Criminal Mischief

Inside the Criminal Mind: Dr. Eric Hickey
What creates a serial killer? Why do some offenders escalate from fantasy to violence while millions of people with dark thoughts never cross that line? And after decades of studying the most dangerous criminals in America, can we actually identify the warning signs before somebody kills?
This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio sits down with renowned criminal psychologist and criminologist Dr. Eric Hickey for a deep conversation about the psychology of murder, serial offenders, predatory violence and the uncomfortable realities behind the people responsible for some of society's most disturbing crimes.
Dr. Hickey has spent decades studying serial murderers and their victims, interviewing offenders and examining the psychological, behavioral and environmental forces that can contribute to extreme violence. His research has challenged many of the convenient assumptions popular culture has built around serial killers—including the idea that there is a single psychological profile capable of explaining who becomes a predator and why.
Carolyn and Dr. Hickey explore the complicated intersection of nature and nurture, childhood trauma, fantasy, sexual motivation, power and control, and the process through which violent behavior can escalate. They also examine the differences between psychopathy and other forms of personality pathology, why manipulation can be such an effective weapon for predatory offenders, and what investigators can—and cannot—learn from criminal profiling.
The conversation also tackles the mythology surrounding serial killers themselves. Movies, television and true crime have helped create an image of the serial murderer as a calculating criminal mastermind operating several moves ahead of everyone around him. Reality is considerably messier. Dr. Hickey explains what decades of research tell us about intelligence, compulsion, opportunity and the mistakes offenders make when fantasy collides with the real world.
And perhaps most importantly, Carolyn turns the discussion toward the victims. Behind every psychological profile and behavioral theory are real people whose lives were taken, families permanently altered and communities left searching for explanations that may never feel sufficient.
It's an unusually candid conversation about evil, psychology and the limits of our ability to understand the people capable of extraordinary violence.
This week on Criminal Mischief.
🎧 LISTEN & FOLLOW
Listen to Criminal Mischief wherever you get your podcasts and hit Follow so every new investigation and interview lands automatically in your feed.
⭐ RATE & REVIEW
If you're enjoying Carolyn's investigations, leave Criminal Mischief a 5-star rating and review. It takes less than a minute and remains one of the most effective ways to help new listeners discover the show.
📺 WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE
Watch Criminal Mischief and more original programming from across the network on the Evio Creative YouTube Channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss new interviews, investigations and episodes.
📧 HAVE A CASE WE SHOULD INVESTIGATE?
If there's a case, investigation or criminal-justice story you think Carolyn should examine, send your tips, suggestions and listener feedback to mailto:info@eviocreative.com.
The evidence tells a story. Carolyn follows where it leads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inside the Criminal Mind: Dr. Eric Hickey

What creates a serial killer? Why do some offenders escalate from fantasy to violence while millions of people with dark thoughts never cross that line? And after decades of studying the most dangerous criminals in America, can we actually identify the warning signs before somebody kills?

This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio sits down with renowned criminal psychologist and criminologist Dr. Eric Hickey for a deep conversation about the psychology of murder, serial offenders, predatory violence and the uncomfortable realities behind the people responsible for some of society's most disturbing crimes.

Dr. Hickey has spent decades studying serial murderers and their victims, interviewing offenders and examining the psychological, behavioral and environmental forces that can contribute to extreme violence. His research has challenged many of the convenient assumptions popular culture has built around serial killers—including the idea that there is a single psychological profile capable of explaining who becomes a predator and why.

Carolyn and Dr. Hickey explore the complicated intersection of nature and nurture, childhood trauma, fantasy, sexual motivation, power and control, and the process through which violent behavior can escalate. They also examine the differences between psychopathy and other forms of personality pathology, why manipulation can be such an effective weapon for predatory offenders, and what investigators can—and cannot—learn from criminal profiling.

