CRIME

Dogs have been trained to sniff out the new coronavirus.

7 Unusual Things That Dogs Can Detect by Smell

Dogs' sense of smell is at least 10,000 times as acute as ours, and they're being trained to sniff out a wide range of objects—from bombs to viruses.

Al Capone: Public Enemy #1, soup kitchen proprietor

When Al Capone Ran a Soup Kitchen During the Great Depression

During the Great Depression, 50 percent of Chicago's workforce was out of a job. Al Capone, the city's bloodthirstiest gangster, stepped in feed the hungry.

Steve McQueen stars in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).

The 25 Greatest Heist Movies of All Time

There is nothing quite like watching the characters in a movie pull off a great heist against all odds. Here are some of the best of them.

An actual nurse tends to a patient during the 1918 influenza pandemic.

“Slick” Julia Lyons: The Con Artist Who Posed as a Nurse During the 1918 Flu Pandemic—Then Robbed Her Patients

When Chicago was in desperate need of at-home nurses, one dastardly schemer named Julia Lyons saw an opportunity to turn a profit.

5 Ways to Protect Yourself from COVID-19 Phone Scams

A public health crisis is the worst possible time to be targeted by criminals. But naturally, scammers are doing their best to take advantage. Here's how to avoid them.

Svetlana Monyakova, iStock via Getty Images

Crepe and Punishment: Police in Surrey, England Are Using Pancakes to Share Wanted Posters

The police in Surrey, England used Pancake Day as an excuse to make pancake art wanted posters and flood their Twitter feed with breakfast puns.

Mooove Over, Florida Man: A Florida Cow on the Loose Is Wanted By Police

The wanted poster for the runaway cow in Florida described her as having "surprising speed" and "amazing fence jumping skills."

The National Park Service's Investigative Services Branch handles crime in the park system.

The Long Branch of the Law: Inside the National Park Service's Criminal Investigations Unit

When a serious crime occurs in a national park, rangers don't call local law enforcement or the FBI. They call the ISB, a little-known team of investigators responsible for 85 million acres of public land.

Virginians may soon be able to legally swear in public.

Virginians Haven't Been Able to Legally Swear Since 1792 But That's About to Change

The state has prohibited public expletives since 1792, with offenders facing a $250 fine. That's about to change.

The 17th-century Samuel de Champlain map of New France was stolen from the Boston Public Library.

18 Surprising Things Stolen From Libraries

From swords and skeletons to chairs and coins, here’s a roundup of the most unusual items thieves have stolen from libraries.

18 Surprising Things Stolen From Libraries

From swords and skeletons to chairs and coins, here’s a roundup of the most unusual items thieves have stolen from libraries.

Bob Dylan performs a concert at the Warfield in San Francisco, California, in 1979.

14 True Crime Songs About Murder and Mayhem

The phrase “ripped from the headlines” doesn’t just apply to 'Law & Order' episodes. Songwriters throughout the history of popular music have drawn inspiration from real-life tales of murder and mayhem.

The 50-Year Journey to Solve the Murder of Harvard Student Jane Britton

Strange powder at the crime scene, rumors about Harvard’s drug crowd, and other red herrings created an investigation rife with dead ends.

tomofbluesprings, iStock via Getty Images

The Kansas Land That Once Belonged to the Bloody Benders, America’s First Serial Killer Family, Is Up for Auction

The Bloody Benders—a.k.a. America’s first serial killer family—committed as many as 21 murders on their Kansas property in the 1870s. Now that land is going up for auction.

Art Historian Says 10 Works in the Louvre’s Collection Were Looted by Nazis

The artworks were seized by the Nazis after a Jewish lawyer fled his Parisian home in the early 1940s.

Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Alan Turing’s OBE Medal, Doctoral Diploma, Letters, and Other Memorabilia Found in Colorado Nearly 40 Years After They Were Stolen

A woman claiming to be Alan Turing’s relative asked the University of Colorado to display the items in 2018, which prompted an investigation.

A Monkey Is On the Loose in Galveston, Texas—For the Second Time

Galveston residents should keep an eye out for Lilly, an illegal pet capuchin monkey who escaped on January 20.

5 Facts About Charles Ponzi and the Original Ponzi Scheme

Some of the most infamous scams in history have been Ponzi schemes. But before Bernie Madoff, there was Charles Ponzi himself.

Why You Shouldn't Abbreviate “2020” When Signing Checks or Legal Documents

If you've gotten into the habit of abbreviating dates when signing legal documents, consider changing it in 2020.

Headless Torso Found in Idaho Cave 40 Years Ago Confirmed to Be Missing Murderer

Joseph Henry Loveless was last seen escaping from jail in 1916. More than a century later, DNA analysis has linked the missing murderer to a dismembered torso discovered in an Idaho cave in 1979.

Mental Floss's 40 Favorite Stories of 2019

In any given year, we publish up to 5000 stories, from short news posts to longform features and everything in between. And yes, our writers and editors definitely have our favorites—here are some of them from 2019.

The 10 Most Intriguing True Crime Stories of the Decade

The 2010s saw true crime come to the forefront of popular culture thanks to podcasts, books, and binge-worthy docuseries. These 10 cases prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

Criminal Kringle: The Santa Claus Bank Heist of 1927

On December 23, 1927, a man dressed as Santa Claus walked into a bank and demanded money. Unfortunately, the bank was in Texas, and practically everyone in town was armed. Determining Santa was on the Naughty List, they opened fire.

A Racehorse Ransom: The Horsenapping of Shergar

In 1983, a prized racehorse named Shergar was abducted at gunpoint from his stable in Ireland and held for ransom. Decades later, no one is quite sure why.

PREV NEXT