True Crime Chatter

The case of Cindy James, a Canadian woman who was found dead under suspicious circumstances in 1989, continues to captivate the public's attention due to the perplexing details surrounding her life and death. Despite authorities ruling her death as a suicide, many unanswered questions and disturbing incidents leading up to her demise have left family, friends, and the public sceptical. This article delves into the life of Cindy James, the relentless harassment she endured, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her tragic end.

Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Cynthia "Cindy" Elizabeth Hack James had a successful career as a nurse after earning a degree in nursing. She dedicated twelve years to working with preschool-age children with special needs, finding great fulfilment in her job. Following her marriage to psychiatrist Roy Makepeace in 1966, Cindy's life seemed ordinary and promising, until a series of events would shatter that sense of normalcy.

In 1982, four months after her separation from Roy, Cindy James started receiving harassing phone calls from an unidentified male. The calls were characterized by unusual sounds, whispers, and eerie silence, leaving her in a state of constant unease. Despite reporting the incidents to the authorities, the harassment escalated rather than abated.

Alongside the relentless phone calls, Cindy James experienced a disturbing array of incidents over a span of seven years. She received threatening letters, heard mysterious noises outside her home, and discovered dead cats in her yard on multiple occasions. Her property was vandalized, with the lights destroyed and the telephone lines cut. The most chilling incidents involved physical violence, with Cindy reporting being attacked and assaulted.

Authorities investigated Cindy James' allegations of harassment extensively. They employed surveillance, forensic analysis, and psychological profiling, yet no conclusive evidence pointing to a specific culprit was found. Despite the presence of blood on an abandoned vehicle, Cindy's car and wallet, which were linked to her, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ultimately concluded her death as a suicide.

The ruling of Cindy James' death as a suicide has faced significant scrutiny. Friends and family question the circumstances surrounding her body's discovery, with her hands and feet bound and a nylon stocking tightly secured around her neck. The signs of a struggle and the presence of drugs, including a fatal dose of morphine, raise doubts about the suicide conclusion. Many believe that the relentless harassment she endured may have been connected to her tragic fate.

The case of Cindy James remains an unsolved mystery, with no definitive answers regarding her death. The haunting details of her life, marked by persistent harassment and unexplained incidents, continue to fuel speculation and scepticism. As the years pass, the quest for justice and the truth behind Cindy James' untimely demise remains unresolved, leaving her loved ones and the public seeking closure.

In the quiet town of La Porte, Indiana, Belle Gunness orchestrated a series of gruesome murders that shocked the nation in the early 20th century. Despite her seemingly ordinary façade as a widow living on a farm, Gunness was, in reality, a cunning and prolific serial killer. Her victims included not only her two husbands but also numerous single men and even some of her own children. The extent of her crimes remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 14 to as many as 40 victims.

Gunness had a sinister modus operandi. Following the deaths of her husbands, she placed enticing ads in newspapers, targeting fellow Norwegian-Americans who sought a taste of home and a promising investment opportunity. Her farm became a magnet for these hopeful souls, and she also cast her net wider, luring wealthy bachelors through lovelorn columns.

One of her victims, Andrew Helgelien, fell under her spell through heartfelt letters. He journeyed to La Porte, captivated by Gunness' promises of everlasting love. Tragically, he met the same fate as those before him—his dismembered body was discovered in her hog pen, alongside other unfortunate souls.

Gunness' crimes were shrouded in mystery until a significant turning point in 1908. Following a suspicious fire that consumed her farmhouse, authorities unearthed a chilling scene. Amidst the debris, they found the remains of Gunness' three children and a headless woman presumed to be her. However, doubts lingered; the corpse appeared oddly small, and conclusive identification proved elusive.

As the gruesome discoveries unfolded, Belle Gunness earned infamous nicknames such as the "Black Widow" and the "Mistress of the Castle of Death." The media frenzy surrounding her story turned La Porte into a national spectacle, drawing crowds curious about the horrors that had transpired on the so-called "horror farm."

