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”
On August 21, 1863, the residents of Lawrence, Kansas woke up to chaos. The Civil War was raging, and this Midwestern town, far from the front lines, was at the center, 500 men rode into town, killing men and boys, and burning down the homes and businesses. They said they were fighting for the Confederacy, but were they really just criminals looking to steal and kill? In this true crime documentary, we explore the question of whether this was mass murder or an act of war.
Continue reading “Fire on the Prairie: The Story of the Lawrence Massacre”
Before he was President, before the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was the most successful attorney in Springfield Illinois. But when a young man from a prominent family killed someone, Lincoln was an odd choice for the defense. This true crime documentary features one of the most famous historical figures in American history in a case where the stakes couldn’t have been higher for the defendant – and his lawyer.
Continue reading “When Lincoln Defended A Killer: The Story of Peachy Quinn”
Is it true crime or military might? The documentary that shows what happened to the protesters when WW1 veterans came to Washington D.C. to get an early payout of a benefits package and the army, led by generals who will become famous in WW2, used teargas and tanks to evict them.
Continue reading “When Protesters Met Bayonets: The Story of the Bonus Army”
In October of 1871, a mob in Los Angeles descended upon a poor neighborhood and hunted down every Chinese man they could find. The killing spree would last four hours. There were several trials, but many of the witnesses stayed away – and one group, the surviving Chinese, were kept from testifying. Then the entire event was buried so deep in the history books that even the descendants of the survivors didn’t know it happened.
Continue reading “The Night of Horrors: The Story of the Chinese Massacre”
In 1909, a major philanthropist in Missouri died. He was 81 and had a number of health issues. His death might have been natural…. Except…. In the same house a family member had died just weeks before, and another would die weeks later. Fingers pointed to one man, Bennett Clark Hyde. The trials that followed divided a family and left a legacy of doubt that haunts Missouri to this day.
Continue reading “The Man Who Poisoned a Dynasty: The Story of Bennett Clark Hyde”
In 1926, one invention was changing lives all across America. And in rural Wisconsin it was about to the change the life of a young woman who thought she was on the road to her future. When she disappeared, her father did everything to find her, but what he uncovered not only changed his life, it changed everything
Continue reading “Murder at the Crossroads: The Story of Clara Olson”
In 1925 Detroit, Michigan the family of Ossian Sweet, a Black family, moved into a White neighborhood. A mob attacked their home with rocks, and one man was killed. 10 men went to trial for first-degree murder. With Clarence Darrow leading the defense, the attorneys and the NAACP had to convince an all-White jury that defending one’s home was not a crime, but a right.
Continue reading “The Castle on Garland Street: The Story of Ossian Sweet”
