April 20, 1999. Seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold enter Columbine High School armed with bombs and guns, murdering twelve students and a teacher, while injuring dozens more in what becomes the most iconic school shooting in US history. In the aftermath, a shocked community, and even the nation, searched for understanding that wouldn’t come easily. Twenty years later, we still want to know the answer to one question: why? Join host Ryan Kraus for a journey through the evolutionary architecture of existence, starting 200,000 years ago with the foundations of modern humanity, moving through the times of Egyptian pyramids, to the formation of the post-WWII middle class mindset, to the rise of Marilyn Manson, the mental health crisis, and finally, inside the doors of Columbine High School on that fateful day as he examines how we ended up with Eric and Dylan, why they killed, and, most importantly, how we can address the problem to finally put an end to mass shootings.
Who’s That Rapping At My Door, Quoth The Raven “Nevermore”: Kanika Powell
Apr 12, 2019
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August, 2008. Kanika Powell, a 28-year-old Army veteran working in national security, is paid a visit at home by a man claiming to be an FBI agent, setting off a series of strange events culminating in her shooting death only days later. More than a decade after the crime, the case remains unsolved, and without leads, begging the question of who wanted this young woman dead. Without enemies, or even a romantic rival, many have suggested Kanika might have been the target of a government assassination intended to silence her. Join host Ryan Kraus for a journey into the psychology of this baffling homicide case in an attempt to identify the killer and bring the truth to light.
Bent Knives, Bloody Hammers & A Couple of Men with Really Bad Manners: The Keddie Murders
Apr 04, 2019
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On the morning of April 12, 1981, 14-year-old Sheila Sharp returned from a neighbor's home after a sleepover to find her mother, 36-year-old Sue Sharp, 15-year-old brother John, and John's 17-year-old best friend Dana dead on the floor, victims of an apparent massacre by way of knife and hammer. They were bound, and had been tortured, leaving many in shock, wondering who could do such a thing. But that's when they realized 12-year-old Tina Sharp, Sue' daughter, was missing from the home. She'd been abducted by the perpetrators. It would be three long years before answers arrived, though, in the form of learning Tina's remains were discovered in a remote location outside Keddie. To this day, however, the case remains unsolved. Join host Ryan Kraus for a unique profile of the killers, an examination of the autopsies, and a tour through the crime scene, as we endeavor to unlock the truth in this terrifying case.
The Biology of Old Norse Mythology & Other Strange Reasons Thor Waited Behind the Door to Kill Missy Bevers in a Church Without Believers
Mar 07, 2019
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It's 4:18am on April 18, 2016. 45-year-old fitness instructor and mother of three, Missy Bevers, arrives at the Creekside Church in Midlothian, TX to host a boot-camp style workout that's being held indoors due to heavy rain. Upon entering the building alone, however, Missy is attacked by a vicious assailant, and soon after found unresponsive when her students begin to arrive. In the aftermath, investigators make a harrowing discovery on the church's motion-activated surveillance footage: a person in full police tactical gear carrying a hammer the cops say matches Missy's wounds. Three years later, however, we still don't know the killer's identity, and the investigation is no closer to bringing closure to the family than when it started. Join host Ryan Kraus for a psychological examination of the crime, in an effort to uncover the motive and profile of a killer, and finally answer one burning question: Who killed Missy Bevers?
Cranial Metaphors About Open Garage Doors & Other Strange Thoughts on the Psychological Tariff Imposed by Austin Harrouff
Feb 21, 2019
Show notes
August 15, 2016 - A Tequesta, FL couple sat watching TV in their garage on a hot summer night like any other. It was a normal routine for them, one they tended to repeat every evening, taking advantage of a cool nighttime breeze and conversation with neighbors. But little did they know this night would be their last. Within moments, the couple was attacked by a strange young man who suddenly entered their garage looking confused and on the verge of violence. Within minutes, two people would be dead, another would suffer serious stab wounds, and the perpetrator would be feeding on someone's face as the police tried everything they could to stop him. In the end, we're left with but one question: why? Join host Ryan Kraus for a psychological deconstruction of American middle-class values to unearth the seed from which these alarming incidents grow.
A Table for Two at Folie à Deux: The Eriksson Twins
Feb 21, 2019
Show notes
In May 2008, Swedish-born twins Ursula and Sabina Eriksson fled Sabina’s home without warning in the middle of the night, leaving her partner and two children ignorant of their whereabouts. Later that day, they arrived in Liverpool, England, presumably by ferry, where they proceeded to kick off one of the strangest events in recent years, one so mired in psychological uncertainty that even professionals have been left scratching their heads as to how it culminated in murder. Join host Ryan Kraus for an analytical dissection of the event from start to finish, including a theoretical road map for eliminating such mysterious emotional ailments in the future.
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The Presence of Acquiescence & Other Magical Potions for Manipulating Emotion in a Plot to Commit Murder When There’s No Reason to Hurt Her: Lindsay Buziak
Feb 11, 2019
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In the late afternoon of February 2, 2008, a 24-year-old real estate agent named Lindsay Buziak meets a mysterious couple for a home viewing at a large executive property in Saanich, British Columbia. Concerned about the legitimacy of the buyers, but eager to make a big sale, Lindsay arranges for her boyfriend to meet her there just in case something goes wrong. But he's late arriving. Soon after, Lindsay's found murdered in an upstairs bedroom ... and the couple is gone. More than a decade later, everybody's still asking one question: "Who killed Lindsay Buziak?" Join host Ryan Kraus for a fascinating psychological exploration of the event in an effort to learn the truth.
Josh Powell Part III: Murderous Plans Carried Out in a Minivan
Jan 31, 2019
Show notes
On Monday, December 7, 2009, Josh Powell and his wife, Susan, failed to show up for work, or even call to say they'd be out that day. Their young sons, Charlie and Braden, are also no-shows at daycare, drawing the concern of extended family and friends. Before long, panic has set in, as nobody can find the missing family, despite extensive efforts to locate them. Soon enough, however, Josh Powell returns safely with the boys in his minivan, claiming they'd gone camping overnight in sub-freezing temperatures and a blinding snowstorm. When asked about Susan, he says he hasn't seen her since they left. Yet ... her purse is still in the house. And there's blood on the couch in the living room. What happened to Susan Powell? Join host Ryan Kraus for the final installment in this series.
Josh Powell Part II: Finding a Lover Who Replaces Your Mother
Jan 20, 2019
Show notes
After enduring an abusive childhood in which Josh is essentially raised by his father to be a sociopath, his foray into the real world finds him unprepared to become a man. Faced with the choice to grow up or continue his increasingly antisocial behavior to full-blown sociopathy in adulthood, Josh travels the road that leads to darkness. Before long, he marries a young woman named Susan Cox, and their life slowly descends into a nightmare, until one day she disappears ... and never returns. Join host Ryan Kraus for a psychological examination of the events leading up to that fateful event. Part II of a 3-part series.
Josh Powell Part I: Metamorphical Musings on the Making of a Man-Child
Jan 11, 2019
Show notes
In December 2009, Josh Powell came under suspicion of murder when his wife, Susan, disappeared from their West Valley City, Utah home at a time he claims to have taken his young boys camping after midnight, and in freezing temperatures. Able to evade arrest for several years, Josh finally snapped in February 2012 when he learned he wouldn't regain custody of his children, and did the unthinkable. He attacked the boys with a hatchet and burned down the rental home, consuming all of them with carbon monoxide. And we know why he did it. Josh Powell was a sociopath. But how did he become one? Join host Ryan Kraus for Part I of a series examining the psychology behind antisocial behavior within the traditional family structure.
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