Claim OwnershipAmerican Nightmares
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Description
Every headline hides a deeper story. American Nightmares pulls you into the most unsettling true crime cases—one season, one case at a time. These are the crimes that kept detectives awake, shattered families, and left entire communities on edge.Told through raw interviews, gripping investigative detail, and cinematic storytelling, each season reveals how these nightmares unfolded—and the long road to uncovering the truth. You may think you know the story. You don’t.
Season 4 - 22 Hours: A Second Look
Host Megan Cloherty returns for a new season of American Nightmares. In the upcoming season, we revisit the story that launched the series: a D.C. power couple, their 10-year-old son, and their housekeeper—held hostage for nearly 24 hours before being murdered inside their own home. Now, 10 years after the crime and 6 years since we first told the story, Season 1 returns with all-new content, fresh interviews, and exclusive updates that shed new light on a case that still resonates today.
Season 3 - Unknown Subject
For nearly a decade, he crept in the shadows, attacking women in the middle of the night — and then vanished. The 1998 murder of a brilliant scientist near Georgetown University marked a terrifying escalation. Investigators had DNA linking him to multiple crimes, but for years, he had no name — only the label “Unknown Subject.” This season uncovers the chilling case of the Potomac River Rapist, and the patrol cop who finally cracked it.
Season 2 - Murder in a Safe Place
In a quiet hospital just outside Washington, D.C., a 50-year-old nurse named Sherry Crandell was raped and murdered inside her workplace — a place that was supposed to be safe. With DNA, fingerprints, and even a witness to the crime, police had evidence — but no suspect. This season revisits the cold case that continues to baffle investigators and devastate a family, more than two decades later.
Season 1 - 2 Hours: An American Nightmare
One of the most shocking crimes in modern American history: a prominent couple, their 10-year-old son, and their housekeeper taken hostage and brutally murdered in their Washington, D.C. home. Over the course of 22 horrifying hours, they endured torture and terror before their killers tried to burn the evidence. This award-winning debut season revisits the infamous Mansion Murders, exposing new details and the twisted logic behind a senseless act of violence.
39 Episodes
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This is 22 Hours: A Second Look, where we revisit our original season with host Megan Cloherty. In this episode, Megan is joined by Jack Moore and Julia Ziegler to pull back the curtain on the creation of the original season. They talk about how the show came about, how they turned their daily coverage of the Daron Wint trial into a podcast and discuss the behind the scenes decisions that formed the final product.New episodes drop every Tuesday.Original Episode-Over the 22 hours the victims were taken captive and then killed, the prime suspect goes missing and his normally active Facebook account goes dark. We track Daron Wint's whereabouts during that crucial time. Also in this episode, an introduction to some of the key players in the courtroom: the federal prosecutors who spent years building their case against Wint and the team of public defenders who tried to pin the blame on other suspects. All music featured in "22 Hours: An American Nightmare" is licensed through Creative Commons and/or by permission of the artist. We're grateful to all the artists whose music has helped us tell this story. “Haters Hate” by Ramone Messam, used with permission of the artist; “Procession” by Puddle of Infinity, available in the YouTube Audio Library; “Rhythmic Pulse,” “Marimba on the Loose” and “Closing My Eyes for a Moment” by Daniel Birch, and “Weirder” by Drake Stafford, all licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 International.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is 22 Hours: A Second Look, where we revisit our original season with host Megan Cloherty. In this episode, we share more of Megan's interview with Abbigail Savopoulos, including memories of her mom and dad, and whose decision it was to send her to boarding school—a decision that may have saved her life. She also talks about the moments after learning her childhood home was on fire, and why she says her life became a whirlwind.New episodes drop every Tuesday.Original Episode-The Savopoulos house was held in evidence for weeks as crime scene investigators looked for clues. In the end, five pieces of forensic evidence linked Daron Wint to the killings, including a sliver of his DNA on the crust of a pizza that had been delivered to the house while he held the family captive. But was the forensic evidence a slam dunk? This episode is written and produced by reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. Julia Ziegler is the content adviser.All music featured in "22 Hours: An American Nightmare" is licensed through Creative Commons and/or by permission of the artist. We're grateful to all the artists whose music has helped us tell this story. “Haters Hate” by Ramone Messam, used with permission of the artist; “Procession” by Puddle of Infinity, available in the YouTube Audio Library; “Rhythmic Pulse,” “Marimba on the Loose” and “Closing My Eyes for a Moment” by Daniel Birch, and “Weirder” by Drake Stafford, all licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 International.