The Profiler with Kerry Daynes

In November 2011, 84-year-old Betty Guy died at her home in Johnston, Pembrokeshire. Her daughter, Penny John, called 999 to say her mother had passed away after a battle with cancer. A doctor certified natural causes, and Betty was cremated four days later. Nobody suspected a thing.Then, four years later, police received a call out of the blue. An ex-partner of Betty's grandson, Barry Rogers, claimed he had admitted to suffocating his grandmother with a pillow. Other former partners told detectives the same story.In this episode, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes looks at how what should have been the perfect crime unravelled. She also asks what the evidence reveals about the two people at its centre, and why Rogers couldn't keep quiet about it.In this episodeThe 999 call police pulled from the archive, and the two details in it that raised alarm bellsWhat petechiae are, and why those tiny marks mattered so muchHow police plan and plant a covert listening deviceThe secretly recorded conversations between Rogers and his mother, including the moment he says "jackpot"Kerry's analysis of the power dynamic between mother and son, and why Penny John kept repeating that her mother died "of old age"The bug detector story that didn't add upThe 2018 trial at Swansea Crown Court and the puzzle of the missing motiveGuestsBronwen Weatherby, LBC Wales correspondentDanni Brooke, former undercover police officerProfessor Jason Payne-James, specialist in forensic and legal medicineArchive audio and footage courtesy of Faking It (Series 4).Content note:This episode discusses murder, domestic abuse and violence against an elderly person.Offers from our partnersCan you tell when someone is lying? Dr Cliff Lansley's SCAnS Online course, from EmotionIntell, teaches the Six Channels Analysis System that Kerry uses in her own work. Listeners of The Profiler get 10% off at emotionintell.com/theprofiler with the code theprofiler.Want to go deeper into the psychology of crime? Get a free 30-day Audible trial, and help support the podcast, at theprofiler.co.uk/audible. You'll find true crime titles there, including Kerry's own books.Stay in touchIf you enjoy the show, please follow or subscribe, leave a five-star rating or review, and share it with fellow true crime fans. For updates and Kerry's weekly email, visit theprofiler.co.uk. You can also follow Kerry Daynes on social media and on Substack.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits• Presented by Kerry Daynes• Produced by Shearwater Media• Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson• Editing and Music: Rob WarnerContent noteThis episode contains detailed and distressing descriptions of child abuse and murder. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you're concerned about a child's welfare, contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000, or the police on 999 in an emergency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features world-renowned body language expert Dr Cliff Lansley, director of the Emotional Intelligence Academy. For his online course on human behaviour and how to spot the signs of deception go to www.emotionintell.com/theprofilerOn 31 July 2021, five-year-old Logan Mwangi's body was found in the River Ogmore in South Wales, shortly after his mother, Angharad Williamson, reported him missing. In this episode, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes examines how Logan was killed by Williamson, her partner John Cole, and Cole's teenage son Craig Mulligan, following a campaign of abuse rooted in Cole's racism towards his mixed-race stepson. Drawing on police bodycam and interview footage, and behavioural analysis from body language expert Dr Cliff Lansley, Kerry unpicks the calculated cover-up that followed Logan's death, and the catalogue of missed warning signs that preceded it.Key psychological themesThis episode explores: child abuse and 'Cinderella Syndrome' • coercive control and complicity • deception detection and micro-expressions • racially motivated abuse • blame-shifting and the 'cutthroat defence' under interrogation • institutional failure in child protectionContributors featured in this episode•       Kerry Daynes — Forensic psychologist, presenter, and author of Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried.•       Dr Cliff Lansley — Body language expert and founder of the Emotional Intelligence Academy.•       Bronwen Weatherby — Journalist who covered the case for the Press Association.•       Hamish Auskerry — ITV Wales reporter.•       Leyla Hayes — ITV News journalist.•       Paul Barton — Former homicide detective.What you'll learn in this episode•       Why body language expert Dr Cliff Lansley says Angharad Williamson's cries on police bodycam don't match genuine grief•       How a neighbour's security camera undid the family's story that they were all asleep when Logan disappeared•       Why detectives believe Logan was targeted by his stepfather John Cole because of his race, and how that hostility spread through the household•       How Cole, Mulligan and Williamson turned on one another once confronted with forensic evidence, in what detectives call a 'cutthroat defence'•       Why Logan's bloodstained bedsheets, quietly put through the wash the morning he died, became one of the case's most damning pieces of evidence•       What the post-mortem revealed about Logan's final hours, and why his injuries needn't have been fatal if his family had called for help•       Why Logan had been placed on the child protection register, then removed just a month before his deathRelevant links and further reading•       Kerry Daynes — Dark Side of the Mind (Endeavour, 2019)•       Kerry Daynes — What Lies Buried (Endeavour, 2021)•       Faking It: Tears of a Crime / Inside the Arrest — streaming on Discovery+•       Dr Cliff Lansley — Emotional Intelligence Academy•       Child protection support — NSPCC Helpline (0808 800 5000)Subscribe & followIf you're gripped by The Profiler, with Kerry Daynes, follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. A rating or review takes thirty seconds and genuinely helps new listeners find us.