WTOP’s American Nightmare Series

About WTOP’s American Nightmare Series

SEASON 6 AVAILABLE NOW. NEW EPISODES DROP EVERY TUESDAY. Every headline hides a deeper story. American Nightmares pulls you into the most unsettling true crime cases—one season, one case at a time. These are the crimes that kept detectives awake, shattered families, and left entire communities on edge.Told through raw interviews, gripping investigative detail, and cinematic storytelling, each season reveals how these nightmares unfolded—and the long road to uncovering the truth. You may think you know the story. You don’t. Season 6 - The Canal Murders In the early 1990s, a serial killer stalked the canals of Phoenix, Arizona — a violent psychopath whose grisly methods chillingly echoed the macabre signature of Jack the Ripper. Two brutal homicides. A city gripped by fear. And a killer who hid in plain sight for decades while Arizona's most infamous cold case went unsolved. Now, host Brian Peter Falk is determined to get to the bottom of this twisted tale, digging deep into the evidence, the victims, and the secrets buried beneath the surface. Solving two murders is just the beginning — because the deeper you go, the darker it gets. Season 5 - Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult It looked like a quiet small-town neighborhood, defined by manicured lawns and flower gardens. But behind the façade, more than a hundred residents were part of the Zion Society, a secretive cult that hoarded weapons and groomed children for sexual abuse under the control of an unassuming, soft-spoken leader. When a young woman escaped and went to authorities, the truth finally began to unravel. Season 4 - 22 Hours: A Second Look Host Megan Cloherty returns for a new season of American Nightmares. In the upcoming season, we revisit the story that launched the series: a D.C. power couple, their 10-year-old son, and their housekeeper—held hostage for nearly 24 hours before being murdered inside their own home. Now, 10 years after the crime and 6 years since we first told the story, Season 1 returns with all-new content, fresh interviews, and exclusive updates that shed new light on a case that still resonates today. Season 3 - Unknown Subject For nearly a decade, he crept in the shadows, attacking women in the middle of the night — and then vanished. The 1998 murder of a brilliant scientist near Georgetown University marked a terrifying escalation. Investigators had DNA linking him to multiple crimes, but for years, he had no name — only the label “Unknown Subject.” This season uncovers the chilling case of the Potomac River Rapist, and the patrol cop who finally cracked it. Season 2 - Murder in a Safe Place In a quiet hospital just outside Washington, D.C., a 50-year-old nurse named Sherry Crandell was raped and murdered inside her workplace — a place that was supposed to be safe. With DNA, fingerprints, and even a witness to the crime, police had evidence — but no suspect. This season revisits the cold case that continues to baffle investigators and devastate a family, more than two decades later. Season 1 - 22 Hours: An American Nightmare One of the most shocking crimes in modern American history: a prominent couple, their 10-year-old son, and their housekeeper taken hostage and brutally murdered in their Washington, D.C. home. Over the course of 22 horrifying hours, they endured torture and terror before their killers tried to burn the evidence. This award-winning debut season revisits the infamous Mansion Murders, exposing new details and the twisted logic behind a senseless act of violence.

Publisher

Gamut Podcast Network

Category

true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Apr 2019

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

17 of 102 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   S6 E4 - The Arizona Zombie Hunter

   Detectives go undercover to get DNA from the "Arizona Zombie Hunter" to see if he is the Canal Killer in this interview.

2. 

   29 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   S6 E3 - Your Killer's Name

   Forensic genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick discusses her DNA and family tree technique with host [Host Name] to identify the killer in the unsolved Phoenix Canal Murders.

3. 

   22 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   S6 E2 - Psycho

   This episode investigates the chilling similarities between two murders, revealing a serial killer stalking Phoenix.

Inside a recent episode

S6 E4 - The Arizona Zombie Hunter

Published 6 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] On their third date, they discuss his troubled past. I could already tell that we were more serious and wanted to continue dating. I felt it had been important to let him know more about me growing up and everything. And during that conversation, he also let me know more about him as a teenager. He let me know that he had gone to juvenile detention as, I believe, 17-ish, 16 or 17. And when I asked him why, he had just told me that he didn't like to talk about it. It was really embarrassing. In the blush of first love, Amy doesn't press further. She also ignores the signs that her new boyfriend isn't as regular a churchgoer as he claims. […]

Who has been a guest on WTOP’s American Nightmare Series

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jackie
• Ron
• Andrea
• Amber
• Judy Ho

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

10,467 ratings

Contact WTOP’s American Nightmare Series

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  Trace of Suspicion

• 

  Witnessed: Fade to Black

• 

  Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad

• 

  Bridge of Lies

• 

  Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

• 

  Betrayal

Questions about WTOP’s American Nightmare Series