Among Monsters

Loren Herzog: The Speed Freak Killer – Buried Secrets of the Valley

In this harrowing episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale dives into the terrifying legacy of Loren Herzog, one half of the “Speed Freak Killers” duo that terrorized California’s Central Valley for nearly two decades. Alongside childhood friend Wesley Shermantine, Herzog participated in a drug-fueled killing spree that left victims buried in dry wells, fields, and forgotten ditches—many of whom remain unidentified to this day. Fueled by methamphetamine and bloodlust, the pair lured men and women into their orbit, then brutally murdered and discarded them like refuse. Though Herzog confessed on tape, a technicality would lead to his early release—only for him to end his life in a suicide that raised more questions than it answered. This episode explores the twisted psychology, legal chaos, and still-open wounds of a case that continues to haunt the Central Valley. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Jake Patterson &The Closs Family Murder & Abduction

On a quiet October night in rural Wisconsin, a front door was blown apart by a shotgun—and a thirteen-year-old girl vanished into the darkness. This episode of Among Monsters is a deep, emotionally heavy investigation into the 2018 kidnapping of Jayme Closs and the calculated brutality of Jake Patterson, the man who murdered her parents and held her captive for eighty-eight days. Told in cinematic spoken-word style, this episode examines the psychology of a predator who didn’t stalk for years or groom online—but simply saw a child once and decided she would belong to him. We walk through the night of the murders, the terrifying reality of captivity hidden in plain sight, and the survival instincts that ultimately led to Jayme’s escape. This is not just a story about a crime. It’s about control. Silence. And the monsters who don’t look like monsters—until they decide. Listener discretion is strongly advised. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Kendall Francois: The Poughkeepsie Killer – Death Behind Closed Doors

In this shocking episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale explores the disturbing case of Kendall Francois, the soft-spoken serial killer who murdered nine women in Poughkeepsie, New York — and kept their decomposing bodies hidden inside the home he shared with his family. For nearly two years, Francois lived a double life as a school hall monitor by day and predator by night, luring vulnerable sex workers into his home and strangling them. The smell of death filled the house, yet his parents and sister claimed they never suspected a thing. Known as The Poughkeepsie Killer, Francois treated his victims like disposable objects, hiding them in crawlspaces, closets, and beneath insulation — until a survivor escaped and unraveled the horror within. This episode pulls back the curtain on one of the most horrifying domestic crime scenes in American history. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

The Slender Man Attack: Morgan Geyser & Anissa Weier

In 2014, a chilling crime emerged from the quiet town of Waukesha, Wisconsin—one that blurred the line between childhood fantasy and real-world horror. Two twelve-year-old girls, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, lured their best friend into the woods and stabbed her 19 times… all in the name of Slender Man. On this episode of Among Monsters, host Myia Vale takes you deep inside the disturbing case of Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, examining how an internet-born myth evolved into a motive for attempted murder. Through court records, psychological evaluations, interrogation footage, and survivor testimony, we explore how belief, mental illness, peer influence, and adolescent vulnerability collided with devastating consequences. This is not just a story about a crime—it’s a haunting look at how monsters don’t always hide in the shadows. Sometimes, they grow in the mind. Listener discretion is advised. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

William Devin Howell: The Garden of Graves – Secrets Buried in the Brush

In this chilling episode of Among Monsters, host Damien Vale uncovers the horrific case of William Devin Howell, a drifter-turned-serial killer responsible for the largest homicide case in Connecticut’s history. Between spring and fall of 2003, Howell lured vulnerable women into his battered blue van — a mobile torture chamber he called the "murder mobile" — and murdered them with disturbing ritualistic cruelty. Years later, behind a strip mall in New Britain, Connecticut, police uncovered seven bodies buried face down in a mass grave — a plot Howell chillingly referred to as “his garden.” This episode explores Howell’s dark psychology, his shocking confession, and the haunting legacy he left behind in the brush. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].