Dr Fiona M Girkin - Shenanigans Podcast
Join Dr Fiona M. Girkin, PhD from Tasmania (Australia) and learn all about the dark side of female behaviour, including psychopathy, narcissism and other dark traits. Dr Girkin is also on YouTube, X (Twitter) and Instagram. Contribute to her work through Buy me a Coffee
Join Dr Fiona M. Girkin, PhD from Tasmania (Australia) and learn all about the dark side of female behaviour, including psychopathy, narcissism and other dark traits. Dr Girkin is also on YouTube, X (Twitter) and Instagram. Contribute to her work through Buy me a Coffee
Listen on:
Episodes

Jul 19, 2026
Jul 19, 2026
17 min
This is our final episode, a summary of everything we have examined across this series. Over seven episodes, we have looked closely at mothers whose actions shattered the most fundamental expectation we place on women: the instinct to protect their own children.
I have not told these stories for shock value. I have told them to understand the patterns. Each case reveals how dark personality traits, such as narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism, can completely override maternal instinct. In some stories, religion was twisted into a weapon. In others, it was pure self-interest, addiction, ambition, or the desperate need to preserve an image. The common thread is the same: a profound failure of empathy and a prioritisation of self over the lives of the most vulnerable.
Today we will briefly revisit each case, then compare and contrast the dark traits that drove these women, and finally leave you with the key messages that matter most as we close this series.
Watch on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app.
Support this podcast: Buy Me a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/drfionagirkin
Website – www.drfionagirkin.com
Email – info@drfionagirkin.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drfionagirkin/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DrFionaGirkin
X - https://x.com/drfionagirkin
#FemalePsychopath #DarkTetrad #TrueCrime #FemaleManipulators #Womenwhokill #CoerciveControl #BadMumma #ToxicWomen #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologyOfEvil

Jul 8, 2026
Bad Mumma - Episode 7: Neonaticide
Jul 8, 2026
Jul 8, 2026
21 min
In most episodes, we have examined one case in depth, but in this special and final episode, we will examine five neonaticide cases from three countries: Paris Mayo from England, Katarina Jovanovic from Germany, and Alexee Trevizo, Alexis Avila, and Melissa Drexler from the United States.
Through these stories, we will compare and contrast circumstances, methods, legal outcomes, and the role of dark triad traits — narcissism, sadism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathic detachment — in overriding the most fundamental human instinct: a mother’s drive to protect her child.
Watch on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app.
Support this podcast: Buy Me a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/drfionagirkin
Website – www.drfionagirkin.com
Email – info@drfionagirkin.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drfionagirkin/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DrFionaGirkin
X - https://x.com/drfionagirkin
#FemalePsychopath #DarkTetrad #TrueCrime #FemaleManipulators #Womenwhokill #CoerciveControl #BadMumma #ToxicWomen #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologyOfEvil

Jun 29, 2026
Bad Mumma - Episode 6: Susan Smith
Jun 29, 2026
Jun 29, 2026
6 min
In this episode, we revisit one of the most infamous cases in American true crime: the Susan Smith case. A young South Carolina mother, in 1994, strapped her two little boys into their car seats and rolled the vehicle into a lake, drowning them in cold water. She then spent nine days lying to the world, claiming a Black man had carjacked her and kidnapped her sons. This is a story of manipulation and of a mother who chose a new romance over the lives she had created.
Watch on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app.
Support this podcast: Buy Me a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/drfionagirkin
Website – www.drfionagirkin.com
Email – info@drfionagirkin.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drfionagirkin/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DrFionaGirkin
X - https://x.com/drfionagirkin
#FemalePsychopath #DarkTetrad #TrueCrime #FemaleManipulators #Womenwho kill #CoerciveControl #BadMumma #ToxicWomen #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologyOfEvil

Jun 15, 2026
Bad Mumma - Episode 5: Rose West
Jun 15, 2026
Jun 15, 2026
6 min
Watch on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app.
In this episode, we descend into one of Britain's most notorious House of Horrors: the case of Rose West. A mother of eight who, alongside her husband Fred, turned their family home into a torture chamber. Rose didn't just fail to protect her children – she actively participated in their abuse and the murders of at least ten young women and girls, including two of her own daughters.
This is a story of sadistic cruelty, sexual violence, and a complete perversion of maternal bonds.
This episode covers the abuse and murder of children and will not be for everyone. It can be difficult to understand, but it is important to talk about in the context of dark traits in mothers who harm their own children.
Support this podcast: Buy Me a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/drfionagirkin
Website – www.drfionagirkin.com
Email – info@drfionagirkin.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drfionagirkin/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DrFionaGirkin
X - https://x.com/drfionagirkin
#FemalePsychopath #DarkTetrad #TrueCrime #FemaleManipulators #Womenwho kill #CoerciveControl #BadMumma #ToxicWomen #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologyOfEvil

Jun 8, 2026
Bad Mumma - Episode 4: Megan Huntsman
Jun 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
6 min
Neonaticide is the deliberate killing of a newborn within the first 24 hours of life. Almost exclusively committed by the mother, it is often linked to pregnancy denial. Megan Huntsman, a Utah mother who, over a decade, secretly gave birth to seven babies, taking the lives of six of them within minutes of their first breath. She then stored their tiny bodies in cardboard boxes in the garage like unimportant keepsakes. This is a story of hidden pregnancies, addiction, and a profound failure of maternal instinct that defies understanding.
This episode covers the murder of 6 babies and will not be for everyone.
Watch on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app.
Support this podcast: Buy Me a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/drfionagirkin
Website – www.drfionagirkin.com
Email – info@drfionagirkin.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drfionagirkin/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DrFionaGirkin
X - https://x.com/drfionagirkin
#FemalePsychopath #DarkTetrad #TrueCrime #FemaleManipulators #Womenwho kill #CoerciveControl #BadMumma #ToxicWomen #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologyOfEvil

Jun 1, 2026
Bad Mumma - Episode 3: Kristel Candelario
Jun 1, 2026
Jun 1, 2026
6 min
In this episode, we examine the heartbreaking case of Kristel Candelario. A 32-year-old mother from Cleveland, Ohio, who chose a beach vacation in Puerto Rico over the life of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn. She left the toddler alone in a playpen for more than ten days with only a few bottles of milk. What followed was a slow, agonising death from starvation and dehydration. This is a story of profound neglect, selfishness, and the ultimate maternal betrayal.
Watch on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app.
Support this podcast: Buy Me a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/drfionagirkin
Website – www.drfionagirkin.com
Email – info@drfionagirkin.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drfionagirkin/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DrFionaGirkin
X - https://x.com/drfionagirkin
#FemalePsychopath #DarkTetrad #TrueCrime #FemaleManipulators #Womenwho kill #CoerciveControl #BadMumma #ToxicWomen #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologyOfEvil

May 25, 2026
Bad Mumma - Episode 2: Lori Vallow-Daybell
May 25, 2026
May 25, 2026
8 min
In this episode, we confront one of the most disturbing cases in recent true crime history: Lori Vallow Daybell, the so-called "Doomsday Mom." A former beauty queen and mother of three who spiralled into apocalyptic delusions, ultimately sacrificing two of her children to satisfy twisted beliefs that they were evil zombies. This was in part fuelled by her desire to marry and start and have an untethered life with Chad Daybell, a self-appointed prophet who wrote religious doomsday books.
This episode covers the murder of two children and will not be for everyone. Filicide is the murder of a child by their mother, regardless of the circumstances. It can be difficult to understand, but it is important to talk about in the context of dark mothers.
Watch on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app.
Support this podcast: Buy Me a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/drfionagirkin
Website – www.drfionagirkin.com
Email – info@drfionagirkin.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drfionagirkin/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DrFionaGirkin
X - https://x.com/drfionagirkin
#FemalePsychopath #DarkTetrad #TrueCrime #FemaleManipulators #Womenwho kill #CoerciveControl #BadMumma #ToxicWomen #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologyOfEvil

May 18, 2026
Bad Mumma - Episode 1: Ruby Frankie
May 18, 2026
May 18, 2026
7 min
From YouTube momfluencer to convicted child abuser — the shocking downfall of Ruby Franke.
In this Podcast episode, we dive deep into the disturbing case of Ruby Franke, the Utah mother of six who built a massive following on her channel "8 Passengers" by promoting strict parenting and "tough love." What viewers saw as wholesome family content slowly revealed itself as something far darker, with escalating punishments that raised serious red flags.
I break down how Ruby’s behaviour aligns with the Dark Tetrad — narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism — and how her partnership with disgraced life coach Jodi Hildebrandt turned into a dangerous cult-like dynamic. This is not just a story of bad parenting; it’s a chilling example of how power, delusion, and influence can destroy innocent lives.
If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out to family, friends, or a professional.
Watch on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app.
Support this podcast: Buy Me a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/drfionagirkin
Website – www.drfionagirkin.com
Email – info@drfionagirkin.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drfionagirkin/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DrFionaGirkin
X - https://x.com/drfionagirkin
#FemalePsychopath #DarkTetrad #TrueCrime #FemaleManipulators #Womenwho kill #CoerciveControl #BadMumma #ToxicWomen #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologyOfEvil



