Books Kill

When Wade Wilson was arrested in 2019 for the brutal murders of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz, the case horrified the public; not just because of the violence, but because of Wade himself. His cold demeanor, disturbing confidence, and growing fanbase of admirers turned the case into something far darker than a typical true crime story. In today’s episode, we revisit the full timeline of Wade Wils...

15-year-old Riley Crossman vanished one night in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, leaving her family and community desperate for answers. As authorities pieced together the events leading up to her disappearance, chilling details began to emerge, hinting at a night that no one could have imagined. Every clue, every trace of evidence pointed to a dark story hidden behind closed doors. Her disappear...

In a quiet Texas town, the Caffey family seemed like any other devout, close-knit, and faithful family. Yet behind the walls of their home, a storm was quietly brewing. One that would test the limits of trust, devotion, and the bonds between parent and child. What really happened inside that house, and how could a life so carefully ordered spiral so completely out of control? . If you’re new here,...

In October 2008, John Altinger disappeared from his Edmonton condo, leaving friends confused by mysterious emails about a new love and a sudden trip to Costa Rica. But behind the digital trail and polite explanations, a darker story was unfolding. One tied to a charming, ambitious local filmmaker with a fascination for serial killers and a dangerous obsession with blending fiction and reality. As...

Eight-year-old Cherish Lily Perrywinkle went out one summer evening with her mother and younger sisters for a simple shopping trip. A chance encounter at a store with a stranger offering them money for clothes seemed harmless at first, but that encounter would set off a chain of events no one could have imagined. Cherish went missing after leaving the store with him, and hours later, her lifeless...

She was nearly full term, days away from giving birth, when Rebecca Park vanished without a trace. Weeks later, her body was discovered deep in Michigan’s Manistee National Forest and investigators revealed a detail so disturbing it changed the case entirely: Rebecca was no longer pregnant. In this episode, we follow the frantic search for a missing mother-to-be, the haunting discovery that follow...

Inside a secluded desert community, new “prophecies” are being whispered, children are disappearing, and a fractured religious empire is tightening its grip once again. Warren Jeffs may be behind bars, and Samuel Bateman has now been sentenced to decades in federal prison, yet their influence continues to ripple through the group they left behind. In this episode, we break down everything you need...

Fourteen years after 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau was found hanging, naked, bound, and gagged behind the Spreckels Mansion in Coronado, the mystery surrounding her death remains as unsettling as the day it happened. Officials ruled it a suicide, just as they labeled the fall of her boyfriend’s 6-year-old son, an incident that occurred only two days earlier, an accident. But Rebecca’s family has never...

Payton Leutner never expected a sleepover to turn into a fight for her life, but in the quiet woods of Waukesha, two 12-year-old friends led her into a nightmare inspired by the myth of Slenderman. Stabbed 19 times and left for dead, Payton’s survival and the chilling motives behind the attack shook the nation and raised haunting questions about internet lore, childhood innocence, and the blurred...

In Stillwater, Oklahoma, Jesse Butler’s name has shaken a community to its core. A teen from a prominent local family, he faced serious allegations that left the town questioning how someone so young could carry such darkness. And yet, he walked away with almost no consequences. Unravel a story of power, privilege, and secrets that some desperately want to stay hidden… . If you’re new here, don’t...

In today’s episode, we’re revisiting the disturbing and increasingly complicated case of Sandra Birchmore; a young woman found dead in her apartment in 2021, with her name tied to multiple police officers from Stoughton, Massachusetts. Since our first coverage, new hearings, decertifications, expert disputes, and investigative failures have come to light. We’re breaking down all the major updates:...

On Halloween night, 2001, Columbia, Missouri, was quiet until the body of Kent Heitholt, a beloved sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, was found brutally beaten and strangled in the newspaper’s parking lot. The crime scene was chaotic. Two janitors claimed to have seen mysterious men nearby.  It would take two years before a tip from a college student led detectives to a shocking confess...

*PSA* Part of this episode includes an older recording of me discussing the case. It sounds extremely fast because that is when I would cover cases in 10 min or less (10 to life). Pacing will not always be like this.  . On the surface, the Turpin family looked like a quiet, homeschooling brood, but behind closed doors sat one of the most disturbing “House of Horrors” cases in modern history. When...

He smiled, he waved, he seemed like the perfect neighbor. But behind closed doors, John Wayne Gacy was hiding a darkness so twisted it would shock the world. For years, he lived a double life, blending seamlessly into his Chicago community while hiding secrets no one could imagine. What drove a seemingly ordinary man to commit unspeakable acts? How did he evade capture for so long, and what finall...

A summer weekend on Tennessee’s Center Hill Lake. Music, boats, and a festival crowd celebrating under the sun. But by Sunday afternoon, the party was over, and a body was floating in a quiet cove. The death of 21-year-old Lauren Agee was quickly ruled an accident. Yet nearly a decade later, questions still ripple beneath the surface. Conflicting stories. A dangerous cliffside campsite. And eviden...

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When 24-year-old Yale grad student Annie Le vanished from a secure campus research building just days before her wedding, the case immediately baffled investigators. With no signs of forced entry, all eyes turned to the one place she should’ve been safe — inside the university’s lab. But what detectives discovered in the building’s security footage and keycard data exposed a chilling truth hidden...

On June 6, 1996, a frantic 911 call shattered the quiet of a Texas suburb. Darlie Routier, a young mother, pleaded for help after a brutal attack in her home that left her family forever changed. But as the investigation unfolded, suspicion began to turn– and what followed became one of the most controversial and hotly debated cases in American true crime. Nearly three decades later, questions sti...

In 1957, the quiet town of Plainfield, Wisconsin, was rocked by one of the most shocking crimes in American history. Inside Ed Gein’s farmhouse, detectives would uncover horrors beyond imagination– atrocities that would forever brand him The Butcher of Plainfield. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow the show for weekly deep dives into the darkest true crime cases! To watch the video version...