
The Most Disturbing Wikipedia Pages
Genie (feral child)
Genie (a pseudonym) was a girl discovered in 1970 in Arcadia, California, at age 13 after being brutally isolated and starved, strapped either to a potty chair or a crib, and forbidden to speak by her abusive father for almost her entire life. Her treatment resulted in severe physical and linguistic deprivation. She was subsequently placed under intensive study and gained some vocabulary and basic communication skills, but failed to acquire normal grammar. Her case became known as one of the "worst cases of child abuse" in the US, and ultimately raised ethical concerns about the treatment of vulnerable subjects and their rights.
Toy-Box Killer
David Parker Ray, who was given the moniker the "Toy‑Box Killer," was an American kidnapper, serial rapist, and suspected serial killer who abducted and brutalized women — primarily sex workers— in a soundproofed trailer he dubbed his 'Toy Box' near Elephant Butte, New Mexico. Though he never faced murder charges and no bodies were found, Ray claimed to have abducted 40 victims. He was convicted in 2001 of kidnapping and torture based on survivor testimonies, receiving a sentence of over 223 years, and died of a heart attack in prison in 2002.
Murder of Sylvia Likens
Sylvia Likens was a 16‑year‑old from Indiana who, over the summer of 1965, endured escalating torture at the hands of her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski (pictured above), Gertrude's children, and neighborhood kids. The abuse — which included beatings, burnings, starvation, and sexual humiliation — resulted in over 150 wounds and eventually led to her death from a subdural hematoma, shock, and malnutrition. In May 1966, Gertrude was convicted of first‑degree murder, and her daughter Paula received a second‑degree murder conviction; both were reportedly sentenced to life in prison.
Christine Chubbuck
Christine Chubbuck was a TV news reporter in Sarasota, Florida, who was the first person to die by suicide on live television. On July 15, 1974, during a live broadcast of the show Suncoast Digest, she announced, "In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in 'blood and guts,' and in living color, you are going to see another first — attempted suicide," before pulling out a gun from under her desk and shooting herself in the head. Chubbuck died about 14 hours later, and her death sparked enduring discussions around mental health and ethical boundaries in broadcasting.
Murder of Junko Furuta
Junko Furota was a Japanese high school student who was abducted, raped, tortured, and then subsequently murdered in 1989 by four teenage boys over the course of 44 days. Some of the horrific acts she was subjected to included being repeatedly burned, beaten, forced to drink her own urine, and then fatally set on fire. Her case was often referred to as the 'concrete-encased high school girl murder case,' because her body was discovered packed in concrete inside a dumped oil drum. The case became widely known not only due to the extremely graphic nature of the repeated beatings and sexual assaults she endured, but also the belief from the public that the perpetrators received lenient sentences.
Hello Kitty murder case
The Hello Kitty murder case is one of Hong Kong's most infamous crime cases. In 1999, a 23-year-old nightclub hostess named Fan Man-yee was abducted by three men — Chan Man-lok, Leung Wai-lun, and Leung Shing-cho — after she stole a wallet from Chan, a member of a Chinese organized crime syndicate. They held her captive in an apartment for several weeks, where she endured horrific torture, including beatings, sexual assault, and burns, ultimately leading to her death from traumatic shock.
Fan's captors dismembered her body, sewing her skull into a Hello Kitty doll, which gave the case its name. The crime came to light when a 14-year-old girl involved in the case (who was being groomed by one of the perpetrators) reported it to the police. The three men were convicted of manslaughter in 2000 and sentenced to life in prison.
Unit 731
Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare unit of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, based in occupied Manchuria (present-day China). Operating under the guise of epidemic prevention, it conducted brutal human experiments on civilians and prisoners of war, including vivisection, forced infection with deadly diseases, and frostbite testing. These experiments led to the deaths of an estimated 300,000+ people.
After the war, the U.S. granted immunity to many Unit 731 members in exchange for their research data, allowing key figures like Ishii to avoid prosecution. The unit's atrocities remain one of the most horrifying examples of wartime human experimentation.
Murder of Shanda Sharer
In 1992, 12-year-old Shanda Sharer was abducted, tortured, and murdered by four teenage girls, Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence, in Madison, Indiana. The crime was driven by Loveless's jealousy over Sharer's relationship with her ex-girlfriend, Amanda Heavrin. Under the guise of taking Sharer to meet Heavrin, the girls lured her into their car and subjected her to hours of brutal torture, including beating, stabbing, strangulation, and sexual assault. Eventually, they set her on fire while she was still alive.
All four girls were tried as adults and accepted plea deals: Loveless and Tackett received 60-year sentences (paroled after 26 and 25 years, respectively), Rippey was sentenced to 35 years (paroled after 14), and Lawrence received 20 years (paroled after 9). As of 2019, all four girls, now women, have been released from prison.
Kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard
On June 10, 1991, 11‑year‑old Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted while walking to a school bus stop in Meyers, California. Her captors, Phillip and Nancy Garrido, held Jaycee for the next 18 years in concealed tents and sheds in the backyard of their home in Antioch, California. Phillip, a convicted sex offender, repeatedly raped Jaycee during the first six years of her captivity, leading to the birth of her two daughters when she was just 14 and 17 years old. Over the years, numerous people actually saw Jaycee, and there were even several missed rescue opportunities.
