Killer Genes

If every choice you’ve ever made was never yours what does that mean for guilt, justice, or redemption? From the moment of conception to prenatal stress, genes, and early environment, each begin shaping who we become. Neuroscientist Dr. Robert Sapolsky explains why we have no free will, why testosterone doesn’t cause aggression , how our biology and upbringing script our behaviors long before we a...

Sheila von Wiese-Mack called the police eighty-six times before her daughter killed her. Each time, it was a cry from inside a house where love had turned into fear. Months later after the last call to police, Heather Mack, would fly with her mother to Bali for what was supposed to be a healing trip—and end it with a body in a suitcase, a pre-meditated plot with her boyfriend. The couple had a sec...

A young French au pair came to London chasing language lessons and adventure—then vanished into the twisted paranoia of the couple who employed her. When neighbors saw black smoke rising from a garden, firefighters uncovered a horror so bizarre it defied belief. This episode unravels how a shared delusion, jealousy, and control turned a home into a torture chamber, exposing the dark psychology beh...

Did a teen gamer plot to kill the girl he was stalking? In the quiet town of Cranford, New Jersey , a Monday evening turns tragic when a speeding SUV slams into two 17-year-old best friends on E-bikes— Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas — killing them both. The driver, 17-year-old Vincent Battiloro , wasn’t just any teen. He was a gamer with a large online following — and in his own livestreams, he’d...

In 2016, a six-year-old’s 911 call led police to a grisly triple homicide in Fullerton, California. Jennifer and Christopher Yost, along with a family friend, were gunned down in their own home. The killers weren’t strangers — they were tied to the Yosts’ teenage daughter through the “furry” community, and what began as a forbidden romance spiraled into an unthinkable plot. Plus an update in the f...

When 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to rising star David “d4vd” Burke , a death investigation began that’s shaken LA and the internet alike. In this episode, we break down what’s confirmed, what’s still rumor, and what the science of decomposition says about whether a recent concert video could really show Celeste alive. We dive into the timeline ,...

In this episode, we dive into the chilling true story of Edward Theodore Gein—the quiet Wisconsin farmer whose crimes shocked 1950s America and reshaped the horror genre forever. Known as the “Butcher of Plainfield,” Gein robbed graves, fashioned macabre trophies from human remains, and murdered two women who reminded him of his domineering mother. We’ll trace his childhood under Augusta Gein’s ir...

Two women—both charged with murder after their boyfriends are fatally stabbed. One says suicide; the other says self-defense. We track two high-profile cases and what jurors are asked to believe. Appleton, Wisconsin: the “kill-and-kiss” case of Samantha Krebs and Joseph “Joey” Carnot. The medical examiner couldn’t call it homicide or self-inflicted. Hear both sides and the verdict.  New drama unfo...

Former prosecutor and author Matt Murphy maps the legal pathway from homicide to becoming a death penalty case. If the evidence is proven in court - Why Charlie Kirk's alleged shooter qualifies, the aggravating factors and how mitigation is weighed. Plus how “social influence” or online encouragement is treated at law. We also discuss potential liability for people who knew of plans in advance—con...

Just in: The Haro family secrets laid bare. Prosecutors say a father with a prior child-abuse conviction —who got probation in 2018 after an infant was left permanently injured— should never have been free , a “system failure” they argue set the stage for tragedy. On the mother’s side sits a 2017 Palm Springs bathtub murder tied to her brother’s conviction; on the father’s side, a 2021 coroner-con...

Operating in the shadows—and in plain sight—organized cartels are turning human beings into a supply chain: children sold for sex, bodies targeted for organ harvesting, families shattered at the border. Investigators warn the demand is driven in large part by the U.S., and past border politics have only intensified the danger. In this episode, Ali Hopper, co-founder of GUARD Against Trafficking, p...

When Navy JAG officer Nicholas Kassotis went on trial for the brutal murder and dismemberment of his wife, the courtroom expected a defense grounded in law. Instead, jurors were told a story that belonged in a screenplay. Kassotis claimed an FBI agent—one who never existed—had been investigating mysterious vandals and secret threats against the couple. Kassotis even took the stand insisting this p...

A respected California doctor. A burning mansion. A husband’s alibi that didn’t hold up. Six months later, murder charges—and a story of marriage, money, and fear that ends in tragedy. Plus, a second case where a man kills his ex-wife because she “deserved it” after allegedly murdering his current wife. Two shocking stories of domestic abuse turned deadly, from California to New York, both racing...

