fact or fiction
Is it fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the myths and beliefs we hold about copycat killers, eyewitnesses testimony, what makes a murderer and more.
"American Idol" Tragedy: Beloved Music Executive and Husband Killed, Suspect Had Troubled Past
By Asad Taizai | True Crime Enthusiast A chilling double homicide has shocked fans of the long-running show American Idol, as music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, musician Thomas Deluca, were found murdered in their Los Angeles home. Authorities have arrested 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian in connection with the killings, raising serious questions about mental health, legal gaps, and early intervention.
By 🕵️‍♂️ True Crime Enthusiast | Storyteller of the Dark Side 🔍about a year ago in Criminal
The story of the Lloyds Bank robbery | They stole Britain's most dangerous secrets by accident
On January 13, 2006, in the city of Acassuso near Buenos Aires, the largest bank in Argentina was hit in an armed robbery. The gang stormed the bank and took customers and employees hostage. Just fifteen minutes later, it seemed like the plan had failed: one robber tried to escape with a hostage but was met with a full police blockade. He returned inside, seemingly cornered along with his accomplices. But this was all part of a masterfully crafted illusion. The gang leader was actually executing what would later be known as the most brilliant bank heist ever—“The Heist of the Century.” It began on May 15, 2005, when Fernando Araujo told his psychologist that he wanted to do something to reignite his passion for life. When asked what, he said, “I want to rob a bank.” The psychologist laughed. He wasn’t joking. Araujo was a bright man: a legal assistant and part-time actor. He began riding his motorcycle around Acassuso, scouting banks. Banco RĂo stood out—a major bank where most Argentines kept their savings, with a secure vault full of safe deposit boxes storing cash, gold, diamonds, and more. He weighed two options: robbing employee safes during a stickup (a risky move with limited payoff), or breaking into the underground vault (high reward but nearly impossible). Cameras and heat sensors connected directly to the police made it seem hopeless. Then he noticed a pattern: manhole covers leading to a large sewer system 160 meters from the vault. If he could reach the bank through there, it might work. For 35 days, he studied every detail. He recruited Sebastián Bolster, an engineer who hated banks after his family’s savings were wiped out. They called each other “The Leader” and “The Engineer.” The Engineer entered the bank pretending to be a wealthy client, using a hidden camera to film the vault. But the operation needed money, so The Leader brought in “The Doctor,” a mysterious mastermind who recruited the rest of the crew: “The Financier,” a silver-tongued con man; “The Fierce One,” a hardened ex-con; and “The Kid,” a trusted operative. The plan was bold: dig a 30-meter tunnel from the sewer to the vault. The Engineer designed a heat-insulated suit to beat the sensors, but it proved too restrictive. So they switched strategies — enter the bank in disguise, fake a failed robbery, then escape with the loot through the sewer. Weapons were required, but they used plastic toy guns. The Engineer also built a special compressed-air tool called “The Gun” to break vault locks in seconds. On the morning of January 13, a vintage Volkswagen pulled up to Banco RĂo. Four men in gray uniforms, blonde wigs, and ski masks entered and took control. Inside, they acted nervous and clumsy to sell the illusion of a botched job. Outside, the police quickly surrounded the bank. One robber, The Financier, pretended to try and escape with a hostage, only to be "forced" back inside—again, part of the act. Meanwhile, The Engineer emerged in the vault after tunneling through the wall, beginning to crack open hundreds of safe deposit boxes with “The Doctor.” The Leader used the hostages to delay the police, even ordering pizza to buy more time. Once done, they loaded bags of cash, jewelry, and gold into the tunnel. They left toy guns and a fake bomb behind to confuse the police and delay their entry. They floated the loot through the sewer on inflatable rafts to an exit 200 meters away. “The Kid” waited above in the Volkswagen, modified with a hidden trapdoor for the escapees. They drove off, leaving the police still negotiating with ghosts. Hours later, the police stormed the bank—and found nothing. No robbers. No real weapons. Just silence. The crew split the money and agreed to disappear. But betrayal came from within. The Financier’s wife took $100,000 worth of the loot and, after a fight, reported everything to the police. One by one, the gang was arrested: The Financier, The Leader, The Engineer, and The Fierce One. The Doctor and The Kid escaped the country. None of the money was recovered. The bank absorbed the loss. Each received sentences of 9–15 years, but none served more than three thanks to clever legal defenses and public sympathy. Years later, their story became a hit movie. In a surprising twist, they donated 30% of the film’s profits back to the bank. And thus, "The Heist of the Century" became known as the smartest robbery ever pulled off in modern history.
