Special Criminals
A podcast focusing on criminal cases where the subjects have been diagnosed with mental illnesses or disabilities. We discuss how these diagnoses and factors may have affected them or their crimes. We look at these crimes and criminals through an educational lens and dive into the specifics of their mental illnesses or disabilities.
Episodes
87 episodes
THROWBACK THURSDAY - John List
Welcome back for episode 14! This week, as a throwback Thursday episode, we discuss a man who committed an unthinkable crime against his family and then disappeared for almost 18 years. He was finally found thanks to an episode of America's ...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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1:29:21
MISSING PERSON - Tonita Michelle Brooks (and others)
Welcome back for episode 13! This week, we discuss a few missing persons cases from the east coast. The first one is still considered missing, Tonita Michelle Brooks out of Durham, North Carolina. The other three men went missing during the win...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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1:23:39
CELEBRITY - Juliet Marion Hulme
Welcome back for episode 12! This week, we discuss a case where a friendship went too far. The two teenagers, Juliet and Pauline, became fast friends but it quickly turned to obsession. After committing a horrible crime, the two girls tried to ...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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1:14:35
CURRENT EVENT - Darrell Brooks, Jr.
Welcome back for episode 11! This week, we discuss a recent tragedy that was perpetrated by a man with a long history of mental illness and crime. Admittedly, his childhood was extremely troublesome and he received a diagnosis of a mental illne...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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1:35:01
UNSOLVED - Elisa Lam
Welcome back for episode 10! This week, we discussed the well-known unsolved death of Elisa Lam. Back in 2013, Elisa started acting strangely while on vacation with friends. Soon after, a security camera in the Hotel Cecil’s elevator captured h...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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1:20:26
MISSING PERSON - Nicholas Barclay
Welcome back for episode 9! This week, we discuss the long time cold missing persons case of Nicholas Barclay. Last seen in San Antonio, TX when he was 13 years old, this young boy went missing during somewhat understandable circumstance...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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1:18:02
UNSOLVED - The Yuba County Five
Welcome back for episode 8! This week, we discuss the Yuba County Five, AKA the Boys of Yuba County. They were a group of five adult men who all had intellectual disabilities or psychiatric conditions. After going to a basketball game in a neig...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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1:46:49
CELEBRITY - John Simon Ritchie AKA "Sid Vicious"
Welcome back for episode 7! Sorry we missed last week! This week, we discuss an infamous celebrity musician, John Simon Ritchie, better known as Sid Vicious. He lived a tragic and troubled life that included drug addiction, self harm, suicide a...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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1:25:15
MISSING PERSON (solved) - Jayme Closs
Welcome back for episode 6! This week, we discuss a bizarre missing person case. After two failed attempts, a 13-year-old girl was finally abducted by a man she had never met. Her abductor’s immediate obsession with her, after only seeing her o...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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1:19:53
UNSOLVED - Ricky McCormick
Welcome back to episode 5! This week, we discuss Ricky McCormick, a famously unsolved murder case with an extremely odd but intriguing component to his case. To this day, his murder and the cryptic notes found on his body have never been...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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1:23:10
CELEBRITY - Chris Benoit
Welcome back for episode 4! This week, we discuss Chris Benoit, a famous professional wrestler who murdered his wife and child after suffering repeated blows to the head over the course of his career. Even though warning signs were present, Chr...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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1:36:50
MISSING PERSON - Hannah Upp
Welcome back for episode 3 everyone! This week, we discuss a MISSING PERSON case - Hannah Upp. She disappeared without a trace twice and was found. Then, after a set of hurricanes hit the Virgin Islands where she lived, Hannah disappeared one f...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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1:35:42
HISTORICAL - Victor of Aveyron
Welcome back for episode 2 everyone! We are changing the cases we discuss, so join us this week as we discuss Victor of Aveyron, also known as "The Wild Boy of Aveyron." Victor is one of the most well-known cases of feral children. He wa...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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1:29:30
Welcome Back! CELEBRITY Case - T.J. Miller
Welcome back everyone! We are so happy to be here. As we change the focus of the cases we discuss, join us this week for our first even celebrity subject, T.J. Miller. His career was on an upward trajectory until a brain malformation was...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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1:28:26
David Ray Conley III - Intellectual Disability
This week, we discuss David Ray Conley III, a man who broke into his former home and did the unthinkable. Through court testing, it appears he may have had an intellectual disability. Stay tuned to hear more!Please give us a rating and ...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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1:15:27
James Terry Roach - Intellectual Disability
This week, we discuss James Terry Roach, an intellectually disabled man from South Carolina who committed violent crimes with some friends. His case got attention and support from the United Nations, Mother Teresa, and former president Jimmy Ca...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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1:27:08
Blazej Kot - Capgras Syndrome
This week, we discuss Blazej Kot, a PhD student who went through some rough times, took some new medication, and then completely snapped. Will the jury believe his defense? Stay tuned to hear more!Please give us a rating and leave a rev...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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1:12:13
Alan Matheny - Schizophrenia +
This week, we discuss Alan Matheny, a man who committed a heinous murder in broad daylight while the neighbors watched. But then he went to court and presented an interesting and new (to this podcast) diagnosis. Stay tuned to hear more!P...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:25:33
Thomas Bartlett Whitaker - Asperger's or Personality Disorders
This week, we discuss Thomas Bartlett “Bart” Whitaker, a young man from a wealthy family who was ready to throw it all away. In court, his defense discusses his mental health concerns. Stay tuned to hear more!Please give us a rating and...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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1:22:53
David “Bucky” Brooks - Intellectually Disabled
This week, we discuss David “Bucky” Brooks, a man described as uneducated and disabled who was also accused of murder. And his bad luck didn’t stop there. Stay tuned to hear more! Please give us a rating and leave a review! Every re...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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1:22:19
Douglas/Donna Perry - "Gender Psychosis"
This week, we discuss Douglas / Donna Perry, a serial killer who tried to use a defense that had never been used before! Let’s see how it turns out! Stay tuned to hear more! Please give us a rating and leave a review! Every r...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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1:32:43
Dorothea and Mary Beck - Intellectual Disability (suspected)
This week, we discuss Dorothea and Mary Beck, a strange pair of twin sisters, where one of them was intellectually behind the other, and that lead to resentment and eventually, murder! Stay tuned to hear more!Please give us a rati...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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1:03:38
Colin Ireland AKA "The Gay Slayer" - Psychopathy
We're baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack for Season 2! :)This week, we discuss Colin Ireland, a serial killer in the UK who was also known as "The Gay Slayer" and may have been an actual psychopath. Stay tuned to hear more!Please gi...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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2:20:18
WE'RE BACK! William MacDonald AKA "The Sydney Mutilator"
We're baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack for Season 2! :)On this episode of Special Criminals, we will be discussing the case of William MacDonald AKA The Sydney Mutilator, a man who murdered 5 men in Australia over the course of two years....
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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1:47:47
Wayne Henry Garrison - Depression and psych concerns
On this episode of Special Criminals, we will be discussing the case of Wayne Henry Garrison, who was called the Tulsa Child Serial Killer and who had a history of hospitalizations due to mental health concerns as a child. Stay tuned to hear mo...
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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1:15:15