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Dark Matters: True Crime: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Dr. Eric Hickey
Dark Matters explores the realities of violent and predatory behavior through stories and conversations, not classroom theory. Episodes focus on homicide and serial murder, sex crimes, stalking, criminal paraphilias, and cold cases. You will hear interviews with offenders who speak anonymously about choices and consequences, and in-depth talks with investigators, clinicians, and researchers who explain what they saw and what they learned. Guided by criminal psychologist Dr. Eric Hickey, the show looks for patterns, turning points, and practical ways to prevent harm while avoiding sensational detail.
Latest Episodes
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- 1 weeks ago42 min
Why the FBI Invited Me to Join the Unabomber Task Force
Dark Matters Episode 24 What turns a former university professor with a genius-level intellect into one of America's most elusive domestic terrorists? While law enforcement spent 18 years searching for the Unabomber, most experts believed the case could never be solved. Dr. Eric Hickey saw something different. In this episode, Dr. Hickey explains how breaking down Ted Kaczynski’s deep-seated insecurities, need for recognition, and 35,000-word manifesto opened a new window into the investigation. From predicting when the bomber would strike next after the Oklahoma City bombing to being sworn into the federal task force in secret, Dr. Hickey takes you inside the behavioral analysis that helped track down the man behind the bombs. *The Episode number is wrong at the start of the video* ________________________________ Call-in show Info Have a story that gives you chills or a question you've been dying to ask? Leave us a voicemail or record a quick audio clip online to avoid long-distance charges! Check our website for submission details. Call-In Number: 559-424-4805 Free Web Recording: http://link.darkmatterspodcast.com/int-call-in Submission Info: https://darkmatterspodcast.com/contact/#call-in
- 2 weeks ago19 min
Watching You Sleep
Dark Matters Episode 23 Most burglars want to enter an empty home, take what they can, and leave without ever being seen. Why, then, do some intruders deliberately target occupied homes in the dead of night? In this episode of Dark Matters, Dr. Eric Hickey examines the psychology of "hot burglaries"—break-ins driven not by theft, but by power, voyeurism, and sexual fantasy. Drawing from his own experience interviewing a 19-year-old offender, Dr. Hickey traces how childhood trauma and unchecked behavioral red flags can escalate from window peeping to crossing the threshold of a stranger's home. ________________________________ Call-in show Info Have a story that gives you chills or a question you've been dying to ask? Leave us a voicemail or record a quick audio clip online to avoid long-distance charges! Check our website for submission details. Call-In Number: 559-424-4805 Free Web Recording: http://link.darkmatterspodcast.com/int-call-in Submission Info: https://darkmatterspodcast.com/contact/#call-in
- 2 weeks ago28 min
Why Men Destroy Their Families
Dark Matters Episode 22 When a father turns against his own family, what drives such a catastrophic act? In this episode of Dark Matters, leading forensic psychologist Dr. Eric Hickey examines the unsettling psychological profile of family annihilators. Exploring high-profile and recent cases, Dr. Hickey uncovers how a desperate need for control, marital breakdown, and unresolved anger can lead men down a path of ultimate destruction. Tune in to understand the underlying triggers, the psychological compartmentalization involved, and why domestic mass murder remains one of society's most hidden tragedies. ________________________________ Call-in show Info Have a story that gives you chills or a question you've been dying to ask? Leave us a voicemail or record a quick audio clip online to avoid long-distance charges! Check our website for submission details. Call-In Number: 559-424-4805 Free Web Recording: http://link.darkmatterspodcast.com/int-call-in Submission Info: https://darkmatterspodcast.com/contact/#call-in
- Sep 30, 202626 min
Profiling Randall Woodfield
Dark Matters Episode 21 What drives an individual to escalate from public exposure to severe criminal acts? In this episode of Dark Matters, criminal psychologist Dr. Eric Hickey examines the underlying behavioral patterns and personality structure of Randall Woodfield. From deep-seated narcissism and fragile self-esteem to an extreme need for power, explore how psychological motives shape violent behavior and why certain offenders remain in total denial. ________________________________ Call-in show Info Have a story that gives you chills or a question you've been dying to ask? Leave us a voicemail or record a quick audio clip online to avoid long-distance charges! Check our website for submission details. Call-In Number: 559-424-4805 Free Web Recording: http://link.darkmatterspodcast.com/int-call-in Submission Info: https://darkmatterspodcast.com/contact/#call-in
- Sep 29, 202656 min
Inside Maternal Filicide with Dr. Kristen Beyer
