How many serial killers have you interviewed?

I have only interviewed one serial killer. There are other criminals I interviewed who I suspect MIGHT be multiple murderers, one in particular strongly implied it, but that’s speculation. I hope to interview more in the future, but they are demanding and manipulative people, and at the moment I would rather spend my criminological time investigating cases than listening to a sex psycho whine about his life.

Are you a singer-songwriter/country musician?

Once upon a time. From the ages of 14-27ish I wrote hundreds of songs, many of which I performed around Canada, and 22 of which I recorded on two albums Ghost Town Heart (2007) and Lose (2011). I stopped pursuing music shortly after the publication of Cold North Killers when it became clear that writing was going to be a more reliable career path than music. I still enjoy music and am proud of some of those songs, but unfortunately I don’t have much time to play anymore. Most of my writing these days goes toward screenplays and books.

Why are your academic books so expensive?

I have absolutely no control over the price and it probably frustrates me more than you, because I want people to read my work. I explained to the publisher that these topics appeal to a broad array of people and that they would profit more by cutting the price in half and selling copies to non-academics.

Apparently, I also have no control of the cover art. This striking piece by the artist David Gough was supposed to be the original cover of Understanding Necrophilia, but I was overruled and told to be sensible.

Going forward I have resolved not to publish with academic presses because publishing should expose your ideas to the world, not render them available to less than 1% of the global population. Lesson learned.

My last three books have been with Penguin Random House, and they are wonderful!

Are you a Ph.D. or Ph.D. (abd)?

I have a full Ph.D. from Concordia University. You can read my finished doctoral dissertation here. Some of the confusion on this issue occurred when I used the title Ph.D. (abd) from 2014-19, because at that time I actually had finished all of my doctoral work with the exception of my dissertation. I was appearing in media a lot and acting as Head of Behavioural for the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases, and I wanted to reassure people of my education level while remaining honest. Unfortunately, the temporary “Ph.D. (abd)” was copied from my former website without my permission and pasted onto other sites without my knowledge until later. So, if you see “Ph.D. (abd)” anywhere this is a relic of that era. Isn’t the internet annoying? No honest gesture goes unpunished!

Do you consider yourself British or Canadian?

My feelings about my national and cultural identity are complicated, but I’m happy to rep either. My values and beliefs are fundamentally Western, though there is no shortage of things from other cultures that have influenced me deeply. I only ever speak on behalf of myself, and my views and opinions are always changing as I encounter more information and experience.

Are you a criminal/offender profiler?

During my tenure with the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases I was the head of the behavioural committee which entailed, among other things, formulating profiles (when possible and desirable). Profiling is fascinating, controversial, fun, and occasionally very useful. So, if you define a ‘profiler’ as a person educated in criminal behaviour and psychology who uses it to make inferences about an unknown offender and formally submit them to police (along with suggestions), sure I’m a profiler. But I don’t primarily think of myself as such, and people who do are often a bit cringe, as the kids say.

What happened to Murder Was the Case?

When I started MWTC in late-2017, it was a two-person operation. After my partner left in 2018, I continued it in the hopes of hiring additional staff. Unfortunately, though the revenue was sufficient to support myself, it never reached the level where I could afford another employee. This means I had to produce, write, research, voice, edit, and promote 300+ episodes over six years by myself. By 2023, I simply didn’t want to do this anymore. The episodes are no longer available because the benefits do not outweigh the detriments. I am not the first true crime podcaster to reach this conclusion. I hope you enjoyed the show while it lasted. I am proud of that six year run.