Podcast
UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast
Hosted by UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast · EN
UNMARKED is a new true crime podcast and YouTube series built on rare interviews, real police evidence, and never-before-heard audio from some of the most infamous cases in North America.
From inside prison phone calls to lost tapes and forgotten case files, these are the stories that were never meant to be heard — told by award-winning true crime filmmaker James Buddy Day.
REAL CASES. REAL TAPES. NEVER-BEFORE HEARD.
Exclusive interviews & archival recordings
No reenactments. No gimmicks. Just the truth.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
From inside prison phone calls to lost tapes and forgotten case files, these are the stories that were never meant to be heard — told by award-winning true crime filmmaker James Buddy Day.
REAL CASES. REAL TAPES. NEVER-BEFORE HEARD.
Exclusive interviews & archival recordings
No reenactments. No gimmicks. Just the truth.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
25episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
27: Colonel Russell Williams: A Predator Above Suspicion
3d ago00:51:35Summary readyHow did a man who passed every background check, every promotion board, and every security clearance manage to hide a violent double life for years?Colonel Russell Williams was one of the most trusted men in Canada. A decorated military officer, commander of CFB Trenton, and pilot to senior government officials and members of the Royal Family. Yet behind that carefully constructed image was one of the country's most prolific sexual predators and murderers.In this episode of UNMARKED I examine the psychology of Colonel Russell Williams, the fantasies that drove his crimes, the warning signs that were missed, and the investigation that finally exposed him. Drawing on interrogation footage, court records, and expert analysis, we explore how power, secrecy, and fantasy combined to create one of the most disturbing criminal cases in Canadian history.Research in This Episode: Birke JB, Jern P, Johansson A, Bondü R. Links between Aggressive Sexual Fantasies and Sexual Coercion: A Replication and Extension of a Multifactorial Model. Arch Sex Behav. 2024 Mar;53(3):1047-1063. doi: 10.1007/s10508-023-02782-5. Epub 2024 Jan 17. Rossegger, A. (2021). "High Risk Sexual Fantasies and Sexual Offending." Sexual Offending: Theory, Research, and Prevention.Show Notes:If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.Join here:https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.
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26: Clifford Olson: The Killer Who Sold Bodies
1w ago00:49:53Summary readyIn 1981, children were disappearing across British Columbia. Parents feared a predator was stalking bus stops, shopping malls, and highways throughout the Fraser Valley. What investigators didn't realize was that the man responsible wasn't hiding from police at all. He was talking to them.In this episode of UNMARKED, I examine the case of Clifford Olson, one of Canada's most notorious serial killers. Drawing on my conversation with forensic psychologist Dr. Eric Hickey, we explore Olson's childhood, the development of his violent fantasies, his manipulation of police and journalists, and the institutional failures that allowed him to continue killing.We also examine the infamous "cash for bodies" deal, in which the government agreed to pay Olson in exchange for the locations of his victims.Research in This episode: MacCulloch, M. J., Snowden, P. R., Wood, P. J. W., & Mills, H. E. (1983). “Sadistic fantasy, sadistic behaviour and offending.” British Journal of Psychiatry, 143, 20–29.Helfgott, Jacqueline B. “Criminal behavior and the copycat effect: Literature review and theoretical framework for empirical investigation.” Aggression and Violent Behavior 22 (2015): 46–64.Show Notes: If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbuddyday/If you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.Join here:https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.
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25: Wayne Williams: Psychopath or Scapegoat?
2w ago00:55:51Summary readyFor nearly fifty years, Wayne Williams has insisted he is innocent. But when you step back and examine the evidence as a whole, the picture becomes far more complicated.In this episode of UNMARKED, I dig through FBI files, surveillance reports, witness statements, and forensic evidence to understand the man at the center of one of America's most controversial murder investigations. Along the way, I speak with award-winning journalist Clemson Richardson, who covered the Atlanta Child Murders as they unfolded and witnessed the fear that gripped the city firsthand.Together, we examine the patterns investigators saw: the dump sites, the escalating violence, the witness sightings, the fiber evidence, and the psychological profile of a man who spent decades trying to control the narrative surrounding himself.Was Wayne Williams a psychopath? A scapegoat? Or something far more complicated?Research Notes: MiinChai, A. M., Yaksic, E., Chopin, J., Fortin, F., & Hewitt, A. (2022). Time After Time: Factors Predicting Murder Series’ Duration. CrimRxiv. Stuart, R. (1981, June 22). Suspect in Atlanta: Young, big ideas, but a career of limited achievements. The New York Times, A1.***If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram — @jamesbuddydayIf you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.Join here:https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom. #WayneWilliams #AtlantaChildMurders #TrueCrime #SerialKiller #UnmarkedPodcast
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24: Erin Caffey: Who Was Really Responsible?
