Blood Ties Podcast

Latest Episodes:

S14 Ep16: The Story of Bible John May 20, 2026

Show notes

Three women murdered. One city terrified. And a killer who vanished without a trace. In this gripping episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell investigate the chilling case of Bible John, the unidentified serial killer who preyed on young women in Glasgow between 1968 and 1969.

Each victim met a sharply dressed stranger at the famous Barrowland Ballroom before suffering a brutal death. Charming, intelligent and obsessed with quoting scripture, the man became known as Bible John after condemning adultery and reciting passages from the Bible to his final victim.

Despite one of the biggest manhunts in Scottish history, and decades of speculation linking suspects including serial killer Peter Tobin, the case remains unsolved. Who was the monster behind the polite smile and biblical sermons? And how did he evade justice for more than half a century?

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep15: The Blackout Ripper Pt1 May 18, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell uncover the terrifying story of Gordon Frederick Cummins, the RAF serviceman who became known as the Blackout Killer.

Over just five days in wartime London, Cummins murdered four women and brutally attacked two others while the city lay hidden beneath the enforced blackout of the Blitz.

His victims were strangled, and several were shockingly mutilated, crimes so savage they stunned even seasoned detectives.

Dubbed the Blackout Ripper and the Wartime Ripper, Cummins preyed on vulnerable women as bombs fell across the capital during the darkest days of the Second World War. Convicted of murdering Evelyn Oatley, he was sentenced to death and hanged at Wandsworth Prison in June 1942, becoming the only murderer in British history executed during an air raid.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep14: The Dennis Nilsen Story Pt 2 May 13, 2026

Show notes

Part 2 of this Blood Ties special with Geoffrey and Molly Wansell. Confronting one of Britain’s most chilling killers: Dennis Nilsen. Calm, calculated, and hiding in plain sight, he murdered at least twelve young men between 1978 and 1983. Luring victims back to his North London flats, he strangled them, then carried out grotesque rituals, keeping bodies for days, even weeks, before dismembering and disposing of them. It is a story that still shocks.

Dubbed the Muswell Hill Murderer, Nilsen was finally caught and convicted at the Old Bailey, sentenced to life, later a whole life term. But the question remains: how did he get away with it for so long?

Geoffrey and Molly Wansell dig into the detail, the failures, and the psychology behind the headlines, asking what made Nilsen who he was, and why nobody stopped him sooner.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep13: The Case Of Barry Prudom May 11, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell investigate the terrifying case of Barry Prudom, the fugitive killer known as the 'Phantom of the Forest'. An electrician turned murderer, Prudom sparked the biggest manhunt in British history after shooting dead PC David Haigh in June 1982.

Over the following days, he killed two more men while evading capture across the forests and countryside of northern England. Armed, highly dangerous, and trained in survival techniques linked to the SAS, Prudom stayed one step ahead of police for eighteen days.

His ability to disappear into the wilderness shocked the nation and exposed the limits of Britain’s police forces. Geoffrey and Molly unravel the story of the manhunt, the fear that gripped the country, and the extraordinary final pursuit that brought Prudom’s deadly escape to an end.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep12: The Dennis Nilsen Story Pt 1 May 06, 2026

Show notes

Blood Ties with Geoffrey and Molly Wansell confronts one of Britain’s most chilling killers: Dennis Nilsen. Calm, calculated, and hiding in plain sight, he murdered at least twelve young men between 1978 and 1983. Luring victims back to his North London flats, he strangled them, then carried out grotesque rituals, keeping bodies for days, even weeks, before dismembering and disposing of them. It is a story that still shocks.

Geoffrey and Molly Wansell dig into the detail, the failures, and the psychology behind the headlines, asking what made Nilsen who he was, and why nobody stopped him sooner.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep11: The Killer of Leo Ross May 04, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell explore the shocking murder of 12 year old Leo Ross, killed in a seemingly random knife attack on his walk home from school in Birmingham.

They examine the disturbing profile of a 14 year old killer who had already carried out violent assaults on vulnerable strangers in the days before the crime. Drawing on court testimony and police insight, the episode unpicks questions of motive, mental health, and missed warning signs.

Geoffrey and Molly consider how such a senseless act could happen, and what it reveals about youth violence today. A deeply affecting story, this episode asks whether justice can ever match the scale of loss, and how communities are left to cope in the aftermath of tragedy.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep10: The Third Female Serial Killer Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Blood Ties with Geoffrey Wansell and Molly Wansell delves into one of Britain’s most disturbing criminal cases, the story of Joanna Dennehy. Geoffrey and Molly explore how Dennehy carried out a shocking killing spree in 2013, targeting strangers and revelling in violence.

Father and daughter bring a unique dynamic, blending journalistic rigour with personal insight as they examine the psychology, motives, and aftermath of the crimes.

It is a compelling exploration of evil, accountability, and the lasting impact of violent crime on victims, families, and society. Joanna Dennehy - the UK's third most prolific female serial killer. She was convicted of three murders and two further attempted murders in 2013.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep9: The Forgotten Prisoner Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

Maria Pearson is Britain’s longest serving female prisoner and one of its most unsettling cases. Dubbed the 'forgotten prisoner', she has spent decades behind bars, yet still refuses to accept responsibility for a brutal murder that shocked the nation.

In 1987, driven by jealousy and rage, she stalked and stabbed a young woman 17 times in the street. It was calculated, savage, and final.

What followed is just as chilling. Nine parole rejections. Repeated failures to engage with rehabilitation. Allegations of bullying and intimidation inside prison walls. And still, she insists it was self defence.

So what keeps someone locked in that mindset for nearly forty years? And should the system ever release a prisoner who will not admit guilt? Geoffrey and Molly Wansell discuss Maria Pearson in this latest episode of Blood Ties.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep8: The Bayou Strangler Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

In the shadows of Louisiana’s bayous, a predator operated almost unnoticed for nearly a decade.

Ronald Joseph Dominique, later dubbed The Bayou Strangler, confessed to the murders of at least 23 men and boys between 1997 and 2006. He lured vulnerable victims with false promises of work, then subjected them to unimaginable violence. For years, his crimes slipped beneath the radar, receiving little national attention even as the death toll climbed.

When Dominique was finally arrested and convicted in 2008, investigators revealed the true scale of what had happened. The FBI would later describe it as one of the most significant serial murder cases in modern American history, both for its duration and the number of lives lost.

So how did a killer responsible for so many deaths remain largely invisible for so long? And why were his victims so easily overlooked?

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep7: The Orkney Assassin Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Blood Ties with Geoffrey and Molly Wansell explores one of Scotland’s most haunting crimes and the long road to justice. In 1994, Bangladeshi waiter Shamsuddin Mahmood was shot at point blank range in a busy Orkney restaurant, shocking a quiet island community.

With eyewitness accounts, twists in the investigation, and a web of unanswered questions, the case would remain unresolved for 14 years.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast