Killers, Cults and Queens – Détails, épisodes et analyse

🏨 Inside the Infamous Cecil Hotel: Deaths, Curses, and Elisa Lam 🔍

TWO episodes in the same week?! You lucky beans! This week on Killers, Cults and Queens, Nikki and Cheryl are switching things up as Cheryl takes the lead. Together, they’re packing their bags and heading to the most sinister hotel the world has ever known (aside from the Castle... you know what we mean), The Cecil Hotel in downtown LA.

How has one hotel amassed a staggering average of 8 deaths per year? Is the Cecil Hotel truly cursed? And how did Elisa Lam end up in a water tank on the roof?

Join Nikki and Chez as they uncover the chilling mysteries behind this notorious hotel. Don’t miss this thrilling episode of Killers, Cults and Queens—tune in now! 🎙️

This episode is not suitable for listeners under the age of 18. It contains discussions of serious mental illness, suicide, and murder. It is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Got a theory? Been lost in a rabbit hole? We want to hear from YOU! Email [email protected] to get in touch, or DM us @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.

Listen on Global Player for free. Download Global Player from the app store or go to globalplayer.com.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Hope Not Hate: 020 7952 1181

Exit UK: 0800 999 1945

Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005

Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

🌍 The People's Temple: A Journey into the Jonestown Massacre 💔

Nikki Druce and Cheryl are BACK, and they’re back with a bang! This week on Killers, Cults and Queens, Nikki and Chez are traveling to Guyana to delve into one of the worst cults in history: The People’s Temple.

How did a preacher from humble beginnings manage to convince hundreds of individuals from around the world to leave their lives behind for the now-infamous Jonestown? What events led to the horrific mass suicide of nearly 1,000 people?

Join Nikki and Cheryl as they uncover the shocking truths behind this tragic chapter in history. Don’t miss this compelling episode of Killers, Cults and Queens—tune in now! 🎙️

This episode is not suitable for listeners under the age of 18. It contains depictions of mass suicide, and discussions of coercive behaviour. It is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Got a theory? Been lost in a rabbit hole? We want to hear from YOU! Email [email protected] to get in touch, or DM us @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.

Listen on Global Player for free. Download Global Player from the app store or go to globalplayer.com.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Hope Not Hate: 020 7952 1181

Exit UK: 0800 999 1945

Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005

Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

Cheryl and Nikki Druce are diving back into the world of Creepypastas to uncover the science behind the internet's most popular spooky sleep story… The Russian Sleep Experiment. After researching a new stimulant on prisoners of war, soviet researchers find themselves in a gruesome tryst with violent and sleep mad creatures… but was it all as it seemed? And what actually happens when you deprive yourself of sleep for say, 11 days? Cheryl and Nikki are going to find out. Expect two very sleep deprived hosts, an extra helping of delirium and some seriously ooky spooky behaviour. 

This episode contains graphic details of violence and murder, including mentions of suicide, as is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

For all things Killers, Cults and Queens, head over to @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

The knowledge out there on this topic is vast, so if your interest is peaked by this episode please take a look at our sources:

Russian Sleep Experiment - EXPLAINED

Human Sleep Experiment That Went Horribly Wrong

Russian Sleep Experiment - Wikipedia

What Was the Russian Sleep Experiment?

The Truth About the Russian Sleep Experiment - What Probably Happened

The Sleep Deprivation Publicity Stunt That Drove One Man Crazy

Peter Tripp - Wikipedia

Morvan's syndrome - Wikipedia

Mammoth Cave - Discovering the Beauty and Charm of the Wilderness - The University of Chicago Library

Nathaniel Kleitman - Wikipedia

Mammoth Cave National Park - Wikipedia

Cave studies: Isolation from night and day provided insight about circadian rhythms | Trickle.app

The boy who stayed awake for 11 days - BBC Future

Shattered (British TV series) - Wikipedia

Cheryl and Nikki Druce are back to uncover the horrendous crimes of The Manson Family Cult. Picking straight back up where we left off, Cheryl and Nikki arrive at Spahn Ranch, where Charles is just about to take his love for music to a whole new level… How did a chance meeting with a Beach Boy and the classic Beatles track Helter Skelter spiral into the brutal murders of at least seven innocent people, and how did Charles manipulate his followers to do the unthinkable? Cheryl and Nikki are about to find out. Expect the house guests from hell, places that REALLY shouldn’t be used as a toilet, and the end of one of the most awful manipulators in history. 

