When Killers Get Caught with Brittany Ransom

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus survived nearly a decade of captivity during the infamous Cleveland kidnappings—and their unbreakable friendship helped keep them alive. In this episode of When Killers Get Caught with Brittany Ransom, we explore how Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight endured ten years inside Ariel Castro’s house on Seymour Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.

From their separate abductions in 2003 and 2004 to their miraculous escape on May 6, 2013, discover how Gina and Amanda leaned on one another in the darkest of circumstances, rebuilt their lives after rescue, and turned their trauma into lifelong advocacy and hope.

In this episode, we cover:

• The 2003 disappearance of Amanda Berry and the 2004 abduction of Gina DeJesus in Cleveland, Ohio

• How Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus formed a life-saving bond inside 2207 Seymour Avenue

• Amanda Berry’s daring 2013 escape with neighbor Charles Ramsey and the rescue of Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight

• Life after Ariel Castro: Amanda and Gina’s memoir Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland and where they are today

  
  

  If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

  • Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com 

  • Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

  • Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast

  • Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com

  • Case Submissions: [email protected]

  • Business Inquiries: [email protected]Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

  If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling. 

  
  

In August 2002, Michelle Knight became Ariel Castro’s first victim. For nearly eleven years 3,910 days she endured severe physical abuse and psychological isolation while Castro tried to convince her the world had forgotten her. Tragically, after police prematurely removed her from the NCIC missing persons database in 2003, she felt that silence deep inside.

Yet behind locked doors, Michelle built an inner fortress. From holding onto memories of her son and caring for a puppy named Lobo, to delivering Amanda Berry’s baby on Christmas Day 2006, Michelle refused to let a monster erase her humanity.

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, host Brittany Ransom explores Michelle’s life before the headlines, her quiet acts of survival, her powerful 2013 courtroom confrontation with Ariel Castro, and her ultimate rebirth as author and advocate Lily Rose Lee.

Key Topics Covered:

• The August 23, 2002 abduction of Michelle Knight

• Systemic failure & the 2003 NCIC missing person database removal

• Coercive control, daily cognitive survival rituals, and the story of Lobo

• The arrival of Amanda Berry & Gina DeJesus at Seymour Avenue

• The heroic Christmas 2006 delivery of baby Jocelyn
• The May 6, 2013 escape and police rescue
• Facing Ariel Castro in court & reclaiming life as Lily Rose Lee




If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

• Check out the website: ⁠https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com⁠ 

• Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

• Follow on TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast⁠

• Get the Gear: ⁠https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com⁠

• Case Submissions: ⁠[email protected]⁠

• Business Inquiries: ⁠[email protected]⁠Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling. 

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, we honor the memory and legacy of Tiffany Taylor following her recent passing. Tiffany’s courageous testimony was pivotal in bringing serial killer Khalil Wheeler-Weaver to justice, stopping a predator who targeted young women in New Jersey.

We dive deep into Tiffany’s harrowing survival story, the crucial evidence that led to Wheeler-Weaver’s conviction, and the systemic flaws that almost let a murderer walk free. Beyond the court case, we address the harsh realities of police bias and societal neglect, examining why law enforcement initially failed to believe Tiffany due to her vulnerable background, and how systemic inequities continue to impact marginalized victims and survivors in the criminal justice system.

In this episode, we cover:

• The tragic loss and enduring legacy of survivor Tiffany Taylor.

• How Tiffany’s strength and detailed account exposed Khalil Wheeler-Weaver.

• The key investigative steps that ultimately secured Wheeler-Weaver's conviction.

• A critical look at victim blaming, police bias, and how systemic failures neglect vulnerable survivors.

  If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

  • Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com 

  • Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

  • Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast

  • Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com

  • Case Submissions: [email protected]

  • Business Inquiries: [email protected]Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

  If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling. 

  
  

  Primary Media Coverage & Profiles used in this episode.

