When Killers Get Caught with Brittany Ransom

Ransom Storytelling Studio LLC
  • 4.5 (105)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

When Killers Get Caught is a true crime podcast hosted by Brittany Ransom that goes beyond the headlines to explore not just what happened, but why. Beginning August 6,2026 Season 5 shifts its focus to 20 extraordinary stories of survival, highlighting victims who endured unimaginable acts of violence and lived to tell their stories. Through compassionate storytelling, in-depth research, and psychological insight, each episode examines the resilience of the human spirit while uncovering the motives, consequences, and devastating realities behind violent crime.

  1. 20h ago

    Escaping Andrew Urdiales: The Story of Jennifer Asbenson

    In 1992, 19-year-old Jennifer Asbenson faced a night of unthinkable horror when she accepted a ride in Palm Springs, California, from a man who would turn out to be serial killer Andrew Urdiales. Ambushed, bound, and locked inside the trunk of a moving car, Jennifer knew her survival depended on taking action. Through extraordinary quick thinking and instinct, Jennifer managed to unlatch the trunk from the inside and leap to safety on the highway. Her miraculous escape didn't just save her life, her detailed account and courageous testimony became crucial evidence that brought Urdiales to justice for the murders of eight women. In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, host Brittany Ransom dives into Jennifer’s incredible story of survival, quick thinking, and resilience: The Attack and Escape: How Jennifer outsmarted a predator and escaped a locked trunk. Catching the Killer: How her testimony helped police build a case against serial killer Andrew Urdiales. Life as a Survivor: Jennifer’s journey beyond the trauma, her memoir, and her work as an advocate for survivors. Join Brittany as she unpacks the courage, tenacity, and extraordinary strength that helped Jennifer Asbenson beat the odds and ensure a dangerous killer was caught. If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media: Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com  Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com Case Submissions: CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.comMusic featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling.

  2. Sep 10

    Surviving Cline Falls: Terri Jentz and the Unsolved 1977 Oregon Attack

    In 1977, college students Terri Jentz and Avra Goldman set out on a cross-country bicycle trip that ended in a nightmare at Cline Falls State Park, Oregon. While sleeping in their tent, an unidentified attacker ran over them with a pickup truck and brutalized them with an axe. Both women survived the horrific assault, but the local investigation quickly stalled, leaving the case cold and no suspect officially charged. Decades later, Terri returned to Central Oregon to investigate her own attempted murder. Her journey, detailed in her memoir Strange Piece of Paradise, uncovered deep community secrets, institutional failures, and the identity of the man widely believed to be her attacker. This episode explores the harrowing night at Cline Falls, the long road to trauma recovery, and a survivor's relentless pursuit of truth and justice. If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media: Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com  Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com Case Submissions: CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.comMusic featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to storytelling.

  3. Sep 3

    Alison Botha: Survival, Justice, and the Power of the Human Spirit

    In 1994, Alison Botha was abducted outside her home in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, by Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger. After a horrific attack, Alison was left for dead in an isolated area. But somehow, she was still alive. Alone and catastrophically injured, Alison made a decision: if she was going to die, she would die trying to live. Using one hand to hold her body together and the other to support her severely injured neck, Alison began dragging herself toward the road. Before she left, she wrote the names of her attackers in the dirt and a message for her mother. Her attackers believed they had silenced their only witness. They were wrong. In this episode, Brittany Ransom explores Alison Botha's extraordinary survival, the investigation that led to Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger, their 1995 convictions, Alison's decades-long recovery, and why surviving the attack was only the beginning of her story. This is the story of Alison Botha. A woman who was left for dead and decided to live. If Alison’s story moved you, please leave a 5-star rating and review. Join the conversation on social media and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media: Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com  Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com Case Submissions: CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.comMusic featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

  4. Aug 27

    Holly Dunn: The Sole Survivor of the Railroad Killer Ángel Reséndiz

    Holly Dunn was the only known survivor of Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, the serial killer who became known as the Railroad Killer. In 1997, 20-year-old Holly and her boyfriend, Christopher Maier, were attacked near railroad tracks in Lexington, Kentucky. Christopher was murdered. Holly was beaten, sexually assaulted, and left for dead, but she survived. Her survival would become an important part of the case against Reséndiz, a transient serial killer connected to murders across multiple states and eventually placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. But Holly Dunn’s story did not end beside those railroad tracks. In this episode of When Killers Get Caught: The Survivors, Brittany Ransom examines the attack, the hunt for Ángel Reséndiz, Holly’s role in bringing him to justice, and the life she built afterward including her advocacy for victims of violent crime, the creation of Holly’s House, and her memoir Sole Survivor. This is the story of the woman the Railroad Killer believed he had silenced and what happened when she got back up. If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media: Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com  Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com Case Submissions: CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.com Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

  5. Aug 20

    Kathy Kleiner Rubin: Surviving Ted Bundy and the Chi Omega Attack

    On January 15, 1978, serial killer Ted Bundy entered the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University, murdered Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy, and brutally attacked Kathy Kleiner Rubin and Karen Chandler. Kathy survived but Ted Bundy was far from the first thing she had survived. This week on When Killers Get Caught, Brittany Ransom takes a deep dive into Kathy's remarkable story and her memoir, A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundy. We examine the increasingly reckless Bundy who arrived in Florida near the end of his killing spree, what happened inside Chi Omega, the survivors who are too often overshadowed by Bundy's mythology, and the moment Kathy faced him again in court. But most importantly, this is about what happened after Ted Bundy left the room. Because Bundy may be part of Kathy Kleiner Rubin's story, but he doesn't get to own it. The truth always leaves a trail and sometimes that trail leads straight back to the survivor who lived long enough to tell it. If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media: Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com  Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com Case Submissions: CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.com Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling.

  6. Aug 13

    How Rhonda Stapley Survived Ted Bundy & the 40-Year Silence That Followed

    In 1974, 21-year-old pharmacy student Rhonda Stapley accepted a ride from a polite law student named Ted. What followed was a nightmare in Big Cottonwood Canyon and an extraordinary escape into a roaring mountain river.  In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, host Brittany Ransom deconstructs the "charming genius" myth surrounding Ted Bundy through the eyes of a woman who outsmarted him. We trace Rhonda’s terrifying encounter, her 20-foot leap to freedom, and the 40 years of silent survival, high-functioning PTSD, and religious shame that followed before she finally reclaimed her narrative. This isn't another story about Ted Bundy. This is the story of the survivor who beat him. In this episode: • The cold open: Deconstructing the "why did she get in the car" myth • The Modified Volkswagen: How Bundy trapped his victims inside • The Escape: Rhonda’s 20-foot jump into Big Cottonwood Creek • High-Functioning Trauma: Living with secret PTSD for 40 years • Journalistic Ethics: Navigating delayed disclosure and unindicted allegations Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violent assault, sexual violence, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised. Follow & Subscribe: If Rhonda’s story moved you, please leave a 5-star rating and review. Join the conversation on social media and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media: Check out the website: https://www.whenkillersgetcaught.com  Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com Case Submissions: CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.com Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling.

  7. Aug 6

    Lisa McVey : The Girl Who Outsmarted a Serial Killer

    At just 17 years old, Lisa McVey was kidnapped by one of America's most dangerous serial killers. But instead of giving in to fear, she did something extraordinary, she observed, she remembered, and she survived. In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, Brittany Ransom tells the incredible true story of how one teenager's courage, quick thinking, and determination not only saved her own life but helped investigators identify and capture a serial killer before he could claim more victims. As Season 5: Case Closers: The Survivors begins, we shift the focus away from the people who committed these horrific crimes and toward the individuals whose resilience changed the course of criminal investigations. Lisa McVey's story is a powerful reminder that survivors are more than victims, they are witnesses, heroes, and sometimes the very reason justice is possible. Because sometimes, the person who closes the case is the one who lived to tell the story.If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media: Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com Case Submissions: CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.com Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling.

  8. Jun 25

    Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker Case): The Untold Cost of Investigative Failure

    "How many lives could have been saved if the warning signs had been connected sooner?" In the mid-1980s, a wave of unprecedented terror gripped Southern California. Windows were nailed shut, lights were on throughout the night, and ordinary communities found themselves at the mercy of a predatory phantom. The media gave him a moniker that froze the blood of millions: "The Night Stalker." But away from the sensational headlines, a devastating reality was unfolding; one marked by fragmented police jurisdictions, catastrophic political blunders, and an analog system entirely unequipped to track a transient killer. In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, host Brittany Ransom shifts the lens away from the killer's dark celebrity to honor the real people behind the statistics. We strip away the mythology of Richard Ramirez to examine the human cost of the tragedy, the structural failures that kept him on the streets for 14 terrifying months, and the ordinary East L.A. citizens who finally refused to let him disappear again. The Victims Before the Headlines: Restoring the names, lives, and humanity of those targeted, including Jennie Vincow, Maxon and Lela Kneiding, Vincent and Maxine Zazzara, and the brave young survivors like six-year-old Anastasia Hronas. The Anatomy of a Ghost: How Ramirez’s unmapped, transient status allowed him to exploit the margins of Los Angeles and slip between the cracks of a fragmented legal system. Investigative Blunders & Political Egos: A deep dive into the shocking missteps that compromised the hunt. Including the infamous Dianne Feinstein shoe press conference and the live media leak of the killer's stolen getaway vehicle. The Streets Take Back Control: The visceral moment a neighborhood cornered a monster, proving the manhunt wouldn’t end with a SWAT raid, but with ordinary people shouting “¡El Matón!” The Endless Trial & Death Row Gridlock: An exploration of the toxic courtroom spectacle, the "Night Stalker Groupies," and the philosophical failure of a 24-year death row sentence that was ultimately beaten by cancer. A Note from Brittany: When Killers Get Caught will be taking a brief mid-summer production break for the month of July to prepare our next season of deep dives. Brand-new episodes will return on August 6th! Connect with the Show: In the meantime, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns by following us on social media: Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhenKillersGetCaught Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caughtpodcast Get the Gear: https://www.caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com Case Submissions: CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.com Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover When Killers Get Caught.

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About

When Killers Get Caught is a true crime podcast hosted by Brittany Ransom that goes beyond the headlines to explore not just what happened, but why. Beginning August 6,2026 Season 5 shifts its focus to 20 extraordinary stories of survival, highlighting victims who endured unimaginable acts of violence and lived to tell their stories. Through compassionate storytelling, in-depth research, and psychological insight, each episode examines the resilience of the human spirit while uncovering the motives, consequences, and devastating realities behind violent crime.

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