UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast

Latest Episodes:

52: The Lindsey Clancy mistrial, Gary Heidnik & Your Questions Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Have a question for the show? Leave it in the comments on YouTube or Apple Podcasts, DM @unmarkedpodcast on Instagram, or find me directly @JamesBuddyDay.

A controversial case has taken another dramatic turn in Massachusetts, where a mistrial was declared after jurors deadlocked in Lindsay Clancy’s trial for the deaths of her three children. Now, prosecutors must decide whether to try the case again—while the debate over mental illness, accountability and what happened in the days leading up to the tragedy continues.

In this Friday edition of UNMARKED, producer Jon Nadeau joins me to break down the mistrial in the Lindsey Clancy case and what happens next.

Then we get into your questions: Gary Heidnik and his connect to Silence of the Lambs, Clifford Olson’s adaptability, and a review of Charlie Hunnam’s performance of Ed Gein.

50: Gary Heidnik: The Real Horror Behind The Silence of the Lambs Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Was Gary Heidnik legally insane—or did he know exactly what he was doing?

The crimes committed inside Gary Heidnik’s North Philadelphia home became infamous for their brutality—and would later draw comparisons to The Silence of the Lambs. But beneath the mythology of the so-called “Monster Preacher” is a much more difficult question about mental illness, culpability, and the way the law defines sanity.

Heidnik had a documented history of severe mental illness stretching back decades. He experienced delusions, believed God had given him a mission, and constructed an elaborate fantasy that ultimately helped drive his crimes. Yet prosecutors pointed to his ability to plan, manipulate, conceal evidence, and evade police as proof that he understood exactly what he was doing.

In this episode of UNMARKED, I speak with legendary Philadelphia defense attorney Chuck Peruto, who represented Heidnik at trial, to reconstruct the case and examine the insanity defense that nearly saved him from a death sentence.

Research in This Episode:

Bryant, B. R., et al. (2022). “Behavioral and Emotional Dyscontrol Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging and Electrophysiological Correlates.” Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, 63(5), 434–449.

Show Notes:

If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself.

Read it here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7

If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/

For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.

Join here:
https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast

UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

51: How Many Serial Killers Are Operating Right Now? | Case Notes Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

How many serial killers are operating right now—and how many murders are we failing to connect?

This week on Case Notes, I’m joined by Dr. Michael Arntfield of the Murder Accountability Project to talk about the enormous amount of homicide data hiding in plain sight—and what it can tell us about serial murder in America.

We get into why homicides are underreported and misclassified, how the Murder Accountability Project uses data to identify suspicious clusters of killings, and what the numbers suggest about the serial killers who may still be operating today.

We also explore something I find particularly fascinating: the relationship between serial killers and the culture surrounding them. Drawing from his new book, Dr. Arntfield explains how killers consume true crime, movies, books, and stories about other murderers—and how that media can become part of the way they understand themselves and their crimes.

Show Notes:

Murder Accountability Project ⬇️
https://www.murderdata.org

Please Bring Me Home ⬇️
https://pleasebringmehome.com

Dr. Michael Arntfield ⬇️
https://michaelarntfield.com

Cop TV: The Extraordinary Untold Story of Television Police Shows ⬇️
https://www.amazon.in/Cop-TV-Extraordinary-Stories-Television-ebook/dp/B0H99WGYFH

51: The Bryan Kohberger appeal, Richard Ramirez & Your Questions Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

A controversial case is entering a new chapter as Bryan Kohberger’s appeal moves forward. The challenge has reignited debate over the investigation, the evidence, and whether the justice system got it right—while the families of the victims continue to face the painful question of whether the case will ever truly be over.

In this Friday edition of UNMARKED, producer Jon Nadeau joins me to break down the Bryan Kohberger plea agreement and how he is able to attempt to change his plea after pleading guilty.

Then we get into your questions: What made Richard Ramirez such a terrifying predator, what Ed Kemper thought of his sisters, and did the FBI under estimate Israel Keyes?

Have a question for the show? Leave it in the comments on YouTube or Apple Podcasts, DM @unmarkedpodcast on Instagram, or find me directly @JamesBuddyDay.

49: Richard Ramirez: The Making of the Night Stalker with Dr. Joni Johnston Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

Was Richard Ramirez born to become the Night Stalker—or was he created?

Before Richard Ramirez terrorized California as the Night Stalker, he was a quiet kid from El Paso who showed few of the early warning signs we associate with psychopathy. But over time, the ingredients began to accumulate: possible prenatal toxic exposure, neurological problems, violence at home, drugs, sexual fantasy, and the extraordinary influence of a cousin who introduced him to images and stories of rape, torture and murder.

In this episode, I’m joined by forensic psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston to retrace Ramirez’s life and examine how those influences came together. We follow his progression from childhood to burglary, sexual violence and ultimately murder, while exploring the psychology behind his crimes, his seemingly unpredictable choice of victims, and the Satanic persona that helped turn him into one of the most feared serial killers in American history.

Show Notes:

Read it here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7

If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/

For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.

Join here:
https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast

UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

47: I Survived a Serial Killer? | Case Notes Aug 30, 2026

Show notes

What is it like to survive an encounter with a serial killer—and then learn what he did to the men who came after you?
In this episode of UNMARKED Case Notes, I sit down with Mark Henderson, a survivor of Toronto serial killer Bruce McArthur.

Mark takes us inside his encounter with McArthur: how they met, what happened between them, the details that have stayed with him, and what it was like to later discover that McArthur had murdered eight men.

We also talk about the Bruce McArthur investigation, the warning signs that were missed, and what Mark’s experience reveals about the man behind one of Canada’s most notorious serial murder cases.

This is a firsthand account of Bruce McArthur from someone who encountered him—and survived.

#BruceMcArthur #TrueCrime #SerialKiller #SurvivorStory #CaseNotes

48: The Lindsay Clancy Case, Bruce McArthur & Your Questions Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Have a question for the show? Leave it in the comments on YouTube or Apple Podcasts, DM @unmarkedpodcast on Instagram, or find me directly @JamesBuddyDay.

A deeply polarizing story is unfolding in Massachusetts, where a young mother is accused of killing her three children inside their family home. As the case moves forward, it has sparked fierce debate over mental health, motherhood, responsibility—and whether the devastating events of that day could have been prevented in the days leading up to the tragedy..

In this Friday edition of UNMARKED, producer Jon Nadeau joins me to break down the final arguments in the Lindsey Clancy case and what we know about the insanity defense.

Then we get into your questions: How did Charles McArthur hide in plain sight for so long, why do siblings of serial killers often have normal lives, and which serial killer would James would most like to sit.

46: Bruce McArthur: Inside the Toronto Serial Killer Case Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

How did Bruce McArthur murder eight men in Toronto’s Gay Village while hiding in plain sight?

In this episode of UNMARKED, James Buddy Day returns to Toronto to retrace the footsteps of one of Canada’s most notorious serial killers—speaking with people who knew McArthur, walking the streets where he found his victims, and revisiting the properties where he concealed their remains.

Drawing from Buddy’s original investigation for the Canadian Screen Award-winning documentary Catching a Serial Killer: Bruce McArthur, we examine McArthur’s double life, his psychology and evolving fantasies, the murders of eight men, and the extraordinary opportunities police had to identify him before his eventual arrest.

Why did investigators fail to stop McArthur despite witnesses, previous arrests, survivors, and his name appearing in an earlier investigation? And what does his case reveal about the vulnerable populations serial killers choose to target?

Research in This Episode:

Aggrawal, A. (2009). A new classification of necrophilia. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 16(6), 316–320.

Show Notes:

Read it here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7

If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/

For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.

Join here:
https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast

UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

45: What People Really Want to Know About Serial Killers | Case Notes Aug 23, 2026

Show notes

What do people really want to know about serial killers?
Are serial killers born or made? What actually defines a serial killer? And are female serial killers different from their male counterparts?

In this episode of UNMARKED: Case Notes, I sit down with forensic psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston to tackle some of the most frequently asked—and most misunderstood—questions about serial killers.

From the psychology behind repeated murder to the differences between male and female offenders, we separate popular mythology from what the research actually tells us.

Read Dr. Johnston’s book: Serial Killers—101 Questions True Crime Fans Ask

45: The Philadelphia Serial Killer Mystery, Ed Kemper & Your Questions Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

Have a question for the show? Leave it in the comments on YouTube or Apple Podcasts, DM @unmarkedpodcast on Instagram, or find me directly @JamesBuddyDay.

A disturbing investigation is unfolding in Philadelphia, where police say evidence recovered from a home on West Chew Avenue appears to show two missing women deceased—and investigators are examining an enormous collection of images, videos and writings connected to the property.

In our first Friday edition of UNMARKED, producer Jon Nadeau joins me to break down the Eugene Horsch case and what we actually know so far.

Then we get into your questions: the lack of victim blood reportedly found in Bryan Kohberger’s car, the Erin Caffey case, and the blood evidence from the Manson murders.

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