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In the dusty heat of August 1932, a small Oklahoma town became the unlikely backdrop for a deadly encounter. This event would set the tone for one of America’s most infamous crime sprees. The town was Stringtown, and the outlaws were Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow — two names that would soon strike fear across…
Geronimo bank murders were a tragic and brutal crime that occurred on December 14, 1984, in Geronimo, Oklahoma. Jay Wesley Neill entered the First Bank of Chattanooga armed with a pistol and a knife. He forced the three bank tellers—Kay Bruno (42), Jeri Bowles (19), and Joyce Mullenix (25, who was six months pregnant)—into the…
On the night of June 29, 1984, Abdelkrim Belachheb, then 39 years old, had an argument with a woman at Ianni’s Restaurant and Club. After being insulted, he left, retrieved a Smith & Wesson 459 handgun from his car, and returned to the bar. He shot and killed six people, including the woman he had…
The Oklahoma City bombing occurred on April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It was a domestic terrorist attack that remains one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in U.S. history. Timothy McVeigh, an American extremist, detonated a truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which housed several federal agencies.…
The Dalton Gang was a notorious American outlaw group that operated in the late 19th century. The gang was formed by the Dalton brothers, Bob, Emmett, and Grat, along with several other associates. They were active primarily in the state of Oklahoma and Kansas. The Dalton Gang initially started out as lawmen. Bob Dalton served…
Nannie Doss, also known as “The Giggling Granny,” was a notorious American serial killer who terrorized the nation in the mid-20th century. Born on November 4, 1905, in Blue Mountain, Alabama, Nannie Doss led a seemingly ordinary life as a wife and grandmother, concealing her dark and sinister tendencies behind a facade of kindness and…
Death of Dedra Pettus Death of Gloria Leathers Seven years after the tragic death of Dedra Pettus, Wanda Allen resided with her girlfriend Gloria Jean Leathers. Their relationship, which began in prison, was characterized by turmoil and violence. On December 2, 1988, a domestic event unfolded as Leathers, aged 29, was shot in front of…
THE BLACK WIDOW: AMERICA’S DEADLY DECEIVER The Judy Buenoano Story Judy Buenoano, born Judias Welty, was an American murderer who gained notoriety for committing multiple crimes, including murder and fraud. She was born on April 4, 1943, in Quanah, Texas, and died on March 30, 1998. Buenoano was married several times and had children from…
Monstrous Appetites: The Life and Crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer DAHMER’S CHILDHOOD HOME 1966 – JULY 1979 THEN Dahmer lived here with his parents, Lionel and Joyce, and his younger brother, David. During his childhood, Dahmer purportedly nurtured a peculiar obsession with animal bones, which gradually escalated into him actively amassing collections of them as he…
On a cloudy morning rush hour in Chicago on October 30, 1972, the city experienced its worst train crash to date. The collision occurred between Illinois Central Gulf Train 416, comprised of newly bought Highliners, and the express Train 720 on what is now the Metra Electric Line. Train 416 overshot the 27th Street station…
On December 28, 1956, sisters Barbara and Patricia Grimes, two of Joseph Cornelius and Lorretta Marcela’s seven children, decided to watch Elvis Presley’s Love Me Tender at a Brighton Park theater. Barbara, 15, and Patricia, 12, were not only close sisters but also diligent students at Thomas Kelly High School and St. Maurice’s Catholic School,…
Edward Kriz, 43 — a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army — was shot outside the Hamburg Inn No. 2 in Iowa City on November 10, 1962, when he startled a would-be robber. After closing George’s Buffet early on November 10, 1962, owner Edward Kriz, his wife Bernice, and a bartender…
Bobby Franks was a 14-year-old boy from Chicago who was tragically and brutally murdered in 1924. He was kidnapped and killed by two wealthy University of Chicago students, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, in what became known as the infamous Leopold and Loeb case. The motive for the murder was said to be a want…
Paul Dedrick Gray, better known simply as Paul Gray, was the bassist and founding member of the popular metal band Slipknot. On May 24, 2010, tragically, Gray was found dead in a hotel room in Urbandale, Iowa. He was only 38 years old. The cause of Gray’s death was determined to be an accidental overdose…
June 11, 2021 Super 8 Motel – Location: 5900 Sutton Pl, Urbandale, IA 50322Rachel Reuter checked into the Super 8 Motel. There is video of both Rachel Reuter and James Klever at the hotel. Reuter was also in contact with the Des Moines Police Department on this day. It is not known why she was…
A teenager was charged with murder in the deaths of four people found fatally shot in a Wichita house, and another man was charged with helping the teen avoid arrest. Cornelius Oliver, 19, killed his girlfriend, Raeshawnda Wheaton, 18, at her house, as well as her roommate Dessa Ford, and friends Jermaine Levy and Quincy Williams,…
Between 1984 and 1986, Faryion Wardrip preyed on vulnerable women in Wichita Falls and Fort Worth, Texas, ultimately leading to the murders of five women. He targeted his victims based on their vulnerability and sometimes lured them to secluded areas where he would then kill them. The killings shocked the community and sparked fear among…
