SERIAL KILLER: Israel Keyes Pt. 1

Israel Keyes spent years methodically preparing for murder: burying weapon caches across the country, committing crimes far from home, and maintaining a quiet family life to avoid suspicion. Born into a white nationalist sect and mentored by domestic terrorists, Keyes developed a chilling capacity for violence alongside an equally chilling ability to conceal it. This episode traces his upbringing, his earliest attacks, and the elaborate systems he built to keep killing undetected. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Serial Killers & Murderous Minds to never miss a case! Want all 2 parts of every case all at once? Join Crime House+ and get both parts of each case dropped together on Monday ad-free. Join atcrimehouseplus.com http://crimehouseplus.com or if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, tap “Try Free” at the top of this show’s page. Serial Killers & Murderous Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. 🎧 Need More to Binge? Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Murder True Crime Stories, Crime House 24/7, and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse https://www.instagram.com/crimehouse/TikTok: @Crimehouse https://www.tiktok.com/@crimehouseFacebook: @crimehousestudios https://www.facebook.com/crimehousestudiosYouTube: @crimehousestudios https://www.youtube.com/@crimehousestudios

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Vanessa Richardson?

  Hi, everyone. Before today's episode, there's another show I want to tell you about. It's called What the Fact with Connor Tomlinson from Netflix's Love on the Spectrum and Carter Roy. Every week, they take three unbelievable true facts from history and tell you the full story behind them. Plus Connor's infectious energy that'll make you realize history is the most fascinating thing on earth. Follow What the Fact wherever you listen or subscribe on YouTube at What the Fact Pod.

• 0:36Speaker 01

  This is Crime House.

• 0:41Vanessa Richardson?

  No matter how much you prepare, life often comes down to timing. Sometimes it works in your favor, like when you're running late, but you hit every green light and still make it to your destination on time. Other times, you're not as lucky and you end up in the wrong place at the worst possible moment. For years, Israel Keyes counted on timing. Unlike most repeat offenders, Israel didn't have one specific type of victim. What mattered most to him was opportunity, access, and whether someone was vulnerable enough or unlucky enough to cross his path at the exact wrong time. That combination of patience, planning, and chance is what made Israel so hard to catch and allowed him to become

• 1:26Vanessa Richardson?

  one of the most terrifying serial killers of the 21st century.

• 1:43Vanessa Richardson?

  The human mind is powerful. It shapes how we think, feel, love, and hate. But sometimes it drives people to commit the unthinkable. This is Serial Killers and Murderous Minds, a Crime House original. I'm Vanessa Richardson.

• 1:58Tristin Engels?

  And I'm forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Ingles. Every Monday and Thursday, we uncover the darkest minds in history, analyzing what makes a killer.

• 2:08Vanessa Richardson?

  Crime House exists because of listeners like you. Want even more? Join Crime House Plus and get both parts of every story dropped on the same Monday, completely ad-free. No waiting three days for part two, plus Crime House bonus episodes every month. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com. Or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap Try Free at the top of the Serial Killers and Murderous Minds page. Before we get started, be advised, this episode contains discussion of violence against animals and sexual violence against women, so please listen with care. Today, we begin our deep dive on Israel Keyes, a meticulous killer with a sordid past. Not only was Israel exposed to extreme violence at an early age,

• 2:53Vanessa Richardson?

  but he also formed ties to one of America's most notorious crime families. As he grew up, Israel learned to hide his dark side and operate in the shadows. And he went to grotesque lengths to cover his tracks.

• 3:07Tristin Engels?

  As Vanessa goes through the story, I'll be talking about things like how a cult-like upbringing can shape a child's understanding of fear and dominance, how some offenders learn to hide their violent urges at a young age, and how some killers draw on organized crime methods to avoid detection.

• 3:25Vanessa Richardson?

  And as always, we'll be asking the question, what makes a killer?

• 3:35Vanessa Richardson?

  Israel Keyes was raised to believe the world was something to fear. He was born on January 7, 1978, in the small community of Cove, Utah, into an unusual family. His parents, Heidi and John, had a total of 10 children, and they raised all of them within a sect of Christianity known for its white nationalist ideologies. Heidi and John didn't just mistrust people who weren't white. They rejected all forms of mainstream society, like public school, the government, and modern medicine. When Israel was about five years old, his parents wanted to live even further off the grid, so they relocated the family to the rural wooded town of Colville, Washington.

• 4:17Vanessa Richardson?