Then, in August 2009, during a visit to UC Berkeley with Jaycee's daughters, campus police officers became suspicious of Phillip and ran a background check, which ultimately led to Jaycee's rescue and the arrest of the Garridos. Phillip Garrido was sentenced to 431 years to life, and Nancy to 36 years to life in prison. Since her return, Jaycee has written memoirs, founded the JAYC Foundation supporting trauma survivors, and focused on rebuilding her life with her daughters.
Tarrare
Tarrare was an 18th-century Frenchman who was said to have had an insatiable appetite and ability to eat nearly anything — live animals, stones, garbage. Despite his extreme eating habits, he remained slim. He served in the French Revolutionary Army and underwent medical experiments after eating enough for 15 people and swallowing a wooden box to test his use as a courier. Captured during a mission, he was eventually returned and expelled from the hospital after being suspected of eating a one-year-old child. He died of tuberculosis in 1798, and his autopsy revealed an abnormally large stomach and digestive system.
Anneliese Michel
Anneliese Michel was a German woman who, despite being diagnosed with epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, became convinced, along with her parents, that she was actually possessed. After years of failed treatment, two priests performed 67 exorcisms over 10 months during which Anneliese ceased eating and exhibited extreme self-harm. She died from malnutrition and dehydration in 1976. Her parents (pictured above with a photo of Anneliese) and the priests were later convicted of negligent homicide. The case led to changes in exorcism practices and inspired several films, including The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
Scaphism
Scaphism was an allegedly ancient method of execution — aka "the boats" — whereby a victim was trapped between two narrow boats, one inverted on top of the other, with their limbs and head left exposed, then force-fed and smeared with milk and honey. This would leave the victim exposed to insects and vermin that would eat them alive over several days.
Human radiation experiments
There were a number of human radiation experiments, mostly conducted in the U.S. from the 1940s to the 1970s, that exposed vulnerable people — including hospital patients, children, pregnant women, and prisoners — to radioactive substances without consent. These experiments, done by government agencies and universities, involved practices like directly injecting plutonium, feeding radioactive material to children, and even exhuming bodies from graveyards, and all of it caused serious harm or death. Public outcry led to a 1994 investigation by President Clinton's advisory committee, which confirmed ethical violations and led to official apologies and limited reparations.
Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris
Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris, given the moniker the "Tool Box Killers," were American serial killers who abducted, tortured, raped, and murdered five teenage girls in Southern California during 1979. They were given this name because they used everyday tools — like pliers and ice picks — in their brutal crimes. They sometimes made audio recordings or took photos of their crimes, which were so awful that they reportedly brought some jurors, lawyers, and court observers to tears when presented during their trial. Norris eventually turned informant, received life in prison, and died in 2020; Bittaker was sentenced to death and died in prison in 2019. Both died of natural causes.
Peter Kürten
Peter Kürten, known as "The Vampire of Düsseldorf," was a German serial killer active in 1929. He committed at least nine murders and numerous assaults, deriving sexual pleasure from violence and blood, once even drinking his victim's blood. Arrested in 1930, he confessed to dozens of crimes. After a high-profile trial, he was executed by guillotine in 1931.
Fritzl case
In 2008, Austrian police discovered that a man named Josef Fritzl had kept his daughter Elisabeth imprisoned in a secret cellar for 24 years, during which he repeatedly raped her and fathered seven children. Three of the children lived with her in captivity, three were raised upstairs as foster children, and one died shortly after birth. The case was uncovered when one of the children became seriously ill, prompting Josef to seek medical help, and then leading to Elisabeth's rescue and Fritzl's arrest. He was later sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including rape, incest, and murder by negligence.
Carl Tanzler
Carl Tanzler was a German-born radiology technician in Key West, Florida, who became obsessed with his tuberculosis patient, Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, after her death in 1931. He would visit her mausoleum nightly and claimed he heard her spirit urging him to take her body home. He eventually exhumed her remains and spent seven years living with and preserving the corpse — using piano wire, wax, glass eyes, perfume, and clothing — until her sister discovered what he'd done. Charged only with grave-robbing, Tanzler avoided conviction due to the statute of limitations, later moving to mainland Florida, writing his autobiography, and reportedly keeping a wax effigy until he died in 1952.
Armin Meiwes
Armin Meiwes, known as the 'Rotenburg Cannibal,' was a German man who, in March 2001, killed and cannibalized a consenting victim, Bernd Brandes, whom he found via an online ad seeking someone willing to be eaten. The two even attempted to eat Brandes's severed penis before Meiwes eventually murdered him, dismembered his body, consumed some of his flesh, and stored the remainder in his freezer. Arrested in December 2002, Meiwes was initially convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 8.5 years, but after an appeal and retrial in 2006, he was ultimately convicted of murder with life imprisonment.
