What Makes a Killer
What Makes a Killer

What Makes a Killer

Audioboom Studios

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A look into the life and crimes of the world’s most infamous serial killers. Featuring interviews with family members, forensic experts, law enforcement, and witnesses. From John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer to the “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez and the Butcher of Plainfield, Ed Gein and "Son of Sam" killer, David Berkowitz – What Makes a Killer explores how they became killers.

Recent Episodes

S5 Ep12: Christopher Hightower
OCT 19, 2023
S5 Ep12: Christopher Hightower
<div>September 22nd, 1991. Guilford, Connecticut. Early that evening, a mysterious man visited the home of Christine Brendel and delivered some shocking news – her brother Ernest and his family had been kidnapped, and were being held for ransom by the Mafia. It turned out the man at the door, 42-year-old Christopher Hightower, was a pathological liar and a killer. He claimed he needed $75,000 to release the family, but in reality, they had already met their fate. Most shocking of all was Hightower's methods. He killed Ernest – who was a friend of his – with a crossbow, strangled his wife Alice, and then drugged their eight-year-old daughter Emily, and dumped her in a shallow grave. But in court he continued his lies, claiming he saw the mob carry out the killings. <br> <br> What Makes a Killer is sponsored by <a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/get-started/?go=true&amp;transaction_id=102f45f70046a869cef5807bfe464e&amp;utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=1378&amp;utm_medium=Desktop&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=what&amp;not_found=1&amp;gor=start">BetterHelp</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.sinisterhood.com/">Sinisterhood</a>.<br> <br> Original music by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ben-krejci">Ben Krejci</a>, <a href="https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/">Lee Rosevere</a>, <a href="https://www.kai-engel.com/">Kai Engel</a>, and <a href="https://www.danielbirchmusic.com/">Daniel Birch</a>. Additional music provided by <a href="https://www.epidemicsound.com/">Epidemic Sound</a>.<br> <br> Licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License</a>.</div>
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45 MIN
S5 Ep10: Daniel Lee Siebert
OCT 5, 2023
S5 Ep10: Daniel Lee Siebert
<div>On February 24th, 1986, police in Talladega, Alabama forced their way inside the home of 24-year-old mother and student Sherri Weathers. When she had not shown up for classes in over a week, police were sent to do a wellness check. And soon the reason for her absence became very clear.  <br> <br> Sherri and her two young children had been strangled to death, and their killer had piled them on top of each other in the shape of a cross. The killer was a 31-year-old artist and seasoned criminal, and his macabre masterpiece was far from complete. Two more bodies were discovered, and the killer had slipped away without a trace. With no clue as to where he went, police began the long and grueling search to find him, before he struck again. <br> <br> This episode is sponsored by:<br> <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/badlands/id1563966720">Badlands</a> - listen on all major podcast apps!<br> <a href="https://wondery.com/shows/this-is-actually-happening/">Wondery's This is Actually Happening</a> - listen ad free on the Wondery Plus app<br> <a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/what">BetterHelp</a> -What Makes A Killer is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off. <br> <br> Original music by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ben-krejci">Ben Krejci</a>, <a href="https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/">Lee Rosevere</a>, <a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Sergey_Cheremisinov">Sergey Cheremisinov</a>, <a href="http://incompetech.com/">Kevin MacLeod</a>, and <a href="https://www.kai-engel.com/">Kai Engel</a>. Additional music provided by <a href="https://www.epidemicsound.com/">Epidemic Sound</a>.<br> <br> Licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License</a>.</div>
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49 MIN