CRIME

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.”

States Archives of Florida, Florida Memory // Public Domain

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

From Sonic Youth's Guitars to LA Tubas: 4 Famous Stolen Instruments

Any musician would tell you that instruments are expensive. Yet, the fame of these artists didn't prevent these robberies.

6 Infamous Arsonists and How They Got Caught

Over 50 fires gutted cars in Los Angeles this past weekend. While most of the damage was limited to vehicles, some of the flames caused destruction to adjacent property, including to a home that once belonged to Jim Morrison. LA has not experienced this m

Phil Spector at his trial for the murder of Lana Clarkson.

5 Artists Reportedly Held at Gunpoint by Phil Spector

Phil Spector was best known for developing a new production style and murdering Lana Clarkson by gunshot wound. Here are five musical artists he also threatened with a gun.

4 Crimes That Inspired Law & Order Episodes

Truth is stranger than fiction, and one place that becomes very clear is in Law & Order episodes that were ripped from the headlines. Sure, the episodes themselves are entertaining, but the original inspiration for the episode is often so bizarre that it

10 Great Train Robberies

Nothing like a train heist to grab out attention. There's a reason they called it the Wild West.

Ollie Atkins, White House photographer, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

11 Notable Presidential Pardons

Presidents as far back as George Washington have waited until their final days in office to sign pardons. Let's take a look at some of history's more notable ones.