Debuting October 4, 2022, American Nightmare Series: Unknown Subject focuses on a man who terrorized women across the D.C. area for nine years. It started with breaking into homes and raping his victims, then ended with the killing of a brilliant scientist near the gates of Georgetown University in 1998.

Before the FBI would name him the infamous Potomac River Rapist, detectives simply called him their “unknown subject”. A man whose DNA linked him to all of these crime scenes  but whose name and face remained a mystery to police. For nearly three decades, detectives had no idea who he was until a bike cop named Smugs began connecting the dots and finally cracked the case.

S3 EP 3 – The Case That Wouldn’t Break
In the early to mid nineties, Montgomery County Police Detective Joe Mudano knew he had a ruthless rapist preying on women but he had no idea who he was. DNA linked a number of cases, but a clear description remained elusive. More maddening for Mudano was the fact the Unknown Subject seemed to have inside information. But how?
S3 – E2 – Kelly’s Story
Seven years before Christine Mirzayan was murdered in Georgetown, a man cut the phone lines to a house miles outside the city and raped a teenage baby sitter. The first in a string of similar attacks spread out over several years. Kelly survived that awful night and in this episode tells her harrowing story. A crime that was nothing like the murder in Georgetown.
S3 EP1 – A Murder In Georgetown
In the summer of 1998, a brilliant scientist walking home from a party is grabbed off the street and killed. Her body is found the next day in a wooded area just steps from the Georgetown University campus. It was a gruesome scene. DC Police had no witnesses and no suspects, but they did have a valuable clue: a key piece of evidence the killer left behind.
Trailer: Season 3- Unknown Subject
For 9 years, he terrorized women across the DC region. Breaking into homes and raping his victims before killing a brilliant scientist near the gates of Georgetown University in 1998. And then, it all stopped. Was he dead? Locked up? Before the FBI would name him the infamous Potomac River Rapist, detectives simply called him their “unknown subject” for years. A man whose DNA linked him to multiple crime scenes, but whose name and face remained a mystery to police. For decades, detectives had no idea who he was until a bike cop named Smugs began connecting the dots.

WTOP and PodcastOne Announce Return of “American Nightmare Series” Podcast

Paul-Wagner-Headshot[2]

Washington, D.C. (September 27, 2022) –

– WTOP News and PodcastOne  announced today the return of their critically acclaimed and award-winning podcast, American Nightmare Series. Debuting October 4, 2022, American Nightmare Series: Unknown Subject focuses on a man who terrorized women across the D.C. area for nine years. It started with breaking into homes and raping his victims, then ended with the killing of a brilliant scientist near the gates of Georgetown University in 1998.

Before the FBI would name him the infamous Potomac River Rapist, detectives simply called him their “unknown subject”. A man whose DNA linked him to all of these crime scenes  but whose name and face remained a mystery to police. For nearly three decades, detectives had no idea who he was until a bike cop named Smugs began connecting the dots and finally cracked the case. Veteran D.C. crime reporter Paul Wagner is back to host season 3 of WTOP’s American Nightmare Series podcast.  

For the past 22 years, Wagner has covered some of the most well-known and heinous crimes the D.C. region has ever seen. As a reporter for FOX5 News (WTTG-TV) from 1999-2020 and now as a reporter for NBC4 (WRC-TV), Wagner covered everything from the murder of Chandra Levy to the Mansion Murders to the DC Police-involved shooting of motorcyclist Terrence Sterling. Prior to his career at FOX5, Wagner worked as a reporter for WTOP from 1989 to 1999.

Now, Wagner returns with a new true crime podcast in Season 3 of WTOP’s American Nightmare series. In this series, Wagner examines the 1998 murder in Georgetown of Christine Mirzayan. A brilliant young scientist who was viciously attacked while walking home from a party. A crime eventually linked by DNA to a number of other crimes committed just miles away. In this 7 part series Wagner goes in-depth with the investigators and takes you inside the search for a man the FBI dubbed the Potomac River rapist.

“Paul has done it again. He is such a great storyteller. Listeners will be captivated from the first minute of episode 1,” said Julia Ziegler, WTOP’s Director of News & Programming.

The podcast will launch as the third season of WTOP’s American Nightmare Series. Season 1 of the series debuted in June 2019. 22 Hours: An American Nightmare, hosted by WTOP award-winning journalists Megan Cloherty and Jack Moore, covered the horrific murder of a D.C. couple, their 10-year-old son and housekeeper inside their burning D.C. mansion. The podcast was honored with a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, reached #2 on the Apple Podcast charts and was ranked the #2 podcast of the year by The Associated Press.