We’ve all heard of him. But do you know why? There were lots of men who didn’t settle back into their old lives following the Civil War, and some of them turned to the outlaw life, like Jesse and Frank James. But why do we know these names? It’s a surprising answer that likely contributed to Jesse’s death.
Continue reading “Legend or Killer: The Story of Jesse James”
She was the head of a vicious gang of robbers, killers and kidnappers. She was a nice lady who was kind to neighborhood kids. She was a simple woman who enjoyed the finer things and never asked questions about where the money came from. She was a “Karen” who defended her boys to the police, her husband, and anyone who got in her way. So, who was Kate “Ma” Barker and what’s the real story behind the legend?
Check out the Ma Barker House: https://mabarkerhouse.org/
On a bridge in Morrison, Colorado, the fate of two men intersected. One man had everything going for him, the other should have. What happened there led to a search, a gruesome discovery and a manhunt through multiple states and two countries. The result wasn’t just the loss of a life, but the destruction of part of the most famous family in Colorado.
Continue reading “Deadly Brew: The Story of the Coors Kidnapping”
A local doctor, known to help anyone who asked, disappeared. The rumors started. Had he run away with a married woman? Gone back to his native Ireland? Or was he a British spy? It soon became public knowledge that he was a member of a secret organization to help bring about Irish independence, and it became clear that there had been some trouble connected to the group. Was he the cause, or was he a victim?
Continue reading “Ireland ’s Cause, America’s Crime: The Story of Patrick Henry Cronin”
He used his words to persuade, and he died because of them. In 1837, Elijah Lovejoy became a martyr to the first amendment, specifically freedom of the press, because as a newspaper editor, he believed in speaking out on the biggest injustice of his day. But after he was murdered, was there any justice for him?
Continue reading “First Amendment Murder: The Story of Elijah Lovejoy”
Bridge was a national obsession in 1929, and it was the personal obsession of an upper middle-class woman in Kansas City, Missouri. Myrtle Bennett poured over books about how to improve her game. She played whenever she had the chance. Her husband Jack was her frequent partner, but one night during a game, Myrtle and Jack got into a fight that led to a murder. As tragic as it was, it was the reaction from other bridge players that remains shocking.
Continue reading “Hand of Death: The Story of Myrtle Bennett”
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the most famous event of Prohibition happened in a garage on Chicago’s North Side. We all know that Al Capone tried to kill Bugs Moran but instead killed a bunch of his guys. Except, maybe that isn’t what happened. There are lots of theories about who and why but not as many answers. What we do know is that February 14, 1929, changed everything for Capone, Moran and Prohibition itself.
Continue reading “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre: The Story of Prohibition’s Deadliest Day”
Prohibition became law in the U.S. in January 1920. But in Chicago, it was more of a suggestion. It turned ordinary people into criminals, and criminals into superstars. Explore where true crime meets commerce in a documentary about a time when Chicago’s underworld mob became household names.
Continue reading “The Rise of Chicago’s Underworld: The Story of the Early Mob”
Meriwether Lewis is known for being half of Lewis and Clark, who in 1804 led an extraordinary expedition into the lands of the Louisiana Purchase. But having survived that harrowing journey, just five years later, Lewis was found shot to death in a remote cabin in Tennessee. Is this a true crime? The question of what really happened has plagued historians for centuries.
Continue reading “Dead at Dawn: The Story of Meriwether Lewis”
His death is often cited on lists called, “Stupid Ways People Have Died” … and it was stupid. But the life of attorney and politician Clement Vallandigham was complicated. During the Civil War he was a free speech advocate and a convicted traitor. He was beloved by some in Ohio, hated by others and, ultimately, laughed about by most. The true crime is a shooting in a bar room brawl on Christmas Eve, but this is a documentary about the lawyer who defended that case with his life.
Continue reading “Death of the Defense: The Story of Clement Vallandigham”
