misSPELLING

Why do people become killers? Criminal Minds star Kirsten Vangsness joins Elisa Donovan to explore the psychology behind violent crime, why understanding behavior matters more than simple labels, and what more than 20 years as Penelope Garcia taught her about the darkest parts of the human mind.
Follow Kirsten on Instagram: @kirstenvangsness
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Filmmaker Sophia Maddox joins Killer Thriller Docu to discuss "My Grandfather Charles Manson" and the shocking discovery that one of America's most infamous killers was her grandfather. Sophia shares how the revelation unraveled generations of family secrets, forever changed her relationship with her father, and inspired a deeply personal documentary about identity, generational trauma, healing, and breaking the cycle.
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When survival depends on outsmarting the person holding you captive, courage takes on an entirely different meaning.
Elisa Donovan talks with Girl in the Coffin star Tahirah Sharif about the psychology of captivity, why victims adapt in ways outsiders often misunderstand, and what stories like these reveal about fear, resilience, and the incredible instinct to survive.
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Listen if you want to….
Josh Hartnett's terrifying new thriller has us staying out of the ocean.
A 16 year old lifeguard is impressing us with his heroic save in Santa Cruz, does this make us excited to watch Baywatch?
Arizona State University is making “influencing” an official major… Why does this make us feel cringey?
We’ve got a hot take, Is Voicemails from Isabelle ending too cliche?
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Jenn Fessler and Elisa Donovan revisit the infamous Pamela Smart case, unpacking the scandalous relationship with her 15-year-old student that set the stage for one of the most controversial murder convictions in modern American history.
They unpack the latest developments and court hearing in Smart's decades-long fight for freedom, debate whether she received a fair trial, and ask the question that still divides people more than 35 years later: Did the punishment fit the crime?
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