Blood Ties Podcast

He was just fourteen when he started killing — a schoolboy with a chemistry set and a deadly obsession. Graham Young, known to history as The Teacup Poisoner, was the embodiment of evil hiding behind a polite English smile. In this episode of Blood Ties, Molly and Geoffrey uncover the chilling story of how a quiet teenager turned into one of Britain’s most sadistic murderers — poisoning friends, family, and colleagues with clinical precision.This is the twisted tale of intellect, arrogance, and pure malevolence — a crime that shocked a nation.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this gripping episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell delve into the chilling case of Catherine Wilson — the so-called “Victorian Poisoner.” A trusted nurse who turned her patients’ trust into a death sentence, Wilson used poison to line her pockets, leaving a trail of mysterious deaths behind. The Wansells unravel how a woman meant to heal became Britain’s last woman publicly hanged, executed outside Newgate in 1862. With their trademark mix of intrigue and insight, they expose the hypocrisy, greed, and horror lurking beneath Victorian respectability. It’s a story of betrayal, cold calculation — and the darkest side of human nature.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He was the bogeyman of suburban America — a ghost who crept into homes, shattered lives, and vanished into the night. For decades, the Golden State Killer taunted police, leaving behind terrified families and a trail of violence that stretched across California. Rape, murder, stalking — his crimes were monstrous, his arrogance chilling. And yet, he lived quietly among us, a husband, a neighbour, a man who waved on his morning walk.In this gripping episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell uncover how one of America’s most sadistic predators was finally unmasked — not by luck, but by science. It’s a story of obsession, fear, and justice, decades in the making. The Golden State Killer — humanity at its most horrifying.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He called himself a “psychopath with a conscience.” But behind the bravado, Mark Brown was a cold, calculating killer. In the quiet seaside town of St Leonards, Brown led a double life — father, partner, builder by day, and murderer by night. When two women vanished months apart, detectives uncovered a web of lies, manipulation, and chilling arrogance that shocked even the most seasoned investigators.Geoffrey and Molly expose the dark psychology of a man who believed he could outsmart everyone — this is not fiction. It’s a real-life horror story hiding in plain sight.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Long before the hit TV series turned them into legends, the real Peaky Blinders ruled the backstreets of Birmingham. With swagger in their step, and blood on their hands — they were the original urban gangsters of Britain’s industrial age.In Blood Ties: The Real Peaky Blinders, we uncover the brutal truth behind the myth — the poverty, the power, and the violence that shaped a generation of men who became symbols of rebellion. We separate fact from fiction to reveal how a local street gang became an enduring piece of British folklore.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kyle Clifford turned up at their quiet Hertfordshire home like any other ex returning a few belongings — calm, deliberate, utterly convincing. Kyle Clifford wasn’t some impulsive man in a rage; he was calculated, chillingly controlled. He moved with purpose, carrying out his grim mission with military precision, showing no flicker of hesitation. This wasn’t chaos — it was cold, rehearsed determination. The sort of darkness that makes you question how well we ever really know the people closest to us.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell confront one of Britain’s darkest and most divisive crimes — the White House Farm murders. Six members of one family gunned down in cold blood, a nation horrified, and a son accused of orchestrating it all. Jeremy Bamber — charming, intelligent, and now serving a whole life sentence — maintains his innocence to this day. But is he a cold-blooded killer or the victim of a catastrophic miscarriage of justice? This is the story of betrayal, lies, and the shocking night that shattered the peace of an English farmhouse forever.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 1994, something in Nicholas Burton’s mind began to unravel. Once seen as bright and promising, he started shouting at himself and became obsessed with religion. Friends noticed the change — but no one imagined how dark things would become. His fixation soon turned toward Rachel McGraa, a woman whose kindness would ultimately cost her everything. In this episode of Blood Ties, we trace Burton’s descent from charm to chaos and uncover how his fractured reality led to Rachel’s tragic death.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was every parent’s worst nightmare. In the summer of 2002, two bright, happy ten-year-old girls — Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman — vanished without a trace from the quiet village of Soham. Overnight, their faces were on every front page, every television screen, as a frantic nation prayed for their safe return.But behind the search and the heartbreak lay a chilling betrayal. Ian Huntley, the local school caretaker, the man trusted around children, would be unmasked as a calculating killer. His crime not only devastated two families but shattered Britain’s sense of safety.In Blood Ties, we revisit the case that gripped the country, uncovering how Huntley was able to slip through the system, and asking the uncomfortable questions: How did this happen? Who failed? And what lessons were learned from the murders that shook Britain to its core?This isn’t just a story of a crime. It’s a story of innocence lost, of evil hiding in plain sight, and of a community forever scarred.