3w ago00:54:57Summary readyIn 2008, 16-year-old Erin Caffey was accused of helping orchestrate the murder of her own family in rural East Texas. But nearly two decades later, one question still divides everyone who studies the case: Who was really responsible?Using newly released police recordings, interviews, court records, and original reporting from East Texas, this episode reconstructs the psychology behind the Caffey family murders. Was Erin Caffey a manipulative teenage psychopath? Was she controlled by her older boyfriend, Charlie Wilkinson? Or did a volatile group dynamic slowly normalize violence until fantasy became real?This investigation explores adolescent identity, religious isolation, coercive relationships, group psychology, and the dangerous emotional fusion that can happen when rebellion, romance, and resentment collide.If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram — @jamesbuddydayIf you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. Read it here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.Join here:https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.
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23: John Wayne Gacy: What His Death Row Attorney Discovered
May 2000:58:21Summary readyJohn Wayne Gacy murdered at least 33 young men and boys. But for years after his conviction, attorney Karen Conti sat across from him on death row, trying to understand the man behind one of America’s most infamous serial murder cases.In this episode of UNMARKED, Conti describes what Gacy was really like behind closed doors: his manipulation, emotional detachment, need for control, and the contradictions that made him so difficult to fully understand. We also examine modern psychological and criminological research surrounding psychopathy, trophy-taking, victim selection, and the environmental patterns that shape serial killers.Why did Gacy keep victims beneath his own home when most serial killers attempt to distance themselves from the crime? What did he reveal in private that the public never saw? And what happens when someone spends years speaking directly with a man the world has already reduced to a monster?Show Notes: Walter, M., Beauregard, E., & Chopin, J. (2024). Trophy, souvenir, or simple theft? Taking items from the victim in sexual homicide. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 42(4), 338–353.More from Karen Conti here: https://www.karenconti.com/Follow James Buddy Day on Instagram: @jamesbuddydayLean is having a Huge Memorial Day Sale. Visit takelean.com and enter THANK YOU 25 for 25% off. When writing Buddy uses FÜM — don’t just try to quit. Upgrade the habit loop: .https://tryfum.com/unmarkedIf you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, Buddy’s book Charles Manson: The Last Words: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.
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22: The Happy Face Killer: Psychopathy, Control, and Confession
May 1300:48:28Summary readyKeith Hunter Jesperson wanted to be seen. Between 1990 and 1995, the long-haul truck driver murdered women across the United States while carefully shaping the story around himself. He wrote letters to newspapers. Confessed on truck stop bathroom walls. Participated in psychological research studies about his own behavior. Even donating his brain to science after death. But beneath the “Happy Face Killer” persona is something more revealing: a man driven by grandiosity, callousness, impulsivity, and an insatiable need for recognition.In this episode of UNMARKED, we examine the psychology of Keith Jesperson through exclusive conversations with author and investigator M. William Phelps, archival interviews with Jesperson himself, contemporary forensic psychology, and the systemic failures that allowed vulnerable victims to go unseen for decades.You can hear more from M. William Phelps on Crossing the Line:https://crossingtheline.biz/This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Financial stress can affect us more than we know: https://www.betterhelp.com/UNMARKEDIf you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram — @jamesbuddydayIf you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself.Read it here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.Join here:https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.
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21: Joel Rifkin: What the Psychologist Discovered
May 600:53:45Summary readyJoel Rifkin confessed to the murders of 17 women in just three years—leaving their remains scattered across Long Island, New York City, and New Jersey.And for years, no one was looking for him.In this episode, we examine the case through the lens of N. G. Berrill—one of the first psychologists to evaluate Rifkin after his arrest. Drawing on interviews, court records, and police reports, this is a reconstruction of how Rifkin operated in plain sight—and what allowed him to continue.From his early life in suburban Long Island, to the environments he exploited, to the moment a routine traffic stop ended it all, this episode breaks down the pattern behind the crimes.Because this isn’t just the story of one offender.It’s a case that exposes something larger—how vulnerable populations are overlooked, how investigations fail to connect, and how, in the 1980s and 90s, the rise of “serial killer” culture may have given offenders like Rifkin a framework to follow.***This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Financial stress can affect us more than we know: https://www.betterhelp.com/UNMARKEDIf you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram — @jamesbuddydayIf you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself.Read it here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.Join here:https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastFollow UNMARKED for additional case material, updates, and short-form analysis: • YouTube: @Unmarked_Podcast • TikTok: @unmarkedpodcast • Patreon: /Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.
