Criminology

In 1987, Josefina Rivera escaped from Gary Heidnik and led Philadelphia police to his home, where they discovered three women chained and imprisoned in his basement and human remains in the freezer. Heidnik had spent years preying on vulnerable and intellectually disabled women, including a previous victim he kidnapped from a state hospital in 1978. Between November 1986 and March 1987, he abducted seven women and subjected them to horrific abuse, captivity, starvation, and torture. Two victims, Sandra Lindsay and Deborah Dudley, were murdered.
Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Gary Heidnik. Rivera ultimately escaped and called the police, bringing Heidnik’s reign of terror to an end. At trial, his defense argued insanity, citing his history of mental illness, while prosecutors maintained that he knew right from wrong. Heidnik was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder along with numerous kidnapping, rape, and assault charges and sentenced to death. After years of appeals and a last-minute stay, Gary Heidnik was executed by lethal injection on July 6, 1999—the last execution carried out in Pennsylvania. His Philadelphia home, known as the “House of Horrors,” still stands today.

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Criminology is an Emash Digital production hosted by Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford.

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Eugene Horsch was arrested in June 2026 after authorities found drugs, illegal firearms, fake IDs, and law-enforcement credentials in his vehicle, leading investigators to his Philadelphia home. The investigation uncovered evidence connected to four missing women—Amy McHale, Blair Tonzelli, Maribel Fresses, and Gabrielle Amarando—with digital evidence suggesting Fresses and Amarando may be dead.

Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Eugene and Raymond Horsch. Eugene’s father, Raymond Horsch, who died in 2025, had a long criminal history and produced disturbing films and photographs depicting sex, violence, and apparent deaths. Investigators are now working through hundreds of thousands of images and videos while searching the property for evidence. Eugene remains in federal custody, and the investigation into the missing women is ongoing.



You can help support the show through Patreon.

We'd love to connect with listeners on social media. We are available on the following platforms:

Facebook - Facebook Discussion group - Instagram - Threads - X Formerly Twitter - Blue Sky - Twitch - Tik Tok

Criminology is an Emash Digital production hosted by Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford.

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Today, we’re sharing a special look at a podcast we think you’ll like from our friends at ABC Audio and 20/20. It’s called “Burden of Proof: Luigi Mangione.” In this five-part series, ABC News Legal Analyst Brian Buckmire goes deep into the case of Luigi Mangione and Brian Thompson. He’ll unpack the murder itself, the two men at the heart of the story, and how this case has affected the conversation about healthcare in America. 

This is episode one, “Christmastime in Altoona.” In this episode, the manhunt for the alleged shooter of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson comes to an end at a McDonald’s in Altoona, PA. To hear the rest of the series, follow "Burden of Proof: Luigi Mangione" for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Or listen ad-free on Apple Podcasts by subscribing to 20/20 True Crime+.

 

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In the 1990s, a series of brutal murders and disappearances in Southwest Florida became known as the Hog Trail Murders. Investigators began focusing on Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. after survivor David Payton described being lured into Conahan’s car with an offer of beer and money. Payton escaped by stealing the car, while another survivor, Stanley Burden, described being taken into the woods, tied to a tree, and attacked.

Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Daniel Conahan Jr. Multiple bodies were discovered in remote areas of Charlotte and Sarasota Counties, with several victims displaying similar injuries, rope marks, and mutilation. Investigators believe he may have been responsible for additional victims, including some of the Fort Myers Eight, though he was never charged in those cases.

 

You can help support the show through Patreon.

We'd love to connect with listeners on social media. We are available on the following platforms:

Facebook - Facebook Discussion group - Instagram - Threads - X Formerly Twitter - Blue Sky - Twitch - Tik Tok 

Criminology is an Emash Digital production hosted by Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the 1990s, a series of brutal murders and disappearances in Southwest Florida became known as the Hog Trail Murders. Investigators began focusing on Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. after survivor David Payton described being lured into Conahan's car with an offer of beer and money. Payton escaped by stealing the car, while another survivor, Stanley Burden, described being taken into the woods, tied to a tree, and attacked.
Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Daniel Conahan Jr. Multiple bodies were discovered in remote areas of Charlotte and Sarasota Counties, with several victims displaying similar injuries, rope marks, and mutilation. Investigators believe he may have been responsible for additional victims, including some of the Fort Myers Eight, though he was never charged in those cases.
 
You can help support the show through Patreon.
We'd love to connect with listeners on social media. We are available on the following platforms:
Facebook - Facebook Discussion group - Instagram - Threads - X Formerly Twitter - Blue Sky - Twitch - Tik Tok 
Criminology is an Emash Digital production hosted by Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford.