Mapping Evil with Mike King

About Mapping Evil with Mike King

In Mapping Evil, world-leading criminal investigator Mike King joins award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd to take you deep inside the rapidly evolving world of criminal profiling. Offering a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. Explore some of the world’s most chilling investigations and learn how understanding the geography of crimes, predators and victims can shed new light on unsolved cases. www.mappingevil.com +++ This is a BGT Production created in partnership with Esri Australia. Esri Australia is the nation’s leading GIS technology and services provider and part of the BGT group.

Publisher

BGT Productions

Category

technology · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Feb 2021

Latest episode

18 Sept 2022

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 18 Sept 2022

   S2 04: Mapping a Monster

   Touching down in Los Angeles after a fairly uneventful 14-hour flight from Australia, criminal profiler Mike King is tired but happy to be home after a gruelling fortnight of back-to-back meetings, events, and media engagements. As he makes his way through LAX, his phone rings. On the other end the caller says: "I listened to your interview on the news. My father killed Betty Shanks". In the explosive final episode of Mapping Evil, Mike and Tory introduce listeners to Ken and his story. It’s a story Ken has waited seven decades to tell and it’s difficult to hear. Is Ken a witness to a murderer’s confession, or the victim of an unspeakably cruel father who used the savage murder of Betty Shanks to terrorise his young son? And does an old, weathered briefcase, full of photos, notes, letters and other seemingly innocuous artefacts hold the secret to ‘Who killed Betty Shanks?’ +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. MappingEvil.com

2. 18 Sept 2022

   S2 01: Terrain of Terror

   It’s September 1952 on the night of the new moon and 22-year-old university student Betty Shanks is making her way home from evening classes. The journey from her tram stop to the home she shares with her loving parents is a mere 400 yards along a path Betty has strode countless times before. On this night, Betty would not survive the walk. With the help of award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, world renowned cold case investigator Mike King unpacks the 70-year-old mystery of the brutal murder of Betty Shanks. King delves deep into the life of Betty Shanks, discovering fascinating new insights about the woman behind the headline. He explores the geography of Queensland’s oldest cold case murder, meticulously mapping Betty’s terrifying last movements. +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. MappingEvil.com

3. 18 Sept 2022

   S2 03: Locating Justice

   The first time Desche Birtles took her story to police she was a 16-year-old runaway. It was a harrowing account of a childhood trauma – one that tied Desche’s father to the brutal murder of Betty Shanks – and one that police would repeatedly dismiss. For historian and author Ted Duhs, Desche’s tale was so compelling that he would dedicate decades of his life to investigating her claim that Betty Shanks died at the hands of her father. Mike King and Tory Shepherd explore Ted Duhs’ investigation into the Betty Shanks murder, speaking with the author himself about his research and theory of who committed the crime and more importantly ‘why’. Mike looks at Duhs’ proposed motive for the killing along with the crime scene evidence, victimology, and likely profile of Betty’s murderer. What he discovers amongst the crime scene’s landscape – leaves the seasoned investigator uneasy. +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. MappingEvil.com

4. 18 Sept 2022

   S2 02: The Geography of Crime and Punishment

   In the cold hard light of day, police investigating the murder of Betty Shanks are confronted with a sickening scene of unbridled savagery and punishment. Reports of the gruesome crime leads the evening news, while theories as to who could possibly commit such a monstrous act start to circulate. Among the lineup of potential suspects was a soldier, a police officer, a handyman, a respected doctor – and the mysterious man in a brown suit. Mike King steps into the role of chief investigator – examining the crime scene, wild theories, and suspects. He pitches science against speculation – with some alarming discoveries. +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. MappingEvil.com

5. 11 Sept 2022

   S2 Trailer: Mapping Evil with Mike King: Season Two – Murdering Betty

   On a moonless spring night in 1952, a bright young woman – only metres from her home – screams out in terror as she is overpowered, brutally beaten and left to die on an otherwise safe suburban street. The savage murder of 22-year-old Betty Shanks sent shock waves through the tight-knit community of Wilston and came to be known as the crime that stole Brisbane’s innocence. World renowned criminal profiler and cold case investigator Mike King returns with award winning journalist Tory Shepherd, to retrace the final tragic steps of Betty Shanks. His investigation unearths new leads, a new suspect, and fresh insights into Betty Shanks herself. Will Mike’s investigation bring police closer to solving Queensland’s longest standing murder mystery and finally answer the question: “Who killed Betty Shanks?”. +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. MappingEvil.com

