Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Criminal.

The Church Bell Crimes
DONG, DONG, DONG! The Greenmeadow church bell tolled, signaling it was 3 o'clock in the afternoon, time for the afternoon mass. William Layser, the priest of Greenmeadow Church, sighed and walked to the door to greet the families that came in through the giant wooden doors. By now, the church was hot and stuffy from all of the families piling in the pews. The fact that it was the peak of summer didn’t help the temperature in the church either.
By Andrew Sobo8 years ago in Criminal
Governor Greitens' Stay of Execution Regarding the Marcellus Williams Death Penalty Case
The Death Penalty The death penalty is a very permanent punishment for a crime committed. So what happens if you are innocent? What if no-one will listen? It appears Marcellus Williams is the perfect person to ask about this.
By Sherrie Pogue8 years ago in Criminal
I Followed Him Home
I continued following him. Nothing out of the ordinary happened for around 15 minutes when he turned off into a thin path. My eyes began looking around at the path I had just started walking on, it was the first time I had been in that part of town; which wasn’t that weird as I only ever went to the town to go to school which was a 4 minute walk from the station. My gaze gravitated downwards. I looked at the broken path I was walking on. I noticed the pavement was littered with cracks and fractures which looked like wounds and scars of the earth. As soon I noticed these, I began attempting to avoid all of them. I hummed the tune of the common childhood poem, “step on a crack, you break your mothers back, step on a line you break your mother’s spine." I hopped and jumped over the lines engraved in payment, occasionally tripping over and stepping on a crack where I’d pretend I didn’t. That quickly became boring and I began walking normally again. It took around 30 seconds for my legs to regain rhythm and walk normally. It was then after my legs had regained their function, I looked at the sky. Due to it being October, the sun was nearly set. I used to devote October photographing the falling sun in all its hues. I swore I’d never see enough sunsets then. Turns out I had seen so many crimson skies under multi-colored leaves that I didn’t even stop to look. My brief gaze at the sky before my eyes began looking forwards once again made me feel sad, but not too sad because wasn’t that how the world worked? Beautiful things become ordinary—everything slowly becomes boring. Something that I noticed that didn’t go away though was sometimes the rising sun scared me. It was another irrational fear I had. I thought the sun was so big, and yet when it rose it didn’t make a sound—not even a whisper. It was nice how it lit up the entire world but it was scary that there was absolutely nothing I or anyone could do to stop it. It confused me why more people weren’t scared of the sun, when you think about it it was truly terrifying. If the sun ever decided to go away, so would the world.
By Reid8 years ago in Criminal
LA City Attorney Encourages Victims To Come Forward So Harvey Weinstein Can Be Prosecuted
As the list of Harvey Weinstein's victims grows longer with each passing day, the former mogul has lost his company, his reputation, and his wife. But that isn't enough, not by a long shot. The Los Angeles City Attorney feels the same way, which is why he is encouraging victims to come forward so justice can be served in the form of full prosecution of Weinstein.
By Rachel Carrington8 years ago in Criminal
No More Abby: Pauley Perrette Is Leaving 'NCIS' After 15 Seasons
For the past fifteen seasons Pauley Perrette has portrayed the goth-loving forensic scientist, Abby Sciuto, on NCIS. With her adorable relationship with gruff team leader Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, and her fast-talking brilliance, she has garnered a fan base all her own. So the recent announcement of her impending departure next season has put a damper on the new season of the long-running crime drama.
By Rachel Carrington8 years ago in Criminal
'Blue Bloods' Star Amy Carlson Stuns Fans With Her Surprise Departure
When Blue Bloods wrapped its 7th season in May, Linda and Danny Reagan had suffered a house fire at the hands of a drug lord. The fear and panic on Danny's face resonated with the fans as he searched for his family. When he found both Linda and his sons, his relief was palpable, and Season 7 ended with that portion of the Reagan family fully intact, and fans breathed a sigh of relief. That dissipated all too quickly during the Season 8 premiere for the series dropped a bombshell that broke fans' hearts and left them wondering what had just happened.
By Rachel Carrington8 years ago in Criminal
To Protect and to Serve
Proof Number One: My brother is driving home from work, and he stops at a red light and waits for the green arrow before he turns left; when the light turns green he proceeds to make his turn.
By Martina R. Gallegos8 years ago in Criminal
Murder Files: JonBenet Ramsey Part 2- The Murder.
Part 2 of the JonBenet Ramsey Murder File covers the full details of her tragic and brutal murder. Some of the information below may be inappropriate for younger readers.
By Silence Unhinged8 years ago in Criminal
Creepiest Books About Serial Killers
Serial killers are as close to real-life bogeymen as you can get. They commit heinous crimes that make them among the most notorious criminals out there. Most people who knew them never would guess that they were murderers, until they were caught in the act.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart8 years ago in Criminal
Killing the Big Screen
Obsession with serial killers and their crimes have been prevalent since the 1970s. You may find yourself asking why, and you wouldn’t be alone. As it turns out, it’s not that weird. In the 1970s, media started increasing in popularity. It was a golden age of enlightenment. But like every step forward there were unexpected side effects. By popularizing and making serial killers and their crimes the focus of media attention it created a subsect of people with a psychological attraction to these larger-than-life cultural celebrities. Because of the mainstream popularity of these macabre celebs, the lines between fictional killers and their crimes and nonfiction ones became a little blurry. Many people will have the same reaction to a pretend movie killer as they will to talking about the kills of Jack the Ripper or Ted Bundy. Due to this cultural desensitization, TV shows, movies, and video games tend to glorify their sadistic trade. Movies like Silence of the Lambs, American Psycho, Scream, Seven, and The Bone Collector have been immensely popular. These are artistic renditions of killers and their fantasies. Some of these movies are even award winning and have become cult-classics or horror movie favorites. You may ask yourself if there are movies you can watch about real life serial killers that tried not to veer too far off from the facts but aren’t documentaries. There is! I am going to highlight several movies that tried to stick with the facts and ended up being just what the doctor ordered for those people attracted to the dark.
By Stephanie Ward8 years ago in Criminal
Manson: Inside the Mind of a Murderous Cult Leader
Mind control. Thought manipulation. Brainwashing. It's all terminology that people hear in the movies. But what if this isn't a movie? What if there was a man who was able to command people into killing without doing any of the dirty work himself? This man existed and he was the leader of one of the most dangerous cults of all time. Meet Charles Manson.
By Jenny Reed8 years ago in Criminal
Serial Killer Jane Toppan
Jane Toppan (birth name: Honora) Born: 1857 Died: 1938 About Toppan's Earlier Life: Toppan's parents were Irish immigrants; her mother died of tuberculosis early in her life. Her father was an alcoholic, abusive, and called “Kelley the Crack.” He is believed to have been insane, as he eventually sewed his own eyelids shut. Toppan had a sister, Delia. The pair of them were dropped off at an asylum by their father. After two years, Jane Toppan became an indentured servant for the Toppans. She became a nurse, training at Cambridge Hospital.
By Ella8 years ago in Criminal