Murder of Kelly Anne Bates
Kelly Anne Bates was a 17-year-old from Manchester, England, who, over approximately four weeks in early 1996, was violently tortured by her boyfriend, 48‑year‑old James Patterson Smith. Some of the atrocities he committed included burning Smith all over her body, stabbing her, and even gouging both her eyes out. He ultimately drowned her in a bathtub and reported it falsely as an accidental death. Smith was convicted of her murder in November 1997 and given a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years.
Murder of Skylar Neese
Skylar Neese was a 16-year-old honor student from Star City, West Virginia, who disappeared on July 6, 2012, after sneaking out of her home with two friends, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf. In January 2013, Shoaf confessed that the pair lured Skylar to a wooded area in Pennsylvania and stabbed her to death, over 50 times, simply because they 'didn't like her' anymore. Her body was found months later, buried under brush. Shoaf pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received 30 years in prison, while Eddy pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, receiving a life sentence.
Finally, Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Waverly Hills Sanatorium, which is located near Louisville, Kentucky, opened in 1910 to treat tuberculosis patients amid a deadly local outbreak. It was expanded in 1926 to accommodate over 400 patients and became infamous for experimental treatments — like rib removal and lung collapse— and for secretly transporting bodies through a hidden 'body chute' to avoid alarming the living. After the discovery of antibiotics, it closed in 1961 and briefly reopened as a geriatric center. It is now a privately owned facility that people frequently say is haunted.
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Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Photos Show Bloody Frogs, Raw Sea Cucumbers Discovered in US Airport
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A K-9 police dog and federal officials uncovered an "unusual haul" at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport which included bloody frogs and raw sea cucumbers, , Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) said on Friday. Newsweek reached out to CBP via email for additional comment. Why It Matters CBP is responsible for safeguarding the nation from potentially hazardous materials and protected wildlife being brought into the country. Discoveries like bloody frogs and raw sea cucumbers raise concerns about possible disease transmission, invasive species and violations of international trade and wildlife protection laws. These cases also highlight the importance of border inspections for both public health and environmental security. According to CBP, prohibited biological materials can threaten U.S. agriculture and ecosystem health if not properly controlled. What To Know In a post on X, CBP said that K-9 Buckie and CBP agriculture specialists discovered the items from a passenger arriving at the airport from South Korea. Along with the frogs and cucumbers, there were Other "unidentified items" discovered along with the frogs and cucumbers as well, CBP said. The items are now with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for identification, the post says. The specific date and time of the seizure was not disclosed in the post. Transporting wildlife and raw animal products into the United States is tightly regulated. Many such items require special permits and must meet strict health and safety standards. The CBP and USFWS routinely cooperate to intercept potentially illegal imports and enforce laws protecting both consumers and native species. A K-9 police dog can be seen alongside bloody frogs, raw sea cucumbers and other "unidentified items," Customs and Border Patrol says. (Photo from CBP) A K-9 police dog can be seen alongside bloody frogs, raw sea cucumbers and other "unidentified items," Customs and Border Patrol says. (Photo from CBP) What People Are Saying CBP said on its website, in part: "The products CBP prevent from entering the United States are those that would injure community health, public safety, American workers, children, or domestic plant and animal life, or those that would defeat our national interests. Sometimes the products that cause injury, or have the potential to do so, may seem fairly innocent. But, as you will see from the material that follows, appearances can be deceiving." The agency continued: "Before you leave for your trip abroad, you might want to talk to CBP about the items you plan to bring back to be sure they're not prohibited or restricted. Prohibited means the item is forbidden by law to enter the United States. Examples of prohibited items are dangerous toys, cars that don't protect their occupants in a crash, bush meat, or illegal substances like absinthe and Rohypnol. Restricted means that special licenses or permits are required from a federal agency before the item is allowed to enter the United States. Examples of restricted items include firearms, certain fruits and vegetables, animal products, animal by products, and some animals." What Happens Next The seized items remain in USFWS custody pending formal identification and review. According to CBP guidelines, travelers importing biological materials or wildlife without proper declaration or permits may face civil penalties or criminal charges. It was not immediately known to Newsweek at the time of publication if the passenger was subject to any penalty.


