Psychopedia

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussions of suicide and may be distressing to hear.  Please listen with caution.

In the tragic and recent case of Sonia Exelby, a vulnerable woman in the UK went online to arrange for her own death.  Sadly, she connected with a sadistic man in the U.S. named Dwain Hall, who framed her murder as mercy while investigators uncovered evidence of manipulation, coercion, internet predation, and calculated cruelty. Sonia was struggling, emotionally and psychologically, and Dwain positioned himself as a "mentor" who truly understood her pain.  But text messages, recordings, and witness testimony painted a different picture: he was a predator who isolated Sonia from support systems, reinforced her belief that death was the only option, and meticulously documented her "consent" as insurance against exactly this kind of investigation. What Dwain called mercy, prosecutors called premeditated murder.  This complex case is truly heartbreaking - please listen with caution!

FOLLOW AND SUBSCRIBE to Psychopedia wherever you are listening!

Follow Investigator Slater on Instagram + TikTok: @investigatorslater 

Join our Patreon family! (⁠www.Patreon.com/PsychopediaPod⁠) On Patreon, you get AD FREE episodes, exclusive true crime content, behind-the-scenes pics/vids, private group chats, and much more! 

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the extraordinary case of Judy Malinowski, the first person in American history to testify from beyond the grave at her own murder trial.  In 2017, Judy's life was shattered when her boyfriend doused her in gasoline and set her on fire.  She was left to endure nearly two years of relentless pain, dozens of surgeries, and the heartbreak of not being able to raise her two children. Determined to be heard and to advocate on behalf of other survivors/victims, Judy worked with prosecutors to record her testimony from her hospital bed - forever preserving her voice, her memory, and her account of what happened. After her death, that testimony was played in court, allowing her to confront her killer and help secure his conviction in a way that had never been done before. This episode traces Judy's unbelievable fight for justice, the legal impact of her groundbreaking case, and the strength of a woman who ensured that her own words would be used to help bring down the man who killed her.

FOLLOW AND SUBSCRIBE to Psychopedia wherever you are listening!

Follow Investigator Slater on Instagram + TikTok: @investigatorslater 

Join our Patreon family! (⁠www.Patreon.com/PsychopediaPod⁠) On Patreon, you get AD FREE episodes, exclusive true crime content, behind-the-scenes pics/vids, private group chats, and much more! 

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 2 of our in-depth coverage of the "Devilsdorp" cult, the brutal murders introduced in Part 1 take on a new meaning.  What initially appeared to be isolated, occult-linked attacks starts to reveal a far more calculated pattern.  Because this was never about religion.  As the case progresses into trial, Part 2 unpacks the roles of those involved in the gruesome murders of 11 individuals and explores the psychology of Cecilia Steyn - the dark force at the center of it all.  For Cecilia, the carnage was a test of power measured by how far she could push others to prove her control.  

FOLLOW AND SUBSCRIBE to Psychopedia wherever you are listening!

Follow Investigator Slater on Instagram + TikTok: @investigatorslater 

Join our Patreon family! (⁠www.Patreon.com/PsychopediaPod⁠) On Patreon, you get AD FREE episodes, exclusive true crime content, behind-the-scenes pics/vids, private group chats, and much more! 

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A pentagram-shaped town.  A string of cult murders.  Between 2012 and 2016, the town of Krugersdorp became “Devilsdorp.”  At the center was Cecilia Steyn, a manipulative, "Ted Bundy-esque" figure who claimed to be a 42nd-generation witch with supernatural powers, infiltrating a Christian ministry and slowly tightening her grip on a group of devoted followers. Through staged attacks, psychological control, and fabricated threats of a satanic enemy, she convinced them to protect her at all costs...even if it meant killing. When her authority was challenged, Cecilia retaliated by forming a splinter group, “Electus per Deus,” and orchestrating a series of calculated murders that were initially dismissed as random occult violence. But beneath the surface, this wasn’t chaos - it was total control. And it was only the beginning...

FOLLOW AND SUBSCRIBE to Psychopedia wherever you are listening!

Follow Investigator Slater on Instagram + TikTok: @investigatorslater 

Join our Patreon family! (⁠www.Patreon.com/PsychopediaPod⁠) On Patreon, you get AD FREE episodes, exclusive true crime content, behind-the-scenes pics/vids, private group chats, and much more! 

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looking for more mystery to fill your week? While this isn’t a Psychopedia production, we're excited to introduce you to another true crime podcast. True Crime News: The Podcast is your weekly dose of real-time updates on the most gripping true crime stories, current cases, investigations, scams, and schemes. Host Ana Garcia is joined by crime experts, police officers, defense attorneys, and other leading authorities in their fields as they cover murders, scams, investigations, and unsolved crimes from across the country. Join us each week as we take you inside the biggest, most shocking, and most bizarre true crime cases.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices