Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised this episode includes discussions of kidnapping, rape, violence and murder that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Today's episode features some crimes that are still officially considered unsolved. But we've included the version of events that the evidence indicates is most likely. In the spring of 1984, 19 year old college student Linda Grober needed a break from studying finals were approaching and the stress was mounting to clear her head.

She drove to a local mall in Tallahassee, Florida.

But as she browsed the season's latest trends, Linda noticed a middle aged man was watching her every move.

He told her his name was Christopher Wylder and he was a photographer. He wanted to know if she'd ever aspired to model Linda's shoulders. Relaxed, relieved. He was just a solicitor looking for his next client, and she couldn't care less about modeling. Linda was a surf girl who'd never been concerned with appearances. She laughed and told him no.

Unfortunately, Wylder wouldn't take no for an answer. Instead of leaving to find another young hopeful. He kept staring at Linda, uncomfortable. She excused herself and headed towards the exit. But as she hurried into the parking lot, she realized that wylder kept pace. He was following her, fueled by fear and adrenaline.

Linda muster the courage to turn around and confront the agent. But before she could get the words out, Wylder punched her in the stomach, threw her into the trunk of his car and slammed it shut.

Hi, I'm Greg Polson. This is Serial Killers, a Spotify original fun podcast. Every episode we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we'll take a look at Christopher Wylder, also known as the Beauty Queen Killer. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone.

You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Cast for Free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Last time we explored Christopher Wilder's many run ins with the law in both Australia and the United States. But even though he was accused of heinous crimes, he saw little to no punishment, always managing to manipulate his way out of serious consequences.

Today will follow Wylder on his killer road trip across the United States and see how his crimes were finally detoured. We've got all that and more coming up.

Stay with us. On March 19th, 1984, 39 year old Christopher Wylder pulled his Chrysler New Yorker onto the highway. He headed north away from the swamps of Merritt Island, Florida, leaving behind the dead body of 21 year old Teresa Furguson. Hours earlier, Wylder had abducted Teresa from a local mall, then he strangled the young woman and disposed of her corpse in a marsh.

She was just one of an estimated six women and children who fell victim to Wilder's sexual depravity. But after witnesses had linked him to the disappearances of racetrack employee Rosario Gonzalez and schoolteacher Elizabeth, Kenyan authorities in the United States were on to him. And time was running out. As Teresa's body sank deeper into the murky water, Wilder sped along the winding roads of northern Florida, intent on kidnapping, raping and murdering as many young women as possible before they locked him up for good.

Vanessa is going to take over and the psychology here and throughout the episode as a note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg.

While Wilder's classification as a serial killer remains unofficial, his behavior suggests he fell under the category of a hedonistic killer. According to criminologists Ronald Holmes and James to Burger, hedonistic killers are psychopathic sexual sadists who torture and kill for pleasure.

They're also described as the thrill seekers of the serial killer world. The very act of violence and murder fuels them with a euphoric high, and they often can't wait to get another fix. Wilder likely enjoyed abducting and murdering Teresa, Furguson, Rosario Gonzalez and Elizabeth Kenyon so much that he had to do it again. He was addicted.

Unfortunately, while under new law enforcement, we're close behind, if you wanted to feed this addiction, you would have to keep moving and act fast.

Less than three days after killing Theresa Ferguson, Wilder stopped in Tallahassee, Florida, at the governor's square mall.

Wylder tried to put his mind at ease as he moved through the throngs of people, but his heart was racing. He had no idea how much time he had left.

Luckily, he saw a woman who made all of those worries fade away.

19 year old Linda Grober flipped through a rack of clothes inside a store.

She was young, beautiful, and just his type wylder made sure his camera was visible and approached her with a smile using practiced lies. Wylder told Linda that he was a professional photographer, and if she'd let him take a few pictures, he could get her on the cover of Vogue magazine. Linda laughed at the thought she was a serious student. She had no intention of becoming a model.

She also likely didn't believe Wylder was a real agent to her. He was just a creepy middle aged man stalking young girls at the mall. She refused his advances and walked away.

Even if the rejection got wilder off guard, it didn't dissuade him. Persistence was all part of the thrill.

