Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories

Mob enforcer. Contract killer. Self-made legend. Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski is one of America’s most infamous contract killers — a man who claimed to have murdered more than 100 people while working for New Jersey and New York crime families. But behind the macabre legend lies a killer who blended real violence with outright invention.  In this episode, Simon Ford looks at the psychology, the...

Unmasking the psychology behind London’s most infamous phantom. In this 5-minute deep dive into criminal history, journalist and true crime storyteller Simon Ford revisits the most famous unsolved murder spree of all time. Jack the Ripper murdered at least five women—Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly—in a frenzy of theatrical brutality that s...

He buried “kill kits” across America… but that was only the start of Israel Keyes’ monstrous planning. Israel Keyes is one of the most terrifying killers in modern American history — not because of the crimes we can prove, but because of the ones we can’t. Keyes built “kill kits” years before he used them, travelled thousands of miles to find random victims, and prided himself on having no recogni...

Sometimes love is blind… and sometimes it’s deadly. In 1958, Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend Caril Fugate embarked on a killing spree across Nebraska that left 11 people dead and America terrified. But was Caril a victim—or an accomplice?  In this episode, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell dissect the couple’s toxic relationship, their violent road trip, and the long shadow the ca...

Enter the "Murder Castle" in our latest, chilling, bite-sized episode. H.H. Holmes is often described as America’s first serial killer, but that title barely captures the scale of his crimes. A charming conman and medical swindler, Holmes built a three-storey “Murder Castle” in Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair — complete with secret passages, soundproofed rooms, and hidden furnaces. In this ep...

Beneath the clown makeup, he hid 33 bodies — and the soul of a psychopath. John Wayne Gacy — the “Killer Clown” — was one of America’s most horrifying murderers. By day, he was a respected businessman and community volunteer. By night, he tortured and killed young men, burying thirty-three bodies beneath his suburban Chicago home. In this chilling episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths , Simon Ford exa...

When Bonnie met Clyde, a myth began — but what actually drove them to kill? Step into the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow — but not as you know it. This isn’t a simple love-and-crime saga. It’s a study of two personalities colliding, of fear and fascination, of power and vulnerability. In this episode of It Takes Two, journalist Simon Ford and former major-crime detective Jacques Morrell b...

He called himself “a real-life boogeyman.” Albert Fish was every parent’s worst nightmare. A kindly old man on the outside, but beneath the surface — a sadist, cannibal, and predator of children.  In this deeply disturbing episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, Simon Ford examines the twisted psychology of “The Brooklyn Cannibal” — a man whose crimes shocked America and still haunt the true-crime worl...

Police speak in code — but what does it really mean when a detective says ‘ABH gone wrong’? When a detective says “ABH gone wrong,” what do they really mean? Is it code, cold detachment — or something darker? Behind every headline and police press briefing lies a secret language: blunt, efficient, and sometimes brutal. In this episode of The Detective’s Files , Simon Ford and former detective Jacq...

Grave robber and the real-life inspiration for Norman Bates and Leatherface. Ed Gein, the mild-mannered handyman from Plainfield, Wisconsin, shocked the world when police discovered what lay behind his farmhouse walls: human remains, skin masks, and grisly trophies made from corpses. But beneath the horror lies a deeper psychological question — what drove him to do it?  In this episode of The A–Z...

She baked pies for her neighbours — and buried her husbands in the garden. Meet Nanny Doss: The Giggling Granny. She looked like everyone’s favourite grandmother — smiling, baking, and always laughing. But Nanny Doss’s laughter hid a terrible secret. Over three decades, she poisoned, smothered, and strangled 11 members of her own family — husbands, children, her mother, even her sister. Her motive...

She was convinced her children would die unless she made a human sacrifice. In Episode 3 of The A-Z of Psychopaths , Simon Ford delves into one of Italy’s most macabre murderers: Leonarda Cianciulli — the Soap-Maker of Correggio. During the chaos of World War II, Cianciulli murdered three women and used their remains to make soap and teacakes. But behind the horror lies a deeper question: what twi...

