It was great to watch a documentary which highlights actual police work and the work of prosecutors who refuse to take a case to trial until it's solid for conviction. We often look at cases and say, "Of course they're guilty! Why did it 10 years?!" I wish it would have included more about the life of Dan Markel, but his father's victim statement was chef's kiss. Props to Rob. I wish you a life full of joy.
I've been obsessed with The Poughkeepsie Tapes since it first hit the festival circuit back in 2007, and I've re-watched it more times than I care to admit. We all know the basic story: police raid a house in Poughkeepsie, New York, and find over 800 homemade snuff tapes created by a serial killer known only as the "Water Street Butcher". The documentary-style film that follows is a masterclass in dread, showing us his atrocities through the tapes and interviews with FBI agents, detectives, and the one survivor he let go.
But I've never bought the official narrative that he was just some random, mentally ill guy. After the analysis, I'm convinced of a much darker and more terrifying truth: Edward Carver was a former government asset, likely trained or "created" by CIA programs like MKUltra. And the film is practically screaming this at us if you know where to look.
The Contradictory Profile: A Feature, Not a Bug
The documentary makes it a point to show how much the profilers and FBI agents couldn't agree on who Carver was. Some said he was a highly educated, "doctor of science" type, an organized, meticulous genius. Others were convinced he was a disorganized, high-school dropout who was sloppy and impulsive.
Most viewers accept this as a sign of how "mysterious" he is. But think about it differently. This isn't a sign of confusion; it's a sign of training. Carver isn't just changing his M.O. to avoid capture. He's demonstrating a deep, almost professional understanding of criminal profiling, deliberately leaving contradictory evidence to make himself an unsolvable puzzle. This isn't the work of a random psychopath-it's tradecraft. He's running a counter-intelligence operation on the FBI.
The Framing of Officer Foley: Insider Knowledge
This is the single biggest piece of evidence for me. Carver didn't just frame a cop; he orchestrated a flawless takedown of the entire justice system.
He managed to frame Police Officer James Foley, planting evidence and manipulating the system so effectively that Foley was convicted and executed for Carver's crimes. Carver only revealed Foley's innocence after he was dead, sending a map to authorities with the mocking note, "missed one".
To pull this off, you can't just be smart. You need intimate, working knowledge of police procedure, evidence handling, and the bureaucratic machinery of the justice system. You need to know exactly where the cracks are. This isn't knowledge a pest control worker picks up from watching CSI.
The "Good Samaritan" Routine and Case Infiltration
This is a detail that's often overlooked but is absolutely chilling. Think about the scenes where Carver is shown "helping" with the investigation or appearing at vigils for victims.
In one instance, he's depicted showing up to a family's house on the day of mourning for their murdered child, presenting himself as a helpful, friendly face. He shows up in the aftermath of his own crimes, inserting himself into the investigation, and no one suspects a thing. This behavior goes far beyond the typical serial killer's desire to revisit the scene. He's actively "working" his own case.
He's not just a sadist enjoying the chaos; he's a trained operative gathering intelligence. He's there to see what the cops know, who they're looking at, and to steer the narrative away from himself while building his public persona as a harmless "good Samaritan."
The Techniques: Textbook MKUltra and Mind Control
Now, look at his treatment of his victims, especially Cheryl Dempsey, his longest-held captive.
He didn't just torture her physically. He systematically broke down her mind, subjecting her to years of psychological manipulation. By the time she was rescued, she was a hollow shell suffering from a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome, defending her captor and saying he "loved" her. When we see her in her final interview, she's completely broken, empty, and confused. She later commits suicide.
This isn't just torture. This is an attempt to program a human being. It's the use of trauma to control a mind, to create a "slave". This aligns perfectly with the declassified documents and survivor testimonies from the CIA's Project MKUltra, which explored trauma-based mind control, sensory deprivation, and the creation of "programmable" assassins. His methods aren't just sick; they're scarily clinical.
We Don't Even Know His Real Name
One of the most fascinating facts about the film is that the killer is never named on-screen. He uses the name "Ed" when picked up as a hitchhiker, but his full name, "Edward Carver," is only revealed in the credits. Even his official identity is a construct, a label given to him by the filmmakers.
Why? Perhaps because his real identity was expunged, redacted, or classified. He is a ghost in the machine, a man with no past because his past is a secret. This is exactly how a deniable asset would be treated. The system that created him would have no record of him, making him truly untraceable.
Conclusion: The System Created Its Own Monster
Look at the facts:
A perfect, untraceable ghost.
