Episode Details

Elliot Rodger’s case is a documented progression from early social withdrawal and untreated psychological distress to a lethal act of targeted violence in Isla Vista in 2014. Born in 1991, Rodger struggled for years with isolation, rigid self-focused thinking, and growing resentment toward peers, particularly women, whom he believed rejected him. After enrolling at Santa Barbara City College in 2011, these grievances intensified as he retreated further from meaningful relationships and built an elaborate narrative framing himself as a victim of injustice. He expressed these views in a lengthy written manifesto and a series of videos that revealed both deep-seated misogyny and deteriorating mental stability.