Monster Presents: Insomniac

For over 20 years, Ken Tekiela was a celebrated firefighter, husband, and father of two —but he led a secret, double life as a hitman for the Chicago mob. When the truth came out, it destroyed his family. Now, his son Kyle, host of Crook County, is left to pick up the pieces. Crook County is the shocking true crime podcast about Kenny “The Kid” Tekiela’s rise through the ranks of the legendary organized crime syndicate, the Chicago Outfit, and the lasting impact this has on a family. From iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV, welcome to Crook County. Follow the show here. To binge the full season, subscribe to Tenderfoot+. Click here for more details: https://tenderfoot.tv/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 11 February 2025

January 1974. Four members of a family are killed in their home in Wichita, Kansas. Investigators are mystified. Nothing like this has ever happened before in Wichita. Little did they know, this was just the beginning.  The first two episodes are available now. For an ad-free binge experience subscribe to iHeart True Crime+.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 15 January 2025

‘Monster: BTK’, the newest installment in the ‘Monster’ franchise, reveals the true story of the Wichita, Kansas serial killer who murdered at least 10 people between 1974 and 1991. Known by the moniker, BTK – Bind Torture Kill, his notoriety was bolstered by the taunting letters he sent to police, and the chilling phone calls he made to media outlets. BTK’s identity was finally revealed in 2005 to the shock of his family, his community, and the world. He was the serial killer next door. The first two episodes are available on January 13th here. For an ad-free binge experience subscribe to iHeart True Crime+.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 7 January 2025

Up and Vanished: In The Midnight Sun is Part 2 is here! Payne has spent the last year in Nome, Alaska, investigating the case of Native Alaskan Florence Okpealuk, who went missing in 2020. This case is unlike any other he has covered and has taken him all the way to the Arctic Circle and back. After combing through tips and new leads, Payne is now back with new episodes to take us deep into what he has uncovered in Florence’s case. And that is not the only case he has uncovered in the small town of Nome. Listen to Up and Vanished: In The Midnight SunSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 28 August 2024

Host Neil Strauss (Rolling Stone, The New York Times) brings listeners on a journey through the dark world of Russian Sexpionage where, for the first time, a professed “sex spy” tells her story. From the creators of the hit podcast To Live and Die in LA, this is To Die For. Binge all 8 episodes now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2024

Hi, Insomniac fans! Listen to Paper Ghosts Season 4 hosted by M. William Phelps! It’s the dead of summer, 1989, in the heart of the Ozarks. An 18-year-old woman goes missing from Bella Vista, Arkansas. As the search moves forward, several suspects emerge. Then… a body is found not far from the Missouri border, and a homicide investigation begins. Tune in to this top-tier true crime story, but don't just take our word for it, check out the trailer to decide for yourself! Show Description: It’s the dead of summer, 1989, in the heart of the Ozarks. An 18-year-old woman goes missing from Bella Vista, Arkansas. As the search moves forward, several suspects emerge. Then… a body is found not far from the Missouri border, and a homicide investigation begins. Soon, a second body is discovered nearby. What was a mystery transforms into the hunt for a possible serial killer stalking young women throughout the Ozarks. M. William Phelps digs in nearly 35 years later and begins to understand that things aren’t always what they seem. Listen to Paper Ghosts on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 21 February 2024

Hi, Monster fans! Check out the self-taught detective, who for 20 years was the go-to guy for the US Department of Justice to reunite unclaimed and unidentified dead bodies with their loved ones. In this ten-episode narrative series, Todd Matthews tells the story of a family torn apart by tragedy and his quest to bring them back together. Hello, John Doe is a winding, poignant tale that explores what it means to be lost and found. About Hello, John Doe: At age 45, Steve Patterson made a shocking online discovery: his own missing person’s page. Desperate to uncover why he had been included on the list, Steve called Todd Matthews, a missing persons investigator, in search of answers. Together, Todd and Steve discover a sordid family past that includes long-lost relatives, kidnappings, and murders. It turns out that Steve was presumed dead because, around the time he was born, his biological mother had married a serial killer who tore their family apart. Along the way, Steve would have to make sense of a personal story with more twists and turns than he’d ever imagined. In this ten-episode narrative series, Todd Matthews, an amateur sleuth from Tennessee, tells the story of a family torn apart by tragedy and his quest to bring them back together. From Revelations Entertainment, First and Last Productions, and Neon Hum Media, "Hello John Doe" is a winding, poignant tale that explores what it means to be lost and found. Listen to Hello, John Doe now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 10 February 2024