Ray Lamphere, a jealous farmhand with romantic feelings for Gunness, was charged with arson but not murder. However, on his deathbed, he confessed to his involvement in 42 murders with Gunness. Lamphere's revelation raised chilling questions: Did Gunness orchestrate her own death in the farmhouse fire, escaping the clutches of justice? Or did she vanish, free to continue her murderous spree elsewhere?

The mystery deepened when, years later, a woman named Esther Carlson, bearing a striking resemblance to Gunness, faced charges of poisoning a man in Los Angeles. Despite her demise from tuberculosis, suspicions persisted that she might have been the elusive killer, perpetuating the enigma surrounding the true fate of Belle Gunness. To this day, the exact circumstances of her death and the extent of her crimes remain unresolved, leaving behind a haunting tale of deception and bloodshed.

In the sleepy town of Keddie, nestled amidst Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, an unsolved mystery continues to haunt the collective imagination. The Keddie Cabin Murders, which occurred in April 1981, left a chilling scar on this serene landscape On April 11, 1981, three members of the Sharp family met a horrifying end. Sue Sharp, a single mother in her late 30s, her two children John (age 15) and Dana (age 17), and John's friend Dana were the unfortunate souls who lost their lives in this brutal incident. It's a small-town tragedy that still sends shivers down the spine of anyone who hears about it. The victims were found bound and bludgeoned to death, with tape and wire used to immobilize them. The cabin was a mess, and the brutality of the crime shocked even seasoned law enforcement officers. The gruesome details hinted at a personal vendetta rather than a random act of violence. Initially, authorities focused their attention on a neighbour, Marty Smartt, and his acquaintance, John "Bo" Boubede. However, these two were never formally charged, and the case went cold for decades. Despite countless hours of police work and numerous leads, the Keddie Cabin Murders remained unsolved for years. Theories floated around, involving everything from drugs to personal grudges, but the truth remained elusive.

Now, here's where it gets even stranger. In 2016, nearly 35 years after the murders, a startling revelation came to light. A hammer, believed to be the murder weapon, was discovered in a local pond. This discovery reopened the case, leading to renewed interest and speculation. So, what happened that night? Why did someone target the Sharp family? Why was this case never solved, despite all the evidence and suspects? These questions continue to perplex amateur sleuths and armchair detectives to this day.

Unravelling the Mystery of a Grisly Crime

In the annals of true crime history, few cases have captured the public's fascination like the infamous Lizzie Borden case. The shocking and brutal murders of Andrew and Abby Borden continue to intrigue and puzzle generations of crime enthusiasts. On August 4, 1892, in Fall River, Massachusetts, Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered in their own home. Andrew was found hacked to death with a hatchet while sleeping on the living room couch. Abby, his wife, was discovered upstairs, similarly bludgeoned. The crime scene pointed to someone with an intimate knowledge of the house, as there were no signs of forced entry. Lizzie Borden, Andrew's 32-year-old daughter, became the prime suspect due to her presence at the time of the murders and the strained relationship she had with her stepmother. Lizzie's behaviour after the crime, including conflicting statements and questionable alibis, raised further suspicion. Despite this, the case against her was largely circumstantial.

Lizzie Borden's trial began on June 5, 1893, captivating the nation's attention. The prosecution presented a case built on motive, opportunity, and circumstantial evidence. However, the defence argued that Lizzie was wrongly accused and that the evidence was insufficient. The trial lasted for thirteen days, and on June 20, 1893, the jury acquitted Lizzie Borden of all charges. After her acquittal, Lizzie Borden returned to Fall River and lived there until her death in 1927. The murders remained unsolved, leaving a lasting sense of mystery and intrigue. Speculation about the case continued for years, with various theories proposed, including theories involving an unknown intruder or potential family involvement.

Meet Rebecca Reusch, a 15-year-old K-pop enthusiast from Berlin, Germany. Unfortunately, she's been missing since February 18, 2019, and the police are still trying to piece together the puzzle.

Rebecca was big on social media, especially TikTok and Instagram, where she had a following of over 30,000 fans. She was a close-knit part of her family, including her older sister Jessica, who was 27 at the time.

Sometimes, Rebecca spent weekends at Jessica's place, and her parents were cool with it because they were one tight-knit family. On February 17, 2019, Jessica's husband, Florian, was out partying with his co-workers, leaving the girls alone for some sisterly bonding.