By Ink pulse(different angle)about a year ago in Criminal
The smartest robbery in human history|Rio Argentina Bank / Escape Geniuses (Hello, the police need a pizza)
On January 13, 2006, specifically in the city of Acassuso near the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, an armed robbery took place at the largest bank in Argentina. The gang entered the bank and took employees and customers hostage. After about fifteen minutes, it seemed as if the plan had failed; one of the robbers took a hostage and tried to escape but was surprised to find the police had surrounded the building. With no other option, he returned inside, waiting for his inevitable fate with his accomplices. However, everything was part of a meticulously planned operation, much like the series "La Casa de Papel." The gang leader was orchestrating what later became known as the smartest robbery in history, called “The Heist of the Century.” The story began on May 15, 2005, when Fernando Araujo visited his psychologist and told him he wanted to do something to restore his passion for life. When asked what he planned to do, he said he wanted to rob a bank. The doctor laughed, thinking it was impossible, but Araujo was serious and had already started planning. Araujo was highly intelligent, working as a legal procedures agent and also an actor. He began scouting banks on his motorcycle around Acassuso. The bank that caught his attention was Banco RĂo, a large and very popular bank where about 80% of Argentines kept their money. The bank offered a special feature: safe deposit boxes to store valuables like gold, jewelry, diamonds, and cash. He considered two methods: a direct armed attack to steal from the employees’ safes, which was limited to $10,000 per safe and carried a high risk with little reward, or breaking into the safe deposit vault at night to steal everything. The latter promised huge gains but seemed nearly impossible due to security cameras and heat sensors directly connected to the city police. Despite these challenges, he kept thinking of a way to enter the bank unnoticed. He first considered digging a tunnel under the bank, but this would require months of work and was likely to be discovered. Then, by chance, he noticed many sewer covers on the road near the bank, spaced about 10 meters apart. Tracing these, he realized that the main sewer ended in a large square opening about 160 meters from the bank’s vault, giving him a direct underground route. He spent 35 days planning the approach and recruiting a team. His first recruit was Sebastián Bolster, an electronics and mechanical engineer who hated banks due to his family losing everything when their bank went bankrupt. They agreed to call each other by nicknames: Araujo became "The Leader," and Sebastián "The Engineer." They studied the sewer and bank layout for a week. The engineer posed as a wealthy client wanting to store 6 kilograms of gold, using a hidden camera to film inside the vault. After realizing they needed significant funding, the Leader contacted a third member known only as "The Doctor," a well-connected intellectual who assembled the rest of the team. The team included "The Financier" (Beto Latorre), a skilled con artist and expert in persuasion; "The Fierce One" (Luis Silans), a former criminal with multiple prison sentences; and finally "The Kid," an unknown but trusted associate. The Doctor provided detailed city maps, and The Fierce One managed to secure the exact floor plans of the bank itself. The plan was to dig a tunnel about 30 meters from the sewer to the vault. The expected digging time was about two months. Meanwhile, the Engineer developed a special heat-insulating suit to avoid detection by heat sensors. However, the suit was too heavy and restricted movement, so the team reconsidered their entry strategy. The Leader proposed a bold and risky plan: enter the bank through the main door wearing disguises and escape through the tunnel. This required carrying weapons, which the Leader initially opposed but later allowed as long as the weapons were fake, which the Financier supplied. The Engineer also invented a device called “The Gun,” a powerful compressed air tool designed to break any lock within seven seconds. On January 13, 2006, their plan began. A vintage Volkswagen arrived at the bank entrance, and four men dressed in gray uniforms with black ski masks and blond wigs entered. Inside, they took control and took everyone hostage, acting nervously to give the impression that the plan was failing. Meanwhile, the Engineer entered through the sewer tunnel with equipment to break through the wall leading to the vault. After about fifteen minutes, the police had surrounded the bank. One of the robbers, The Financier, took a hostage outside, pretending to try to escape but was stopped by the police and forced back inside, reinforcing the illusion that the plan was collapsing. The security guard in the surveillance room was forced out at gunpoint to stop informing the police, and his phone was used to negotiate with the police. Once the cameras were disabled, the Engineer was given the signal to break through the vault wall. Inside the vault, The Engineer and The Doctor started breaking into the safe deposit boxes with their device while The Leader, The Financier, and The Fierce One controlled the hostages and distracted the police. They demanded pizza be delivered to the bank to satisfy the robbers and gain more time. The police agreed, which bought the gang another 40 minutes. Once the robbery was complete, the gang packed the stolen items into large bags and threw them into the sewer tunnel, where The Engineer and The Doctor loaded them onto inflatable boats. They planted a fake bomb at the vault door and left their weapons on a cloth to make it look like a messy exit. They escaped through the sewer to a sewer cover about 200 meters from the bank, where The Kid waited with the modified Volkswagen car with a trapdoor underneath. They drove off and returned to the Financier’s home. They watched the news on TV, surprised that the police had not yet entered the bank. Two hours later, the police finally stormed the bank, only to find the robbers gone. The weapons left behind were children’s toys, and the bomb was fake — all carefully planned to buy time and avoid serious charges. The robbers divided the money and agreed never to meet again. However, the Financier’s wife took three bags worth about $100,000 without permission. After a violent argument, she reported the whole operation to the police. The police arrested the Financier, then The Leader, The Engineer, and The Fierce One. The Doctor and The Kid fled abroad. The total value of the stolen money remains unknown, with none recovered. The bank absorbed the losses. Sentences ranged between 9 and 15 years, but none served more than three years, as public sympathy and legal defense campaigns helped secure their early release. Afterward, their story was turned into a successful action-comedy film. They even donated 30% of the film’s profits to the bank as compensation. Thus, the “Heist of the Century” was recorded as the smartest robbery in human history.