  Maag, Christopher. "Victim, Victor: Tiffany Taylor barely survived a serial killer. Then she helped convict him." USA Today / The Record, February 7, 2020. Used for: Detailed background on Tiffany's youth in Jersey City (Salem-Lafayette housing projects), her education at Valencia College, employment at Jeepers arcade, her account of the November 15, 2016 assault, her escape at the Ritz Motel, the initial police response, direct quotes, her visit to Wheeler-Weaver's former home, and her life following the trial.

  Investigative Journalism & Audio

  NJ Advance Media. Someone’s Hunting Us (Investigative Podcast & Reporting Series). Used for: Context on the disappearances of Black women in northern New Jersey in 2016, systemic delays in missing persons investigations, and how Sarah Butler's friends and family utilized social media and set up a decoy profile to lure and identify Khalil Wheeler-Weaver.

  A&E Networks. I Survived a Serial Killer: "The Catfishing Killer" (Season 1). Used for: Tiffany Taylor’s first-person audio account.

  
  

In March 1999, Cynthia Vigil was abducted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and taken to a remote trailer in Elephant Butte equipped with a horrific torture chamber. Through unbelievable bravery and presence of mind, she managed to seize a split-second opportunity, grab a key while her captor was distracted, and flee to safety. Her escape directly led to the arrest of David Parker Ray the notorious "Toy Box Killer" and his accomplices, bringing an end to a long-running reign of terror.

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, host Brittany Ransom dives into the true story behind the headlines, separating legal reality from urban legend. We explore Cynthia Vigil’s courageous escape, the subsequent law enforcement investigation, the convictions of Ray and Cindy Hendy, and Vigil's enduring legacy as an advocate, co-founder of Street Safe New Mexico, and survivor.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

• Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

• Follow on TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast⁠

• Get the Gear: ⁠https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com⁠

• Case Submissions: ⁠[email protected]⁠

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling. 

In October 1976, Jane Carson-Sandler became one of the earliest targeted survivors of the East Area Rapist—the violent predator who would later be exposed as the Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo.

When a masked intruder broke into her home with a butcher knife while she was with her three-year-old son, Jane faced sheer terror yet held onto the quiet determination that she and her child would survive.

In this episode, we examine Jane Carson-Sandler's survival, her decades-long wait for accountability, and the moment she stood in a California courtroom to stare down her attacker 44 years later. From navigating the trauma of the early investigation mechanics to stepping into her power as an author, advocate, and thriver, Jane's story centers on accountability, resilience, and the enduring strength of survivor voices.

Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussions of sexual violence, home invasion, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

• Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

• Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast

• Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com

• Case Submissions: [email protected]

• Business Inquiries: [email protected]Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling. 

Delia Balmer survived an axe attack by serial killer John Sweeney , the "Scalphunter", but her hardest fight was against a system that refused to listen.

Before John Sweeney made headlines as the dismemberment killer responsible for the murders of Melissa Halstead and Paula Fields, Delia Balmer handed law enforcement his murder confession, his bloody sketchbooks, and a blueprint of his violence. Despite surviving a four-day hostage ordeal in her Camden flat, institutional failures left Sweeney free on bail leading to a terrifying ambush on December 22, 1994.

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught: The Survivors, host Brittany Ransom details Delia Balmer's unbelievable grit, the psychological reality of coercive control, the decade-long fight to secure a Whole-Life Order, and how Delia reclaimed her narrative through her memoir Until I Kill You.

Resources & Support:If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, coercive control, or violence, confidential support is available 24/7:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline (US): Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text "START" to 88788.

• National Domestic Abuse Helpline (UK): Call 0808 2000 247.

Follow & Subscribe:Enjoying When Killers Get Caught? Be sure to rate, review, and follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

• Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

• Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast

• Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com

• Case Submissions: [email protected]

• Business Inquiries: [email protected]Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

Host & Executive Producer: Brittany Ransom

Production: Ransom Storytelling Studios LLC

In 1992, 19-year-old Jennifer Asbenson faced a night of unthinkable horror when she accepted a ride in Palm Springs, California, from a man who would turn out to be serial killer Andrew Urdiales. Ambushed, bound, and locked inside the trunk of a moving car, Jennifer knew her survival depended on taking action.

