In recent years, the true crime genre has become more popular than ever. The fascination with real criminals has stealthily crept into our pop culture, replacing romcom evenings with binge-watching marathons of series and movies about cults, homicides, and fraud. Such high demand for the genre has left directors no other choice but to continue finding true crime stories and turning them into TV shows or movies, feeding into viewers’ strange obsession.
Many of these series and films based on true crimes can be found in the list below, carefully curated by our Bored Panda team. Scroll down to find them, and make sure to upvote the ones you’re definitely adding to your next-to-watch list.
While you're at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation with Nikki Young, the host of the Serial Napper true crime podcast, and Christy and Jackie, the hosts of the Kill*r Fun true crime podcast, who kindly agreed to talk with us more about adaptations of true crime cases.
#21 2020 Documentary Series "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich"
Jeffrey Edward Epstein (January 20, 1953 – August 10, 2019) was an American financier and child sex offender.
In 2005, police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein after a parent reported that he had sexually abused her 14-year-old daughter. Federal officials identified 36 girls, some as young as 14 years old, whom Epstein had allegedly sexually abused. Epstein pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2008 by a Florida state court of procuring a child for p**********n and of soliciting a prostitute. He was convicted of only these two crimes as part of a controversial plea deal, and served almost 13 months in custody but with extensive work release.
Epstein was arrested again on July 6, 2019, on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. He died in his jail cell on August 10, 2019. The medical examiner ruled that his death was a s*****e by hanging.
In 2005, police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein after a parent reported that he had sexually abused her 14-year-old daughter. Federal officials identified 36 girls, some as young as 14 years old, whom Epstein had allegedly sexually abused. Epstein pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2008 by a Florida state court of procuring a child for p**********n and of soliciting a prostitute. He was convicted of only these two crimes as part of a controversial plea deal, and served almost 13 months in custody but with extensive work release.
Epstein was arrested again on July 6, 2019, on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. He died in his jail cell on August 10, 2019. The medical examiner ruled that his death was a s*****e by hanging.
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20points
What these podcasters comments help us understand is that while media about true crime can make us more aware of the bad things happening in the world (encouraging us to stay protected and safe), bring more attention to cases, and even help solve some of them, they aren’t always ethical or fair in the way they’re portraying people involved in the cases.
So when you’re binge-watching your next true crime series or movie, try to critically assess if the piece of media you’re watching is ethical or accurate and whether you want to support it or not. Remember, the individuals you see on the screen are real, meaning that their lives are much more complicated, and reducing them to victims or villains isn’t always fair or correct.
#22 2023 Documentary "Curry & Cyanide - The Jolly Joseph Case"
The series is based on actual events in Koodathayi, a village in Kerala, India, between 2002 and 2016. Jolly Joseph, a mother and wife, was accused of poisoning six members of her family, including her first husband, with cyanide-laced food. She allegedly did this to inherit the family property and to marry her lover, who was her husband’s cousin.
In 2002, Annamma Thomas (aged 57), the mother-in-law of the accused, drank a glass of water. Immediately afterwards, she began to feel uneasy and dizzy, eventually collapsing on the floor. She was taken to the hospital where she later died.
In 2008, Tom Thomas (aged 66), Annamma's husband and Jolly's father-in-law, passed away after swooning and collapsing.
In 2011, Roy Thomas (aged 40), Jolly's then husband, died after consuming his dinner of rice and Bengal gram curry. He was found dead in a bathroom which was locked from the inside.
In 2014, Mathew (aged 68) swooned and died after Jolly allegedly gave him poison-laden whisky. The deceased Roy has a cousin named Shaju Zachariah.
The same year (2014), Shaju's two-year-old daughter, Alphine Shaju, died after "choking on food".
In 2016, Jolly allegedly gave Sily Shaju (aged 41), Alphine's mother, a mushroom capsule, which Jolly convinced Sily that would help her with energy and depression and Sily died on the spot soon after.
In 2002, Annamma Thomas (aged 57), the mother-in-law of the accused, drank a glass of water. Immediately afterwards, she began to feel uneasy and dizzy, eventually collapsing on the floor. She was taken to the hospital where she later died.
In 2008, Tom Thomas (aged 66), Annamma's husband and Jolly's father-in-law, passed away after swooning and collapsing.
In 2011, Roy Thomas (aged 40), Jolly's then husband, died after consuming his dinner of rice and Bengal gram curry. He was found dead in a bathroom which was locked from the inside.
In 2014, Mathew (aged 68) swooned and died after Jolly allegedly gave him poison-laden whisky. The deceased Roy has a cousin named Shaju Zachariah.
The same year (2014), Shaju's two-year-old daughter, Alphine Shaju, died after "choking on food".
In 2016, Jolly allegedly gave Sily Shaju (aged 41), Alphine's mother, a mushroom capsule, which Jolly convinced Sily that would help her with energy and depression and Sily died on the spot soon after.
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20points
#23 2017 Documentary "The Keepers"
Catherine Anne Cesnik (born November 17, 1942; disappeared November 7, 1969) was a Roman Catholic religious sister and a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
On November 7, 1969, she left the apartment she shared with Helen Russell Phillips at the Carriage House Apartments, at 131 North Bend Road in Catonsville, en route to the Edmondson Village Shopping Center to purchase a gift for her sister's engagement at Hecht's jewelry store. She cashed a paycheck at First National Bank in Catonsville that night. She may have made a purchase at Muhly's Bakery in Edmondson Village, since a box of buns from that bakery was found in the front seat of her car.
At 4:40 AM the next morning, Russell's friends, Father Peter McKeon and Father Gerard J. Koob; both Catholic priests, found Cesnik's car, in muddy condition, and illegally parked across from her apartment complex. Residents at the apartment complex noticed Cesnik in her car that night at approximately 8:30 PM, and others spotted her car illegally parked across the street about two hours later.
Immediately after Cesnik's disappearance, police searched the area for her body without success. On January 3, 1970, her body was found by a hunter and his son in an informal landfill located on the 2100 block of Monumental Road, in a remote area of Lansdowne. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head.
On November 7, 1969, she left the apartment she shared with Helen Russell Phillips at the Carriage House Apartments, at 131 North Bend Road in Catonsville, en route to the Edmondson Village Shopping Center to purchase a gift for her sister's engagement at Hecht's jewelry store. She cashed a paycheck at First National Bank in Catonsville that night. She may have made a purchase at Muhly's Bakery in Edmondson Village, since a box of buns from that bakery was found in the front seat of her car.
At 4:40 AM the next morning, Russell's friends, Father Peter McKeon and Father Gerard J. Koob; both Catholic priests, found Cesnik's car, in muddy condition, and illegally parked across from her apartment complex. Residents at the apartment complex noticed Cesnik in her car that night at approximately 8:30 PM, and others spotted her car illegally parked across the street about two hours later.
Immediately after Cesnik's disappearance, police searched the area for her body without success. On January 3, 1970, her body was found by a hunter and his son in an informal landfill located on the 2100 block of Monumental Road, in a remote area of Lansdowne. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head.
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19points
#24 2022 Documentary Movie "The Gabby Petito Story"
In August 2021, 22-year-old American woman Gabrielle Venora Petito was k****d by her fiancé Brian Christopher Laundrie while they were traveling together on a vanlife journey across the United States. The trip was planned to last for four months and began on July 2, 2021, but Petito disappeared on August 27.
The Laundrie family's lawyer released the full notebook entry, in which Laundrie claims that he k****d Petito after she had fallen and injured herself: "I ended her life. I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but now I see all the mistake I made." The note ends with his plans for s*****e: "I am ending my life not because of a fear of punishment but rather because I can't stand to live another day without her."
On October 20, Laundrie's skeletal remains (identified by forensic dentistry) and some of his belongings were found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, in an area that had recently been underwater due to flooding. His cause of death could not be determined by an autopsy, and his remains were given to a forensic anthropologist for further examination. On November 23, it was announced that the anthropologist had concluded that Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Experts, however, contend that Laundrie's account does not match investigators' findings. Michael Alcazar from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice believed Laundrie was "someone who doesn't want to own up to what he did" and was "trying to find justification for the actions he did".
The Laundrie family's lawyer released the full notebook entry, in which Laundrie claims that he k****d Petito after she had fallen and injured herself: "I ended her life. I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but now I see all the mistake I made." The note ends with his plans for s*****e: "I am ending my life not because of a fear of punishment but rather because I can't stand to live another day without her."