This episode contains graphic details of violence and murder, including violence against a heavily pregnant woman and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.  

For all things Killers, Cults and Queens, head over to @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @macabrelondonpodcast.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Refuge domestic abuse helpline: 0808 2000 247 (live chat is also available at https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/Contact-us *times apply)

Safeline domestic abuse helpline: 01926 402 498 

Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005

Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

The knowledge out there on this topic is vast, so if your interest is peaked by this episode. Please take a look at our sources:

Two former Manson followers discuss how cult family, 1969 murders changed their lives

Charles Manson - Wikipedia

THE BIZARRE STORY OF CHARLES MANSON

Charles Manson: The Cult of the Manson Family

Crazy Facts About The Manson Family (True Crime)

*GRAPHIC* Sharon Tate's FINAL Moments Before Death | The Charles Manson Murders Breakdown (18+ only)

What happened to the Manson 'family'? A look at key figures, decades after horrific murders - Los Angeles Times

Tate–LaBianca murders - Wikipedia

Spahn Ranch - Wikipedia

Tex Watson - Wikipedia

Susan Atkins - Wikipedia

Squeaky Fromme - Wikipedia

Cheryl and Nikki Druce are deep diving into the childhood of one of the most infamous cult leaders of modern day history, Charles Manson. After a rocky childhood spending most of his years in and out of schools for troubled teens and maximum security prisons, Charles heads to Berkeley to find a family of his own… Was Charles destined for the horrible fate he was racing towards, or was the nightmare ahead a product of his own making? Cheryl and Nikki are going to find out. Expect tales of the most delinquent teen of all time, an enormous amount of car stealing, and LSD fuelled orgies. 

This episode contains graphic details of violence and murder, and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.  

00:00 - Introduction

05:34 - Nikki sets the scene

07:15 - Charles’ Manson’s early life

20:31 - Charles gets sent to boarding school

24:08 - Charles tries to make a life on his own as a criminal apprentice

31:54 - Charles meets his first wife, Rosalie Willis

32:31 - Charles is determined to start over

34:39 - Charles learns how to charm

43:47 - Berkeley gets a new resident 

45:53 - Charles starts to accumulate a following

49:55 - The original members of The Manson Family

53:14 - Charles sets off to find his makeshift family a new home

53:42 - Outro

For all things Killers, Cults and Queens, head over to @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Refuge domestic abuse helpline: 0808 2000 247 (live chat is also available at https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/Contact-us *times apply)

Safeline domestic abuse helpline: 01926 402 498 

Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005

Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

The knowledge out there on this topic is vast, so if your interest is peaked by this episode. Please take a look at our sources:

Two former Manson followers discuss how cult family, 1969 murders changed their lives

Charles Manson - Wikipedia

THE BIZARRE STORY OF CHARLES MANSON

Charles Manson: The Cult of the Manson Family

Crazy Facts About The Manson Family (True Crime)

*GRAPHIC* Sharon Tate's FINAL Moments Before Death | The Charles Manson Murders Breakdown (18+ only)

What happened to the Manson 'family'? A look at key figures, decades after horrific murders - Los Angeles Times

Tate–LaBianca murders - Wikipedia

Spahn Ranch -...