As Linda left the mall, he followed after her in the parking lot, Wylder quickened this pace.

It was obvious that Linda was on to him and if he didn't hurry, there was a chance she could slip away. As she neared her car, Wylder started to run. It was now or never. When Linda turned to confront Wylder, he punched her in the stomach as hard as he could. Then he picked her up, carried her to his car and threw her into the trunk. After locking her inside, he checked to see if there were any witnesses.

But the parking lot was empty.

Nobody had seen a thing.

Wylder drove out of the lot and headed in the only direction that seemed safe north in the trunk. Linda started to scream to drown out the noise. Wylder jammed a cassette tape into the radio and turned up the volume to Max.

As the sun set, Wilder crossed the state line into Georgia and stopped at a motel. He rented a room and parked his car as close to the room door as possible. Then he cracked open the trunk and peeked in at Linda.

After hours trapped inside the trunk, the young woman looked exhausted. Wylder knew she wouldn't put up a fight. He covered her with a sleeping bag, threw her over his shoulder and carried her inside. Linda was relieved to be out of the trunk, but her nightmare had only just begun. Wilder dropped her on the bed and told her to close her eyes. Then he lined her lids with superglue, sealing them shut. Next Wylder hooked Linda up to a homemade torture device, presumably inspired by his childhood visit to the psychiatric ward.

It was a bundle of electrical cords. He wrapped exposed wire around Linda's fingers and toes and plugged the device into a wall socket. The device allowed Wilder to control how much electricity flowed into Linda's body if she made any noise, he shocked her. If she tried to escape, he shocked her with Linda completely under his control. He raped her. Between these sadistic sessions of torture, Wylder paused to watch episodes of his favorite television show, Dallas. But while Wylder remained glued to his soap, the superglue along Linda's eyelids came loose.

Her vision was blurry, but she could see where he was sitting and that the bathroom door was open, fearing the end was near. Linda made the decision of her life. She ripped off the wires from her fingers and toes and ran to the bathroom before she could shut the door. Wylder burst inside and grabbed a nearby blow dryer. She hit Linda in the head as hard as he could, and she fell to the ground with her eyes rolled back.

Wilder hesitated, unsure if she was unconscious or dead. She was neither.

Linda waited until Wylder was within striking distance. Then she reached up and gouged her fingers into his eyes. Temporarily blinded, he stumbled backwards, giving Linda enough time to shove him out of the bathroom and lock the door.

Then she screamed until her lungs burned, afraid her cries would attract attention, wylder through his belongings into a bag and ran out the door.

Later, at the hospital, detectives took down her account and deduced that Wylder was behind the attack because Wylder had transported Linda across state lines. FBI investigators took over the case. They showed her a series of photographs of men who could be her attacker.

Without hesitation, she pointed at Wylder. It was all the evidence they needed. The FBI started a hunt of their own.

Coming up, wildfire fuels his killer addiction. Listeners looking for something a little spooky to dig into, then check out the Spotify original fun podcast, Superstitions, every Wednesday explore the varying beliefs people around the world fear and follow in this eerie new series. Each week step inside stories that illustrate the horror, weirdness and truth behind humanity's strangest codes of conduct.

Why do black cats represent witchcraft? What's the point of carrying a rabbit's foot around with you? And how come certain films seem colourist and others don't? Each new episode of Superstitions presents a story that unlocks the mysteries of unorthodox traditions and surreal phenomena.

They may seem mystical or illogical or completely insane, but then again, do they follow the podcast series Superstitions Free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts?

Now back to the story. In late March of 1984, 39 year old Christopher Wylder abducted, raped and tortured 19 year old college student Linda Grober. But Linda managed to lock herself inside the bathroom and scream for help, worried her cries would attract unwanted attention. Wylder jumped into his Chrysler and sped away despite having her eyes glued shut.

Linda was able to identify wylder to the FBI, kicking off a nationwide manhunt, feeling the heat wylder fled west, driving through the back roads and forgotten highways along the Gulf Coast.

Thanks to Linda, the police probably knew what kind of car he was in. To be safe, he would have to ditch it.

