UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast

A controversial case is entering a new chapter as Bryan Kohberger’s appeal moves forward. The challenge has reignited debate over the investigation, the evidence, and whether the justice system got it right—while the families of the victims continue to face the painful question of whether the case will ever truly be over. In this Friday edition of UNMARKED, producer Jon Nadeau joins me to break down the Bryan Kohberger plea agreement and how he is able to attempt to change his plea after pleading guilty. Then we get into your questions: What made Richard Ramirez such a terrifying predator, what Ed Kemper thought of his sisters, and did the FBI under estimate Israel Keyes? Have a question for the show? Leave it in the comments on YouTube or Apple Podcasts, DM @unmarkedpodcast on Instagram, or find me directly @JamesBuddyDay.

Was Richard Ramirez born to become the Night Stalker—or was he created? Before Richard Ramirez terrorized California as the Night Stalker, he was a quiet kid from El Paso who showed few of the early warning signs we associate with psychopathy. But over time, the ingredients began to accumulate: possible prenatal toxic exposure, neurological problems, violence at home, drugs, sexual fantasy, and the extraordinary influence of a cousin who introduced him to images and stories of rape, torture and murder. In this episode, I’m joined by forensic psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston to retrace Ramirez’s life and examine how those influences came together. We follow his progression from childhood to burglary, sexual violence and ultimately murder, while exploring the psychology behind his crimes, his seemingly unpredictable choice of victims, and the Satanic persona that helped turn him into one of the most feared serial killers in American history. Show Notes: If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7 If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/ For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

What is it like to survive an encounter with a serial killer—and then learn what he did to the men who came after you? In this episode of UNMARKED Case Notes, I sit down with Mark Henderson, a survivor of Toronto serial killer Bruce McArthur. Mark takes us inside his encounter with McArthur: how they met, what happened between them, the details that have stayed with him, and what it was like to later discover that McArthur had murdered eight men. We also talk about the Bruce McArthur investigation, the warning signs that were missed, and what Mark’s experience reveals about the man behind one of Canada’s most notorious serial murder cases. This is a firsthand account of Bruce McArthur from someone who encountered him—and survived. #BruceMcArthur #TrueCrime #SerialKiller #SurvivorStory #CaseNotes

Have a question for the show? Leave it in the comments on YouTube or Apple Podcasts, DM @unmarkedpodcast on Instagram, or find me directly @JamesBuddyDay. A deeply polarizing story is unfolding in Massachusetts, where a young mother is accused of killing her three children inside their family home. As the case moves forward, it has sparked fierce debate over mental health, motherhood, responsibility—and whether the devastating events of that day could have been prevented in the days leading up to the tragedy.. In this Friday edition of UNMARKED, producer Jon Nadeau joins me to break down the final arguments in the Lindsey Clancy case and what we know about the insanity defense. Then we get into your questions: How did Charles McArthur hide in plain sight for so long, why do siblings of serial killers often have normal lives, and which serial killer would James would most like to sit.

How did Bruce McArthur murder eight men in Toronto’s Gay Village while hiding in plain sight? In this episode of UNMARKED, James Buddy Day returns to Toronto to retrace the footsteps of one of Canada’s most notorious serial killers—speaking with people who knew McArthur, walking the streets where he found his victims, and revisiting the properties where he concealed their remains. Drawing from Buddy’s original investigation for the Canadian Screen Award-winning documentary Catching a Serial Killer: Bruce McArthur , we examine McArthur’s double life, his psychology and evolving fantasies, the murders of eight men, and the extraordinary opportunities police had to identify him before his eventual arrest. Why did investigators fail to stop McArthur despite witnesses, previous arrests, survivors, and his name appearing in an earlier investigation? And what does his case reveal about the vulnerable populations serial killers choose to target? Research in This Episode: Aggrawal, A. (2009). A new classification of necrophilia . Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 16 (6), 316–320. Show Notes: If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7 If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/ For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

What do people really want to know about serial killers? Are serial killers born or made? What actually defines a serial killer? And are female serial killers different from their male counterparts? In this episode of UNMARKED: Case Notes , I sit down with forensic psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston to tackle some of the most frequently asked—and most misunderstood—questions about serial killers. From the psychology behind repeated murder to the differences between male and female offenders, we separate popular mythology from what the research actually tells us. Read Dr. Johnston’s book: Serial Killers—101 Questions True Crime Fans Ask