She lured peasant girls to her castle, and they were never seen again. In the second episode of The A-Z of Psychopaths , Simon Ford investigates the legend — and the truth — behind Countess Elizabeth Báthory, often called “The Bloody Countess.” Accused of torturing and killing hundreds of young women, Báthory’s story sits at the crossroads of myth, misogyny, and madness. Was she a sadistic noblewo...

He really did go on TV in the middle of his murder spree. In the first episode of The A-Z of Psychopaths , we explore the chilling crimes of Rodney Alcala, infamously known as “The Dating Game Killer.”  Join Simon Ford as he unpacks Alcala’s manipulative personality, his methodical approach to murder, and the psychological patterns that made him one of America’s most notorious serial killers. This...

When love turns lethal: the Ken and Barbie Killers. In this episode of It Takes Two… , Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell explore Canada’s most chilling criminal couple: Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.  Were they partners in evil — or a manipulator and his victim? A gripping, psychological deep dive into love, power, and shared psychopathy. References & Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge...

Murder Was The Glue That Bound Them Ian Brady and Myra Hindley are remembered as the Moors Murderers. But beyond the horror, their story forces us to ask: how does a psychopath recruit a partner, and what happens when love and loyalty become tools of murder?  In this episode of Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories , Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell explore the dark synergy between Brady and Hi...

The victims never stood a chance against their combined cruelty. Some killers act alone. Some form a partnership so toxic and unstoppable that the results are catastrophic. In this episode of It Takes Two , Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell examine Fred and Rose West , Britain’s most infamous killer couple. We explore Fred’s early life and pre-existing crimes, Rose’s abusive upbringing, and how two d...

It Takes Two to Kill: Leonard Lake & Charles Ng Serial killers usually act alone. But sometimes, two broken personalities collide — and the result is catastrophic.  In the launch episode of our new series, It Takes Two , Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell investigate Leonard Lake and Charles Ng, a sadistic duo who turned a remote cabin in California into a chamber of horrors. We explore their warp...

Fingerprints may not grab headlines like DNA, but they’ve been solving crimes for over a century. In this episode, Jacques Morrell shares stories from his detective career where fingerprints cracked cases ranging from burglary and cheque fraud to cold-blooded murder. Simon and Jacques also trace the history of fingerprinting: from its discovery in the 19th century, to the first conviction in Argen...

Why Bureaucracy, Hollywood, and the NRA Helped Serial Killers Thrive Why does America remain the global epicentre of serial killers? In Part Two of Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories, Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell uncover how bureaucracy, pop culture, and gun culture shaped the rise of American serial murderers. From the FBI’s behavioural profiling to the National Rifle Association’s infl...

A CID Detective Relives His First UK Murder Case — 1989 Step inside the world of real homicide investigation with The Detective’s Files: Episode 3 . In this gripping instalment, former CID officer Jacques Morrell takes us back to 1989, when he faced his very first murder case. With 30 years of policing experience, Jacques reveals the reality of moving from the beat into CID, the pressures of worki...

Inside America’s Darkest Secret: The Serial Killer Capital of the World. Why does the USA have more serial killers per capita than any other country? From Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer to the Golden State Killer and Samuel Little, the United States has produced almost 70% of all known serial murderers—despite making up less than 5% of the world’s population.  In this episode of Psycho Killer: Shock...

Behind every sudden death, there’s a story—and a detective who has to uncover it. In this second episode of  The Detective’s Files , Jacques Morrell sits down with Simon Ford to explore how the police investigate unexpected deaths. From natural causes to cases of suicide, Jacques reflects on his time in uniform—sharing first-hand experiences with the deceased and their families, and explaining the...

Osama Bin Laden masterminded 9/11, evaded the world’s most powerful armies, and reshaped global politics. But who was he, really? In this second episode of Psycho Killer: Shocking True Crime Stories , Simon Ford and Jacques Morrell go beyond the headlines to explore Bin Laden’s psychology — from fugitive years and obsessive micromanagement to the chilling revelations in the Abbottabad files. Using...

This month marks 24 years since the 9/11 attacks on America — the deadliest terror strike since Pearl Harbour. To mark the anniversary, Psycho Killer investigates the rise and fall of Osama Bin Laden. Was he a religious zealot, a freedom fighter, or a psychopath? Perhaps all three. Using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) and the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality (CAPP), Sim...