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.
30episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
31: Why Almost Everyone Gets the Insanity Defense Wrong | Case Notes
Yesterday00:21:54Summary readyWhy do so many people misunderstand the insanity defense?It's one of the most debated concepts in criminal law, yet also one of the least understood. Popular culture has created the impression that defendants routinely "get off" by pleading insanity. The reality is far more complicated. Legal insanity is not the same as mental illness, psychopathy, or a psychiatric diagnosis, and successful insanity defences are exceptionally rare.In this episode of UNMARKED: Case Notes, I speak with forensic psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston about what the insanity defense actually is, how courts determine criminal responsibility, and why so much public discussion gets it wrong. We examine the legal standards behind the defense, common misconceptions, and the role mental illness can—and cannot—play in determining guilt.If you've ever wondered what "not guilty by reason of insanity" really means, this conversation offers an evidence-based look at one of the most misunderstood issues in the criminal justice system.
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32: Ed Gein: Beyond the Monster
4d ago00:47:26Summary readyWho was the real Ed Gein?For nearly seventy years, the answer has been buried beneath horror movies, sensational headlines, and one of the most enduring myths in true crime. To find the real Ed Gein, I travelled to Plainfield, Wisconsin, walked the cemetery where he robbed graves, visited the locations that shaped his life, and spent years uncovering records that challenge the accepted story.In this episode, I examine the psychology behind Ed Gein's crimes through newly uncovered evidence, hospital records, interviews with people who knew him, and the original confession recorded on the night of his arrest—a confession hidden for decades and fundamentally different from the version that has appeared in books and documentaries. Along the way, I explore Gein's childhood, his obsessive relationship with his mother, the murders of Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, and how the case inspired Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs.Show Notes:I just released my first novel called, A Plague of Steel. It’s a grimdark fantasy war story, about what war leaves behind. It’s available now on Kindle, Amazon and Kindle Unlimited: Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Plague-Steel-Sons-Tempering-Book-ebook/dp/B0GSPBTR49If 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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30: Are All Serial Killers Psychopaths? | Case Notes
1w ago00:20:04Summary readyIt's one of the most common assumptions in true crime, but the answer is more complicated than most people realise. In this episode of UNMARKED: Case Notes, I speak with Dr. Louis Schlesinger, Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and one of the world's leading experts on serial and sexual homicide. If you've ever wondered whether psychopathy is required for serial murder, or why some killers appear cold and calculating while others seem disorganised, impulsive, or deeply disturbed, this conversation is for you.
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29: Israel Keyes: Inside the FBI Investigation
2w ago00:59:44Summary readyWas Israel Keyes really a criminal mastermind—or have we misunderstood him all along?For years, Israel Keyes has been portrayed as one of the most methodical serial killers in modern history: a man who buried murder kits across the United States, targeted complete strangers, and evaded law enforcement for years. But the deeper I dug into the FBI files, interrogation transcripts, and the people who investigated him, the more that familiar story began to unravel.In this episode, I examine the life of Israel Keyes through an exclusive interview with retired FBI Special Agent Mary Rook, who led the investigation in Alaska, along with journalist Maureen Callahan, author of American Predator. Using FBI interrogation footage, investigative records, and current psychological research, I trace Keyes' trajectory from his isolated childhood to his final FBI interviews, asking whether the evidence supports the mythology that has grown around him—or points to something far more complex.Research in This Episode: Rubin, Bukowski & Parker (2006) "Peer Interactions, Relationships, and Groups" in the Handbook of Child Psychology.Kuhns, J. B., Blevins, K. R., et al. Understanding Decisions to Burglarize From the Offender's Perspective (2014).Show Notes:I just released my first novel called, A Plague of Steel. It’s a grimdark fantasy war story, about what war leaves behind. It’s available now on Kindle, Amazon and Kobo: Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Plague-Steel-Sons-Tempering-Book-ebook/dp/B0GSPBTR49Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/a-plague-of-steel-sons-of-the-tempering-book-one?srsltid=AfmBOoqPUTLclPMZxRqd0LvWNTzrU0k9SOGBCqaWiISo1HhMQk-RkHHKIf 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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28: Son of Sam: Did David Berkowitz Act Alone?
3w ago00:52:08Summary readyDemonic dogs. Satanic cults. Multiple shooters. Endless conspiracies. Did David Berkowitz act alone?For nearly fifty years, the Son of Sam case has inspired theories. David Berkowitz would later claim that multiple shooters were involved, that others participated in the murders, and that the public never learned the full story. But do those claims hold up to scrutiny?In this episode, I examine the evidence behind one of the most persistent mysteries in true crime. Drawing on Berkowitz's on words, investigative records, crime scene evidence, and expert analysis from forensic psychologist Dr. R. Louis Schlesinger, I explore the origins of the conspiracy theories, what investigators found after Berkowitz's arrest, and whether there is any credible evidence.Research in This Episode: Rebekah Binger, Prison Ain’t Hell: An Interview with the Son of Sam—David Berkowitz, and Why State-Funded Faith-Based Prison Rehabilitation Progr ams Do Not Violate the Establishment Clause, 31 Pace L. Rev. 488 (2011).Stadolnik, R. J. (2000). Drawn to the Flame: Assessment and Treatment of Juvenile Fire Setting Behavior. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press.Show Notes:I just released my first novel called, A Plague of Steel. It’s a grimdark fantasy war story, about what war leaves behind. It’s available now on Kindle, Amazon and Kobo: Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Plague-Steel-Sons-Tempering-Book-ebook/dp/B0GSPBTR49Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/a-plague-of-steel-sons-of-the-tempering-book-one?srsltid=AfmBOoqPUTLclPMZxRqd0LvWNTzrU0k9SOGBCqaWiISo1HhMQk-RkHHKIf 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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27: Colonel Russell Williams: A Predator Above Suspicion
4w 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
Jun 1000:49:53Summary 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?
Jun 300:55:51Summary 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?
May 2700:54:57Summary 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 2000:55:20Summary 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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