Have a question for the show? Leave it in the comments on YouTube or Apple Podcasts, DM @unmarkedpodcast on Instagram, or find me directly @JamesBuddyDay. A disturbing investigation is unfolding in Philadelphia, where police say evidence recovered from a home on West Chew Avenue appears to show two missing women deceased—and investigators are examining an enormous collection of images, videos and writings connected to the property. In our first Friday edition of UNMARKED, producer Jon Nadeau joins me to break down the Eugene Horsch case and what we actually know so far. Then we get into your questions: the lack of victim blood reportedly found in Bryan Kohberger’s car, the Erin Caffey case, and the blood evidence from the Manson murders.

What made Ed Kemper capable of becoming one of America’s most notorious serial killers? In this episode of UNMARKED, I retrace the life and crimes of Edmund Kemper—the so-called “Co-Ed Killer”—with renowned neuroscientist Dr. Kent Kiehl, sometimes called “The Psychopath Whisperer.” Dr. Kiehl has spent decades studying psychopathy, interviewing hundreds of offenders and using brain imaging to investigate what happens inside the minds of people with extreme psychopathic traits. His connection to the Kemper story goes back to his earliest days studying forensic psychiatry, when he encountered Kemper at California’s Vacaville correctional facility. Together, we examine Kemper’s neurological vulnerability, his volatile relationship with his mother, the violent fantasy world he develops as a child, the murder of his grandparents at fifteen, his release from psychiatric custody, and the circumstances that eventually give him access to a vulnerable population of young women hitchhiking through Northern California. Featuring Dr. Kent Kiehl and Christine Falco of Ed Kemper Stories. Research in This Episode: Stein, Michelle L., Louis B. Schlesinger, and Anthony J. Pinizzotto. “Necrophilia and Sexual Homicide.” Journal of Forensic Sciences 55, no. 2 (2010): 443–446. Cherry, Kendra. “What Are Freud’s Stages of Human Development?” Verywell Mind . Updated July 5, 2026. Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD. Show Notes: If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7 If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/ For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

What does Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes get right about Charles Manson—and what does it leave out? In this episode of Case Notes , I’m joined by George Stimson , author of Goodbye Helter Skelter and a longtime associate of Charles Manson, to break down and react to the new Netflix documentary series Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes . George knew Manson personally for years and has challenged the traditional Helter Skelter narrative surrounding Manson and the Tate-LaBianca murders. We discuss his reaction to the Netflix series, what he believes it gets right and wrong, Manson’s relationship with his followers, and how more than fifty years of books, documentaries and competing firsthand accounts have shaped our understanding of the case.

Before the release of Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes, I joined attorney Karen Conti on WGN Radio 720 in Chicago to discuss Charles Manson and what years of research into the case have revealed. Karen Conti has a fascinating connection to another notorious American murder case: she was John Wayne Gacy’s final attorney, representing him during his death-row appeals before his execution in 1994. 🎙️ Originally broadcast Aug 9, 2026 on WGN Radio 720 — The Karen Conti Show Explore our investigations into Charles Manson, the Manson Family, Sharon Tate and the murders at Cielo Drive.

What really happened inside 10050 Cielo Drive on the night of August 8, 1969? More than fifty years later, the Manson murders remain one of the most infamous crimes in American history. But beyond the mythology surrounding Charles Manson lies a far more complicated story. After more than a decade investigating the case—including interviews with Charles Manson and members of the Manson Family, access to rare recordings, police reports, trial transcripts, and my private research archive featured in Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer —I reconstruct the murders at Cielo Drive almost minute by minute. Research in This Episode: Schein, E. H., Schneier, I., & Barker, C. H. (1961). Coercive Persuasion: A Socio-Psychological Analysis of the "Brainwashing" of American Civilian Prisoners by the Chinese Communists. New York: W. W. Norton. Show Notes: If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7 If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/ For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

