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As suspicions around Helmuth Schmidt grow, neighbors, loved ones, and authorities begin to notice the cracks in his carefully constructed lies. Multiple identities, missing women, and chilling discoveries point to a pattern far more sinister than fraud alone. This episode follows the unraveling of Schmidt’s crimes as bystanders finally step in, leading to shocking revelations beneath the surface of his home. It’s a haunting look at how manipulation thrives on silence—and how even the most confident predators eventually lose control. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Serial Killers & Murderous Minds to never miss a case! For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Serial Killers & Murderous Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House 24/7, and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early 1900s, a charming German immigrant used lies, fake identities, and newspaper marriage ads to lure women into his web. What began as romance quickly turned into manipulation, financial ruin, and disappearance. Known as “The American Bluebeard,” Helmuth Schmidt built a double life fueled by control, deception, and a growing appetite for risk. As his lies multiplied and his behavior escalated, the women closest to him paid the price. This episode explores how Schmidt crafted his image, exploited trust, and crossed the line from fraud into something far more dangerous—setting the stage for one of America’s most disturbing early serial killers. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Serial Killers & Murderous Minds to never miss a case! For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Serial Killers & Murderous Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House 24/7, and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early hours of July 17, 1918, the Romanov family was led into a basement—and history was forever changed. In the gripping conclusion, Killer Minds unpacks the brutal execution of the former royals, the chaotic cover-up that followed, and the decades of rumors that convinced the world at least one child survived. From false Anastasia claims to groundbreaking DNA discoveries nearly a century later, this episode examines why humanity clings to legends when reality is too horrific to face—and how the truth ultimately came to light. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Serial Killers & Murderous Minds to never miss a case! For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Serial Killers & Murderous Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House 24/7, and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For nearly 300 years, the Romanov family ruled Russia under the belief that their power was divinely ordained. But as war, poverty, and political unrest spread, that illusion of control began to crumble. In Part 1, Killer Minds traces the rise and fall of Czar Nicholas II, the growing resentment toward the monarchy, and the revolutionary forces determined to erase the Romanovs forever. Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels explore how entitlement, fear, and groupthink transformed political ideology into violence—setting the stage for one of the most infamous crimes in history. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Serial Killers & Murderous Minds to never miss a case! For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Serial Killers & Murderous Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House 24/7, and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when loyalty becomes a weapon? In Part 2, Killer Minds reveals how Sante Kimes pulled her son Kenny into an escalating series of crimes—culminating in cold-blooded murder. From the killing of a banker in the Bahamas to the brutal death of New York socialite Irene Silverman, this episode examines the twisted bond that kept Kenny obedient and the psychological grip Sante never loosened. As investigators closed in, their meticulously planned schemes finally unraveled, exposing one of the most disturbing mother-son crime partnerships in modern history. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Serial Killers & Murderous Minds to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Serial Killers & Murderous Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House 24/7, and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sante Kimes spent her entire life reinventing herself—using charm, deception, and manipulation to get whatever she wanted. In Part 1, Killer Minds follows Sante’s troubled childhood, escalating cruelty, and decades-long career as a con artist who moved effortlessly between fraud, abuse, and exploitation. As her schemes grew bolder, so did her need for control—especially over her youngest son, Kenny. Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels break down how unresolved trauma, entitlement, and thrill-seeking paved the way for a criminal empire built on lies. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Serial Killers & Murderous Minds to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Serial Killers & Murderous Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House 24/7, and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jimmy Hoffa’s bid to reclaim his power ended the moment he climbed into a car outside Detroit’s Machus Red Fox restaurant — and vanished forever. In the gripping conclusion of this two-part series, Killer Minds follows the frantic investigation into Hoffa’s disappearance, the mob figures and union rivals with motives to silence him, and the tangled web of dead ends, false confessions, shifting alliances, and chilling leads that spanned decades. Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels break down the psychological toll of an unsolved case, the culture of secrecy surrounding the mafia, and why the mystery of Hoffa’s fate still captivates the nation nearly 50 years later. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Killer Minds to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House Daily and Crimes and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before he became the center of one of America’s greatest unsolved mysteries, Jimmy Hoffa was a tough kid from the Midwest who learned early that respect had to be fought for. In this episode, Killer Minds traces Hoffa’s climb from overworked warehouse teenager to the most powerful labor leader in the country — and the dangerous alliances he forged along the way. As his influence grew, so did his enemies, drawing Hoffa deeper into corruption, violence, and the grip of the mob. Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels explore the psychology behind Hoffa’s hunger for control, the moral lines he crossed, and the rise that set the stage for his dark and unforgettable fall. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Killer Minds to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House Daily and Crimes and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the shocking conclusion to the Dorothea Puente story, Killer Minds uncovers how a seemingly warm, grandmotherly caretaker manipulated an entire community while murdering the vulnerable people she vowed to protect. As Dorothea’s fraud escalates into calculated killings, Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels trace her descent into a chilling cycle of deception, exploitation, and control. From forging letters to grieving families to burying victims in her garden, Dorothea’s crimes went unnoticed for years—until one missing tenant and one determined social worker cracked her façade. This episode follows the investigation that exposed the “Death House Landlady” and reveals the psychology behind a killer who hid in plain sight. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Killer Minds to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House Daily and Crimes and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before she became one of America’s most notorious female serial killers, Dorothea Puente was a master of reinvention — a woman who survived a traumatic childhood, escaped into elaborate lies, and learned to weaponize trust. In Part 1, Killer Minds traces Dorothea’s tumultuous early life, from abuse, abandonment, and shapeshifting identities to the scams, marriages, and manipulations that set the stage for her deadly crimes. Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels explore how Dorothea’s need for control, admiration, and survival shaped the dangerous caretaker she would eventually become. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Killer Minds to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House Daily and Crimes and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year! This year across Crime House, we released over 600 episodes. While we are proud of all of them, one episode rose above the rest and was voted on as Crime House’s Best Episode of 2025. It’s the case of the missing Martin Family, from Clues with Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore.  This episode takes us back to December 1958. The Martin Family was as picture-perfect as they come during the holidays: Santa suits, candy canes, Christmas cards. And then… they vanished without a trace. In this story, Morgan and Kaelyn unravel a case full of bizarre leads: an abandoned car, shifting witness accounts, and a station wagon that seemed to disappear into thin air. If you want more Clues with Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore you can follow in your favorite podcast app here: https://play.megaphone.fm/qtjt1ensshm_toud4upqyg To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year! As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to bring you even more fascinating cases and gripping investigations. More importantly, we'd like to thank you for listening, and making 2025 an unforgettable year, your support and curiosity keep us coming back week after week. Please enjoy our Best of 2025 selection, The Night Stalker! Killer Minds will be back next week with a brand new episode. Richard Ramirez believed Satan protected him, but he couldn't outrun justice forever. In Part 2, we explore "The Night Stalker’s" gruesome 1985 killing spree, the chilling trail of clues left in his wake, and the courageous community that ended his reign of terror in an unforgettable showdown. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Killer Minds to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House Daily and Crimes and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year! As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to bring you even more fascinating cases and gripping investigations. More importantly, we'd like to thank you for listening, and making 2025 an unforgettable year, your support and curiosity keep us coming back week after week. Please enjoy our Best of 2025 selection, The Night Stalker! Killer Minds will be back next week with a brand new episode.Richard Ramirez, "The Night Stalker," wasn't born a killer, but his path was paved with trauma, violence, and a dark obsession. In Part 1, we explore Ramirez’s disturbing childhood in El Paso, his fascination with Satanism, and the twisted influences that turned him into one of California’s most feared serial killers. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Killer Minds to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House Daily and Crimes and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The conclusion of the Jim Jones story follows his unraveling as defections, scandals, and mounting scrutiny push the cult leader to flee the U.S. and establish the isolated Jonestown settlement—where his paranoia, drug-fueled delusions, and absolute control escalate to catastrophic levels. As Congressman Leo Ryan attempts to investigate, Jones’s fears explode into violence, culminating in the airstrip ambush and the mass poisoning that claimed over 900 lives, including more than 300 children. Vanessa Richardson guides listeners through the harrowing final days of Jonestown, while Dr. Tristin Engels explores the psychology behind Jones’s descent into lethal fanaticism and the chilling mechanisms that allowed a community’s trust to become a weapon of mass destruction. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Killer Minds to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House Daily and Crimes and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Engels joins Vanessa in this episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes for a Crime House crossover!  Dozens of young men, all found drowned. A single eerie clue near every crime scene: a painted smiley face. Uncover the dark origins of the Smiley Face Killers theory — a decades-long investigation that suggests a nationwide ring of serial murderers might still be active. Follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: https://play.megaphone.fm/wm1aoandqx-axn1ncatcaq To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices