Killer Knowledge: The True Crime Game Show

Wayne Simmons had a dramatic 27-year career with the CIA taking down cartels and busting arms smugglers — or did he? The ex-CIA military analyst and cable news star stands accused of being a fraud. Hosted by the reporter who broke the story, Impostors follows the investigation into who Wayne Simmons really is… Hero, or conman? Impostors is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Produced by Topic Studios and Transmitter Media. Hosted by Alex French. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This awards season, pull back the curtain on Tinseltown’s most infamous controversies in the new Spotify Original from Parcast, Hollywood Scandals. You can hear the first episode on Hollywood’s sordid beginnings right here, then follow Hollywood Scandals for an episode every Monday. Listen free, only on Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creepypastas, frightful TikToks, online horror stories… Loey Lane and Eleanor Barnes are taking you into the spookiest corners of the web in their new Spotify Original from Parcast, Internet Urban Legends. Meet the hosts and hear their debut episode on the Watcher House — a terrifying saga that unfolded in 2014 after the Broaddus family bought their dream home in New Jersey. Listen free on Spotify, and follow Internet Urban Legends for new episodes every Tuesday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the newest Parcast Original from Spotify, comedians and best friends Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone discuss all the trends, scandals, pop culture icons and personal stories they can’t shake from their minds. And they have a lot to cover! Listen to their debut episode right here, where Mary Beth shares her top 5 most iconic SNL musical performances and Benito shares how he got the “thank u, next” treatment from pop superstar Ariana Grande (and why he’s the opposite of mad about it). Then follow Obsessed for new episodes every Monday, free on Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve heard the rumors. Trembled at the tales. Maybe even have some stories of your own… on what it’s like to enter adulthood. In the newest Spotify Original from Parcast, best friends and performers Teala Dunn and Nia Sioux compare notes on their first forays into the magical world of independence and responsibility — where mistakes are made and naps are taken, frequently. Listen here to Episode 1: Getting Through A Breakup for details of their most memorable splits, and (better) ways to bounce back after a relationship ends. Then search and follow “Adulting” to catch new episodes every Wednesday, free on Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season, “L” stands for love… and lawless… and lethal. Beginning February 1st, uncover history’s most infamous couples in this collection of episodes from across Parcast Network. Follow the misdeeds of married mafiosos. Enter the transgressions of casanova cult leaders. And demystify the lives of coupled kingpins, pirates, and spies… Because in this limited series, romance takes a sharp turn into the radical.  Get a preview of Criminal Couples right here, then search “Criminal Couples” to find and follow the series. Episodes air every Monday. Listen free, only on Spotify.

They’re a powerful political dynasty with no shortage of tragedies, scandals and controversies. Ahead of the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, revisit the most shocking moments in the Kennedy family history — from conspiracies and cover-ups to assassinations and affairs — in this Parcast limited series.  All 12 episodes are available January 19th. Listen free, only on Spotify.

The clock’s winding down on the final moments of the year and people around the world are putting their charms and traditions to work, shoring up good fortune for the future. But it’s not always our own personal luck that’s on the line… In this story, a night of superstitions weaves together the fates of merrymakers eager for fresh starts.  This episode is presented by Superstitions, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Follow Superstitions free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

For decades, family members and sleuths have tried to determine what really happened the night of the fire. As of yet, they have been unsuccessful. But the clues remain, the questions linger, and the case unofficially stays open…  This episode is presented by Unexplained Mysteries, a Spotify Original from Parcast. For more of history’s greatest puzzles, follow Unexplained Mysteries free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In the aftermath of the fire, a startling number of tips, twists, and witnesses came forward regarding the fate of the Sodder children. Their father, George, followed the clues for decades, driven by a suspicion of the “official” story and a belief that the blaze was no accident. This episode is presented by Unexplained Mysteries, a Spotify Original from Parcast. For more of history’s greatest puzzles, follow Unexplained Mysteries free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Early Christmas day in 1945, Jennie Sodder woke up to her house on fire. The blaze consumed her home, and five of her young children. Or did it? Strange events, prescient remarks, and a lack of human remains hinted at more nefarious — though no less tragic — outcomes.  This episode is presented by Unexplained Mysteries, a Spotify Original from Parcast. For more of history’s greatest puzzles, follow Unexplained Mysteries free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today we’re bringing you a special episode from another Spotify Original from Parcast. If you enjoy it, check out Crime Countdown on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!  Exciting. High-profile. And usually, no one dies! Alaina and Ash dish up ten art heists, and try to figure out why this is one crime that keeps getting labeled "cool." Follow Crime Countdown for more top-ten rankings of true crime topics! 

We are sad to announce that today will be our last episode of Killer Knowledge. While we are disappointed the show has come to an end, it will allow the Parcast team to create other shows we hope you will enjoy. We thank you for listening!  July 2008. That’s when police in Orlando, Florida received a call about the disappearance of a 2-year-old named Caylee Anthony. Her mother, Casey, quickly became the center of a criminal trial that captivated the country.

Eighteen hours would go by before a mountain biker would finally find Matthew Shepard in October of 1998. He had been badly beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Robert Hanssen, Aldrich Ames—they all made headlines for betraying their countries by passing military secrets to the Soviets… including the existence of a multi-million dollar tunnel.

Over a 12 month period between 1989 and 1990, Aileen Wuornos shot and killed seven men who picked her up on the highways of central Florida.

In early 2003, one of the major headlines that was able to cut through the news of the Iraq War was the disappearance of Laci Peterson in Modesto, California—and whether her husband, Scott, was also her killer.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: He was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West who killed eight men before he was 21-years-old.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: On August 9th, 1974, Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States after attempts to cover up his administration's involvement in a break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: Between 1974 and 1986, a masked gunman, now known as the Golden State Killer, terrorized California with a series of killings, rapes and assaults.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: In May of 2014, two 12-year-old girls lured their best friend into the Wisconsin woods and stabbed her 19 times with a kitchen knife. The reason, they said, was to appease someone called “Slender Man.”

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: On May 30th, 2005, Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway was in Aruba, on a graduation trip with her high school senior class. That day, she never showed up to her hotel to make her flight home—and she was never seen again.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: While living in Rome in 1973, 16-year-old John Paul Getty III was kidnapped, tortured, and held for ransom.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: In September of 1931, New York gangster Charlie “Lucky” Luciano made the bold and dangerous move of having the “boss of bosses” murdered—which gave him the power to reshape modern day organized crime.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: Known to the public as BTK, or Bind, Torture, Kill, Dennis Rader was a sadistic killer who walked free for three decades under the guise of a normal husband, father of two, veteran, volunteer, and church leader.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: Between 1888 and 1891, a series of brutal murders by a ghost-like killer plagued the East End of London, leaving several women dead with their throats slashed and abdomens cut open.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge: In June of 1994, a Los Angeles man discovered the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman...a double homicide that would change the world’s perception of O.J. Simpson from football legend to accused killer.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Every day, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: Over the course of 30 years, Frank Costello rose from being a teenage street gang member to a legendary crime boss, while personally living by the creed—brains over brawn.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Every day, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: After decades of trying to figure out his purpose in life, Harvey Milk found his calling as a leader in his San Francisco community, until he was gunned down in his office on November 27, 1978...10 months into his first elected position.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Every day, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: As a teenager who rode off to fight Union militiamen with Confederate guerillas, Jesse James was never able to give up the outlaw life, thanks to the attention he got from his crimes.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Every day, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: On April 15th, 2013, two homemade pressure cooker bombs detonate just seconds apart near the finish line of the 117th Boston Marathon—leaving 3 dead, over 260 injured, and sparking a violent manhunt for the men behind the terrorist act.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Every day, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: Over the course of his infamous 13-year killing spree, Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 people through a range of heinous methods.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: It was a scene made famous in a legendary American Western—two notorious outlaws, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, going out in a blaze of glory. But that may not be the truth...

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: Jordan Belfort is a notorious financial fraudster and real-life Wolf of Wall Street. His penny-stock scam in the 1980s and ‘90s manipulated the stock market, making him millions off the backs of innocent investors.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: Lizzie Borden may have been acquitted of hacking her father and stepmother to death in the morning hours of August 4th, 1892, but she never lived down the stigma of suspicion—and her name has been synonymous with the crime to this day.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: The 1997 death of fashion designer Gianni Versace was not just a murder, but an execution carried out at the hands of Andrew Cunanan—a man obsessed with fame, money, and status.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: Jimmy Hoffa was a powerful union leader with alleged ties to the mob when he disappeared in 1975 without a trace—becoming one of America’s most enduring mysteries.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: Credited as America’s first serial killer, nobody knows for certain how many victims H.H. Holmes actually murdered, having lured so many into his “Murder Castle” in Chicago. 

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: By the time FBI agents swarmed a secluded cabin in April of 1996, sixteen bombs had been detonated. With a total of 23 people wounded and three dead, this would mark the end of a nearly 20-year manhunt for Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: Throughout the 1980s, Pablo Escobar—the famed drug lord and founder of the Medellín Cartel—controlled nearly the entire cocaine market, making him one of the richest people in the world.

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: Death, in some form, has often been the ultimate endgame when it comes to cults like Heaven’s Gate—which saw 39 members take their own lives in March of 1997. 

Play along with the new daily version of Killer Knowledge! Everyday, you are the contestant and will have the chance to answer 5 trivia questions about a new crime, with 6 seconds to make your guess: On August 10th, 1977, David Berkowitz was arrested after terrorizing the residents of several New York boroughs with a .44 caliber revolver. But do you know why he was called “Son of Sam?”

Starting Monday, May 11th, Killer Knowledge is going daily! It’s faster and geared toward Parcast listeners more than ever before! There are no longer any contestants...because now YOU are the contestant! Play against friends, family, and fellow true-crime fans to see who knows the most about history’s most shocking crimes.