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is 22 Hours: A Second Look, where we revisit our original season with original host Megan Cloherty. In this episode, Megan talks with Jordan Wallace, the man who initially fell under suspicion and was later cleared of the crime. Jordan was Savvas Savopoulos' assistant. Jordan shares his thoughts and memories of the crime and give an update to where he is now.New episodes will drop every Tuesday.Original Episode-Hours after the victims are taken hostage, a ransom is delivered to the mansion on Woodland Drive. But it doesn’t save the victims -- the calls, text messages and voicemails end, leaving key parts of the timeline unexplained. But after the trial, a new theory emerges explaining how the killer got inside the house. This episode is written and produced by WTOP reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. Julia Ziegler is the content adviser.All music featured in "22 Hours: An American Nightmare" is licensed through Creative Commons and/or by permission of the artist. We're grateful to all the artists whose music has helped us tell this story. “Haters Hate” by Ramone Messam, used with permission of the artist; “Call me” and “Rhythmic Pulse” by Daniel Birch, as well as “Weirder” by Drake Stafford, all licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0); and "Beyond the Lows" by The Whole Other, available in the YouTube Audio Library.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is 22 Hours: A Second Look, where we revisit our original season with original host Megan Cloherty. In this episode, Megan explores what happened to the Savopoulos' mansion. She talks to the private buyer that bought the land and steps foot in the new multi-million dollar home that sits where the Savopoulos home once stood.New episodes will drop every Tuesday.Original Episode-For the Savopoulos family and Vera Figueroa, May 13, 2015, began like any other Wednesday. Then things went terribly wrong. Through phone records, text messages and eyewitnesses, we recreate the timeline of their last 22 hours. This episode is written and produced by WTOP News reporters Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore. WTOP Digital News Director Julia Ziegler is the content adviser. New content written, gathered and produced by Megan Cloherty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to 22 Hours: A Second Look, where we revisit our original season with original host Megan Cloherty. In this episode, Megan shares why we're revisiting the case of the Savopoulos family and their housekeeper and she shares part 1 of her conversation with one of the Savopoulos' surviving daughters.New episodes will drop every Tuesday.Original Episode-It began with a fire. A man driving through an upscale neighborhood in Washington, D.C., in 2015 spotted smoke pouring from one of the homes. It was the first sign something terrible had happened on Woodland Drive. Later, firefighters would discover the bodies of four people inside, including a child.Now in the re-release of the original podcast, listeners will hear a new part one of Megan's interview at the end of the episode with Abigail Savopoulos, the first family member of the victims to speak about the tragedy.New content written, gathered and produced by Megan Cloherty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Host Megan Cloherty returns for a new season of American Nightmares. In the upcoming season, we revisit the story that launched the series: a D.C. power couple, their 10-year-old son, and their housekeeper—held hostage for nearly 24 hours before being murdered inside their own home.Now, 10 years after the crime and 6 years since we first told the story, Season 1 returns with all-new content, fresh interviews, and exclusive updates that shed new light on a case that still resonates today.New episodes drop September 2ndSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
31 years after the Potomac River Rapist attacked his first victim, the detectives who solved the case are telling their story exclusively to WTOP American Nightmare Series Host Paul Wagner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Host Paul Wagner brings listeners a huge update about Giles Warrick that changes the course of...everything.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
When Giles Warrick is questioned by police in the hours after his arrest, the 60-year-old tells them he doesn't know how his DNA turned up at 10 different crime scenes in DC and Maryland. But, what will police find when they search his South Carolina home?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In November 2019, detectives from Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., make their way to Conway, South Carolina, where investigators are certain they will find their "unknown subject." They head to a ranch house on a rural country road where a 60-year-old man is living with his girlfriend. But, what will they find when they knock on the door?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
