In February 2000, the quiet town of Aberdeen, New South Wales, became the centre of one of Australia’s most shocking criminal cases. Katherine Knight , a former abattoir worker with a long history of violence in her relationships , murdered her partner, 44‑year‑old John Price, stabbing him at least 37 times during a final escalation of domestic conflict.

What followed stunned even seasoned investigators: Knight mutilated Price after his death, actions that would ultimately make her the first woman in Australian history to receive a life sentence with no possibility of parole.

Content Warning:

This episode contains descriptions of extreme domestic violence, psychological abuse, and graphic criminal acts. Please take care of yourself, and feel free to step away at any time.

References:

• Wikipedia - Katherine Knight
• Case File Podcast - Katherine Knight
• The Casual Criminalist Podcast - Katherine Knight: Australia's Hannibal Lecter
• Crimes that Shook Australia - Katherine Mary Knight
• Murderpedia - Katherine Knight

Between 2002 and 2004, three young women vanished from the streets of Cleveland, Ohio. Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus, each taken while walking alone, each disappearing without a trace. For over a decade, their families searched, their communities mourned, and their names became symbols of unanswered questions.

The man responsible was Ariel Castro, a school bus driver who lived at 2207 Seymour Avenue in Cleveland’s Tremont neighbourhood. Behind the doors of his seemingly ordinary home, he concealed a nightmare. For years, Castro held Michelle, Amanda, and Gina captive, subjecting them to unimaginable suffering.

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  Ariel Castro kidnappings
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  "We're doing great" 10 years after Cleveland escape
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  Cleveland abductor Ariel Castro
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• Kevin Sullivan, Amanda Berry, Mary Jordan, Gina DeJesus -
  
• Michelle Burford and Michelle Knight -
  
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This unfortunately had to be uploaded due to audio issues.

I hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

It's a day typically associated with family, gratitude, and coming together. But tragically, for one particular family in Jupiter, Florida, a Thanksgiving gathering back in 2009 turned into an absolute nightmare.

Paul Michael Merhige, a man invited to share in the holiday meal, instead unleashed unimaginable violence. By the end of the night, four family members were dead, including his six-year-old cousin Makayla, and his pregnant sister Lisa.

Content Warning:

This episode details murder and suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

References:

Hotel owners receive $100,000 reward for turning in Thanksgiving Day murder suspect

South Florida News: Thanksgiving Killer's Parents Sued By Former Son-In-Law

Parents Cleared on Son's Thanksgiving Murders

CNN News: Man admits murdering 4 relatives on Thanksgiving, gets life in prison

Mortal Musings Podcast: Paul Michael Merhige & The Thanksgiving Murders

Burden of Proof Podcast: Paul Michael Merhige, The Unwelcome Guest

In August 2002, the quiet, safe town of Soham, England, turned into ground zero for a national tragedy. Best friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both ten years old, vanished while walking home from a barbecue in their matching football shirts. What followed was a massive search operation, fueled by desperate hope and gut-wrenching appeals.

Content Warning:

This episode discusses the kidnapping and murder of two children, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. We will be covering sensitive topics including child homicide, psychological trauma, and sexual predation. Listener discretion is strongly advised, especially for younger or sensitive listeners. Please take care while listening.

References:

• Wikipedia - Soham Murders
• Bang to Rights Podcast - The Soham Murders - Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr
• Monstropedia - Ian Huntley
• I Could Murder a Podcast.- The Soham Murders: Ian Huntley
• Truly Criminal YouTube - The Soham Murders: Holly Wells & Jessica Chapman
• The Independant -Soham murders 20th anniversary: What happened to killer Ian Huntley and families of girls he killed
• Virtual College - Public Inquiry: Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman
• The Scottish Farmer - Where is Maxine Carr now? The ex-girlfriend of Ian Huntley
• Mirror - Ian Huntley moans he’s ‘being picked on’ as prison officers seize items from cell
• Criminal Justice Inspectorates - A REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION BYCAMBRIDGESHIRE CONSTABULARY INTOTHE MURDERS OF JESSICA CHAPMAN ANDHOLLY WELLS AT SOHAM ON 4 AUGUST 2002

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Today, we're going to delve into one of the most chilling cases of transnational child sexual abuse ever uncovered in the UK, the case of Richard Huckle.

