containing ‘power banger sex machines’, to the involvement of some of music’s biggest names. So what do Justin Bieber, Usher, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Gloria Estefan, LeBron James and Nikki Minaj have to do with it? Join us to find out.

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As the trial we’ve all been waiting for finally approaches, we bring you the full rundown on the self-proclaimed “bad boy for life” – and the hundreds of accusations, from victims as young as nine years old, that threaten to jail the music mogul for the rest of his days.

Before we find out which “well-known figures” are likely to be accused alongside Sean Combs (aka P Diddy aka “Love”) here is everything you need to know: from his explosive beginnings on the hip hop scene with Bad Boy Records; through his despicable history of violence and sexual exploitation going back decades; all the way to Cassie’s hotel video, the infamous “Diddy parties”, the police raids… and 1,000 bottles of baby oil.

All accompanied by the deafening silence of famous friends, from Usher to Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

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When the Countess of Lucan burst into a West London pub drenched head-to-toe in blood, it instantly sparked a national obsession. Lord Lucan – the suave, speedboat-racing, professional-gambling aristocrat – was wanted for the murder of their housekeeper, Sandra Rivett. And he had disappeared without a trace.

This week, we sift through the theories on Britain’s most famous fugitive (from the bonkers to the actually quite credible) to try to get to the bottom of the nation’s favourite murder mystery once and for all.

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They say Brazil is not for amateurs. And that’s certainly true in the crime-stricken city of Manaus, where Wallace Souza – a charismatic TV host and congressman with a flair for the dramatic – built up an army of fans with his hard-hitting news coverage in the early 2000s. 

But was his bonkers daytime TV show, Canal Livre, just a smokescreen for his own shady criminal empire? And how far would Wallace go to increase his show’s already killer ratings?

Grab your bug spray and join us for another exciting filmed full episode, as we strap in for wild ride into the Amazonian urban jungle – and a story packed with samba, gangsters and conspiracy theories galore...

Video version will be available Thursday 17th April on our YouTube channel!

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The adopted princess of a wealthy Spanish family, 12-year-old Asunta Basterra Porto seemed destined to thrive under the devoted care of her parents Rosario and Alfonso. But beneath the surface, sinister secrets were taking root – including clandestine druggings, creepy family photos and one seriously twisted marriage.

Had these callous parents cast aside the daughter they chose? An investigation dogged by accusations of bias would only muddy the waters further...

Join us this week as we explore one of Spain’s murkiest and most divisive true-crime stories: The Asunta Case.

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In one of our most horrifying episodes yet, we look at a man who clamped and amputated the genitals of potentially hundreds of men, and carried out unimaginable sexual torture – all from his basement flat in North London.

But what makes this story truly unbelievable is that every one of those victims wanted for it to happen. They belonged to a secretive community of 'nullos' – people who fantasise about the removal of sexual organs. And each procedure was filmed and streamed for a waiting online community of tens of thousands of members. There, disembodied penises and testicles were auctioned off… and even eaten. It’s time to discover the savage online empire of the Eunuch Maker.

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