Mind of a Monster: The Hollywood Ripper

A teenage girl has been murdered in Gargiulo’s hometown on her front doorstep and when police look to question him after an unusual encounter with the victim’s parents, Michael has escaped to Los Angeles. Working as a bouncer and aspiring actor, Michael is not hiding in the shadows. He sets his sights on a young beautiful woman and begins to stalk and insert himself into her life under the guise of his new job – a heating and cooling repair man. Speaking to experts and the victim’s friends, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates Michael’s stalking behavior and insertion into his victim’s life. Hosted on Acast.

Season nine of Mind of a Monster begins in Hollywood in 2019. A woman is testifying about how she fought off Michael Gargiulo as he brutally stabbed her while she was in bed. Her bravery led to the unmasking of a serial killer who stands trial for her attempted murder and the murder of two other women. Evidence concerning another female victim is also presented despite her murder taking place in Illinois. Michael is also charged with this crime. Speaking to friends and journalists, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates the early years and what could have contributed to Michael’s sadistic behavior. Hosted on Acast.

2000s Hollywood: the bright lights for dreamers who want to become famous. Michael Gargiulo made his name in another way – as a brutal murderer with no mercy. Watching, waiting and stalking his young and beautiful female neighbors, Michael bided his time until his opportune moment arrived – while they were sleeping. Breaking into their safe havens - their homes - he butchered his victims and then moved to a new location in Tinsel Town to find his next target, all while evading capture from detectives who were trying to hunt him down. In this six-part series, criminal psychologist Dr. Michelle Ward talks with friends and acquaintances of Michael Gargiulo, investigators, experts and attorneys from the case, all to uncover the twisted world of The Hollywood Ripper. Hosted on Acast.

When he realizes that his demands are not going to be met, incarcerated serial killer Israel Keyes pulls off one final power play. To identify other victims Keyes murdered, frustrated investigators must try and piece together remaining clues. Do his paintings of skulls mean anything, or is he having the last laugh? The investigation into his secret crimes continues to this day. Speaking with journalists and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward looks into potential victims of The Cross-Country Killer – and explores new information discovered in 2024. Hosted on Acast.

After getting caught using the victim’s bank card, Israel Keyes admits to killing local girl Samantha Koenig and disposing of her body in a frozen lake. When he gives a horrific blow-by-blow description of how he did it, investigators realize they have caught a very experienced serial killer. But Keyes won’t reveal any more victims unless they meet his impossible demands. Speaking with detectives and experts, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates how this master of discretion abandoned his rules and ended up getting caught. Hosted on Acast.

In Anchorage, Alaska, 18-year-old Samantha Koenig is abducted while working at a coffee stand, sending panic through the city. Police initially struggle to find a solid lead – until the kidnapper delivers a ransom note. Following the trail down to Texas, FBI agents finally catch up with the suspect – a man called Israel Keyes. But he claims to know nothing about the girl’s disappearance. Speaking with witnesses and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward explores the search for Samantha – and investigates how this crime differs from the typical Israel Keyes MO. Hosted on Acast.

In the remote mountains of north-west Washington, Israel Keyes splits his time between taking care of his young family and hunting for victims. When he travels to visit family members in other states, The Cross-Country Killer discovers fresh hunting grounds and develops new methods of killing in secret. Increasingly emboldened, his murder spree culminates in a horrendous attack on a suburban couple. Speaking with witnesses and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates how Keyes perfects his MO – and then deviates from it in search of sustaining the adrenaline high. Hosted on Acast.

After an isolated childhood in the woods, Israel Keyes realises he’s a psychopath – with an urge to rape and kill. When he distances himself from his ultra religious family, he finds a new home in the Army – where his survivalist skillset is appreciated. But his uncontrolled sadism leads to a series of violent encounters that almost get him caught, and he realizes he must set boundaries for himself – and plan a more covert method of killing. Dr. Michelle Ward explores how Israel Keyes separates his life into two parallel personalities – the regular family guy and the sadistic serial killer. Hosted on Acast.

Season eight of Mind of a Monster begins in the wild and remote city of Anchorage, Alaska where Israel Keyes is being questioned about the abduction of a young woman. Unearthing information from his childhood, we find he was reared in the woods learning survivalist skills that primed him for his future killings. Showing early signs of disturbing behavior, Israel hones his skills and attempts his first kill as a young man. Speaking to childhood friends and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates the pivotal moment that saw Israel Keyes shift from troubled child to killer. Hosted on Acast.

2000s Anchorage, Alaska: a beautiful city with vast wilderness and a sparse, spread-out population. It's the perfect hiding ground for a deadly predator to remain off the radar. In its midst is Israel Keyes - a family man and construction worker who doubles up as a master murderer, covering his tracks with precision. His family doesn’t think twice when he leaves for long road trips, during which he methodically plans and carries out incredibly brutal murders with victims selected at random. In this 6-part series, hear through recorded interviews how one of the US's most prolific, but not widely known, serial killers, perceived himself and how he committed some of the horrific killings he is responsible for. Criminal psychologist Dr. Michelle Ward investigates through talking with friends and colleagues of Israel Keyes, investigators and detectives from the case, all to uncover the dark world of The Cross-Country Killer. Hosted on Acast.

