Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes

What began as a self-help movement for ambitious women became one of the most disturbing cults in modern history. Led by so-called guru Keith Raniere, NXIVM lured in Hollywood stars, heiresses, and professionals — only to trap them in a secret society built on control, blackmail, and abuse. Join Vanessa Richardson as she unravels how NXIVM’s “executive success” seminars turned into a nightmare of...

In 1945, the quiet village of Lower Quinton, England, was rocked by a brutal killing. Seventy-four-year-old Charles Walton was found dead in a field — pinned to the ground with his own pitchfork, his body marked in what looked like ritual sacrifice. Was it a crime of passion… or something darker? Join Vanessa Richardson as she investigates one of Britain’s most chilling unsolved murders — where wa...

In 1997, the world lost its most beloved royal — but decades later, the question remains: Was Princess Diana’s death truly an accident… or was she silenced? In this gripping episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes, Vanessa Richardson unpacks the life, legacy, and mysterious death of Princess Diana. From her fairy-tale romance and public heartbreak to her chilling prediction that someone...

In 1947, the mutilated body of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short was found in Los Angeles, shocking the nation and spawning a media firestorm. Dubbed “The Black Dahlia,” her case became one of the most infamous unsolved murders in American history. This episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes unravels the secrets, suspects, and sinister theories that still haunt Hollywood nearly 80 years lat...

In 1995, a woman checked into Oslo’s Plaza Hotel under a fake name. Days later, she was found dead in her room: no ID, no fingerprints, and no one looking for her. In this episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes, we investigate the chilling mystery of the Oslo Plaza Woman and why some believe she wasn’t just hiding… she was hunted. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes is a Crime Ho...

In 1955, Jim Jones founded the Peoples Temple. By 1978, he led more than 900 of his followers to their deaths. From political power plays to psychological torture in the Guyanese jungle, this episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes exposes how one man’s delusions led to one of the deadliest cult tragedies in history: the Jonestown Massacre. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes is a...

In 1945, the Manhattan Project created the deadliest weapon the world had ever seen. But behind the race to build the atomic bomb were secret human radiation experiments, government surveillance, and a suspicious death that still raises questions. This episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes uncovers the dark truth behind Oppenheimer’s legacy...and the secrets that never made it into h...

In 1997, thousands across Arizona reported seeing strange lights in the night sky. The military called them flares. But some witnesses, including pilots, doctors, and the state’s own governor, say it was something far more mysterious. This episode of "Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes" explores the Phoenix Lights, one of the largest UFO sightings in U.S. history. Conspiracy Theories, Cults,...

Danny Casolaro said he was about to expose a global conspiracy. Days later, he was found dead in a hotel bathtub. In this episode of "Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes," we investigate "The Octopus," a shadowy network involving stolen software, CIA secrets, and political sabotage...and the chilling questions that still surround Casolaro’s death. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes is a...

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in broad daylight. The government said it was the work of one man: Lee Harvey Oswald. But decades later, newly-released files still don’t tell the full story. This episode of "Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes" investigates the JFK assassination and the tangled web of theories involving the CIA, the mafia, and a second shooter. Conspiracy...

In a small Alabama church, faith meant more than prayer. It meant picking up a live rattlesnake and trusting God to spare you. But when Pastor Glenn Summerford’s wife was bitten twice, the truth slithered into view. On this episode of "Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes," we investigate the rise of the Church of Jesus with Signs Following and the attempted murder that brought it all crashing...

In 1993, a cult outside Waco, Texas went to war with the U.S. government. Seventy-six people, including 25 children, didn’t survive. In this episode, "Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes" unravels the terrifying rise of David Koresh and the Branch Davidians...and how belief in a coming apocalypse turned deadly. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes is a Crime House Original Podcast, powere...

In 1983, 15-year-old Emanuela Orlandi vanished from Vatican City...and never came home. For decades, her family searched for answers. What they uncovered pointed to something far darker than a kidnapping. In this episode, "Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes" takes a deep dive into the Vatican’s most disturbing cold case and the chilling evidence the Church never wanted you to see. Conspiracy...

Mind control. LSD. Government cover-ups. In this episode, "Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes" investigates Project MK-Ultra, the CIA program that secretly tested drugs and psychological torture on U.S. citizens. Find out why decades later we still don’t know the full truth. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever y...

In 1997, 39 Heaven’s Gate cult members died by mass suicide, believing a UFO would grant them salvation. In this debut episode, Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes peels back the layers of how a cosmic prophecy and Marshall Applewhite’s delusion ended in the deadliest cult suicide in U.S. history. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Stud...

From UFO cults and mass suicides to secret CIA experiments, presidential assassinations, and murderous doctors, these aren’t just theories. They’re real stories that blur the line between fact and fiction. In  Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes , host Vanessa Richardson takes you deep inside some of the most disturbing, shocking, and unforgettable true crime cases in history and the people w...