In 1914, Poland, New York, was a picturesque slice of small-town America. But that innocence was shattered with the shocking murder of beloved schoolteacher Lida Beecher at the hands of her former student Jean Gianini....
Henry Debosnys: madman? Genius? Murderer? The truth, incredibly, is still out there.
A
pictographic language inspired by Egyptian hieroglyphics. A blend of six
languages, among them Latin, Portuguese, and Greek. A collection of strange and
mournful sketches,...
A Rogue’s Gallery of Ravishing Rascals
Let’s be honest: who doesn’t love a great mug shot? Posters
of Frank Sinatra’s face as a rakish young man in lockup adorn countless college
dorm room walls, charming us...
May 1992, Morris Township, northern New Jersey. What would
normally be a sunny late-spring is instead a season chilled and overshadowed with
the news of a heinous crime. In late April, Sidney Reso, an executive at Exxon,
was kidnapped from...
Building Criminal Empires in Galveston, Texas
In the Lone Star State, Texans have always prided themselves
on their resourcefulness and resilience, topped off with a dash of down-home
humor. It’s just a part of the...
Klan-Approved, Voter-Recalled
How bad, really, can you be? America has had its fair share
of terrible leaders, from corrupt Congressmen to brothel-frequenting senators
to arrogant governors who have claimed the only way they can...
What Captain Kidd Left Behind
Who doesn’t love a good pirate? Whether it’s Blackbeard with
his smoking hair and glowing eyes, or the Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet whose
own crew ditched him on a...
And what on earth is a curbie?
Brothels, bribes, and bagmen—throughout the 1960s, Butte,
Montana, had it all. A mining city that in some ways was more suited to the Old
West than to...
Celebrating California’s Capital City
The state of California has long been known for its independent spirit and the many colorful characters that have called it home. While Los Angeles and San...
The Creative Titles of Historic Crime Journalism
So much of good crime writing, and good journalism generally, begins at the beginning: the headline. Each day, newspapers have the chance to showcase succinct, smart, even...