Among Monsters Podcast | Chilling True Crime

Nikolai Dzhumagaliev: The Metal Fang Cannibal of the Soviet Union

In this haunting episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale delves into the terrifying true story of Nikolai Dzhumagaliev, the Soviet-era serial killer and cannibal infamously known as Metal Fang. With a mouth full of steel teeth and a mind twisted by delusions of purification, Dzhumagaliev terrorized Kazakhstan in the late 1970s — luring women to their deaths, butchering their bodies, and consuming their flesh. From his early signs of psychosis and obsession with anatomy to his gruesome dinner parties and eventual capture, this episode explores how a killer moved freely across a crumbling Soviet Union — and how his horrific crimes were nearly buried by silence and stigma. Even after escaping a psychiatric hospital, Dzhumagaliev remained a phantom across Central Asia before finally being caught again in 1991. Join Damien Vale as he uncovers the chilling legacy of one of the most disturbing cannibals in history — a man who turned murder into ritual and made monsters seem all too human.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Bruce McArthur: The Gardener of Death – Toronto’s Hidden Predator

In this gripping episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale uncovers the horrifying true story of Bruce McArthur, the seemingly benign Toronto landscaper who led a secret life as a serial killer. Behind the smile, the seasonal Santa costume, and the tidy garden beds, McArthur was luring vulnerable men to his home, murdering them, and hiding their dismembered remains in decorative planters scattered across suburban neighborhoods. Between 2010 and 2017, members of Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community began to vanish — immigrants, refugees, sex workers, and closeted men. While authorities hesitated, McArthur continued to hunt. It wasn’t until a single name scribbled in a calendar cracked open the investigation that the depth of his crimes was revealed. Inside his apartment, police found trophies, photographs, and chilling digital records of the dead. This is the story of how one man hid horror behind a hedge, and how silence, ignorance, and systemic failure allowed a serial killer to bloom in Canada’s biggest city.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Stephen Port: The Grindr Killer – Death in a Dose of Trust

In this chilling episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale exposes the dark and calculated crimes of Stephen Port, the man infamously known as The Grindr Killer. Between 2014 and 2015, Port lured young gay men through dating apps with promises of companionship — only to drug, rape, and kill them using lethal doses of GHB. His victims were discarded near his home in Barking, East London, their deaths wrongly dismissed by authorities as overdoses. Port’s manipulation ran deep: he faked suicide notes, posed bodies in deliberate ways, and deceived detectives — all while hiding behind a façade of innocence. It wasn’t until relentless pressure from grieving families and LGBTQ+ activists forced a re-investigation that the truth emerged. What followed was a scandal not only of murder, but of institutional indifference and police failure. Damien Vale guides you through the cold logic, hidden videos, and avoidable deaths that exposed a killer — and a system that looked the other way.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Bevan Spencer von Einem: The Adelaide Killer – Secrets in the Suburbs

In this deeply disturbing episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale uncovers the chilling story of Bevan Spencer von Einem, the soft-spoken public servant whose conviction for the torture and murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin shocked Australia. Behind the polite demeanor was a man with a dark obsession—one who drugged, violated, and murdered young men in Adelaide during the 1970s and 1980s. While von Einem was convicted of only one murder, he is suspected to be the key figure in the still-unsolved Family Murders—a series of ritualistic killings believed to involve a secretive network of powerful men. From fiber evidence and sedative-laced bodies to rumors of snuff films and elite protection, this case weaves through true crime, conspiracy, and cold case tragedy. This episode explores how one of Australia’s most calculated killers operated in plain sight—and how justice may have stopped short of the full truth.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Christopher Wilder: The Beauty Queen Killer – Death Behind the Lens

In this chilling episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale dives into the horrifying case of Christopher Wilder, the charismatic predator known as The Beauty Queen Killer. Using his charm, wealth, and the guise of a professional photographer, Wilder lured young women across the United States with promises of fame and modeling careers—only to drug, torture, rape, and murder them in a coast-to-coast killing spree during the spring of 1984. Over 40 days, Wilder left a trail of at least eight confirmed victims, manipulating his way through malls, beaches, and highways with terrifying ease. He was a sadist hiding behind a smile, using his camera like a trap, and preying on dreams until his death in a final violent standoff in New Hampshire. This episode explores Wilder’s disturbing psychology, the missed warnings, and the survivors who barely escaped with their lives. He wasn’t a shadowy figure lurking in alleys—he was hiding in plain sight, offering opportunity… and delivering horror.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Altemio Sanchez: The Bike Path Killer – Beneath the Calm, a Predator Waited