  Now, Israel was more isolated than ever. The Keys had no neighbors for miles, and they lived without basic comforts like heat or electricity. Their social life revolved entirely around their church, which was known as the Ark. There, Israel was taught that white men were superior to all others.

• 4:38Tristin Engels?

  Israel is being exposed to very extremist ideologies from an early age. On top of that, he's growing up in a highly controlled, conspiratorial environment that is largely isolated from the outside world. And that's one of the ways indoctrination can happen. And there are very few opportunities for outside ideas, relationships, or experiences there to challenge what he's being taught. It becomes a closed system where the same beliefs are reinforced over and over again. Psychologically, that environment can foster chronic anxiety, intense social isolation, and distrust of authority or mainstream institutions, and an us versus them mindset, that in-group-outgroup bias. So he's also being taught what to think

• 5:23Tristin Engels?

  rather than how to think. His beliefs, identity, and sense of right or wrong are being prescribed for him instead of being developed naturally through his own curiosity or exploration or even exposure socially with others.

• 5:39Vanessa Richardson?

  When a child grows up in that kind of belief system, it's so harsh, does it make it harder for them to develop empathy for people outside of their immediate world?

• 5:48Tristin Engels?

  Yes, it does. One of the ways extremist ideologies maintain themselves is by teaching people to dehumanize anyone who isn't part of their in-group. So in other words, outsiders are no longer seen as individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, or even humanity because they're reduced to labels or stereotypes or even enemies. These ideologies also teach that outsiders are dangerous, immoral, or a threat to them. So when someone genuinely perceives another person as a threat, their brain naturally is going to prioritize self-protection. Under those conditions, empathy diminishes because you're focused on your own survival. That doesn't mean empathy disappears entirely,

• 6:32Tristin Engels?

  but fear and dehumanization make it much easier to justify prejudice, mistreatment, and even violence in these cases. That's one of the reasons that these ideologies can become so dangerous.

• 6:47Vanessa Richardson?

  Their church, the Ark, was extreme in other ways, too. It wasn't just a church. It was also part white nationalist militia. In fact, that was where Israel befriended members of the infamous Kehoe family. The Keyes were known domestic terrorists. One of their sons would later be convicted of a 1996 triple murder, and Israel was close with their family. The Keyes had a clear influence on Israel. By the time Israel was a teenager, he and his friends were letting their criminal urges run wild. They broke into homes, robbed people, stole firearms, and set fires in the woods. The Keyes taught Israel how to build a pipe bomb and how to move a firearm through the black market.

• 7:30Vanessa Richardson?

  They were highly skilled criminals, and Israel soaked it all up. But eventually, some of Israel's violent tendencies proved to be too much, even for this group of friends. Around the same time, Israel started hunting and killing animals just for fun. And one day, when he and a friend broke into a home to steal money and guns, Israel went rogue. Without warning his friend, he shot and killed the family's pet. During another disturbing incident, Israel was with a friend when he tied his sister's cat to a tree and shot it, just for fun. Israel thought the whole thing was funny, but his friend was mortified. Israel was a loose cannon,

• 8:13Vanessa Richardson?

  and that was a red flag for the crowd he ran with, people who were highly trained criminals and put time and effort into evading the law. Israel noticed his companion's disapproval, and he knew he'd have to start hiding this part of himself. His world was already so limited, he didn't want to scare off any of the few friends he had.

• 8:33Tristin Engels?

  Israel is a teenager, and the behaviors you're describing appears consistent with signs of conduct disorder, which is characterized by a persistent pattern of aggressive, destructive, and deceitful behavior. And he's also exhibiting callous unemotional traits, including a lack of remorse and empathy. Those traits are considered one of the strongest developmental markers associated with psychopathy later in life, although they don't always mean someone is destined to become a psychopath. But let's talk about his relationship with the Keyes. They're essentially teaching an adolescent with conduct disorder how to be a more efficient criminal. And for likely the first time, Israel found adults who let him foster being himself

• 9:17Tristin Engels?

  or thinking for himself in a way his family likely hadn't, even if it's obviously not the healthiest of role models. But even they had limits. Their violence was driven by ideology. His increasingly violent behavior appeared to be driven by something more personal. And when he crossed even their boundaries, he didn't conclude that what he was doing was wrong necessarily. He appeared to conclude that he needed to become better at hiding it. That's behavioral adaptation. Israel recognized that other people were disturbed by what he was doing because he wasn't disconnected from reality or socially unaware. He understood the social rules. He recognized his behavior worried them. And that suggests he understood

• 10:02Tristin Engels?

  how other people were noticing and reacting, even if it wasn't enough to fully deter him. But it was enough to change his strategy and become more difficult to detect. So that, to me, highlights how good he is at self-monitoring, adaptability, and strategic thinking.

