In 1996, a new horror movie with an innovative twist would reinvigorate the slasher genre. But behind the fictional Ghostface was an inspiration steeped in reality. A man in a makeshift mask who stalked and tormented teenage girls during a three-day murderous rampage. A man known as the Gainesville Ripper.
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Aug 24
The Greek Robin Hood Who Kidnapped Billionaires and Escaped Prison in a Helicopter
In the craggy peaks of Greece, a modern outlaw proves that you can rob a bank, kidnap a billionaire, and still be the most beloved man in the mountains. This is the story of Vassilis Paleokostas: the 'Robin Hood' who treats his hostages like guests and uses a helicopter as his pr ... Show More
40m 36s
Aug 17
Stanley Alpert, the Kidnapping Victim Who Outsmarted his Captors
Kidnapped on his 38th birthday by criminals who think every federal prosecutor is secretly wealthy, a calm-under-pressure lawyer survives a chaotic 25-hour ordeal—part hostage crisis, part absurd comedy—by befriending his captors. Sources for this episode include: The Birthday Pa ... Show More
30m 57s
Jun 2025
The Real-Life Horror That Inspired 'Scream' - Gainesville Ripper
This week on Hot On The Case, we head to Gainesville, Florida, where a quiet college town was plunged into terror during the summer of 1990. College students were supposed to be settling into dorm life and new routines. Instead, a series of brutal murders left an entire community ... Show More
32m 11s
Mar 2022
Copycat Killer: Freddy Vs. Jason
Inspired by the slasher epic, Freddy vs. Jason, a young man tries to transform himself into the famous movie monster "Freddy Krueger." The copycat killer stalks, taunts, and stabs his victims like a psychopath with no remorse. Like what you hear and want more true crime and myste ... Show More
43m 50s
Oct 2022
261: Scream: The True Story (aka The Murders of The Gainesville Ripper)
"Scream" is everyone's favorite scary movie, but did you know it's based on a true story? It's inspired by the life and murders of Danny Rolling, aka "The Gainesville Ripper". Rolling admits to killing at least 8 people during his reign of terror in the early 90s, but he claims t ... Show More
50m 54s
Oct 2025
SERIAL KILLER: The Scream Killer Pt. 1
Before he became the “Gainesville Ripper,” Danny Rolling was a broken child in a violent home, and the demons inside him were only just beginning to stir. In Part 1, we uncover the early life of the serial killer who inspired the horror movie "Scream," tracing the trauma, addicti ... Show More
53m 12s