Welcome to UNMASKING A MURDERER, a show about true crimes and the psychology behind them.
I am a forensic and clinical psychologist, a private investigator, and a true-crime writer and have been interested in the dark side of human nature ever since I read Helter-skelter, at age 14.
The motive of my show is to help you understand what happened, how it happened, and how it can be prevented.
I hope to share my experience in prisons, jails, and forensic hospitals as well as the forensic psychology research, to talk about compelling criminal cases.
EXPERT/HOST REEL
INTERVIEWS
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
UNMASKING A MURDERER EPISODES
EPISODE 24
What Happens When a Serial Murderer Gets Out of Prison?
Serial killer Colin Pitchfork was convicted of raping and killing two schoolgirls in the 1980s. He spent more than thirty years behind bars, reportedly being a model prisoner and volunteering his time translating music into Braille. Does that mean he is a reformed man, or could his deviant sexual desires be hibernating, waiting for an opportunity to awaken?
The Psychology of a Gilgo Beach Suspect
Unmasking A Murderer
On July 14, 2023, Rex Hauerman was arrested and will be charged with the serial murders of three women in Gilgo Beach, New York. Has the Long Island Serial Killer finally been arrested? He is innocent until proven guilty. Based on the evidence that investigators have stated they have, we can get a peek inside the psychology of what kind of serial killer would have committed these crimes.
Sexual Sadist?
What the Evidence Suggests About Rex Heurmann's Psyche
There has been a lot of press about the charges alleged serial killer Rex Heuermann is facing. But what about the mind of someone who might commit these crimes? Join us as we look at the psychology of a sexually motivated serial killer and what the evidence can tell us about his thoughts, feelings, and motive.
VIDEO 1
Criminal Minds and Psychological Traits
VIDEO 2
Fixing the Puzzles
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
Thoughts on the Jussie Smollett Case
EPISODE 1
Multiple Personality and Murder:
Can one Alter be Innocent and Another Guilty?
EPISODE 2
Hypnoses:
Can you Hypnotize Someone to Commit Murder?
EPISODE 3
Body Dysmorphia
And a Case of Deadly Revenge on the Plastic Surgeon who Tried to Help
EPISODE 4
Dellen Millard
And the Thrill to Kill
EPISODE 5
Mother Anna And Her House of Prayer
A Destructive Cult With Deadly Consequences
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
for Episode 5
When Someone you Love is in a Dangerous Cult
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
John Earnest, the San Diego Synagogue Shooter
EPISODE 6
A Fortune Teller's Mistake
Led to Murder
EPISODE 7
The Psychopathic Psychiatrist
And Murder
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
for Episode 7
Understanding Psychopaths
EPISODE 8
William Hoehn And Brooke Crews
Fatal Abduction and Killing for a Baby
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
for Episode 8
Understanding Fetal Abduction
EPISODE 9
Munchausen by Proxy
And Dying for Attention
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
for Episode 9
Personal Experience With Munchausen by Proxy
EPISODE 10
Stephan Allwine
the Spiritual Psychopath and a Murder
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
for Episode 10
Narcissm and it's Relationship to Violence
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
for Episode 10
Domestic Violence and a Battering Preacher
EPISODE 11
Klaus O
A Case of Workplace Violence Though Poisoning
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
for Episode 11
Understanding Criminal Poisoners
EPISODE 12
Jenelle Potter
Catfish leads to double murder
EPISODE 13
John Leonard Orr
the Fire Captain and Arsonist
EPISODE 14
Diane and Rachel Staudte
a Psychopathic Mother, the Golden Child, and Murder
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
the Ely Family
and When a Child Kills a Parent
EPISODE 15
Ben Field
and the Love Con
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
for Episode 15
Personal Story of Justice After Sexual Abuse in the Church
EPISODE 16
the Kissel Brothers
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
the Heidi Broussard Abduction
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
Adoption Scams
Tara Lynn Lee & Paul Peterson Cases
SERIAL KILLERS IN 2019
Part 1
What happened with serial killers in 2019?
FEATURED CRIME ANALYSIS
Lisa Snyder
and Mothers Who Kill
INTERVIEWS
Domestic Violence in Quarantine
interview with Joyce Bilyeu, a DV Survivor who was almost murdered by her husband
EPISODE 17
Lori Vallow & Chad Daybell
Part 1: Religious Beliefs or Delusions?
EPISODE 18
Lori Vallow & Chad Daybell
Part 2:The Insanity Defense
EPISODE 19
Lori Vallow: Mental illness or Motive to Murder?
Part 3: What has unfolded since the children's bodies were discovered?
EPISODE 20
The Murder of Meg Purk: A Tale of Staged Suicide
Find out how a closed case is reopened and how a staged crime scene eventually let to a final act of justice.
Serial Killers 101 Questions True Crime Fans Ask
Trailer
Based on questions my Psychology Today blog readers have asked me over the years, and combined with my own serial killer research, this book answers question, tell stories, and discusses the latest research about serial killers from around the world.
A FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST & PSYCHIATRIST
Talk About True Crime
If you've ever wanted to get an inside scoop on what's it like be a forensic psychologist or evaluate violent offenders, check out this interview with my friend, Dr. Sohom Das. His podcast, Psych for Sore Minds, is a great look at how murder and mayhem are handled in the U.S. and Great Britain.
EPISODE 21
Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell Update: Is Lori Competent to Stand Trial?
After months of waiting, murder charges have finally arrived for Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell. But so have new questions about her mental state. Her attorney, and a recent evaluation by a psychologist, say that she is incompetent to stand trial; the prosecutor is challenging this claim.
EPISODE 22
Lori Riess, Gambling and Murder
How could a loving grandmother from a small town in Minnesota spark a nationwide manhunt? Dubbed the "killer grandmother," follow the case of Lois Riess as she leaves a trail of murder from her hometown to the beaches of Florida and Texas..
EPISODE 23
A Psychopath Test Leads to Murder
In August, 2021, an eigthteen-year-old woman was brutally murdered in Brazil by four people she thought were her friends. The alleged motive sent shock waves through the country and has led to speculation about what social and psychological influences would lead to such a tragedy.
A Young Mother, A Cult Leader, and a Dead Child
Unmasking A Murderer
In 2005, young mother Ria Ramkissoon was recruited into the One Mind Ministries, a destructive religious group led by a woman who called herself Queen Antoinette. As the group's rules become increasingly restrictive, Antoinette targeted Ria's fifteen-month-old son, saying he was possessed by evil spirits. The results were deadly.