Rebecca's mom gave her the green light, but with one condition: she had to be in school on time the next day. The plot thickens when Jessica left early for work at 7 a.m., leaving only Florian and Rebecca at home.

When it hit 7:15, Rebecca's mom called to remind her to head to school, but her phone was off the grid. Panic mode engaged. She called Jessica, who had no clue where Rebecca was, and then Florian, who claimed she'd already left.

Initially, nobody was too alarmed, thinking it was just a mix-up. However, as hours passed, they got a call from school saying Rebecca hadn't shown up. That's when the missing person report hit the police.

The police released photos of Rebecca, but her family said they didn't capture her true essence thanks to all those Instagram filters.

Some thought maybe Rebecca ran away, but the family couldn't believe it since they were super close.

On February 28, 2019, the police threw a curveball by arresting Florian, Rebecca's brother-in-law. That shook the family, but it made Florian the prime suspect. Why? Well, Florian's story had more twists than a rollercoaster.

He said he was home all night, but data from the internet router told a different story. It showed he was online well past his bedtime. Plus, Rebecca's phone stayed connected till 7:46 a.m., and he got a call at 7:15 a.m. saying she'd vanished.

They also found Rebecca's DNA in Florian's car, but here's the twist – Jessica used that car too, so it wasn't a slam-dunk piece of evidence.

Florian got released due to lack of evidence but got arrested again on March 4. This time he said he went to Poland to meet a drug dealer and returned to find his lost wedding ring. Not the most convincing alibi.

The cops searched Poland high and low but found nothing. Then, Rebecca's family dropped a bombshell – they mentioned a mysterious "Max" she'd met online. She'd asked to meet him, but they said no. After she disappeared, Max vanished too, wiping his social media clean. The police never tracked him down.

Fast forward a few years, and the case is still unsolved. Rebecca's family stepped back from the investigation due to tensions with the cops. The case files remain open, waiting for a breakthrough.

Nathan and Denise Leuthold were childhood sweethearts, their religious beliefs stopped them from dating at school they were good friends and spent a lot of time together Nathan practically lived at Denise’s house. Once Denise graduated, she headed off to college in Minnesota and Nathan soon followed her and pretty quickly the pair were married in July 1995 and settled down in their hometown.

A while after though Nathan felt a calling and convinced Denise to leave her life behind and become a Missionary in Lithuania for a year, once the year was up they came back home and had 2 children While Denise would have preferred to stay settled with family around to help during this time Nathan was keen to go back to Lithuania his calling was very strong so Denise agreed her and Nathan packed their life up again and headed back. Denise dove in headfirst and began sharing her love of music with people during their many trips out there and as such they got close to many local families including a young teen Aina Dobilite. Aina shared Denise’s love of music and often babysat for the couple's children. 2010 rolls around and the and the family headed back to the USA and decided to sponsor Aina so that she could attend college in Florida.

3 years later On Valentines Day 2013 Denise was shot dead as she walked into her home that was shared with her parents, she had just got home from dropping her youngest child at daycare, she4 had barely stepped inside when she was shot once in the head. Nathan arrived home with the youngest that he had picked up from daycare he noticed that there was some broken glass near a door, so he took the child to a neighbour's and then called 911 he calmly told 911 “We’ve got a break-in".

The police arrived quickly and found Denise inside shot in the head by a .40cal handgun. It was first thought that Denise must have interrupted a burglary but upon seeing a number of valuables that had not been taken looking closer they began to suspect someone close to her as she4 was found lying on her car keys but someone had found the spare set and then took her car to a nearby park and dumped it and the keys there. Also, Diane whose jewellery was stolen states that she only has 3 valuable rings, and they were the only ones taken which is odd how did they know which ones were worth something. Detectives grew more suspicious after learning about the unusual relationship between Nathan and Aina they both denied there being any sexual aspect to their relationship but her school had asked her to leave due the inappropriate relationship between her and her sponsor including overnight stays at a hotel and while the police were checking Nathans alibi that he was buying a voucher at a spa for his wife's present the owner informed the police that he regularly accompanied Aina to her waxing appointments and payee for them. While being interviewed Aina declined to answer many questions about her relationship with Nathan and just glared at the police.