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits•       Presented by Kerry Daynes•       Produced by Shearwater Media•       Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson•       Editing and Music: Rob WarnerContent noteThis episode contains detailed and distressing descriptions of child abuse and murder. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you're concerned about a child's welfare, contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000, or the police on 999 in an emergency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 8 December 2015, 24-year-old Charlotte Brown died in the Thames after a first date with web consultant Jack Shepherd ended in his speedboat capsizing near Westminster. In this episode, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes examines how Shepherd, driving drunk at nearly three times the speed limit with no life jackets and a disconnected safety kill-cord, tried to blame Charlotte for the crash, then vanished before his trial, living under a changed identity in Tbilisi for months while the case unfolded in his absence. Drawing on police, journalists and Shepherd's own defiant TV interviews, Kerry unpicks the verbal slips and self-serving language of a man who, even when confronted a second time over a violent offence, could only ever really think about himself.Key psychological themesThis episode explores: narcissism and self-serving deception • victim-blaming and diffusion of responsibility • recklessness and disregard for safety • flight from justice and identity change • verbal slips and language analysis • alcohol-fuelled violence and impulse controlContributors featured in this episode•       Kerry Daynes — Forensic psychologist, presenter, and author of Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried.•       Chris Davis — Metropolitan Police detective sergeant who investigated the case.•       Dan Rivers — ITV News reporter who covered the trial and manhunt.•       John Simpson — Former crime correspondent for The Times.What you'll learn in this episode•       How Jack Shepherd drove his speedboat at nearly three times the legal night-time limit, with no life jackets on board and a safety kill-cord left unattached•       Why he told police Charlotte had taken the controls moments before the crash, and why detectives believe responsibility still lay with him as the boat's reckless owner•       How Shepherd vanished before his own trial, was convicted in his absence, and was later tracked down living under a changed appearance in Tbilisi, Georgia•       Why Kerry identifies a telling 'verbal slip' in Shepherd's TV interview that reveals how self-focused his thinking really was•       How Shepherd tried to shift blame onto Charlotte's grieving father, and why police say the claim was baseless•       Why CCTV of an unrelated, unprovoked bottle attack in a Devon pub reveals a pattern of impulsive, alcohol-fuelled violence•       What happened when Shepherd was finally extradited, and why he remains behind bars today after breaching the terms of his licenceRelevant links and further reading•       Kerry Daynes — Dark Side of the Mind (Endeavour, 2019)•       Kerry Daynes — What Lies Buried (Endeavour, 2021)•       Faking It: Tears of a Crime — streaming on Discovery+•       BBC News — coverage of the trial and extradition of Jack ShepherdSubscribe & followIf you're gripped by The Profiler, with Kerry Daynes, follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. A rating or review takes thirty seconds and genuinely helps new listeners find us.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits•       Presented by Kerry Daynes•       Produced by Shearwater Media•       Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson•       Music & Editing: Rob Warner•       Edit Assistant: Kay HomanContent noteThis episode contains descriptions of a fatal accident, alcohol-fuelled violence, and victim-blaming. Listener discretion is advised. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 18 December 2022, 32-year-old Natalie McNally was murdered in her home in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, stabbed, beaten and strangled while 15 weeks pregnant with her son. Her boyfriend, Stephen McCullagh, appeared to have the perfect alibi: at the exact time of the attack, he was hosting a six-hour 'live' YouTube broadcast, watched by thousands. In this episode, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes reveals how McCullagh had actually pre-recorded the stream four nights earlier, slipping in chilling ‘hints’ at the murder he was about to commit, before slipping out to kill Natalie and returning home undetected. Drawing on CCTV, digital forensics and a harrowing 999 call, Kerry examines the mind of a killer capable of an extraordinarily calculated deception.Key psychological themesThis episode explores: coercive control, misogyny and femicide • premeditation and staging a false alibi • narcissism and performative grief • digital forensics and deception detection • domestic homicide in Northern IrelandContributors featured in this episode•       Kerry Daynes — Forensic psychologist, presenter, and author of Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried.