Among Monsters Podcast | Chilling True Crime

Mary Beth Tinning: The Maternal Executioner – Nine Graves, One Mother

In this deeply unsettling episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale unravels the horrifying story of Mary Beth Tinning, the New York mother who buried nine of her own children over a 14-year span — and walked free after nearly every one. Between 1972 and 1985, child after child died mysteriously in her care, with causes ranging from “SIDS” to unexplained seizures… and no one questioned the pattern. For years, Mary Beth played the grieving mother, drawing sympathy from neighbors, doctors, and clergy — while continuing a cycle of calculated murder. It wasn’t until the death of her infant daughter Tami Lynne that investigators finally uncovered the truth: Mary Beth had been smothering her children for years. With psychological insights into Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a look into one of the most disturbing maternal cases in American history, and gripping courtroom drama, Damien Vale takes listeners through a nightmare that unfolded behind closed doors — where love was supposed to live, but only death remained.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Dean Corll: The Candy Man – Houston’s House of Horrors

In this horrifying episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale exposes the unimaginable crimes of Dean Corll, known to neighbors as The Candy Man — but remembered in history as one of America’s most sadistic serial killers. Between 1970 and 1973, Corll, along with two teenage accomplices, David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley, abducted, raped, tortured, and murdered at least 28 boys in Houston, Texas. Operating behind the façade of a friendly candy maker, Corll lured young boys with sweets, drugs, and parties — then dragged them into a soundproof torture room where he carried out unspeakable acts. The nightmare came to an end only when one of his accomplices, Henley, turned on him and killed him in a moment of panic and revenge. Damien Vale guides listeners through the chilling methods, psychological manipulation, and aftermath of the Houston Mass Murders — a case so gruesome that many believe it never received the public scrutiny it deserved. This is a story of trust betrayed, innocence destroyed, and evil hiding in plain sight.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Elmer Wayne Henley: From Lure to Executioner – The Boy Who Killed The Candy Man

In this gripping episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale explores the disturbing story of Elmer Wayne Henley, the teenage accomplice turned killer who helped Dean Corll — the infamous Candy Man — abduct, torture, and murder at least 28 young boys in Houston, Texas, during the early 1970s. Henley wasn’t just a witness. He was a recruiter, a handler, and at times, a participant in Corll’s unspeakable crimes. For three years, he lured classmates and friends to their deaths… until the night he turned the gun on his mentor and brought the killing spree to a shocking end. Damien Vale takes listeners deep into the twisted world of manipulation, complicity, and guilt. This is not just a story of evil — it’s the tale of a boy who walked willingly into darkness, and what happens when the puppet cuts his strings.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Roy Norris: The Apprentice of Evil – A Historical Descent into Darkness

In this darkly immersive episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale walks listeners through the harrowing life and crimes of Roy Norris, one half of the infamous “Tool Box Killers.” Often overshadowed by his partner, Lawrence Bittaker, Norris’s role in one of America’s most sadistic serial killing duos is explored in full through vivid historical storytelling. From a broken childhood in 1940s Colorado to his service in the Navy and eventual partnership with Bittaker in the late 1970s, Roy Norris's path to evil was one of neglect, violence, and choice. Together, the pair abducted and tortured young girls in a van-turned-torture chamber using tools like pliers, screwdrivers, and ice picks — leaving behind a legacy of pain and unanswered screams. This episode offers a chilling look at how monsters are not only made… but how they sometimes walk hand-in-hand into the abyss.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

George Russell: The Charmer Killer – Murders Behind the Mask

In this haunting episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale investigates the disturbing case of George Waterfield Russell Jr., also known as The Charmer Killer. In the early 1990s, Seattle’s nightlife was haunted by a smooth-talking man who claimed to be everything from a police officer to a secret agent — but behind his well-dressed façade was a cold-blooded killer with a taste for ritual and dominance. Russell’s victims were intelligent, independent women — and after gaining their trust, he would sexually assault, murder, and grotesquely pose their bodies, transforming crime scenes into his own twisted exhibitions. With no signs of forced entry, staged bodies, and a killer who thrived on control and rejection, Russell terrorized the Pacific Northwest until a single piece of evidence cracked his polished persona. Join Damien Vale as he guides you through the methodical cruelty, theatrical crime scenes, and psychological unraveling of one of the most manipulative serial killers Seattle has ever known.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Wayne Williams: The Atlanta Monster – Voices Lost in the Shadows

