Killer Psyche

Wondery | Treefort Media

<p>When a shocking crime occurs, people ask “Why?” Was it about power, ego, or revenge? On <em>Killer Psyche</em>, retired FBI agent Candice DeLong draws on her decades of experience to reveal why these murderers and criminals committed these heinous acts. She will reveal fascinating new details about what drove these people, including cases she was close to. Candice will share specific psychological methods and profiling techniques that experts use to understand the deepest part of the most complex, fascinating, and twisted minds, from the Unabomber to Alex Murdaugh to Mary Bell.</p><p><br></p><p>Need more Killer Psyche? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive episodes, early access to new ones, and they’re always ad-free. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting <a href="http://link.wondery.com/KillerPsycheLinks">http://link.wondery.com/KillerPsycheLinks</a> now. </p>

  • 46 minutes 40 seconds
    Donna Adelson: The Deadly Mother In Law

    Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the disturbing case of Donna Adelson, a domineering and deeply enmeshed mother whose obsessive need for control allegedly culminated in the murder-for-hire of her former son-in-law, Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. What began as a bitter custody dispute following Markel’s divorce from Adelson’s daughter, Wendi, escalated into a years-long campaign of manipulation, psychological warfare, and resentment fueled by Donna’s refusal to accept court-imposed boundaries. Candice explores how enmeshment, entitlement, and an intolerance for loss of control can distort family dynamics; and how a grandmother’s fixation on access and dominance ultimately led prosecutors to accuse her of orchestrating a deadly conspiracy that shattered an entire family.

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    3 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 48 minutes 35 seconds
    Arthur Gary Bishop: The Mormon Murderer

    Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the chilling case of Arthur Gary Bishop, a devout Mormon and trusted member of his Utah community whose outward normalcy concealed a violent predator. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Bishop abducted and murdered at least five young boys in Salt Lake City, Utah. Known to those around him as quiet and unassuming, Bishop secretly harbored obsessive sexual fantasies and a deep need for control – and as his feelings intensified, those fantasies turned lethal. Candice explores how years of hidden obsession and unchecked compulsion ultimately erupted into a pattern of calculated, predatory violence, and how a killer hiding in plain sight was finally exposed.

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    27 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 40 minutes 3 seconds
    John Thomas Sweeney &amp; the Murder of Dominique Dunne

    Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the tragic and highly publicized case of John Thomas Sweeney, whose obsessive control and escalating violence led to the murder of actress Dominique Dunne in 1982. After a volatile and abusive relationship, Sweeney strangled Dunne outside her Los Angeles home, a crime that exposed devastating gaps in how the justice system addressed domestic violence and intimate partner abuse at the time. Candice unpacks the psychological warning signs, coercive dynamics, and entitlement-driven rage that defined Sweeney’s behavior, and why Dominique Dunne’s death became a turning point in the national conversation about accountability, stalking, and victim protection.

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    20 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 43 minutes 59 seconds
    Karla Faye Tucker- The Deathrow Convert

    Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong unpacks the disturbing case of Karla Faye Tucker, a woman whose early life of addiction, sexual exploitation, and chaos culminated in a brutally sadistic double murder. High on drugs and fueled by rage, Karla and her boyfriend Danny Garrett broke into an apartment in Houston, Texas, where Karla murdered Jerry Dean with a pickax, later admitting the killing gave her sexual pleasure, before a second victim, Deborah Thornton, was also slain. But the story did not end with conviction and a death sentence. While on death row, Karla claimed to have undergone a profound religious transformation, igniting a national debate over redemption, punishment and whether genuine change is possible after unimaginable violence. Candice examines the psychological fractures, paraphilic pathology and identity disturbances that shaped Karla’s life, and why her case remains one of the most polarizing capital punishment stories in American history.

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    13 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 50 minutes 43 seconds
    Encore: Dennis Rader: BTK

    In this encore episode, retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong explores the case of Dennis Rader, also known as BTK. Over 17 years, Rader tortured and murdered 10 people, while playing a game of cat and mouse with law enforcement and the media. Candice digs into how one of the most infamous killers in history, was able to mask himself as loving father, church group president, and a government worker until his arrest in 2005.

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    6 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 31 minutes 6 seconds
    S5 E9 Ask Candice Anything, Part 2

    In the second half of this two-part episode, retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong answers questions from listeners about her time in the FBI and her countless interviews with violent offenders. 

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    30 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 35 minutes 7 seconds
    Ask Candice Anything: Part 1

    In the first half of this two-part episode, retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong answers questions from listeners all about the human psyche and her time as a psychiatric nurse.

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    23 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 38 minutes 47 seconds
    Brynn Hartman &amp; the Murder of Phil Hartman

    Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the heartbreaking murder-suicide of Phil and Brynn Hartman, whose seemingly charmed life masked a growing storm. Within their home, Brynn battled addiction, insecurity and a fragile sense of identity that increasingly threatened the stability of their marriage. As tensions mounted, emotional volatility turned dangerous, culminating in a night of irreversible violence. Candice explores the psychological fractures that led Brynn to kill the man she loved, and how their relationship became a chilling example of what can happen when untreated turmoil meets opportunity for harm.

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    16 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 42 minutes 10 seconds
    Gwendolyn Graham &amp; Cathy Wood: The Lethal Lovers

    Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong unravels the horrifying case of Gwendolyn Graham and Cathy Wood, also known as the “Lethal Lovers.” Inside the walls of a Michigan nursing home, their romance became intertwined with violence, as the pair used murder as a way to deepen their emotional and sexual bond. Over several months, vulnerable patients became targets in a shared, intimate thrill – a lethal fusion of affection, manipulation, and desire. Candice explores how their toxic dependency escalated into a series of killings, and how a relationship built on control, obsession, and the pursuit of shared gratification spiraled into one of the most disturbing partnerships in criminal history.

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    9 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 46 minutes 48 seconds
    Elliot Rodger: The Killer Incel

    Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the chilling case of Elliot Rodger, the self-described “supreme gentleman” whose violent resentment toward women exploded into a deadly rampage in Isla Vista, California, in 2014. While frequenting self-validating incel forums online, offline, Rodger struggled with social rejection, mental-health crises, and a growing obsession with punishing the people he believed had wronged him. By the time the violence erupted, six people were dead and fourteen more injured. Candice explores how alienation, narcissism, and extremist online communities converged to create a perfect storm; and how Rodger’s attack marked a turning point in understanding grievance-based violence, misogynistic extremism, and the psychology behind modern lone-actor killers.

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    2 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 47 minutes 50 seconds
    Katherine Knight: Australia's "Cannibal Killer"

    Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the horrifying case of Katherine Knight, the first woman in Australian history to be sentenced to life in prison without parole. In 2000, Knight brutally murdered her partner, John Price, in a crime so gruesome it shocked the nation. Known for her violent temper and turbulent relationships, Knight’s life was marked by jealousy, control, and explosive rage. When Price tried to leave her, that rage reached its deadly peak. Candice explores how deep-seated trauma and a pattern of escalating violence culminated in one of Australia’s most chilling crimes.

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    25 November 2025, 8:00 am
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