On October 20, Laundrie's skeletal remains (identified by forensic dentistry) and some of his belongings were found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, in an area that had recently been underwater due to flooding. His cause of death could not be determined by an autopsy, and his remains were given to a forensic anthropologist for further examination. On November 23, it was announced that the anthropologist had concluded that Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Experts, however, contend that Laundrie's account does not match investigators' findings. Michael Alcazar from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice believed Laundrie was "someone who doesn't want to own up to what he did" and was "trying to find justification for the actions he did".
19points
Another important thing to mention is the effect that true crime consumption can have on us. Too much of it can increase anxiety and even change our worldview to a more negative one. Since these podcasters consume a lot of true crime content, we were curious about how they cope with it.
“I have a weekly true crime podcast called Serial Napper—meaning I am constantly consuming true crime all day, every day. At times, it has had a serious effect on my mental health and I need to take breaks,” Nikki shared.
“However, I try to focus my time on unsolved cases and stories where the victim's family has reached out to me, asking me to share. Ignoring all of the bad things going on in the world doesn't mean that it's not happening all around us—at least I can try to do something positive in the true crime space by taking a victim-centric approach, driving more awareness of crimes that need solving. Not all true crime is exploitative and for entertainment purposes only—it's a fact of our society and one where justice can be sought through the spread of information and exposure.”
#25 2022 Documentary Movie "My Daughter’s K****r"
The Kalinka Bamberski case has spanned 30 years and has caused considerable publicity because of the issues of French-German relations and vigilante justice it raised. Kalinka Bamberski, a French teenager, was k****d in 1982 in the house of her German stepfather, Dieter Krombach, a serial rapist and former physician. Suspicious autopsy results caused the girl's French father André Bamberski to pressure German authorities into investigating Krombach's involvement in the death.
When Germany closed the case and denied extradition to France, Krombach was tried in absentia in France and convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 1995, a verdict later overturned by the European Court of Human Rights on procedural grounds. In 2009, Bamberski had Krombach abducted in Germany and driven to France. Krombach stood trial there, was convicted in 2011 of having caused intentional bodily harm resulting in unintentional death, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The European Court of Human Rights upheld the verdict on appeal in 2018. A French court gave Bamberski a one-year suspended sentence for the abduction.
When Germany closed the case and denied extradition to France, Krombach was tried in absentia in France and convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 1995, a verdict later overturned by the European Court of Human Rights on procedural grounds. In 2009, Bamberski had Krombach abducted in Germany and driven to France. Krombach stood trial there, was convicted in 2011 of having caused intentional bodily harm resulting in unintentional death, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The European Court of Human Rights upheld the verdict on appeal in 2018. A French court gave Bamberski a one-year suspended sentence for the abduction.
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19points
#26 2010 American Mystery/Crime Romantic Drama Film "All Good Things"
Movie is inspired by the life of Robert Durst.
Robert Alan Durst (April 12, 1943 – January 10, 2022) was an American real estate heir and convicted m******r. The eldest son of New York City real estate magnate Seymour Durst, he garnered attention as a suspect in the unsolved 1982 disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack; the 2000 m****r of his longtime friend, Susan Berman; and the 2001 k*****g of neighbor Morris Black. Acquitted of m********g Black in 2003, Durst did not face further legal action until his participation in the 2015 documentary miniseries The Jinx led to him being charged with Berman's m****r. Durst was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. He was also charged with McCormack's m****r shortly after his sentencing, but died in 2022 before a trial could begin.
His conviction for Berman's m****r was automatically vacated upon his death because his appeal was still pending.
Robert Alan Durst (April 12, 1943 – January 10, 2022) was an American real estate heir and convicted m******r. The eldest son of New York City real estate magnate Seymour Durst, he garnered attention as a suspect in the unsolved 1982 disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack; the 2000 m****r of his longtime friend, Susan Berman; and the 2001 k*****g of neighbor Morris Black. Acquitted of m********g Black in 2003, Durst did not face further legal action until his participation in the 2015 documentary miniseries The Jinx led to him being charged with Berman's m****r. Durst was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. He was also charged with McCormack's m****r shortly after his sentencing, but died in 2022 before a trial could begin.
