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The Devil in The Basement
Manage episode 494713029 series 3677772
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Step into the twisted mind of America's first documented serial killer as Corey, a former police detective, and his 12-year-old son Soren unravel the horrifying legacy of H.H. Holmes in this premiere episode of "Why So Serial?"
What makes someone design an entire building specifically for murder? Herman Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, wasn't just any killer - he was a medical school graduate who used his intelligence to create a literal house of horrors. His "Murder Castle" in Chicago featured gas chambers, trapdoors leading to nowhere, secret passageways, and chutes to send bodies directly to the basement where acid vats and a crematory kiln awaited.
The father-son duo breaks down Holmes' reign of terror from 1891-1894, exploring how he lured victims using the 1893 World's Fair as his hunting ground. You'll hear about his cunning methods, including how he stripped victims' bodies and sold the cleaned skeletons to medical colleges for profit. The story takes an even darker turn when Holmes betrays and murders his associate Benjamin Peitzel and his children as part of an elaborate insurance scheme.
How did a man who confessed to 27 murders (though some estimate hundreds) operate for so long without detection? What drives someone to declare "I was born with the devil in me"? Join us for this fascinating yet disturbing journey into one of history's most calculated killers, rated on our unique serial killer scale for brutality, creativity, intelligence, and execution. Follow us on TikTok and let us know which notorious criminals you want us to cover next!
Chapters
1. The Devil in The Basement (00:00:00)
2. Introduction to Why So Serial? (00:00:10)
3. Meet H.H. Holmes - America's First Serial Killer (00:03:03)
4. The Murder Hotel: Design & Purpose (00:10:24)
5. Holmes' Victims & Murder Methods (00:18:59)
6. The Peitzel Family & Insurance Fraud (00:30:09)
7. Capture, Trial & Execution (00:43:48)
8. Rating Holmes on the Serial Killer Scale (00:56:09)
9. Closing Thoughts & Sign-off (01:00:37)
2 episodes
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