Two young men, Jason Gailhouse and Michael Wachholtz, disappeared without a trace from the LGBTQ+ community in Tampa in 2003. What appeared to be a routine missing persons case soon turned into a horrific tale of torture, manipulation, and brutal murder committed by Steven Lorenzo—a man who hid his dark side behind his normal life as a small businessman. Along with his partner, Scott Schwikert, Lorenzo lured his victims through online BDSM-themed relationships that eventually turned into deadly traps. In this episode, you’ll learn how two ordinary men became cold-blooded killers, how the investigation uncovered a hidden network of violence that had been operating for years, and why Lorenzo ultimately requested the death penalty for himself. This story will leave you wondering: how far can someone go to hide the darkness within themselves? And has justice truly been served for the victims whose bodies were never found?

On the cold morning of January 15, 1974, the life of the Otero family in Wichita, Kansas, ended in the most horrific way imaginable. A seemingly ordinary man—a loving husband, father of two children, and exemplary church member—turned out to be a monster who would later be known to the world as BTK: Bind, Torture, Kill. His real name, Dennis Rader, hid a dark obsession with power, control, and human suffering. From the brutal murder of the Otero family to his psychopathic games with law enforcement through mysterious letters and packages, BTK turned terror into pleasure. In this episode, you will learn how Dennis Rader lived a double life without suspicion for 30 years, how he was finally caught because of one small mistake: a floppy disk containing metadata, and why investigators still believe BTK may have victims who have not yet been found. We will also discuss the psychological side of the killer — from his terrifying sexual fantasies to medical evaluations that reveal him to be a narcissistic predator without empathy.

In the peaceful and simple Amish community, crime is almost unheard of. However, in 1993, the tranquility of Rockdale Township in Pennsylvania turned into a nightmare. Edward Gingerich, the first Amish man on record to commit murder in over two centuries, brutally killed his wife in a manner so shocking it stunned even the most experienced investigators. This story is not just about murder, but also about neglected mental illness, misguided beliefs, and a community that rejected the modern world to the point of losing one of its own. In this episode, you will learn how cultural pressure and resistance to modern medicine drove Edward to madness, ultimately leading him to commit an unimaginable act against his wife, Katie Gingerich.

What if a tiny memory card held the key to one of Alaska’s most horrifying murder cases? In 2019, a woman stumbled upon an SD card — inside were graphic recordings of a brutal killing. When investigators followed the trail, they uncovered the shocking truth: Brian Steven Smith, a friendly hotel worker and YouTuber, was living a double life as a sadistic serial killer who documented his own crimes. In this episode, you’ll learn how one small piece of evidence exposed a monster hiding in plain sight, the stories of his victims Kathleen Henry and Veronica Abouch, and how justice finally caught up with him. But even after his conviction, one question still haunts Alaska — were there more victims?

When the Magad family welcomed an orphaned girl named Janice into their home, they thought they were giving her the gift of love and a second chance at life. But kindness turned to horror when Janice’s jealousy and obsession with belonging led to one of the most gruesome and shocking murder cases in Philippine history. Her story eerily mirrors the movie Orphan (2009) — except this time, it wasn’t fiction. In this episode, you’ll learn how a desperate Facebook post became the first sign of tragedy, how chilling forensic evidence revealed the truth, and how a 17-year-old girl orchestrated the murder of the very family who took her in. This is the story of Janice Magad, the adopted daughter who turned love into death.

In the early hours of August 15, 1967, Canada was rocked by one of the most horrific tragedies in its history—the Peterson family massacre in Shell Lake. Nine family members were brutally murdered by a man named Victor Hoffman, who had just been released from a mental hospital. Hoffman claimed to hear demonic voices commanding him to kill. He believed he was carrying out a divine mission to exterminate the devil himself. From mystical visions to uncontrollable urges to kill, this story reveals the darkest side of the human soul and how the mental health system of the 1960s failed to recognize the real danger.

In 1996, Arkansas witnessed one of the most disturbing crimes in American true crime history. The Müller family – William, Nancy, and their 8-year-old daughter Sarah – were tortured and murdered by two men posing as FBI agents. But behind the horror lay something even darker: a white supremacist network where violence was a way of life. From a child being tortured to bodies discovered in a bayou, this case was not just about robbery—it was about ideology taken to deadly extremes. In this episode, you’ll learn how the investigation exposed Chevie Kehoe and Daniel Lewis Lee, how their extremist beliefs spiraled into merciless violence, and why justice felt uneven: the mastermind received life in prison while his partner was executed. This story will leave you questioning—was justice truly served?

The 2003 Matsumoto family murder case in Fukuoka, Japan, was no ordinary tragedy. Four members of a seemingly perfect family were found brutally murdered, leaving a deep wound in Japanese society. Shocking facts emerged: the perpetrators were not local gangsters, but three international students from China who had originally come to Japan to study. From bloodstains, evidence such as handcuffs, to shocking confessions, every detail of this case further revealed the cruelty of the massacre.

On a quiet Sunday morning after prom night in 1989, four members of the Pelly family were found brutally murdered inside their parsonage home in Lakeville, Indiana. Reverend Robert Pelly, his wife Dawn, and two young stepdaughters were killed. Suspicion quickly fell on 17-year-old Jeff Pelly, who had gone to prom that night and seemed carefree. With missing murder weapons, conflicting witness statements, and a questionable investigation, the case remains one of the most controversial in Indiana’s history.

The David Camm case is one of the most complicated true crime stories in American history. A former police officer, accused of murdering his wife and two children, faced three trials over a span of 13 years. From bloodstain evidence, suspicious phone calls, to prosecutors accused of hiding DNA facts, this case is full of plot twists that have divided the public: is David really the perpetrator, or is he the victim of a wrongful accusation?

Over four decades ago, the Bennett family in Aurora, Colorado, faced a night of unimaginable horror. Bruce, Deborah, and their young daughter Melissa were brutally murdered with a hammer, while 3-year-old Vanessa survived against all odds. Investigators collected footprints, DNA, and disturbing crime scene details, but forensic science at the time was too limited to solve the case.

Sometimes, the darkest evil hides behind the most respected faces. Vincent Brothers was a beloved vice principal, but in July 2003, that image was shattered when five members of the Harper family—including a six-week-old infant—were brutally murdered in their Bakersfield, California home. From carefully planned alibis and thousands of miles driven, to the shocking clue of dead insects, this case became one of the most chilling stories in American true crime history.

On May 26th, 1896, the quiet McGlincy family farm in Campbell, California turned into the scene of one of the most horrifying massacres in American true crime history. James Dunham—son-in-law of the family—murdered his wife, mother-in-law, maid, stepfather, and brother-in-law in a frenzy of violence. Only one survived: a newborn baby. That night, the flickering lights of the farmhouse hid a nightmare of axes, gunshots, and screams. In this episode, you’ll uncover how James carefully prepared his crime, the chilling motive behind the massacre, and how he vanished without a trace despite a $43,000 bounty “dead or alive.” This story reveals the darkest corners of human nature—what drives someone to destroy their own family in cold blood.