His conviction for Berman's m****r was automatically vacated upon his death because his appeal was still pending.
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19points
#27 2008 American Mystery Crime Drama Film "Changeling"
The story was based on real-life events, specifically the 1928 Wineville Chicken Coop m*****s in Mira Loma, California.
The Wineville Chicken Coop m*****s , also known as the Wineville Chicken m*****s , were a series of abductions and m*****s of young boys that occurred in the city of Los Angeles and in Riverside County, California, United States between 1926 and 1928. The m*****s were perpetrated by Gordon Stewart Northcott, a 19-year-old farmer who had moved to the U.S. from Canada two years earlier, as well as his mother, Sarah Louise Northcott, and his nephew, Sanford Clark.
Northcott was arrested while visiting his sister in Canada in November 1928. The case received national attention because one of the assumed victims was Walter Collins, the nine-year-old son of Christine Collins, who had gone missing in March 1928. While authorities initially considered the possibility that the total number of boys k****d might have been as high as 20, this theory was eliminated as the investigation began to unfold. Northcott was found guilty of three of the m*****s in February 1929 and was executed at San Quentin State Prison in October 1930.
The Wineville Chicken Coop m*****s , also known as the Wineville Chicken m*****s , were a series of abductions and m*****s of young boys that occurred in the city of Los Angeles and in Riverside County, California, United States between 1926 and 1928. The m*****s were perpetrated by Gordon Stewart Northcott, a 19-year-old farmer who had moved to the U.S. from Canada two years earlier, as well as his mother, Sarah Louise Northcott, and his nephew, Sanford Clark.
Northcott was arrested while visiting his sister in Canada in November 1928. The case received national attention because one of the assumed victims was Walter Collins, the nine-year-old son of Christine Collins, who had gone missing in March 1928. While authorities initially considered the possibility that the total number of boys k****d might have been as high as 20, this theory was eliminated as the investigation began to unfold. Northcott was found guilty of three of the m*****s in February 1929 and was executed at San Quentin State Prison in October 1930.
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19points
Christy and Jackie say that the key is to take breaks and vary the type of content one consumes. “Like eating vegetables or limiting sweets, it's important to pay attention to how the balance of things in your life is impacting it. If we feel overwhelmed by true crime, we will pick something funny—crime-related or not—to balance things out. When life is really feeling too crushing for whatever reason, we find that spending time with friends and loved ones doing a relaxing activity or just sharing a meal can make all the difference.”
#28 2006 American Neo-Noir Crime Thriller Film "Lonely Hearts"
Movie is based on the true story of the notorious "Lonely Hearts Killers" spree k*****g of the 1940s, Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez.
Raymond Martinez Fernandez (December 17, 1914 – March 8, 1951) and Martha Jule Beck (May 6, 1920 – March 8, 1951) were an American serial k****r couple. They were convicted of one m****r, are known to have committed two more, and were suspected of having k****d up to twenty victims during a spree between 1947 and 1949.
After their arrest and trial for serial m****r in 1949, Fernandez and Beck became known as the Lonely Hearts Killers for meeting their unsuspecting victims through personal ads, posted in newspaper lonely hearts columns.
Fernandez quickly confessed. The pair vehemently denied committing seventeen m*****s that were attributed to them, and Fernandez tried to retract his confession, saying he made it only to protect Beck. They were extradited to New York, which still instituted the death penalty. Fay's m****r was the only one for which the couple were tried, and they were both sentenced to death. They were executed at Sing Sing prison on March 8, 1951.
Raymond Martinez Fernandez (December 17, 1914 – March 8, 1951) and Martha Jule Beck (May 6, 1920 – March 8, 1951) were an American serial k****r couple. They were convicted of one m****r, are known to have committed two more, and were suspected of having k****d up to twenty victims during a spree between 1947 and 1949.
After their arrest and trial for serial m****r in 1949, Fernandez and Beck became known as the Lonely Hearts Killers for meeting their unsuspecting victims through personal ads, posted in newspaper lonely hearts columns.
Fernandez quickly confessed. The pair vehemently denied committing seventeen m*****s that were attributed to them, and Fernandez tried to retract his confession, saying he made it only to protect Beck. They were extradited to New York, which still instituted the death penalty. Fay's m****r was the only one for which the couple were tried, and they were both sentenced to death. They were executed at Sing Sing prison on March 8, 1951.