Buzz Feed
3 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Obscure True Crime Stories
Do you love all things scary, dark, and creepy? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get your weekly dopamine fix of the macabre delivered RIGHT to your inbox! A little while back we asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about a more obscure true crime story they felt more people should be talking about. Here are their bone-chilling responses: The shocking case of Katherine Knight, who was convicted for the gruesome murder of her boyfriend, John Charles Thomas Price in February 2000 in New South Wales, Australia. She became the first one in Australian history to be given a life sentence without parole. "She stabbed her partner at least 37 times and then tried to feed him to her kids. If you're wondering skinned him, took off his head, chopped him into pieces, cooked him, and served it to their kids with potatoes..."—Anonymous The disappearance of Ann Mineko Racz in Newhall, California in 1991. Although Ann's body has never been found, she is believed to have been murdered by her estranged husband, a former LA County Sheriff's sergeant, John Racz. "She was a mother who was in the process of divorcing her (former) sheriff's sergeant husband to be with her high school sweetheart. Her body has never been found, but even her oldest child is convinced the dad/husband is guilty."—laurenenriquezIn August 2007, John Racz was convicted of murdering Ann from circumstantial evidence. Although Racz denied his guilt in the courtroom, the conviction was upheld by an appeals court in 2010. The cryptic case of Franchesca Alvarado, who disappeared while on a trip to Atlantic City with an unidentified older man in 2012. "Franchesca Alvarado, was a 22-year-old single mom from Philadelphia who went to Atlantic City with a male friend in 2012 and never returned. The male acquaintance and her roommate were suspected but nothing ever came about. Her family never got answers from the police, no search party, nothing. They had to Google search constantly "body found" or "human remains" to get answers. Several months after she disappeared they got a hit, a fisherman found her shoe with her foot fully intact inside. They continued searching eventually finding her tibia and femur after which they would personally request with each medical examiner to see if it was their sister's. That was the last they found of her and had to bury what they could. Still to this day, no arrests have been made. She was a beautiful bright girl, I'll never forget her smile, she went to school with some friends of mine who had nothing but good things to say about her. So sad her daughter and family never got answers."—lisect The highly disturbing case of seven-year-old Ondrej and nine-year-old Jakub Mauerova who were severely abused by their mother Klara (pictured below), which included feeding their flesh to relatives, in the Czech Republic in 2008. "It's scary how this was only discovered because a baby monitor at a neighbor's house showed video from the wrong house (the Mauerova house), and that neighbor saw the boy naked and tied up and then called police. It's way too long and complicated to explain thoroughly in a single comment, but basically, a mentally unwell woman adopts a 13-year-old child who was actually in her 30s, gets into a cult, abuses her two sons because people tell her to do so — this abuse includes locking them up in cages where they were eventually discovered and partially skinning at least one of the sons. The mother had set up a baby monitor to watch them suffer."—sperkeles The violent murder of Katie Janness and her partner's dog Bowie who were found stabbed to death outside the entrance to Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia in 2021. "How have there been no updates on a Jack-the-Ripper-style murder that happened in Atlanta's most popular park?!"—curiouspamelaAfter going out for a walk with Bowie and not returning home, Janness' partner Emma Clark allegedly tracked them with her iPhone and found them dead near the park entrance. Clark then called police who arrived around 1 a.m. Unfortunately, the park's security cameras were inactive reportedly because of outdated technology. So, there's no footage of what exactly to an autopsy report, Janness died from "sharp force injuries of her face, neck, and torso" after sustaining more than 50 stab wounds. It was also reported that the letters "F", "A", and "T" had been carved into her torso.A necropsy was also done on Bowie to see if any DNA could be extracted, however, the results of that have not been publically there have been many tips, the case remains unsolved. The ongoing case of Dahlia Bolin, a 16-year-old teen in rural Illinois who is facing charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, solicitation of murder for hire, solicitation of murder, and conspiracy to commit murder in the deadly shooting of her mother, Rebecca Bolin on Oct. 22, 2021. "No one has heard about this yet because it's still going to trial, but in a small town near where I live, a girl hired hitmen to kill her parents. They wouldn't let her date, but she had an OnlyFans account. This girl was 15 at the time. She paid the 'hitmen' $150. They did kill her mother, but her father survived. When this goes to trial, it'll be a Dateline story for sure!"—Anonymous The appalling death of five-year-old Logan Marr in Maine in 2001. Logan, and her younger sister Bailey, had been in the care of a woman named Sally Schofield (pictured below) at the time. Schofield was eventually convicted of manslaughter in Logan's death. "She was removed from a good home then murdered by her foster mom. She was acting out, upset she had been removed from her mother again for bogus reasons. Maine placed her with a DHS (Department of Human Services) employee, Sally Schofield. Schofield wrapped her in duct tape and taped her to a high chair then left her alone in the basement. After a bit, Schofield checked on her and Logan was dead. Schofield is currently out and free."—AnonymousAccording to News Center Maine, "It was later discovered that the girls should never have been at Schofield's home in the first place because she was a supervisor in the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, and the placement violated state rules." The strange disappearance of 16-year-old Ruth Wilson in Box Hill, Surrey, England in 1995. "It is still unsolved, her parents afterward acted in such a weird way. It's also knowing who to believe, the taxi driver, her friends, her parents..."