Show Notes
Few people spent time talking to Dennis Nilsen after his conviction. Consultant forensic psychologist, Sunday Times bestselling author and host of The Profiler with Kerry Daynes, Kerry Daynes, did. In this episode of True Criminals, Kerry reflects on her conversations and correspondence with one of Britain's most infamous serial killers, offering rare insight into the psychology behind his crimes while refusing to accept the myths and self-serving narratives he spent years constructing. Joined by journalist Helen Fospero and crime reporter Martin Brunt, she explores the making of a murderer, the danger of allowing killers to control their own legacy, and why understanding is not the same as excusing.
This episode examines the murders committed by Dennis Nilsen between 1978 and 1983, his calculated targeting of vulnerable young men, the investigation that exposed his crimes, and the psychological themes of narcissism, fantasy, coercive control and necrophilia that shaped his offending. If you're interested in Dennis Nilsen, Kerry Daynes, true crime, criminal psychology, forensic psychology, serial killers, British crime history, or the real stories behind Britain's most notorious murder cases, this is an essential listen.
Kerry is also the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried, and hosts the acclaimed podcast The Profiler with Kerry Daynes. Listen to the podcast here: The Profiler with Kerry Daynes. Explore Kerry's books on her Amazon author page here: Kerry Daynes Amazon author page.
Victims: Stephen Holmes, Kenneth Ockenden, Martin Duffy, William Sutherland, Malcolm Barlow, John Howlett, Graham Allen and Stephen Sinclair. Dennis Nilsen also admitted killing additional men whose identities have never been confirmed. Survivors: Carl Stotter and another unidentified survivor escaped Nilsen's murder attempts, providing important evidence about his methods.
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Connect with Martin Brunt
Follow Martin on Twitter at @skymartinbrunt. Discover more about his career and the cases he’s covered by reading his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here: https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY.
Connect with Helen Fospero
Follow Helen on Instagram at @helenfospero and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575.
Credits
True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global.
Visit www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals for more information.
Executive Producer: Lee Mann.
Producer: Russell Barnes.
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More from True Criminals
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