Three weeks after the murder Nathan was arrested and during the trial one of Nathan's fellow inmates testified that Nathan had told him he killed his wife as a Valentines Day present to Aina.

He was found guilty of first-degree murder in just 90mins and was sentenced to 80 years in prison.

On July 29th multiple people fell ill and three died leaving one fighting for his life in intensive care hoping for a liver transplant.

Erin Patterson in Leongatha, Victoria's Gippsland region, on July 29 Invited her in-laws and ex-husband to dinner with her current husband. The ex-husband pulled out last minute but his mum, dad and Gails sister still joined Erin and Ian. The guests fell ill around midnight with food poisoning type symptoms and were taken to hospital where Gail, Don and Heather sadly passed away and Ian remains in Intensive care waiting on a liver transplant. The symptoms are consistent with death cap mushroom poisoning, The children present had eaten a different meal and they are fine no symptoms or concerns.

Erin is not showing any symptoms and has been named as a suspect but police caution that they do not know for sure if this was intentional or accidental and are trying to get to the bottom of what happened. Detectives have searched Erin’s house and taken some items to be tested also a food dehydrator that they found at the tip has been taken in for forensic testing.

Social media posts from Simon Patterson (Erin’s ex-husband) describe a time he spent in intensive care and his family was even brought in to say goodbye to him as he was suffering from stomach issues, though the cause is not in these posts and it's unclear if this could somehow be linked to the ongoing case.

Hopefully the tests will be able to clear up what happened.

Kyron Horman was born sept 9th 2002 in Portland Oregon to his mum Desiree Young and dad Kaine Horman, they divorced before Kyron was born, but they both shared custody and seemingly co-parented well. Until 2004 when Desiree became very ill suffering with kidney failure with many hospital visits and treatments the pair thought it would be best for Kyron to stay with Kaine as primary parent to give him some stability of course visiting and communicating plenty with Desiree.

Three years later (2007) Kaine married Terri Moulton, the two met and got together in 2001, she worked as a substitute teacher and had a son from a previous marriage and in 2008 they saw the birth of their daughter Kiara. According to friends and family the Horman's were a tight knit, loving family they enjoyed spending time together playing board games, bowling with friends and taking trips. Terri volunteered at Skyline Elementary School which is where Kyron attended, she also earned a bachelor's degree in 2000 and mostly worked as a substitute teacher but slowed and then stopped subbing so that she could be home with Kyron during his toddler and preschool years. She continued to learn going on to earn her Master's in education in 2004 and in 2003 she placed 4th in a bodybuilding competition though the same year she was caught drink driving with her 11-year-old son in the car.

On June 4th, 2010, at 8am Skyline school opens up early for the science fair so parents and students can have a look around and see all the exhibits, Gina Zimmerman the school president sees Kyron and Terri around 8:15 and Terri says she watched Kyron walk towards his classroom as she heads out around 8:45 an unnamed student said they saw him near the south entrance a bit later (although the sheriff later backtracks on this statement).

At 10am Kyron's Teacher marks him absent, she didn’t think anything of it as she and Terri had discussed Kyron having a doctor's appointment coming up and she just presumed that was why he was not here.

Later that day around 1pm Terri uploads pictures of Kyron and the science fair on her Facebook and then at 3:30 Terri and Kaine head to the bus stop to get Kyron and they discover he is not on the bus and had been marked absent.

This causes the Skyline secretary to call 9-1-1 and soon after officers begin to arrive at the school and the Horman house. There are texts from the school sent out to all parents to alert them of a missing child and at 7pm the sheriff alerts SAR that they need to start a formal search for Kyron. Many search teams and news outlets arrive at the school and photos and information are given out to everyone and news starts to inform the public that Kyron is missing.