• 10:22Vanessa Richardson?

  Over time, Israel learned how to present a more controlled, capable version of himself to the world. First, he started recording his dark thoughts in his journal. Some of them involved violent fantasies about a girl he was dating at the time, but others were much more sinister. Israel couldn't stop wondering what it would be like to take a human life. He hoped that writing about these thoughts would help him control the urge to act on them, and Israel found other ways to channel his feelings, too. By his late teens, Israel had become a skilled carpenter. He reportedly built his first wooden cabin when he was just 16 years old, and later began working for a local contractor.

• 11:03Vanessa Richardson?

  There, he learned practical construction skills and grew into a talented woodworker. People who knew Israel began to see him differently. He seemed less chaotic and more in control of himself. Unfortunately, all the effort Israel put into his new reputation failed to pay off. Because when he was 18 years old, his parents decided to move to rural Maine. There, they lived near an Amish community and sometimes produced maple syrup for them. It was Israel's worst nightmare. He missed running free with the Keyes and other friends. That's when he realized he was an adult. He didn't have to do what his parents said. So one day, he confessed something shocking to them.

• 11:47Vanessa Richardson?

  Israel told his parents he was an atheist. He didn't believe in God. To Heidi and John, that was the worst thing one of their children could say. They immediately kicked Israel out of the house. He was on his own for the first time, and he loved it.

• 12:07Tristin Engels?

  Israel was 18, and even at 18, it's a stage of development where identity formation and peer relationships are especially important, and that may be playing a role. Up until that point, he'd been raised in a highly controlled environment that dictated what he believed, what he could listen to, what he could watch, even if they had a TV, and even where the family lived. This is typically the period when individuals begin exploring who they are, independent of their parents. That's part of normal development. But then, after forming relationships with peers like the Keyes, that may have given him the sense of belonging and independence that he longed for, and then his family moved to Maine, just outside of an Amish community.

• 12:50Tristin Engels?

  This is another major change that was imposed on him rather than chosen by him. And change outside of our control, like moves, are often the case when we are dependent minors. But when you don't get to choose what music you can listen to, what programs you can watch, what instruments you can play, restriction becomes cumulative. But now, Israel's no longer a dependent anymore. He has legal autonomy now, which he recognizes. So it makes sense that he would want to leave the home. If he felt that nearly every aspect of his life had been controlled for him, then pushing back on the religious beliefs can become one of the few ways he can feel in control. That doesn't mean every individual raised in a strict home will rebel,

• 13:34Tristin Engels?

  but seeking greater independence physically and psychologically and establishing an identity that's separate from their parents is also a normal part of their development.

• 13:46Vanessa Richardson?

  Once he was cut off from his family, how could that sudden freedom affect someone already struggling with violent thoughts and impulses?

• 13:54Tristin Engels?

  Freedom isn't always protective, and this is an example of why. Israel suddenly having complete autonomy after years of control and restriction can be overwhelming, but it's especially concerning if he was already struggling with violent thoughts and impulses. There is no external control or accountability now, so he has to rely much more heavily on himself for that. If he has, like, say, poor impulse control, or diminished empathy, or gets gratification from violent fantasies, that can be dangerous, because there are fewer barriers standing between thought and action. And that said, freedom and independence alone, it doesn't create violence.

• 14:36Tristin Engels?

  But if someone already has significant behavioral problems, which we've already seen in him, and he has violent tendencies with no intervention or oversight, that can create opportunities for those behaviors to flourish unchecked.

• 14:52Vanessa Richardson?

  For the first time, Israel's newfound freedom allowed him to live on his own terms, which gave him room to explore the darker parts of himself he'd been keeping buried, and the space to act on whatever violent thoughts came into his mind. And when the time was right, Israel went hunting for his first victim. However, he'd soon learn that he wasn't as in control as he thought.

• 15:22Vanessa Richardson?

  By the summer of 1997, 19-year-old Israel Keyes left home for the first time. His parents had kicked him out after he told them he was an atheist. Now, Israel had space to figure out who he was outside of the world he grew up in. For him, that meant entertaining his darkest thoughts. Israel had fantasized about murder for a while, but before acting on that urge, he started exploring some possible reasons for it. Israel became interested in Satanism, although it's not clear what exact belief system he subscribed to. But once he'd learned enough about it, Israel seemed to use Satanism as justification for his murderous thoughts. Since he didn't believe in God,

• 16:04Vanessa Richardson?

  it's likely he followed something known as atheistic Satanism. This form of Satanism doesn't involve devil worship. Instead, followers claim to promote individualism, freedom, and earthly pleasures.

