Susan Ledyard: Down By the Water's Edge

If every choice you’ve ever made was never yours what does that mean for guilt, justice, or redemption? From the moment of conception to prenatal stress, genes, and early environment, each begin shaping who we become. Neuroscientist Dr. Robert Sapolsky explains why we have no free will, why testosterone doesn’t cause aggression, how our biology and upbringing script our behaviors long before we act—and why the concept of free will may be nothing more than a comforting illusion. It will put into question everything we believe about punishment and morality. If no one truly chooses their actions, how should society deal with criminals? Is there room for compassion within accountability when biology writes the story of our lives? This conversation challenges the foundation of justice itself—and asks whether understanding could one day replace blame. Stanford neuroscientist and bestselling author Dr. Robert Sapolsky breaks down the science behind his book Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will.

Sheila von Wiese-Mack called the police eighty-six times before her daughter killed her. Each time, it was a cry from inside a house where love had turned into fear. Months later after the last call to police, Heather Mack, would fly with her mother to Bali for what was supposed to be a healing trip—and end it with a body in a suitcase, a pre-meditated plot with her boyfriend. The couple had a secret, one that would spare the teenager the death penalty.  This episode unravels the years of control, violence, and silence that led to one of the most shocking mother–daughter murders in recent memory. From Oak Park, Illinois to a luxury hotel in Bali, “Before the Suitcase: 86 Calls for Help” exposes how a bond meant to protect became the one that destroyed them both, plus Heather Mack's video confessions from prison she posted to YouTube. 

A young French au pair came to London chasing language lessons and adventure—then vanished into the twisted paranoia of the couple who employed her. When neighbors saw black smoke rising from a garden, firefighters uncovered a horror so bizarre it defied belief. This episode unravels how a shared delusion, jealousy, and control turned a home into a torture chamber, exposing the dark psychology behind folie à deux and the cracks in the system that failed Sophie Lionnet. 

Did a teen gamer plot to kill the girl he was stalking? In the quiet town of Cranford, New Jersey, a Monday evening turns tragic when a speeding SUV slams into two 17-year-old best friends on E-bikes— Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas — killing them both. The driver, 17-year-old Vincent Battiloro, wasn’t just any teen. He was a gamer with a large online following — and in his own livestreams, he’d ranted about Maria, mocked her family, and hinted at revenge.  This episode features transcripts from those live-streams, now key evidence in a case that’s stunned a community and raised a haunting question: Was this an accident — or a premeditated double murder? #truecrime #truecrimestories 

In 2016, a six-year-old’s 911 call led police to a grisly triple homicide in Fullerton, California. Jennifer and Christopher Yost, along with a family friend, were gunned down in their own home. The killers weren’t strangers — they were tied to the Yosts’ teenage daughter through the “furry” community, and what began as a forbidden romance spiraled into an unthinkable plot. Plus an update in the fitness model death case out of Harlem, New York: a model and influencer has been indicted after a series of domestic violence calls turned deadly.  #truecrime #truecrimestories 

When 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to rising star David “d4vd” Burke, a death investigation began that’s shaken LA and the internet alike. In this episode, we break down what’s confirmed, what’s still rumor, and what the science of decomposition says about whether a recent concert video could really show Celeste alive. We dive into the timeline, the legal options prosecutors have, for who ever is responsible, even without a cause of death, and why, instead of sinking D4vd's career, the headlines have only fueled Burke’s streaming numbers. Where does the case go from here? A family searches for answers, an artist is innocent until proven otherwise, and will his artistry depictions interfere with facts? #truecrime 

In this episode, we dive into the chilling true story of Edward Theodore Gein—the quiet Wisconsin farmer whose crimes shocked 1950s America and reshaped the horror genre forever. Known as the “Butcher of Plainfield,” Gein robbed graves, fashioned macabre trophies from human remains, and murdered two women who reminded him of his domineering mother. We’ll trace his childhood under Augusta Gein’s iron rule, explore his descent into isolation and obsession, and walk step by step through the murders of Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden. Along the way, we’ll reveal why historians view Gein not as a “typical” serial killer, but as a deeply disturbed figure whose compulsions blurred the line between grief and monstrosity. Finally, we’ll examine his legacy—from the courtroom to the silver screen—where his real-life horrors inspired some of cinema’s most iconic villains, including Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill. This is not folklore. Not rumor. This is The REAL Ed Gein. #truecrime #Edgein #realstory #truestory

Two women—both charged with murder after their boyfriends are fatally stabbed. One says suicide; the other says self-defense. We track two high-profile cases and what jurors are asked to believe. Appleton, Wisconsin: the “kill-and-kiss” case of Samantha Krebs and Joseph “Joey” Carnot. The medical examiner couldn’t call it homicide or self-inflicted. Hear both sides and the verdict.  New drama unfolding In Miami, Florida: OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney (aka “Courtney Tailor”) awaits trial in the 2022 stabbing death of Christian “Toby” Obumseli. She says she threw a knife out of fear; prosecutors point to an elevator fight video, secret audio recordings, and forensics they say tell a different story—plus courtroom behind the scenes antics over privilege breaches and a motion to disqualify the prosecutor and the DA's office. Are both sides playing fair? We break down the evidence, the timelines, and the stakes. #Krebs #Clenney #Onlyfans #truecrimestories #truecrime #truecrimecommunity #truecrimepodcast #killergenes #law #trials #murdernews

Former prosecutor and author Matt Murphy maps the legal pathway from homicide to becoming a death penalty case. If the evidence is proven in court - Why Charlie Kirk's alleged shooter qualifies, the aggravating factors and how mitigation is weighed. Plus how “social influence” or online encouragement is treated at law. We also discuss potential liability for people who knew of plans in advance—conspiracy, solicitation, and aiding-and-abetting—versus protected speech. Educational discussion only; all individuals are presumed innocent. #charliekirk #tylerrobinson 

Just in: The Haro family secrets laid bare. Prosecutors say a father with a prior child-abuse conviction—who got probation in 2018 after an infant was left permanently injured—should never have been free, a “system failure” they argue set the stage for tragedy. On the mother’s side sits a 2017 Palm Springs bathtub murder tied to her brother’s conviction; on the father’s side, a 2021 coroner-confirmed overdose. Now, with murder and false-report charges filed, deputies keep searching for 7-month-old Emmanuel’s remains as reports of a jailhouse confession emerge. This episode maps the full lineage of dark secrets—and how investigators say it all converges on a potential no-body case. #truecrime #Emmanuel #EmmanuelHaro #truecrimepodcasts