CRIME

Up in the Air: When ‘Balloon Boy’ Took Flight

In 2009, the world was captivated by a little boy seemingly trapped in a runaway aircraft. As a new Netflix documentary reveals, the truth was a lot stranger.

Staffers have a legitimate reason to do it.

The Real Reason Costco Employees Check Receipts at Exits

If shoppers have one complaint about Costco, it’s that the employees posted at the exits to take a marker to customers’ receipts seem vaguely insulting. Here’s the real reason behind why it happens.

Who Has Jurisdiction for Crimes Committed in Space?

With privatized space travel growing, it's inevitable we'll one day find ourselves faced with a space murder. How would the law deal with it?

Rasputin, Russian mystic and ‘holy man.’

The Murder of Rasputin: The Mystery That Won’t Die

Delve into the mystery surrounding the assassination of Grigori Rasputin, and see how the circumstances of his death have taken on a life of their own.

An Oral History of When Geraldo Rivera Opened Al Capone’s Vault

Geraldo Rivera promised to dig deep in Al Capone’s hotel hideout on Chicago’s South Side back in 1986—here’s the oral history of how it all really went down.

The ‘Tylenol Murders’ That Rocked 1980s Chicago

A new Netflix docuseries takes a closer look at one of the most puzzling crimes in modern history.

History's Greatest Escapes w/ Arturo Castro | Amazing Facts with Mental Floss

Learn Amazing Facts About Historical Escapes with Arturo Castro

The actor just wrapped up a podcast called ‘Greatest Escapes’—and now he’s dropping amazing facts about those escapes and more on the latest episode of Amazing Facts with Mental Floss.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 15: Wildest of the Wild Bunch

Ben Feldman (‘Monsters at Work,’ ‘Superstore’) sets off into the sunset with Arturo as they hop on the trail of one of the Wild West’s greatest outlaws, Kid Curry.

How the “Wrong Number” Text Scam Tricks Its Victims

One trick con artists have been up to lately involves sending targets random, harmless text messages before attempting to scam them.

10 Things You Might Not Have Known About Alcatraz

At 9:40 a.m. on the morning of August 11, 1934, Alcatraz's first group of prisoners—137 in all—arrived at the soon-to-be-infamous prison.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 14: The Volleyball Escape

Ophira Eisenberg (comedian and host of ‘Parenting is a Joke’ podcast) partners with Arturo as they head back to World War II and recap the biggest escape to ever occur from an American POW camp. (Spoiler Alert: The good guys still come out victorious!)

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 13: Tales from the Tower of London

Jon Barinholtz (‘American Auto,’ ‘Chicago Party Aunt’) helps Arturo infiltrate the Tower of London in the Elizabethan era, uncovering the tale of John Gerard, a covert priest with an uncanny aptitude for orange juice.

The road through the Guyanese jungle leading to the Jonestown compound.

A Brief History of the Jonestown Massacre

Congressman Leo Ryan went to Guyana in 1978 to investigate reports of American cult leader Jim Jones holding hundreds of his followers captive. Ryan didn't make it out of Jonestown alive.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 12: Destination Cuba

Diallo Riddle (‘Sherman’s Showcase,’ ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’) travels with Arturo to the 1970s, where they unveil an escape of historic proportions by the American revolutionary Assata Shakur.

High population states are usually most vulnerable.

The Worst States for Job Scams, Mapped

Where does your state land on the scale?

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 11: The Manson Family’s Squeaky Escapee

Aimee Carrero (‘The Menu,’ ‘The Consultant’) helps Arturo explore a dark chapter in Hollywood history as they learn about one of Charles Manson's original family members: Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme.

‘Greatest Escapes with Arturo Castro’ Episode 9: High-Flying Nectarines

Writer, director, and producer extraordinaire Jay Martel soars into action with Arturo as they cover the high-flying trajectory of French gangster Michel Vaujour.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 8: Dashing Dillinger

Sunita Mani (Spirited, Glow) joins Arturo through a slew of gangster-riddled escapades as they peel back the pages of history surrounding the most “dashing” criminal of the 1930s, John Dillinger.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 7: The Empty Raft of Alcatraz

JD Pardo (Mayans M.C., The Terminal List) tags along for Arturo’s tale of three escape artists (Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin) who attempted to break out of one of the most infamous prisons of all time: Alcatraz.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 5: Holloway Burgl

Kelsey McKinney (host of the hit podcast ‘Normal Gossip’) joins Arturo as they venture to 1960s London to meet the notorious burglar and self-proclaimed Queen of the Underworld: Zoe Progl.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 4: Dannemora Duo

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (‘Flora and Son,’ ‘Mr. Corman’) and Arturo examine the troubling trends behind a modern day escape in Dannemora, New York.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 1: El Chapo’s First Escape

Diane Guerrero (‘Encanto,’ ‘Doom Patrol’) joins Arturo as he recounts the first grand escape by one of the most infamous crime lords of the 21st century: El Chapo.

How NASA Helped Solve a Murder

The space agency helped out on a landmark criminal case in 1990.

A portrait of the Hatfield family, sworn enemies of the McCoys.

4 Bloody Family Feuds in American History

If you have a disagreement with your neighbor today, you might head to small-claims court. In 19th-century rural America, such disputes were often solved with the business end of a gun.