—staceyleighkLeading up to her disappearance, there's conflicting information that Ruth was unhappy at home. Ruth had discovered that her mother had died by suicide after her father had told her she fell down the stairs, and she allegedly did not have a good relationship with her stepmother. On the day she disappeared, she had skipped school, went to a flower shop to buy flowers for her stepmother (requesting they be delivered the following week), and was last seen by a taxi driver who dropped her off near a pub that night. According to the taxi driver, Ruth appeared to be waiting for someone to pick her up, as she "stood still" in the rain. It is unknown what happened to her after that.A documentary on her disappearance, Vanished: the Surrey Schoolgirl, was released in 2018. The controversial and highly suspicious death of Private First Class LaVena Lynn Johnson who was found dead in her tent in Iraq in July 2005. Although her death was ruled a suicide by the Department of Defense, her family argues there was evidence suggesting she'd been raped and murdered. "They murdered that young woman and the details are pretty awful."—stabbycrackerAccording to NPR, "Investigators concluded that Private Johnson shot herself in the mouth with her M-16 rifle in a contractor's tent on the military base in Balad, Iraq, where she was stationed. The report included witness testimony suggesting that she may have been depressed over a recent breakup."However, Johnson's father, John, did not believe any of it, and believes his daughter was raped, murdered, and the murder covered formed his own investigation and they studied the investigation documents, photos, and witness statements. He even had her body exhumed for an independent NPR story continued, "Johnson disputes practically everything about the Army's conclusion. He says her commanding officer described her as happy and healthy. He contends that her arms were too short; that she couldn't have shot herself with her rifle, and that the wound in her head was too small to have been made by an M-16. He says the pictures tell him that LaVena had been beaten. There was no suicide note; the bullet that killed her was not found." The Port Arthur massacre, a mass shooting that happened in Tasmania, Australia on April 28, 1996. The killer, Martin Bryant, killed 35 people, including children, and wounded 23 more. —qtrayvnAfter an 18-hour standoff with police, Bryant barricaded himself in a house with a hostage (who he eventually killed) and then lit the house on fire, which in turn set himself on fire. He came running out of the house on fire where authorities extinguished is currently serving 35 life sentences plus 1,652 years in prison. The gruesome triple homicide of an elderly couple, who were tortured before their death, and their deaf and nearly-blind son in the Boise foothills of Idaho in 2015. "There is very little information on it but I am so curious and want to know and understand everything. It was an older couple in a nice home who lived with their adult son who was deaf and killer broke in to 'steal,' but savagely killed the couple while their son couldn't hear anything and then went to his room and killed him too. To think that he didn't know what was going on while his parents were screaming.I just remember the press conference the chief of police just looked stunned and said it was the most gruesome and bloody crime scene he has seen in his 25-plus years on the police force."—grimchbettahavemymoneyThe perpetrator, Adam Dees, was caught not long after and sentenced to life in prison without parole. The case of Anna Maciejewska from Malvern, Pennsylvania who has been missing since 2017 and whose case is being investigated as a homicide. "Her husband and his family are clearly involved, but they are no longer cooperating with the police. She lived in my neighborhood and I would pass her missing poster each day. Her husband was even seen at the townhouse at night removing something in trash bags. Her parents live in Poland and have not received any answers about their daughter. She also has a son who is being raised by her husband (the main person of interest)."—sprescott93 The terrible Parker-Hulme murder case in Christchurch, New Zealand in June 1954, which actually inspired the Peter Jackson film Heavenly Creatures. "16-year-old Pauline Parker and 15-year-old Juliet Hulme (pictured above) had a very close and obsessive friendship. Juliet was being sent to South Africa for health reasons, and the girls were being separated. Both of them saw Pauline's mother as the obstacle in their path, so they went on a walk to Victoria Park. They dropped a stone, and as Pauline's mother bent over to pick it up, the girls bludgeoned her to death with a half brick in a stocking. They made a story up about an accident when they were questioned by the police, but it fell apart quickly. As they were too young for the death penalty, they were sentenced to 5 years in separate prisons and were released in 1959."—mollyredsull The mysterious and upsetting death of a young girl named Sara Keesling in Riverside, California in 1988 that didn't get enough attention. "Her body was found decomposing on a hillside two weeks after she was reported missing. To this day, no one has ever been suspected, charged, or arrested, nothing. It barely even made the local news at the time. Someone murdered this child and has gotten away with it."—keetawnandon The horrifying case of mass murderer John List who methodically killed his wife, three children, and mother at their home in Westfield, New Jersey in 1971 believing it was "the only way to ensure their safe arrival in heaven." "Probably a more popular one but I'm still fascinated by John List. Killed his entire family and mother and went on the run for 18 years to 'save them from damnation.' As a note, his father who had passed before the murders, and his mother whom he killed are buried in my in-laws' hometown. There is a blank spot on their headstone and local lore says he's buried right next to her in an unmarked grave."—thegassygoose The unthinkable and extremely violent killing and dismemberment of Aliahna Lemmon, a nine-year-old girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana by Michael Plumadore, a family friend who was babysitting her in 2011. "This is one that I feel has a much larger story that isn't even being looked in to. This happened in my town, down the street from where I lived, and this little girl was in my son's class at school. Michael Plumadore was charged with murder in the death of Aliahna Lemmon."