• 16:18Tristin Engels?

  I think it's very common for people to search for an explanation when they experience thoughts or urges that they don't understand. And he was experiencing these violent fantasies that seemed fundamentally at odds with what he had been taught through religion with his family and how other people think and behave. It's natural for him to maybe begin searching for some kind of framework that explains his, because the framework he was raised on doesn't. But that doesn't mean the explanation that you come up with is necessarily the correct one. People attribute their behavior to whatever explanation feels coherent, because it's better than not having one at all, which could explain why he turned to Satanism.

• 16:58Tristin Engels?

  Satanism provided that framework, because it made his violent thoughts feel less abnormal. But that's not to say that Satanism caused them. His violent impulses had already existed. But another possibility is something called psychological reactance. That's an emotional reflex that occurs when someone feels that their freedoms or autonomy are being threatened. So in order to regain control, they reject what they're being told, and they do the opposite. Israel was taught Christianity, and he's rejected and embraced its opposite. This phenomenon is especially common among teenagers. You tell them to clean their room, they refuse. You tell them they can't see that friend, they do it in secret.

• 17:41Tristin Engels?

  So these are some possible explanations why he might have turned to Satanism.

• 17:48Vanessa Richardson?

  Israel seemed to like the idea of indulging in his earthly pleasures, because pretty soon, he decided to use his newfound freedom to take his first human life. That summer of 1997, Israel made his way back to the Pacific Northwest. But instead of going back to Washington, he went to Oregon, and he started visiting a popular spot on a river where people went to swim and go tubing. Israel didn't partake in the fun. Instead, he sat alone, watching others. He was waiting for the perfect victim. He wasn't sure exactly what he was looking for, but he felt he'd know the right person when he spotted them. One afternoon, Israel waited in the tree line, watching a young woman float down the river.

• 18:32Vanessa Richardson?

  She had separated slightly from the group she was with, and that's when he moved in. Israel pulled out a knife, grabbed the woman, and told her to stay quiet. He then dragged her to a campground bathroom, where he violently sexually assaulted her. When it was all over, he planned to kill her. But before he could, something happened that Israel hadn't planned for. Unlike the animals he'd killed for fun, the young woman looked into his eyes and begged for her life. She promised she wouldn't tell anyone what happened, and Israel let her go.

• 19:08Tristin Engels?

  Israel had been fantasizing about this for years. If you recall, he'd been writing in his journal about violently assaulting a girl. But fantasies are completely controlled environments. Everything unfolds in their mind exactly the way they imagine it. There are no unexpected reactions, no uncertainty, no risk assessments, and no consequences. Reality is very different. Fantasizing about violence and carrying it out are two psychologically different experiences. Even someone who desperately wants to offend, like Israel, still has to cross a very real threshold psychologically for their very first time. So I think the hesitation that he had here was likely due to that.

• 19:51Vanessa Richardson?

  Whatever had stopped Israel, he regretted it instantly. After that, he made a vow to never show mercy like that again. To do that, Israel knew he needed more discipline as a killer, even if it meant giving up his personal freedom for a while. So in July of 1998, he enlisted in the US Army, where he served on a mortar team as a gunner. From the outside, he seemed focused, capable, and disciplined. He was the kind of soldier who could follow orders, handle weapons, and do what was expected of him. But at the same time, Israel's fellow soldiers noticed signs that something troubling lurked beneath the surface, especially when he drank heavily.

• 20:33Vanessa Richardson?

  When Israel was drunk, his uncontrolled thirst for violence started to show. Once, he even told another soldier he wanted to kill him, and he was being completely serious. Still, Israel pulled himself together when he needed to. Over time, he rose through the ranks, and the Army stationed him in different places, including Western Washington, Texas, and eventually overseas. That was how Israel discovered his love of travel. He got used to moving around and living anonymously in unfamiliar cities. Travel also gave him room to explore his sexual desires. Around this time, Israel started soliciting sex workers, and pretty soon, he realized how easy it would be to take advantage of them.

• 21:16Vanessa Richardson?

  One day while visiting Egypt, Israel hired a female sex worker whom he violently assaulted. And when it was over, he walked away scot-free, because no one knew his name or where to find him.

• 21:30Tristin Engels?

