Criminal
True crime, exposed – the innocent, the guilty, and the downright gruesome. Criminal explores the intricacies and complexities of law, order, and crime.
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Stories
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Top Stories
Stories in Criminal that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Truth in the Lies
Kathleen Brannagh stared at the bundle of documents as if they might catch fire where they sat. She chewed the edge of her nail, nose wrinkling at the musty scent found in old houses and the pungent odor of fear combined with grief and disbelief. Overwhelmed, she stomped down the stairs. The past should have stayed where she found it -- in the back of a cluttered closet with moth-eaten baby clothes and stained photographs.
Lisa VanGalenPublished 11 days ago in Criminal- Second Place in the Whodunit Challenge
Dis-Appearance
In the back of her head, Seema keeps whispering to herself. Today can be a little different from yesterday. She is carrying the big bowl of dough toward the tandoor house. The big dug hole in the middle of the room is accepting of anything that can fall in it. She lights the fire in the hole and throws in some more wood sticks. The fire is galloping; the surrounding walls of the tandoor are changing their colour to some red-copper bricks. She reaches those walls and drops herself fully inside the hole. All of a sudden, she feels calmness and purity beyond the screams she is used to. Her hands and feet have never felt this restful. They are swimming in the air, like the air, she is floating freely. Where am I going, without them? She throws the walls behind her and comes back to the oldest room, which is turned into a tandoor house. Half of the room is filled with magazines from the 1980s. She has got good use for them, making more fire. She is halfway finishing up baking the pile of flatbread that will feed some fifteen family members. She folds each flatbread in a half-moon, but her mind goes into the dying fire in the hole.
Parwana FayyazPublished 3 months ago in Criminal in good time
…in light of my own changing values – the expansion of my family and the recent deaths from improperly using the technique – I have decided to discontinue the practice. My last piece, a beautiful frame I spent many hours on for someone very special, will be the last of my work to display fractal burning.
Katie Kelly KoppenhoferPublished 3 months ago in CriminalAn Answer from the Sky
Interview Room 2 is simple and square. The single light in the middle of the ceiling lands at the crown of my head. I have arrived on stage, and they’re waiting for the show.
Catherine DorianPublished 2 months ago in CriminalThe Tale of Wren
A transient fog hovers above the water, while the full moon guides Wren as she walks along the shore. Placing fresh cut willow stalks in her basket. With a stiffness, she moves away from the lake and towards the grassy slopes. The pain was worsening, peaking to a point of paralyses, then vanishing like the wind. Glancing toward camp, dawns colors begin to challenge the darkness as the charcoal skies reveal the vibrancy of a new day. She needs to complete this task before her people wake. Pausing, she waits for her muscles to relax, hoping the pain will go away. Breathing deep, Wren continues towards the woods, to bury the contents of her pack before she is discovered with it. Then, she would wait for him, she knew he would not let her down. She starts to dig when another wave of agony consumes her once more and she doubles over. If it weren’t for that, perhaps she would have noticed the eyes upon her.
The Case of the Missing Top Stories
This story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to real-life events is strictly coincidental. Maybe. ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
Mother CombsPublished 3 months ago in Criminal- Runner-Up in the Whodunit Challenge
Something In the Water
Sascha was the first to find the fish. At least, she thought she must be. The sky outside was still a bruised purple, light gradually seeping through the horizon. No other patients had been in line at the nursing station when Sascha went for her morning meds. She did not know what time it was, only that she had been lying awake in the interminable darkness of her room for longer than she could stand it. Deciding to wander the halls instead, it was by coincidence rather than intention that Sascha was the first to arrive for her medication. The morning nurse had chirped merrily at her, some praise for being an early bird, and did not ask her to wag her tongue when she lifted it after swallowing.
Elle MariePublished 3 months ago in Criminal Who murdered Mickey Albany?
I turned the sandglass on the small coffee table, its grains sliding through time like whispers of fate. Leaning against the worn-out balcony railing of my apartment, the city's sprawling skyline stretched before me—a canvas of chaos where shadows danced in the neon glow.
F.R. GautvikPublished 2 months ago in Criminal
Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Criminal.
Venomous Relationships
Audrey Marie Hilly was found on February 26, 1987, in a state of confusion and covered in mud in a backyard near Anniston, Alabama. The final individual she had contact with before losing consciousness was Police Lieutenant Gary Carroll. She was discovered in the yard, with her hair wet from the mud and her clothes completely soaked. Carroll recollected, "I called out to her, and she opened her eyes briefly and looked at me before rolling them back. To the best of my knowledge, that was her last moment of being conscious." Marie, as she was commonly referred to, passed away from hypothermia three hours later.
Johnny SixPublished about 4 hours ago in CriminalA 12 year old girl killed her parents
On a calm suburban street in the Canadian town of Medicine Hat in 2006. The six-year-old arrives in search of his best friend, but the play date is not happening today. That basement was a bloodbath. No matter how many scary films you watch, nothing will ever come close to what transpired in that house. A husband and wife were found dead, with several stab wounds all over their bodies. The police were at a loss on what to do at the scene. When they got there, they thought it was a domestic murder-suicide. They were unaware that their eight-year-old son, who was also deceased upstairs. Blood covered everything in the room, including his bed linens and little toys.
Lesedi MolutsiPublished about 4 hours ago in CriminalThe mysterious of: Lauren agee
Lauren Agee was a 21-year-old student who went on a camping trip with friends in July of 2015. She disappeared on the second day of the trip, and her body was found a few days later in the lake.
MURDERED: Fiona Yu
In March of 2019, the body of Fiona Yu, a 21-year-old college student, was found in a wooded area near her home in Palo Alto, California.
11-Year-Old Fatally Stabbed While Defending Pregnant Mom Against Her Ex
March 2024: REST IN PEACE An 11-year-old boy was fatally stabbed while defending his pregnant mother against her ex-boyfriend, who was released from prison a day before the attack, police said
True Crime WriterPublished about 7 hours ago in CriminalUnited Against Terror
Ladies and gentlemen, Today, in the heart of Buenos Aires, we stand together in solemn remembrance, honoring the memory of the lives lost to the cowardly acts of terrorism that have scarred our nations. With deep reverence, we gather in this plaza, a place that bears witness to the shared history and pain endured by both Argentina and Israel. I am profoundly grateful for your presence here today as we commemorate the tragic events that have touched our souls and tested our resilience.
Mary NgugiPublished about 7 hours ago in CriminalMan Accused of Killing Family
LEVITTOWN, Pa.—A man faces murder charges in Pennsylvania and carjacking and weapons charges in New Jersey after allegedly killing three family members, carjacking vehicles in both states and evading law enforcement for hours as police mobilized in two states, authorities said Sunday.
Introduction to the Ecuadorian Situation
Setting the Stage In the heart of Ecuador, amidst the bustling streets of Quito, journalist César García Vélez stands ready to provide a comprehensive update on one of the nation's most gripping sagas – the Metastasis case. With the murder of Fernando Villavicencia sending shockwaves through the country, the unfolding events have captivated the attention of both the public and the authorities alike.
Mary NgugiPublished about 12 hours ago in Criminal
Creators We’re Loving
The creative faces behind your favorite stories.
Jackie Adams
8 published stories
Skyler Saunders
2018 published stories
Suze Kay
81 published stories
Chelsea Rose
63 published stories
Phil Flannery
65 published stories
Lamar Wiggins
179 published stories
Babs Iverson
295 published stories
Clyde E. Dawkins
1190 published stories
Paige Guffey
16 published stories
Katrina Thornley
236 published stories
Parwana Fayyaz
19 published stories
Rachel Pollock
6 published stories