Frailty vs. Joseph Kallinger: The Shoemaker Who Said God Told Him to Kill

The Fear Archive investigates Joseph Kallinger — a Philadelphia shoemaker, father of seven, and serial killer who claimed God ordered him to murder every human being on earth — and the Bill Paxton film that channeled his darkness. Kallinger did not fit the profile. He was quiet, unremarkable, a craftsman who fixed shoes and raised children. And then he began recruiting his own son into a campaign of kidnapping, torture, and murder that terrorized the East Coast in the mid-1970s. The film Frailty imagines a father who receives divine orders to destroy demons. Kallinger lived something far worse: a man who believed his delusions completely, and made his child a witness to them. Hosted by Amanda Kagiwada and Michael Ryan Assip. Executive produced by Cassie Jozefov. A Violet Hour Media production. LISTENER WARNING: This program includes discussion of real-world violence and other subject matter that may be upsetting for some listeners. Please proceed with caution. Popular Topics Include: Joseph Kallinger, Frailty 2001, Bill Paxton, shoemaker serial killer, God told me to kill, religious delusion murder, father son serial killers, Michael Kallinger, Philadelphia serial killer, true crime horror podcast, Fear Archive, horror podcast, Violet Hour Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices