Uncover the heart-wrenching true stories behind crimes that transcended headlines and became part of popular culture. Exclusive first hand interviews reveal shocking twists, new evidence, and unexpected resolutions.
When a vivacious young escort, Shannan Gilbert, vanishes on Long Island's south shore in 2010, her disappearance leads police to discover the bodies of 10 other victims dumped by a serial killer.
The discovery of four women's bodies on Gilgo Beach is just the beginning, as investigators uncover multiple suspects and shocking theories while racing to identify the Long Island Serial Killer before he strikes again.
In 2011, a 10-month-old baby girl goes missing from her home in Kansas City, Mo., and her family fears she's been kidnapped by a drifter, only to be accused by the police of being responsible for her disappearance.
In Craig, Ala., townspeople are shocked when police discover the charred body of beloved mother and wife Lauri Waterman; people have no idea who would want to kill her, then an unlikely witness reveals a sordid story of secrets and lies.
In 1981, a woman and three teenagers are murdered in a cabin in the remote town of Keddie, Calif., and no one is ever brought to justice; now, new evidence may hold the key to finally cracking this case.
Hikers discover the severed head of Hervey Medellin in the Hollywood Hills; the suspects include former lovers, drug cartel hit men and a porn star in this tale of lust, greed and butchery.
In Grand Prairie, Texas, a game of truth-or-dare leads to a startling confession in the 1995 shooting death of 16-year-old Adrianne Jones.
Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey is found murdered in her Boulder, Colo., home in 1996, and investigators try to determine whether she was killed by an intruder or by a member of her own family.
A lone survivor is the only witness who can help police track down a serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper preying on women in South Central Los Angeles; after decades of searching, police hone in on an unlikely suspect.
In Craig, Ala., townspeople are shocked when police discover the charred body of beloved mother and wife Lauri Waterman; people have no idea who would want to kill her, then an unlikely witness reveals a sordid story of secrets and lies.
A brutal 1970 home invasion claims the lives of Army surgeon Jeffrey MacDonald's wife and daughters, leaving him the lone survivor
In the 1970s a serial rapist is on the loose in northern California. And just as his reign of terror over the community wanes, police discover he isn't just a serial rapist, he's a serial murderer and he's been killing people all over California.
A young couple enjoys an impromptu camping trip in Leadore, Idaho, until their 2-year-old son suddenly vanishes. Investigators and private detectives work around the clock to find the missing boy, only to point the finger back at the parents.
When a young family suddenly vanishes from their Southern California dream home, friends and family are left with dozens of unanswered questions. Authorities suspect they fled the country, until an unlikely source uncovers the truth.
One summer night in 2007 comes as a nightmare for the Petit family when woken up by two strangers in their quiet, peaceful home of Cheshire, Conn. Suddenly this family of four finds themselves held hostage and in a fight for their lives.
Sherri Rasmussen and John Ruetten are enjoying newlywed life until one morning when Sherri calls into work sick; that night, John returns home to find his wife murdered
A premiere fishing boat explodes into flames just off shore, stunning the small fishing town of Craig, Alaska; after fighting the flames, state troopers discover the remains of a young family and few clues as to could have set the ship blaze.
A premiere fishing boat explodes into flames just off shore, stunning the small fishing town of Craig, Alaska; after fighting the flames, state troopers discover the remains of a young family and few clues as to could have set the ship blaze.
After a young couple goes missing, detectives find a clue leading them to a strange storage container in the middle of 95 acres, and what's inside unlocks the secrets of a monster hiding in plain sight.
In 1984, the body of a 14-year-old girl turns up on the beach in San Diego and police think it relates to the murder of another teen; a clue yields an unbelievable suspect.
In 1980, Tim Hack and Kelly Drew go missing from a small Wisconsin town, then their bodies are found in a field; a woman comes forward nearly 40 years later to help solve the so-called "Sweetheart Murders'' of Hack and Drew.
Shock sweeps through a Washington community when a suburban mother gets arrested for a murder from a decade earlier in Alaska; details of a seedy and sordid past emerge.
Orange County, California, screams of terror ring out from the home of multi-millionaires. Police are left with a series of clues that take them on a chase to find a wealthy couple's killer and bring justice to the five children left orphaned.
A fire chief's wife is found burnt to death in her home. An autopsy reveals the cause of death was not the fire, but a gunshot to the head, shocking this small Louisiana town. This arson turned homicide leaves a killer to be found.
