One of Russia’s most prolific serial killers was an avid chess player. First introduced to the pastime by his grandfather, the young Alexander Pichushkin finally found something he could excel at. But in 1992, his competitive urges were drawn to a different kind of game…
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Aug 31
The Young Hippies Who Hijacked a Plane
In 1972, two young hippies hijack a commercial airplane in a wild attempt to free a famous political activist from jail, setting off one of the strangest, most idealistic crimes of a radical era. Sources for this episode include: The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Gol ... Show More
38m 31s
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
Feb 2025
Alexander Pichushkin: The Chessboard Killer
A childhood love of chess, a violent obsession, and a serial killer’s twisted goal—this is the disturbing case of Alexander Pichushkin, Russia’s “Chessboard Killer.”
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1h 27m
Jun 2017
Alexander Pichushkin - The Chessboard Killer
Alexander Yuryevich "Sasha" Pichushkin (Russian: Алекса́ндр Ю́рьевич Пичу́шкин, born 9 April 1974), also known as The Chessboard Killer and The Bitsa Park Maniac, is a Russian serial killer. He is believed to have killed at least 48 people, and possibly as many as 60, in southwes ... Show More
44m 4s
Sep 2025
SERIAL KILLER: The Dating Game Killer Pt. 1
Long before he appeared on "The Dating Game," Rodney Alcala was a violent predator. "Killer Minds" examines the early life and psychological unraveling of one of America’s most manipulative serial killers, revealing how Alcala's love of photography became a tool for stalking, con ... Show More
51m 37s
May 2025
SERIAL KILLER: "The Shoe Fetish Slayer” Pt. 1
Before he became one of Oregon’s most notorious serial killers, Jerry Brudos was a troubled boy with dark desires—and a violent need for control. In this episode, we explore his childhood trauma, disturbing sexual fixations, and his chilling transformation from outcast to predato ... Show More
47m 3s