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18points
#29 TV Show "Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story" And Documentary "The Menendez Brothers"
Joseph Lyle Menendez and Erik Galen Menendez commonly referred to as the Menendez brothers, are American brothers convicted of k*****g their parents, José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home in 1989.
Following the m*****s, Lyle and Erik claimed that unknown intruders were responsible for the m*****s, framing it as a potential mob k*****g. Police initially investigated this claim, but grew suspicious due to the brothers' spending and their hiring of a computer expert to delete their father's recently updated will.
During their first trial, the defense argued that the brothers k****d their parents in self-defense after years of alleged sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.
Lyle and Erik were charged with two counts of first-degree m****r with special circumstances for lying in wait, making them eligible for the death penalty, and charges of conspiracy to m****r.
Following the m*****s, Lyle and Erik claimed that unknown intruders were responsible for the m*****s, framing it as a potential mob k*****g. Police initially investigated this claim, but grew suspicious due to the brothers' spending and their hiring of a computer expert to delete their father's recently updated will.
During their first trial, the defense argued that the brothers k****d their parents in self-defense after years of alleged sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.
Lyle and Erik were charged with two counts of first-degree m****r with special circumstances for lying in wait, making them eligible for the death penalty, and charges of conspiracy to m****r.
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17points
#30 2022 Documentary "Capturing The K****r Nurse"
Charles Edmund Cullen is an American serial k****r. While working as a nurse, Cullen m******d dozens -possibly hundreds - of patients during a 16-year career spanning several New Jersey and Pennsylvania medical centers until being arrested in 2003.
He confessed to committing as many as 40 m*****s at least 29 of which have been confirmed, though interviews with police, psychiatrists and journalists suggest he committed many more.
Researchers who are intimately involved in the case believe Cullen may have m******d as many as 400 people. However, most m*****s cannot be confirmed due to lack of records.
He confessed to committing as many as 40 m*****s at least 29 of which have been confirmed, though interviews with police, psychiatrists and journalists suggest he committed many more.
Researchers who are intimately involved in the case believe Cullen may have m******d as many as 400 people. However, most m*****s cannot be confirmed due to lack of records.
17points
#31 2017 Documentary "Abducted In Plain Sight"
Jan Broberg Felt is an American actress, singer, dancer, and kidnapping survivor. Broberg was kidnapped when she was twelve, and again when she was fourteen, both times by Robert Berchtold, a friend of the family, who had sexual encounters with both parents.
On October 30, 2003, she and her mother Mary Ann published a book titled Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story which completely omitted her father's sexual involvement with the perpetrator. Broberg's story was the feature of the true crime documentary Abducted in Plain Sight. Filmed and produced over a three-year period, it was released in January 2019. Robert Berchtold committed s*****e in 2005 following news that another prosecution for his crimes was imminent.
On October 30, 2003, she and her mother Mary Ann published a book titled Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story which completely omitted her father's sexual involvement with the perpetrator. Broberg's story was the feature of the true crime documentary Abducted in Plain Sight. Filmed and produced over a three-year period, it was released in January 2019. Robert Berchtold committed s*****e in 2005 following news that another prosecution for his crimes was imminent.
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17points
#32 2023 Documentary "A Life Too Short: The Isabella Nardoni Case"
The m****r of Isabella de Oliveira Nardoni was one of the most infamous filicide cases in Brazil. On the night of 29 March 2008, the five-year-old girl Isabella died from severe injuries after being thrown out of the sixth floor of the building where her father Alexandre Alves Nardoni, stepmother Anna Carolina Trotta Peixoto Jatobá, and newborn half-siblings lived in North São Paulo. Investigations concluded that the girl had been physically abused by her father and stepmother and both were convicted for intentional homicide.
Brazilian media has closely followed the case, offering continuous updates. A survey suggested that more than 98% of Brazilians are aware of her death - the highest percentage in the history of Brazilian media coverage research.
After a five-day-long trial, in the early hours of 27 March 2010, Alexandre Nardoni was sentenced to 31 years, 1 month and 10 days of imprisonment; Anna Carolina Jatobá, to 26 years and 8 months for Isabella's death. Outside the forum, people celebrated their sentence with fireworks.