Was it an occult sacrifice? A thrill kill? Or something even darker? In this chilling episode, Melissa unpacks the brutal murder and dismemberment of 22-year-old Jaren Lockhart — a young mother lured off Bourbon Street by a twisted couple obsessed with death and control. What happened next is almost beyond comprehension: from body parts washing ashore to a possible satanic motive tied to a rare ce...

He was a respected dentist. A father of six. A man of faith. But behind closed doors, Dr. James Craig of Colorado was living a double life—plagued by financial ruin, secret addictions, and a mistress waiting in the wings. In this gripping episode, we unravel the shocking murder of Angela Craig—a devoted mother slowly poisoned to death by her husband’s own hand. Prosecutors say he laced her smoothi...

Two teens in New York spent over 30 years in prison for a murder they didn’t commit — and yet, they confessed. In this episode, we dive into the psychology behind false confessions, the interrogation tactics that lead to them, and how the truth finally came to light. Then, we shift to a no-body murder conviction: Jerry Meek was sentenced to life for the presumed murder of his wife, Hope Meek — des...

What really defines a serial killer—and are we getting it all wrong? Former Orange County Deputy District attorney and author of The Book of Murder , Matt Murphy, joins us to dismantle the outdated myths and shed light on today’s most chilling predators. From prosecuting Rodney Alcala—aka “The Dating Game Killer”—to unpacking eerie parallels between Alcala, Ted Bundy, and Bryan Kohberger, this epi...

Murder by Fire: A Fatal Fire Forensic Expert Breaks Down Two Explosive Cases exclusively.  What really happened in the Ozarks when Ted Throneberry was murdered and his wife vanished without a trace? And what secrets were engulfed in flames in the California desert when 18-year-old Becky Friedli, her mother Vicki, and boyfriend Jon Hayward were killed in a house fire—with Becky’s body found burning...

The breaking conviction in the Crystal Rogers case may have brought headlines—but not closure. Her remains are still missing, and a chilling trail of bloodshed continues to haunt her family. In this episode, we explore the lingering questions: Why was Crystal targeted, what was the motive and who murdered her father, Tommy Ballard? Plus, two breaking stories: – A shocking murder-suicide in Wiscons...

Can You Spot a Lie—or Get a Killer to Confess? In this gripping episode, we sit down with legendary former homicide detective Fil Waters , known nationwide for extracting confessions in the most unthinkable cases. With decades of experience behind the badge, Waters reveals what it really takes to read a suspect, spot deception, and guide a killer toward the truth. 🔎 Learn how to identify the phys...

From the U.S.–Mexico border to the southern coast of Australia, two disturbing headlines have captured international attention. In this episode, we break down the horrifying discovery of 400 bodies found in a Mexican border town—raising questions about cartel violence, missing migrants, and mass graves. Then, we shift to Port Lincoln, Australia, where a former Beauty and the Geek reality star has...

An exclusive interview with a convicted killer, which I've done many in the past throughout my career, but this one lead to an unexpected confession and details of the "Why" and "How" he did the act, plus how he intentionally sent detectives on a wild hunt for a made-up serial killer to buy himself two years of freedom. He was convicted without a confession. David Hoshaw killed his fiancee Angeliq...

Kelly and Melissa are joined by one of the world's leading psychic detectives and intuitive forensic sketch artists, Christopher Barbour. Learn about his process and work on unsolved murders, cold cases and missing persons cases, as well the cases that are emotionally close to his heart. It's a great episode you won't want to miss! Follow Killer Genes with Melissa on Youtube for more.

Kelly & Melissa are joined by famed former California Deputy District Attorney, now in private practice, Matt Murphy. Hear about the cases he's worked throughout his career, like killer Daniel Wozniak, the murders of Thomas and Jackie Hawks and The Golden State Killer. Follow Killer Genes with Melissa on Youtube for more.

Kelly and Melissa are joined by former Houston Police Department Detective, Fil Waters. Waters was the feature of Investigation Discovery's, The Interrogator, as he is legendary for being able to pull confessions out of suspects. Listen as he talks about interrogation tactics and relives some of his most memorable cases! Follow Killer Genes with Melissa on Youtube for more.