Mind of a Monster: The Butcher Baker
Episode S6 Ep. 6: Breaking the Unfortunate Bond
Host: Dr. Michelle Ward
Date: February 13, 2024

Episode Overview

This emotional season finale traces the aftermath of Robert Hansen’s murder spree (1971-1983), focusing on breaking the narrative’s “unfortunate bond” between these victims’ names and the man who murdered them. Dr. Michelle Ward investigates the confessions, the failures and triumphs of the justice system and police, the pain of identification, and the transformative power of giving victims their names and stories back. The episode features in-depth interviews with detectives, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, forensic experts, and—most impactfully—the genealogists working to restore victims’ identities even decades later.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Hansen’s Confession and Its Aftermath ([02:28]–[09:07])

• Prosecutorial Negotiations:
  Frank Rothschild (prosecutor) and defense attorneys Joe Evans and Fred Dewey recount tense meetings where Hansen, having already confessed to five murders, is pressed to reveal the true extent of his crimes.

  • Frank Rothschild (Prosecutor):

    “He was pissed because we’d called him and he wasn’t going to get away with what he was trying to get away with.” ([02:10])

  • Joe Evans (Defense):

    “I have no idea what you have told me … you were involved in four, now five murders. Are you telling me now that there are more than four or five?”
    “Yes.” ([02:56]–[03:21])

• Psychological Strategy:
  The prosecution offers immunity for additional confessions, motivated by families desperate for answers.

  • Frank Rothschild:

    “We made it clear … we’re not gonna charge you with any of these other cases … We want the information because there were lots and lots of people calling into the troopers, asking whether their daughters were one of Hansen’s victims.” ([04:54])

The Confessions: Facts vs. Hansen’s Rationalizations ([09:07]–[12:15])

• Manipulation and Inconsistencies:
  Dr. Brent Turvey, criminal psychologist, and Dr. Ward deconstruct the reliability of Hansen’s statements.

  • Dr. Turvey:

    “Anything that happens after the apprehension and incarceration, you just, you can’t trust it unless it leads directly to evidence. … Anything the offender says … that’s a rationalization.” ([09:22])

  • Dr. Ward:

    “What Hanson describes is the way some of the murders played out, but not all.… He had, in my opinion, actually stalked these people. He had singled out folks that did not seem to have friends. He was looking for loners because when they went missing, folks wouldn’t say … at least that was his theory.” ([07:43])

• Myths and Realities:
  The infamous “hunting” narrative is challenged—no physical evidence supports it, and it’s revealed as sensationalized folklore.

  • Dr. Turvey:

    “He didn’t confess to it. And two, there’s no physical evidence that that happened.… They choose that one because it’s a better story to tell, and it makes for a better monster.” ([13:14])

Systemic Failure and Responsibility ([14:09]–[14:46])

• Law Enforcement Shortcomings:
  Detective Glenn Flothi (voice by actor) and Dr. Ward reflect on missed opportunities and societal failures that allowed Hansen to offend for so long.

  • Glenn Flothi:

    “He was not an articulate craftsman of murder and deception. That was absolutely false. I think some of the lack of thorough investigation on the police part made him what he was. We allowed him to continue. We are as much at fault as he was in a way.” ([14:13])

Sentencing and Aftermath ([16:39]–[19:55])

• Courtroom Impact:
  Emotional reactions from prosecutors, victims’ families, and detectives following Hansen’s sentencing.

  • Frank Rothschild:

    “Before you sits a monster, an extreme aberration of a human being. Man who has walked among us for 17 years, serving us doughnuts, Danish and hot coffee, all a pleasant smile. His family was a prop. He hid behind decency.” ([17:08])

  • Sentence: 461 years plus life without parole. ([18:49])

  • Detective Maxine Farrell (on seeing justice served):

    “Oh, I was glad. I mean, he couldn’t come out ever.… I never did care about the glory of anything. It was just that I did the job and I did a good job.” ([19:31])

Reclaiming Identities: The Victims’ Stories ([21:17]–[24:03])

• Restoring Names and Dignity:
  Dr. Ward dedicates time to recount the lives of several victims, emphasizing their hopes, relationships, and individuality beyond their tragic ends.

  • Ex:

    “23 year old Sue Luna … had a tiny daughter, 18 months old, headstrong and confident. 31 year old Paula Goulding was from Hawaii, full of life, very outgoing. 41 year old Lisa Futrell … when the girls came in, she was in charge of them and she really took care of them.” ([21:17]–[23:58])

• Failures in Identification:
  Delynn Fry’s harrowing postmortem journey spotlights bureaucratic neglect and the agony inflicted on her mother by years of uncertainty.