On March 21st, the day after Linda had escaped, Wylder pulled into the small town of Beaumont, Texas. There, he cruised the parking lot of Lamar University, searching for a replacement vehicle.

That's when an attractive 24 year old nursing student, Terry Walden, caught his eye.

Terry was married with two kids and had lived in Beaumont all her life, friends and family knew her as a very careful person who was not trusting of strangers. So it was no surprise that when Wilder approached Terry, her guard went up.

Wilder pulled up next to Terry and told her that he liked her 1981 Mercury Cougar. When she didn't respond, he tried to turn on the charm. Wylder mentioned that he was a modeling agent and that she was perfect for a job. Terry insisted that she wasn't interested. But instead of leaving, Wilder inched closer.

The encounter shook Terry up so badly that she immediately drove home and told her husband.

He agreed that it was a close call and assured Terry that she was safe now. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

Two days later, on March twenty third, Wilder returned to his familiar hunting ground, the mall. Inside, witnesses remembered seeing Wilder solicit numerous young girls, asking them if they wanted to be models. All of them said no. Rejected.

Wilder decided to try his luck elsewhere. But as he exited the mall, he spotted someone he recognized, Terry Walden.

After dropping her four year old daughter off at daycare. Terry had come to the mall to do some shopping. Convinced that it was destiny, Wilder approached Terry and asked her if she changed her mind about modeling again. Terry said no.

But Wilder wouldn't be denied. He followed her out of the mall as she unlocked the door of her Mercury Cougar Wylder forced her over to the passenger seat and got behind the wheel himself.

A few hours later, employees of the day care notified Terry's husband that she had not picked up their daughter yet. He immediately knew something was wrong and called police to report her missing.

Meanwhile, back in the Mercury Wilder headed west. He found an isolated area to park in. Then he stabbed Terry multiple times and threw her body into a canal.

Evidence suggests that Wilder didn't abduct Terry for sexual gratification. With police just a few steps behind him, he likely killed her simply because he wanted her. Cougar Wilder returned to the open road in Terry's car for two days. Wilder drove north out of Texas and into Oklahoma. Then, on March 25th, he resumed his insatiable hunt at Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City, armed with a camera. He approached 21 year old Susan Logan as she perused the local department store.

Unlike Terry and Linda, Susan had real aspirations of becoming a model to Wilder.

She was easy prey. He likely offered Suzanne a hundred dollars and told her to follow him back to his car. As they walked across the lot, Wilder bragged about all the other models he'd photographed and assured Susan that she was in good hands while de Forest Susann into his car and drove her north into Kansas.

There, he checked them into a hotel room where he tortured and raped her.

The next morning, Wilder took her to a desert area near a town called Junction City, under the shade of a cedar tree. He stabbed Suzanne to death.

Meanwhile, back in Florida, the FBI had set up a field office to hunt wylder down, equipped with a positive ID from Linda Grober. And assuming Wylder had stolen Terry Walden's car, they issued a nationwide bulletin. Now, every cop in America was on the lookout for Terry's Mercury Cougar, but Wilder still managed to avoid detection. On March 28th, Wylder pulled off the highway in Rifle, Colorado, and checked into a hotel using a stolen credit card when the hotel clerk processed the credit card payments.

At the end of the day, the stolen card sent up a red flag. The clerk was instructed to call the FBI as dawn broke on March 29th. Federal agents surrounded Wilder's hotel room with their guns drawn, but when they stormed inside, the room was empty by chance. Wilder had hit the road early that morning. It was a frustratingly close call for the FBI and unfortunately, their only lead now, all they could do was to wait for Wylder to strike again.

Sadly, they didn't have to wait long. A few hours later, Wylder arrived at the Mesa Mall in Grand Junction, Colorado.

There, he lured 18 year old Cheryl Bonventre to his car. She went willingly blinded by Wilder's lies and her own aspirations of becoming a. Model, by this point, he perfected his verbal trap, while it's unclear whether Wilder was ever officially diagnosed with any mental or personality disorders, his behavior suggests he had psychopathic tendencies. According to criminal psychologist Robert Hare, psychopaths employ high emotional intelligence to manipulate their victims. They're able to talk their way around situations and use the victim's emotional wants and needs against them.

We're not sure exactly what Wilder told Cheryl, but we do know that she went with him voluntarily. We also know that she agreed to leave town with him later that day. The two arrived at a sandwich shop in a small town some 110 miles south of Grand Junction, where they appeared relaxed and friendly. Cheryl even reportedly told a waitress that they were on their way to Las Vegas.

The details of what happened next are unclear, but it appears that for the next two days, Wylder and Cheryl ventured west. Records indicate that they stayed together at hotels in Durango, Colorado, and Page, Arizona.

But around March 30, first, while Drew grew tired of her company along a patch of desert near the Utah Arizona border, Wylder stabbed Cheryl in the chest.

Then he left her for dead in the desert as Wylder continued his journey alone.

The FBI warned malls across the country that a serial killer named Christopher Wylder was on the prowl. They even provided shopping centers with flyers of Wilder's name and picture and recommended against holding events where young girls may gather.

The Meadows Mall in Las Vegas did not heed their warning.

On April 1st, they hosted a modeling competition, promising the winner the cover of Seventeen magazine. The event was a huge success, and girls from miles around came to try their luck. But they weren't the only ones who showed up.

Armed with his trusty camera, Wylder brazenly walked into the mall and sat down next to the catwalk. He watched as the teenage girls came out, one by one, hoping for their big break. One in particular caught his eye, 17 year old Michelle Kaufman.

She was the perfect victim. And after the event was over, Wylder told Michelle that she had what it took to be a professional model and that he could help her get to the next level.

Ecstatic, Michelle agreed to follow Wylder to his car to see his portfolio.

And then Wylder followed his horrible script, kidnapping, torturing and raping Michelle. Then he dumped her lifeless body near a Southern California rest stop.

Wylder continued west for a day or two, eventually arriving at the California coast.

But just as his modus operandi was becoming routine, he met a young woman in Torrance that would be altogether different, one that he would connect with on another level. Up next, Wylder turns a victim into an accomplice. Now back to the story.

Just 18 days after leaving Boynton Beach, Florida, 39 year old Christopher Wylder was responsible for an estimated six abductions and five deaths across the United States over the course of 3000 miles. Wilder's urge to rape, torture and kill had only grown stronger. So after attacking and murdering Michelle Kaufman in April of 1984, he set out to abduct yet another victim.

On April 4th, Wylder headed to the Delamare Fashion Center in the coastal town of Torrance, California. Their 16 year old Teena Marie Riscoe, was searching for a job as she filled out an application in one of the store's wylder approached her from behind. He told Tina that if she wanted a job, he could give her one that led to fame and fortune.

He was a modeling agent and offered her 100 dollars to let him photograph her.

Tina happily accepted under the blossoming trees of a nearby park, Tina posed for the camera. At first, it seemed innocent and fun. But as time wore on, a familiar scene emerged when Tina said it was time for her to head home.

Wilder dropped his nice guy routine and got aggressive.

As Tina gathers her belongings, Wylder pulled out a large 357 Magnum pistol and pointed it directly at her.

He ordered Tina into his car in fear for her life.

She obeyed his every command for two hours. Tina sat silently as Wilder drove them south along the coast to San Diego.

There, he rented a cheap hotel room. Once inside, Wylder attached his makeshift electrical torture device to Tinas fingers and toes. Then he spent the next few hours shocking and raping Tina over and over again.

Between these sessions of torture and rape, Wylder watched television.

But instead of his favorite soap, Dallas', a special news bulletin came on screen. Christopher Wylder, now dubbed the beauty queen killer, was wanted for the disappearances of several young women. He was on the FBI's 10 most wanted list.

Wylder couldn't believe the news. He assumed the police were looking for him, but he didn't expect to be connected to so many of the abductions so quickly. Suddenly, the situation seemed dire. He had to get out of there.

Wylder untied Tina and told her to help him pack his bags, struggling to comprehend what had just happened to her. Tina did, as she was told. As the two ran to Wilder's car, a strange sensation came over the young woman. She felt like she had to help wylder.

According to psychiatrist Dr. Frank Ochberg, Stockholm syndrome is a rare phenomenon where victims of abduction bond with their captor initially terrified that their life is on the line. Victims experiencing Stockholm syndrome welcome any act of kindness with immense gratitude. As a result, the hostages experience a powerful, primitive, positive feeling towards their captor. They're in denial that this is the person who put them in that situation. And in their mind, they think this is the person who is going to let them live.

In Tinner Roscoe's case, it's hard to know why she was susceptible to this phenomenon. But the intensity of her traumatic experiences may have played a role. Despite being abducted, raped and tortured by wylder, she seemed to be grateful for her life, and so she did, as she was told.

Fortunately, her compliance didn't go unnoticed.

The more Tina helped Wylder, the longer he kept her alive wylder and Tina returned to the safety of the open road heading northeast. He had a friend in Canada where they couldn't lay low until the authorities quit looking for them.

But they were still a long way from the border and he still had an itch to scratch.

Like any addiction, the longer wylder waited, the harder it got to control.

After six long days on the road, Wylder and Tina arrived in a small town called Merrillville, Ind.. They are wylder concocted a new plan to satiate his needs. He promised to let go if she found him a replacement.

Tina was in no condition to say no.

For a week, Wylder had kept the 16 year old prisoner frequently raping and beating her on the verge of a mental breakdown.

She agreed to his plan.

On April 10th, Wylder and Tina scanned the crowd at the Southlake Mall in Merrillville.

Eventually, Wylder settled on a 16 year old girl with short dark hair named Donette Wilt. It appeared that, like Tina, Donette was at the mall applying for jobs.

Tina approached Donette with a friendly smile. She said she knew the perfect place to work. She motioned Wylder over, pretending he was a manager at one of the stores, while Joe said he had a spare application in his car and invited Donna to accompany him to get it.

With Tina beside her, Donette felt safe enough to follow Wylder outside. But once the trio got to his car, instead of pulling out an application, Wylder pulled out a gun. He ordered both Donette and Tina to get into the vehicle.

Wylder drove the girls to a nearby hotel and rented a room. Once inside, Tina realized that Wylder was never going to keep his promise over the next two days. Tina watched in horror as Wylder tortured and raped Donette.

But on April 12th, another news report popped up on the TV screen. Except this time, instead of the FBI, Tina's mother appeared before reporters. She begged Wylder to spare her daughter's life. Once again, Wylder flew into a panic. He told Tina to pack their bags to see untied Donette from the bed. Then the three piled into Wilder's car and fled.

Wylder headed for the state line and crossed over into New York in an effort to keep Donette under his control. He forced her to take sleeping pills. He was agitated, scared and desperate to stay free.

But to do that, he had to get rid of one of the girls, it was too risky traveling with both of them. So Wylder found a back road that led deep into the woods. He parked the car and told Tina to stay put. Then he dragged on and outside and told her to march into the forest. Even drugged don't realize that she was going to die when Wilder pulled out his knife. She asked him to shoot her. Instead, she thought it would be quicker and less painful.

But Wilder refused and stabbed her twice in the chest.

Then he ran back to the car where Tina was still waiting. But as they drove away, Wilder was overcome with a feeling that Donette wasn't dead. He slammed the car into reverse and backed up to where he'd left. Her wilder suspicion was right. Instead of finding Donitz dead body, he saw a trail of blood leading away. Somehow, Donette had managed to escape. While struggling to stay conscious, she'd found a road and flagged down a passing trucker.

Furious, Wilder got back in the car and sped off. It was only a matter of time before the FBI caught up to him, and in order to cover his tracks, he told Tina they had to switch cars. Luckily for them, he knew just where to find one.

A few hours later, Wilder and Tina arrived at Eastview Mall in Victor, New York. He drove slowly, scanning the lot for the perfect ride. That's when Wylder pointed out a beautiful gold Pontiac Firebird pulling into a parking spot.

The car belonged to 33 year old single mother Beth Dodge. She'd gone to the mall to grab some lunch before picking up her four year old daughter from day care. Wylder tucked a pistol into his waistband and stepped out of the car. Then he told Tina to get behind the wheel of the mercury and follow him as Tina slid over to the driver's seat. She watched with dread as wylder crept across the parking lot towards Beth. Before Beth could even step out of the car, Wylder drew his gun and forced her into the passenger seat.

Then he got behind the wheel and sped out of the parking lot.

Now alone in the safety of the mercury. Tina was left with a decision she could either drive away to freedom or she could go along with Wilder's plan.

It's hard to put ourselves in Tina's mindset at that moment, but it's important to remember that she was a terrified young woman who was experiencing a very traumatic event.

Ultimately, Tina chose the latter. She followed Wylder to a vacant gravel pit outside of town. There, Wylder marched Beth into a dense patch of forest and shot her. When he reemerged soon after, Tina knew that Beth was dead. It seems as though Wylder wasn't interested in raping Beth at all. He just needed her car as wylder.

And Tina sped off in Beth's Firebird. He assured his captive that she would not meet the same fate. In a strange way, Wylder had also bonded with Tina.

When they reached Boston, Wylder took Tina to the Logan Airport. He told her that he was going to die and he didn't want her there to see it. He accompanied Tina inside and bought her a one way ticket back to Los Angeles, California.

Before they parted ways. He asked her to kiss him on the cheek, scared that at any moment Wylder would pull her back to the car. She did what he asked then as she cautiously walked towards her gate. He told her to write a book about their time together.

Although Tina had escaped, her ordeal was far from over. After landing in Los Angeles, she met with authorities and was forced to answer some difficult questions when they discovered that Tina had assisted in Wilder's crimes, the media blamed Tina for her role.

However, it was thanks to Tenez brave testimony that the FBI was able to narrow their search to New England and more importantly, they knew what kind of car wylder was driving.

The FBI radioed all the police officers in the area, telling them to be on the lookout for Wilder, who was last seen driving a gold Firebird.

On April 13th, 1984, Wylder drove the Firebird into a service station in Colebrook, New Hampshire. He was just 15 minutes from the Canadian border as he chatted with an attendant about the best way to get across a patrol car rounded the corner to New Hampshire.

State troopers spotted the gold Firebird and pulled over. One of the officers jumped out and cautiously approached Walter.

But Wilder dodged the officer and dove into the Firebird. The trooper tried to grab him from behind, but Wilder was too strong. Wilder clawed his way across the console and grabbed his gun.

Then Wilder turned the gun on himself and fired two shots. One of the bullets passed straight through Wilder's midsection, injuring the officer. The other bullet pierced Wilder's heart, killing him instantly.

It was the end of an extensive manhunt. In the few weeks that Wilder was on the road, he had traveled thousands of miles abducting, raping and killing several young women. But on that fateful day, Wilder claimed a final life his own.

While Christopher Bernard Wilder was infamously dubbed the beauty queen killer, many of his victims had never even entered a pageant. Most were young, hopeful women who were taken by the empty promises of a middle aged man armed with a camera.

Instead of landing the cover of a magazine, their beautiful faces were on the news bulletin of every station as a warning to young girls and women across the nation. Be wary of strangers who grant your every wish.

They can often be monsters who turn dreams into deadly nightmares.

Thanks again for tuning into serial killers.

We'll be back soon with the new episode.

You can find more episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from podcast for free on Spotify, not only to Spotify, already have all of your favorite music, but now Spotify is making it easy for you to enjoy all of your favorite Spotify originals from podcasts like Serial Killers for Free from your phone desktop or Smart Speaker will see you next time.

Have a killer week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from podcast.

Executive producers include Max and Ron Cuddler Sound, designed by Michael Motian with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden and Bruce Kaktovik.

This episode of Serial Killers was written by Adam Boland with writing assistants by Abigail Canon, fact checking by Annibale and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial Killers stars Greg Polson and Vanessa Richardson.

Bad omens, good fortune, pure luck. Take a closer look at what you believe in and follow the Spotify original faux pas, caste superstitions, new episodes, Air Weekly every Wednesday. Listen free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.