Morbid Podcast Summary

Episode: Dennis Nilsen: The Kindly Killer (Part 3)
Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Date: February 12, 2026

Overview

The third and final installment of Morbid’s deep-dive into the crimes of Dennis Nilsen is as thorough and disturbing as ever. Ash and Alaina recount Nilsen’s later murders, his eventual capture, and the legal complexities following his confession. They pepper their signature blend of well-researched true crime with empathetic outrage, levity, and dark humor—providing both historical context and a survivor-focused lens. This episode charts not only Nilsen’s final crimes and the grim details of his disposal efforts, but also the psychological, legal, and societal ripple effects of his actions.

Main Themes and Purpose

• Detailed accounting of Dennis Nilsen’s final murders and their horrifying details.
• Exploration of Nilsen’s methods of victim disposal and how they led to his downfall.
• Discussion of the psychology, trial, and diagnoses of Nilsen.
• Critique of social failures and the reasons so many of Nilsen’s victims went unnoticed.
• Conversation on media, public fascination, and the cultural aftermath of the case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current Events & Comedy Buffer (Super Bowl, Halftime Show)

(01:48–11:04)

• Opening banter about the Super Bowl, bad sports luck, the inclusivity of the halftime show, and handling racist commentary online.
• Discussion shifts to reality TV nostalgia (“America’s Next Top Model” upcoming documentary) and personal book plugs before diving into the case.

2. The Survival of Carl Stotter

(11:16–15:23)

• Dennis’s escalation: “He wasn’t done… When we last talked, he was starting to flush pieces of people down the toilet.” (11:17, B)
• Carl Stotter’s survival story: Invited over while vulnerable, drugged, nearly strangled and drowned, but miraculously revived by Nilsen (who thought he was dead).
  • Quote: “He could just hear Dennis’s voice almost in a whisper saying, stay still, stay still over and over…” (12:45, B)
• Nilsen’s shifting explanations, claiming to save rather than harm.

3. The Murders of Graham Allen and Stephen Sinclair

Graham Allen: (15:23–17:44)

• Details murkier and Nilsen’s own “unreliable narrator” approach:
  • “If the omelet killed him, I don’t know. But anyway, in going forward, I intended to kill him. An omelet doesn’t leave red marks on a neck. I suppose it must have been me.” (16:53, B)
• Pattern of luring, drugging, strangling.
• Disposal: Dismemberment, body parts stored, flushed, or hidden.

Stephen Sinclair (Final Known Victim): (20:45–26:45)

• Vulnerable victim lured by basic offers of food and shelter.
• Scene set with chilling normalcy (“listened to the Who’s Tommy on stereo…”), drugged, killed as Nilsen recounted in disturbingly dissociated terms.
• Post-mortem ritualism: Washing the body, arranging mirrors (“…he arranged mirrors around the bed and just laid with him in the bed, looking at them at all different angles.” (24:20, B))
• Nilsen’s self-mythologizing: “I believe he is me or part of me. How can you feel remorse for taking pains into yourself?” (25:13, B)

4. Detection and Arrest

(26:45–36:13)

• Nilsen’s method of flushing remains clogs the drains; neighbors notice.
• Irony: Nilsen himself complains to the landlord, hastening his capture.
• Vivid plumber account:
  • “I may not have been in the game for long, but I know this isn’t shit.” (29:00, B)
  • Discovery: Human flesh and bones in the sewer.
• Nilsen’s awkward attempts to conceal evidence post-facto (removing remains, planned to replace with raw chicken).
• Police trace the blockage back to his flat; Nilsen surrenders quietly:
  • “Where’s the rest of the body?”—“In plastic bags in the bedroom wardrobe.” (35:53, B & C)

5. The Scope of the Crimes and Public Reaction

(36:13–42:08)

• Nilsen’s confession: “15 or 16 since 1978.” (36:57, B)
• Many victims unidentified or unnamed by Nilsen himself.
• Public and police horror at the scale, the stealth with which the murders went unreported, and the marginalized status of most victims.

