Cold Case Files - Presenting: KILLER MINDS

Episode Date: March 26, 2025

Formerly known as Mind of A Serial Killer, Killer Minds takes you deep into the psychology of history’s most chilling murderers—from infamous serial killers to ruthless cult leaders, deadly exes, and terrifying spree killers. Every Monday and Thursday, hosts Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels, a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, blend gripping true crime storytelling with expert psychological analysis to uncover what drives people to kill. From the calculated minds of serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy to crimes of passion and cold-blooded murders, Killer Minds goes beyond the headlines to explore the twisted psychology behind the crimes. What fuels their darkness? How do their minds work? And most hauntingly—could they have been stopped?A Crime House Studios original, new episodes drop every Monday and Thursday. Follow Killer Minds wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us at Killerminds on social media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey everyone, it's Marisa here. If you're loving cold case files, then you need to check out the new podcast Killer Minds. Hosted by licensed forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels and crime house's Vanessa Richardson, each episode of Killer Minds features a deep dive into the psychology of a notorious murderer. From infamous serial killers to ruthless cult leaders, deadly exes, and terrifying spree killers. Along with Vanessa's immersive storytelling full of high stakes twists and turns, Dr. Engels will be providing expert analysis of the people involved.

Not just how they killed, but why. Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Griselda Blanco, aka the Cocaine Godmother. These are just a few of the names they will be covering. It's about so much more than their crimes. It's about their minds. And now here's a sneak peek of Killer Minds. You know the names. Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, John List, Eileen Wuornos. You may even know their stories. But on this show, you're going to get a peek inside the minds of these notorious serial killers and murderers.

What drives a person to kill? Is it uncontrollable rage, overwhelming fear, unbearable jealousy? Or is it something deeper, something in the darkest corners of our psyche? Those are the questions we're asking on the new Crime House original, Killer Minds. I'm Vanessa Richardson. As the host of true crime podcasts like Crime House True Crime Stories, along with cults, female criminals, and serial killers, I've covered some of history's most notorious crimes. But what really fascinates me is the people behind

them and trying to understand why they did it. To get the full picture, I needed an expert. And that's where I come in. My name is Dr. Tristan Engels. As a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist, I've dedicated my career to understanding offenders and what drives them. As Vanessa takes you through the stories of history's most famous violent offenders, and what drives them. As Vanessa takes you through the stories of history's most famous violent offenders,

I'll be analyzing their minds, their motives, and their murders. Every Monday and Thursday, join us as we explore the psyches of the world's most frightening offenders. Killer Minds is a Crime House original. Find it wherever you get your podcasts. And now, we're excited to share a clip of Killer Minds is a Crime House original. Find it wherever you get your podcasts. And now we're excited to share a clip of Killer Minds with you. Check it out.

From the moment he was born on November 12th, 1934, Charles Manson's life was driven by deception. His birth certificate listed Kathleen and William Manson as his parents. But for years, Charles had no idea that William wasn't his father. That honor most likely belonged to a con artist named Colonel Scott. Colonel was Scott's given first name. But if people assumed he was in the army, he didn't bother correcting them.

That's how he caught Kathleen Maddox's attention at a dance club in Ironton, Ohio. He was 23. She was just 15. Kathleen was charmed by the older man she assumed was a military officer. So when she discovered she was pregnant sometime in the spring of 1934, Kathleen had no reason to doubt the Colonel when he said he was being called away on duty. He promised he'd be back as soon as he could, but she never heard from him again. After a few months, Kathleen finally realized she'd been duped, and now she needed to

find someone to help raise her soon-to-be newborn baby. That's when William Manson, who worked for a dry cleaning business, entered the picture. It's not really clear how the two of them met, but by the time Charles was born, on November 12, 1934, Kathleen and William were married. However, it doesn't seem either of them was all that interested in parenting. William wasn't around much, and neither was Kathleen. Most days she dropped Charles off with her mom so she could go out drinking with her brother.

Let's discuss the impact of Charles's early childhood. Kathleen was a minor, so her judgment, reasoning, impulsiveness, decision-making, even emotional regulation is impaired because she did not have a fully developed frontal lobe. This also affects her ability to cope appropriately with the demands of being a new mother, not to mention any postpartum effects she may have had. And given that Charles' father conned his mother, she may have some conscious or unconscious resentment that she projected onto Charles as a result. Her seemingly desperate and impulsive decision to marry William appears to be driven by more societal pressures on

unwed mothers back then, not necessarily a marriage that was built on love. And Charles later learning that William is not his biological father will more likely than not affect his sense of self-worth, his identity, and his trust. Kathleen abandoning Charles to go drinking indicates she may have an alcohol use disorder and I also wonder if she drank while she was pregnant. That could have caused a prenatal injury and if so would warrant further exploration to understand Charles's development. Then there's the layer of Kathleen and William's disinterest in being parents. The effects

of emotionally absent parents on children is well documented. Those children tend to have more difficulty with trust, with self-esteem, and forming healthy relationships. And when you compound that with the abandonment and that William wasn't his biological father, that is pretty profound. Nurturance is critical for a child's development. And if their immediate caregivers aren't providing that or reinforcing a healthy development, that child is at risk

of exhibiting poor emotional regulation later on. They have an increase in academic struggles, behavioral deficits, and developmental delays. Follow Killer Minds, a Crime House Studio's original, Now. behavioral deficits and developmental delays.