True Crime Society

What makes a serial killer? Mind of a Serial Killer takes you deep into the twisted minds of history’s most notorious serial killers. Every Monday, hosts Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels, a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, combines gripping true crime storytelling with expert psychological analysis to answer the question - what makes a serial killer? From Jeffrey Dahmer to Ted Bundy, explore not only their chilling crimes but the dark psychology behind them. Follow Mind of a Serial Killer wherever you get your podcasts!

Timestamp:
(7:04) - Tyler Weathersby 

In September 2024, South Dakota man Tyler Weathersby was acting erratically. His mother was visiting from interstate and the two had an argument.  He drove his mother to the airport the day before her flight and left her there.

He was agitated when he got home.  His wife, MonaLisa Perez, said that he would routinely go for long walks, multiple times per day.  She assumed that this is what he was doing on September 4 when he left their home.  Tyler can be seen on CCTV walking in the neighborhood that day.   He has not been seen since.

In an interesting twist in the case, MonaLisa accidentally killed her previous partner Pedro in 2017.  The two were filming a YouTube prank video that went wrong, resulting in Pedro’s death.

Where is Tyler?  Did he suffer a mental health crisis?  Or is there something more at play?

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss the disappearance of Tyler Weathersby.

Read our blog for this case - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2024/10/23/tyler-weathersby-vanished-after-going-for-a-walk/

Be sure to follow us on Instagram for the latest crime news - Instagram.com/truecrimesociety

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Timestamps
(10:37) - Napa Halloween Murders Start

Napa - California - On Halloween in 2004, three roommates, Leslie Ann Mazzara, Lauren Meanza and Adriane Insogna, spent the evening handing out specially prepared treat bags to the children in their neighborhood.

Hours after the women went to bed, Lauren was awakened by the sounds of screaming and breaking glass.  As she headed up the stairs to investigate, she heard footsteps coming towards her.  She fled the home and called 911 from her vehicle.

Leslie and Adriane would be found brutally murdered in an upstairs bedroom.  The pool of blood at the scene was said to be inches deep.

An investigation would later determine that an acquaintance of the women, Eric Copple, was responsible for their deaths.  Eric was the partner of a friend of the girls.   No motive for the murders has ever been confirmed, besides Eric’s possible jealousy over the friendship. 

Despite this case happening twenty years ago, it has recently been discussed again due to the similarities between it and the Moscow Murders. 

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss the 2004 Halloween murders in Napa, California.  

Read our blog for this case - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2024/10/20/the-napa-valley-halloween-murders/

Be sure to follow us on Instagram for the latest crime news - Instagram.com/truecrimesociety

This episode is sponsored by:
Uncommon Goods -  Spark something uncommon this holiday season with incredible, hand-picked gifts from Uncommon Goods. To get 15% off your next gift, go to UncommonGoods.com/tcs 

NO TIME STAMP - NO INTRO CHAT THIS EPISODE :)
TW - sexual and physical abuse.

Sean Combs aka Diddy seemed to have it all.  In 2022, his net worth was estimated to be around $1B.  He had a successful career in music and acting, and owned many different businesses.

Sean is no stranger to legal trouble.  He has been sued for millions of dollars over the years.  Recently his troubles have escalated.  Footage of him physically abusing his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, was released and Sean made a public apology.

In September 2024, Sean was arrested for racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation for the purposes of prostitution. The media are also reporting that 120 sexual assault lawsuits will be filed against him in New York, Los Angeles and Miami over the coming weeks.

Sean is currently being held in prison, awaiting a May 2025 trial.  He has been denied bail.

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss the fall of Diddy.

Read our blog for this case -  https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2024/10/13/the-fall-of-diddy/

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This episode is sponsored by :  
Cornbread Hemp -  If you’re looking for a healthier way to enjoy a carefree moment, you have to give Cornbread Hemp a try! They've created the first-ever USDA Organic THC gummy that’s 100% legal. You can get 30% off your first order! Just visit cornbreadhemp.com/TCS 

Timestamps

According to the National Library of Medicine, it is estimated that an average of 35 Americans are killed by healthcare workers per year.  The true numbers are likely higher, given that these crimes are often missed for years.