6. 20 Dec 2021

   S1 Bonus: The disappearance of Suzanne Morphew - locating the truth

   In a special case update from Mapping Evil, Mike and Tory investigate how the sad story of a missing Colorado mum morphed into a high-stakes, circumstantial murder trial – plagued by rumour and innuendo. Suzanne Morphew – a vibrant mother-of-two – disappeared from her home on Mother’s Day 2020. One year later, her high school sweetheart and husband of 32 years was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder. The case has gripped the entire world and captured the unrelenting attention of internet sleuths desperate to know what happened. Mike employs criminal profiling tactics to separate the clues from the conspiracies and shares how he rallied community support in the tireless search for Suzanne. “We used high-tech GIS tracking software to monitor the search... And in the end, we provided tracking and analysis for nearly 700 citizen volunteers and all of that information was immediately made available to law enforcement.” – Mike King +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. MappingEvil.com

7. 25 Oct 2021

   S1 Bonus: Ritual Murder - Confessions of a Predator

   In a special bonus episode of Mapping Evil, Mike and Tory revisit the macabre case of the Lafferty brothers (Episode 8) – a truly disturbing story of religious fanaticism and ritualistic murder. Nearly 40 years on from the gruesome slayings of new mum, Brenda Lafferty and her daughter Erica, Mike shares candid interviews with convicted killer, Dan Lafferty and his brother, Ron – a self-professed prophet. Hear from the killer himself as he casually steps through that fateful day on July 24, 1984. Listen as the brothers describe in chilling detail how the full horror of Ron Lafferty’s sadistic doctrine came to be unleashed on an unsuspecting mother and her 14-month-old child. Though unsettling, these interviews provided vital information on religious fanaticism and cult activities that improved investigative techniques across the United States. Through Mike’s involvement in the case, more than 1,500 violent crime investigators heard firsthand how these vicious groups are developed, cultivated, and mobilised. “I’m not ashamed of it, I’m not embarrassed by it, and I may speak of it so calmly that it might unnerve you a little bit but, to me there was no emotional involvement in it.” Dan Lafferty +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. MappingEvil.com

8. 24 May 2021

   S1 Bonus: Profiling the profiler: Mike King on Directions with Stan Grant

   From the team who brought you Mapping Evil, join legendary Australian journalist and ‘gentlemen interrogator’ Stan Grant as he goes toe-to-toe with everyday people faced with extraordinary responsibilities. In this special preview episode of Directions, Mapping Evil’s own Mike King shares his leadership lessons – from teaching top cops the art of criminal profiling, to being one of the first to bring cutting-edge technology into investigation war rooms. If you enjoy this preview episode, make sure you follow the Directions with Stan Grant series on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. “You get tough immediately when you realise that you have an obligation to the men and women under your command and to the community that you serve. There's a point where you step up and say, what is the right thing to do? But you've got to have the integrity to step forward, even when you're standing alone.” +++ Directions is a podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Stan Grant about how leaders use technology and innovation to solve problems and to shape our increasingly complex world. This is a BGT Production created in partnership with Esri Australia. Esri Australia is the nation's leading GIS technology and services provider and part of the BGT group.

9. 10 May 2021

   S1 09: The Geography of Victimology

   Exploring the terrain of where innocence is lost Across the course of his career, Mike has found that a skilled predator will almost always leverage the element of ‘geography’ to turn the tables in their favour. Whether a victim’s risk level is inherently high or low, and regardless of whether the victim is known or a stranger to a perpetrator – geography inevitably plays a key role in giving evil the upper-hand. In this episode, Mike and Tory walk through the investigation into the brutal slaying of seven-week-old Ian Wing. Mike discusses the disturbing patterns of behaviour shown by Ian’s murderer in the lead up to the little boy’s death, while Tory poses the question of whether modern day technology could potentially map such behaviours to prevent others falling victim to a similar fate. Tory then challenges Mike to show how the element of ‘geography’ could be used to unravel the coldest of Queensland’s cold cases; the 1952 murder of Betty Shanks. With a crime scene full of contradictions, Mike shows just why he’s one of the best in the business – suggesting all is not as it may first seem. Join Mike and Tory as they unpack the crimes where all innocence was lost – and learn more of the explosive revelations from Mike’s investigation into the Betty Shanks murder. “…Well, when he became angry, he would go into the yard and he'd pick up one of the pets. Then when he was sure they were watching him, he'd kill the animal in front of them. Just to send a clear message of who's in charge.” Stay tuned for season two of Mapping Evil with Mike King. +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King.  Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice.