Huckle presented himself as a caring, friendly, and dedicated teacher, moving freely between the UK and Southeast Asia. Yet, behind this carefully constructed facade was a prolific and calculated predator who used his position and the internet to commit unspeakable crimes against vulnerable children.

Content Warning:

I must issue a very strong content warning. The content of this episode deals explicitly with themes of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and abuse material.

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• R v Fitzgerald - sentencing remarks
• Case Number 72 Podcast: Richard Huckle, Britain’s Worst Pedophile
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  Who was Richard Huckle?
• Lights Out Podcast - Richard Huckle: Britain's Worst Pedophile
• RedHanded Podcast - Richard Huckle: Britain's Worst Pedophile
• The Guardian - Paedophile Richard Huckle 'murdered' in prison
• Sharon Wilsona, Lim Shiang Shiangb and Yap Hui Shanc - Media’s Framing of The Richard Huckle Case: Unveiling Media Portrayals of Sexual Violence in Malaysia.

On June 2nd, 2018, students at the Oregon Culinary Institute walked into class expecting to see their instructor, Chef Dan Brophy, ready to greet them. Instead, they found him lying on the kitchen floor, shot dead. What began as a shocking tragedy quickly unraveled into one of the most bizarre true crime cases in recent memory.

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  Nancy Crampton Brophy biography
• Court TV - OR v. BROPHY (2022)
• A&E - The Nancy Brophy Story: Killing a Husband Goes From Fiction to Reality
• Wondery Podcast - Happily Never After: Dan and Nancy
• Oxygen True Crime - Novelist Wrote “How to Murder Your Husband,” Then Her Spouse Was Ruthlessly Gunned Down
• The Guardian - How to Murder Your Husband writer found guilty of murdering husband
• Dreading True Crime Youtube Channel - True Crime Romance Writer Kills Her Husband | The Case of Dan Brophy, True Crime Romance Writer Kills Her Husband | The Case of Dan Brophy
• Apple Podcast - Forensic Tales: Nancy Brophy Part 1 & 2

Nurse Lucy Letby was convicted as Britain's most prolific child serial killer, sentenced to two whole-life orders for the murders and attempted murders of infants in her care. But the verdict was just the beginning.

Content Warning

This episode discusses severe topics including the murder and attempted murder of vulnerable infants. Listener discretion is strongly advised, especially for those sensitive to content concerning child loss or medical trauma.

References

• ​R -v- Letby Final Judgment - 02.07.24
• ​Wikipedia - Lucy Letby
• ​People Magazine - Lucy Letby Trial: What to Know About the Nurse Convicted of Murdering 7 Infants in U.K. Hospital
• ​Daily Mail Podcast - The Trial of Lucy Letby (series)
• ​Redhanded Podcast - Is Lucy Letby Innocent?
• ​Killer Nurse: The Story of Lucy Letby Podcast (series)
• ​BBC News Online - Lucy Letby's new expert supporters claim no babies were deliberately harmed. Who should we believe?
• ​Bailiwick Expresss - Letby appeal documents to include local complaints
• ​The Coversation - Will Lucy Letby get a retrial? Here’s what happens next with her case
• ​The Guardian - Lucy Letby murder convictions: what did the expert panel find?
• ​Tasman Medical Journal - The Lucy Letby case and the implications of a new international report

The American family tragedy started in 1972 with a kidnapping that shocked the nation. For seven years, the Stayners lived a nightmare until Steven Stayner returned home a hero. But that same trauma consumed his older brother, Cary Stayner, who felt profoundly neglected in the shadow of the media spotlight.

In this episode of Criminal, Interrupted, we trace the devastating connection between a child's rescue and a serial killer's rise. From the manipulation of Kenneth Parnell to the brutal, calculated murders of Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso, and Joie Armstrong.

Content Warning:

This episode details murder, sexual descriptions and child abduction. Listener discretion is advised.

References:

• Wikipedia: Cary Stayner
• Wikipedia: Steven Stayner
• Wikipedia: Kenneth Parnell
• YouTube: This Is Monsters - The Story of Cary Stayner
• YouTube: TrueLives - The Serial Killer Who Attacked Yosemite Park Tourists
• YouTube: Truly Criminal - The Yosemite Park Murders
• The Modesto Bee: Stayner Sentenced
• The Modesto Bee: Waiting Out Death Penalty
• The San Francisco Chronicle: The Case of a Lifetime (Part 1 & 2)