By 2018, investigators had tired of waiting for another DNA cold hit and decided to hand the case to a cop named 'Smugs.' A young Montgomery County police officer who had already used genealogy to solve several high profile rape and murder cases. Crimes that had stumped detectives for years. Could 'Smugs' be the one to finally give a name to the Unknown Subject?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1As the nineties turned into Y2K Detectives Dean Combee and Joe Mudano were still trying to solve their cases. Years of investigating had gotten them nowhere until the FBI called with stunning news. DNA from all of the attacks had been linked to one man. A fact that floored the veteran investigators who never saw it coming.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In the early to mid nineties, Montgomery County Police Detective Joe Mudano knew he had a ruthless rapist preying on women but he had no idea who he was. DNA linked a number of cases, but a clear description remained elusive. More maddening for Mudano was the fact the Unknown Subject seemed to have inside information. But how?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Seven years before Christine Mirzayan was murdered in Georgetown, a man cut the phone lines to a house miles outside the city and raped a teenage baby sitter. The first in a string of similar attacks spread out over several years. Kelly survived that awful night and in this episode tells her harrowing story. A crime that was nothing like the murder in Georgetown.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In the summer of 1998, a brilliant scientist walking home from a party is grabbed off the street and killed. Her body is found the next day in a wooded area just steps from the Georgetown University campus. It was a gruesome scene. DC Police had no witnesses and no suspects, but they did have a valuable clue: a key piece of evidence the killer left behind.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
For 9 years, he terrorized women across the DC region. Breaking into homes and raping his victims before killing a brilliant scientist near the gates of Georgetown University in 1998. And then, it all stopped. Was he dead? Locked up? Before the FBI would name him the infamous Potomac River Rapist, detectives simply called him their “unknown subject” for years. A man whose DNA linked him to multiple crime scenes, but whose name and face remained a mystery to police. For decades, detectives had no idea who he was until a bike cop named Smugs began connecting the dots.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Part two of host Paul Wagner’s discussion with Tiffany, Darren and Luke Crandell, and Detective Bernie Nelson. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with the team on what it’s like creating a podcast. And Detective Nelson takes us deeper into the world of using genealogy to solve cold cases. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Tiffany, Darren and Luke Crandell join podcast host Paul Wagner and Detective Bernie Nelson to discuss their mother’s case. The conversation was the first time in 23 years all three Crandell siblings were together with the man who has never stopped looking for their mother’s killer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ten months after Prince George's County Police Detective Bernie Nelson began using genealogy to track Sherry Crandell's killer through his relatives - the research continues on a promising family tree.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Prince George's County Police Detective Bernie Nelson turns to genealogy after seeing another Maryland cold case solved after 28 years. Can the murder of Sherry Crandell be solved the same way?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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He should be electrocuted.
haha the host needs to change his smoke detector batteries. That's all I could hear during the intro
Too many ads :(
Loved the reveal of the theme song 👌🏻
Too many ads, the first season was way better. The host sounds like he's dumbing down the information. If you regularly listen to crime podcasts this guy will put you to sleep.
These poor people. You can't help but think Why didn't they make more of an effort to get help? But they were probably thinking that the money would save them, and if they could just get the captors their money, their lives would be saved. NEVER TRUST
Why do you keep referring to Nelly as "he"? Sometimes you even mix up the pronouns in the same sentence: "We wanted to talk to Nelly because of the perspective she has. HE worked for the Savopoulos family for over 25 years." And "Nelly was frantic. HE didn't know why the police weren't telling HER what was going on." It's very clear that you are saying "he" when it should be "she". What's up with that??
I remember this case it was pretty messed up they do a great job on this podcast covering it on all stuff we didn't hear the news
ty for telling this story.
Talk about dedication to your job. Witnesses a murder and just goes right back to work.
This is a great pobcast!
ugghh.. i remember Sherrys case so well. My mother was a nurse in Dimensions HC with her. 😭
He stripped away everything those families knew. I also for for Daron's family. Just because he made horrible choices does not mean his family should be mocked or punished. What a terrible crime! Those letters from the daughters really got me tearing up.
My heart goes out to all of the families. Bless Vera for trying to fight back!
The security company are hopeless
What a horrible tragedy! I did not know of this case, and was shocked by the brutality, and my heart goes out to all who lost their loved ones. I personally thought the story was told with redundancy, chopped and not smoothly pieced together. Reason being it went on and on and on. I would have found a way to choose carefully what details should be touched on and others to dive into. Could have been told in 3 episodes, and I thought the one where you all just sit around and pat each other on the back then recite how you felt about the case was inappropriate and unnecessary.
Forget the ads; I cannot stand her narration. Her 'falling' intonation, speedy reading, and unnecessary details have me so close to just giving up on this story.
Her lisp is maddening, shouldn't be recording podcasts.
Frustrating to listen to this episode... horrible editing..🤬👎👎👎👎👎👎
Why do so many people complain about ads? Do y’all not know there is a fast forward button? Never listen to ads!