Cheryl and Nikki Druce are *metaphorically* storming Area 51 to discover the secrets hidden at the mysterious military base. After a top secret mission at the order of President Dwight Eisenhower sent a huge team of military personnel to the now iconic Army base, UFO sightings started sweeping the nation of America. Flying saucers were flying through the skies, and real life (allegedly) spaceship debris was falling from the sky… leaving more questions than answers. Were Aliens to blame for so many sightings in the 1940s, and do they now live in Area 51?! Cheryl and Nikki are going to find out. Expect fantastic nominative determinism, WILD theories about Soviet Russia, and of course a tonne of UFOs! Show us them Aliens!!

00:00 - Introduction

06:04 - Nikki sets the scene

07:28 - Project Aquatone

09:55 - The U-2

11:57 - The SR-71

16:37 - Who is Dennis, and what does he know?

18:47 - Introducing Robert Lazar

27:52 - Mac Brazel finds UFO debris

30:11 - Stanton Freidman, Charles Berlitz and Bill Moore get stuck in

32:37 - Introducing Annie Jacobsen (and one of the wildest conspiracy theories ever heard)

38:55 - Who actually is Bob Lazar?

41:44 - Element 115

44:23 - Navy footage released by the Pentagon

45:56 - “Storm Area 51 - They can’t stop all of us”

48:24 - Outro

For all things Killers, Cults and Queens, head over to @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

The knowledge out there on this topic is vast, so if your interest is peaked by this episode. Please take a look at our sources:

Area 51 and aliens: The myth, meme, and the strange reality, explained - Vox

The Hidden Secrets Of Area 51

Area 51 conspiracy theories | Britannica

The Real Story Behind the Myth of Area 51

What is Area 51 and what goes on there?

Area 51 - Wikipedia

Area 51 and the Aliens - Conspiracy Theories - TIME

Area 51 secrets revealed

Inside Storm Area 51: How a Viral Meme Almost Destroyed a Town

Joe Rogan | The Real Reason Area 51 Was Started w/Annie Jacobsen

Cheryl and Nikki Druce are travelling to Spalding in Lincoln to learn about the chilling case of the UK’s youngest double murderers, The Twilight Killers. It’s a quiet Friday morning in April, 2016. A young teenage couple have been spending the last couple of days chilling out in a makeshift den in the downstairs of a suburban two bedroom house. They’ve been drinking, eating junk food and watching The Twilight Saga. Sounds like a classic scene, right? Well, what authorities didn’t know is that all the while, there were the bodies of two innocent people upstairs. Police had two questions on their hands… who killed Liz and Katie Edwards, and why? Expect dramatic teens of whole new proportions, a sweet mother trying to do the best by her daughter, and a very very angry Cheryl. 

This episode contains graphic details of violence, including mentions of suicide, and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.  

00:00 - Intro

04:15 - Nikki sets the scene

05:34 - The Edwards Family

06:55 - Where things started going wrong for Kim Edwards

09:50 - The troubled childhood of Lucas Markham

14:49 - Katie and Lucas meet

15:55 - The teenage relationship progresses at an alarming rate

16:52 - Liz bans Kim from seeing Lucas

19:22 - Kim and Lucas run away

21:42 - The final straw for Kim

25:49 - The young couple head to McDonalds to plan the murder

28:15 - Kim and Lucas’ failed attempts

30:54 - The night of the murder

32:02 - The murder of Liz Edwards

33:53 - The murder of Katie Edwards

35:51 - Minion pyjamas

36:34 - Kim and Lucas’ post murder sleepover 

38:15 - The police arrive

45:28 - Kim and Lucas are sentenced

46:25 - Where are they now?