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss two different cases where nurses have been convicted of purposely murdering their patients with insulin.

Pennsylvania nurse Heather Pressdee gave "lethal and potentially lethal doses of insulin" to at least 22 of her patients.  Seventeen of the patients "died very soon" or "sometime later" after receiving the insulin doses.  

Heather ended up taking a plea deal to avoid the death penalty.  In 2024, she was sentenced to  three consecutive life sentences for the murders. She was also ordered to subsequently serve another 380 to 760 years in prison for the attempted murders.

Australian nurse Megan Haines had many complaints made against her during her nursing career.  It was alleged that she was rude to patients and that she stole from them.  At one point, she had her nursing license suspended.  Megan was reprimanded and was eventually allowed to nurse again.  While working a night shift in May 2014, she was informed that three patients had made complaints against her and that she would be investigated.  

That night, Megan would inject two of the patients who complained about her with insulin.  She was arrested and charged with the murders and is currently serving a prison term - she will be eligible for parole in 2041.

Read our blog for these cases - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2024/10/08/medical-murders/

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Be sure to follow us on Instagram for the latest crime news - Instagram.com/truecrimesociety

In 2001, Robert Fisher and his wife Mary had been having marital problems. Robert’s parents divorced when he was young and he was adamant that his children, Brittney and Bobby, would not go through the same.  

Robert was said to be controlling and abusive towards his family. He once turned a hose on his wife when she spoke ‘out of turn.’  

Mary told friends in early 2001 that she was planning to leave Robert. Robert found out and it sent him over the edge.  Police allege that Robert shot Mary in the back of the head and slit the throats of their children before rigging the home to explode by pulling the gas line.

Once the blaze was extinguished, Robert was nowhere to be found. 23 years later, Robert remains one of the most wanted men in America.

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss the brutal murder of the Fisher family in Arizona and how the main suspect has eluded capture for over twenty years. 

Read our blog for this case

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This episode is sponsored by Ibiana

• Ibiana is a free virtual treasure hunting platform where you can challenge your mind, solve riddles, and compete against others for a chance to win real cash prizes. Best of all, it’s absolutely free to play. Unlock your inner wit today by downloading the ibiana app or get more information at ibiana.com. Join the hunt today (it’s free). 

Timestamps

• (7:00) - Lost at Sea

Data indicates that over 3,000 people are reported missing at sea, each year.

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss two separate disappearances where the people involved have vanished without a trace after allegedly boarding boats.

Abigail Bernstein and her two young sons, Koa Kai and Kush, were last seen in October 2022 at the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii.  They were allegedly boarding a boat for a long voyage.  The boat’s captain would return one year later and say that Abigail and the children left the boat because they were seasick.  No trace of the family has been found.  Did something happen during the voyage or has Abigail taken the children and gone off the grid?

British woman Sarm Heslop and her American boyfriend Ryan Bane lived on Ryan’s boat ‘Siren Song’ in the US Virgin Islands in 2021.  Ryan has said that one night in March that year, he was awoken in the early morning hours by the anchor alarm.  When he got up, Sarm was nowhere to be seen.  Ryan waited 9 hours before calling police.  He has reportedly refused to let authorities search ‘Siren Song’ and he has since sold the vessel and returned to the United States.

Read our blog for these cases - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2024/09/17/missing-at-sea-the-bernstein-family-sarm-heslop/

If you’d like to listen to this episode ad-free, please visit us on Patreon

This episode is sponsored by Ibiana

• Ibiana is a free virtual treasure hunting platform where you can challenge your mind, solve riddles, and compete against others for a chance to win real cash prizes. Best of all, it’s absolutely free to play. Unlock your inner wit today by downloading the ibiana app or get more information at ibiana.com. Join the hunt today (it’s free). 