The Von Erich family is a wrestling dynasty known for their success and tragedy in the world of professional wrestling. Patriarch Fritz Von Erich (real name: Jack Adkisson) was a wrestler and promoter who founded World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas. He had five sons who followed in his footsteps and became wrestlers: Kevin, David,…
The Iowa City Sueppel murders were a family annihilation. Steven Stepper, a 42-year-old former banker, committed them. He did this at his residence in Iowa City, Iowa, USA. It happened on Easter Sunday night, March 23, 2008. On Monday morning at 6:31 a.m., Sueppel called 9-1-1 from his mobile phone. He requested that police visit his house right away. He then hung up without identifying…
While working at Mi-T-Fine Car Wash in Irving, Robert Harris masturbated in front of a female customer and was fired from the job he had held for about ten months. Four days later, he borrowed a car from a friend, borrowed a handgun from another friend, then drove to the carwash on a Monday morning…
Ashley Okland, a 27-year-old Iowa Realty agent, was shot twice and killed shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, April 8, 2011, while working inside a West Des Moines model townhouse. A Rottlund Homes employee heard a commotion inside the model townhouse at 558 Stone Creek Court — part of the Stone Creek Villas subdivision near…
The Osage Indian murders, also known as the Osage Reign of Terror, were a series of brutal killings that targeted members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma during the 1920s. The Osage people had become incredibly wealthy due to the discovery of oil on their land, which led to their being dubbed the “richest people…
The Sam Pritchard family, which consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard, their daughter and son-in-law, Gladys and Alonzo Cartwright, and their son and daughter-in-law, Jack and Irene Pritchard were sitting on the east porch of their home in 1933 when suddenly a new Ford coupe roared over the hill in front of their house. The…
Dexfield Park is an abandoned amusement park located in Dexter, Iowa. It opened in 1915 and was once a major attraction for residents and visitors in the area. The park featured standard amusement rides, picnic areas, a dance pavilion, and other recreational activities. It had a significant regional following during its peak years. One of…
In The Beginning The Barker–Karpis Gang was one of the longest-lived criminal gangs during the Depression Era, spanning from 1931 to 1935. The gang was founded by Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis and later joined by Fred’s brother Arthur “Doc” Barker. Along with the three core members, the gang’s network spanned up to 25 members…
Caylee Anthony was a 2-year-old girl who disappeared in 2008 in Orlando, Florida. Her mother, Casey Anthony, waited 31 days before reporting her missing to the authorities. Caylee’s disappearance sparked a massive search effort and a media frenzy. Casey Anthony was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Caylee’s disappearance. However, in 2011,…
In the summer of 1970, Cedar Rapids resident Paula Jean Oberbroeckling was 18 years old. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes, and she worked with developmentally disabled children and at Younker’s Department Store. One night in July, she went on a date with her boyfriend Lonnie Bell, and when they returned home, they…
Michelle Marie Martinko was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on October 6, 1961. She was the younger of two daughters of Albert F. Martinko and Janet Martinko (nee Zillig). Michelle attended Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School, where she was considered an above-average student and highly respected by school officials. She was known for her talent…
On February 3, 1959, rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson tragically lost their lives in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. This event, immortalized as “The Day the Music Died” by Don McLean in his song “American Pie,” marked a significant and somber moment in music…
The Villisca ax murders were a series of unsolved homicides that occurred in 1912 in the town of Villisca, Iowa. The gruesome event took place during the night of June 9-10, when six members of the Moore family and two houseguests were found bludgeoned to death with an axe. The victims included Josiah and Sarah…
The 1919 World Series was a highly significant event in the history of Major League Baseball. It featured a championship matchup between the American League (AL) champion Chicago White Sox and the National League (NL) champion Cincinnati Reds. Regrettably, this particular World Series became infamous due to the subsequent revelation of the “Black Sox Scandal,”…
Amber’s case drew widespread media coverage, highlighting the urgent need for better systems and protocols to respond to child abductions. This tragedy served as a catalyst for change, leading to the creation of the AMBER Alert system, named in honor of Amber Hagerman.The AMBER Alert system was established to quickly notify the public about abducted…
On November 22, 1963, shortly after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, Police Officer J.D. Tippit (Pictured Below) was shot and killed in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald was charged with the murder of Officer Tippit, however, Oswald was never able to stand trial for the murder of…
Darlie Routier is a Texas woman. She was convicted in 1997 for the murder of her two young sons, 5-year-old Damon and 6-year-old Devon. The boys were fatally stabbed in their home in Rowlett, Texas in June 1996. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Darlie Routier staged the crime scene. They claimed it was staged…
On July 26, 1973 at 01:00am 38-year-old Veda Woodson left her janitorial job at First National Bank in Tulsa, heading for her residence in Sperry, Ok. At 02:00 AM Woodson’s vehicle, a 1958 Chevrolet was found by Sperry Police at 8800 N. Cincinnati with the lights on and the driver’s door open. Woodson’s body was…
Tragedy in Oklahoma City: The Sirloin Stockade murders refer to a tragic incident. This event occurred on May 20, 1978, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It took place at a Sirloin Stockade restaurant. It involved a mass shooting perpetrated by four armed robbers. During the robbery, the perpetrators, armed with shotguns and handguns, entered the restaurant…
Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African American boy who tragically became a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. In August 1955, Till, a native of Chicago, was visiting family in Money, Mississippi, when he was accused of whistling at or making inappropriate remarks to a white woman named Carolyn Bryant, who…
In 1992, Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken in Tulsa, Oklahoma, became the grim backdrop for a chilling homicide that shook the city to its core. The tranquility of a typical day at the restaurant was shattered when four employees, whose names have been lost to time, were brutally slain during their evening shift. FROZEN IN FEAR…
During the tumultuous period spanning 1973 and 1974, the city of Oklahoma City found itself in the grip of an alarming phenomenon—an unprecedented surge in targeted assaults specifically directed at members of the white community residing within its borders. These unprovoked attacks, which struck fear into the hearts of residents and left an indelible mark…
“Bonnie and Clyde” is a classic American crime film released in 1967. Directed by Arthur Penn, the movie tells the story of the infamous criminal duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, who were active during the Great Depression in the United States. The film stars Warren Beatty as Clyde Barrow and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie…
Dolores Davis was murdered by Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) killer, on January 19, 1991. Rader terrorized the Wichita, Kansas area from 1974 to 1991. He chose Davis as his last known victim. She was a 62-year-old woman. He snuck into her home, strangled her, and then disposed of her…
On September 16, 1986, Dennis Rader, disguised as a telephone repairman, knocked on Vicki Wegerle’s door and requested to check her telephone lines inside her home. Once granted entry, Rader feigned inspecting the telephone lines before pulling out a pistol when Vicki’s back was turned. He then led her to the bedroom, where he tied…
Marine Hedge, 53, was found along a dirt road eight days after she was abducted from her home on April 27, 1985, when she had spent the evening eating dinner and playing bingo with her boyfriend. She had been strangled, and a knotted pair of pantyhose was found nearby. She lived on the same street…
On the night of December 8, 1977, Nancy Fox, a 25-year-old woman living in Wichita, Kansas, fell victim to serial killer Dennis Rader, infamously known as BTK—short for Bind, Torture, Kill. Rader, who was later revealed to be responsible for a string of brutal murders spanning decades, had selected Nancy as his next target through careful surveillance and meticulous planning. That…
Shirley Vian was a mother of five who was brutally murdered in her home in Wichita, Kansas, on March 17, 1977. On that day, Dennis Rader broke into Shirley Vian’s home and attacked her. He bound her hands and strangled her to death. Vian’s three children, who were present in the house at the time,…
15 January 1974 The Otero family murder was a series of brutal killings that took place in Wichita, Kansas, in 1974. Four members of the Otero family—Joseph, Julie, Joseph Jr., and Josephine—were bound, tortured, and killed in their home. The man responsible was Dennis Rader. He would later become known as the “BTK Killer.”
Dennis Rader, also known as the “BTK Killer,” is an American serial killer who terrorized the Wichita, Kansas area between the 1970s and early 2000s. “BTK” stands for “Bind, Torture, Kill,” which was Rader’s modus operandi. He killed a total of ten people, including men, women, and children Rader’s first known murders were in 1974,…
On the morning of July 18, 1989, instead of the expected courier delivering a script for “The Godfather III” in preparation for her audition with director Francis Ford Coppola, it was Robert Bardo who rang Schaeffer’s doorbell. Upon opening the door, Bardo presented her with a card she had sent him in response to one…
Michael and Robert Bever were two brothers involved in a horrific and widely publicized crime in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, in 2015. The brothers, aged 18 and 16 at the time of the incident, conspired to murder their family members. Their plan was chillingly detailed and included ambushing their parents and siblings in their home. The…
Lizzie Borden is a well-known figure in American history who gained notoriety for her alleged involvement in the murders of her father and stepmother in 1892. Lizzie Andrew Borden was born on July 19, 1860, in Fall River, Massachusetts. On August 4, 1892, Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abby Borden, were found brutally murdered…
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