48:36 - Outro

For all things Killers, Cults and Queens, head over to @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Refuge domestic abuse helpline: 0808 2000 247 (live chat is also available at https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/Contact-us *times apply)

Safeline domestic abuse helpline: 01926 402 498 

Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005

Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

The knowledge out there on this topic is vast, so if your interest is peaked by this episode. Please take a look at our sources:

Kim Edwards & Lucas Markham: The Twilight killers - Kids who kill

THE TWILIGHT KILLERS - THE UK'S YOUNGEST DOUBLE MURDERERS | True Crime & Makeup

Dinnerlady was killed by her own teenage daughter | Daily Mail Online

My twisted sister got her boyfriend to stab our mum and sister to death before having sex with him downstairs

Kim Edwards and Lucas Markham: the Twilight killers | Crime+Investigation UK

Cheryl and Nikki Druce are turning back the clock to the 1500s, to travel to the “new world” (see: America). After a previous failed attempt, Queen Elizabeth the 1st was hell bent on colonising as much of the world as possible, and so, under the guidance of John White, 120 volunteers travelled 3,795 miles across the choppy Atlantic to create their new home… it was the last journey they would ever take, as just a few years later they would mysteriously vanish off the face of the Earth. Who were the lost colony of Roanoke, and what actually happened? Cheryl and Nikki are about to find out. Expect some seriously misguided holiday advice, the longest travel delay probably anyone has ever experienced, and of course, conspiracy theories of epic proportions.

00:00 - Intro

07:37 - Nikki sets the scene

09:30 - Queen Elizabeth the 1st’s mission for Sir Walter Raleigh 

10:26 - Sir Walter sends Ralph Lane and Sir Richard Granville on the first mission to Roanoke

13:55 - The first mission goes immediately wrong

15:08 - Ralph murders the leader of the Secotan Tribe, Wingina

15:51 - Sir Francis Drake rescues the idiot men

16:48 - John White leads the second attempt to Chesapeake Bay

19:16 - Mutiny is afoot on Croatoan

22:04 - John tries to make friends with Algonquian people with the help of Chief Manteo

23:39 - The botched attack on the Dasamongueponke tribe

25:07 - The colony run low on supplies, so John makes the trip back

26:28 - The many delays of John White

27:24 - John White returns to Roanoke, only to find everyone gone

29:06 - Could they have gone to Croatoan?

35:56 - Did they turn into cannibals?

37:45 - Could they have fallen prey to witches?

41:20 - The Spirit of the Wendigo and the Reptillian Devil of the Woods

42:33 - The Dare Stones

47:54 - What archaeologists have found since

50:14 - Outro

For all things Killers, Cults and Queens, head over to @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

The knowledge out there on this topic is vast, so if your interest is peaked by this episode. Please take a look at our sources:

The Mysterious Disappearance of Roanoke Colony

Roanoke: The Colonists Who Vanished

Lost Colony of Roanoke - Documentary

Roanoke Colony - Wikipedia

John White (colonist and artist) - Wikipedia

The Lost Colony of Roanoke: 8 Theories About the Mysterious Island and Its Inhabitants

20 Unsettling Events in the Life of the Settlers of Jamestown, Virginia

Evidence Grows, the Lost Colony Split...

Cheryl and Nikki Druce are travelling to the ‘manosphere’ to learn all about the secret world of Incels and their gross revered martyr, Elliot Rodger. It’s a warm Saturday evening in the college town of Isla Vista in Santa Barbara, California. Students all over town are getting ready for house parties at some of the biggest sorority and fraternity parties of the UCSB. But by nightfall, an angsty incel had wreaked havoc on the town, injuring 14 people, and taking 6 innocent lives. Who was Elliot Rodger, and why had his inability to get a girlfriend provoked him to do such damage? Nikki and Cheryl are going to find out. Expect misogyny galore, the cringiest autobiography of all time, and an insight into how obsessed incels are with their chins… 

This episode contains graphic details of violence, including mentions of suicide, and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.  

00:00 - Intro

04:54 - Nikki sets the scene

07:03 - What is the ‘manosphere?’

