Ariel Cooksey was born in the heart of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, but has been raised a Texas girl. She first forayed into podcasting July 2, 2019. Ariel earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology, women’s studies and English literature, her Master’s in Sociology, and her doctoral work focused on Sociological Social Psychology and Identity with a specialization in deviant behavior and social control. She is a Qualified Mental Health Professional, a former professor, a trauma-informed care practitioner, and possesses her infant mental health endorsement. Ariel has possessed a strong desire for justice as early as four years old, and the conviction led to a fascination with the motivations of people. She started Malice as a way to foray deeper into her enthrallment with what creates the perfect storm that results in violent and malicious criminals. Through careful examination of psychology, sociology, neurobiology, early childhood development, environmental impacts and other factors, she examines some of the most vile criminals known and unknown.
Ariel is a wife and mother, and is absolutely besotted with her capricious little girl and her saintly husband and sound engineer Paul, who frequents as a guest host on Malice. She is a lover of pugs and other squishy-faced dogs, but currently just has a rescue kitten named Ziggy Stardust. She’s a lover, not a fighter, but she’s also a fighter so bring your bullshit at your own peril. Ariel’s mutant superpower is her ability to relate literally anything to Ted Bundy (we don’t pick our talents). Her interests are also invested in history, folklore and traditional narrative.
Upon getting to know Melissa and Melanie, she immediately knew they needed to collaborate. What started as an idea for a joint podcast became an entire network. Ariel prides herself in being able to pick stars from thousands of miles away, and together they are paving the way for the next level of podcasting.