In 1998, a gifted Philadelphia graduate student is found murdered in her bed, triggering a hunt for her killer.
When an 11-year-old Arizona girl vanishes while waiting for an ice cream truck, it's clear she's been abducted; the search for her leads to a trail of suspects, making it the largest missing child investigation in Arizona history.
A 12-year-old girl goes missing on her way to school in Oregon City, Ore.; the police investigation offers little in the way of leads, then a second girl disappears.
The morning of his anniversary, Mike Williams goes duck hunting. When he fails to return home that afternoon, an all-out search commences. But it's only the beginning of a sordid mystery that will take close to 20 years to solve.
In the summer of 1980, a popular teen goes for a run around her hometown in Maine. Days later, her savagely beaten body is found. But what happened remains a mystery for years, until her mother intervenes and forces police to reexamine the case.
When three women from three different decades meet their death or go missing under mysterious circumstances, authorities are forced to examine the one thing they had in common: they all fell in love with the same man.
A celebratory night turns deadly for a Texas family when they are gunned down at home. When investigators uncover a conspiracy, it will test one man's ability to forgive as he fights to save the criminal mastermind from the death penalty.
In York, Pa., race riots claim the lives of an African-American mother and a young, white police officer; their deaths are largely forgotten until 30 years later when their cold cases are reopened, revealing the city's dark past.
In Philadelphia, police make a horrific discovery 18 months after a woman goes missing; the police pursue the woman's killer, but he always manages to stay one step ahead of the law.
In the summer of 2000, bags full of body parts start appearing all over the San Francisco Bay Area; investigators follow the trail of grisly clues to a secret cult carrying out a sinister scheme.
In 1992, a 19-year-old woman is brutally assaulted outside of Desert Hot Springs, Calif.; miraculously, she escapes but lives in constant fear that her assailant will find her again one day, not realizing she has survived a serial killer.
Gallaudet University is the premier college for the deaf in the United States, but this haven of higher learning is turned upside down after two students are murdered in their dormitory rooms.
On a back road in Mississippi, a popular 19-year-old girl is set on fire and left to burn alive. Her last words lead detectives down a road of dead ends and the case goes cold until a special agent taps into her location data and finds a suspect.
In 1969, a woman is found murdered in Los Angeles, but her identity is a mystery; for decades, police investigate hoping to put a name to the face and find her killer; the one lead that comes up over and over leads them to Charles Manson.
On June 6, 1992, Suzie Streeter and Stacy McCall attend parties celebrating their high school graduation; by morning, the teenagers have gone missing, along with Suzie's mother, Sherrill Levitt; the case leads police on a nationwide search.
So-Cal surfer and tech entrepreneur Chris Smith dreams of making a tidy sum of money and surfing off into the sunset; it seems as though his dreams have come true, but all is not as it appears.
In San Francisco, Kevin Collins, 10, disappears on his way home, galvanizing the residents to find him; with few leads to go on, Kevin's case sheds light on hundreds of other children who have vanished without a trace in the United States.
In the early 1970s, Washington D.C. is terrorized by a cunning killer who abducts and murders six young African American girls; police and the community are outraged by the serial killings that target young children in their own neighborhoods.
Cambodian genocide survivor Dr. Haing Ngor wins an Oscar for his role in "The Killing Fields," then he's gunned down outside his Los Angeles home, and the LAPD investigates a web of political intrigue, revenge and street gangs to uncover the truth.
NBA basketball player Lorenzen Wright goes missing outside of Memphis, Tenn., then his body is discovered in the woods, and investigators find out this case is far from a slam dunk.
A double murder involving the family of a federal judge prompts an investigation of epic proportions by the FBI, U.S. Marshals and Chicago Police Department; at the end of the trail, law enforcement personnel learn the death count may climb higher.
In 1988, a young woman is found murdered in her Modesto, Calif., home, leading police to investigate the strife and infidelity in her marriage; a surprising witness eventually comes forward.
When a widower and father of three is found murdered outside his Long Island home, police have reason to look into shady business dealings as a possible motive; then, a tip leads to three unlikely suspects, exposing dark family secrets.
Right before Thanksgiving, two masked gunmen reportedly invade a couple's home and kill the husband; with few leads, police use ballistics, forensics and neighborhood gossip to solve this cold-blooded murder.