What does one of America's most prolific serial killers say when he's spent more than two decades behind bars? For years, author Maria DiLorenzo has corresponded with Gary Ridgway—the Green River Killer—offering a rare window into the mind of a man convicted of murdering 49 women and who later confessed to many more. In this episode of UNMARKED , I sit down with Maria to examine what Ridgway's letters, interviews, and prison conversations reveal about the psychology of one of history's most prolific serial killers. We explore the violent fantasies that preceded the murders, the role of psychopathy, why Ridgway targeted vulnerable women, how he evaded capture for nearly twenty years, and why he may still be trying to control the story of who Gary Ridgway really is. If you've heard the legend of the Green River Killer, this may change how you understand the man behind it. Read Confessions of the Green River Killer — The True Story of Manipulation, Madness and a Search for Justice: https://amzn.to/4ph903W Research in This Episode: Levi-Minzi, M., & Shields Levi-Minzi, M. A. (2007). Serial Sexual Murderers and Prostitutes as their Victims: Difficulty Profiling Perpetrators and Victim Vulnerability as Illustrated by the Green River Case. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 7 (1), 77-89. Castillo, Natalie V., "They Have Names, Too: A Case Study on the First Five Victims of the Green River Killer: Examining the Construction of Society and Its Creation of Victim Availability" (2020). Women, Gender , and Sexuality Studies Under gr aduate Honors Theses. 2. Aggrawal, A. (2009). A new classification of necrophilia . Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 16 (6), 316–320. Atherley, Loren T., "Profiling Ridgway: A Retrospective Analysis of Criminal Profiling through the Green River Investigation" (2010). Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Theses . 5. Show Notes: If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7 If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/ For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

In this episode of Case Notes, I'm joined by bestselling author and investigative journalist Howard Blum to discuss one of the most controversial theories to emerge from the Idaho murders investigation: Did Bryan Kohberger act alone? Drawing on his reporting, Howard explains why he began questioning the official narrative and outlines the evidence that led him to consider the possibility of an accomplice. This discussion is a companion to our main episode ⬇️ #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #TrueCrime #Netflix

Why did the Idaho murders happen? Bryan Kohberger has pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students. But his plea answered only one question: who committed the crime. It told us almost nothing about why . In this episode of UNMARKED , I take a different approach. Rather than reconstructing the murders, I construct a psychological autopsy of Bryan Kohberger—examining his childhood, social isolation, personality, fantasy life, academic interests, and the evidence surrounding the case to better understand how someone becomes capable of an act like this. Research in This Episode: Clare S. Allely, Helen Minnis, Lucy Thompson, Philip Wilson, Christopher Gillberg, Neurodevelopmental and psychosocial risk factors in serial killers and mass murderers, Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 19, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 288-301, ISSN 1359-1789. Rubin, K. H., Coplan, R. J., & Bowker, J. C. (2009). Social withdrawal in childhood. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 141–171. Show Notes: If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7 If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/ For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

What role does fantasy play in serial murder? In this episode of Case Notes , I sit down with bestselling investigative journalist and true crime author M. William Phelps to explore one of the most misunderstood aspects of violent offenders: the fantasies that often precede, shape, and sustain serial violence. We discuss how violent fantasy develops, why it can become central to an offender's identity, and what investigators, psychologists, and the public often misunderstand about the connection between imagination and real-world violence. Along the way, we examine how fantasy influences victim selection, ritual, escalation, and the stories serial killers tell about themselves after they're caught. #TrueCrime #SerialKillers #Psychology #CriminalPsychology

Why did Long Island produce so many serial killers? From Richard Cottingham and Joel Rifkin to Robert Shulman and Rex Heuermann, Long Island has been home to one of the greatest concentrations of serial killers in modern history. Coincidence? Or did something happen during the 1980s and 1990s that created the perfect conditions for these men to hunt undetected? In this episode, I examine the life of Robert Shulman through newly uncovered prison letters that have never been presented publicly. Drawing on police files, autopsy reports, court records, psychological research, and interviews with investigative journalist Kristin Thorne and researcher Nick Graystone, I trace Shulman's childhood, his fantasies, and the psychological patterns that connect him to other Long Island serial killers. Along the way, I explore how New York's policing strategies inadvertently displaced vulnerable women, creating an environment that multiple predators exploited for decades. Research in This Episode: Perricone G, Fontana V, Burgio S, Polizzi C. Sibling relationships as a resource for coping with traumatic events. Springerplus. 2014 Sep 15;3:525. Marono AJ, Reid S, Yaksic E, Keatley DA. A Behaviour Sequence Analysis of Serial Killers' Lives: From Childhood Abuse to Methods of Murder. Psychiatr Psychol Law. 2020 Feb 6;27(1):126-137. Show Notes: I just released my first novel called, A Plague of Steel . It’s a grimdark fantasy war story, about what war leaves behind. It’s available now on Kindle, Amazon and Kindle Unlimited: Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Plague-Steel-Sons-Tempering-Book-ebook/dp/B0GSPBTR49 If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/ If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7 For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

