In December 2015, 41-year-old Paula Poolton was found dead inside her Teesside home. At first glance, it appeared to be a tragic suicide — a woman alone, struggling, and overlooked. But as investigators took a closer look, unsettling details began to emerge. The scene didn’t quite add up. Witness statements conflicted. And questions lingered about who had really been with Paula in her final hours.

In this episode of Terrified, we unravel the disturbing circumstances surrounding Paula Poolton’s death — a case marked by missed warning signs, shifting stories, and a justice system slow to react. Was this a woman failed by those meant to protect her, or something far more sinister?

Listener discretion is advised.

#truecrime

#truecrimepodcast

In February 1993, the UK was shaken by a crime that would change the way the country viewed youth violence, criminal responsibility, and the justice system forever.

Two-year-old James Bulger was abducted from a shopping centre in Bootle, England. What followed was a case so disturbing, so complex, and so emotionally charged that its impact is still felt decades later.

In this episode, we examine the events of that day, the investigation that followed, and the unprecedented trial that gripped the nation. We explore how the crime unfolded, how the offenders were identified, and the legal, ethical, and societal questions raised by a case involving perpetrators who were children themselves.

This episode focuses on the facts, the context, and the lasting consequences — not sensationalism. Listener discretion is advised.

#truecrime

#truecrimepodcast

In February 2020, Scott Sessions — a well-known and well-loved musician in Colorado’s Western Slope — vanished without a trace.

Scott was 56 years old, deeply rooted in his community, and still chasing music with the passion of someone half his age. Friends described him as reliable, gentle, and predictable. So when he stopped answering calls, failed to show up for work, and seemingly disappeared from his home during a brutal winter storm, alarm bells rang immediately.

Just days earlier, Scott had begun seeing a woman he met through his music — Heather Frank — who had recently separated from her long-term boyfriend. As investigators worked to piece together Scott’s final movements, a snow plow driver would make a chilling discovery that turned a missing persons case into a homicide investigation.

With suspicion quickly falling on Scott’s new romantic connection and her ex, police would uncover a story involving jealousy, deception, and a deadly night hidden beneath fresh snow.

This is the unsettling story of Scott Sessions — and the secrets buried with him.

#truecrime

#truecrimepodcast

On January 8th, 2011, a quiet supermarket car park in Tucson, Arizona became the epicentre of one of America’s most shocking political attacks. When 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner opened fire at a community event hosted by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the chaos lasted only seconds — but the impact would echo for years. In this episode of TERRIFIED, we break down the moments leading up to the shooting, the horrifying 15-second rampage, the heroes who intervened, and the chilling descent of a young man into violent delusion. A disturbing, raw, and deeply human look at a tragedy that changed the landscape of American politics forever.

#truecrime

#truecrimepodcast

Terrified revisits the 1999 London nail bombings — three attacks that shook Brixton, Brick Lane, and Soho. We explore the bomber’s path to extremism, the frantic hunt to stop him, and the lasting trauma left behind. A brief but chilling look at how one man’s hatred scarred a city.

On New Year’s Day 2003, 21-year-old Rachel Moran vanished without a trace — and within hours, Ireland would witness one of the most controversial police operations in its history. Chief Superintendent Paul Davison ordered a sweeping, house-to-house search unlike anything the town had ever seen, drawing global media attention and igniting debate over policing, privacy, and desperation. In this episode of Terrified, we unravel the mysterious disappearance, the radical investigation that followed, and the haunting questions that remain unanswered.

#truecrime

#truecrimepodcast

On a quiet summer evening in 2002, two inseparable friends—Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman—walked out of their home in the small village of Soham…and were never seen alive again.
What happened in the hours that followed would ignite one of the most intense and emotionally charged investigations the UK has ever witnessed.

In this episode of Terrified Podcast, we peel back the layers of a case that unsettled an entire nation. A peaceful town. Two vanished children. A hunt for answers that grew darker with every passing hour.

We explore:

• The eerie calm of the village before the girls disappeared

• The timeline that puzzled investigators and terrified the public

• Strange behaviours, conflicting accounts, and early clues that didn’t add up

• The overwhelming manhunt that brought national attention to Soham

• The chilling sense that the truth was much closer than anyone wanted to believe

This is a slow-burning, atmospheric descent into a mystery that gripped millions—a story of innocence stolen, a community shaken, and a nation left asking how something so unthinkable could happen in a place so ordinary.

🔔 Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses the disappearance of children.

#truecrime

#truecrimepodcast

#realcrime

On April 20th, 1999, two students walked into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado — armed, angry, and ready to make history for all the wrong reasons.
What followed became one of the darkest days in American history: a massacre that shocked the world, changed schools forever, and marked the dawn of a new kind of fear.

In this episode of Terrified, we revisit the Columbine High School massacre — not for shock value, but to understand how two teenagers turned into killers, how a community tried to heal, and how the tragedy reshaped conversations around violence, mental health, and media influence.

Through survivor accounts, police reports, and the cultural aftermath, we trace the timeline of that horrific day — from the first gunshots in the cafeteria to the haunting silence that followed.
Columbine wasn’t the first school shooting. But it was the one that made the world stop and ask why?

This is Terrified: The Columbine Massacre — The Day Innocence Died.

#truecrime

#realcrime

#truecrimepodcast

In the remote desert of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, police uncovered what would later be called “the Toy Box” — a soundproofed trailer filled with instruments of torture, videotapes, and nightmares made real. Inside, David Parker Ray recorded his victims, narrating their suffering in chilling, clinical detail. For years, he operated undetected, hiding in plain sight while dozens disappeared. In this episode, Terrified unpacks the story of the man who built a torture chamber in the desert, the survivors who escaped his grip, and the dark question that still lingers: how many victims were never found?#truecrime

#truecrimepodcast

In July 2010, former doorman and tree-surgeon Raoul Moat fired a shotgun at his former partner and her new boyfriend, then shot an unarmed police officer, triggering one of the largest manhunts in UK history. This episode of “Terrified” takes you inside that week of fear, the victims’ voices, the police response, and the broader questions it left behind.

He prowled the streets of West London, waiting at bus stops for young women who would never make it home. Levi Bellfield – charming on the surface, monstrous underneath – became one of Britain’s most cold-blooded predators. From the murders of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amélie Delagrange to the shocking manipulations that continued long after his arrest, Bellfield’s story is a chilling portrait of control, violence, and deceit.

In this episode of Terrified, we dive into the psyche of the so-called “Bus Stop Killer” — a man who turned the mundane act of catching a bus into a moment of mortal danger. Was he born to kill, or did something in his life twist him beyond repair?

#truecrime

#realcrime

#crimepodcast

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a quiet computer technician named Sean Vincent Gillis lived a double life. By day, he was polite, soft-spoken, and devoted to his long-time girlfriend. By night, he stalked the streets — hunting, killing, and mutilating women for nearly a decade. How did an ordinary man become one of Louisiana’s most depraved serial killers? In this episode of Terrified, we explore the disturbing psychology and hidden compulsions that drove Gillis to kill.

#truecrime

#crime

#realcrime

Chris Halliwell seemed like an ordinary taxi driver, but behind the wheel he was leading a double life as a meticulous and calculating killer. When police finally closed in, Halliwell went to disturbing lengths to mislead investigators, using deception and manipulation to cover his tracks. In this episode, we uncover how he lured his victims, the chilling methods he used to hide his crimes, and the shocking detail that revealed just how far he was willing to go to evade justice.

#truecrime

#realcrime

#crimepodcast

In the 1990s, sex workers across Britain were being hunted. Their bodies were turning up in remote fields, their murders seemingly unconnected. But behind the wheel of a car criss-crossing the Midlands was a predator hiding in plain sight: Alun Kyte. Nicknamed The Midlands Ripper, Kyte was eventually convicted of two brutal killings—yet detectives believe his trail of violence stretches far wider, linking him to a chilling catalogue of unsolved murders and assaults. In this episode of Terrified, we unravel the story of a man who exploited the vulnerable, evaded capture, and left detectives fearing just how many victims he really claimed.

#truecrime

#crime

#terrified

#realcrime

In the quiet farmland of Plainfield, Wisconsin, the world’s most notorious grave robber lived in plain sight. Ed Gein’s twisted crimes—stealing corpses, crafting human trophies, and ultimately committing murder—shocked America and inspired some of horror’s most chilling villains, from Norman Bates to Leatherface.

In this episode of Terrified, we peel back the layers of Gein’s gruesome legacy: his disturbing relationship with his mother, the macabre discoveries inside his farmhouse, and how his crimes continue to haunt pop culture decades later.

Prepare yourself—this one isn’t for the faint of heart.

#truecrime

#edgein

Mackenzie Lueck was just 23 years old and starting her life while attending the University of Utah in 2019. Then, one day, everything changed when she was reported missing. Police and investigators worked tirelessly to locate Lueck.

#truecrime

#realcrimepodcast

On October 1st, 1993, twelve-year-old Polly Klaas was kidnapped at knifepoint from her own bedroom during a slumber party in Petaluma, California. The case sparked a nationwide search, with thousands of volunteers joining the effort to bring her home. Tragically, the search ended in heartbreak when Polly’s body was discovered months later.

Her murder not only devastated her family and community but also led to significant changes in child safety laws, including the “three strikes” sentencing law in California.

In this episode, we revisit the abduction and murder of Polly Klaas—examining the chilling details of the crime, the investigation that followed, and the legacy she left behind. This is the story of a young girl whose life was stolen, but whose memory reshaped the way America responds to crimes against children.

#truecrime

#terrified

In the late 1970s, America’s most charming monster was hiding in plain sight. Rodney Alcala was handsome, intelligent, and even appeared on national television as the winning contestant on The Dating Game. But behind the smile was a sadistic serial killer who lured victims with promises of photography, then subjected them to unimaginable cruelty. From courtroom battles to hundreds of mysterious photographs, this episode unravels how Alcala managed to escape justice for so long—and how investigators eventually uncovered one of the most disturbing killing sprees in U.S. history.

#truecrime

#america

#serialkiller

#Datinggame

In June 2008, successful salesman Travis Alexander was found brutally murdered in his Mesa, Arizona home. The investigation would uncover a dark and obsessive relationship with Jodi Arias, whose shifting stories and shocking courtroom behavior gripped the world. In this episode, we unravel the chilling details of their toxic romance, the evidence that led to Arias’ conviction, and why the case became one of the most sensational murder trials in American history.

An Auckland academic who disappeared in 1974
An inquest by Coroner Deborah Marshall in Auckland today heard that 40-year-old father-of-two Peter Chaffe was last seen in July 1974 when he stopped for an after-work drink and something to eat at a friend's house in Avondale.
The friend reported Chaffe was seeing double and feeling unwell.