Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Criminal.
The Stoneman Murders
Let's play a game. Suppose you are a homeless person of the late 1980s. Just suppose! (..And forget that you still own a laptop/PC/smartphone to read this post in that time.) You are a homeless person and you are begging and trying to be alive to see the next morning. You struggle for food and other life crises and you go to that same corner of the street at night to sleep. What could you have possibly done wrong to someone that, while you are sleeping, some psychopath comes and crushes your head with a big stone? How horrible that is even to imagine! You might or might not have heard/read this story before, but it always runs a chill through my spine when I read it.
By Hitarth Raval7 years ago in Criminal
Sociology: Strain Theory
Strain Theory: Robert Merton’s Social Experiment In 1957, Robert K. Merton developed the Strain theory. It is a sociological and criminological term that primarily suggests that those who cannot hope to achieve some kind of “American dream” will receive the constant burden of not necessarily being rejected for not achieving their goals, but not having the resources that others were granted, to achieve the goals themselves. Therefore, people, specifically adolescents, resort to committing crimes. Today, Strain theorists acknowledge that this is not always the case, but instead that it is only for some but not most individuals. Ryan E. Spohn’s article, published in 2012 regarding criminogenic strain and influence on peers, searches to explain in what conditions and environments tend to result, specifically, the adolescent populace into deviant adaptations.
By Nathaniel Reidhead7 years ago in Criminal
The Tragic Murder of JonBenét Ramsey
It’s been nearly 21 years ever since JonBenét Ramsey was murdered on December 25, 1996. To this day, people are still questioning the unsolved murder case of this young girl. While there's multiple evidence in the murder scene, none of them seem to be connected with each other — resulting to different suspects. With this, the question continues to haunt us: Who murdered JonBenét Ramsey?
By Jacqueline Hanikeh7 years ago in Criminal
History's Least Prolific Serial Killer
You might not know the name, but you probably know the story: a vain noblewoman lures young virgins into her castle and bathes in their blood to stay young forever. She is Countess Dracula, a real life vampire and history's most prolific serial killer. It might be terrifying, a testament to human cruelty, to hear that such a person truly did exist. But dig even just a little deeper and you'll find the figure behind the legend has almost nothing to do with the myth she's grown into.
By Charlie Jackman7 years ago in Criminal
Down The Rabbit Hole
1600 people have gone missing in the National Parks and forests of the United States. 1600 people that went hiking, skiing, or out for a simple picnic with their family. 1600 people that disappeared without a trace. 1600 families left without answers.
By Taylor Mcdonald7 years ago in Criminal
Missing Children Whose Cases Changed How We Find Their Killers
Caylee Anthony. Madeline McCann. The Beaumont Children. The Lindbergh Baby. It's a tragic truth; thousands of children go missing in the United States alone each year. Sometimes they're just lost and they're found safe. Sometimes, one of their parents or another relative whisks them off for some reason. And sometimes, someone chooses an innocent child as their prey. These are the worst cases, the ones that are burned into the minds of everyone who comes across them.
By Skylar Banach7 years ago in Criminal
A Death in the Cold
A sharp wind battered her barren face, her hair whipping into a golden torrent behind her. Her icy blue eyes reflected the snowy hills before her. She trudged steadily up the wooded path, her gray cloak held tightly around her by her gloved hands. The cold air made red her cheeks and dry her lips; she continued on. Her black boots, although tied tightly and insulated quite well, had taken on water over the course of her journey and her once-dry wool socks, now saturated with water, left her toes begging for warmth. She pressed on.
By Daniel Byron7 years ago in Criminal
The Strange Drowning of Natalie Wood
If you love classic movies, then you already have learned to love the work of Natalie Wood. She was, at one point, a cherished American treasure known for her wholesome acting career, her beautiful body, and one of the most stunning faces in classic cinema.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart7 years ago in Criminal
Mindblowing Books For Anyone Who’s Slightly Obsessed With True Crime. Top Story - October 2017.
You are on a true crime binge. No further investigation needed: there is hard evidence for that. You found your way here, after all. Now, you are in search for your next kill, your next victim. A new true-crime book to feed your addiction.
By Eric Green7 years ago in Criminal