What does it really take to become a forensic psychologist? In this episode of Case Notes , I sit down with Dr. N.G. Berill , a forensic psychologist with more than three decades of experience evaluating violent offenders, consulting on major criminal cases, and teaching forensic psychology. Before we discuss the path into the profession, Dr. Berill recounts the shocking reality of a career in which defendants have threatened, and even tried, to kill him. Whether you're considering a career in forensic psychology, studying criminal justice, or simply fascinated by the psychology behind violent crime, this conversation offers an honest look at one of the most challenging professions in the justice system. #ForensicPsychology #Psychology #TrueCrime ##CareerAdvice

Why was Emilia Carr the youngest woman on death row in America? When I first received a letter from Emilia Carr in 2010, she was awaiting execution on Florida's death row. Years later, I traveled to Ocala, Florida, reviewed the original case files at the Marion County Sheriff's Office, visited the trailer where Heather Strong was murdered, and listened to hours of unedited interrogation recordings that helped convict Carr. In this episode, I examine one of the most controversial capital murder cases in recent American history. Using police interviews, undercover recordings, trial records, appellate briefs, and my own reporting from Florida, I explore how detectives built their case, the role of the Reid Technique, the reliability of confessions, prosecutorial discretion, and why Emilia Carr—not Joshua Fulgham—became the youngest woman on death row in the United States. Along the way, we examine the evidence, the competing accounts of what happened inside the trailer, and the legal questions that ultimately led Florida's courts to vacate Carr's death sentence. If you enjoy deeply researched true crime that goes beyond the headlines and examines how investigations actually work, subscribe to UNMARKED for new episodes every week. Show Notes: I just released my first novel called, A Plague of Steel . It’s a grimdark fantasy war story, about what war leaves behind. It’s available now on Kindle, Amazon and Kindle Unlimited: Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Plague-Steel-Sons-Tempering-Book-ebook/dp/B0GSPBTR49 If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/ If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7 For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

Why do so many people misunderstand the insanity defense? It's one of the most debated concepts in criminal law, yet also one of the least understood. Popular culture has created the impression that defendants routinely "get off" by pleading insanity. The reality is far more complicated. Legal insanity is not the same as mental illness, psychopathy, or a psychiatric diagnosis, and successful insanity defences are exceptionally rare. In this episode of UNMARKED: Case Notes, I speak with forensic psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston about what the insanity defense actually is, how courts determine criminal responsibility, and why so much public discussion gets it wrong. We examine the legal standards behind the defense, common misconceptions, and the role mental illness can—and cannot—play in determining guilt. If you've ever wondered what "not guilty by reason of insanity" really means, this conversation offers an evidence-based look at one of the most misunderstood issues in the criminal justice system.

Who was the real Ed Gein? For nearly seventy years, the answer has been buried beneath horror movies, sensational headlines, and one of the most enduring myths in true crime. To find the real Ed Gein, I travelled to Plainfield, Wisconsin, walked the cemetery where he robbed graves, visited the locations that shaped his life, and spent years uncovering records that challenge the accepted story. In this episode, I examine the psychology behind Ed Gein's crimes through newly uncovered evidence, hospital records, interviews with people who knew him, and the original confession recorded on the night of his arrest—a confession hidden for decades and fundamentally different from the version that has appeared in books and documentaries. Along the way, I explore Gein's childhood, his obsessive relationship with his mother, the murders of Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, and how the case inspired Psycho , The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , and The Silence of the Lambs . Show Notes: I just released my first novel called, A Plague of Steel . It’s a grimdark fantasy war story, about what war leaves behind. It’s available now on Kindle, Amazon and Kindle Unlimited: Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Plague-Steel-Sons-Tempering-Book-ebook/dp/B0GSPBTR49 If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/ If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7 For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.