Series synopsis
Dark Minds is an American documentary crime mystery television series that premiered on Investigation Discovery on January 25, 2012. It ended on April 30, 2014. It stars M. William Phelps and John Kelly.
Dark Minds brings together the sharp criminal minds of author and investigative journalist M. William Phelps and pre-eminent criminal profiler John Kelly to reopen unsolved homicides thought to be the work of serial killers. They are assisted in their efforts by a source known only to viewers as "13," a convict serving multiple life terms for a series of murders, who presents his theories about potential motivations behind these chilling cold cases based on his own experiences. They bring fresh ...
Premise
Dark Minds brings together the sharp criminal minds of author and investigative journalist M. William Phelps and pre-eminent criminal profiler John Kelly to reopen unsolved homicides thought to be the work of serial killers. They are assisted in their efforts by a source known only to viewers as "13," a convict serving multiple life terms for a series of murders, who presents his theories about potential motivations behind these chilling cold cases based on his own experiences. They bring fresh eyes to unsolved serial killer investigations using the combined instincts of three unique perspectives, with hopes that it will encourage viewers to bring forward new leads.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- M. William Phelps as Self - Host
- John Kelly as Self - Profiler
Guest cast
- Megan Thomas as Jane
- Darren K. Hawkins as The Valley Killer
- Donna Brooks as Mary
- Melanie Thorpe as Cathy
- Melissa Armstrong as Lynda
- Joanne Louise Sanders as Whitnei Dubois
- Tessa Coulter as Foot Woman
- Leanne Mauro as Barbara Breidor
- Shane Imbert as Police Investigator
- Jessica Drew as Party Girl
- Steven McIntosh as Passerby Maine
- Amelia Tranter as Carmen
Episodes
This series spans 3 seasons with 22 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 8 | January 25, 2012 | March 14, 2012 |
| Season 2 | 8 | February 27, 2013 | April 17, 2013 |
| Season 3 | 6 | April 2, 2014 | April 30, 2014 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Valley Killer Between 1978-1988, seven women are brutally stabbed and dumped in the woods of the Connecticut River Valley. Phelps seeks answers from a woman who survived the serial killer's attack and may be able to identify a new person of interest in the case. |
January 25, 2012 |
| 2 |
The Eastbound Strangler What kind of serial killer removes his victims’ shoes and socks, then lays the bodies facing east? Phelps heads to Atlantic City to investigate the 2006 murder of four sex workers to see if they are connected to a breaking case on Long Island. |
February 1, 2012 |
| 3 |
The Babysitter Killer From 1976-77, a pedophile abducted and murdered four children from affluent Detroit neighborhoods. Phelps travels to the dark side of suburbia to ask: What kind of monster bathes, cleans and dresses his victims in fresh clothes after he kills them? |
February 8, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Original Night Stalker The Original Night Stalker is America's most cunning serial killer who terrorized California with a wave of rapes and murders in the 1970s, leaving a trail of bizarre clues. Phelps and Kelly go on the hunt for new leads. |
February 27, 2013 |
| 2 |
Blonde, Blue-Eyed and Gone Four young girls go missing in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Some turn up dead, some are never seen again. Phelps and Kelly investigate the murders which are decades apart but with one thing in common: blonde hair and blue eyes. But are they connected in another way? Are they victims of the same serial killer? |
March 6, 2013 |
| 3 |
The Coastal Killer Phelps and Kelly take a grim trip to the seaside town of Newport, OR, to investigate the unsolved murders of five teen girls. The bodies of local girls have been turning up dumped in the forest, and it looks like the work of a serial killer. But who is he? And what twisted clues could he have possibly left behind? |
March 13, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Israel Keyes, Part 1 Phelps and Kelly enter the frightening world of Israel Keyes, who may be one of the worst serial killers we've ever seen. He took great care in hiding his victims, which means finding them has become a new nightmare. |
April 2, 2014 |
| 2 |
Israel Keyes, Part 2 Phelps and Kelly continue their investigation into the dark world of serial killer Israel Keyes. Can the Dark Minds team unearth some of this case's biggest secrets? |
April 2, 2014 |
| 3 |
The Phantom of Civil Theater In the quiet town of Lewiston, ID, an eerie local theatre has a dark past - three people went missing here, 2 turned up dead. Is it a local killer, connected to a string of other murders? Phelps and Kelly dive deep into the case. |
April 9, 2014 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Investigation Discovery |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 25, 2012 |
| Last aired | April 30, 2014 |
| Runtime | 44 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Wednesday at 21:00:00 |