Who is responsible for two deaths hours after Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta? An altercation outside of a nightclub left two men stabbed to death in the street. The prime suspect, Baltimore Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis. New evidence emerges in one of the most infamous crimes in sports history. Football, murder, and the man in the middle... from the producers of 'Atlanta Monster', 'Monster: DC Sniper', and 'Freeway Phantom', this is ‘The Raven’. Use this link to find 'The Raven' and follow the show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 12 January 2024

Twenty-two-year-old Elma Sands is found murdered in a Manhattan well on January 2, 1800. Her lover, wealthy and well-connected Levi Weeks, is accused of the barbaric offense. Weeks brings in the nation’s best legal defense team – none other than Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr – to clear his name while a pandemic-stricken New York City buzzes with scandal. This six-episode true story unfolds over the unbelievable two-day trial that laid the sexist roots of today’s justice system. Through flashbacks and testimony recreated in modernized language and narrated by Allison Flom, Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands investigates history’s chronic erasure of women and highlights the toils of Catherine Ring, a 27-year-old Quaker woman who took on the nation’s best legal team to preserve her cousin Elma’s name. Starring & executive produced by Allison Williams (Get Out, Girls) as Catherine Ring, Tony Goldwyn (Scandal, Ghost) as Alexander Hamilton, Barry Scheck (Innocence Project founder) as Aaron Burr and Jason Flom (Wrongful Conviction) as Judge John Lansing. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 19 October 2023

Hi, Insomniac fans! Listen to Unrestorable hosted by Beth Karas and Sarah Treleaven! A new Truecrime podcast that takes us into the wild murder trial of Catherine Hoggle. Catherine has been found not competent to stand trial for the 2014 murders of her children. On the verge of release, is it possible she’s been faking it all along?. Don't just take our word for it, check out the trailer to decide for yourself! Listen to Unrestorable on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 4 October 2023

One July night in 1995, Deputy Sheriff William G. Hardy was shot behind the Crown Sterling Suites hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. At the same time as the murder, at least 10 people saw Toforest Johnson four miles away at a popular nightclub called Tee's Place. But detectives zeroed in on him as a main suspect in Deputy Hardy’s murder anyway, ultimately resulting in Toforest being tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. For over a quarter century, Toforest has been confined to a 5’ by 8’ cell on Alabama’s death row. In 2019, investigative journalist Beth Shelburne began covering the case, going down a disturbing rabbit hole revealing many unsettling facts that cast grave doubts about Toforest’s guilt. The facts she found tear at the very foundation of the American criminal justice system: No eyewitnesses or physical evidence tied Toforest to the murder; the state tried to convict a different man for the same crime; and perhaps most disturbing of all, Toforest’s conviction relied on an "earwitness" – a woman who claimed to have eavesdropped on an incriminating phone call, a woman whom prosecutors paid for her testimony, in secret. That payment was not disclosed to the jury, Toforest, or his lawyers until after he had been on death row for 17 years. From the team behind the award-winning hit podcast Bone Valley, Lava for Good’s Earwitness is an eight-episode docuseries that asks the question, “How did an innocent man end up on death row — and why is the state still trying to execute him over the objection of the prosecutor who put him there?” Shelburne’s unprecedented access to key players—the lead detective, lead prosecutor, witnesses, jurors, and the earwitness herself—illuminate a story filled with disturbing twists, frustrating ambiguities, and shocking admissions. The story of Toforest Johnson and the state's enthusiasm for the death penalty in the face of such troubling evidentiary flaws brings to light the failings of a criminal justice system run amok. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 19 September 2023

When 26-year-old Andrew Thomas Wall was found dead in his apartment from an apparent drug overdose, his friends and family were devastated. But after noticing that all of his valuables were missing, including his car, they grew suspicious of the individuals he was known to be with in the days leading up to his death.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 8 September 2023

Miles and the team learn how Vassilis and his gang pulled off the biggest bank robbery in Greek history without firing a single shot. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2023

Miles and the team learn how Vassilis and his gang pulled off the biggest bank robbery in Greek history without firing a single shot. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2023

It’s 1995 and Carole Fisher is a high-flying divorcee looking for love in Las Vegas. It’s slim pickings in the medical community she works in. But then Bob comes to town. Bob Bierenbaum is a plastic surgeon who flies planes and speaks several languages. Her mom loves that he’s Jewish - but there’s something off about him. He’s perfect on paper but he’s quick to anger and he never talks about his ex-wife. Who, it turns out, is missing and presumed dead. After Carole and Bob break up she tells her friend Mindy all about Bob’s wife and his bizarre behavior. You see, Mindy dated Bob too, in fact a lot of women in Vegas dated Bob and they all have their own strange stories to tell. Before too long they form a club dedicated to bitching about Bob, eating noodles and figuring out what happened to his wife, Gail. In this riveting nine part series, Carole Fisher uncovers the truth of Gail Katz’s death, the systems that failed her and all the girlfriends that brought her justice. Listen to The Girlfriends on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-girlfriends-118226591/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2023