Brazilian media has closely followed the case, offering continuous updates. A survey suggested that more than 98% of Brazilians are aware of her death - the highest percentage in the history of Brazilian media coverage research.
After a five-day-long trial, in the early hours of 27 March 2010, Alexandre Nardoni was sentenced to 31 years, 1 month and 10 days of imprisonment; Anna Carolina Jatobá, to 26 years and 8 months for Isabella's death. Outside the forum, people celebrated their sentence with fireworks.
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17points
#33 2003 Documentary Movie "Monster"
Aileen Carol Wuornos (February 29, 1956 – October 9, 2002) was an American serial k****r. In 1989–1990, while engaging in street p**********n along highways in Florida, she shot dead and robbed seven of her male clients. Wuornos claimed that her clients had either raped or attempted to r**e her, and that the homicides of the men were committed in self-defense.
Wuornos was sentenced to death for six of the m*****s. She was executed on October 9, 2002, by lethal injection after spending more than 10 years on Florida's death row.
By the age of 11, Wuornos began engaging in sexual activities in school in exchange for cigarettes, d***s, and food. She had also engaged in sexual activities with her brother. Wuornos said that her alcoholic grandfather had sexually assaulted and beaten her when she was a child. Before beating her, he would force her to strip out of her clothes. In 1970, at age 14, she became pregnant after being raped by a family friend.
Wuornos was sentenced to death for six of the m*****s. She was executed on October 9, 2002, by lethal injection after spending more than 10 years on Florida's death row.
By the age of 11, Wuornos began engaging in sexual activities in school in exchange for cigarettes, d***s, and food. She had also engaged in sexual activities with her brother. Wuornos said that her alcoholic grandfather had sexually assaulted and beaten her when she was a child. Before beating her, he would force her to strip out of her clothes. In 1970, at age 14, she became pregnant after being raped by a family friend.
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17points
#34 2013 Drama Film "Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret"
The film focuses on Jodi Arias, a woman who was convicted of m*******g Travis Alexander (her ex boyfriend).
Travis Victor Alexander (July 28, 1977 – June 4, 2008) was an American salesman who was m******d by his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Ann Arias (born July 9, 1980), in his house in Mesa, Arizona while in the shower. Arias was convicted of first-degree m****r on May 8, 2013, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on April 13, 2015. Alexander sustained 27 stab wounds, a slit throat and a single gunshot wound to the forehead. Arias testified that she k****d him in self-defense, but she was convicted by the jury of first-degree m****r. During the sentencing phase, the jury deadlocked on the death penalty option, and Arias was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Alexander's death and the subsequent investigation and trial attracted widespread media coverage in the United States.
Travis Victor Alexander (July 28, 1977 – June 4, 2008) was an American salesman who was m******d by his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Ann Arias (born July 9, 1980), in his house in Mesa, Arizona while in the shower. Arias was convicted of first-degree m****r on May 8, 2013, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on April 13, 2015. Alexander sustained 27 stab wounds, a slit throat and a single gunshot wound to the forehead. Arias testified that she k****d him in self-defense, but she was convicted by the jury of first-degree m****r. During the sentencing phase, the jury deadlocked on the death penalty option, and Arias was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Alexander's death and the subsequent investigation and trial attracted widespread media coverage in the United States.
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17points
#35 2024 Documentary "American Conspiracy: The Octopus M*****s"
Joseph Daniel Casolaro (June 16, 1947 – August 10, 1991) was an American freelance writer who came to public attention in 1991 when he was found dead in a bathtub in room 517 of the Sheraton Hotel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, his wrists slashed 10–12 times. The medical examiner ruled the death a s*****e.
His death became controversial because his notes suggested he was in Martinsburg to meet a source about a story he called "The Octopus".
Casolaro's family claimed that he was m******d. They state that before he left for Martinsburg he told his brother that he had been receiving harassing phone calls late at night, that some of them were threatening, and that if something were to happen to him while in Martinsburg it would not be an accident. They also cited his well-known squeamishness and fear of blood tests, and stated they found it incomprehensible that if he were going to k**l himself, he would do so by cutting his wrists a dozen times.
A number of law-enforcement officials also argued that his death deserved further scrutiny, and his notes were passed by his family to ABC News and Time magazine, both of which investigated the case, but no evidence of m****r was ever found.
His death became controversial because his notes suggested he was in Martinsburg to meet a source about a story he called "The Octopus".
Casolaro's family claimed that he was m******d. They state that before he left for Martinsburg he told his brother that he had been receiving harassing phone calls late at night, that some of them were threatening, and that if something were to happen to him while in Martinsburg it would not be an accident. They also cited his well-known squeamishness and fear of blood tests, and stated they found it incomprehensible that if he were going to k**l himself, he would do so by cutting his wrists a dozen times.
A number of law-enforcement officials also argued that his death deserved further scrutiny, and his notes were passed by his family to ABC News and Time magazine, both of which investigated the case, but no evidence of m****r was ever found.
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16points
#36 2023 Documentary Movie "The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker"
Caleb Lawrence McGillvary (born September 3, 1988), also known as Kai, is a Canadian man who first became known from the internet viral video "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker", which featured him recounting a crime he witnessed while hitchhiking. McGillvary subsequently received national attention in the press. In 2019, McGillvary was convicted of first-degree m****r in New Jersey. He cited the fallout from the video as part of his defense against the homicide charge.
McGillvary was arrested on m****r charges on May 16, 2013, for the death of New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy. According to McGillvary, Galfy offered McGillvary a place to stay for the night, only to drug and r**e him. Police said the sexual encounter was consensual and the m****r premeditated. McGillvary contended that he acted in self defense, and after the viral video in California, he had no need to have sex with men like Galfy, whom McGillvary described as unattractive, stating, "Do you know how many hot chicks - never mind. Even if I was gay, do you know how many hot guys wanted to f**k me after that s**t in California? I'm not even being vain. It's just a fact, like - no offense, but he [Galfy] was not a looker". In July 2013, McGillvary was hospitalized after suffering from self-inflicted wounds while awaiting trial at Union County Jail in New Jersey.
A jury found him guilty of first-degree m****r, and he was sentenced to 57 years in prison. He is to serve 85 percent of that term (roughly 43.5 years, after accounting for the five years of pre-trial confinement, or until approximately October 1, 2062) before the possibility of parole, with the judge telling McGillvary, "when you become eligible for parole, you will still be younger than Mr. Galfy was when you m******d him". This is not factually accurate, as McGillvary will be 74 before he is eligible for parole. Galfy was 73 at the time of his death.
McGillvary was arrested on m****r charges on May 16, 2013, for the death of New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy. According to McGillvary, Galfy offered McGillvary a place to stay for the night, only to drug and r**e him. Police said the sexual encounter was consensual and the m****r premeditated. McGillvary contended that he acted in self defense, and after the viral video in California, he had no need to have sex with men like Galfy, whom McGillvary described as unattractive, stating, "Do you know how many hot chicks - never mind. Even if I was gay, do you know how many hot guys wanted to f**k me after that s**t in California? I'm not even being vain. It's just a fact, like - no offense, but he [Galfy] was not a looker". In July 2013, McGillvary was hospitalized after suffering from self-inflicted wounds while awaiting trial at Union County Jail in New Jersey.
A jury found him guilty of first-degree m****r, and he was sentenced to 57 years in prison. He is to serve 85 percent of that term (roughly 43.5 years, after accounting for the five years of pre-trial confinement, or until approximately October 1, 2062) before the possibility of parole, with the judge telling McGillvary, "when you become eligible for parole, you will still be younger than Mr. Galfy was when you m******d him". This is not factually accurate, as McGillvary will be 74 before he is eligible for parole. Galfy was 73 at the time of his death.
Report
16points
#37 2007 Documentary Movie "Zodiac"
The Zodiac K****r is the pseudonym of an unidentified serial k****r who m******d five known victims in the San Francisco Bay Area between December 1968 and October 1969. The case has been described as "arguably the most famous unsolved m****r case in American history."
He attacked three young couples and a lone male cab driver. Two of these victims survived. The Zodiac coined his name in a series of taunting messages that he mailed to regional newspapers, in which he threatened k*****g sprees and bombings if they were not printed. He also said that he was collecting his victims as slaves for the afterlife.
In 1974, the Zodiac claimed 37 victims in his last confirmed letter.
