For 40 long years, she was buried without a name. A young woman, brutally murdered, laid to rest in a California cemetery, labeled only as “Jane Doe No. 5.” No one knew who she was. No one could say where she came from. But someone remembered her. Someone never stopped looking. Her name was Shirley … Read more
For 38 long years, the disappearance and murder of Janie Landers haunted her family, faded from headlines, and sat buried in a cold case file. But in 2017, a microscopic detail—and a relentless detective—finally brought the truth to light. Her story is a powerful reminder of why cold cases matter, and how small clues can … Read more
When Kathleen Peterson was discovered dead at the bottom of a staircase in her Durham, North Carolina home in December 2001, few could imagine the layers of mystery that would unfold. Her husband, Michael Peterson, a novelist and public figure, insisted she had simply fallen. But what followed became one of the most sensational and … Read more
In the summer of 1980, the quiet Texas town of Wylie became the center of one of the most shocking murder trials in American history. Betty Gore, a devoted wife and mother, was found savagely hacked to death with an axe—41 times. The woman who confessed to killing her? Candy Montgomery, her close friend and … Read more
On a quiet summer day in American Fork, Utah, the unthinkable happened. Brenda Lafferty, just 24 years old, was brutally murdered alongside her 15-month-old daughter, Erica. The scene shocked not only the small Mormon community but the entire nation. Even more disturbing was the identity of the killers: Brenda’s own brothers-in-law, Ron and Dan Lafferty, … Read more
In a chilling case that haunted Colorado for nearly four decades, one name eventually rose above the trauma, pain, and tragedy: Vanessa Bennett. At just three years old, Vanessa survived one of the most horrifying family massacres in U.S. history—a brutal hammer attack that claimed her entire immediate family. But this isn’t just a story … Read more
Introduction The Lollie Winans and Julie Williams murder case is one of the most chilling and tragic cold cases in American wilderness history. In May 1996, what should have been a peaceful backpacking trip in Shenandoah National Park ended in a horrifying double homicide that shocked the nation. Despite years of investigations, arrests, and suspect … Read more
They were daughters, mothers, and sisters. For decades, the world dismissed their lives and ignored their deaths. Why? Because a serial killer—Lonnie David Franklin Jr., later named the Grim Sleeper—targeted the invisible, the vulnerable, and the unheard. From 1985 to 2007, Franklin murdered with terrifying consistency. However, he chose victims from communities most often overlooked … Read more
Murderers rarely kill at random. While each killing is unique, the weapon they choose—whether a knife, gun, poison, or bare hands—offers clues about how they think, what they feel, and why they kill. The method is not just a means to an end. It’s a signature. So, why do killers choose specific murder methods? The … Read more
On June 3, 1955, Barbara Graham died in California’s gas chamber, executed for a murder that shocked the nation. The press dubbed her “Bloody Babs,” and the world watched as a glamorous woman became the face of evil. But was she truly guilty, or did the justice system get it horribly wrong? Now, decades later, … Read more