After doting mother Cheryl Coker vanishes from Riverside, Ohio, numerous searches turn up nothing; as police take a closer look at the case, they uncover some disturbing information.
A senseless murder rocks an African-American neighborhood in 1970s Detroit; police arrest suspects who are ultimately convicted of murder, but 47 years later, the truth finally emerges to right history's wrongs.
College student Tammy Zywicki vanishes in 1992 after her car breaks down on the highway. Family and friends scramble to find her, but when her body is found 500 miles from where she vanished there are very few clues pointing to her killer. Police struggle with dead-end leads and suspects who don't pan out. New DNA technology promises to finally crack the case decades later. As her family clings to the last of their hope, the fear is that it may be too little too late for justice.
In the summer of 2004, Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen are working as councilors at an outdoor Christian adventure camp in Northern California They decide to head down the coast for a weekend getaway, but when they fail to return to camp Sunday evening, the camp staff become very concerned. A search ensues and police discover the couples' bodies at Fish Head Beach, in Jenner, California. As police begin investigating the double homicide, they discover the killer has left no clues and little evidence. Over the succeeding days, weeks and years, Sonoma County Detectives investigate a group of suspects as they relentlessly search for the killer.
Kelsey Berreth, a young mother and pilot, was last heard from on the morning of Thanksgiving 2018. Her fiancé is worried she may have harmed herself after a stressful year. But when police discover blood in an unusual place, they begin to unravel a bizarre story of love, jealousy, and a murder that goes far beyond what anyone in law enforcement could have imagined.
A quiet rural town is rocked when two middle-school girls go on a hike and are later found murdered. But when police discover one of the girls may have recorded her killer with her cellphone, the race is on to find the mysterious man.
On a snowy night in January 1980, college student Helene Pruszynski disappears after reaching her final bus stop. When her body turns up in a snowy field, police launch a long and frustrating investigation that pushes family and detectives to the brink of hopelessness. Their hope is revived when they discover that cutting edge forensic genealogy may hold the key to finding Helene's murderer.
When Ashley Ellerin is found murdered in her Hollywood bungalow, police zero in on the Hollywood heartthrob she was supposed to have a date with the night she was killed. The case takes a shocking turn as detectives realize Ashley is not the only victim, and discover they are on the hunt for a serial killer. The assailant's victim count grows until one woman manages to fight back so fiercely that he leaves behind critical blood evidence. But will they be able to finally catch him?
In the summer of 2003, the Iron Range of northern Minnesota is a peaceful community where parents let their kids play outside on their own without a second thought. But when five-year-old LeeAnna Warner vanishes without a trace, investigators do a deep dive into the quaint community and realize that some of the familiar faces in the neighborhood may be hiding some disturbing secrets that may never fully be uncovered.
In the spring of 2001, former child actor and Baretta star Robert Blake just married Bonny Lee Bakely, the mother of his new baby girl. The couple are out to dinner in Los Angeles when Bakely is murdered in the passenger seat of the couple's car, execution style. Blake seems devastated, but as police investigate, they uncover a tale of a troubled marriage of convenience and a fight for custody that may have led to one of Hollywood's most infamous murders.
When a woman is found dead in her historic house on Horseshoe Lake, police chase her killer to the water where he drowns. But when the body is recovered, people are shocked to realize this story started 25 years earlier when two other family members were found murdered by the same man.
19-year-old Stacey Stites is found raped and murdered in a small Texas town. After a year-long investigation police match DNA from the scene to a man named Rodney Reed. Reed is convicted and sentenced to death, but in the coming years as Reed proclaims his innocence, certain evidence comes to light that might prove he's telling the truth.
On December 10, 2003, police receive a mysterious 911 call at a home in the tony Walnut Estates in Mansfield, Texas. Police are dispatched to investigate and when they enter the home they encounter a horrific scene: the bloodied bodies of homeowners Rick and Suzy Wamsley. The couple was highly regarded around the neighborhood and thought to have the perfect family life so detectives are left with a big question mark: Who and why would anyone want to kill the Wamsleys? When detectives launch an investigation to find out, the myth of the Wamsleys' perfect life begins to unravel. It turns out underneath the polished exterior, there are deep, dark secrets.
