Kerry Daynes on Dennis Nilsen | Inside the Mind of Britain's Notorious Serial Killer

Kerry Daynes on Dennis Nilsen | Inside the Mind of Britain's Notorious Serial Killer

July 23, 2026 · 58 min

About this episode

Kerry Daynes reflects on her conversations with Dennis Nilsen, providing insight into his psychology and the nature of his crimes.

Few people spent time talking to Dennis Nilsen after his conviction. Consultant forensic psychologist, Sunday Times bestselling author and host of The Profiler with Kerry Daynes, Kerry Daynes, did. In this episode of True Criminals, Kerry reflects on her conversations and correspondence with one of Britain's most infamous serial killers, offering rare insight into the psychology behind his crimes while refusing to accept the myths and self-serving narratives he spent years constructing. Joined by journalist Helen Fospero and crime reporter Martin Brunt, she explores the making of a murderer, the danger of allowing killers to control their own legacy, and why understanding is not the same as excusing. This episode examines the murders committed by Dennis Nilsen between 1978 and 1983, his calculated targeting of vulnerable young men, the investigation that exposed his crimes, and the psychological themes of narcissism, fantasy, coercive control and necrophilia that shaped his offending. If you're interested in Dennis Nilsen, Kerry Daynes, true crime, criminal psychology, forensic psychology, serial…

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