Killer Genes

Determined: Life Without Free Will (What That Means for Criminals)

If every choice you’ve ever made was never yours what does that mean for guilt, justice, or redemption? From the moment of conception to prenatal stress, genes, and early environment, each begin shaping who we become. Neuroscientist Dr. Robert Sapolsky explains why we have no free will, why testosterone doesn’t cause aggression, how our biology and upbringing script our behaviors long before we act—and why the concept of free will may be nothing more than a comforting illusion. It will put into question everything we believe about punishment and morality. If no one truly chooses their actions, how should society deal with criminals? Is there room for compassion within accountability when biology writes the story of our lives? This conversation challenges the foundation of justice itself—and asks whether understanding could one day replace blame. Stanford neuroscientist and bestselling author Dr. Robert Sapolsky breaks down the science behind his book Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will.

Before the Suitcase: 86 Calls for Help | Heather Mack Story

Sheila von Wiese-Mack called the police eighty-six times before her daughter killed her. Each time, it was a cry from inside a house where love had turned into fear. Months later after the last call to police, Heather Mack, would fly with her mother to Bali for what was supposed to be a healing trip—and end it with a body in a suitcase, a pre-meditated plot with her boyfriend. The couple had a secret, one that would spare the teenager the death penalty.  This episode unravels the years of control, violence, and silence that led to one of the most shocking mother–daughter murders in recent memory. From Oak Park, Illinois to a luxury hotel in Bali, “Before the Suitcase: 86 Calls for Help” exposes how a bond meant to protect became the one that destroyed them both, plus Heather Mack's video confessions from prison she posted to YouTube. 

Toxic Delusion: The Murder of Sophie Lionnet

A young French au pair came to London chasing language lessons and adventure—then vanished into the twisted paranoia of the couple who employed her. When neighbors saw black smoke rising from a garden, firefighters uncovered a horror so bizarre it defied belief. This episode unravels how a shared delusion, jealousy, and control turned a home into a torture chamber, exposing the dark psychology behind folie à deux and the cracks in the system that failed Sophie Lionnet. 

Double Murder in Cranford: The Teen, the Stream, the Motive

Did a teen gamer plot to kill the girl he was stalking? In the quiet town of Cranford, New Jersey, a Monday evening turns tragic when a speeding SUV slams into two 17-year-old best friends on E-bikes— Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas — killing them both. The driver, 17-year-old Vincent Battiloro, wasn’t just any teen. He was a gamer with a large online following — and in his own livestreams, he’d ranted about Maria, mocked her family, and hinted at revenge.  This episode features transcripts from those live-streams, now key evidence in a case that’s stunned a community and raised a haunting question: Was this an accident — or a premeditated double murder? #truecrime #truecrimestories 

Furry Murders & The Fitness Model Death Update | True Crime

In 2016, a six-year-old’s 911 call led police to a grisly triple homicide in Fullerton, California. Jennifer and Christopher Yost, along with a family friend, were gunned down in their own home. The killers weren’t strangers — they were tied to the Yosts’ teenage daughter through the “furry” community, and what began as a forbidden romance spiraled into an unthinkable plot. Plus an update in the fitness model death case out of Harlem, New York: a model and influencer has been indicted after a series of domestic violence calls turned deadly.  #truecrime #truecrimestories