CRIME

John and Clarence Anglin (L-R) mounted one of the most audacious prison escapes in modern history.

John and Clarence Anglin, Two of the Only Men to Escape From Alcatraz

On June 11, 1962, the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris mounted the most infamous prison break of the 20th century. Evidence continues to mount that they actually got away with it.

Tompkins Harrison Matteson's 1853 painting Examination of a Witch, which depicts the 17th-century investigation of Mary Fisher in New England.

Catalonia Is Posthumously Pardoning More Than 700 Victims of Its Witch Trials

Europe’s witch trials spanned several hundred years and claimed thousands of innocent lives. Catalonia is making symbolic amends.

Bea Arthur once sought out Judge Judy to dispense justice.

6 Celebrities Who Have Appeared on Court Shows

Luminaries like Bea Arthur and Johnny Rotten have gone before TV judges to settle their small claims affairs. (Though not, unfortunately, against one another.)

Horse statue outside Denver International Airport.

From UFOs to Bigfoot: 15 Mysterious Places Across America You Should Visit

From the Denver International Airport to the Cecil Hotel, these locations have mysterious histories that aren't advertised in travel brochures.

In the 1980s, Glasgow was no place to be peddling ice cream.

Cone of Silence: The Glasgow Ice Cream Wars of the 1980s

In the Glasgow of the 1980s, a visit from the ice cream truck could mean anything from a fudge bar to murder.

New York City's Short Tail Gang, photographed in 1887. The gang supposedly got its name from the short-tailed coats its members wore.

The Origins of 11 Historical Gang Names

If you’re a fan of the TV show 'Peaky Blinders,' you already know that historical gangs could get very creative with their names. Here’s how 11 other creatively-named gangs came up with their monikers.

To this day, no one knows what happened to Masterpiece.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Masterpiece the Poodle

Masterpiece the Toy Poodle was a prized pet. But despite his fame, his mysterious disappearance in 1953 remains unsolved.

Penguin Random House (cover), James Mato (background)

7 Chilling Facts About Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood

Here's what you need to know about Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood,' one of the most influential true crime books ever written.

Keith Morrison discusses Dateline NBC in New York City.

14 Fascinating Facts About Dateline

This year marks the 30th season of NBC’s 'Dateline.' To celebrate, here’s what you need to know about the show’s early days, how “To Catch a Predator” came to be, the show’s pivot to true crime, and what Keith Morrison really thinks of Bill Hader’s impres

Anna Pietrzykowska/iStock via Getty Images

Inside the Yellowstone National Park Jail and Justice Center

The sprawling Yellowstone National Park sees enough criminal activity to warrant its own jail facility, court, and judge. Sentences can include fines and even a lifetime ban from the premises.

Oliver Morris/Getty Images (Vonnegut); DenisTangneyJr (Wood End Lighthouse), FrankRamspott (map) // iStock via Getty Images Plus

Kurt Vonnegut's Strange Connection to the Cape Cod Cannibal

'Slaughterhouse-Five' author Kurt Vonnegut was fascinated with Antone “Tony” Costa, a.k.a. the Cape Cod Cannibal, a serial killer notorious for the brutal murders and dismemberment of at least four women in and around the town of Truro, Massachusetts, in

Henry Every pulled off one of history's biggest pirate heists.

Henry Every and the Pirate Heist That Rocked the World

Henry Every’s raid of the Ganj-i-Sawai was so large, it triggered a diplomatic crisis. Yet few people have heard of this audacious pirate.

Koalas Have Fingerprints That Are Nearly Indistinguishable From Ours

Though humans and koalas don't have much in common, there is one big similarity: fingerprints. Koalas have looping fingerprints just like humans, and some might not be able to tell them apart.

Matayang (pool), Bun_Visit (arm)/iStock via Getty Images Plus

When a Captive Shark Vomited Up a Human Arm—and Sparked a Murder Investigation

In 1935, a tiger shark on display at the Coogee Aquarium in Sydney, Australia, regurgitated a human arm. The strange incident was just the beginning of one of the country's most twisted murder cases.

Justice Branch: Tree DNA Helps Secure Conviction of a Lumber Thief

A case of tree theft in Olympic National Forest in Washington was proven by matching the DNA of the stolen lumber with the tree's remains.

Why Do Police Officers Wear Blue?

The dark blue uniforms worn by police officers date back to the early police departments of the 19th century.

8 Bizarre Places Where Bodies Have Been Found

For employees at Disneyland Paris’s Phantom Manor in 2016, the attraction’s harmless spookiness turned genuinely macabre.

Actual Milwaukee Brewer Robin Yount wearing his own uniform during a home game in the 1970s.

The Time the Kansas City Royals Had to Wear the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jerseys… In a Game Against the Brewers

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. And when (your jerseys are stolen) in Milwaukee, wear what Milwaukee wears.

N.C. Wyeth's The Duel was recovered from a Beverly Hills, California pawn shop in 2014, thanks to the FBI's National Stolen Art File database.

How the FBI's National Stolen Art File Reunites Lost Works With Their Rightful Owners

Works by Monet, Warhol, and Dalí; Super Bowl rings; Stradivarius violins; and 1930s comic books are just some of the items you'll find in the FBI's National Stolen Art File, a public database of more than 5500 missing items of cultural value.

Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021).

13 Facts About The Haunting True Story Behind The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

'The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It' is the third entry in this frightening film series to dive into the case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Massacre on the Mary Russell: When a 19th-Century Ship Captain Murdered His Crew

“The curse of God is upon you all!” Captain Stewart bellowed. Then, he methodically bludgeoned seven sailors to death with a crowbar.

Cow Tip: Some Cattle Helped Police Apprehend a Suspect Following a Car Chase in Wisconsin

This isn’t the first time cattle have helped police catch a suspect, so maybe don’t count on your neighborhood cows to help you resist arrest.

Jailhouse Block: Liverpool Drug Dealer Shares Photo of Stilton Cheese, Promptly Gets Caught

“A delicately rich and creamy Stilton,” the label read. What it should’ve said was: “Carl Stewart is going to prison.”

Rosary Beads Belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots Were Just Stolen As Part of a $1.4 Million Heist at Arundel Castle

Is the culprit Elizabeth I’s ghost, trying to make sure every last symbol of her cousin’s Catholic faith gets destroyed, once and for all?

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