Little is known about the Chameleon, Stephen Morin, who is suspected of killing over 30 people, but hardly anyone has heard his name. Stephen Morin via Wikipedia Stephen Peter Morin was born on the 19th February 1951 in Providence, Rhode Island. He left school early, quickly developing a drug habit and a penchant for getting into trouble with the law. At 15 years old, Morin was arrested in Florida for stealing a car, for which he served a two-year sentence. In 1972, he stole

Reed Slatkin engineered one of the greatest Ponzi schemes in history, in the name of Scientology and to line his own pocket. Photo by Mackenzie Marco on Unsplash Investment guru and former minister of the Church of Scientology, Reed Slatkin, used his connections to swindle 800 clients out of nearly $600 million, and he started with those closest to him; his church group. Born in Detroit in 1949, Slatkin lost his father at a young age. His uncle took over guardianship and soon

Alcatraz Island via Wikipedia Located in the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island was initially explored by Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775, a Spaniard, who named the island Isla de los Alcatraces, meaning ‘island of the pelicans’. In the 1850s, the U.S army built a fortress to protect the San Franciscans from war, but it was never used and instead became a military prison. Finally, in 1909, the fortress was pulled down, and the new jail was built was by prisoners from the militar

Many infamous criminals have spent time in the red brick building. Broadmoor Hospital via The Sun Broadmoor Hospital is the oldest high-security facility in the UK. Originally named the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, it was built for men and women in 1863. However, contrary to popular belief, the facility isn’t a prison, and the daily operations are very different. Instead, sessions are based around therapy rather than the usual prison practises, such as job roles. This i

In 1973, The Exorcist opened in cinemas. The highest-grossing film of its time, the horror movie was believed to be cursed and had problems from the beginning, including a serial killer on their payroll. The Exorcist Premiere at Leicester Square, London via StartsWednesday The set built to film the house scenes burned down when a bird flew into a fuse box, causing production issues and setting filming back significantly. Vasiliki Maliaros, who starred as Father Karra’s mother

Was Keith Raniere a murderer as well as a tax evader and child rapist? Entrepreneur, self-help guru and cult leader Keith Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison in October 2020. The charges against him included racketeering, attempted sex trafficking, wire fraud, forced labour and possession of child pornography. He was also fined $1.75million. The media reports that Raniere held sex slaves in single rooms for years, and the cult he led branded people with cauterising i

Griffith Park's extensive parklands and diverse landscapes make it a popular choice for portraying jungle brush, desert scenes, and summer camps in TV and film productions. However, its vast size and rugged terrain also make it an ideal location for disposing of bodies, suicides, and accidental deaths. Photo by De’Andre Bush on Unsplash The park, which sits on the eastern edge of the Santa Monica mountains, is one of the largest urban parks in North America, with attractions

The Hollywood actress’ case is still unsolved seven decades later. Jean Spangler via Wikipedia On the 7th of October 1949, Jean Spangler said goodbye to her daughter, walked out of her apartment door in Park La Brea, and vanished. This would be the last time Christine would ever see her mother alive. What followed was one of the biggest manhunts in Los Angeles history. Jean Elizabeth Spangler was born on 2nd September 1923 in Seattle, Washington, to Florence and Cecil Spangle

The celebrity publicist was shot in her car on the way home from a party. On the 10th November 2010, Ronni Chasen was driving home from the premiere of Burlesque at the W Hollywood hotel when she was shot through the front passenger window. Ten years later, the truth is still unclear as to why this successful publicist was murdered. Born Veronica Cohen in 1946, Ronni Chasen was a high-profile publicist who lived in Los Angeles, California. Brought up on the other side of the

The musician was bludgeoned to death in his Skid Row loft, but no one has ever been arrested for the crime. Peter Ivers via Wikipedia.com Peter Ivers had a knack for the odd and the curious. A gifted musician, the Harvard Alum had friends in high places, including Harold Ramis, David Lynch, and John Belushi. The Illinois native moved around during his formative years. With an ill father who eventually died, his mother married a businessman from Boston, where the family would

Dubbed “the year of fear”, '74 saw the birth of numerous serial killers, but why did this happen, and why this specific year? Photo by David East on Unsplash John Wayne Gacy (Killer Clown) was already two deep, and Ted Bundy, Dennis Rader (BTK), Coral Watts (The Sunday Morning Slasher), and Paul Knowles (The Casanova Killer) had all started their new vocations this year. As a decade, there were over 450 active serial killers in the US alone and compared to the 67 active seria

Did the musician who wrote songs for the ‘sad kids’ kill himself, or was he murdered? Elliott Smith was launched into the spotlight after his involvement in the 1997 Oscar-winner Good Will Hunting, but he didn’t enjoy the sudden fame he experienced. In an interview with Elizabeth Blair in 2000, Smith explained his disregard for the fanfare. “I was pretty happy before all that [performing at the Academy Awards], I was going on tour and making records. It was kind of fun in a w

Over 20 years since her murder, Jill Dando’s death is still shrouded in mystery.

The real story behind Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood”. In April last year, the home with a dark history went back on the market. What was once home to the Clutter family was said to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000 in price. The seemingly regular farmhouse continues to attract visitors six decades later to see the place where four people were viciously murdered. Its former owners even charged $5 per visitor and created a flourishing operation before it was closed down due

Three movie stars, a boat and an alleged cover-up. Natalie Wood via HBO.com The news of Natalie Wood’s death shocked Hollywood. But, with film royalty involved, a seemingly botched autopsy and hushed whispers fluttering through the hills of affairs and murder, what really happened that night on board the yacht? Born Natalia Zakharenko on the 20th of July 1938, Natalie Wood rose to fame at a very young age. Her mother, Maria, was the instigator of Natalie taking this path to f

The famous music producer was an abuser of many. On the 3rd of February 2003, Phil Spector emerged from his house in the early hours of the morning. Inside lay 40-year-old model and actress Lana Clarkson, her teeth scattered across the carpet of the Pyrenees Castle in Alhambra, California. Clarkson had been killed by a gunshot to the mouth, which Spector and his high-paid defence lawyers would later claim occurred by suicide. The call to the police was made by Adriano de Souz

The musician was not the only target on his killer’s list. John Lennon and Yoko Ono via Wikimedia Commons When David Bowie stepped out on stage on the 9th of December 1980, there were three empty seats in the front row. He was performing in The Elephant Man at the Booth Theatre on Broadway and the play was only running for another month. Most celebrities had already been to see him in the title role, but his good friend and collaborator John Lennon and his wife were due to wa

Best known for her role as Ducky in The Land Before Time, the little girl was killed by her father. Judith Barsi via Wikimedia Commons The daughter of Hungarian immigrants, Judith grew up in Los Angeles, California. Born in 1978, the little girl began her on-screen career at the tender age of five years old. Managed by Ruth Hansen, Judith picked up minor roles on television, and she appeared in numerous commercials. Her prominent roles, as Thea Brody in Jaws: The Revenge and