Murderers solved and unsolved, told one case at a time
Ally Porter tells murder cases one killer at a time, usually starting with the person's background before moving on to the crimes and the evidence that followed. A numbered strand called Anonymous Assassins covers unsolved cases such as Jack the Ripper and JonBenét Ramsey, which leaves room to discuss theories.
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Vicious Villains is a true crime podcast about murderers, told by host Ally Porter. It is built around individual cases. Titles such as Belle Gunness and Keith Gibson are just a name, and that is how the show is organised: one killer, one story. Porter works the same way each time. She likes to open with background, meaning a killer's upbringing and early offences, because she thinks it brings the whole story together. Only then does she move on to the killings, the investigation and what the evidence showed. The Keith Gibson episode follows that path, from his early crimes through a series of parole arrangements to the shooting of a store clerk in Delaware. The cases come from many eras. Belle Gunness goes back to a La Porte farmhouse that burned in 1908, to letters urging a man to come there with money and keep it a secret, and to remains later found buried on the property. The William Heirens episode covers the ransom calls made to the Degnan family. With Charles Cullen the setting moves into hospitals. Porter traces a pattern of short stays at one workplace after another and notes how a national nurse shortage kept him employed. Alongside the solved cases runs Anonymous Assassins, a numbered strand marked AA in the episode titles. It is set aside for unsolved crimes, where Porter can talk through theories and what may or may not have happened. In AA5. Jack The Ripper she sets out the debate over whether the canonical five victims belong to one killer, including the idea that two of the murders were a copycat's work. In AA6. The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey she goes through the forensic details, from the cord and paintbrush found at the girl's neck to the DNA profile of an unknown male. She calls it a general overview of a case with many more details left over. Her delivery is plain and conversational. Asides break into the narration: about one hospital death that was never conclusively tied to Cullen, she says 'we know'. Episodes close with an invitation to share theories or suggest future cases on Facebook and Instagram, followed by a reminder to stay safe. In one sign-off she explains why she tells these stories: true accounts, good or bad, give people lessons they can apply to their own lives to feel safer. For a first listen, Belle Gunness shows the standard format, and either Anonymous Assassins episode shows the theory-driven side.
Made for: Suits a listener who wants murder cases told from start to finish by a single conversational narrator, from a killer's early life through the evidence. It also suits someone who enjoys weighing theories about unsolved crimes like Jack the Ripper and JonBenét Ramsey.
What sets it apart: The Anonymous Assassins strand puts unsolved cases next to profiles of solved ones, so the show moves between settled stories and open questions. Ally Porter's plain, chatty narration, with personal asides and a closing 'stay safe', makes it feel like a friend telling you about a case she has researched.
Vicious Villains is a true crime podcast that delves deep into the minds of the worst kind of people: Murderers. Join host Ally Porter as she dives into the deplorable acts committed by these killers. What makes them tick? What drives them to do such terrible things? Find out on Vicious Villains.
That pineapple bowl makes your neat JonBenet Ramsey theory harder to keep neat.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Domestic details and shifting DNA findings keep JonBenet Ramsey's murder unresolved.
JonBenet Ramsey's murder is framed as a case where each answer seems to open another question. The episode moves cleanly through the Ramsey family background, the pineapple found in JonBenet's stomach, and the cord and paintbrush evidence before arriving at DNA testing that…
A compact account of Keith Gibson's escalation from parole trouble to a deadly T-Mobile robbery and a later Philadelphia hold-up.
Keith Gibson's story is framed around escalation: a Philadelphia upbringing marked by a teenage mother and an absent father leads into early crimes, parole trouble, and a move to Delaware under close supervision.
Allie Porter returns to a contested 1940s murder case shaped by disputed guilt, false leads, and a costly teenage red herring.
Allie Porter's return to Vicious Villains gives the episode a useful sense of re-entry, as she revisits the 1940s murders tied to William Herons and keeps the central uncertainty in play.
A farmhouse fire leads into a grim search for bodies, letters, and an unsettled mystery.
Belle Guinness's farmhouse fire opens into something much darker. Four bodies in the ashes lead to a search around the La Porte property, where the partial remains of at least 11 more people are uncovered.
A grounded Whitechapel account that leaves the killer, victim list, and infamous letters open to doubt.
Allie Porter sets Jack the Ripper inside the crowded East End of 19th-century London, tying the Whitechapel murders to immigration, overcrowding, and the parish's growth from about 20,000 people to 80,000 by 1888.
Podcast discovery from the Sherpa Chalet.
Witchy banter with glorious detours.
Female crime, told with grave attention.
This episode of Vicious Villains explores the unsolved 1996 murder of JonBenét Ramsey, discussing theories and evidence in the case.
Host Ally Porter introduces the case of murderer Keith Gibson, covering his early life and criminal escalation.
Host Ally Porter returns to discuss the case of William Herons, the Lipstick Killer, exploring his early life and the controversy surrounding his guilt.
Host Ally Porter introduces the story of Belle Guinness, a 19th-century Norwegian-born female murderer, and begins detailing her early life.
Allie Porter introduces a new episode about Jack the Ripper, providing background on the Whitechapel area and its social conditions.
Allie Porter's Vicious Villains episode profiles Charles Cullen, "the Angel of Death," a nurse who administered lethal overdoses at hospitals including St.
Allie Porter traces how Herman Webster Mudget became H.
Allie Porter presents Alexander Pichushkin as the Moscow killer who linked chess with a stated goal of killing 64 people.
Host Ally Porter introduces a bonus episode about the notorious 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman Elizabeth Bathory, a historical female serial killer.
Host Allie Porter introduces an episode of Vicious Villains covering the lesser-known serial killer Robert Hansen.
Host Allie Porter introduces an episode about serial killer Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, on the true crime podcast Vicious Villains.
Host Ally Porter explores whether Henry Lee Lucas is America's most prolific serial killer or a pathological liar.
Host Ally Porter continues a multi-part series on serial killer John Wayne Gacy, recapping previous episodes and setting up further exploration of his crimes.