  I believe this was a pivotal time for Israel, because it fundamentally changed the way he thought about risk. Until joining the Army, most of his life had been spent in really small, close-knit communities where people knew one another. But with travel, he has autonomy and anonymity in ways that his family and those communities never had. The farther you are from home, the fewer connections you have. There's very little to link you to anything or anyone. That's especially appealing to someone who's motivated to offend. I also think Israel was learning through experience here. By soliciting sex workers, he's learning how to exploit vulnerable women, how far he could push boundaries.

• 22:13Tristin Engels?

  He's learning about opportunities and how to leave those encounters without consequences. He was gathering information about what worked and what didn't. Psychologically speaking, that's how behavior is reinforced, because behaviors that achieve the desired outcome without meaningful consequences are more likely to be repeated.

• 22:33Vanessa Richardson?

  Does enjoying anonymity go hand-in-hand with planning and control?

• 22:38Tristin Engels?

  I think so, and not just for the reasons that we just talked about, like reducing the risk of being identified, but it also removes many of the social restraints that normally influence our behavior. When no one knows who you are, there's less accountability and fewer people whose opinions or reactions you have to consider. Earlier in Israel's life, there were still limits. His parents imposed a lot of rules, and he was expected to abide by them. And part of those rules included keeping him stationary, unless his family moved him, of course. But even the kihos, with their own questionable moral boundaries, had limits that they expected him to follow. But once he was on his own, those were all gone.

• 23:23Tristin Engels?

  The only limits left were the ones he imposed on himself. So now he has full control. He gets to plan where he goes, when, and what he does and when, and no one gets to dictate otherwise.

• 23:36Vanessa Richardson?

  Well, after that incident, Israel learned that if he picked the right person, the right place, and the right time, he could get away with anything. He was eager to apply this lesson to an actual murder. But that would have to wait, because even with all of this going on beneath the surface, there was still a part of Israel that wanted a normal life, a relationship, and a family. So while he was in the Army, Israel started exploring the world of online dating. And in the year 2000, he connected with a woman named Tammy, who lived on the Maqa Reservation in Washington State. They kept in touch while Israel finished out his Army service. And in July of 2001, he received an honorable discharge after completing his three-year enlistment.

• 24:20Vanessa Richardson?

  Israel wasted no time. He moved to Washington to be with Tammy. He lived with her on the reservation and got a job working for the Maqa Tribal Council as a handyman and landscaper. Both Tammy and Israel settled into domestic life quickly, and before they knew it, Tammy was pregnant. By the end of 2001, the couple welcomed a daughter. Israel was now a father, and it was a role that he embraced. He was protective of the new baby and doted on her. And everyone knew it. Neighbors found him to be a polite, kind, and hard-working family man. But becoming a father didn't erase Israel's violent thoughts or his need for control.

• 25:03Vanessa Richardson?

  It only held them back for a short time. He still had the urges he'd been carrying for years. But now, he also had something he needed to protect: a normal life. So he started thinking differently. Israel didn't just want to kill. He wanted to be able to kill and still come home to his family and his ordinary life. Israel made a rule for himself. He would never murder anyone in the city where he lived, or anywhere close enough to lead back to him. In his mind, that rule gave him control. It created distance between the man people thought they knew and the man he was when no one was watching.

• 25:44Tristin Engels?

  I actually think Israel's rule tells us something important about his psychology. He wasn't an impulsive offender. He didn't act on violent urges whenever they happened. He was deliberately restricting his own behavior. And like you said, Vanessa, he wanted to keep his violence away from home because he believed that rule protected his family, his freedom, and the ordinary life he wanted to maintain. That required planning, patience, and the ability to control any urges until the circumstances fit his criteria. And while that may seem surprising, because there are aspects of his offending behavior that might seem impulsive later, it's actually not atypical of some highly organized serial offenders.

• 26:29Tristin Engels?

  There's a big misconception about serial offenders and that they are constantly out of control. Many aren't. Some are disciplined when they know that discipline serves them long-term.

• 26:40Vanessa Richardson?

  What do you make of the fact that Israel had such violent intentions and thoughts, but he also cared so much about his family?

• 26:48Tristin Engels?

  I'm thinking of his daughter right now, and what she might experience when she hears discussions like this, because we don't know what her life with her dad was truly like. She's living a very private and secluded life right now for her own safety, as she should. She may look back on her time with her father and have very fond memories. In fact, a lot of family members of serial offenders did not know what their loved one was capable of or what they were doing, despite what people think or expect, least of all a child. Other podcasts and social media posts have claimed that Israel drugged his daughter and exposed her to violent outbursts. I actually looked for credible primary sources supporting those allegations, including FBI

• 27:32Tristin Engels?

  materials, and I was not able to verify them. So without reliable evidence, I just simply don't know what her experience has been or how he was as a father to her. But based on what we do know, I think it's possible that Israel genuinely wanted to protect his daughter from the public consequences of his crimes and to keep her away from that. He also described personal boundaries, such as not targeting children or parents with children, which I will talk about more in episode two, when we really dive into his psychology, so be sure to tune in to episode two. But I don't think that his rule about staying far away from home was primarily a moral boundary.

• 28:16Tristin Engels?

  I think it was a strategic one, and it was for self-preservation. It protected the life he built, and it reduced the likelihood that his crimes would be connected back to him. His family helped him preserve an ordinary identity. Many organized serial offenders develop conventional roles, like devoted parent, reliable employee, or like a trusted member of the community. Those identities provide something for them to hide behind. They make it easier for other people to dismiss suspicion, and they allow them to compartmentalize different parts of their life. Like you said, it created distance between the man that people thought they knew and the man he was when no one was watching.

• 28:56Vanessa Richardson?

  Well, not too long after his daughter was born, Israel put another part of his plan to kill into action, something else that was designed to help him move quickly through his intended crimes. He assembled what he called "kill kits," watertight buckets filled with items he might need during an attack. This included weapons, ammunition, restraints, and other supplies meant to control a victim and cover his tracks. Israel knew it was risky to travel with everything he needed. He didn't want to get pulled over or questioned with a kit in his possession, so instead, he planned to hide them ahead of time, in areas he could return to later. Just months after becoming a father, Israel drove 75 miles from his home to the Port

• 29:39Vanessa Richardson?

  Angeles area of Washington and buried his first kit. It was the first of many secrets Israel Keyes left behind. And once he was ready, he embarked on a path of mayhem.

• 29:59Vanessa Richardson?

  By 2001, 23-year-old Israel Keyes was living in Washington State with his girlfriend Tammy and their young daughter. On the outside, he seemed like a normal young man, working as a landscaper and building a life for his family. But Israel was hiding a dark and deadly secret. During this time, Israel began taking road trips around Washington and the surrounding areas. Sometimes, he said he was visiting friends or relatives; other times, he said he was looking for work. In reality, the purpose of those road trips was much darker. Israel was hiding his so-called "kill kits" in wooded areas all over the country. He buried them near rivers or bodies of water, and left them there for whenever

• 30:43Vanessa Richardson?

  he was ready to use them.

• 30:46Tristin Engels?

  This is more evidence that Israel is not an impulsive offender. He has forethought, and he's highly organized. He's planning months and possibly even years into the future. On one level, that planning was clearly practical. It helped him abide by his own rule that he set for himself. It kept him far from his own community, and it reduced his perceived risk. The advanced planning, though, reminds me in some ways of the Golden State Killer, who would break into victims' homes before attacking them to hide weapons of his own, unload their firearms that were in the home, and cut telephone lines. But Israel's planning is far broader in scope, because he's preparing for crimes long before he had even selected

• 31:27Tristin Engels?

  a victim. I also think the planning itself became part of the fantasy for him. People tend to think the fantasy ends with the murder, but for some offenders, the anticipation is part of the reward. If Israel buried these kill kits months or even years in advance, while imagining the day he would eventually use them, that's a significant amount of anticipation and delayed gratification. But what fascinates me just as much is his age. He's only 23, and yet, he's already demonstrating remarkably sophisticated executive functioning. He's able to delay gratification, suppress violent urges until the circumstances fit for him,

• 32:09Tristin Engels?

  set these rules and boundaries for himself despite these violent tendencies, think years into the future, and execute highly complex, organized behavior. Those are all behaviors that require planning, flexibility, and self-control. And sadly, he's using these abilities to facilitate violence.

• 32:32Vanessa Richardson?

  By 2003, it seemed like he may have finally been ready to dig one up. That year, Israel booked hotels in Port Angeles, Washington, in April, August, and October. It was the same general area where he'd buried at least one kit. However, the details of what Israel did during those trips remains unclear. It's possible he was committing heinous crimes, and that the weight of his actions impacted his personal life. Because around this time, things at home started to crumble. Israel and Tammy were growing distant, and by 2004, the couple split. After that, Israel moved out, but he kept living nearby so he and Tammy could easily share custody of their daughter. Whenever

• 33:15Vanessa Richardson?

