The murderer has evaded capture for 45 years, but he’s next on the wishlist for DNA testing. Photo by Saksham Gangwar on Unsplash In the early to mid-seventies, homophobia was rampant in San Francisco. Only the year before these murders began, homosexuality had just been declassified as a ‘disorder’ by the American Psychiatric Association. According to politician Harvey Milk, 20 to 25 per cent of the 85,000 gay men in San Francisco were closeted about their sexuality. It was

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

He'd already picked out another two victims. Days after Johnny Altinger had disappeared, his friends decided to break into his home. Police had refused to help them as he was an adult, but they knew their friend hadn't gone on holiday; he was missing. On Friday the 10th of October 2008, Johnny was getting ready to meet a woman he'd been chatting to on the dating website Plenty of Fish. They were getting on well, and the 38-year-old had told his friends about the plans he'd ma

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

John Haigh's methods for his victim's disposal are the stuff of nightmares. However, there's always evidence left behind. Born into an average family, John George Haigh moved from Lincolnshire to West Riding of Yorkshire when he was younger. The boy was a fan of classical music and played the piano, which won him a scholarship to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School and Wakefield Cathedral. Haigh had an odd sense of humour and was bullied at school. A lover of strange pranks, he'd

The islanders locked their doors, but nothing could stop the bogeyman from entering their homes, and no one would forget his mask. Jersey lighthouse via Britannica.com Famous for its woollen trade and cows, Jersey is smaller than the Greater London region. At only nine miles wide by five miles long, the tiny island is part of the sovereign state of the United Kingdom that sits in the Channel between England and France. Its population in the 1950s was just over 30,000 inhabit

A journalist was able to buy a dead man’s spine for $300, so where are your remains really going when you die? Photo by Rory Waldegrave on Unsplash In the primarily unregulated industry of body brokering, thousands of bodies are being donated to companies under the deception that they’re going to be used to further science. However, many loved one’s remains are being used for something far more sinister. When Megan Hess and Shirley Koch were arrested for mail fraud and trans

Halloween is a night of scares and sweet treats but under the cloak of a mask, it’s also the perfect cover for a crime. Cindy Song via The Charley Project Cindy Song was born in South Korea as Hyun Jong Song. In the mid-nineties, Cindy moved to Virginia, to live with her aunt and uncle to attend school in America. She was accepted into Pennsylvania State University after high school, where she majored in integrative arts, a course that combined engineering, communications and

The 8-year-old’s murder changed England’s laws. Sarah Payne via bbc.co.uk Playing hide and seek with her brothers and sister in a cornfield, Sarah crawled through a gap in the tall harvest and onto the road adjacent to the field. She was heading back to her grandparents’ home because she’d received a knock on the head, but while walking down the road, she was abducted by a man in a white van. What came next was England’s worst child murder at the time. Eight-year-old Sarah g

Homophobia hindered the investigation, but Jaap Bornkamp’s death helped change gay rights rules. 52-year-old Jacob Bornkamp, known as Jaap, was precisely where he wanted to be in life. The Dutch native was creating stunning flower displays for the Royal Family and nobility, and he was in a relationship with the man he loved. “He once picked us up at the airport wearing snake leather boots, camo trousers and a big white fur coat. Jaap was not your regular florist.” — Hilgert B

The mystery of JonBenet Ramsey's death may never be solved, and there's good reason.

On the 8th of April 1954, the discovery of a young woman’s body shocked the community of Boulder, Colorado. Found eight miles west of the...

Harvey Glatman was a serial killer who murdered three women and disposed of their bodies but not before taking photographs of their suffering. Harvey Glatman was born on the 10th of October 1927 in the Bronx, New York. An awkward child, Glatman excelled at school and had a high IQ. He enjoyed the arts and had a passion for photography growing up. Harvey Glatman via Murderpedia When he was a toddler, his family moved to Denver, Colorado, where his mother had family. He attende

During the reign of King Louis XIV of France, a mysterious man was incarcerated in several prisons throughout France and Italy. With scant historical information, the legend of the Man in the Iron Mask would be questioned over the centuries to come. Man in the Iron Mask depiction via RadioTimes.com In July 1669, the Marquis de Louvois sent a letter to Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars, the governor of Pignerol prison, located in Piedmont at the foot of the Alps. The letter stat

Three murder trials and advances in DNA finally brought the killer to justice over 20 years later. When the police officer arrived at the Eastburn’s home on Summer Hill Road, he could hear the youngest daughter, Jana, screaming inside the house. She was just hours away from death by dehydration and starvation, and she was covered in dirt and faeces. The toddler would be the only one in the house found alive. Katie, Kara, Erin and Jana Eastburn via http://militaryjusticeforall

Alice Crimmins was made public enemy number one and she paid dearly, but was she innocent? Alice and Eddie via murderpedia.org She was the subject of a hate campaign across America due to a police force’s relentless harassment and theories. During a time of solid morals, Alice Crimmin’s lifestyle and appearance meant she was targeted by the public and the police. She was stuck in a living nightmare, and no one would help her. On the 14th of July 1965, Alice awoke to find her

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

Over 40 years ago, Dorothy Scott was abducted from outside a hospital, and her case has never been solved. Pam Head and Conrad Bostron tried to wave down the car careering towards them at UC Irvine Medical Center. Blinded by the headlights, they assumed Dorothy was driving, but they couldn’t be certain. All they knew was that their friend and colleague was not slowing down, and soon the station wagon was speeding out of the car park. Dorothy never returned and was never seen

Sally’s killer attacked women in at least three countries, but a lack of due diligence meant he continued his rampage for decades. Sally Anne’s murder was tragic, but what made the 18-year-old’s death worse was that she was right outside her home when she was attacked in the early hours of the morning. Her screams of pain and terror went unanswered, and when a neighbour eventually came to investigate, it was too late. Sally Anne Bowman via Murderpedia Born in September 1987 i