10. 3 May 2021

    S1 Bonus: Meet Mr King

    The man behind the map In this special bonus episode of Mapping Evil with Mike King, award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd takes a closer look at the man behind the map. With a little encouragement from Tory, Mike delves deep into his past, sharing intimate details of the stories that have shaped his life and career. From a near fatal accident during the earliest days of his time on the force, to his encounters with a sitting president and some of America’s most malevolent serial killers – Mike reveals the twists and turns of a career that reads more like a Hollywood script than a resume. His walk down memory lane takes Mike back over the most defining cold cases of his career, venturing deep into the heart of America’s ‘Wild Wild West’ and all the way back to the time of Tutankhamen. Join Tory as she shares some of the more candid moments captured with Mike throughout Season One of Mapping Evil. “And we should not make any mistakes about this. These people that kill people – it's hard to kill someone and yet they will continue to do it. And when they fail or fall short or the victim lives, they have to return back to their confines and work out in their mind, that fantasy, figure out what they did wrong and solve it the next time.” +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice.

11. 19 Apr 2021

    S1 08: Plotting the Path from Prophet to Predator

    Mapping nature or nurture When does a faith built on love and compassion transform into the darkest of beliefs? What is the catalyst that takes a devoted parishioner on a journey to become a prophet, and then a predator? In this episode, Tory Shepherd and Mike King take a closer look at crimes committed in the name of God. They explore the malevolence of Utah’s Lafferty Brothers and the appalling deeds that had many questioning whether their crimes were the acts of diseased minds or the product of a cruel upbringing. Mike discusses the tactics used by modern-day law enforcement agencies to now track and combat the spread of religious teachings that show the same characteristics as an insidious killer virus. Tory then challenges Mike to use those same investigative tactics to shed new light on the Australian cold case murder of beloved mother Maria James, whose brutal slaying remains shrouded in mystery. Mike jumps into the details of the crime and, as is always the case with this seasoned investigator, nothing is off limits – including a scandal involving Maria’s local clergy. Join Tory and Mike for another compelling journey into the dark side of humanity. “He said, ‘I'm going to just go in and slit their throats. In the Bible that's the way they got rid of people – by the sword. And that's what we need to do. I'm only doing what God told me to do.’ ” +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. MappingEvil.com

12. 12 Apr 2021

    S1 07: Navigating to Safety

    Mapping precious last steps Oliver Ben Gerrish is every parent’s worst nightmare – charismatic and cunning, he represents the most dangerous of serial predators. By the end of his reign of terror, ‘Big Ben’ as he came to be known, had irreparably damaged the lives of more than 550 children and their families. In this episode, Mike and Tory discuss the key learnings from studying Gerrish’s modus operandi. Mike walks through the boldest of Gerrish’s crimes, painting a terrifying picture of how easily a skilled predator can gain the trust of otherwise protective parents. Tory and Mike then explore the cold case disappearance of 13-year-old Melbourne schoolgirl Bung Siriboon – who simply vanished on the short ten-minute walk from her house to her school. Mike challenges the rumour suggesting contacts close to home were responsible for Bung’s disappearance, instead exploring the theory that at some point between 8.00am and 8.30am on 2 June, 2011 – along Harcourt Road, Boronia – Bung came face-to-face with a monster like Gerrish. "He was really a… patient predatory paedophile. Once he selected his preferred targets, he would spend weeks, literally weeks grooming not only the child, but the child's parents.” +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. MappingEvil.com

13. 5 Apr 2021

    S1 06: The Delicate Landscape of Victim and Predator

    Exploring where cruelty blooms Join Mike King and Tory Shepherd as they unpack the crimes of two of the most malevolent human beings to ever draw breath: Utah’s Blaine Hogge Nelson – suspected of 70 to 80 rapes across 11 states – and Australia’s own Boogieman, Mr Cruel. Walk with King as he dramatically retraces the steps of both Nelson and Cruel – exploring what the geography of their crimes truly reveals about these sadistic serial predators. Understand the difference today’s crime analytics techniques and cutting-edge technology could have made to investigators during the predators’ reign of terror. And be completely creeped out when Mike shares the super-helpful tips given to him by Blaine Hogge Nelson himself on how to limit your chance of becoming a victim. Don’t miss this episode of Mapping Evil with Mike King… “…there's this weird psychology in prisoners or in inmates, specifically in serial predators. They want a legacy. Some of those people, the legacy is to be the most prolific serial predator known to man.” +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King.  Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice.

14. 29 Mar 2021

    S1 05: Mapping Predator Hunting Grounds

    Exploring where all is lost. When married mother of two Suzanne Morphew went missing from her Colorado home on Mother’s Day 2020, it appeared as if she had simply vanished off the face of the earth. Together with her anxious family, Mike King mobilised an army of 700 volunteers, all equipped with cutting-edge tracking technology, to scour and map more than 6,500 linear miles of remote and rugged terrain surrounding the Morphew’s Salida property. In this episode, Mike and Tory take a closer look at the mysterious disappearance of Suzanne Morphew. They explore the four theories of her fate – as offered by her husband – and examine whether this loving mother of two young girls fell afoul of one of nature’s wildest and most merciless predators… or one closer to home. Tory then invites Mike to consider how he would approach the enduring mystery surrounding the disappearance of Adelaide’s Beaumont children, who – like Suzanne Morphew – simply vanished on Australia Day, 55 years earlier. Listen as the ever-so-cool King holds true to his training, to push aside the notoriety of the Beaumont children case, and the decades of supposition, innuendo and rumour – to offer investigators a technology-led lifeline to better understand the 1966 crime scene. “…sometimes that's all we have in these kinds of investigations – the victimology and what a normal day was like for them, what they would have generally done. We have to build our theories upon evidence."

