In March 1999, Cynthia Vigil was abducted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and taken to a remote trailer in Elephant Butte equipped with a horrific torture chamber. Through unbelievable bravery and presence of mind, she managed to seize a split-second opportunity, grab a key while her captor was distracted, and flee to safety. Her escape directly led to the arrest of David Parker Ray the notorious "Toy Box Killer" and his accomplices, bringing an end to a long-running reign of terror.

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, host Brittany Ransom dives into the true story behind the headlines, separating legal reality from urban legend. We explore Cynthia Vigil’s courageous escape, the subsequent law enforcement investigation, the convictions of Ray and Cindy Hendy, and Vigil's enduring legacy as an advocate, co-founder of Street Safe New Mexico, and survivor.

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  • Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

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In October 1976, Jane Carson-Sandler became one of the earliest targeted survivors of the East Area Rapist—the violent predator who would later be exposed as the Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo.

When a masked intruder broke into her home with a butcher knife while she was with her three-year-old son, Jane faced sheer terror yet held onto the quiet determination that she and her child would survive.

In this episode, we examine Jane Carson-Sandler's survival, her decades-long wait for accountability, and the moment she stood in a California courtroom to stare down her attacker 44 years later. From navigating the trauma of the early investigation mechanics to stepping into her power as an author, advocate, and thriver, Jane's story centers on accountability, resilience, and the enduring strength of survivor voices.

Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussions of sexual violence, home invasion, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

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• Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.comMusic featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling.

Delia Balmer survived an axe attack by serial killer John Sweeney , the "Scalphunter", but her hardest fight was against a system that refused to listen.

Before John Sweeney made headlines as the dismemberment killer responsible for the murders of Melissa Halstead and Paula Fields, Delia Balmer handed law enforcement his murder confession, his bloody sketchbooks, and a blueprint of his violence. Despite surviving a four-day hostage ordeal in her Camden flat, institutional failures left Sweeney free on bail leading to a terrifying ambush on December 22, 1994.

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught: The Survivors, host Brittany Ransom details Delia Balmer's unbelievable grit, the psychological reality of coercive control, the decade-long fight to secure a Whole-Life Order, and how Delia reclaimed her narrative through her memoir Until I Kill You.

Resources & Support:If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, coercive control, or violence, confidential support is available 24/7:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline (US): Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text "START" to 88788.

• National Domestic Abuse Helpline (UK): Call 0808 2000 247.

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If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

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• Business Inquiries: Caughtpodcast@gmail.comMusic featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

Host & Executive Producer: Brittany Ransom

Production: Ransom Storytelling Studios LLC

In 1992, 19-year-old Jennifer Asbenson faced a night of unthinkable horror when she accepted a ride in Palm Springs, California, from a man who would turn out to be serial killer Andrew Urdiales. Ambushed, bound, and locked inside the trunk of a moving car, Jennifer knew her survival depended on taking action.

Through extraordinary quick thinking and instinct, Jennifer managed to unlatch the trunk from the inside and leap to safety on the highway. Her miraculous escape didn't just save her life, her detailed account and courageous testimony became crucial evidence that brought Urdiales to justice for the murders of eight women.

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught, host Brittany Ransom dives into Jennifer’s incredible story of survival, quick thinking, and resilience:

• The Attack and Escape: How Jennifer outsmarted a predator and escaped a locked trunk.

• Catching the Killer: How her testimony helped police build a case against serial killer Andrew Urdiales.

• Life as a Survivor: Jennifer’s journey beyond the trauma, her memoir, and her work as an advocate for survivors.

Join Brittany as she unpacks the courage, tenacity, and extraordinary strength that helped Jennifer Asbenson beat the odds and ensure a dangerous killer was caught.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

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If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling.

In 1977, college students Terri Jentz and Avra Goldman set out on a cross-country bicycle trip that ended in a nightmare at Cline Falls State Park, Oregon. While sleeping in their tent, an unidentified attacker ran over them with a pickup truck and brutalized them with an axe. Both women survived the horrific assault, but the local investigation quickly stalled, leaving the case cold and no suspect officially charged.

Decades later, Terri returned to Central Oregon to investigate her own attempted murder. Her journey, detailed in her memoir Strange Piece of Paradise, uncovered deep community secrets, institutional failures, and the identity of the man widely believed to be her attacker. This episode explores the harrowing night at Cline Falls, the long road to trauma recovery, and a survivor's relentless pursuit of truth and justice.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

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If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to storytelling.

In 1994, Alison Botha was abducted outside her home in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, by Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger.

After a horrific attack, Alison was left for dead in an isolated area. But somehow, she was still alive.

Alone and catastrophically injured, Alison made a decision: if she was going to die, she would die trying to live.

Using one hand to hold her body together and the other to support her severely injured neck, Alison began dragging herself toward the road. Before she left, she wrote the names of her attackers in the dirt and a message for her mother.

Her attackers believed they had silenced their only witness.

They were wrong.

In this episode, Brittany Ransom explores Alison Botha's extraordinary survival, the investigation that led to Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger, their 1995 convictions, Alison's decades-long recovery, and why surviving the attack was only the beginning of her story.

This is the story of Alison Botha.

A woman who was left for dead and decided to live.

If Alison’s story moved you, please leave a 5-star rating and review. Join the conversation on social media and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

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Holly Dunn was the only known survivor of Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, the serial killer who became known as the Railroad Killer.

In 1997, 20-year-old Holly and her boyfriend, Christopher Maier, were attacked near railroad tracks in Lexington, Kentucky. Christopher was murdered. Holly was beaten, sexually assaulted, and left for dead, but she survived.

Her survival would become an important part of the case against Reséndiz, a transient serial killer connected to murders across multiple states and eventually placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

But Holly Dunn’s story did not end beside those railroad tracks.

In this episode of When Killers Get Caught: The Survivors, Brittany Ransom examines the attack, the hunt for Ángel Reséndiz, Holly’s role in bringing him to justice, and the life she built afterward including her advocacy for victims of violent crime, the creation of Holly’s House, and her memoir Sole Survivor.

This is the story of the woman the Railroad Killer believed he had silenced and what happened when she got back up.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

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  Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

On January 15, 1978, serial killer Ted Bundy entered the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University, murdered Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy, and brutally attacked Kathy Kleiner Rubin and Karen Chandler. Kathy survived but Ted Bundy was far from the first thing she had survived.

This week on When Killers Get Caught, Brittany Ransom takes a deep dive into Kathy's remarkable story and her memoir, A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundy. We examine the increasingly reckless Bundy who arrived in Florida near the end of his killing spree, what happened inside Chi Omega, the survivors who are too often overshadowed by Bundy's mythology, and the moment Kathy faced him again in court.

But most importantly, this is about what happened after Ted Bundy left the room.

Because Bundy may be part of Kathy Kleiner Rubin's story, but he doesn't get to own it.

The truth always leaves a trail and sometimes that trail leads straight back to the survivor who lived long enough to tell it.

If you want to connect with Brittany, catch regular updates, true crime discussions, and short-form video breakdowns follow us on social media:

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  Music featured in this episode is used with permission from Myuu. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sP3ci0jwrXUBo76t8pGTF

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify it helps more listeners discover our victim-centric approach to investigative storytelling.