Face to face with John Wayne Gacy: Dr. Jeff Smalldon Pt.1
5/2/20261 hr 2 min
Imagine opening your letterbox to a letter from Ted Bundy or a handmade Christmas card from John Wayne Gacy. Forensic psychologist, Dr Jeffrey Smalldon, doesn't have to imagine. He's communicated with some of the most notorious serial killers in American history.
In this episode, Gary and Jeff unpack Gacy’s charm and lures, how predators pass as “normal”, the double homicide that changed Jeff’s life, and what decades evaluating murderers reveal about psychopathy, empathy, and survival on death row.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsGary Jubelin· Host0:00
[upbeat music] The public has had a long-held fascination with detectives. Detectives see a side of life the average person is never exposed to. I spent thirty-four years as a cop. For twenty-five of those years, I was catching killers. That's what I did for a living. I was a homicide detective. I'm no longer just interviewing bad guys. Instead, I'm taking the public into the world in which I operated. The guests I talk to each week have amazing stories from all sides of the law. The interviews are raw and honest, just like the people I talk to. Some of the content and language might be confronting. That's because no one who comes into contact with crime is left unchanged. Join me now as I take you into this world. [upbeat music] Imagine you open your letterbox to a letter from Ted Bundy or a handmade Christmas card from John Wayne Gacy. My guest today, forensic psychologist Dr. Jeffrey Smolkin, doesn't have to imagine. He's communicated with some of America's most notorious killers, trying to understand them. I found the conversation fascinating, and it gave a surprising insight into the mind of evil. Take a listen. Dr. Jeffrey Smolkin, welcome to I Catch Killers.
Jeffrey Smalldon· Guest1:15
Thank you very much. Good to be here, Gary.
Gary Jubelin· Host1:17
Well, I'm excited about sitting down and, uh, speaking with you, although I've, I've spent the past, uh, weekend, uh, reading through your book, The, uh, Beast Was Not Me, and, uh, it's pretty heavy reading.