15. 22 Mar 2021

    S1 04: Twilight Zones

    Hunting the hunters Even for seasoned investigators like Mike King, crimes against the most vulnerable members of society – such as those in their twilight years – are amongst the most difficult to comprehend. In a jailhouse interview with serial killer Daniel Ray Troyer – a man who is suspected of brutally murdering at least 13 elderly women – Troyer posed this very question to Mike, asking: “You’re having a hard time understanding this aren’t you?” In this episode of Mapping Evil, Mike King and Tory Shepherd look at the crimes of America’s Daniel Ray Troyer and Australia’s own ‘Granny Killer’ – John Wayne Glover. Mike looks closely at the circles the men moved in, their bizarre rituals, and the eerily similar geographies of their favourite hunting grounds. Join Mike and Tory for another no-holds-barred journey into the dark side of humanity.

16. 15 Mar 2021

    S1 03: Location, Location, Location

    When location becomes a liability For veteran law enforcement specialist Mike King, the element of ‘location’ is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle when it comes to investigating serial crimes.  Determining how, when, and why the paths of a predator and victim have intersected is crucial for investigators to understand victimology, which communities are at risk, and even the offender themselves.In this episode Mike and Tory examine the crimes of the ‘Real Estate Rapist’, Michael Blake Jensen, exploring how he used the element of location – with almost surgical precision – to trap his victims. Mike also takes a closer look at the expansive crime scene of the brutal 1967 cold case murder of 21-year-old Mima McKim Hill. He retraces the likely steps of the killer – debunking the old adage of ‘wrong place, wrong time’ – to reveal the terrifying truth of when location becomes a liability.  “… all the red flags are coming up and they're realising there's something really wrong here, but again, we never want to assume the worst in people. We think I never go out into the woods and kill someone so nobody else would either.” +++Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King.  Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice.  This is a BGT Production created in partnership with Esri Australia.Esri Australia is the nation's leading GIS technology and services provider and part of the BGT group.

17. 8 Mar 2021

    S1 02: The Cartography of Cults

    Taking down the Zion Society “I've been involved in a cult that's sexually abusing children. Do you have a moment to talk to me?” These were the words that turned what was otherwise a normal day for Mike King into the most pivotal moment of his law enforcement career. What soon followed was a coordinated response of a magnitude rarely seen in US law enforcement. One that would eventually bring Arvin Shreeve – the self-anointed leader of polygamist doomsday cult the Zion Society – to justice. Join Mike King and Tory Shepherd as they take a close look at how the small community of Ogden became the perfect breeding ground for one of America’s fastest growing and most sadistic cults. Hear Mike’s first-hand account of how he and his fellow investigators used cutting-edge technology to map the cult’s complex operation. Learn more about how the same technology unearthed the true scale of the cult and the location of its hunting grounds. Mike and Tory also delve deep into the cunning tactics used to recruit new sect members and the frightening similarities between the Zion Society and other notorious cults, including NXVIM – with its Hollywood links – and Australia’s own The Family. +++ Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. This is a BGT Production created in partnership with Esri Australia. Esri Australia is the nation's leading GIS technology and services provider and part of the BGT group.

18. 28 Feb 2021

    S1 01:The Route of all Evil

    When profiling evil, what lessons can we learn? How can exploring the macabre crimes of Robert Ben Rhoades - the infamous Truck Stop Killer - help law enforcement officials half a world away? Join Mike King and Tory Shepherd as they peel back the layers of the investigation into one of the USA's most prolific serial sexual sadists. Peek into the workings of a truly evil mind and learn more about the police tactics that eventually brought Rhoades to justice. Hear how the same science used to build a profile of a predator could unravel one of the most enduring mysteries behind Australia's own highway of death - the Flinders Highway. Mike King brings an answer to the question of whether this long strip of road is indeed the killing fields of a serial predator or something even more frightening. "It was like reading a very familiar novel. And I remember we said, if she was shot in the head with a .25 calibre gun, we know who your killer is. And the deputy's jaw dropped." To find out more about the geography of crime, visit mappingevil.com Next episode: The cartography of cults

19. 24 Feb 2021

    S1 Trailer: Introducing Mapping Evil with Mike King

    Navigate the complex terrain between victim and predator Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. Find out more about the geography of crime by visiting mappingevil.com

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