•       Lynda Bryans — Journalist and broadcaster who covered the case.•       Catherine Kierans — Senior prosecutor, Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.What you'll learn in this episode•       Why Stephen McCullagh's six-hour 'live' YouTube broadcast, watched by thousands, turned out to be a pre-recording made four nights before Natalie's murder•       How digital forensic analysis of background computer activity exposed the difference between a genuine livestream and a played-out recording•       Why the killer titled his broadcast 'Violent Night' and slipped in-game lines like 'I need to kill this bitch' and 'Abso-effing-Natalie' into the footage•       How CCTV traced McCullagh's disguised journey by bus and taxi to Natalie's home and back, undoing his alibi•       Why detectives grew suspicious within minutes of his 999 call, despite no signs of forced entry and a guard dog that never barked•       How McCullagh manipulated Natalie's grieving family, secretly recording their conversations and attending her wake, while refusing to cooperate with police•       Why Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the UK, and what Natalie's case reveals about coercive control and femicideRelevant links and further reading•       Kerry Daynes — Dark Side of the Mind (Endeavour, 2019)•       Kerry Daynes — What Lies Buried (Endeavour, 2021)•       BBC News — coverage of the trial and conviction of Stephen McCullagh•       Domestic abuse support — Women's Aid Northern Ireland (0808 802 1414)Subscribe & followIf you're gripped by The Profiler, with Kerry Daynes, follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. A rating or review takes thirty seconds and genuinely helps new listeners find us.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits•       Presented by Kerry Daynes•       Produced by Shearwater Media•       Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson•       Editing & Music: Rob WarnerContent noteThis episode contains graphic descriptions of domestic violence and the murder of a pregnant woman. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Support for domestic abuse is available from Women's Aid Northern Ireland (0808 802 1414) and Refuge (0808 2000 247). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 26 August 2016, 19-year-old Shana Grice was murdered in her Brighton home by former colleague Michael Lane — a man she had reported to Sussex Police multiple times in the months before her death. In this first episode of the new season, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes reveals how officers dismissed Shana's complaints, branded her a liar, and even fined her £90 for wasting police time, while Lane, a serial stalker with a hidden history of predatory behaviour, grew increasingly bold. Drawing on interviews with journalists who covered the case, and secret recordings Shana made herself, Kerry traces the eight-stage 'Homicide Timeline' that led inexorably to tragedy, and asks how many warning signs a victim has to raise before anyone listens.Key psychological themesThis episode explores: stalking and coercive control • the Homicide Timeline and escalation to lethal violence • victim-blaming and institutional failure • obsession, jealousy and loss of control • blackmail and manipulation in abusive relationshipsContributors featured in this episode•       Kerry Daynes — Forensic psychologist, presenter, and author of Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried.•       Flora Thompson — Press Association journalist who covered the Shana Grice case.•       Frank Le Duc — Editor of the Brighton and Hove News.What you'll learn in this episode•       How Michael Lane, a colleague eight years older than Shana, pursued her with gifts, then threats, after she ended their relationship•       Why Sussex Police dismissed Shana's first stalking report as 'insufficient evidence', despite a record showing Lane had previously groomed a 14-year-old girl•       How officers branded Shana a liar after an assault, and fined her £90 for 'wasting police time'•       Why a secret tracking device fitted to Shana's car, and a stolen house key, preceded Lane's final, fatal visit to her home•       What the eight-stage 'Homicide Timeline' reveals about the path from coercive control to murder, and where it could have been stopped•       Why fourteen Sussex Police officers and staff were referred to the police regulator after Shana's murder, and how her case changed national policy on stalking complaintsRelevant links and further reading•       Kerry Daynes — Dark Side of the Mind (Endeavour, 2019)•       Kerry Daynes — What Lies Buried (Endeavour, 2021)•       Faking It: Tears of a Crime — streaming on Discovery+ and HBO Max•       Suzy Lamplugh Trust — National Stalking Helpline (0808 802 0300)•       Domestic abuse support — Refuge (0808 2000 247)Subscribe & followIf you're gripped by The Profiler, with Kerry Daynes, follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. A rating or review takes thirty seconds and genuinely helps new listeners find us.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits•       Presented by Kerry Daynes•       Produced by Shearwater Media•       Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson•       Editing and Music: Rob WarnerContent noteThis episode contains descriptions of stalking, coercive control, and a graphic murder. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you're affected by stalking, contact the Suzy Lamplugh Trust's National Stalking Helpline (0808 802 0300). Support for domestic abuse is available from Refuge (0808 2000 247). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.