Historic Crimes

The Princes in the Tower by Delaroche The mystery of the Princes in the Tower is one of the most enduring scandals in England's history. It occurred when two young princes (one of whom was next in line to the throne) seemingly vanished while in their uncle's care. That uncle just so happened to become king himself– King Richard III . No one living today knows exactly what happened to these two boys. However, the circumstances of their disappearance were very suspicious, indeed. The Princes Prince Edward, or King Edward V, was the oldest son of King Edward IV and next in line to be King of England. His mother was the Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Edward was born in Westminster Abbey in 1470 and sent to Ludlow Castle to be educated. Prince Richard, the 1st Duke of York, was Edward's younger brother and the second son of Edward IV and his queen. Richard was married to five-year-old Anne Mawbry when he was just four-years-old. The princes had a half-broth...

George Parkman was a wealthy doctor who was educated at Harvard Medical College and abroad. Helping the less fortunate was something of a passion for him. Thus, becoming a doctor was a natural choice. When he studied abroad, he was exposed to humane insane asylums, something that was nearly unheard of in the states. He decided to bring his ideals home with him. Sadly, he was never able to establish humane asylums in Boston, but he remained an advocate for the humane treatment of the insane until his untimely death. Doctor George Parkman had inherited a substantial amount of wealth from his father and was a member of Boston's Brahmins or the "First Families of Boston." He had given Harvard College the very land on which Massachusetts General Hospital is located today. He was a well-known landlord. In short, he was one of Boston's elite. Therefore, when he turned up missing in 1849, the people of Boston were shocked. However, they were to be more shocked when another ...

Dana Sue Gray is a serial killer who is hard to categorize. She was a nurse, but she did not kill her patients. She killed elderly women, but she did not poison them as so many nurse killers are wont to do. Her serial murders were violent, but she did not have a male counterpart helping her as many female serial killers who commit violent murders do. She is not unique, though. She had a clear motive, a modus operandi that could be compared to those of other serial killers and she had a lack of remorse that is all too familiar in the world of serial killings. Dana Sue's parents divorced when she was two-years-old. Her mother raised her, though she died of cancer when Dana was still a teenager. Rumor has it that she tried to live with her dad, but that she could not get along with her stepmother. She graduated from high school with average grades and behavior. From there, she went to nursing school. While Dana Sue Gray was in nursing school, she dated athletic men and became som...

Wanted Poster Charles Lindbergh is an American aviation legend. At the height of his career, he was a record-breaking hero. History remembers him as such, but he was more than that. Charles Lindbergh was the father of a boy who was not even two years old when he was stolen from his family and murdered. Charles and his wife Anne endured months of ransom notes and searching for their child only to find that he had probably been dead before they realized he was missing. The horrible crime created a media frenzy that drove the Lindberghs from the United States. On the night of March 1, 1932, the Lindbergh family was relaxing in their Hopewell, New Jersey home. Charles Lindbergh Jr. was tucked away in his crib. The rest of the household was going about business as usual. At around 10 o'clock, the Lindberghs' nanny went to check on her charge. He was not in his room. She informed the baby's parents immediately. A search was conducted and the police w...

More than half of the United States still use the death penalty. It is also still used in federal and military cases. However, there are strict laws regarding when the use of the death penalty is appropriate, legally speaking. It is not something that is handled lightly, in most cases. It is also reserved for the most heinous of crimes. The death penalty is considered for nothing short of murder. Nonetheless, there are times when there is doubt as to whether the death penalty was the right punishment or if the party was even guilty of the crimes that resulted in the death penalty. Such was the case with Johnny Frank Garrett. Johnny Frank Garrett was 17-years-old when he allegedly raped and murdered a 76-year-old nun in a nunnery. He reportedly broke into the convent, entered Sister Benz's room, raped her and killed her. One piece of evidence against him was an alleged confession that he never signed and of which there are no audio recordings. Other evidence included ...

Any time a murder occurs it is shocking and frightening. However, when the person who perpetrates the murder is the person you would least expect, it is even more shocking and scary. It is often hard to imagine that we would have to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the murderous intentions of a child, but there are children out there who are very dangerous. The following are some infamous murders where the murderer or murderers turned out to be shockingly young. The Murder of Shanda Sharer: Melinda Loveless and Toni Lawrence Melinda Loveless was sixteen-years-old in 1992, when she instigated and participated in the murder of twelve-year-old Indiana native Shanda Sharer. Melinda was a lesbian who was in a relationship with a younger girl, fourteen-year-old Amanda Heavrin. Amanda Heavrin began a relationship with Shanda while she was still going out with Melinda. When Melinda found out, she was enraged. On Friday, January 10, 1992, Melinda Lovele...

Few things are as terrifying as knowing a serial killer is on the loose and not knowing if he or she is still active. Unfortunately, that is the situation the residents of Long Island face with the so-called Long Island or Gilgo Beach Killer. The killer's victims come from several states, but the dumping ground is always in Long Island, leading police and locals to wonder if the killer is one of their neighbors. It is a tough case with few leads, but police are continuing to work on it, as of early 2014. The true beginnings of the Long Island Killer case go back to at least 1996, but realization that a serial killer is at work in the area did not come until 2010. The discoveries of at least 10 related bodies began with the unrelated disappearance of a young escort named Shannan Gilbert. Shannan had been working when she ran off from her client's house, as her driver watched. She screamed for help, banging on people's doors and even calling 911 to say, "they" ...

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright was an architectural genius who designed and oversaw the construction of many famous buildings in the late 1800's and early 1900's. His beautiful designs and his knack for building one-of-a-kind structures made him very famous during his lifetime. That is why, in 1914, people were shocked to hear that Frank’s house–Taliesin–was set ablaze and seven of his friends and loved ones were murdered on the property. At the time, Frank Lloyd Wright’s mistress and her two children were living at the home. One of their own servants was responsible for the tragedy. In 1909, Frank Lloyd Wright left his wife and children for a woman named Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Mamah was the wife of one of Frank’s clients. She left her husband and took her two children to go live with Frank. The couple spent the next few of years traveling in order to avoid the negative stigma of their affair. Frank Lloyd Wright built Taliesin in 1911 in Spring Green, Wisc...