—dianah44221ccb5According to CBS News, "Plumadore was allegedly looking after Aliahna and her six-year-old sisters on Dec. 22 at his mobile home while their mother was said they found the girl's head, hands, and feet in the freezer at the mobile home where Plumadore lived with Aliahna's grandfather, who died about three weeks earlier. The other remains were thrown into trash bags and discarded at a gas station. The other girls weren't harmed."Plumadore pleaded guilty in court and agreed to a life sentence without possibility of parole. David Parker Ray, aka the Toy-Box Killer, who was active in the '90s in New Mexico. The moniker came from the fact that he would chain and torture women in his soundproofed "toy box," a semi-trailer. "The Toy-Box Killer was a suspected serial killer who would abduct, rape, and torture his victims. He would drug the women his accomplice would abduct and keep them in a trailer on his property (hence the name). When the victims regained consciousness, he would play them a tape, laying out exactly what was going to happen to them for however long the killer would keep them there. When he was done with them, he would either (presumably) kill them or 'wipe [their] memories' with another drug cocktail before setting them loose on a desert road, naked. He was caught after one of his victims managed to escape. He died in jail before his trial started so his victims never got justice."—flipswhitefudge The tragic case of Keith Warren, a Black teenager who was found hanging from a tree in Maryland in 1986, and whose case was believed to be mishandled and "erroneously ruled a suicide." "His mother is still seeking justice. The police are still ignoring her. The bizarre details of the case and the (in my opinion willful) inaction of the police make it a memorable one. The docuseries I watched about it, Uprooted, was heart-wrenching and I was so struck by his family's anguish."—mollyh40d9072ac The horrible case of Seth Privacky, who shot and killed his parents, grandfather, brother, and his brother's girlfriend in November 1998 in Muskegon, Michigan. "Several motives were offered by Seth and other individuals, but something enraged him on November 28th. After his dad (a 5th-grade teacher) left to pick up his grandfather for a delayed Thanksgiving meal, Seth shot his brother in the head as he watched TV. When his father and grandfather arrived home, Seth shot and killed both in the driveway. He then went upstairs and killed his mother as she got out of the shower. His brother's girlfriend then arrived unexpectedly and saw the bodies in the driveway. Seth then killed her as well. He got a friend to help try and cover up the crime and then fled. The cover-up failed, and Seth was caught, arrested, and sentenced to life in prison. He was killed in 2010 during a failed prison escape attempt."—jenniferr4786d9525 The deplorable case of Marcus Wesson, a mass murderer, abuser, and rapist — including the rape of his own underage daughters and nieces — who is responsible for one of Fresno, California's most horrific crimes. His crimes spanned several decades, from the 1970s until the mid-2000s. "Marcus Wesson ran a cult-like household in the middle of Fresno, California. When authorities got involved after multiple, repeated reports of child abuse, he killed most of his family, including nine of his children, seven of whom were under the age of nine and had been born out of incest."—AnonymousAccording to ABC 30 News, "Wesson believed he was Jesus and if anyone tried to separate the family, then they would all go to heaven. He even went so far as to purchasing caskets from a local antique store months before the mass murder took place."Wesson was convicted on June 17, 2005, on nine counts of murder, and 14 counts of rape and molestation. He was sentenced to death and remains on death row at San Quentin. The awful case of Jeff Pelo, a former Bloomington Police Sergeant who was convicted of repeatedly assaulting four women and stalking a fifth woman in Bloomington, Illinois from 2002–2006. "He used his training and influence as a respected police officer in his community to stalk and assault women and then watched as he made them clean off all evidence making it impossible for detectives to find him. Super creepy guy, makes me glad my dog is not in love with strangers."—silvership35Pelo was sentenced to more than 400 years behind bars for the series of brutal rapes. The case of Robert Garrow, a serial rapist and spree killer who was active in upstate New York in the 1970s. The case turned a bizarre twist when his lawyers refused to disclose the location of the bodies of two of his victims in what became known as the "Buried Bodies Case." The horrifying case of Anthony Sowell aka "The Cleveland Strangler" or "The Imperial Avenue Murderer," a serial killer who was active in Cleveland, Ohio in 2009. "A literal monster in every sense of the word. His victims included 11 women (11 were identified, but could be up to 14) and a local sausage shop that was blamed for the foul smell in the neighborhood. In reality, the odor was from the decomposing bodies scattered throughout Sowell's residence next door."—meghanr4bda0d31dSowell died of a terminal illness while in prison in 2011. The disappearance of Wetumpka, Alabama resident Traci Pittman Kegley in 1998. Her car was found abandoned with her unharmed two-year-old daughter, purse, and ID still inside. "She was due to start a new job the next day and it's noted that her divorce was finalized 16 days before her disappearance."—Anonymous The nightmarish case of Allan Legere, an arsonist, rapist, and serial killer who was active in New Brunswick, Canada in the 1980s. —AnonymousLegere, aka the "Monster of the Miramichi," was initially imprisoned for the murder of a local shopkeeper and the rape and assault of his wife. However, he escaped prison and then went on to four more people over seven months before finally being caught. The awful case of Thomas Koskovich & Jayson Vreeland, aka the "Pizza Killers," who committed their crimes in Franklin, New Jersey in 1997. —AnonymousNew Jersey teens Koskovich and Vreeland were just 18 and 19 years old, respectively, when they killed two randomly chosen pizza deliverymen — Georgio Gallara and Jeremy Giordano. The deliverymen were lured to an abandoned house in a remote location and violently shot to death, multiple times, in their car. According to law enforcement at the time, the teens' motivation was that "they just wanted to see what it would be like to kill somebody." The horrible case of the "Hangman" or "Killer Cop", aka Gerard John Schaefer Jr., a former sheriff's deputy and suspected serial killer active in Florida in the '70s. "I just recently learned about this horrible horrible man. He is responsible for the murders of many women, which were carried out in such horrific ways. If you love listening to True Crime, I recommend listening to a podcast about this guy. My jaw was on the floor that someone could carry out such horrific acts."