A coup in Haiti empowers a new paramilitary squad, bold enough to face down the U.S. military. In Miami, the black book resurfaces – and the killings continue. ​​Available to all on May 18, 2023. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 18 May 2023

Hi, Insomniac fans! We're excited about the newest TenderfootTV podcast, Freeway Phantom. Since you enjoyed our show, we think you won't want to miss this important story. You don't have to only take our word for it, though. Check out the trailer to decide if Freeway Phantom is your next true-crime obsession! Show Description: Between 1971 and 1972, six black girls went missing in the Washington D.C. area. Their bodies were discarded alongside DC freeways. And their killer was never found. The media dubbed him “The Freeway Phantom.” From iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV, a new podcast reinvestigates the 50-year-old unsolved murders of these young girls. Journalist and Public Radio veteran Celeste Headlee (NPR, PBS, TEDx) examines old case files and interviews the investigators and family members who are still haunted by these killings. Headlee will ask the questions: Why didn’t these murders make the news headlines? Did law enforcement do enough to solve these crimes? And how do racial disparities impact these types of investigations, past and present? Plus, we’ll explore new evidence which may crack the cold case wide open again. Listen to Freeway Phantom on the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 17 May 2023

When music promoter and DJ Jean-Claude Olivier is shot outside a club in Miami, Little Haiti wonders – how much further is this going to go? Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 27 April 2023

When music promoter and DJ Jean-Claude Olivier is shot outside a club in Miami, Little Haiti wonders – how much further is this going to go? Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 27 April 2023

Hi, Insomniac fans! Did you know that Facing Evil is back with new episodes? Well, it's true, and we think you'll want to hear the new deep dives and discussions. Check out this trailer for a sneak peek into what you'll hear this season. About Facing Evil: Back in 2019, sisters Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile revealed the true story of their dark family history in the hit podcast Root of Evil. Now, Pecoraro and Gentile are back with Facing Evil, a new weekly true crime show which focuses on different but equally resonant stories. Listen to new episodes of Facing Evil now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 25 February 2023

Hey Insomniac listeners! The newest season of another true crime pod, Paper Ghosts, is live. Go check out the beginning of Season 3!” About Paper Ghosts: When a young college student’s car was found stranded on the side of a busy midwest highway in 1992, police figured it was a runaway case. Nine days later, she was found brutally murdered, nearly 500 miles away. In season 3 of PAPER GHOSTS, investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling true crime author M. William Phelps digs deep into the murder of Tammy Jo Zywicki and uncovers a murky police investigation, a potential pool of new suspects, and a community of people desperate for answers 30 years later. Listen to Paper Ghosts on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 1 February 2023

Dean Corll was one of the deadliest killers in history. But it wasn’t the cops who brought him down. It was his own accomplice.

Transcribed - Published: 20 August 2019

Dean Corll liked to give free candy to the kids, especially the young boys, and he loved throwing parties for the teens. So why was he often seen digging at night near the candy shop?

Transcribed - Published: 13 August 2019

Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins Jr. successfully committed one of the most audacious and brutal attacks ever attempted while on death row – and he did it from the confines of his own cell.

Transcribed - Published: 6 August 2019

From the start, Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins Jr. lived a life of crime. Between prison and parole, Pee Wee learned that, if he didn’t want to be the victim, he’d have to kill his way to the top.

Transcribed - Published: 30 July 2019

Stephen McDaniel thought he could outsmart the authorities. But this law school student accidentally told on himself... and it was all caught on camera.

Transcribed - Published: 23 July 2019

Stephen McDaniel had a crush on his next door neighbor. But this isn’t a love story.

Transcribed - Published: 16 July 2019

It's been 15 years since Arthur Shawcross committed his last murder. Now that he’s out of prison, not only has his appearance changed, so have his victims.

Transcribed - Published: 9 July 2019

Arthur Shawcross was paroled after less than 15 years in prison.

Transcribed - Published: 2 July 2019

Herb Baumeister was spiraling out of control, and the wall that kept his two lives separate was beginning to crumble.

Transcribed - Published: 27 June 2019

Herb Baumeister spent his days as a father, a husband, and a businessman. But at night, he committed murderous acts in front of an audience that could never tell a soul.

Transcribed - Published: 27 June 2019

What happens when you immerse yourself in true crime, night after night, digging deeper into the lives of serial killers? What are the consequences to a person's psyche? From iHeartRadio and TenderfootTV comes a new podcast about twisted serial killers and one man's journey through their stories.

Transcribed - Published: 20 June 2019