Crime 🔪
'The Wager' summary: David Grann's Gripping Maritime Tale of Betrayal and Survival
David Grann's 'The Wager' (2023) is a nonfiction bestseller that delves into a gripping maritime tragedy, unveiling the intricate layers of deception, survival, and moral dilemmas woven within the historical narrative of the HMS Wager. Here's everything you need to know...
Timeline: The Stormy Daniels Scandal
1979: Stephanie A. Gregory (later known as Stormy Daniels) was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was raised by a single mother in what she describes as a "bad neighborhood", even going without electricity at times.
The Harvey Weinstein Scandal: A Timeline
In the 1990's and early 2000's, Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company were credited with numerous TV shows on various networks and major films. This all came to a screeching halt when sexual assault accusations against Weinstein began pouring in. Here's how it unfolded:
Mother/Daughter Murder & Deception: Gypsy Rose Blanchard's story
Hulu, Netflix, HBO, Lifetime and even Dr. Phil all created documentaries, movies, podcasts and more following the unbelievable 2015 murder of Clauddine"Dee Dee" Blanchard.
How Pyramid Schemes Were Legalized: From Living Rooms to the White House
Today Multi-level marketing (MLM) companies such as Herbalife, Amway, Lularoe and more are legalized iterations of pyramid schemes dating back to the 1940's. The stock market crash caused many to distrust big business, banks and corporations, so direct selling gained popularity.
The True Crime Story "The Watcher" is Based On
The 2022 Netflix series "The Watcher" is a fictionalized version of a true story about the Broaddus family, Derek and Maria, who purchased a home in New Jersey in 2014. Almost immediately they began receiving cryptic and threatening letters in the mail, all signed "The Watcher."
Is Paul Doerr the best Zodiac Killer suspect that's ever surfaced?
Paul Doerr – the Zodiac Killer suspect developed by author Jarett Kobek (in his remarkable book How to Find Zodiac) – is the best Zodiac suspect that's ever surfaced. Here’s an absurdly long thread outlining why...
Catfishing Explained: Celebrity stories and prevention
The term "catfishing" was coined by Nev Schulman with the 2010 documentary called Catfish. It means to deceive someone online into thinking you're someone you're not. The phrase originates from the myth that live cod are shipped with catfish to keep the cod active.
The Most Hated Man on the Internet: Hunter Moore
In 2010, Hunter Moore, a 24 year old California man, launched the website "Is Anyone Up?". The site allowed users to publicly post sexual photos and other personal information about people, including contact information and more.
Hillsong: Fall of the Megachurch
There is no more well-known name in the evangelical Christian church than Hillsong. On any given Sunday, at any church of any size in any city in the world you are more likely than not to hear at least 1 song by Hillsong.
The Ghost Rapes of Bolivia: Facts vs. Fiction
At the 2023 Oscar Awards, Sarah Polley's Women Talking won for Best Writing (Best Adapted Screenplay). The story is a fictionalized version of true events that occurred within a remote Mennonite community in Bolivia from 2005-2009. So where does the reality end and fiction begin?
Top 10 Most Popular Episodes of Dark History Podcast with Bailey Sarian
10) People Danced Until They LITERALLY Died?! - The Dancing Plague of 1518 | 2.1m views | Oct 28, 2021: A story where life in a charming French town was so horrible that the peasants broke into a dance… and couldn’t stop until they died.
The Infamous Raymond Torture Killings
Greg Olsen's gripping true crime telling of Shelly Knotek's heinous crimes against her household has gripped readers since its release in 2019 and topped the best seller list most of 2022. The book centers around a violent and sadistic mother and her resilient children.
The what, where and why of high recidivism rates of U.S. criminals
Recidivism is when a convicted criminal repeats their crime after release from prison. According to a 2022 report in , the U.S. has some of the highest recidivism rates in the world. But that makes sense considering the U.S. has the highest prison population of any country.
The Terrifying True Story Behind Netflix's The Watcher
Just in time for spooky season, & with just enough sinister spine-chilling malevolence to scare you sideways, Netflix’s new release The Watcher is the next binge-worthy thing. So plausible it lingers long after the credits roll, maybe because it’s based on a true story.
Detained in Rwanda
Here is the strange case of an international teacher in Rwanda that has been rumbling on – I’ll be using no names and I’ll be making no judgement.
Salman Rushdie Attacked Onstage : The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
You may have read in the news that British-American novelist Salman Rushdie was the victim of a vicious attack on Friday 12th August 2022. While speaking onstage at a New York event, he was ambushed by a young man and stabbed several times in the face, neck and torso.
James Comey on Lies, Law and Leadership
A Higher Loyalty is James Comey's account of his controversial tenure as FBI Director during the US 2016 presidential election. He reflects on his career, emphasizing the value of truth, the rule of law, public duty, and ethical leadership.
The crazy true story behind the most expensive painting ever stolen
The Concert is the most expensive painting ever stolen. It disappeared in an epic 1990 heist. Not seen since. Value: $250 mil+. $$ you’ll get for info on it: $10 mil (largest private bounty ever). A story with $500 mil of lost art, one fateful night, & a very strange heist👇
(Un)True Crime: When they get the wrong guy
In journalism, reporters can get it wrong sometimes. But the corrections and retractions go on the back page where no one reads. Law can operate in the same way. In a society obsessed with true crime, we often don't hear when it turns out we got it all wrong. Here's four cases:
The Hoax Call Sexual Predator
Between 1994 and 2004, dozens of people were sexually assaulted due to over 100 hoax phone calls made to fast food restaurants throughout the U.S. The perpetrator used calling cards and payphones to anonymously call restaurants pretending to be a police officer.
"The Clotilda": Secret Slave Ship Found in 2019
In Mobile, Alabama, there is a small neighborhood known as Africatown. For over a hundred years, rumors and legends lived mostly by word of mouth and some scattered journal entries with the hidden history of how the Africatown came to be. In 2019 the rumors were substantiated.
Jeffrey Dahmer's 2 Psychiatric Evaluators' Findings
Jeffrey Dahmer was a serial killer & sex offender who was sentenced to 16 life sentences for the murder and dismemberment of 16 boys between 1978 and 1991. The heinous charges included necrophilia and cannibalism. Dahmer pled guilty due to insanity.
7 Lessons Learned From Fyre Festival: Don't get defrauded 🚩
In 2017, BIlly McFarland and Ja Rule wanted to promote their music talent booking app Fyre Media, so they planned a now infamous event called Fyre Festival. They hired the world's top models and influencers to advertise the event, but it was doomed to fail from the start.
Woodstock '99: "The Day The Music Died"
Nearly 20 years before Fyre fest served the most notorious cheese sandwich seen around the world, the event planning disaster of the 1990's was Woodstock '99. The event was held July 22-25, 1999 in Rome, New York at Griffiss Airforce Base with over 400k attendees.