  Tammy had their daughter, Israel took advantage of his freedom. That year alone, he rented vehicles and traveled more than 2,000 miles, including trips to Salt Lake City, New Hampshire, and even international visits to Belize, El Salvador, and Canada. Wherever Israel went, he seemed to leave a trail of mystery behind. Sometimes, people disappeared while he was in town. Some were even found dead. But if he had anything to do with those tragedies, he hid it well. Israel always made sure to maintain a normal facade. During this time, he even got back into online dating, and eventually, he met a traveling nurse named

• 33:55Vanessa Richardson?

  Kimberly Anderson, who lived in Anchorage, Alaska. By 2007, Israel and Kimberly had become serious, and he moved to Alaska to be with her. Israel's new living situation couldn't have been more perfect for him. In Anchorage, he started his own construction business, and he and Tammy started splitting their time with their daughter for longer stretches. Since Kimberly also traveled a lot, that meant Israel had longer periods of solo time when she and his daughter were both away. All Kimberly saw was a man who was hardworking, loved his daughter, and who loved travel as much as she did.

• 34:34Tristin Engels?

  It's interesting that after splitting with Tammy, Israel immediately started traveling again, similar to his time in the military. And then, when he decided to pursue dating again, he was attracted to Kimberly, who is a traveling nurse. A traveling nurse fills staffing gaps at different institutions. They travel, working contracts of different durations, so subsequently, they are away for long stretches of time. Whether Israel sought out that arrangement intentionally or realized the advantages of that later, we don't really know. But from a behavioral standpoint, that arrangement certainly gave him opportunity. Time alone is a valuable resource for someone like Israel. It gives

• 35:16Tristin Engels?

  him freedom to travel without the questions or accountability that would come in a relationship. And Kimberly's schedule is compatible for Israel's double life. We touched on this earlier, but personal relationships can become part of their impression management. If other people see someone as a devoted partner or parent, it becomes much harder to picture them committing horrific crimes. That's partly because of the halo effect, where one positive characteristic influences how we interpret everything else about a person. Relationships can also make it easier to compartmentalize. Instead of seeing themselves as one whole person, some offenders mentally separate those roles. They're a father at home, a business owner at work, and an offender somewhere else. They don't

• 36:01Tristin Engels?

  always allow those worlds to overlap. And the benefit of this is that, rather than seeing themselves only as violent offenders, they continue focusing on the parts of their identity they value. So in Israel's case, he's verbalized that being a father and partner was important to him, which we also explored. But these relationships helped him maintain the image of being an "ordinary man," while concealing the darker side of himself and an entirely other life.

• 36:28Vanessa Richardson?

  Once Israel got settled into his new life, he seemed to become more ambitious. One of his bigger trips that year involved a flight to California, and then driving through Mexico. Just like with his past trips, Israel's travels seemed to correlate with people's mysterious disappearances or deaths. But he was never connected to any of it. It's possible he'd planned it that way, that he constructed things to appear as a mere stranger passing through, and he was gone before anyone realized what he may have done. The only issue was that all this travel required money. Israel's construction business was doing well, but those funds were easily traceable. He needed a source of cash that couldn't

• 37:10Vanessa Richardson?

  be tied back to him. He had to find another way to finance his double life. So in April of 2009, Israel tried his hand at robbery. He entered a bank in Tupper Lake, New York, walked inside with a gun, and immediately ordered customers to lay on the floor. He then forced the tellers to hand over an unspecified amount of cash. Once Israel got the money, he fled to a nearby campground and watched the aftermath unfold from a distance. He could see the police cars and the chaos he'd created, and it was a thrill.

• 37:47Tristin Engels?

  So this seems like a deviation from what he had primarily fantasized about. But when you zoom out and you look at his behavior more broadly, it's not necessarily surprising. Israel was clearly an organized offender, but this behavior also suggests a high degree of sensation-seeking. People who are high in sensation-seeking are often drawn to challenge, novelty, uncertainty, and high-stakes situations. And a bank robbery offered all of that. It required planning, timing, and the ability to execute while knowing the consequences of failure are very, very dire. While the money may have been a motivating factor,

• 38:30Tristin Engels?

  I just don't necessarily think it was the primary one, if it factored in at all. More likely, what was psychologically rewarding was successfully carrying out a difficult, high-risk operation like this. And now, on the surface, this can look impulsive, because it's such a risky crime. But risk-taking and impulsivity are not the same thing. Impulsivity generally refers to acting without forethought or consideration of the consequences. That's not what we've consistently seen from Israel. Throughout this case, he's demonstrated patience, delayed gratification, and extensive planning. This robbery fits that same pattern. It

• 39:09Tristin Engels?

  was planned, goal-directed, and organized. So while it represents a willingness to take significant risks, I don't think it represents impulsive behavior necessarily for him.

