Blood Ties Podcast

Latest Episodes:

S13 Ep11: The 'I Heard Voices' Killer Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

After 1994, something in Nicholas Burton’s mind began to unravel. Once seen as bright and promising, he started shouting at himself and became obsessed with religion. Friends noticed the change — but no one imagined how dark things would become. His fixation soon turned toward Rachel McGraa, a woman whose kindness would ultimately cost her everything. In this episode of Blood Ties, we trace Burton’s descent from charm to chaos and uncover how his fractured reality led to Rachel’s tragic death.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

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.

S13 Ep10: The Soham Murders Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

It was every parent’s worst nightmare. In the summer of 2002, two bright, happy ten-year-old girls — Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman — vanished without a trace from the quiet village of Soham. Overnight, their faces were on every front page, every television screen, as a frantic nation prayed for their safe return.

But behind the search and the heartbreak lay a chilling betrayal. Ian Huntley, the local school caretaker, the man trusted around children, would be unmasked as a calculating killer. His crime not only devastated two families but shattered Britain’s sense of safety.

In Blood Ties, we revisit the case that gripped the country, uncovering how Huntley was able to slip through the system, and asking the uncomfortable questions: How did this happen? Who failed? And what lessons were learned from the murders that shook Britain to its core?

This isn’t just a story of a crime. It’s a story of innocence lost, of evil hiding in plain sight, and of a community forever scarred.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

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.

S13 Ep9: Victorian Poisoners - Jolly Jane & Polly Bartlett Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

Two women, two different worlds — but both hiding lethal secrets. Jane Toppan, the nurse known as “Jolly Jane,” poisoned more than 30 patients in the late 1800s, later admitting she killed simply for pleasure. And Polly Bartlett, dubbed Wyoming’s first female serial killer, ran a boarding house with her father where unsuspecting travelers met their end for money and greed. In this episode of Blood Ties, we uncover the chilling parallels between a trusted caregiver and a ruthless innkeeper, and how their crimes challenged the expectations of women in their time while leaving behind a legacy of fear.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

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.

S13 Ep8: The Brutal Murder of Lin and Megan Russell Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

This is one of Britain’s most harrowing true crime stories – a crime so savage it shocked the nation to its core. In this gripping episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell dissect the chilling case of Lin and Megan Russell, a mother and daughter brutally murdered in a frenzied hammer attack while walking home from school in a quiet Kent village. Their family dog was killed, their daughter Josie left for dead – but miraculously survived. What followed was a tangled investigation and years of doubt that exposed the frailties of the justice system. We unravel how such evil could invade such innocence, and ask the question: did the system truly deliver justice?

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

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.

S13 Ep7: The Menendez Brothers Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

In this gripping episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell unravel the chilling case of Lyle and Erik Menendez — the brothers whose brutal murder of their wealthy parents shocked America in 1989. Was it an act of cold-blooded greed, or the desperate response of two young men pushed beyond endurance? The Wansells explore the background of the family, the sensational trial that captivated the world, and the lingering questions about abuse, justice, and the blurred line between victim and perpetrator.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

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.

S13 Ep6: Babes in the Wood Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

Two little girls vanished in Brighton—and for decades, their killer almost got away with it.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

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

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

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

S13 Ep5: Ireland’s Black Widow Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

She was Ireland’s most glamorous killer – the so-called Black Widow who spun a web of lies, murder, and betrayal that stunned a nation.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

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

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

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

S13 Ep4: The Unsolved Murder of Jill Dando Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

On 26th April 1999, BBC Crimewatch presenter Jill Dando was shot dead on her doorstep with a single bullet. Twenty years on, her shocking murder remains unsolved — and continues to haunt Britain.

Who killed Jill Dando? Was it a professional hit, a stalker, or a case of mistaken identity? Despite one of the biggest police investigations in UK history, no one has ever been brought to justice.

In this episode, Geoffrey Wansell takes you through everything we know about the case, the theories, and why the nation is still desperate for answers.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

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

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

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

S13 Ep3: The Torso Killer Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

This is the shocking true crime story of Richard Cottingham: The Torso Killer. One of America’s most sadistic serial killers, he brutally murdered women across New York and New Jersey, earning the nickname The Times Square Ripper.

While Bundy, Dahmer, and Gacy became infamous, Cottingham stayed in the shadows. A husband, father, and insurance worker by day — a sadistic murderer by night. He drugged, tortured, mutilated, and killed, boasting of up to 100 victims.

So why have you never heard of him? Because so many of his victims were sex workers, ignored and forgotten. Now, with new Netflix documentaries and fresh confessions, the world is finally waking up to the horrifying scale of Cottingham’s crimes.

This episode pulls no punches. Prepare for the terrifying double life of America’s forgotten monster: The Torso Killer.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

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

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

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

S13 Ep2: The Crossbow Cannibal Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

In May 2010, Stephen Griffiths stunned a courtroom by giving his name as the Crossbow Cannibal. By December that year, he was convicted of three brutal murders. But who was Stephen Griffiths before that chilling moment? And what drove him to commit such horrific crimes?

Join us as we dig deep into the life, psychology, and crimes of Stephen Griffiths — a case that shocked Britain and left a lasting mark on true crime history.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

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

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram: bloodties_pod

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

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

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

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