Timestamps:

• (3:45) - Asha Degree

On a cold and stormy night in February 2000 in Shelby, North Carolina, Asha Degree (9) got out of her bed.  She collected some of her favorite belongings and snuck out of her home.  She has not been seen since.

Soon after Asha vanished, some of her belongings were found discarded in a nearby shed.  A photograph of an unidentified child was found amongst her things – the child has never been identified.

18 months after Asha disappeared, her backpack was found around 25 miles from where she was last seen.  The pack is said to have been wrapped in trash bags, and it contained items that did not belong to Asha. 

Over the decades, the search for Asha has continued.  There has been recent movement in her case as police have executed search warrants at a property near Asha’s home.  A car that matched the description of one seen in the area at the time Asha disappeared has just been towed.

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss the disappearance of Asha Degree.  Was Asha lured away from her home and murdered?

Read our blog for Asha’s case

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This episode is sponsored by:

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Murder by poison is a rare method used by criminals.   It is used in just under one-half of one percent of cases.
In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss three very different cases where people were intentionally poisoned, in an attempt to kill.

• Indiana man Alfred Ruf has just been jailed for drugging his wife Lisa multiple times.  When Lisa was unconscious, Alfred would sleep with her daughter.  Alfred told police that the end goal had been for Lisa to die. 

• Texas attorney Mason Herring and his wife Catherine were having marital issues and decided to separate. Soon after, Catherine found out she was pregnant with their third child, so the couple decided to try to make things work.  Mason decided to put an abortion drug into Catherine’s beverages, on repeated occasions. Catherine installed cameras in their home when she became suspicious after falling ill. Mason was eventually sentenced to a measly 180 days in jail after pleading guilty to charges of injury to a child and assault of a pregnant person.  The couple’s daughter was born 10 weeks premature and now attends therapy 8 times per week and she has developmental delays.

• Lana Clayton was millionaire Steven Clayton’s 7th wife. In 2018, Lana apparently found Steven laying at the bottom of a staircase. She ran outside and flagged down a motorist to ask for help.  Lana initially refused an autopsy for Steven and also told his family that he had no will, which not surprisingly, made them suspicious.  An autopsy was eventually carried out and it was discovered that Lana had poisoned Steven by putting eye drops into his coffee. She is also said to have thrown his phone into a lake so that he could not call for help following the poisoning.   Lana pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and tampering with a food or a drug causing death.  She was sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole.

Read our blog for these cases

A judge has granted the request for alleged murderer Bryan Kohberger to have his trial moved.  We discuss those updates in this episode.
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Be sure to check out our new fave podcast – Two Girls, One Ghost.   Join the summerween trend and satisfy your spooky itch with Two Girls One Ghost, but be warned, side effects might include a haunting or two, listen at your own risk! 
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TIMESTAMPS
(7:45) - Updates - Matthew Perry
(16:55) - Laci Peterson

In 2002, Laci Peterson and her husband Scott found out that they were expecting their first child, a son they planned to name Conner.

From the outside, the couple appeared to have a picture-perfect life.  Under the surface though, cracks were forming.

From early on in their marriage, Scott had a number of affairs with other women.  In November 2002, he began an affair with a woman named Amber Frey.  He told Amber at one point that he had ‘lost his wife’ and the upcoming Christmas would be his first without her.

On Christmas Eve 2002, Laci was around 8 months pregnant.  Scott said he left her at home watching Martha Stewart and that she was gone when he returned.

The search for Laci and her unborn son was one of the most extensive and high-profile ever seen.  Laci and Conner’s remains would be found months after they vanished.

Scott was arrested near the Mexican border and was charged in relation to the deaths of his wife and son.  

22 years later, there is still movement in this case.  An organization called the LA Innocence Project is spearheading a new appeal to prove Scott’s alleged innocence.

Read our blog for this case

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This week’s episode is sponsored by:

• Save time and money and shop Thrive Market today. Go to ThriveMarket.com/tcs for 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift!