Crime at Bedtime

In the summer of 1982, bodies began appearing along Washington's Green River. Young women—many of them sex workers, many of them runaways—were being strangled and dumped in remote wooded areas around Seattle. By 1984, the death toll had reached over forty.

The Green River Task Force assembled. The FBI sent profilers. Even imprisoned serial killer Ted Bundy was consulted for insights. But year after year, the killer remained free.

Gary Ridgway, a truck painter from Auburn, was questioned in 1987. He gave police a DNA sample. The technology of the time couldn't match it to the crimes. He was released.

For fourteen more years, the case went cold.

Then, in 2001, DNA technology advanced. The 1987 sample was retested. It matched four victims.
Gary Ridgway was arrested on November 30th, 2001. In 2003, he confessed to forty-eight murders. Later, forty-nine. He claimed the real number was closer to eighty.
Tonight, the story of America's most prolific serial killer.
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On October 25th, 1994, Susan Smith reported that a Black man had carjacked her vehicle at gunpoint with her two young sons still inside. Three-year-old Michael and fourteen-month-old Alexander were gone, taken by a stranger into the South Carolina night.

For nine days, the nation watched as Susan and her husband David made tearful pleas on television for their children's safe return. "America's children," the media called them. Thousands of tips poured in. Law enforcement from across the country joined the search.

But investigators were noticing inconsistencies. A traffic light that shouldn't have been red. A friend who wasn't home. Small details that didn't add up.

On November 3rd, 1994, Susan Smith confessed to the unthinkable: she had driven to John D. Long Lake, strapped her sons in their car seats, and let the car roll into the water whilst she stood on the shore and watched them drown.

Tonight on Crime at Bedtime, we examine the case that shocked the world.

ONTENT WARNING: This episode contains detailed descriptions of child murder and maternal filicide. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

CRISIS SUPPORT - If you or someone you know needs help:
Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Crisis:

UK: Samaritans - 116 123 (24/7)
US: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Australia: Lifeline - 13 11 14
International: findahelpline.com

Child Protection:

UK: NSPCC - 0808 800 5000
US: Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline - 1-800-422-4453
Australia: Child Protection Services - 13 12 78
International: childhelplineinternational.org
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When Colorado mom Kristil Krug started receiving threatening messages from an ex-boyfriend she hadn't seen in twenty years, she did everything right. She documented the harassment, reported it to police, installed security cameras, and even hired a private investigator. For two months, the stalker sent increasingly violent threats, claiming to watch her every move and sending photos of her husband arriving at work.

On December 14th, 2023, just eleven days before Christmas, Kristil was found bludgeoned and stabbed to death in her garage. The investigation into her ex-boyfriend's whereabouts would lead to a shocking discovery: he had an airtight alibi and had never sent a single message.

So who was terrorizing Kristil Krug? The answer was closer than anyone could have imagined and the digital evidence would reveal a calculated deception that lasted months.

Tonight on Crime at Bedtime, we uncover the truth behind Kristil Krug's murder.

Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of domestic violence, stalking, and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or stalking, please reach out for help:
UK: National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247 or visit nationaldahelpline.org.uk
US: National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233
Australia: 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
International: Visit hotpeachpages.net to find support services in your country

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In December 2021, Tom Phillips vanished into the dense New Zealand wilderness with his three children—Jayda, Maverick, and Ember—triggering a nearly four-year manhunt that gripped the nation. Using his expert survival skills and knowledge of the rugged Waikato region, Phillips evaded police, elite military trackers, and an $80,000 reward while allegedly committing armed robberies to survive. The search ended violently in September 2025 when Phillips was killed in a shootout with police after breaking into a rural supply store, critically wounding an officer. His three children were found safe at a remote campsite and returned to their mother. This is the extraordinary true story of obsession, survival, and the tragic end of New Zealand's most wanted father.
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In October 2023, police knocked on Holly Willoughby’s door with a warning: a stranger online had drawn up a detailed plan to kidnap, rape and murder her. In this episode, we break down who Gavin Plumb is, how his obsession escalated in secret chats like “Abduct Lovers”, what investigators found in his flat, and how an undercover officer helped stop the plot before it began.
Become a Patreon or Apple + subscriber now for ealry and ad free access from as little as $1.69 a week. All the details here

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.