In this gripping episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale unearths the terrifying double life of Altemio Sanchez, the soft-spoken suburban man known as the Bike Path Killer. For over 30 years, Sanchez terrorized Buffalo, New York, committing a series of brutal rapes and three murders — all while maintaining the façade of a church-going family man, respected neighbor, and devoted father. From 1975 to 2006, Sanchez stalked and attacked women along bike paths and wooded trails, exploiting isolation and routine to satisfy his violent compulsions. His crimes, spaced years apart, evaded law enforcement for decades — until forensic advances in DNA evidence and a discarded coffee cup finally brought him down. His capture shook an entire community and revealed how long a predator can live undetected among us. This episode exposes how Sanchez weaponized trust, silence, and time — and how justice, though delayed, eventually found him.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Sean Vincent Gillis: The Forgotten Killer of Baton Rouge

In this unsettling episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale explores the case of Sean Vincent Gillis, the calculating and cold-blooded killer who quietly terrorized Baton Rouge while another murderer dominated headlines. Between 1994 and 2004, Gillis brutally murdered at least eight women — often photographing, mutilating, and defiling their bodies post-mortem — all while maintaining a job, a relationship, and an unremarkable suburban life. Known for using zip ties, nylon cords, and his bare hands, Gillis documented his crimes in meticulous digital detail — keeping folders, photographs, and gruesome trophies. Overshadowed by fellow serial killer Derrick Todd Lee, Gillis flew under the radar for a decade until forensic evidence and a digital paper trail brought his secret world of horror to light. This episode examines the terrifying duality of a man who committed monstrous acts with chilling calm — and how technology eventually exposed the evil he recorded for himself.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Beverley Allitt: The Angel of Death – Killing in the Children’s Ward

In this harrowing episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale unpacks the disturbing case of Beverley Allitt, a British nurse who turned a children’s hospital ward into a killing ground. Known as “The Angel of Death,” Allitt used her position of trust to inject infants and toddlers with fatal doses of insulin, potassium, and even air, causing seizures, cardiac arrests, and death — all while pretending to be their devoted caregiver. Between February and April 1991, at least four children were murdered and nine others seriously injured at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital in Lincolnshire, all under Allitt’s care. Her motive wasn’t money… it was power. She craved attention, often playing the role of the hero — sometimes even grieving beside the beds of children she had just attacked. With chilling precision, Damien Vale guides listeners through Allitt’s troubled childhood, her manipulative behaviors, the horrifying medical evidence, and the trial that led to 13 life sentences. This episode serves as a haunting reminder that sometimes, the danger isn’t on the street… it’s wearing scrubs.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Paul Michael Stephani: The Weepy-Voiced Killer – Tears After Murder

In this haunting episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale unearths the chilling dual life of Paul Michael Stephani—The Weepy-Voiced Killer. From 1981 to 1982, Stephani left Minnesota authorities baffled and horrified as he brutally attacked women, only to call police minutes later sobbing, panicked, and begging for forgiveness. His eerie voice became infamous, filled with guilt, yet followed by another murder every time. But was it real remorse—or the ultimate manipulation? This 28-minute deep dive explores Stephani’s traumatic childhood, his escalating rage, and the disturbing phone calls that taunted authorities as his victims piled up. Through his weeping confessions and bloodstained trail, Stephani remains one of America’s most bizarre and psychologically perplexing killers.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.

Israel Keyes: The Architect of Chaos – Death Without a Pattern

In this unnerving episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale explores the terrifyingly calculated world of Israel Keyes, one of the most elusive and methodical serial killers in American history. Keyes didn't kill for fame or recognition—he killed for control. With no clear victim profile, no consistent location, and no obvious motive, Keyes buried "kill kits" across the country years in advance, choosing his targets at random, striking with precision, and vanishing without a trace. From the abduction of barista Samantha Koenig in Alaska to the brutal double homicide of Bill and Lorraine Currier in Vermont, Keyes confessed to at least 11 murders, hinted at many more, and took his secrets to the grave when he died by suicide in 2012. Chilling, methodical, and frighteningly intelligent, his case remains one of the FBI’s most disturbing investigations. This episode uncovers the mind of a predator who turned the entire country into his hunting ground—and who left behind only questions.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/among-monsters-podcast-chilling-true-crime--5739090/support.