The conversation also tackles the mythology surrounding serial killers themselves. Movies, television and true crime have helped create an image of the serial murderer as a calculating criminal mastermind operating several moves ahead of everyone around him. Reality is considerably messier. Dr. Hickey explains what decades of research tell us about intelligence, compulsion, opportunity and the mistakes offenders make when fantasy collides with the real world.

And perhaps most importantly, Carolyn turns the discussion toward the victims. Behind every psychological profile and behavioral theory are real people whose lives were taken, families permanently altered and communities left searching for explanations that may never feel sufficient.

It's an unusually candid conversation about evil, psychology and the limits of our ability to understand the people capable of extraordinary violence.

This week on Criminal Mischief.

🎧 LISTEN & FOLLOW

Listen to Criminal Mischief wherever you get your podcasts and hit Follow so every new investigation and interview lands automatically in your feed.

⭐ RATE & REVIEW

If you're enjoying Carolyn's investigations, leave Criminal Mischief a 5-star rating and review. It takes less than a minute and remains one of the most effective ways to help new listeners discover the show.

📺 WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE

Watch Criminal Mischief and more original programming from across the network on the Evio Creative YouTube Channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss new interviews, investigations and episodes.

📧 HAVE A CASE WE SHOULD INVESTIGATE?

If there's a case, investigation or criminal-justice story you think Carolyn should examine, send your tips, suggestions and listener feedback to mailto:info@eviocreative.com.

The evidence tells a story. Carolyn follows where it leads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a Fortune 500 Company Became the Harasser
Criminal Mischief – eBay's Campaign of Intimidation

What happens when one of the world's largest technology companies decides it doesn't like what a journalist is writing?

For one Massachusetts couple, the answer was months of harassment, surveillance, intimidation, and psychological warfare.

This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio investigates one of the strangest corporate crime stories in recent American history: the federal criminal case against eBay and the extraordinary campaign carried out against the publishers of the online newsletter EcommerceBytes.

When Ina and David Steiner published articles critical of eBay's leadership and business practices, company executives didn't simply issue a statement or dispute the reporting. Instead, members of eBay's own Global Security team launched an astonishing harassment campaign designed to terrorize the couple into silence.

Anonymous threats.

Late-night deliveries.

Disturbing packages.

Constant surveillance.

Online intimidation.

And plans that investigators would later describe as escalating far beyond anything anyone expected from a publicly traded corporation.

Using courtroom recordings, police interviews, FBI evidence, witness testimony, and the defendants' own admissions, Carolyn reconstructs the conspiracy from its inception through the federal investigation, guilty pleas, and sentencing of those involved. Along the way, she explores the corporate culture that allowed the campaign to flourish, the executives who authorized it, and the legal questions that continue to surround one of Silicon Valley's most shocking scandals.

At its heart, this isn't simply a story about corporate misconduct.

It's about the freedom of the press, the abuse of power, and what can happen when criticism becomes something an organization believes must be eliminated instead of answered.

Because sometimes the most dangerous criminals don't wear masks.

They wear employee badges.

🎧 Listen & Follow
Listen to Criminal Mischief wherever you get your podcasts, and be sure to follow so you never miss an investigation.

⭐ Rate & Review
If you're enjoying Criminal Mischief, please leave a 5-star rating and review. It helps more listeners discover the show and supports independent investigative journalism.

📺 Watch on YouTube
Watch full episodes, exclusive interviews, and companion content on the Evio Creative YouTube Channel.

📱 Join the Conversation
Follow us on social media and join the discussion. Share your thoughts, suggest future investigations, and connect with other listeners who love digging beneath the headlines.

📧 Have a Story?
Know of a case that deserves another look? Email us anytime at info@eviocreative.com. Your tip could become the focus of a future investigation.

🕵️ New Episodes Every Week
Real crimes. Real investigations. Real consequences. Every week on Criminal Mischief.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a Fortune 500 Company Became the HarasserCriminal Mischief – eBay's Campaign of Intimidation

What happens when one of the world's largest technology companies decides it doesn't like what a journalist is writing?

