Blood Ties Podcast

In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell uncover the terrifying story of Gordon Frederick Cummins, the RAF serviceman who became known as the Blackout Killer.Over just five days in wartime London, Cummins murdered four women and brutally attacked two others while the city lay hidden beneath the enforced blackout of the Blitz.His victims were strangled, and several were shockingly mutilated, crimes so savage they stunned even seasoned detectives.Dubbed the Blackout Ripper and the Wartime Ripper, Cummins preyed on vulnerable women as bombs fell across the capital during the darkest days of the Second World War. Convicted of murdering Evelyn Oatley, he was sentenced to death and hanged at Wandsworth Prison in June 1942, becoming the only murderer in British history executed during an air raid.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell uncover the terrifying story of Gordon Frederick Cummins, the RAF serviceman who became known as the Blackout Killer.Over just five days in wartime London, Cummins murdered four women and brutally attacked two others while the city lay hidden beneath the enforced blackout of the Blitz.His victims were strangled, and several were shockingly mutilated, crimes so savage they stunned even seasoned detectives.Dubbed the Blackout Ripper and the Wartime Ripper, Cummins preyed on vulnerable women as bombs fell across the capital during the darkest days of the Second World War. Convicted of murdering Evelyn Oatley, he was sentenced to death and hanged at Wandsworth Prison in June 1942, becoming the only murderer in British history executed during an air raid.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Part 2 of this Blood Ties special with Geoffrey and Molly Wansell. Confronting one of Britain’s most chilling killers: Dennis Nilsen. Calm, calculated, and hiding in plain sight, he murdered at least twelve young men between 1978 and 1983. Luring victims back to his North London flats, he strangled them, then carried out grotesque rituals, keeping bodies for days, even weeks, before dismembering and disposing of them. It is a story that still shocks.Dubbed the Muswell Hill Murderer, Nilsen was finally caught and convicted at the Old Bailey, sentenced to life, later a whole life term. But the question remains: how did he get away with it for so long?Geoffrey and Molly Wansell dig into the detail, the failures, and the psychology behind the headlines, asking what made Nilsen who he was, and why nobody stopped him sooner.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell investigate the terrifying case of Barry Prudom, the fugitive killer known as the 'Phantom of the Forest'. An electrician turned murderer, Prudom sparked the biggest manhunt in British history after shooting dead PC David Haigh in June 1982.Over the following days, he killed two more men while evading capture across the forests and countryside of northern England. Armed, highly dangerous, and trained in survival techniques linked to the SAS, Prudom stayed one step ahead of police for eighteen days.His ability to disappear into the wilderness shocked the nation and exposed the limits of Britain’s police forces. Geoffrey and Molly unravel the story of the manhunt, the fear that gripped the country, and the extraordinary final pursuit that brought Prudom’s deadly escape to an end.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Blood Ties with Geoffrey and Molly Wansell confronts one of Britain’s most chilling killers: Dennis Nilsen. Calm, calculated, and hiding in plain sight, he murdered at least twelve young men between 1978 and 1983. Luring victims back to his North London flats, he strangled them, then carried out grotesque rituals, keeping bodies for days, even weeks, before dismembering and disposing of them. It is a story that still shocks.Dubbed the Muswell Hill Murderer, Nilsen was finally caught and convicted at the Old Bailey, sentenced to life, later a whole life term. But the question remains: how did he get away with it for so long?Geoffrey and Molly Wansell dig into the detail, the failures, and the psychology behind the headlines, asking what made Nilsen who he was, and why nobody stopped him sooner.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell explore the shocking murder of 12 year old Leo Ross, killed in a seemingly random knife attack on his walk home from school in Birmingham.They examine the disturbing profile of a 14 year old killer who had already carried out violent assaults on vulnerable strangers in the days before the crime. Drawing on court testimony and police insight, the episode unpicks questions of motive, mental health, and missed warning signs.Geoffrey and Molly consider how such a senseless act could happen, and what it reveals about youth violence today. A deeply affecting story, this episode asks whether justice can ever match the scale of loss, and how communities are left to cope in the aftermath of tragedy.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Blood Ties with Geoffrey Wansell and Molly Wansell delves into one of Britain’s most disturbing criminal cases, the story of Joanna Dennehy. Geoffrey and Molly explore how Dennehy carried out a shocking killing spree in 2013, targeting strangers and revelling in violence.Father and daughter bring a unique dynamic, blending journalistic rigour with personal insight as they examine the psychology, motives, and aftermath of the crimes.It is a compelling exploration of evil, accountability, and the lasting impact of violent crime on victims, families, and society. Joanna Dennehy - the UK's third most prolific female serial killer. She was convicted of three murders and two further attempted murders in 2013.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Maria Pearson is Britain’s longest serving female prisoner and one of its most unsettling cases. Dubbed the 'forgotten prisoner', she has spent decades behind bars, yet still refuses to accept responsibility for a brutal murder that shocked the nation.In 1987, driven by jealousy and rage, she stalked and stabbed a young woman 17 times in the street. It was calculated, savage, and final.What followed is just as chilling. Nine parole rejections. Repeated failures to engage with rehabilitation. Allegations of bullying and intimidation inside prison walls. And still, she insists it was self defence.So what keeps someone locked in that mindset for nearly forty years? And should the system ever release a prisoner who will not admit guilt? Geoffrey and Molly Wansell discuss Maria Pearson in this latest episode of Blood Ties.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey