Talk Murder With Me

On August 18, 2023, 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton, who went by Lauri, was shot and killed by a man at her boutique clothing store, Mag.pi, located in Cedar Glen in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. Outside the store hung a large Pride flag, waving in the breeze for all passersby to see. 

When he went out to the scene of the crime, a spot behind Mayfield Middle School, Tim Fortner initially thought the body was a mannequin. As he got closer, however, the presence of flies proved him wrong.

When Linda Stoltzfoos disappeared on her way home from church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in June 2020, it thrust into the limelight a community which is traditionally known to shy away from modern world influences like mass media and technology.

Although we might not necessarily love our jobs, we can at least feel confident in the knowledge that while we are working at said job, our employer will keep us safe.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about September 21st, 2001. The world was, of course, still in shock after the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center. Aidan Minter, a business man in the video games industry, was no exception. London, the city he called home, was on high alert. Everybody felt an underlying sense of unease. But life had to go on, and for Aidan, that meant going into the office.

When Rich Lesmeister and his wife, Carol, saw the blood smeared across the side of one of the moving trucks at the Tuff Movers yard, they knew that something was horribly wrong. Then they saw the bullet holes on the side of another truck. It was clear that they were standing in the middle of a crime scene. But when the police arrived, they were adamant, despite the blood and bullet holes, that no crime had taken place.

There were few places in Arlis Perry’s new home of Stanford, California, where she really felt at home. However, the Stanford Memorial Church (or MemChu as it is affectionately referred to by university students and faculty), located in the Stanford University’s Main Quad, was the exception.

As a motive for murder, thrill, in my opinion, is probably the most frightening. As sick and twisted as it is to kill a person for sexual gratification, as lust killers do, at least we can understand their motivations (if “understand” is the right word). There are those who kill for monetary gain, and those who kill out of jealousy and/or rage. While these murders are horrifying, they do not leave us mystified as to the killer’s reasoning behind their terrible deed. Killing for the thrill of it is a different story.

“He’s really good at killing people” said Lubbock County District Attorney Matt Powell. “He’s very calm, very calculated.”

It was March 26, 2018, the day before 38-year-old Rosendo Rodriguez was due to be executed for a murder he committed nearly 13 years earlier.

Few stories are as chilling as that of the Turpin family. Regardless of where you live, you likely remember this story dominating both national and international news in January 2018. The photos that appeared on our screens were staged to project an image of a big, happy family.

“A body?” Stephen McDaniel certainly appeared stunned by what the reporter told him. The expression on his face, barely visible behind the mass of untamed curls, suddenly changed. He looked like he had seen a ghost. He blinked several times, shaking his head slightly. Opening and closing his mouth, he was clearly lost for words.

The year was 2005, and Frank and Allison Contreras were excited for their move from the bustling San Francisco Bay Area to the home they had purchased in Pocatello, Idaho. Pocatello is in Bannock County, in southeastern Idaho.

No parents are perfect. But for the most part, they do their best. Now don’t get me wrong - writing a true crime blog, I know very well that there are many parents who fail their children. Child abuse and neglect can manifest themselves in different forms, causing varying degrees of pain and trauma. Each case is different, and devastating in its own unique way.

The English translation of the term au pair is "at par" or "equal to", indicating that the relationship is intended to be one of equals: the au pair is intended to become a member of the family, albeit a temporary one, rather than a traditional domestic worker.

It’s a story we know all too well. A young woman stands in the entryway of a nightclub in the early hours of the morning. She is intoxicated and has wandered off, away from her friends, now finding herself alone outside. Her phone, purse and keys are still sitting on the table inside the club.

A fascination with mythical creatures like vampires and dragons is nothing out of the ordinary. Role-playing, specifically the game Dungeons and Dragons, has become an immensely popular pastime for tens of thousands of people across the globe. And who wouldn't want an escape from this intense, messed up world from time to time?

When you bring another person into the world, everything changes. You have to make sacrifices, because you don’t come first anymore. This is how it should be. But as we well know, this is not always the case - far from it. When a child's well-being and safety stops being a parent's top priority, the results can be devastating.

For centuries, humans have formed bonds with one another as a result of listening to and experiencing music together. Whether it’s through concerts, jam sessions or kicking back and listening to a favorite record, people gravitate towards those who enjoy the same sounds as they do.

We all know somebody that doesn’t take rejection well. Many people behave irrationally as a result of being turned down. These behaviors might manifest themselves as obsessively checking social media, making unwanted phone calls, sending gifts. They can range from being a mild annoyance to being downright frightening and dangerous.

When the Facebook notification from the attractive stranger popped up on Alice’s phone, she was flattered.

“She is the most naturally beautiful woman I have ever seen,” the comment read. It was posted on a photo Alice’s friend had uploaded of her while on holiday in Sri Lanka.

It was May 31, 1985, and schools across the United States were finishing up for the summer. Seventeen-year-old Shari Smith, of Lexington, South Carolina, had just completed her final year at Lexington High School. The following days were going to be busy, but Shari was excited.

This story begins on Oct. 11, 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Margaret Johnson gave birth to her fourth child with her husband, Oba Chandler Sr. The child, a boy, was named after his father, and would often go by “Obie”. It became clear from an early age that Oba was going to be a difficult child. School was not something that he viewed as particularly worth his time, and he ended up failing the fourth grade due to truancy.

Willshire is a small, rural village, located in Van Wert County, Ohio. It is quintessentially middle-American - residents mostly work on their farms, in one of the village’s few small businesses or in nearby factories. There is a library, a post office, an antique store, a couple of family-run restaurants, a park and a church. The Ohio/Indiana state line is about a half-mile to the west of Willshire, and St Marys River runs to the east. It is a close knit and safe community where neighbors look out for one another.

I realize it’s cliche to describe someone as a person who lights up a room each time they enter, but with Mollie, it was true. She was kind, thoughtful and always saw the best in everybody. Her radiant smile and warm brown eyes had a way of putting everyone she encountered at ease.

"To prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law" is the stated mission of The Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Established in 1910, the BSA is recognized worldwide as a distinct part of American culture, portrayed in countless movies, books and other forms of media. As of 2017, the BSA has 2.3 million members and about one million adult volunteers nationwide.