One of the greatest, most enduring, unsolved mysteries of the 20th century is the murder of Elizabeth “Betty” Short, better known as “The Black Dahlia.” Even today, 75 years after her gruesome death, we are no closer to knowing how she met her demise, and who is responsible. However, you can Betty lived a troubled Read more about Visiting the Black Dahlia sites, from Los Angeles to Boston[…]
There is no more celebrated criminal justice institution in American culture than Alcatraz, the “escape proof” prison located in San Francisco Bay. From legendary inmates like Al Capone to legendary escape attempts, the lore of Alcatraz is alive and well today, nearly 60 years after it closed. Alcatraz became a federal prison in 1934, and Read more about Visiting the Ghosts at Alcatraz[…]
Jeffrey Dahmer ranks among the most notorious serial killers in American history, and for good reason. If killing seventeen men and boys wasn’t enough to bring him to the fore of the national consciousness, what he did after killing them certainly was. Dahmer was born in 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and, from the outside, had Read more about Jeffrey Dahmer’s Apartment of Horrors[…]
Palm Beach is an enclave for the wealthy and notable; a place of private clubs, ritzy parties, and fundraisers, safely ensconsed behind gates and walls. Crime is not common in Palm Beach, and murder even less so. That’s what made the events on the evening of January 16, 1976 so shocking to many in the Read more about Shattering the Palm Beach Bubble: The Murder of Richard Kreusler[…]
Modern detectives and investigators likely have no idea that the craft they practice was informed and improved by dioramas, created by a woman no less. The creator was no ordinary woman, however. Considered by many the “mother of forensic science,” Frances Glessner Lee was born in Chicago in 1878. Her father John Jacob Glessner, was a wealthy Read more about Teaching Investigators Through Dioramas[…]
February 17, 1991 was like any other workday for Northwest Airlines flight attendant Nancy Ludwig. She arrived at Detroit Metro Airport in the evening, after working a flight from Las Vegas. Along with other crew members, she took a shuttle from the airport to the Hilton Airport Inn in Romulus, MI, where they were staying Read more about The Murder of Flight Attendant Nancy Ludwig[…]
The infamous Hotel Cecil (later Cecil Hotel and The Stay on Main), located in downtown Los Angeles, has seen more than its’ share of murder, crime, suicides, and brushes with famous criminals and victims. Some say the hotel is cursed, others that it is just a victim of its location. Either way, it is a Read more about The Hotel Cecil (Stay on Main): LA’s Cursed Hotel[…]
Who says there’s no humor in death? In Los Angeles, you can visit one of just two Coroner’s gift shops in the country. The store was founded in the 1990s, and is still running strong. Located within the Coroner/Medical Examiner’s complex, the shop features a variety of gift items that will amuse anyone with a Read more about Skeletons in the Closet: The LA Coroner’s Gift Shop[…]
Few modern serial killers have elicited as much curiosity as Aileen Wurornos, perhaps because there are relatively few female serial murderers. Most know Aileen from the 2003 film Monster, in which she was portrayed by Charlize Theron (who won an Oscar for the role). Wuromos had a horrific childhood, experiencing repeated instances of sexual abuse and Read more about Have a Beer at Aileen Wuornos’ Favorite Bar (And See Where She Lived)[…]
There may be no better spot for true crime enthusiasts to visit than the Museum of Death in Los Angeles. Located in Hollywood, in a building that used to house a legendary recording studio, the museum is the passion project of collectors J. D. Healy and Catherine Shultz. They pack an impressive number of artifacts Read more about The Museum of Death[…]