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two women, two different worlds — but both hiding lethal secrets. Jane Toppan, the nurse known as “Jolly Jane,” poisoned more than 30 patients in the late 1800s, later admitting she killed simply for pleasure. And Polly Bartlett, dubbed Wyoming’s first female serial killer, ran a boarding house with her father where unsuspecting travelers met their end for money and greed. In this episode of Blood Ties, we uncover the chilling parallels between a trusted caregiver and a ruthless innkeeper, and how their crimes challenged the expectations of women in their time while leaving behind a legacy of fear.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is one of Britain’s most harrowing true crime stories – a crime so savage it shocked the nation to its core. In this gripping episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell dissect the chilling case of Lin and Megan Russell, a mother and daughter brutally murdered in a frenzied hammer attack while walking home from school in a quiet Kent village. Their family dog was killed, their daughter Josie left for dead – but miraculously survived. What followed was a tangled investigation and years of doubt that exposed the frailties of the justice system. We unravel how such evil could invade such innocence, and ask the question: did the system truly deliver justice?CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this gripping episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell unravel the chilling case of Lyle and Erik Menendez — the brothers whose brutal murder of their wealthy parents shocked America in 1989. Was it an act of cold-blooded greed, or the desperate response of two young men pushed beyond endurance? The Wansells explore the background of the family, the sensational trial that captivated the world, and the lingering questions about abuse, justice, and the blurred line between victim and perpetrator.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two little girls vanished in Brighton—and for decades, their killer almost got away with it.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She was Ireland’s most glamorous killer – the so-called Black Widow who spun a web of lies, murder, and betrayal that stunned a nation.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 26th April 1999, BBC Crimewatch presenter Jill Dando was shot dead on her doorstep with a single bullet. Twenty years on, her shocking murder remains unsolved — and continues to haunt Britain.Who killed Jill Dando? Was it a professional hit, a stalker, or a case of mistaken identity? Despite one of the biggest police investigations in UK history, no one has ever been brought to justice.In this episode, Geoffrey Wansell takes you through everything we know about the case, the theories, and why the nation is still desperate for answers.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the shocking true crime story of Richard Cottingham: The Torso Killer. One of America’s most sadistic serial killers, he brutally murdered women across New York and New Jersey, earning the nickname The Times Square Ripper.While Bundy, Dahmer, and Gacy became infamous, Cottingham stayed in the shadows. A husband, father, and insurance worker by day — a sadistic murderer by night. He drugged, tortured, mutilated, and killed, boasting of up to 100 victims.So why have you never heard of him? Because so many of his victims were sex workers, ignored and forgotten. Now, with new Netflix documentaries and fresh confessions, the world is finally waking up to the horrifying scale of Cottingham’s crimes.This episode pulls no punches. Prepare for the terrifying double life of America’s forgotten monster: The Torso Killer.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In May 2010, Stephen Griffiths stunned a courtroom by giving his name as the Crossbow Cannibal. By December that year, he was convicted of three brutal murders. But who was Stephen Griffiths before that chilling moment? And what drove him to commit such horrific crimes?Join us as we dig deep into the life, psychology, and crimes of Stephen Griffiths — a case that shocked Britain and left a lasting mark on true crime history.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Gonzalez wanted fame — but not on stage or screen. Obsessed with horror films like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, Gonzalez spiralled into drug abuse, mental illness, and violent fantasies that turned him into one of Britain’s most notorious killers. In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell explore the troubled childhood, psychiatric struggles, and chilling crimes of the so-called 'Freddy Krueger Killer'.We examine how failures in the mental health system allowed his descent into violence — and what his case reveals about obsession, untreated psychosis, and the making of a murderer.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast247Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In their final episode, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell dive into the chilling story of Mark Richard Hobson — the ruthless spree killer who shocked Britain in 2004. Four innocent lives were taken in just a few days, leaving the country horrified.Why did Hobson kill? How did the police finally catch him? And what lasting scars did his crimes leave behind?Geoffrey and Molly tell the story with gripping detail, fearless questions, and unforgettable insight. If you care about true crime, you won’t want to miss this dramatic finale.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellArtwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Geoffrey Wansell sits down with bestselling crime novelist Tim Weaver, creator of the gripping David Raker mystery series. From You Were Gone to No One Home and The Blackbird, Tim has kept readers hooked with chilling plots and unforgettable characters.But where do his ideas come from? How does real-life crime inspire his fiction? And what does it take to keep millions of fans on the edge of their seats?Geoffrey digs deep into the craft, the psychology, and the secrets behind one of Britain’s most successful crime writers.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellArtwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram: bloodties_podEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.