We’ve been here before. In a previous look at the dangerous, often violent early years of American metal industries, Crime Capsule explored the turbulent development of the steel industry in western Pennsylvania. Today, we’re moving just across the state line, to the famous Mahoning Valley of Ohio, where many of the mines that produced raw material for those steel mills were housed.
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...
Oh, those nice, industrious Midwesterners. So friendly and hard-working. Always building cities, raising barns, and—wait—smuggling booze?
You betcha! Don’t tell us you’re surprised. It’s no secret that the upper Midwest was one of...
The long-beloved series Unsolved Mysteries was recently rebooted by streaming giant Netflix and WE ARE HOOKED! The show debuted on NBC January 20, 1987, as a series of stand-alone specials before its popularity landed it a promotion to full-fledged...
Continuing our occasional series of author interviews, this month we’re delighted to welcome Cathy Pickens to Crime Capsule. A true Renaissance lady—among other hats, Pickens is a law professor, historian, teacher, and mystery novelist—she is also the...
Can
the dead commit a crime?
Until
the late 19th century, residents of New England thought so, given the trail of corpses
that littered local communities from Massachusetts to Vermont. Gaunt, wasted,
afflicted by bloody, painful symptoms,...
Can criminals
be quarantined? Absolutely. But can the quarantined be criminals? Sometimes, dear
readers, even rectangles are squares. This week on Crime Capsule, as even more
of our country falls under “Stay Home” orders and further restrictions on
travel, gatherings, and...
Over the years, New Orleans has earned the nickname of “The
City that Care Forgot,” evoking its laid-back, relaxed attitude on life. Today,
its streets are filled with tour carriages, artists, and musicians. But did you
know that in the...
Called
the Camp Creek Crash, this ghastly accident took the lives of nearly forty
souls. But who was responsible? Remarkably, according to historian and
professor Jeffery Wells, some speculation lies not on the men operating the
train but on the train...
When we talk about identity theft today, almost certainly the conversation turns to technology. Stolen PIN numbers, and credit card skimmers. Hacked passwords and digital bank fraud. All the ways that crooks get access to our electronic...