Kristen Gilbert’s reign of terror has ended but the trials have just begun. She is tried for the bomb threats, tried for the murder of multiple patients and in a unique and shocking turn of events, faces the death penalty – a capital punishment that had not been administered in Massachusetts for 50 years. Damning testimonies are heard and the eyes of the victim’s families watch on hoping that they receive justice for their deceased loved ones. Speaking with the prosecutor, journalists, detectives, experts, witnesses and the victims' families, Dr. Michelle Ward uncovers Kristen Gilbert’s fate. Hosted on Acast.

The heat is on Kristen Gilbert and the investigation is gathering damning intel on the unusual rise of deaths on Ward C. Instead of her taking herself away from the line of fire, her behavior reaches a shocking new level and goes in a direction that no one could have expected. Speaking with detectives, colleagues and experts, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates how Kirsten draws on a lifetime of learned behaviors to avoid capture. When the net begins to close in, Kristen goes on the attack. Hosted on Acast.

Kristen’s colleagues come forward with their concerns over the suspicious deaths on Ward C, and an investigation gets underway. Kristen quickly catches wind that something is up, but rather than staying under the radar, her behavior becomes increasingly erratic and altogether frightening. But it’s in a phone call to her lover that everything changes. Dr. Michelle Ward discusses Kristen’s reaction to the investigation with psychologists, as well as detectives, prosecutors and other witnesses on the scene to learn more about how authorities finally start to explore these mysterious deaths on Ward C. Hosted on Acast.

On Ward C, Kristen Gilbert’s victim count is rising, and her secret affair is intensifying. Stocks of her regularly used killing weapon, the drug epinephrine, are decreasing rapidly, and Kristen’s colleagues are becoming suspicious. The world of medical murderers is still new ground and allows Kristen to operate under the radar of most people, but she’s beginning to slip up. Speaking with colleagues, witnesses and detectives, Dr. Ward investigates how her escalating behavior is increasing her kills and why healthcare murderers are so difficult to identify. Hosted on Acast.

Kristen Gilbert has had her first taste in what it’s like to harm someone in her care. Her thirst grows when the newlywed mom gets her first nursing job at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Massachusetts. It's a hospital filled with vulnerable patients giving her the opportunity to test the limits of her medical power of controlling life and death with access to all sorts of powerful chemicals. Dr. Michelle Ward explores how Kristen Gilbert commits her first kills to gain attention from her colleagues and secret lover, who are unaware that she is responsible for the patient’s death. Hosted on Acast.

Season seven of Mind of a Monster begins in the picturesque town of Groton, Massachusetts where Kristen Gilbert is raised. From an early age, Kristen begins to spin concerning and elaborate lies to garner attention. In her young adulthood, an admirable path into healthcare is chosen by Kristen but during her training years, she begins to practice power over those in her care starting with a young disabled boy and takes advantage of his vulnerable state. Speaking to experts and detectives, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates the pivotal moment that saw Kristen Gilbert shift from troubled child to dangerous young woman. Hosted on Acast.

1990s Northampton, Massachusetts: a picturesque city known for being home to one of the largest Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in the US. It's the last place anyone would imagine a serial killer to walk the hallways, but the very person responsible for keeping these war heroes alive, their nurse, is secretly killing them. In this 6-part series, Dr. Michelle Ward investigates the case of one of the US's most prolific, but not widely known, serial killers. She'll talk to families of the victims, colleagues of the perpetrator, criminology experts and detectives from the case, uncovering testimonies and confessions, trial transcripts and news reports, all to reveal who was responsible for the rise in deaths on Ward C. Hosted on Acast.

On September 23rd, Dr. Michelle Ward returns for another season, and this time she's covering serial killer Kristen Gilbert. From 1989 to 1995, nurse Kristen Gilbert claimed the lives of 4 patients. Across six episodes, criminal psychologist Dr. Michelle Ward consults with detectives, victim’s families, and witnesses to investigate her life and crimes on Ward C. Episode 1 releases September 23rd. Hosted on Acast.

We bring the series to a close with a special episode dedicated to the story of Cindy Paulson, the 17-year-old sex worker who turned the entire Hansen case around. In 40 years, Cindy has never spoken in public about her experience. Now we fly to meet her for an exclusive interview. We talk about her childhood and what led her into sex work, we hear her side of Hansen’s attack and the police’s subsequent negligence. We learn how she began to trust Glenn Flothe, and where she disappeared to. We end on the impact these events had on her life. Hosted on Acast.

Robert Hansen meets with the prosecution, and the true extent of his crimes becomes apparent, surprising even his defense lawyers. But he doesn't remember any of his victims' names. What follows is the painstaking recovery of bodies and the attempts to identify them. Dr. Michelle Ward revisits the story of Delynn Frey and tells of her family's heartache as the wait to identify her body stretches into years. Two other unidentified victims' stories take us to the present day, and the cold case investigators vow to give them back their names. Hosted on Acast.