For one Massachusetts couple, the answer was months of harassment, surveillance, intimidation, and psychological warfare.

This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio investigates one of the strangest corporate crime stories in recent American history: the federal criminal case against eBay and the extraordinary campaign carried out against the publishers of the online newsletter EcommerceBytes.

When Ina and David Steiner published articles critical of eBay's leadership and business practices, company executives didn't simply issue a statement or dispute the reporting. Instead, members of eBay's own Global Security team launched an astonishing harassment campaign designed to terrorize the couple into silence.

Anonymous threats.

Late-night deliveries.

Disturbing packages.

Constant surveillance.

Online intimidation.

And plans that investigators would later describe as escalating far beyond anything anyone expected from a publicly traded corporation.

Using courtroom recordings, police interviews, FBI evidence, witness testimony, and the defendants' own admissions, Carolyn reconstructs the conspiracy from its inception through the federal investigation, guilty pleas, and sentencing of those involved. Along the way, she explores the corporate culture that allowed the campaign to flourish, the executives who authorized it, and the legal questions that continue to surround one of Silicon Valley's most shocking scandals.

At its heart, this isn't simply a story about corporate misconduct.

It's about the freedom of the press, the abuse of power, and what can happen when criticism becomes something an organization believes must be eliminated instead of answered.

Because sometimes the most dangerous criminals don't wear masks.

They wear employee badges.

🎧 Listen & Follow
Listen to Criminal Mischief wherever you get your podcasts, and be sure to follow so you never miss an investigation.

⭐ Rate & Review
If you're enjoying Criminal Mischief, please leave a 5-star rating and review. It helps more listeners discover the show and supports independent investigative journalism.

📺 Watch on YouTube
Watch full episodes, exclusive interviews, and companion content on the Evio Creative YouTube Channel.

📱 Join the Conversation
Follow us on social media and join the discussion. Share your thoughts, suggest future investigations, and connect with other listeners who love digging beneath the headlines.

📧 Have a Story?
Know of a case that deserves another look? Email us anytime at info@eviocreative.com. Your tip could become the focus of a future investigation.

🕵️ New Episodes Every Week
Real crimes. Real investigations. Real consequences. Every week on Criminal Mischief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Criminal Mischief
Episode 3: The Pike County Massacre — Judgment Day

After nearly a decade of investigation, courtroom battles, and shocking family betrayals, the Pike County Massacre finally reaches its conclusion.

In the final chapter of Carolyn Ossorio's exhaustive investigation into one of the most disturbing family murder conspiracies in American history, the Wagners begin turning on one another. Plea agreements are negotiated behind closed doors. Testimony once thought impossible becomes the prosecution's most devastating weapon. Parents testify against children. Sons testify against mothers. The carefully constructed image of an ordinary Ohio farming family collapses under the weight of its own lies.

Carolyn follows every major development—from the strategic deals that unraveled the Wagner family's defense, through the emotional courtroom testimony that revealed how eight members of the Rhoden family were systematically hunted and executed, to the convictions and sentences that finally brought a measure of justice to Pike County.

But this episode isn't simply about guilty verdicts.

It's about obsession disguised as love, control masquerading as family loyalty, and the devastating consequences of a belief that one family had the right to decide another family's future. Carolyn also explores the lingering questions that remain, the emotional scars carried by the survivors, and why the Pike County Massacre continues to haunt investigators, prosecutors, and the community that lived through one of the largest homicide investigations in Ohio history.

After weeks of exclusive interviews, meticulous reporting, and thousands of pages of court records, Criminal Mischief concludes its definitive examination of the Pike County Massacre.

Justice may have finally arrived—but some wounds never truly heal.

New episodes of Criminal Mischief are available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show so you never miss an investigation, and watch exclusive content on the Evio Creative YouTube channel.
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