Through extraordinary quick thinking and instinct, Jennifer managed to unlatch the trunk from the inside and leap to safety on the highway. Her miraculous escape didn't just save her life, her detailed account and courageous testimony became crucial evidence that brought Urdiales to justice for the murders of eight women.

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, host Brittany Ransom dives into Jennifer’s incredible story of survival, quick thinking, and resilience:

• The Attack and Escape: How Jennifer outsmarted a predator and escaped a locked trunk.

• Catching the Killer: How her testimony helped police build a case against serial killer Andrew Urdiales.

• Life as a Survivor: Jennifer’s journey beyond the trauma, her memoir, and her work as an advocate for survivors.

Join Brittany as she unpacks the courage, tenacity, and extraordinary strength that helped Jennifer Asbenson beat the odds and ensure a dangerous killer was caught.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

• Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com 

• Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

• Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast

• Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com

• Case Submissions: [email protected]

• Business Inquiries: [email protected]Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling. 

In 1977, college students Terri Jentz and Avra Goldman set out on a cross-country bicycle trip that ended in a nightmare at Cline Falls State Park, Oregon. While sleeping in their tent, an unidentified attacker ran over them with a pickup truck and brutalized them with an axe. Both women survived the horrific assault, but the local investigation quickly stalled, leaving the case cold and no suspect officially charged.

Decades later, Terri returned to Central Oregon to investigate her own attempted murder. Her journey, detailed in her memoir Strange Piece of Paradise, uncovered deep community secrets, institutional failures, and the identity of the man widely believed to be her attacker. This episode explores the harrowing night at Cline Falls, the long road to trauma recovery, and a survivor's relentless pursuit of truth and justice.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

• Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com 

• Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

• Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast

• Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com

• Case Submissions: [email protected]

• Business Inquiries: [email protected]Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to storytelling.

In 1994, Alison Botha was abducted outside her home in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, by Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger.

After a horrific attack, Alison was left for dead in an isolated area. But somehow, she was still alive.

Alone and catastrophically injured, Alison made a decision: if she was going to die, she would die trying to live.

Using one hand to hold her body together and the other to support her severely injured neck, Alison began dragging herself toward the road. Before she left, she wrote the names of her attackers in the dirt and a message for her mother.

Her attackers believed they had silenced their only witness.

They were wrong.

In this episode, Brittany Ransom explores Alison Botha's extraordinary survival, the investigation that led to Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger, their 1995 convictions, Alison's decades-long recovery, and why surviving the attack was only the beginning of her story.

This is the story of Alison Botha.

A woman who was left for dead and decided to live.

If Alison’s story moved you, please leave a 5-star rating and review. Join the conversation on social media and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

• Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com 

• Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

• Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast

• Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com

• Case Submissions: [email protected]

• Business Inquiries: [email protected]Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

Holly Dunn was the only known survivor of Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, the serial killer who became known as the Railroad Killer.

In 1997, 20-year-old Holly and her boyfriend, Christopher Maier, were attacked near railroad tracks in Lexington, Kentucky. Christopher was murdered. Holly was beaten, sexually assaulted, and left for dead, but she survived.

Her survival would become an important part of the case against Reséndiz, a transient serial killer connected to murders across multiple states and eventually placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

But Holly Dunn’s story did not end beside those railroad tracks.

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught: The Survivors, Brittany Ransom examines the attack, the hunt for Ángel Reséndiz, Holly’s role in bringing him to justice, and the life she built afterward including her advocacy for victims of violent crime, the creation of Holly’s House, and her memoir Sole Survivor.

This is the story of the woman the Railroad Killer believed he had silenced and what happened when she got back up.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

• Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com 

• Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught

• Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast

• Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com

• Case Submissions: [email protected]

• Business Inquiries: [email protected]

  Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF