CRIME

Oliver Morris/Getty Images (Vonnegut); DenisTangneyJr (Wood End Lighthouse), FrankRamspott (map) // iStock via Getty Images Plus

Kurt Vonnegut's Strange Connection to the Cape Cod Cannibal

'Slaughterhouse-Five' author Kurt Vonnegut was fascinated with Antone “Tony” Costa, a.k.a. the Cape Cod Cannibal, a serial killer notorious for the brutal murders and dismemberment of at least four women in and around the town of Truro, Massachusetts, in

Henry Every pulled off one of history's biggest pirate heists.

Henry Every and the Pirate Heist That Rocked the World

Henry Every’s raid of the Ganj-i-Sawai was so large, it triggered a diplomatic crisis. Yet few people have heard of this audacious pirate.

Koalas Have Fingerprints That Are Nearly Indistinguishable From Ours

Though humans and koalas don't have much in common, there is one big similarity: fingerprints. Koalas have looping fingerprints just like humans, and some might not be able to tell them apart.

Matayang (pool), Bun_Visit (arm)/iStock via Getty Images Plus

When a Captive Shark Vomited Up a Human Arm—and Sparked a Murder Investigation

In 1935, a tiger shark on display at the Coogee Aquarium in Sydney, Australia, regurgitated a human arm. The strange incident was just the beginning of one of the country's most twisted murder cases.

Justice Branch: Tree DNA Helps Secure Conviction of a Lumber Thief

A case of tree theft in Olympic National Forest in Washington was proven by matching the DNA of the stolen lumber with the tree's remains.

Why Do Police Officers Wear Blue?

The dark blue uniforms worn by police officers date back to the early police departments of the 19th century.

8 Bizarre Places Where Bodies Have Been Found

For employees at Disneyland Paris’s Phantom Manor in 2016, the attraction’s harmless spookiness turned genuinely macabre.

Actual Milwaukee Brewer Robin Yount wearing his own uniform during a home game in the 1970s.

The Time the Kansas City Royals Had to Wear the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jerseys… In a Game Against the Brewers

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. And when (your jerseys are stolen) in Milwaukee, wear what Milwaukee wears.

N.C. Wyeth's The Duel was recovered from a Beverly Hills, California pawn shop in 2014, thanks to the FBI's National Stolen Art File database.

How the FBI's National Stolen Art File Reunites Lost Works With Their Rightful Owners

Works by Monet, Warhol, and Dalí; Super Bowl rings; Stradivarius violins; and 1930s comic books are just some of the items you'll find in the FBI's National Stolen Art File, a public database of more than 5500 missing items of cultural value.

Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021).

13 Facts About The Haunting True Story Behind The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

'The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It' is the third entry in this frightening film series to dive into the case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Massacre on the Mary Russell: When a 19th-Century Ship Captain Murdered His Crew

“The curse of God is upon you all!” Captain Stewart bellowed. Then, he methodically bludgeoned seven sailors to death with a crowbar.

Cow Tip: Some Cattle Helped Police Apprehend a Suspect Following a Car Chase in Wisconsin

This isn’t the first time cattle have helped police catch a suspect, so maybe don’t count on your neighborhood cows to help you resist arrest.

Jailhouse Block: Liverpool Drug Dealer Shares Photo of Stilton Cheese, Promptly Gets Caught

“A delicately rich and creamy Stilton,” the label read. What it should’ve said was: “Carl Stewart is going to prison.”

Rosary Beads Belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots Were Just Stolen As Part of a $1.4 Million Heist at Arundel Castle

Is the culprit Elizabeth I’s ghost, trying to make sure every last symbol of her cousin’s Catholic faith gets destroyed, once and for all?

In the Crosshairs: Why the Forensic Science of Hair Analysis Isn't Foolproof

For more than two centuries, police have investigated crimes using microscopic hair analysis. But this forensic method isn’t foolproof—and in some cases, it’s led to tragedy.

Hustler publisher Larry Flynt lived a life of controversy.

The Naked Gun: When Larry Flynt Allegedly Tried to Put a Hit Out On Hugh Hefner

Larry Flynt and Hugh Hefner—two titans of titillation—were never close. But a paper trail shows that Flynt may have wanted to see the 'Playboy' founder suffer a case of lead poisoning.

The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen or Spring Garden by Vincent van Gogh, stolen from the Singer Laren museum in March 2020.

Interpol’s New App Allows Anyone to Help Track Down Stolen Art

The next time you come across a portrait stolen from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, you can alert Interpol without making a single phone call.

Dormie was an Airedale Terrier who ran afoul of the law.

Paw and Order: Dormie, the Dog Who Went on Trial for Cat Murder

In 1921, an Airedale Terrier named Dormie captured national attention by becoming the first dog to be put on trial for (cat) murder. And yes, he had a lawyer.

An FBI photograph of the crime scene after the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum robbery, as seen in This is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist (2021).

12 Facts About the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Robbery—the World's Biggest Art Heist

On March 18, 1990, two men—dressed as police officers—talked their way into the side door of Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Less than 90 minutes later, they had pulled off the largest art heist in history—which remains unsolved to this day.

Did Bigfoot Do It? Hulu's Sasquatch Investigates the Murder of Three California Cannabis Farmers

Did Bigfoot kill three cannabis farmers in Northern California decades ago? That's what 'Sasquatch'—a three-part true crime documentary series on Hulu—aims to find out.

Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

15 Surprising Facts About Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Spinoffs rarely outlive their original series, and they definitely don't eclipse them in terms of longevity. But 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' has been defying expectations for decades.

Beak Havoc: Ravens Keep Stealing Quality Meats From Costco Shoppers in Anchorage, Alaska

Quoth the Raven: “I am going to steal those short ribs straight from your cart and there’s nothing you can do about it. Caw!”

Nicola Sacco (right) and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (third from right, with mustache) head back to jail accompanied by deputy sheriffs.

11 Things You Should Know About the Sacco and Vanzetti Case

For more than a century, legal experts have argued that Sacco and Vanzetti didn't get a fair trial. Here are the facts in the landmark case.

A new 'survey' is targeting COVID-19 vaccine recipients in an effort to steal their personal information.

The FBI Wants People to Watch Out for These COVID-19 Vaccine Scams

A growing number of people are getting requests to complete a post-vaccination 'survey,' which is really just an excuse to gather personal information.

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