The Psychic and the Serial Killer: The Murders of Amie Hoffman and Deirdre O'Brien

In the fall and early winter of 1982, two young women were abducted and brutally murdered within weeks of each other in Morris County, New Jersey. Eighteen-year-old Amie Hoffman disappeared on November 23 after leaving her job at the Morris County Mall. Two days later, her body was discovered in a secluded water-retention tank. On December 5, twenty-five-year-old Deirdre O’Brien was run off the road, abducted, sexually assaulted, and repeatedly stabbed. Although she was found alive, she died before she could identify her attacker. With fear spreading across the community and few solid leads, investigators consulted Nancy Weber, a local psychic who claimed she could see the killer, his vehicle, his criminal history, and even injuries he would inflict upon himself. Her alleged insights would later become one of the most controversial elements of the investigation. Then James Koedatich—a recently paroled murderer—reported that he had been stabbed by a mysterious woman while driving alone at night. Detectives quickly realized that Koedatich’s story was unraveling. His wounds appeared to be self-inflicted, his vehicle matched witness descriptions, and evidence found inside his car connected him to both victims. Join us as we examine the murders of Amie Hoffman and Deirdre O’Brien, the violent history of James Koedatich, the evidence that brought him to justice, and the enduring question surrounding Nancy Weber: Did a psychic truly see through the eyes of a killer—or did time and television turn investigative coincidence into something supernatural? This is a story of two young lives stolen, a killer betrayed by his own desperate scheme, and a criminal investigation where fact and the unexplained remain tangled together more than forty years later. Subscribe now and never miss a case! Sources used for this podcast Join the H2H In-laws & Outlaws Follow H2H on Instagram Follow H2H on X Send Kris and Rob a Text or Message Start Reading Kris Calvert's Books for FREE Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.