Hello readers! I’m Jill from PodcastMind and I’m a new contributor to Discover Pods! I can’t wait to share the best podcasts with you, so let’s start now, shall we?

If you’ve had a long day and you want to unwind, what better way to do that then going for an evening stroll with your earbuds in, listening to one of your favorite podcasts? Relaxing, right? Unless, that is, your favorite podcasts happen to be terrifying tales of violence in the true crime podcast genre. If that’s the case, skip the walk and draw your curtains, turn on your home security system, and most importantly, lock your door… and enjoy these podcast episodes that have been hand-picked for you!

The Minds of Madness – #14 & #15 Derrick Bird: “Ordinary people who do unthinkable things.” That’s the motto of this podcast, where many of the crimes feature the unfolding events of people who have snapped. This was the case in Cumbria, England in June of 2010. Derrick Bird, a  taxi driver in Whitehaven, went on a 8 hour shooting rampage with a rifle. This event is now known as one of worst mass shootings in UK history, and the motivation behind the offender’s actions are unknown. These episodes are an immersive deep dive into the facts and events of the case that you’ll find yourself completely captivated by.

Serial Killers – #60 & #61 The Boston Strangler: I personally am a pretty big fan of several of the Parcast podcasts, and Serial Killers definitely ranks high on my list. These episodes take a psychological look into the life of Albert DeSalvo, the man who admitted to – but was never convicted of – being The Boston Strangler. We should feel the safest when we’re in our homes, shouldn’t we? What if someone were to take advantage of our false sense of security and perception that service people should be trusted? We frequently find ourselves opening the door to strangers, whether they claim to be in sales or maintenance, or if they’re asking us for help.  From 1962 to 1964, Albert DeSalvo took advantage of this trust, when women who let him inside their homes became known as victims of The Boston Strangler.

In Sight – #18 The Wolf Family: In Sight is a narrative storytelling true crime podcast that discusses  true crime cases that are often times historical or unsolved.  In April of 1920, a farm around Turtle Lake, North Dakota became a horrific murder scene, where seven of eight family members and a farm hand were found dead by neighbors. This sparked a manhunt for the killer, and several weeks following the murders, a suspect signs a confession, later changing his story and claiming he was pressured and intimidated by investigators. I found this episode so disturbing, because once again, that sense of security in your family home is stolen away and almost an entire family is wiped out, seemingly without any real motivations for the crimes.

Canadian True Crime – #11 Shell Lake Massacre: This case hits pretty close to home for me, which is one of the reasons I find it so shocking. Shell Lake, Saskatchewan is little more then an hour from where I grew up, and the communities in the surrounding area are generally described as quiet and family friendly. However in 1967, this small community became a scene of tragedy, and is known as Saskatchewan’s worst mass murder. I found this episode to be gripping, as it follows the state of mind and actions of killer Victor Hoffman, who was previously diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had been released from a mental facility just weeks before the murders. If you’re new to this podcast, I’d say that this is a fascinating episode to start with.

Want to chat about these episodes? You can find me on Facebook or Twitter, or you can come join the PodcastMind Community and talk about all of your favorite podcasts!

Until next time my friends,

Jill D