CRIME
8 People Arrested While Dressed as Superheroes
Be warned, superhero wannabes: Squeezing into a pair of tights and grabbing the nearest cape before going out to fight for justice will more likely get you incarcerated than applauded these days.
The Time Larry David Saved a Man from the Death Penalty
In 2003, 24-year-old machinist Juan Catalan faced the death penalty for allegedly shooting a key witness in a murder case. Catalan told police that he couldn’t have committed the crime, as he was at a Dodgers game at the time. When police didn’t buy his a
What’s the Longest Prison Sentence Ever Received?
How does Ariel Castro's prison sentence—a millennium and then some—stack up against other stints in the clink?
Are the High Seas a Criminal Paradise?
No, a fugitive in a ship is still subject to the laws and regulations of whatever country the vessel is registered to.
How Eavesdropping Was Punished in Medieval Times
When people live together in small communities they can be a great source of comfort and support to each other—but they can also really get on each other's nerves. Every community must figure out the best way to keep conflict to a minimum. In the late mid
8 Real-Life Vampire Crimes
“Lestat made me do it.”
11 Products Made by Prisoners
Prisoners make millions of license plates each year. But what else do they make for us?
15 Details from the In Cold Blood Killers’ Case Files
The Kansas Historical Society recently released Perry Edward Smith and Richard Eugene Hickock’s inmate case files, which shed light on their lives behind bars.
Why Do We Say "The Butler Did It"?
After making the butler the culprit in her book, Rinehart would later be almost killed by one of her own servants who wanted to be promoted to her butler.
What Becomes of Bad Guys' Bodies?
It took more than two weeks after Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed to find a grave for his body.
6 Terrible People and How They Were Captured
Recent events have provided an interesting look at how law enforcement officials identify and hunt down very terrible people.
Who Was "Miranda" of the Miranda Warning?
Even if you’ve never had your own brush with the law, you no doubt know the Miranda warning. But who was it named after?
The First Man in the Boston Stocks Was the Man Who Built Them
“One of the earliest institutions in every New England community was a pair of stocks,” writes Alice Morse Earle in Curious Punishments of Bygone Days. “The first public building was a meeting house, but often before any house of God was built, the devil
How Dan Rather and a Homicidal Time Traveler Inspired R.E.M.'s "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
It makes sense that R.E.M., a band whose lyrics are often cryptic, would find inspiration for a song in the mysterious circumstances surrounding a physical attack on newsman Dan Rather.
Cannibals of the Old West
How to Get Past A Lock
Dan Lewis runs the popular daily newsletter Now I Know ("Learn Something New Every Day, By Email"). We've invited him to share some of his stories on mental_floss this week. To subscribe to his daily email, click
Is It Legal To Kill A Zombie?
Like the Shaun of the Dead slogan says, "aim for the head." But before you start readying your zombie apocalypse weapon of choice, you'd better find out if you're going to get in trouble for taking out the infected. According to San Diego criminal lawyer
The Nutshell Studies: How a Wealthy Grandmother Revolutionized Crime Scene Investigation
Photo Courtesy of Erin N. Bush, Death in Diorama. Every year, police officers from around the world gather for the Harvard Associates in Police Science (HAPS) Seminar. During the three-day event, the officers attend lectures and participate in workshops
The Life and Times of America's First Murderer
John Billington isn’t a household name today, but when Englishmen started settling in the New World, he became infamous as the colonies’ first convicted
Crime Doesn't Pay (Well): The Economics of Bank Robberies
Hollywood always makes bank robberies look so easy (with some notable exceptions). You do a little planning, throw on a Richard Nixon mask, you’re in and out in a few minutes and then you can live the rest of your life in luxury in some tropical paradise
8 Celebrities Arrested for Obscenity (and What It Was They Said or Did)
Freedom of speech? Not if it's deemed "obscene." These celebrities found that out the hard way. Though they weren't all convicted, they did end up fighting costly battles in court and had their names dragged through the mud, though in some cases - looking