6. Prison, Psychology, and Self-Justification

(42:08–49:41)

• Nilsen’s behavior in prison: Defiance, destructiveness, paranoia, letters to journalists.
• Rationalization and blame-shifting:
  • “He placed the blame on society for marginalizing his victims and placing them in his path.” (47:38, B)
• Attempts to claim mental disturbance: “I believe my offenses are motivated by emotional disturbance under unique conditions of extreme mental pressure…” (48:50, B)
• Occasional flashes of insight: “There is no excuse for taking the lives of 15 innocent people... The buck stops here.” (49:41, B)

7. The Trial and Psychiatric Testimony

(49:41–58:13)

• Competing psychiatric evaluations: Extreme personality disorder, narcissism, grandiosity, “God complex”; disagreement over criminal responsibility.
  • “He enjoyed feeling the power over his victims.” (57:12, B, quoting Dr. Bowen)
• Key: Despite arguments for diminished responsibility, the jury finds Nilsen guilty of murder, not manslaughter.

8. Incarceration, Death, and Legacy

(58:13–61:27)

• Sentenced to life with a minimum of 25 years; later upgraded to whole life tariff.
• Attacked by fellow inmates, lived out his years writing and corresponding, memoir banned until after death.
• Died of a pulmonary embolism in 2018.

9. Reflections, Quotes & Analysis

(61:27–62:13)

• Hosts underscore the grotesque, confounding nature of the case:
  • “Just like confusing and just his cavalier attitude toward the whole thing.” (61:39, C)
  • “He’s not a lot like anybody we’ve really talked about before because he goes back and forth…” (61:58, B)

10. Memorable “Fun Fact” & Palette Cleanser

(62:13–63:34)

• Deep sea anglerfish reproductive trivia for a chuckle and to air out the heavy true crime content.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Nilsen’s cavalier attitude:

  • “He’s an anomaly of nature, I tell you.” (61:45, B)

• On survivor Carl Stotter’s ordeal:

  • “He could hear Dennis’s voice almost in a whisper saying, stay still, stay still…” (12:45, B)

• On the discovery by plumbers:

  • “I may not have been in the game for long, but I know this isn’t shit.” (29:00, B)

• On Nilsen’s rationalization:

  • “You put these marginalized people in my path. What was I supposed to do? Not murder them?” (47:41, B)

• On Nilsen’s narcissism:

  • “He enjoyed feeling the power over his victims.” (57:12, B, quoting Dr. Bowen)

Important Timestamps

• Carl Stotter’s Survival Story: 11:16–15:23
• Capture and Arrest: 26:45–36:13
• Nilsen’s Confession and Scale: 36:13–42:08
• Prison & Psychological Analysis: 42:08–49:41
• Trial & Sentencing: 49:41–58:13
• Aftermath & Death: 58:13–61:27
• Wrap-up & Fun Fact: 62:13–63:34

Tone and Style

• Hosts’ Style: Conversational, darkly humorous yet empathetic toward victims; irreverent with a strong moral stance against the perpetrator.
• Content Approach: Nuanced, survivor/empathy-focused true crime, unafraid to call out both the horror of the crimes and societal failures that enabled them.
  • “And here we are. Here we all are listening to more people.” (43:18, C)

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a comprehensive and sensitive (yet occasionally sardonic) closing chapter on one of the UK’s most notorious serial killers. Ash and Alaina use their knack for balancing the macabre with the human to dissect not just what Nilsen did, but why, and why so many people missed the warnings. A must-listen for true crime fans intrigued by criminal psychology, survivor stories, and the pitfalls of sensationalism. The brutality is unflinchingly examined, but tempered with insight, outrage, and even a deep-sea anglerfish fact for good measure.

“He’s not a lot like anybody we’ve really talked about before because he goes back and forth… He’s an odd duck.”

(61:58, B)