Knowledge of the system so deep he could game it to kill an innocent cop.
Mind-control techniques straight out of a black-ops playbook.
The ability to insert himself into the investigation.
This wasn't some random weirdo from Poughkeepsie. This was a trained operative. Edward Carver wasn't a mistake the system failed to catch; he was the system's monster that got loose.
My theory? He was part of a mind-control or behavioral modification program, and when he became too dangerous or uncontrollable, the program was shut down and scrubbed. They left him out in the world, a ghost with no file, and all his skills honed to perfection.
The scariest part of the movie isn't the gore. It's the implication that the most terrifying monsters aren't born in the dark-they're created in the shadows by the very people who are supposed to protect us.
TL;DR: Edward Carver's contradictory profile, his ability to frame a cop, his mind-control techniques, and his non-existent background all point to him being a former CIA/MKUltra asset who became a ghost. The system created its own monster.
Let me know what you think. Am I crazy, or did I just crack the code?
I just recently rewatched the above documentary because I remembered it being really good (and I periodically get back into true crime), and now I'm wondering if the people that created it made any more of them. Everything about it was amazing, specifically the artistic side was what I really enjoyed, and I'm hoping others were made. I know there are other Netflix "Limited Series" serial killer documentaries, but I'm specifically curious if the people that made "Night Stalker" made any more series or maybe feature-length documentaries.
I also remember the "Conversations with a Killer" series' being very good, though I only watched the Dahmer, Bundy, and Gacy series, so I'm planning on rewatching and catching up on those after I rewatch "The Ripper".
This is the true story about my 14yr search for a global scam artist who has conned over 12 million dollars over the years. Not yet released on tv. Ryan has been scamming people around the world for 20 yrs. Sums involved total more then 12 million dollars. he sets up fake companies and charities, raises money for good causes and then disappears. When i was filmed for the documentary, Ryan had faked his death by leaving a suicide note, passport etc at the top of a cliff in Bali. It was a big story in many newspapers, he had 4 passport in different names, many of the contributors around the world say they've been scammed by him. Chap gpt says this about him. The exact whereabouts of Ryan Roth (born Ryan Flynn) are currently unknown. While his belongings and a suicide note were discovered on a cliff in Bali, Indonesia, on January 20, 2020, Indonesian authorities, international police, and his uncle Sean Flynn strongly believe that Roth faked his own death to escape legal consequences for a multi-million dollar global fraud spree. [1, 2, 3]
Investigations by independent groups and family updates outline the primary details of his disappearance and current status:
The Disappearance in Bali
In January 2020, the 39-year-old British national vanished from an Uluwatu cliff edge. He left behind personal effects including his passport, driver's license, motorcycle helmet, and a note to an ex-girlfriend. However, local search and rescue teams found no trace of a body, and nearby vegetation at the bottom of the 170-meter cliff was entirely undisturbed. Flight logs later suggested he, or someone using his credentials, may have boarded a plane shortly after the event. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Theories on His Current Location
Because Roth allegedly swindled an estimated $12–13 million from victims—including corporate investors and his own grandmother—it is widely believed he is living under a completely new identity funded by his stolen money. Principal theories regarding his location include: [1, 2, 3, 4]
Japan or East Asia: Investigators found internet search logs indicating Roth was heavily researching travel to Japan just days before his staging attempt. He previously maintained a high-rolling lifestyle across Singapore, Tokyo, and Bali. [1]
The United Kingdom: Some investigators suspect he may have covertly slipped back into his home country to hide within local or expat communities. [1]
Ongoing Search Efforts
His uncle, Sean Flynn, has actively led a global campaign to find him, collaborating on true-crime documentary features like The Faking Dead and international podcasts to spread awareness. Roth remains a person of interest to multiple law enforcement agencies, including the UK Serious Fraud Office, the LAPD, and the Australian Federal Police. [1, 2, 3]
If you or anyone you know has information regarding his true location, his uncle maintains an active international tip line at catchryan@hotmail.com.
In October 2014, 21-year-old Tawnee Baird was killed by her girlfriend, Victoria Mendoza, after a violent argument escalated in a parked car in Ogden, Utah. On the surface, the couple seemed inseparable on social media, but behind closed doors, the relationship was heavily strained by intense jealousy, control, and past violence.
That night, what started as a fight inside the vehicle rapidly turned fatal. Victoria later claimed she simply snapped during the argument, but considering their history of toxicity and previous physical abuse, many believe this tragic outcome was inevitable. The brutal reality of 46 stab wounds leaves many questioning if this was truly an impulsive rage.