In this chilling episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale unravels the disturbing case of Wayne Williams, the man long suspected of being behind the Atlanta Child Murders — a string of over 25 unsolved killings that rocked the city between 1979 and 1981. Most of the victims were Black children and teens, their bodies found dumped in rivers, woods, and back alleys. Though Williams was only convicted of murdering two adult men, the fiber evidence, behavioral profiling, and haunting circumstances surrounding his arrest at the Chattahoochee River led authorities to close the child murder cases, pinning them unofficially on him. But decades later, questions still linger: Was he guilty of all the murders, or was he the perfect scapegoat in a racially tense and politically pressured city? Damien Vale dives into the forensic breakthroughs, media frenzy, community outrage, and ongoing conspiracy theories in this detailed exploration of one of America’s most haunting urban crime sagas.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

John Joubert: The Boy Scout Killer – Sadism in Suburbia

In this gripping episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale dives into the horrifying double life of John Joubert, a seemingly model citizen—boy scout, honor student, and U.S. Air Force serviceman—who harbored a monstrous secret. Between 1982 and 1984, Joubert brutally abducted, tortured, and murdered young boys across Nebraska and Maine, including Danny Eberle, Christopher Walden, and Ricky Stetson. Diagnosed with sadistic personality disorder, Joubert admitted to finding sexual pleasure in his crimes, targeting his victims with chilling precision and staging their deaths with disturbing care. The episode explores how this clean-cut killer evaded suspicion, the forensic science that eventually exposed him, and the psychological darkness that drove his need to dominate and destroy. This is the story of how a predator hid in plain sight—and how he was finally brought to justice.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Gary Heidnik: The Basement Butcher of Philadelphia

In this harrowing episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale uncovers the bone-chilling crimes of Gary Heidnik, the Philadelphia madman who transformed his basement into a pit of torture, starvation, and death. Posing as a preacher and financial savant, Heidnik kidnapped, imprisoned, and dehumanized six women in 1986–1987, feeding them dog food, electrocuting them, and even cooking the flesh of one victim after her death. With vivid storytelling and deep psychological analysis, Damien Vale traces Heidnik’s journey from a troubled childhood and military discharge to the formation of his bogus church and his descent into monstrous sadism. From manipulated minds to a final escape, this is a case so grotesque it sounds fictional — but every detail is disturbingly real.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Patrick Kearney: The Trash Bag Killer – Clean Cuts and Cold Blood

In this unnerving episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale exposes the chilling crimes of Patrick Kearney, also known as The Trash Bag Killer. Operating undetected through California and the American Southwest for over a decade, Kearney lured young men and boys into his car, executed them with calculated precision, and dismembered their bodies before discarding them along highways in black plastic bags. Kearney’s shocking confessions linked him to 28 confirmed murders, though investigators believe there may be more. Unlike many serial killers, he showed no signs of chaos or sadism — only cold efficiency. No rage. No remorse. Just death, meticulously wrapped and forgotten. Through vivid storytelling and a forensic look at his methods, Damien Vale walks listeners through how one of America’s deadliest — and quietest — killers lived right under our noses.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Jack Unterweger: The Killer Who Wrote His Way Out of Prison

In this chilling episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale exposes the twisted tale of Jack Unterweger, the Austrian killer who manipulated the justice system, the media, and an entire nation. Convicted in 1974 for strangling a young woman with her own bra, Unterweger became a prison poet and literary sensation — earning his early release by convincing the world he was reformed. But freedom only fueled his dark desires. Once celebrated as a redemption story, Unterweger resumed his killing spree across Austria, Prague, and even Los Angeles — strangling sex workers across continents with the same signature brutality. All the while, he attended book launches, gave TV interviews, and even joined police on ride-alongs investigating crimes he committed. This is the story of a monster in disguise — and the victims left in the wake of a world that wanted to believe a killer could change.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.