By Ink pulse(different angle)about a year ago in Criminal
The greatest black butcher in history | He terrorized the United States of America for more than 30 years . Content Warning.
On June 13, 2002, a Black man walked into a police station in the state of Florida. From his appearance, it was clear he was not just any ordinary person. He looked exhausted, regretful, and said in a pained, sorrowful voice:
By Ink pulse(different angle)about a year ago in Criminal
🕯️ The Haunting Silence of Hedviga Golik: Forgotten for Decades
The Haunting Silence of Hedviga Golik: Forgotten for Decades In May 2008, an astonishing discovery was made in Zagreb, Croatia. Three tenant representatives, unlocking a loft apartment at Medveščak 77, found the mummified remains of a woman—Hedviga Golik—still sitting in her armchair, wrapped in blankets beside a table with her old television and a half-finished cup of tea. She had died quietly—possibly in 1966, though officially last seen in 1973—and gone entirely unnoticed for 35–42 years . --- 👤 Who Was Hedviga Golik? Born in 1924 (Fiume/Rijeka). A trained nurse, she moved to Zagreb in 1961, taking residence in an isolated 18 m² attic apartment . She was reported to live a reclusive life, rarely leaving her flat. Neighbors described her as polite, yet socially withdrawn—possibly struggling with mental health, even referred to as schizophrenic by those who occasionally interacted with her . The apartment had belonged to her former partner—the building’s janitor or superintendent—part of Yugoslavia’s state housing system, where tenancies were frequently informal . --- ⚱️ The Mysterious Death and Discovery Golik is believed to have died of natural causes, possibly around 1966, having made a cup of tea and sat down to watch TV. Alternatively, forensic analysis initially placed her death near 1973, when she was last seen alive . On May 12, 2008, tenants broke in while discussing apartment ownership—long overdue due to unclear title arrangements. Inside, in the half-lit room, they found her — mummified, eerily preserved, and still seated .
By Ikram Ullahabout a year ago in Criminal
Wall Street Thieves: When Money Steals Our Morals
Vault 309: When Money Screamed Blood Opening Hook: "What terrified me wasn’t the gunpowder... it was the sound of the hostages’ whimpers. As if they knew this robbery would be the last thing they’d ever witness."
By Ahmed Abdeenabout a year ago in Criminal
She Vanished Without Warning
The Chilling Disappearance That Turned a Small Town Into a Nightmare of Secrets On an ordinary autumn morning, the town of Willow Creek woke to a mystery that would haunt them forever. Emily Hart, a beloved artist known for her radiant smile and magnetic charm, locked her apartment door… and vanished.
By Hamad Haiderabout a year ago in Criminal
The Man Who Wouldn’t Die
In the early 1930s, New York City was drowning in despair. The Great Depression had turned its once-bustling streets into corridors of hunger and hopelessness. Soup kitchens snaked around blocks. Children begged on corners. Men who once held steady jobs now wandered the boroughs, hollow-eyed and aimless.
By Chronicle of Powerabout a year ago in Criminal
Who Killed JFK? You wouldn't even believe if i told you
JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory #1: The Mafia Did It The Mafia, particularly the Chicago Outfit, tends to factor into many conspiracy theories around the JFK assassination, either as the sole culprit or part of a larger conspiracy. Why would the Mafia have wanted to target John F. Kennedy? Maybe they were distraught about their casinos in Cuba being closed, or maybe JFK’s dad, Joseph Kennedy, had mob connections because he made his fortunes as a bootlegger. He didn’t.
By Kristen Orkoshneliabout a year ago in Criminal
“Watching the Back: A Hostage Nightmare in Henry County”
Chapter 1: The Silence That Spoke Volumes It was just past 11 a.m. on April 4, 2019, when Anetria White pulled into her sister’s driveway in Stockbridge, Georgia. She had been trying to reach her pregnant sister, Sandra White, since the night before—but calls had gone unanswered. So had texts. Sandra wasn’t the type to just “go quiet.”
By 🕵️‍♂️ True Crime Enthusiast | Storyteller of the Dark Side 🔍about a year ago in Criminal