• 39:21Vanessa Richardson?

  So I can't help but remember at the top of the show, talking about his childhood. Does Israel's level of comfort with all these different types of crimes seem to connect back to his formative years?

• 39:31Tristin Engels?

  I am so glad you asked this, because yes, I think it does. But it's not because of his parents. And incidentally, none of his crimes are ideologically or racially motivated, which I find interesting, given how his parents had raised him. They exposed him to rigid extremist beliefs, and that hatred does not seem to be central to his offending behavior, at least based on what we have covered here. The key host, however, does connect, because they normalized violence and they justified it. They also, in a lot of ways, taught him how to be a more versatile criminal. That early exposure can desensitize a developing brain to violence. Children learn not only what's acceptable, but what's possible. So

• 40:15Tristin Engels?

  if you're raised in an environment where violence is normalized, discussed, and even admired, it can become one of the ways you learn to solve problems, exert control, or pursue stimulation. And that said, they didn't teach him to become a serial killer. He has not been around them for some time, and his urges and impulses existed before him, and they've continued in their absence. This just influenced him, and it possibly taught him how to be a better criminal.

• 40:48Vanessa Richardson?

  Israel may have believed that as long as he operated alone and in the shadows, he'd avoid detection. After watching the aftermath of the robbery for a while, he slipped away before police could spot him. He escaped to the town of Colchester, Vermont, about 100 miles from Tupper Lake, where he stayed in a hotel before getting out of Dodge completely. Now that Israel was flush with cash, he could keep traveling. In 2010, he visited Seattle, Sacramento, Auburn, Boston, and Maine. Once again, people went missing and bodies turned up in all of those places, but police didn't tie Israel to any of it. Then, on June 2, 2011, Israel embarked on one of his most

• 41:31Vanessa Richardson?

  notorious trips anyone knows of. That day, he flew to Chicago, rented a car, then drove to Essex, Vermont, a small town outside of Burlington. Once there, he applied for a fishing license. He didn't actually intend to use it, though. Israel was just creating a cover story. The fishing license made him seem like any other tourist. Israel's real plan was to go back to Colchester, where he'd stayed after the bank robbery. He'd most likely buried a kill kit there at that time, and now he was ready to use it. But first, he had more preparations to handle. Israel was eager to commit murder, and he planned to abduct victims from their homes, but he knew it was too risky to carry out the murder in the same

• 42:17Vanessa Richardson?

  location that he'd taken them from. So when he arrived in Vermont, he drove around in search of a second location. Eventually, he found an abandoned farmhouse in the town of Essex, a few miles from Colchester. The house was far off from the road, and it was surrounded by trees. Israel thought it was perfect. Next, he started watching homes in Essex in search of where to strike. His only criteria was ease of access. Israel wanted to find a house with a layout that seemed easy to break into and navigate. After a few days, he found one. What happened next would launch Israel into complete confidence as a killer,

• 42:59Vanessa Richardson?

  and the violence that followed would become more disturbing than ever.

• 43:16Vanessa Richardson?

  Thanks so much for listening. Come back next time for the conclusion of our deep dive on Israel Keyes.

• 43:22Tristin Engels?

  Serial Killers and Murderous Minds is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on all social media at @CrimeHouse. Don't forget to rate, review, and follow Serial Killers and Murderous Minds wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference.

• 43:46Vanessa Richardson?

  And to enhance your listening experience, join Crime House Plus and get both parts of every story dropped on the same Monday completely ad-free, no waiting three days for part two, plus Crime House bonus episodes every month. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com, or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap "Try Free" at the top of the Serial Killers and Murderous Minds page.

• 44:11Vanessa Richardson?

  Serial Killers and Murderous Minds is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson, and forensic psychologist Dr. Tristin Engels, and is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Serial Killers and Murderous Minds team: Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Lori Marinelli, Natalie Pritzowski, Sarah Camp, Alyssa Fox, Marky Lee, Sarah Bachelor, and Carrie Murphy. Thank you for listening.

• 44:45Vanessa Richardson?

  If you're looking for your next podcast, check out What the Fact with Connor Tomlinson from Netflix's Love on the Spectrum and Carter Roy. Every week, they take three unbelievable true facts from history and tell you the full story behind them. Follow What the Fact wherever you listen, or subscribe on YouTube at What the Fact Pod.