Two days before the new millennium in the rural town of Welch, Oklahoma, Danny and Kathy Freeman are found dead after a neighbor spots the family trailer engulfed in flames. Police soon determine their cause of death was not the fire, but a gunshot. The case adds another layer when it is discovered that the Freeman's daughter Ashley and her best friend Lauria Bible are nowhere to be found. Nearly two decades later, police finally discover what happened to them, the truth is almost too dark for words.
A savage killer goes on a homicidal rampage and then abducts two young siblings from their home in the middle of the night. But the children quickly decide they will do whatever is necessary to survive.
A mother's bond to her daughter is put to the ultimate test when one of them shoots a man dead.
During an armed robbery, a father of three is fatally shot, but for 23 years, another family questions if the wrong man is behind bars.
Five young people disappear over a span of four years in the rural area of Lewis-Clark Valley, along the Idaho-Washington border. Investigators search for links to the mysterious cases.
In 1984, a slew of brutal hammer attacks left a Colorado community in fear. It takes nearly 40 years before a serial killer is brought to justice.
The murder of James Byrd, Jr. throws his family into turmoil as law enforcement investigates one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history.
One family's American dream goes up in flames. As they try to rebuild what's left, they vow never to extinguish their search for justice.
In January 2020, a Mennonite woman goes missing from her small religious community. They find her body, but forensic evidence leads them to a dead end, stymieing law enforcement. Detectives get creative in an effort to find their suspect.
When a young woman goes missing, a rookie police officer's intuition leads to an intense investigation, as they race against the clock to find her.
A 19-year-old coed leaves her apartment and never returns; when her body is found in a desert river basin, police and internet sleuths wonder if she was a victim of an alleged killer known as the Zombie Hunter.
In May 2002, a couple goes missing in Ocean City, Maryland. It's almost as if they vanished into thin air until a random, late-night burglary leads police to discover a tale of deception, brutality and savagery, the likes of which they have never seen.
In 2011, a husband returns home to find his wife dead on the living room floor; he tells first responders she committed suicide, but it was murder; police zero in on the husband and what unfolds is one of the most outrageous tales in recent history.
When neighbors find a young teacher axed to death on Friday the 13th, a sleepy suburb fears a psychopath is loose; the bloody crime scene leads police to a most unlikely suspect, unfolding a story people still have to see to believe 40 years later.
In June 1977, three little girls are at summer camp when a vicious predator sneaks into their tent in the middle of the night; as day breaks, a camp counselor uncovers what becomes a notorious crime in Oklahoma history.
An unknown shooter unleashes carnage from Indianapolis to Wichita, Kansas, killing six in the spring of 1992 at various retail stores near 1-70, a major east-west highway that runs through the very heart of the Midwest. A sketch of the suspect is developed from various eyewitness accounts, but police are at a loss ... until one victim survives.
In 1991, a young boy leaves home to check out a local brush fire that was capturing his neighborhood's attention and never returns home. Decades have passed and police continue to look for his abductor(s), while his mother is still waiting for him to find his way home.
A 16-year-old cowgirl goes missing in Nevada. Three days later her body was found draped under a blue tarp that had been dumped among the tumbleweeds. As police search for her killer, the investigation takes a sudden turn towards the boy she called "brother."
In 2018, a 16-year-old girl vanishes into thin air the morning after attending a high school party in an isolated California mountain town. The bizarre mystery leads to speculation by internet sleuths that her parents are somehow involved due to inconsistencies in their story. But now exclusive new details have been provided to PEOPLE MAGAZINE INVESTIGATES in an effort to dispel rumors and redirect everyone's attention to what is important, finding the right lead that will bring the teen home, hopefully alive.
In 1982, in an upscale suburb of Rochester, New York, a Kodak executive returns home and finds his wife dead with an ax in her head. People believed a mad man was on the loose, so 40 years later when police make an arrest, everyone is stunned at who stands trial for the murder.
Four teenage girls are brutally murdered in a yogurt shop in North Austin, Texas, in 1991, in what becomes the biggest mass murder in Austin history. The investigation that follows drags on for years, and even when police make an arrest, justice is not guaranteed.
A 14-year-old girl finds herself lost and unloved following her parents' divorce and a move to a new town, providing a perfect opportunity for someone to lure her away. For 10 years she's held captive, until she makes her escape.
When a 19-year-old girl is found murdered in her boyfriend's bed in a small Texas town, everyone is a suspect. The case goes cold until a new sheriff comes to town who sheds fresh light on some old evidence, but will it be enough to bring her killer to justice?
When a single mom tells her 14-year-old daughter to break off a relationship with a 19-year-old man, the young lovers murder the girl's mom, setting off a manhunt and culminating in a trial replete with finger-pointing and betrayal.
A serial killer stalks women in New Jersey whilst a murderer prowls the streets of New York City. Decades pass before police realise the crimes are linked.
In 2003, a bank heist escalates into a robbery-homicide shattering the lives of those left behind. Federal and local law enforcement have his picture and DNA, but they still can't find the cold-blooded killer until they learn he hides in plain sight.
In Homosassa, Florida a nine-year-old girl is snatched from her bed in the middle of the night; after a relentless three-week search ends in a devastating discovery, the girl's father dedicates himself to ensuring this tragedy doesn't happen to another family.
Virginia firefighters respond to a house fire in Upperville, Virginia where they discover the body of a local journalist. The fire destroys any hope for evidence, but the victim's social media history leads police down a rabbit hole.
In 1990, a clown delivering flowers and balloons guns down a woman at home. With scant evidence, the culprit eludes justice for thirty years.
In 2001, a mother of five was shot in her minivan. As the children grow up, the family becomes divided over who killed the beloved soccer mum.
In 1996, a college co-ed vanishes and is presumed dead. Decades later, a discovery found six feet under turns the case upside down.
For years, a serial killer stalks unsuspecting elderly victims. However, when one woman survives, she helps break the case wide open.
In 1972, police find a young woman fatally stabbed in her room. Police hunt for her killer, but he seemingly vanishes, and the case goes cold. Decades later, a new investigative technique emerges, and the killer's name turns up in the most unlikely place.
A mysterious shooter attacks a loving father.
A deadly fire raises questions as to whether it was an accident or murder.
In 1975, the Indiana Slasher attacks three young girls in a cornfield.
Questions and accusations fly after savvy entrepreneur and mother of five, 52-year-old Dee Warner, vanishes from her rural Michigan home. Authorities struggle for answers, until one day they find her body,closer to home than anyone could have imagined.
As Pride Month kicks off in 2022, the deaths of two gay men in New York City shatter their families and the gay community, leading the NYPD to uncover a ruthless gang that stalks, drugs, and murders their victims before draining their bank accounts.
In Ocala, Florida, the local sheriff's office responds to a wellness check only to find the body of a man in what looks like a sexual pleasure palace. Could it be a hate crime, revenge, or is the killer much closer to home?
In 2001, someone murders a father, sets his Florida home ablaze, and his sons disappear. As prayers rise for their safe return, a so-called family friend steps forward, shifting the case. Now, an exclusive interview finally uncovers the chilling truth.
The weekend before Thanksgiving 1994, a killer savagely slays Robin Lawrence at home while her child is asleep. A relentless investigation circles her husband, until a drop of blood unlocks the mystery of Robin's murder and leads to a shocking confession.
In Prairie Village, Kansas, a reclusive mother goes missing in 2019. When her teenage daughter and the police go looking for answers, they are gaslit at every turn. Without a digital footprint or even a friend who knows her, leads are running out fast.
In 1972, 20-year-old Jody Loomis takes a late afternoon bike ride to visit her horse and never returns home. She turns up murdered in the woods, and her case baffles the local authorities. For decades, everyone in the small town of Bothell is a suspect.
Celebrity hairstylist Fabio Sementilli's teenage daughter discovers him brutally murdered on their Los Angeles patio. The LAPD uncovers a shocking story of lust, betrayal, and greed that turns the glamorous world of beauty upside down.
Outside of Orlando, life is no longer a fairytale for childhood sweethearts Mike and Laurie Shaver. Fighting and infidelities lead to shattered vases and broken dreams. When police search their backyard in 2018, what they find scars the family forever.
In 2022, Austin police discover the body of 25-year-old up-and-coming cyclist Mo Wilson. Someone shot Mo execution style while she was visiting a friend for the weekend. Homicide detectives discover a story of jealousy, betrayal, and total obsession.
Single mother, Jennifer Brown, vanishes from her Limerick home and detectives race against the clock to find her. With her eight-year-old son asking where his mother is, investigators must confront a web of lies woven by the people she trusts the most.
A home intruder abducts a 60-year-old woman in the night. Local sheriffs search relentlessly until they discover another horrifying attack just ten miles away that fits the same profile. Is there a serial predator haunting Florida's Gulf Coast?