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20: BTK: The Identity Dennis Rader Built
Apr 2900:48:35Summary ready“BTK” is one of the most recognizable names in true crime. But it’s also a name that Dennis Rader created.In this episode, I’m not just looking back at the investigation—I’m speaking to people who have been in direct contact with Rader, hearing from those who have corresponded with him, studied him, and, in some cases, continue to engage with him to this day.And what becomes clear very quickly… is that “BTK” isn’t just a label. It’s a carefully constructed identity—one that Rader has spent decades shaping, protecting, and reinforcing.From the way he named himself…to the letters, phone calls, and communications that followed…to how he still presents himself now. In this episode, we break down how Dennis Rader built the identity of BTK—and why, years later, we may still be playing along.Check out my friends Olivia and Sydney at True Crime Society Podcast. They cover everything true crime—from missing people and cold cases to the latest breaking news.If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram — @jamesbuddydayIf you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself.Read it here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.Join here:https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastFollow UNMARKED for additional case material, updates, and short-form analysis: • YouTube: @Unmarked_Podcast • TikTok: @unmarkedpodcast • Patreon: /Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.
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19: Paul Bernardo: Where Does Responsibility Lie?
Apr 2200:50:21Summary readyPaul Bernardo is one of the most notorious serial offenders in Canadian history. But this episode asks a different question: who was really responsible? Between 1987 and 1993, Bernardo committed a series of violent assaults across the suburbs of Toronto before escalating to the abduction and murder of multiple victims alongside his wife, Karla Homolka.But the story doesn’t begin—or end—with him. In this episode of UNMARKED, we traveled to Toronto and speak with journalists who covered the case in real time. Drawing from court records, archival reporting, and firsthand accounts, we reconstruct what actually happened—and how it was allowed to happen. Because this case isn’t just about a killer. We examine: The early warning signs and missed opportunities to stop Bernardo The Scarborough investigation—and how he was nearly identified The role of FBI profiling and how it may have misdirected investigators Karla Homolka’s involvement—and the debate over coercion, complicity, and responsibility This episode goes beyond the headlines—separating fact from mythology, and asking the question that still divides people decades later: Where does responsibility actually lie?https://www.tryfum.com/UNMARKED to get your free gift with purchase, and start The Good Habit today!***If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram — @jamesbuddydayWhen life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at:https://www.betterHelp.com/unmarkedIf you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself.Read it here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.Join here:https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastFollow UNMARKED for additional case material, updates, and short-form analysis: • YouTube: @Unmarked_Podcast • TikTok: @unmarkedpodcast • Patreon: /Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.
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18: The Times Square Killer: Reconstructing the Crimes — What His Conversations Reveal
Apr 1500:42:32Summary readyWho is the Times Square Killer—and how many people did Richard Cottingham actually kill?In this episode of UNMARKED, we reconstruct the timeline of Cottingham’s crimes across New York and New Jersey—tracking his early escalation, his use of deception and control, and how he was able to evade detection for years.Featuring criminologist Peter Vronsky, who has spent over 700 hours in direct conversation with Cottingham, this episode draws on firsthand interviews, police records, and cold case developments to separate fact from fiction.We examine: Cottingham’s early violent escalation in the 1960s His movement across jurisdictions and how it prevented linkage His use of authority ruses, manipulation, and control The Times Square environment in the 1970s and its role in victim selection Ongoing efforts to identify unknown victims and close cold cases This is not a retelling—it’s an analysis of the evidence itself. Because with Cottingham, the story isn’t just what happened.It’s what’s missing.If you want to follow the cases as I’m working on them, you can find me on Instagram — @jamesbuddydayWhen life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at:https://www.betterHelp.com/unmarkedIf you want to go deeper into the Charles Manson case, my book Charles Manson: The Last Words documents years researching the story and speaking directly with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself.Read it here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7For those who want to examine the evidence directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.Join here:https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastFollow UNMARKED for additional case material, updates, and short-form analysis: • YouTube: @Unmarked_Podcast • TikTok: @unmarkedpodcast • Patreon: /Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcastUNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.
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