Patterns & Rituals

This episode contains information about crimes against children and sexual assault that some listeners may find disturbing. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode, I sit down with Forensic Psychologist, Dr. Samantha Stein, to talk about her new book, Evil at Our Table: Inside the Minds of the Monsters Who Live Among Us.  It’s a fascinating memoir about her work evaluating sexual offenders under California’s Sexually Violent Predator Act.  During our conversation, we discuss deviant human sexuality, the psychology of sexually violent predators, and the complexities of their rehabilitation. All the names used in her memoir have been changed to respect patient confidentiality.  Link to Dr. Stein’s Book: Evil at Our Table: Inside the Minds of the Monsters Who Live Among Us: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/evil-at-our-table-samantha-stein/1146607392If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault and needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at: 1-800-656-HOPE or list RAINN.org for confidential 24/7 assistance.  

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Bill Kimberlin, criminal psychologist, death penalty expert, and author of Watch Me Die: Last Words from Death Row, for a look inside one of America’s most secretive systems. We talk about the ethics and conditions of life on death row, explore his correspondence and the artwork he’s received from some of the nation’s most infamous inmates, including Charles Ng, Scott Peterson, and Dennis Rader (BTK). We also unpack the psychological, moral, and procedural flaws within the death penalty itself. This conversation covers everything from a Halloween card sent to Dr. Kimberlin from Scott Peterson, to justice system reform and prison execution methods. We thank Dr. Kimberlin again for coming on the show and encourage listeners to check out his book (linked below) for further reading. We look forward to having him back on the show again sometime soon.Watch Me Die by Dr. Bill Kimberlin:https://www.amazon.com/Watch-Die-Dr-Bill-Kimberlin/dp/1944680268

In Portland, a series of mysterious deaths exposed a chilling pattern of women gone missing and found murdered. Investigators soon focused on Jesse Lee Calhoun, a convicted felon released early from prison, whose case now questions how the system failed to stop the killings.  If anyone has information about this case, please contact Detective Jeff Pontius at Jeffery.Pontius@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0433, or Detective Steve Gandy at Stephen.Gandy@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0449 and reference case number 23-804445.

In the summer of 1985, the arrest of Leonard Lake led investigators to a remote property in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Buried around the bunker, were six shallow graves containing the remains of their victims. Police unearthed two VHS videotapes and Lake’s handwritten journal which detailed the torture and murders he carried out with his accomplice, Charles Ng. Together, they formed one of the most chilling serial killer duos in California’s history.If you have any information on these crimes, please contact the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office: (209) 754-6500