09:43 - Who incels really are

16:41 - Where Elliot Rodger’s story begins

21:14 - Elliot is obsessed with sex

25:03 - The college town of Isla Vista gets a new resident 

26:03 - Elliot no friends

27:20 - Elliot goes all girl boss gate keep

29:51 - Elliot stars planning his revenge

32:36 - Elliot has a huge tantrum

36:50 - Elliot’s parents hire counsellors 

40:06 - Elliot’s 22nd Birthday (the Gucci sunglasses incident)

44:15 - Elliot starts waxing lyrical on YouTube

46:04 - The murders of Cheng Yuan Hong, George Chen and Weihan Wang

47:18 - Elliot Rodger’s Retribution

47:54 - The murders of Veronica Wiess, Katherine Cooper and Christopher Michaels-Martinez

49:08 - Elliot takes his own life

49:52 - The fall out

52:38 - Terrorist Alek Minassian

54:42 - Outro

For all things Killers, Cults and Queens, head over to @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Hope Not Hate: 020 7952 1181

Exit UK: 0800 999 1945

Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005

Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

The knowledge out there on this topic is vast, so if your interest is peaked by this episode. Please take a look at our sources:

2014 Isla Vista killings - Wikipedia

The Men Who Killed for Youtube Fame: Luka Magnotta and Elliot Rodger

Elliot Rodger | Criminal Minds Wiki

The Killer Virgin | The Delusional Case of Elliot Rodger

Elliot Rodger's Father Discusses His Son

Elliot Rodger: Inside the Mind of a Killer

The Horrific Rampage Of The "Killer Virgin": Elliot Rodger

The secret language of incels - The Fifth Estate

Cheryl and Nikki Druce are diving into the world of creepypastas to meet one of the most deadly internet myths of all time… Slenderman. It’s a balmy Friday night in May in the suburb of Waukesha Wisconsin in 2014. 12 year old Payton is getting ready to celebrate her best friend Morgan's birthday at a sleepover, along with their friend Anissa. Just 12 hours later, Payton is found abandoned in the woods and barely alive after being stabbed 19 times by her friends. They say they did it to appease Slenderman. Police had two questions on their hands… who was Slenderman, and why did two 12 year old girls brutally attack their friend in their quest to meet him? Cheryl and Nikki are about to find out. Expect a 101 on internet scary stories, tales of dodgy fanfics and some of the most haunting words to have ever been spoken by a 12 year old… 

This episode contains graphic details of violence, including violence against and perpetrated by children, and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.  

00:00 - Intro

02:11 - Nikki sets the scene

04:39 - Creepypasta 101

08:18 - Slenderman’s origin story

13:15 - How did an internet story turn into attempted murder? 

13:45 - Payton makes friends with Morgan

16:15 - Annisa arrives in town

18:14 - The Slenderman lore takes hold of Morgan and Anissa

22:24 - Morgan and Anissa’s sinister plan

23:41 - Morgan’s Birthday sleepover

24:34 - The first attempt

25:21 - The second attempt

26:12 - The stabbing of Payton

29:07 - Morgan and Anissa set off to find Slenderman’s mansion

29:31 - Payton saves herself

31:30 - Morgan and Anissa are found with the attempted murder weapon 

32:44 - Morgan and Anissa are brought in for questioning

36:51 - The indictment and sentencing of Morgan and Anissa

39:25 - The fall out

44:02 - Outro

For all things Killers, Cults and Queens, head over to @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:

The Samaritans helpline: 116 123

Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200

Refuge domestic abuse helpline: 0808 2000 247 (live chat is also available at https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/Contact-us *times apply)

Safeline domestic abuse helpline: 01926 402 498 

Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005

Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200

Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000

The knowledge out there on this topic is vast, so if your interest is peaked by this episode. Please take a look at our sources:

Slenderman Stabbing victim speaks

THE REAL LIFE SLENDERMAN CASE

the history of "Slender Man", i guess

Victor Surge Talks About Creating The Original 'Slender Man'

'Slender Man' Creator Speaks on Stabbing: 'I Am Deeply Saddened'

Convicted ‘Slender Man’ Teen Released Early