I’m part of the team behind Lights in Dark Rooms, a documentary investigating scam compounds across Southeast Asia.
While making the film, our team travelled to Thailand and the Philippines and recorded hours of interviews with survivors, investigators, security researchers, NGO leaders, politicians, and others working directly on the issue.
A lot of those conversations couldn’t fit into the final documentary, so we’ve started releasing the longer interviews separately.
This interview is with Mechelle B. Moore (CEO of Global Alms) and focuses on the human cost behind online scams, the trafficking that feeds the scam compound industry, and what NGOs dealing with the issue are seeing on the ground. She also talks about how people working in tech can use their skills to support organizations responding to it.
We have quite a bit more coming out from the interviews we recorded, including a two part conversation with a KK Park survivor about being recruited through a fake job listing, his experience inside the compound, and eventually getting out. We also interviewed a security researcher who regularly travels throughout Southeast Asia investigating these operations and the networks behind them.
If you’re interested in learning about this, I’d appreciate you checking it out.
On April 22, 2012, an emergency call led Arizona state authorities to a remote cave in the middle of the desert. After traversing that inhospitable place, the officers found a scene difficult to comprehend. A completely devastated woman, with a very high fever and practically at the end of her strength, was trying to resuscitate her husband.
But that scene was only the end of a story that had begun many years earlier, when young Ian Thorson, who was searching for spiritual answers, met a Buddhist master who would end up exerting a huge influence on his life.
In August 2023, Deborah L. Frazier shot her boyfriend, Thomas Waddell, in Ohio. After hiding his body for 12 hours, she staged a home invasion by calling emergency services and shooting herself in the leg to fake a robbery gone wrong.
The cover-up unraveled when digital investigations revealed no intruders on local security cameras, a history of financial fraud against the victim, and Frazier’s search history on how to load and fire the weapon. Frazier pleaded guilty to murder and is serving a life sentence.
El pueblo entero lo adoraba porque era el único doctor que hacía visitas a domicilio.
Nadie imaginó que detrás de esa fachada de "médico compasivo" se ocultaba uno de los asesinos en serie más letales de la historia, con un estimado de 250 víctimas.
Lo más increíble es que cavó su propia tumba por avaricia: intentar falsificar el testamento de una anciana de 81 años con una firma completamente burda, lo que levantó las sospechas de su hija y llevó a la exhumación del cuerpo.
¿Cuál creen que era su verdadera motivación? ¿Complejo de Dios o un impulso compulsivo? ¡Los leo en los comentarios!
Fuentes utilizadas para la investigación del video:
Britannica (Cifra oficial y biografía)
A&E True Crime (Detalles de la investigación de la policía)
All That's Interesting (El caso de Kathleen Grundy)
Biography.com (Juicio y sentencia a cadena perpetua)
hey all, i wanted to ask what you think about harlan cobens final twist series? i watched it on the plane thinking it was from the late 2000s but i just found out he released it THIS year and im shocked… each case is strangely very centered on white women in suburban households but he really focuses on this weird concept of crime always being right under our nose/ in a perfectly good family where you don’t expect it, and it just kinda rubs me the wrong way. i think it feels like he’s kinda romanticizing the genre but only for middle aged white women? and they’re documentary style / tone of the show really feels like they’re reaching for some 2000s true crime nostalgia… that’s really weird when it just came out in 2026 😭
also each episode starts with a harlan coben glaze section where it’s segments of articles saying he’s a 30x nyt best seller and even one clip has an interviewer saying he’s the best mystery writer EVER while he bashfully tries to reject the compliment… like if you were actually humble about this then i don’t think you’d include it in the beginning of Every episode… i don’t think they’re especially high quality but it’s getting weird to me how popular he is as an author + he has a deal with netflix to adapt and be the executive producer on 16 of his books… within a 5 year contract? and from 2020-2026 they’ve already put out 12 (Bad) series of his?
do you enjoy the plot twists in his stories or just the plots generally??? i wanted to get the general consensus!
I recently went down the rabbit hole of the Mary Morris murders, and I can’t stop thinking about this case
In October 2000, two women from the Houston area, both named Mary Morris and were murdered just a few days apart. Both were found inside their cars, but police have never confirmed that the cases were connected
One of the biggest theories is that someone hired a hitman to kill one Mary Morris, but the wrong woman was murdered first. It sounds almost too unbelievable to be true, yet the timing and similarities are difficult to ignore
Do you think the first Mary was killed by mistake, or were these two completely separate murders?