  • From court docs, via actress reading Jean’s words:

    “I thought she might still be alive … it was a mental loss of mind.” ([24:03]–[29:28])

  • Family’s pain:

    “She was a child. How do you want Delyn to be remembered most?”
    “As a beautiful young woman that lost her way and we weren’t there to find her.” ([29:30]–[29:55])

Breaking the Bond: New Technologies and Cold Case Victim IDs ([32:09]–[44:02])

• Genetic Genealogy’s Impact:
  Former Trooper Randy McFerrin describes the journey to re-identify “Horseshoe Harriet” as Robin Pelkey, 19-year-old Alaskan, through genealogical DNA. The gravestone now bears her name.

  • Randy McFerrin:

    “The family members we talked to … they were obviously very shocked … People hope against hope that they’re still alive.… We’ve identified Robin Pelkey, a 19 year old with family in Alaska.” ([35:41]–[36:18])

  • On closure:

    “The public safety commissioner made the decision that the department would purchase a headstone for her … at least now, she has a name.” ([37:39]–[38:00])

• “Eklutna Annie”—Still Unnamed:
  Criminal intelligence analyst Patty Busby outlines their genetic investigation to restore the final victim’s name, and why this matters deeply.

  • Patty Busby:

    “Ultimately, it’s about helping the victims and their families. And every victim has a story, and so I get to use genetic genealogy to help tell their story. And that is so—it’s such a powerful thing.” ([41:48])

  • On her commitment:

    “It’s not an option to not identify her. We just need one match, just one person to upload.… She had a life, she went to school, she’s somebody’s daughter, possibly somebody’s mother. We don’t know anything about her at this point. And to be able to break that unfortunate bond with Robert Hanson—she is her own person without the association with Robert Hanson.” ([42:49]–[45:19])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hansen’s twisted pride and “showing off” grave sites:

  “He just took off like a goat. … He was very excited. He was very—there was almost a pride. You guys don’t know where these grave sites are. I do.”
  —Dr. Brent Turvey ([15:29]–[15:51])

• On the myth vs. fact of the ‘hunting’ motif:

  “They choose that one because it’s a better story to tell, and it makes for a better monster. And when this case gets repeated, that is one of the only things that gets repeated.”—Dr. Brent Turvey ([13:14])

• Detective Farrell’s legacy:

  “It feels good now that people are saying, ‘Oh, you’re the one.’ … But nobody ever else really cared until you guys came along.”—Maxine Farrell ([20:19])

• Busby on identifying victims:

  “It’s not an option to not identify her. It’s just not. We just need one. We just need one match, just one person to upload.” ([42:49])

Important Segment Timestamps

• Hansen’s full confession and immunity deal: [02:56]–[05:16]
• Discussion of Hansen’s rationalizations and the ‘bad girl’ narrative: [09:07]–[12:15]
• The “hunter” myth in media: [12:50]–[14:00]
• Sentencing and courtroom drama: [16:39]–[19:20]
• Victims’ personal stories and ID journey: [21:17]–[24:03]
• Delynn Fry’s story and the pain of identification delay: [24:03]–[29:55]
• Genetic genealogy and the identification of “Horseshoe Harriet” as Robin Pelkey: [32:09]–[38:00]
• Efforts to restore “Eklutna Annie’s” name: [41:09]–[45:19]

Conclusion/Tone

This episode is both sobering and hopeful—examining the gravity of Hansen’s crimes, the failures that allowed them, and the redemptive work still underway to return identities and dignity to the women lost. There’s a quiet heroism in the persistent, dogged work of investigators and genealogists, framed with empathy and a commitment to redefining these women—no longer as victims bound to their killer’s story, but as full human beings.

The episode ends with the promise of a new perspective to come: Cindy Paulson, whose testimony was instrumental in Hansen’s conviction, will break her silence in the next episode.

Final Note

As Dr. Ward summarizes ([45:27]):

“He didn’t see these women as people. And Patty is still fighting every day to bring back their full stories, their humanity.”

For those who have not listened, this episode offers a gripping, deeply compassionate account not just of one serial killer’s confessions, but most importantly, of the systemic gaps that failed the victims—paired with inspiring breakthroughs in forensic science and the voices fighting to ensure these women are remembered as more than statistics.