American Nightmares

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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 5 - Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society CultIt looked like a quiet small-town neighborhood, defined by manicured lawns and flower gardens. But behind the façade, more than a hundred residents were part of the Zion Society, a secretive cult that hoarded weapons and groomed children for sexual abuse under the control of an unassuming, soft-spoken leader. When a young woman escaped and went to authorities, the truth finally began to unravel.Season 4 - 22 Hours: A Second LookHost 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 SubjectFor 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 PlaceIn 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 NightmareOne 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.

Episode List

NEW SEASON S5 E1 - What Lies Beneath

Feb 3rd, 2026 7:00 AM

Welcome to a new season of American Nightmares!A pristine neighborhood in Ogden, Utah hides something rotten. When a couple moves into Northwood subdivision in 1981, they’re welcomed with free landscaping, shared supplies, and a sense of family - until the community’s leader, Arvin Shreeve, reveals a secret doctrine of polygamy and sexual manipulation.Nearly a decade later, on July 9, 1991, a woman walks into the Weber County Attorney’s Office and confesses to detective Mike King that she was part of the Zion Society, a cult she says was abusing children.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

S2 E10 - Answered Prayers

Jan 14th, 2026 10:00 AM

He was known as the Terror of East Baltimore who wrote poetry and went to readings.A convicted criminal at 15 who started a prison riot. That's just a some of what we've learned about Edward Watts/Baari Shabazz — the man police say is responsible for the 1998 murder of Sherry Crandell. A man Sherry's oldest son calls a monster.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

S2 E9 - Needle in a Haystack

Jan 13th, 2026 10:00 AM

How did a 2012 murder in Baltimore, a name from an obituary, and DNA entered into an ancestry database lead to solving the 1998 murder of Sherry Crandell? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paul Wagner sits down with Mike King to discuss the Sherry Crandell case

Dec 23rd, 2025 7:00 AM

In this bonus episode, Mike King (American Nightmares: Garden of Evil, Season 5 - Coming Feb 3) sits down with investigative journalist Paul Wagner (American Nightmares: Murder in a Safe Place, Season 2) to revisit the Sherry Crandell case — and to unpack the long road that led to justice.Together, they break down the original investigation, the controversial hospital-wide DNA dragnet, and the relentless efforts of a retired detective who refused to let Sherry’s case fade into obscurity. The conversation also explores how Wagner’s reporting helped keep pressure on the case when leads ran dry and answers seemed impossible.Most importantly, they examine the 2025 breakthrough that finally identified Edward Barry Watts — also known as Baari Shabazz — as Sherry Crandell’s killer through investigative genetic genealogy. Paul and Mike discuss what this moment means for Sherry’s family, the ethical questions surrounding genetic genealogy, and the growing power of this technology to solve violent crimes once thought unsolvable.#ProfilingEvil #MurderInASafePlace #AmericanNightmares #SherryCrandell #PrinceGeorgesHospital #CheverlyMaryland #ColdCase #GeneticGenealogy #BaariShabazz #EdwardWatts #BernieNelson #FBI #HospitalMurder #VictimJustice #TrueCrimePodcast #InvestigativeJournalism See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Introducing Profiling Evil: Summer Wells Abducted, Murdered, or an Accident?

Dec 19th, 2025 7:00 AM

Welcome back for Day 3 of our special preview of Profiling Evil, hosted by Mike King.In this episode, we dive deep into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of 5-year-old Summer Wells. Was she abducted, did she suffer a tragic accident, or could there be foul play involved? We examine the various theories, possible suspects, and the heartbreaking question: Could Summer still be alive, just waiting to be found like other children who have reappeared decades later? Join us as we look into this unsolved case, and ask the difficult questions surrounding her fate. #SummerWells #TrueCrime #MissingChildren #UnsolvedMysteries #Abduction #TrueCrimeCommunity #FindSummerWells #ColdCases #TrueCrimeTheories #JusticeForSummerWells 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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