# What True Crime Story Fascinates You Most? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2024, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511 "2024-11-20T15:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/81 "2024-11-22T15:45:35Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Richard Kuklinski I forgot about him! Damn, there are too many to keep track of! ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/82 "2024-11-22T17:31:41Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > There almost certainly is… or was. Hauptmann was _certainly guilty_- but maybe was only an accomplice. I mean, it is doubtful he did it all himself, right? It’s been a while since I read it so the details are hazy but I remember something about someone providing evidence of a table leg brace that when pressed into paper matched the ransom note signature mark exactly. That would point to someone else’s involvement if not them being the ringleader. There is some very compelling evidence against Hauptmann - tool marks on the ladder apparently matched tools owned by Hauptmann. The wood in the ladder was found to match wood used as flooring in his attic. And Dr. Condon’s telephone number and address were found scrawled on a door frame inside a closet. Handwriting on the ransom notes matched samples of Hauptmann’s handwriting, so they say. I seem to remember he had a shady past as well. So, yeah, pretty sure he was involved. But there are weird facts surrounding the case. Like the fact that Lindberg wasn’t even supposed to be there that day and the suicide of Lindbergh’s maid, Violet Sharpe, which some believe is evidence of her involvement in a conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/83 "2024-11-22T17:47:24Z")
The Lindbergh kidnapping case is another fascinating one. My feeling is that Hauptmann was certainly guilty but probably had coconspirators. He refused to confess or turn on them to protect his wife and child from their retribution. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/84 "2024-11-22T17:50:11Z")
The [Death of Brian Wells](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Brian_Wells) (2003) is a bizarre one. Someone strapped a collar bomb around his neck, like something you’d see in a Saw film. Unfortunately, first responding officers couldn’t help him due to the obvious risks involved. The bomb exploded a few minutes before the arrival of the bomb squad. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/85 "2024-11-22T18:00:25Z")
No, although that’s another great one. I find the video footage (from CCTV) depressing in that one, due to how unlucky the timing was to miss the suspect’s face THREE different times while he was on camera, happening to just pass by parts of the fence the obscured it at the times. I figure it was just a random kidnap, rape, and murder, though…sadly. Not sure who dropped off the car, though…maybe the killer after he was done? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/86 "2024-11-22T18:02:47Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > A couple more: > > [The Killing of Missy Bevers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Missy_Bevers) in 2016. This one is strange. Missy was getting ready to host an exercise class on a Monday morning at a large church. Not a big fan of reading the other replies first before replying yourself, eh?..because I feel like there’s an echo in here. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/87 "2024-11-22T18:17:03Z")
> [@Leo\_Krupe](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > Richard Kuklinski > > I forgot about him! Damn, there are too many to keep track of! The lies he told were much more interesting than what he actually did. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/88 "2024-11-22T18:24:06Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I agree. I reread all the wikipedia articles because of your posts. Lol, I’m honored that I inspired your Thursday evening entertainment! ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/89 "2024-11-22T19:21:26Z")
In a white van… The problem comes in when someone rejects a suspect because they didn’t fit the profile ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/90 "2024-11-22T19:33:04Z")
The interesting thing for me about this thread is recognizing these cases because the Law & Order franchise made episodes based off them. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/91 "2024-11-22T19:40:49Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Yet none of us did a damn thing. Telling someone would have meant having to recount the molestation, and also, the teacher was in a position of power. What if nobody believed you? What if nothing happened to him, and he found out you were the one who told on him? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/92 "2024-11-22T19:53:32Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Not a big fan of reading the other replies first before replying yourself, eh? Yep, this is also one of my gripes, and probably belongs in [Things that infuriate you well beyond their actual importance](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712) The Search function in Discourse works pretty well and is quite easy to use. /end hijack ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/93 "2024-11-22T19:56:37Z")
All good observations. But - while my memory isn’t perfect decades later - my recollection is that I didn’t think anything through that clearly - I was just shocked into silence. It was almost as if _I_ didn’t believe me, because it seemed like such a surreal happening. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/94 "2024-11-22T20:08:27Z")
The murder of [Shanda Sharer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shanda_Sharer?wprov=sfti1#). This one’s fascinated me since it occurred, and for a few reasons I’ve mentioned here before: 1. it’s local. I grew up about 10-15 minutes from her father’s house, which is where she was staying when she snuck out the night that she died. 2. I knew at least two people that were involved in her murder. The main killer, Melinda Loveless, and I have a mutual friend, and I met her at least once before this incident happened. One of the girls on the periphery of the incident, Kary Pope, was neighbors with my older brother’s girlfriend, and at one point wanted to go out with me. 3. the ages involved. Shanda was murdered when she was 12 years old, in a horribly gruesome fashion. Melinda and the other girls who were actually there the night she was killed, and who participated in the killing, were all in the 15-16 year old range. 4. the motive. Shanda was killed because she was talking to a girl named Amanda Heavrin, who had been in a relationship with Loveless at one time. 5. The killers are all out of prison now. I probably have an unhealthy fascination with this case, but for justifiable reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/95 "2024-11-22T20:20:18Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > The murder of [Shanda Sharer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shanda_Sharer?wprov=sfti1#). Good Gawd. I just read that Wiki article. Don’t wanna read it again. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/96 "2024-11-22T21:41:32Z")
I’ve read about Shanda Sharer, and I too never want to come across that again. It’s one out of many reasons why I stepped away from true crime (only to come back, but not to the same extent as many years ago). Another that fascinates and disturbs is the disappearance of [Tara Calico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Tara_Calico#). It seems that she was the girl in the infamous photo but that hasn’t been proven. The photo, which can be found online, isn’t gruesome or explicit, but is quite disturbing. Who’s the boy? What happened? Who’s responsible? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/97 "2024-11-22T21:41:42Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > [Nope](https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/samuel-little-most-prolific-serial-killer-in-us-history-100619). > > [Not always](https://www.aaihs.org/roberta-elder-the-case-of-a-black-woman-serial-killer/). Where did i say all serial killers are white males? It is just that the PROFILES of the “unsub” always list “white male”. It is the way to be, of course, but as you point out, it isnt always that way? > [@Zyada](#): > > I think Dr Deth’s post was about how the FBI profiles alway sait that the killer was white and between 20 and 40. Correct. > [@Jackmannii](#): > > Well, that part of the profile is likely to be true in the great majority of cases. > > I well remember the pundits who were dead sure the D.C. Sniper was a gun-crazed white guy. Right, Always a 'white male" in the profile- unless they _know_ it is not one of those two. > [@Loach](#): > > a very compelling argument for Hauptmann’s guilt. He certainly didn’t do it alone and was most likely just a henchman but he was involved. Right, that was my conclusion also. Maybe the killer, but not alone. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/98 "2024-11-22T21:57:55Z")
Yeah, I’ve read up on the Tara Calico case, and seen the picture you’re referring to. There’s been [a little advancement](https://www.koat.com/article/tara-calico-case-update/44185576) in her case, with local authorities saying that there could be enough info for charges to be filed. I’m not optimistic about seeing anyone brought to justice, however. One additional comment about the Shanda Sharer case that I think is interesting: One of the police officers involved in the investigation, [David Camm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrongful_conviction_of_David_Camm?wprov=sfti1), was later arrested and accused of killing his family, even being wrongfully convicted of the crime before being exonerated. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/99 "2024-11-22T22:23:35Z")
I can certainly understand that. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511/100 "2024-11-22T22:48:01Z")
I recently visited the Lizzie Borden house. It’s clear she’s guilty but it’s mind-boggling how she did it and got away with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-crime-story-fascinates-you-most/1010511.md?page=6)