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. 3h ago

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. Jun 18

    Beneath the Sequins: The Hidden Body of Dorian Corey

    When ballroom icon Dorian Corey died in 1993, friends packing her closet made a horrifying discovery: a mummified body hidden inside a vintage trunk. For 25 years, a secret had been sitting just feet from where she slept. Who was the man in the dark? This week on When Killers Get Caught, host Brittany Ransom pulls back the heavy layers of sequins, fabric, and history to dissect one of the strangest and most claustrophobic hidden-body cases in modern true-crime history. When investigators opened that green steamer trunk labeled "Halloween," they uncovered a meticulously concealed crime scene: the remains of Robert Worley, a man who had vanished off the face of the earth in 1968, shot a single time in the back of the head. How did a prominent cultural icon and star of the groundbreaking documentary Paris Is Burning hide a body in plain sight for a quarter of a century while hosting parties, mentoring youth, and living a highly public life? In this episode, we explore: The Mother of the House: The immense cultural legacy, brilliant fashion design work, and unmatched wisdom of Dorian Corey. Centering Robert Worley: Reclaiming the identity, struggles, and history of a victim who became a 25-year secret. The Parallel World of 1968: A deep look into the mechanics of justice, and why a marginalized person in mid-century Manhattan would make the morally impossible choice to hide a body rather than call the police. The Final Artifact: The unsettling fictional manuscript found in Dorian’s apartment that mirrored the real-world crime. Because justice isn't always delivered in a courtroom. Sometimes, it's delivered by time. Join the Case Closers Community: 📱 TikTok: @caughtpodcast 📸 Instagram: @whenkillersgetcaught 🛒 Get the Gear: caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com 📩 Case Submissions & Business Inquiries: CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com End credit music featured in this podcast is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF?

  8. Jun 11

    Inside the Mind of Ted Kaczynski: The 17-Year Unabomber Hunt

    How does a child genius who enters Harvard at sixteen end up becoming one of the most notorious domestic terrorists in American history? In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, Brittany Ransom examines the life of Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber. From his childhood as a gifted student in Chicago to his years at Harvard, his isolation in a remote Montana cabin, and the anti-technology ideology that fueled a seventeen-year bombing campaign, we explore the events that shaped one of the FBI's longest and most expensive investigations. This episode covers: Ted Kaczynski's childhood and early intelligence Harvard University and the controversial Henry Murray experiments His career as a mathematician and professor at UC Berkeley Life in the Montana wilderness The evolution of the Unabomber bombing campaign Victims Hugh Scrutton, Thomas Mosser, and Gilbert Murray The publication of Industrial Society and Its Future How David Kaczynski and Linda Patrik helped identify the Unabomber The FBI raid, trial, imprisonment, and death The lasting debate over technology, extremism, and violence Was Ted Kaczynski a misunderstood critic of technology, a domestic terrorist, or both? And what can his story teach us about the dangers of turning ideology into justification for violence? Listen now to discover how one of America's most elusive killers was finally caught. When Killers Get Caught is a true crime podcast focused on the people, psychology, and moments behind violent crimes and what happens when the darkness finally meets the light. Follow and join the conversation: 📱 TikTok: @caughtpodcast on TikTok 📸 Instagram: @whenkillersgetcaught on Instagram 🛒 Merch: https://caught-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com/ Be Part of the Next 100 Episodes: Have a case, story, or idea you’d like Brittany to explore? Submit it to CaseCloserSubmissions@gmail.com and help shape the future of the show. Credits & Inquiries: Music featured in this podcast is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF For advertising and sponsorship inquiries, please contact Brittany Ransom at caughtpodcast@gmail.com.

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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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