Investigation Discovery's M. William Phelps Uncovers Exclusive Information Behind The True Evil Of Serial Killer Israel Keyes In Two-Hour Special Kicking Off New Season Of DARK MINDS

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The FBI estimates that there are between 35 and 50 active serial killers in the United States at any given time. It's a chilling statistic but one that becomes horrifyingly real when given a name with a face of true evil. DARK MINDS returns to Investigation Discovery this April with a two-hour investigation into Alaskan serial killer Israel Keyes. His March 2012 arrest for the murder of Samantha Koenig ended more than a decade-long killing spree that followed Keyes throughout the U.S., Canada, and even Mexico. After his arrest, Keyes revealed his sadistic nature to the FBI, alluding to the existence of at least seven possible victims and leading investigators to identify at least three others. But it all ended abruptly when Keyes committed suicide and since then, investigators have been trying to piece together the details of his disturbing life and the number of innocent lives he has taken. In this special two-hour premiere, DARK MINDS host and serial-killer expert M. William Phelps takes viewers behind the scenes of his year-long investigation into Keyes' life. Along the way, the DARK MINDS team names another possible victim that is currently unknown, and exposes secrets Keyes did not want disclosed to the media. The season three premiere of DARK MINDS debuts with this two-hour special on Israel Keyes on Wednesday, April 2 at 8/7c, and subsequent premieres of new episodes continue in its normal time slot of Wednesdays at 9/8c beginning April 9 on Investigation Discovery.

"DARK MINDS has been an integral force in helping to reinvigorate cold cases and to help authorities resolve unsolved crimes," said Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, Destination America, American Heroes Channel and Discovery Fit & Health. "In this special investigation into the meticulous madman that was Israel Keyes, our goal is to bring closure to the families of his unidentified victims, as we peel back the layers and unveil the secrets of the true monster that Keyes was."

"One thing Israel Keyes was adamant about to the FBI is that he had deep, dark secrets he didn't ever want exposed," says host M. William Phelps. "Well, I can say that in this two-hour special DARK MINDS episode, viewers will learn all of those secrets and see the true nature of this beast finally revealed."

In each episode of DARK MINDS, true crime author and serial-killer expert M. William Phelps and criminal profiler John Kelly reopen cold cases believed to be the work of serial killers. Phelps may not have a badge to flash, but he does have a unique advantage: access to the mind of a murderer. Serving multiple life sentences and known only to viewers as "Raven," this brutal serial killer joins Phelps and Kelly over the phone to provide an in-depth analysis of the perpetrator's patterns and behaviors in the case of each murder revisited. In chilling audio interviews, Raven draws from his own experience as a practiced killer to explain what goes through a murderer's mind during the crime and what motivates the chosen method.

Additional serial killers that will be investigated on the third season of DARK MINDS include those that preyed in Long Island, N.Y.; Lewiston, Idaho; Torrey Pines Beach, Cal.; and Denver, Colo.

DARK MINDS is produced by Beyond Productions for Investigation Discovery. For Beyond Productions, John Luscombe is executive producer and Andrew Farrell is showrunner. For Investigation Discovery, Eugenie Vink is executive producer, Sara Kozak is Senior Vice President of Production, Kevin Bennett is General Manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery, Destination America, American Heroes Channel, and Discovery Fit & Health.

M. WILLIAM PHELPS BIO
M. William Phelps is a serial killer/crime expert, investigative journalist, and the best-selling author of 26 non-fiction books ranging in subjects from serial killers to female murderers to the hidden truths behind American history. In 1996, Phelps lost his sister-in-law, who was five months pregnant, to a suspected serial killer, fueling his passion to hunt for answers in other such cases. His latest book, "Obsessed," was published in March, 2014.

JOHN KELLY BIO
Phelps' partner throughout DARK MINDS is one of today's preeminent serial killer profilers, John Kelly. As the founder of S.T.A.L.K. Inc. (System to Apprehend Lethal Killers), Kelly aids law enforcement in the pursuit of murderers through a comprehensive profiling process. It was through S.T.A.L.K. that Kelly first enlisted the help of "13" to build criminal profiles, who was the serial killer that was featured on season one of DARK MINDS.

About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading mystery-and-suspense network on television and America's favorite "guilty pleasure." From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries that result, ID challenges our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. One of our nation's fastest growing cable networks, ID delivers the highest-quality programming to nearly 85 million U.S. households and is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD). For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 2 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.

SOURCE Investigation Discovery