—Anonymous The case of Bruce McArthur, a serial killer active in the 2010s in Toronto, Canada who targeted marginalized people, primarily gay men of color. "He buried their body parts in landscape pots at a client's home that he landscaped at, and police arrested him right before he was about to murder his next victim. They found the victim tied up when they entered his home."—Anonymous The Ant Hill Kids cult, formed by Roch Thériault in Canada, which was active from the '70s to the '80s. "Honestly, the WORST cult I have ever read about. A few members were brutally tortured and murdered. One even got away after Roch cut her arm completely off. There are so many details but be prepared if you read into it."—AnonymousFounded by Thériault in 1977 as a doomsday cult, Thériault had multiple wives and impregnated all female members of the cult as a "religious requirement." He fathered 26 children. The cult dissolved in 1989 and Thériault was eventually convicted of murder in 1993. Finally, the terrifying case of Gary Lee Bullock, who had only been out of jail for a few hours when he committed the violent murder of a beloved priest in Eureka, California in 2014. "Gary Lee Bullock is my husband's cousin and he bludgeoned a priest to death in Eureka, California on New Year's Day 2014."—AnonymousA jury found Bullock "guilty of first-degree murder with special allegations that the crime was committed while engaged in torture, residential burglary, and carjacking. Bullock was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Is there a lesser-known true crime story you think more people should know about? Tell us in the comments below or via this anonymous form: Are you obsessed with this kind of content? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get your weekly dopamine fix of the macabre delivered RIGHT to your inbox!


Politico
4 hours ago
- Politico
Why is DOJ speaking with Ghislaine Maxwell?
DAY TWO — As part of the Trump administration's effort to contain the backlash from their handling of the so-called Epstein files, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche spent a second day in Tallahassee today interviewing Ghislaine Maxwell. As a diversionary tactic, it's understandable. But as a strictly prosecutorial matter, the effort makes almost no sense. Maxwell, Epstein's longtime partner, raises multiple red flags that would ordinarily make her a very poor candidate to serve as a cooperating witness for the government. Among them: Maxwell's crimes with Jeffrey Epstein were heinous, and she went to trial instead of admitting her guilt and pleading out. She's serving a 20-year prison sentence for child sex trafficking and other crimes. On top of that, the Justice Department has already discredited her. They charged her with two perjury counts (which were later dropped after the sex trafficking conviction) and told the judge during her 2021 trial that she had been willing to 'brazenly lie under oath about her conduct.' Any credible DOJ cooperation deal at this point would require her to plead to those perjury counts, but it is far from clear whether she is willing to do that. The conduct at issue is also very old. Epstein and Maxwell's relationship dates back to the 1990s, and as a result, it will be much harder for the government to corroborate her testimony with other evidence or generate credible information that the government can act upon to charge others at this late date. Adding to the DOJ's problems is the fact that Maxwell has an obvious incentive to lie or otherwise shade her testimony to curry favor with the government. She would presumably want a pardon or commutation of her sentence at the end of the process, and the Trump administration appears particularly interested in information or testimony that would reflect well on Trump amid the growing body of information and reporting concerning his relationship with Epstein. (Trump has repeatedly and vehemently denied any involvement in or awareness of criminal misconduct on the part of Epstein or Maxwell.) Then there's the fact that Blanche himself is doing the interviews with Maxwell. The deputy AG is the DOJ's second-in-command. He presumably has more pressing and consequential matters to attend to than trying to execute a Hail-Mary cooperation deal with a child sex trafficker who is already in prison and who is unlikely to ever emerge as a credible witness in the eyes of the American public. So what gives? Trump and the DOJ are clearly feeling public and political pressure following their effort to quickly move past the Epstein saga and related conspiracy theories — theories that were advanced and indulged in recent years by Trump himself, along with Vice President JD Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, among many other Trump allies. They are also clearly reluctant to release the information that those closely following the Epstein saga actually want — witness interviews, financial records, correspondence and flight logs, among other things. Maxwell aside, it is also unlikely that the grand jury testimony that the DOJ is separately seeking to unseal in New York will satisfy those tracking the Epstein saga even if the government is successful. That is true for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the testimony at issue likely represents only a sliver of information in the government's possession and may not have ranged widely beyond the specific charges that were brought in court against Epstein and Maxwell. As a result, onlookers should view any information that emerges through these avenues skeptically. One thing, however, is clear: The Trump administration and the DOJ are extending a saga that deeply traumatized Epstein's many victims. Under ordinary circumstances, the interests of victims in a situation like this would supersede the political interests of the White House, but they appear to have made a very different calculation. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@ Or contact tonight's author at akhardori@ MORNING MONEY: CAPITAL RISK — POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are adapting. Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs, or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here. What'd I Miss? — Trump on Hamas: 'They want to die': President Donald Trump said today Hamas 'didn't want to make a deal' and 'they want to die,' claiming the group wants to retain the hostages to keep its negotiating leverage .The comments came one day after the United States pulled out of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas and as American allies put increasing pressure on Israel to let up on a campaign in Gaza that is causing widespread starvation. He added: 'It got to a point where you're going to have to finish the job,' an apparent reference to Israel continuing its military offensive against the group. — Trump administration moves to release billions in federal education cash: The Trump administration said today it will release billions of dollars in education funding that have been on hold for review for weeks, according to a senior administration official. Approximately $1.3 billion in money for after-school programs was released by the administration last week, with Friday's move marking the release of the remaining portion of the nearly $7 billion in funding that the administration withheld. The remaining dollars include money to support teacher preparation and students learning English, among other initiatives. — 14 Republican senators urge White House to release delayed NIH funds: Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama is sounding the alarm about 'the slow disbursement rate' of National Institutes of Health funding included in the March spending bill signed by President Donald Trump. Britt, who serves as chair of the Senate Appropriations homeland subcommittee, led a letter today with thirteen of her GOP colleagues to White House Budget Chief Russ Vought, urging the Office of Management and Budget to 'fully implement' the stopgap government funding package enacted earlier this year. 'Suspension of these appropriated funds — whether formally withheld or functionally delayed — could threaten Americans' ability to access better treatments and limit our nation's leadership in biomedical science,' Britt and her colleagues warned. — Maxwell's lawyer says she's undecided on appearing for congressional testimony: A lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell said his client is still deciding whether she will honor a congressional subpoena demanding her testimony next month before House lawmakers. 'We have to make a decision about whether she will do that or not,' said David Oscar Markus, an attorney for Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and co-conspirator of the deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein. 'That's been scheduled for the week of August 11th and we haven't gotten back to them on whether we'll do that.' Markus delivered these remarks after Maxwell completed a two-day interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as part of the Trump administration's continued inquiry into the charges against Epstein's circle. — Pennsylvania Republican called out by Ethics panel for stock investments: A House panel tasked with investigating potential corruption charges against fellow members of Congress called on a Pennsylvania Republican to divest his family's holdings from a steel manufacturer today, citing concerns around the appearance of wrongdoing. The bipartisan Ethics Committee had been investigating a complaint that Rep. Mike Kelly's wife bought stock in Cleveland-Cliffs, an Ohio-based company, based on non-public information gleaned from Kelly's position as an elected official. Although Kelly's wife was not fully cooperative with the probe, the panel 'did not find evidence that [the lawmaker] knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information.' The panel urged Kelly and his wife to divest their holdings before he takes any more official actions related to Cleveland-Cliffs. — Venezuelan Little League team denied entry into US amid Trump travel ban: A Venezuelan Little League baseball team will not be allowed to participate in a championship tournament because the team was denied travel visas to the U.S. Little League International said on Friday the Cacique Mara Little League team from Maracaibo, Venezuela will not participate in the Senior League Baseball World Series in South Carolina this year, despite qualifying for the tournament, after being unable to obtain visas. Venezuela is among the countries the Trump administration has placed restrictions on travel to the U.S. CARNEY URGES ISRAEL — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused Israel late Thursday night of obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza and called for international agencies to take over all distribution. 'Canada condemns the Israeli government's failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza,' Carney said. 'Israel's control of aid distribution must be replaced by comprehensive provision of humanitarian assistance led by international organizations. Many of these are holding significant Canadian-funded aid which has been blocked from delivery to starving civilians. This denial of humanitarian aid is a violation of international law,' he added. '50-50' CHANCE — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet Donald Trump on Sunday to discuss trade, as the U.S. president described the prospect of a deal with the EU as '50-50.' 'Following a good call' with Trump, 'we have agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday to discuss transatlantic trade relations, and how we can keep them strong,' she said in a post on X on Friday. Three weeks ago, the EU and U.S. almost agreed on a deal for a 10 percent baseline tariff, but Trump pulled the rug out from under it by threatening 30 percent tariffs instead. A deadline of July 9 for Trump's tariffs to kick in was moved to Aug. 1. 'I would say that we have a 50-50 chance, maybe less than that, but a 50-50 chance of making a deal with the EU,' Trump told reporters at the White House before heading to the U.K. on a private visit and to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Nightly Number RADAR SWEEP READING THE STARS — Astrology, a longstanding part of Indian culture, is expanding its reach into the stock market. India's $7 billion astrology market is experiencing a boom as more people, especially younger generations, rely on planetary alignments to decide how to invest. Astrologers are offering their services to financial news shows and consultations through apps with tens of millions of users. The industry's growth has started to attract venture capitalists who see an opportunity to integrate AI into the age-old practice. Preeti Soni and Akriti Sharma report for Bloomberg. Parting Image Jacqueline Munis contributed to this newsletter. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.