guilty
Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time; a look into all aspects of a guilty verdict from the burden of proof to conviction to the judge’s sentence and more.
Is There Good in the Presence of Evil?
Human nature is a topic that has been argued for centuries. Some say that human nature started out good from the beginning, while others say it was always evil from start to finish. One of the most common arguments when it comes to human nature is the debate of whether good is there in the presence of evil nature or not. When you look at the wide variety of serial killers, how often is there any good in them? How can you look at the victims and their families and believe that the killer was good at all?
By cassie myers8 years ago in Criminal
Jodi Arias and the 10 Year Anniversary of Her Crime
I remember hearing about Jodi Arias in 2008 after she made headlines for the brutal murder of her boyfriend, Travis Alexander. He was stabbed 27 times, shot in the head, and had his throat slit. I remember I couldn't believe a "hot blonde" with "innocent eyes" could be capable of such a serial killer-like action. Especially when she lied to the public, not once, not twice, but a handful of times to try and clear her name. Although none of her attempts were successful, why did she continue to lie? What did she get out of the whole thing? But most importantly, why did she commit one of the most brutal crimes known to mankind?
By norma jean8 years ago in Criminal
Serial Killer Nurses Who Murdered Their Patients
Serial killers come in all forms; your cute old neighbor next door, serial killer couples, and even your own kids. But perhaps the most chilling are those who are meant to help save lives, but instead purposefully end them. In the hands of medical personnel, we all like to feel we’re in the comforting aid of those who know exactly what to do at just the right time. But occasionally, a few faulty seeds seep through the cracks, and the end result can be dark, chilling, and more than we’d like to believe, fatal.
By Lenny Legman8 years ago in Criminal
4 Impersonators You Won't Forget
Most of us know about Frank Abagnale, one of the greatest impersonators of all time. His crimes were chronicled in the Spielberg movie Catch Me If You Can, where he is portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. He eventually made millions as a white collar crime consultant for the FBI. But, there have been other famous criminal impersonators who didn't have a successful endgame. David Hampton was a 19-year-old kid when he and a friend were denied admittance to a ritzy Manhattan nightclub. He returned to the line, and when he got up to the front, he told the bouncer he was the son of Sidney Poitier. This began a career for Hampton. He would show up at first-class restaurants without a reservation and claim he was there to meet his father. He would finish his meal, feign disappointment with his father's no-show, and sign for the meal, charging it to Poitiers. Then, as David Poitier, he began setting up wealthy and famous New Yorkers. He would claim he was mugged, had given up all his money, and beg for a place to stay. His victims included Calvin Klein and Gary Sinise, among others. In 1990 he was immortalized in the film, Six Degrees of Separation, where he is portrayed by Will Smith. His David Poitier ploy was blown. He continued to impersonate others until 1993 when he died of AIDS.
By Monica Bennett8 years ago in Criminal
Womb Raiders
Every month, Darci Pierce added to her girth by stuffing clothing under her clothes. She had told everyone she was pregnant. Now, she was running out of time. This "baby" was already past term, and Darci was having a hard time finding excuses for an overdue birth. She believed the only reason her husband had married her was that she was pregnant. In a calculated and well thought out plan, she read about the techniques of doing a Caesarian delivery, bought the tools and supplies necessary, and then she selected her victim. Cindy Ray was kidnapped at gunpoint from the parking lot of her obstetrician. The gun was a fake. Cindy was 8 months pregnant, and Darci's best chance at success. The operation was to be performed at Darci's home, but as they pulled up, Darci realized her husband was home. She drove Cindy up into the wooded mountains. Darci strangled Cindy, dragged her behind some bushes and tore open Cindy's abdomen with her car keys. Cindy was still alive as Darci chewed through the umbilical cord with her teeth. When Pierce was taken to the hospital, she refused to allow doctors to examine her and started to change her story about giving birth, saying it was a surrogate who gave birth to the baby. The authorities were called and eventually, the 19-year-old womb raider was arrested. Cindy was dead by the time police found her. The baby survived. Pierce received a 30-year sentence.
By Monica Bennett8 years ago in Criminal
Parents Who Kill Their Children
Elise and Harry Donnison were murdered by their mother, Fiona Donnison, in 2010. She smothered them while they were sleeping with their own pillows. The reason? To get back at her husband for leaving her and starting a new relationship. Forensic Science International published a study based on three decades of filicide (child killing) events between 1976 and 2007. In the United States, these crimes occur at the rate of 500 a year. Victims of parental murder were usually under six years of age (72 percent). One-third of those cases were babies under a year old. In fact, a baby is in the greatest danger of being killed on the very day it is born. There are five recognized motives behind filicide:
By Monica Bennett8 years ago in Criminal
Female Cannibal Killers That Will Make Your Skin Crawl
They loved only one other thing more than murder: human flesh. Jeffrey Dahmer himself would shiver in his boots if he ever ran across these special women, whose blood lusts dug far deeper into madness than he could ever even believe. Their reasons and stories are but a small glimpse into convoluted minds that saw a great deal of torment in a wide range of ways.
By Donald Gray8 years ago in Criminal
Arson
All violent crime is about power, and arson is no exception. When you imagine the devastating fury of uncontrolled flames, you are imagining an exercise of power that boggles the mind. Whether the arsonist is professional or an amateur, he follows the pattern of obtaining power; demonstrating it, maintaining it, and acquiring lost power. Statistics for arson fires are alarming. From 2010 until 2014, the latest years for which this information is available, there were 261,330 arson fires in the United States. Fatalities number 440, 1,300 injured, and one billion dollars in property damage. There are 20 offenders per 100,000 people. Most of these fires, a full 50 percent, occur at night. Motives include; thrill-seeking, vandalism, concealment of another crime, profit, revenge, attention seeking, hero complex, politics, terrorism, and mental illness.
By Monica Bennett8 years ago in Criminal
Why Are We So Fascinated With Serial Killers?
Serial killers have become an enduring part of contemporary popular culture thanks to a certain je ne sais quoi, and that has more to do with us than with them. We want to be able to understand serial killers so that we can simultaneously gawk at them, be afraid of them, and feel like we can control them, but we're always left unsatisfied thanks to the cognitive dissonance we experience when we're aware of both how similar and different they are from the rest of us. It's this visceral reaction will ensure that we're always fascinated with serial killers.
By Ben Kharakh8 years ago in Criminal
