Last Podcast On The Left
Last Podcast On The Left
"I may be beautiful to anyone else." — Marcus Parks (ironically referring to Jerry Brudos's self-perception).
"You never say yes. No. Jigsaw is always like you want to play a game? No. Never play a game. Absolutely not. You're gonna end up in a and a fat full of heroin needles." — Ben Kissel (cautioning against accepting game invitations from strangers).
"The thing was, Jerry wasn't a taxidermist, the breast did not turn out quite how he wanted. He still kept the damn thing though and Darcy his wife actually found it." — Henry Zebrowski (highlighting the bizarre trophies Brudos created).
This installment of the podcast continues the deep dive into the crimes of Jerry Brudos, focusing on his murders of Jan Susan Whitney and Karen Sprinkler, and his attempted abduction of Sharon Wood. The narrative details how Brudos, after relocating, continued his predatory behavior, utilizing his garage as a gruesome workshop and a place to enact his fantasies. The episode highlights his escalation from fetishistic acts to murder and necrophilia, including the disturbing practice of creating trophies from his victims. The hosts examine the psychological underpinnings of Brudos's actions, emphasizing his superiority complex and his ability to manipulate and deceive those around him, particularly his wife, Darcy, who displayed a concerning level of denial and complicity. The episode also touches upon the challenges faced by law enforcement in a time before widespread recognition of serial killer phenomena, the disposal of bodies, and the societal reluctance to question unsettling behavior.
The podcast further explores Brudos's attempts to lure victims, moving from opportunistic encounters to more calculated strategies, including impersonating law enforcement. The hosts dissect his psychological games and his morbid fascination with the crimes themselves, which he often alluded to hypothetically. The episode details the eventual capture of Brudos, largely due to forensic evidence like the unique knots used to weigh down bodies and the abundance of rope found at his residence, combined with witness descriptions and his own careless admissions. The episode concludes with Brudos's conviction, his wife's acquittal, and their subsequent disappearance, alongside a discussion of Brudos's final years in prison, his unusual popularity with the guards, and his death from liver cancer.