He attacked three young couples and a lone male cab driver. Two of these victims survived. The Zodiac coined his name in a series of taunting messages that he mailed to regional newspapers, in which he threatened k*****g sprees and bombings if they were not printed. He also said that he was collecting his victims as slaves for the afterlife.
In 1974, the Zodiac claimed 37 victims in his last confirmed letter.
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15points
#38 2011 American Crime Drama Television Film "The Craigslist K****r"
Movie follows the dark, mysterious life of murderer Philip Markoff.
Philip Markoff (February 12, 1986 – August 15, 2010) was an American medical student who was charged with the armed robbery and m****r of Julissa Brisman in a Boston hotel on April 14, 2009, and two other armed robberies. Markoff maintained his innocence of all charges and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. A grand jury indicted Markoff for first-degree m****r, armed robbery, and other charges. On August 15, 2010, Markoff died by s*****e in Boston's Nashua Street Jail, where he was awaiting trial. Markoff was one of several criminals described by media outlets as the "Craigslist K****r", because the k****r was alleged to have met his victims through ads placed on the internet site Craigslist. Two of Markoff's victims were offering erotic services on Craigslist.
Philip Markoff (February 12, 1986 – August 15, 2010) was an American medical student who was charged with the armed robbery and m****r of Julissa Brisman in a Boston hotel on April 14, 2009, and two other armed robberies. Markoff maintained his innocence of all charges and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. A grand jury indicted Markoff for first-degree m****r, armed robbery, and other charges. On August 15, 2010, Markoff died by s*****e in Boston's Nashua Street Jail, where he was awaiting trial. Markoff was one of several criminals described by media outlets as the "Craigslist K****r", because the k****r was alleged to have met his victims through ads placed on the internet site Craigslist. Two of Markoff's victims were offering erotic services on Craigslist.
Report
14points
#39 2012 American Crime Drama Thriller Television Film "Blue Eyed Butcher"
The film is based on the 2003 stabbing death of Jeff Wright by the hands of his wife, Susan Wright, but focuses on Kelly Siegler, the case's prosecutor.
Susan Lucille Wright (born April 24, 1976) is an American convicted m******r from Houston, Texas, who made headlines in 2003 for stabbing her husband, Jeff Wright, 193 times in an act of mariticide and then burying his body in their backyard. She was convicted of m****r in 2004, and was given a 20-year sentence at the Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas. She was denied parole on June 12, 2014, and July 24, 2017. She was granted parole in July 2020 and released from prison on December 30, 2020.
Susan Lucille Wright (born April 24, 1976) is an American convicted m******r from Houston, Texas, who made headlines in 2003 for stabbing her husband, Jeff Wright, 193 times in an act of mariticide and then burying his body in their backyard. She was convicted of m****r in 2004, and was given a 20-year sentence at the Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas. She was denied parole on June 12, 2014, and July 24, 2017. She was granted parole in July 2020 and released from prison on December 30, 2020.
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14points
#40 2023 Documentary Movie "The Manson M*****s"
The Manson Family was a commune, gang, and cult led by criminal Charles Manson that was active in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group at its peak consisted of approximately 100 followers, who lived an unconventional lifestyle, frequently using psychoactive d***s.
Most were young women from middle-class backgrounds, many of whom were attracted by hippie counterculture and communal living, and then radicalized by Manson's teachings. The group m******d at least 9 people, though they may have k****d as many as 24.
In 1969, Manson Family members Susan Atkins, Tex Watson, and Patricia Krenwinkel entered the home of Hollywood actress Sharon Tate and m******d her and four others.
The following night, members of the Family m******d supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary at their home in Los Angeles. Members also committed a number of assaults, petty crimes, theft and street vandalism, including an assassination attempt on U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1975 by Manson Family member Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme.
Most were young women from middle-class backgrounds, many of whom were attracted by hippie counterculture and communal living, and then radicalized by Manson's teachings. The group m******d at least 9 people, though they may have k****d as many as 24.
In 1969, Manson Family members Susan Atkins, Tex Watson, and Patricia Krenwinkel entered the home of Hollywood actress Sharon Tate and m******d her and four others.
The following night, members of the Family m******d supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary at their home in Los Angeles. Members also committed a number of assaults, petty crimes, theft and street vandalism, including an assassination attempt on U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1975 by Manson Family member Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme.
Report
12points