Dark Matters Episode 20 Dr. Eric Hickey welcomes forensic psychologist and former FBI analyst Dr. Kristin Bayer to examine the tragic mechanics of maternal filicide. Centered on the Lindsay Clancy case, this episode explores the critical psychological boundary separating anxiety-driven intrusive thoughts from full postpartum psychosis. Dr. Bayer breaks down how brief hospital stays, medication adjustment periods, and gaps in psychiatric safety nets fail mothers during severe mental health crises. Together, they analyze how clinical mental illness intersects with violent crime and what behavioral evidence reveals about maternal homicide. _________________________________________ Dr. Beyer's Bio Dr. Beyer’s forensic career began as a Violent Crime Resource Specialist working with the FBI’s former Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center (CASMIRC). In 2003, Dr. Beyer was promoted to the Supervisory Social/Behavioral Science Research Coordinator position at the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) in Quantico, Virginia. She served in this capacity through 2008. While at the NCAVC, she provided consultation, training, and conducted research on varying topics to include serial murder, child abduction, filicide, domestic violence, child sexual exploitation, and terrorism. During her time at the FBI, she also provided peer support and counseling for the Employee Assistance Program where she was deployed to the Flight 93 crash site during the FBI’s response to the events of 9/11. She also had collateral duties where she conducted psychological assessments for the FBI’s Undercover Safeguard Program. She was also trained and certified as a SERE-oriented psychologist with an emphasis on repatriation. ________________________________________________________ Call in show Info Have a story that gives you chills or a question you've been dying to ask? Leave us a voicemail or record a quick audio clip online to avoid long-distance charges! Check our website for submission details. Call-In Number: 559-424-4805 Free Web Recording: http://link.darkmatterspodcast.com/int-call-in Submission Info: https://darkmatterspodcast.com/contact/#call-in ________________________________________________________ Chapters 0:00 Introduction to the case 0:47 Introducing Dr. Kristen Byer 2:55 Gender differences in crime 6:22 Overview of the Clancy case 9:45 Systemic mental health failures 14:40 Politicization and legalities 17:32 Psychosis and culpability 22:57 Mental health vs. disorders 29:37 Case parallels and outcomes 32:28 Institutionalization challenges 38:04 Symptoms, diagnosis, and DSM 44:22 Final reflections on the tragedy
- Sep 29, 202619 min
Uncovering the Tearoom Trade
Dark Matters Episode 19 What drives individuals to seek out secret, anonymous encounters in everyday public spaces? Criminal psychologist Dr. Eric Hickey explores the hidden world of public restroom hookups and the complex dynamics of living a dual life. Drawing from court testimony, personal encounters, and real-world law enforcement operations, Dr. Hickey unpacks the non-verbal protocols, legal dilemmas, and psychological motivations behind a phenomenon found in cities across the globe. ________________________________________________________ Call in show Info Have a story that gives you chills or a question you've been dying to ask? Leave us a voicemail or record a quick audio clip online to avoid long-distance charges! Check our website for submission details. Call-In Number: 559-424-4805 Free Web Recording: http://link.darkmatterspodcast.com/int-call-in Submission Info: https://darkmatterspodcast.com/contact/#call-in
- Sep 29, 202612 min
Was Wayne Williams Really the Atlanta Child Killer?
Dark Matters Episode 18 In the summer of 1981, criminologist Dr. Eric Hickey began his career in Georgia just as the notorious Atlanta Child Murders reached a pivotal turning point. Decades later, Dr. Hickey joined a bus filled with community activists to confront long-held doubts surrounding Wayne Williams' conviction. In this episode of Dark Matters, Dr. Hickey revisits the forensic evidence, fiber analysis, and complex behavioral patterns that defined one of the most controversial cases in modern criminal history. ________________________________________________________ Call in show Info Have a story that gives you chills or a question you've been dying to ask? Leave us a voicemail or record a quick audio clip online to avoid long-distance charges! Check our website for submission details. Call-In Number: 559-424-4805 Free Web Recording: http://link.darkmatterspodcast.com/int-call-in Submission Info: https://darkmatterspodcast.com/contact/#call-in
- Sep 29, 202612 min
Watched in Plain Sight
Dark Matters Episode 17 In this episode of Dark Matters, Dr. Eric Hickey examines a harrowing case of workplace video voyeurism in Florida where personal privacy and professional trust were completely shattered. When a highly trusted corporate attorney secretly installed hidden cameras inside office restrooms under the guise of an employee wellness initiative, private moments were covertly recorded for years. Dr. Hickey shares his direct involvement in interviewing the traumatized victims, exploring the long-term psychological fallout when safe spaces are violated and how institutions attempt to silence survivors. ________________________________________________________ Call in show Info Have a story that gives you chills or a question you've been dying to ask? Leave us a voicemail or record a quick audio clip online to avoid long-distance charges! Check our website for submission details. Call-In Number: 559-424-4805 Free Web Recording: http://link.darkmatterspodcast.com/int-call-in Submission Info: https://darkmatterspodcast.com/contact/#call-in
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About Dark Matters: True Crime
Dark Matters explores the realities of violent and predatory behavior through stories and conversations, not classroom theory. Episodes focus on homicide and serial murder, sex crimes, stalking, criminal paraphilias, and cold cases. You will hear interviews with offenders who speak anonymously about choices and consequences, and in-depth talks with investigators, clinicians, and researchers who explain what they saw and what they learned. Guided by criminal psychologist Dr. Eric Hickey, the show looks for patterns, turning points, and practical ways to prevent harm while avoiding sensational detail.
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