Over the weekend more SAR teams are called in and associated press start to spread the story, a facebook page is created and also a helpfindmychild.net page is made for Kyron. FBI and National Guard are brought in to help. Parents and students are called into the school to answer questions and bring as much info to light as possible. The next week sees Skyline open up for classes and offers a counselling service to all students, SAR continues, mid-week Terri makes her Facebook page private, and an FBI spokesperson announces that the family are not speaking to the media as they don’t believe it's in the best interest of finding Kyron. More SAR teams are called in and the search expands to Sauvie Island but by Sunday June 13th the Sheriff announces that the search has ended, and the case has shifted to a criminal case.

On Saturday June 26th two 911 calls were made from the Horman household and were classified as a threat and a custody issue, but no other details have been released after this Kaine and his daughter move out of the house and serves Terri with a petition for divorce and a restraining order. A while later the News reveals that the landscaper that worked for the Horman's told police that Terri approached him and offered to pay him to kill Kaine 6/7 months before Kyron’s disappearance.

It's announced to the court that Terri will not contest the restraining order or the request to move out of the home and Kaine asks Terri to be held in contempt claiming that she violated the RO by starting a sexual relationship with an old school friend of his, shared sealed legal info and trying to kidnap their daughter. News reveals that the police have been putting a lot of pressure on a small circle of Terri's friends including DeDe Spicher and search her property.

Many searches take place on Sauvie Island and a forested area west of it as police say they have new and specific reasons, but nothing is found. The family continue to post and speak out hoping for information there Facebook page is very active to this day.

Online there are many theories about what happened that day split between Kyron wandering off in the chaos of the science fair and those who think Terri had something to do with his disappearance. It’s a case I return to many times and there is a lot to say about it, where do you fall what theory do you believe or do you have any different ideas.

I hope one day the truth will be found and the family can get some closure.

ST. ANTHONY, Idaho - Lori Vallow Daybell, the woman convicted for the murders of two of her children and conspiring to kill her fifth husband's wife, was sentenced Monday following emotional impact statements from the victims' families. She was given multiple life sentences.

For the deaths of 7-year-old JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, Vallow was convicted on two counts each of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as well as grand theft. She was also convicted for conspiracy to murder Tammy Daybell, the former wife of her husband, Chad Daybell.

https://tinyurl.com/sentanced

Been a long time and so many twists and turns but some justice served for those kids.

Jasmin Paez (18) was arrested on Tuesday. She allegedly used a website called Rentahitman.com where she filled out a form to hire a hitman to kill her 3yr old son, she provided a photo and the address while requesting that the job be completed by the end of the week.

The owner of the site contacted the local authorities Miami Dade three times regarding this request and tried to get an officer to look into it but each time he was referred to Crimestoppers who also did not seem to understand the urgency of the situation. He was finally able to get through to someone that this wasn’t a joke or prank he had serious concerns regarding the safety of a young child and the investigation was passed onto a detective. Investigators posed as the hitman and spoke with Paez to go over details of the hit, the mother agreed to pay $3000 for them to murder her son.

Robert Innes who owns the site, set up for a cyber security company years ago, has received many requests for hitman most people see the joke or see through the site and request silly hits but over the years he has had a few requests that have raised red flags when a requests makes him question things he tries to verify the details name address etc and if he can verify the people he passes it on to the local authority to check into.

Shortly after posing as hitmen and confirming the hit with Paez the police arrived at her house and arrested Paez on charges of soliciting murder and unlawful use of a communication device, she was given a $15000 bond and ordered to stay away from her son, who is safe and well with relatives, DCFs has been alerted and I imagine will be opening a case into the overall safety of the child.

NBC6 spoke to her father who says that the case is not what it seems.

"My daughter is not a monster," the father said in Spanish. "My daughter is a little girl who was born with health problems. She has liquid retained in her neck. She's had 12 surgeries and she lost the ability to move her face. She's been bullied in school, they called her 'the monster.'"

The father added that he's confident the justice system will bring out the truth.

Colin Smith, who was fatally stabbed in Portland, Oregon, on July 2, died protecting a friend who was facing anti-LGBTQ harassment.

Colin Smith 32 had gotten off work and headed to a bar with friends. Once at the bar having a nice night a man came up and started harassing his friends using homophobic slurs, Smith defended his friend and the man retaliated by stabbing Smith multiple times and fled the scene. Unfortunately, he had passed away by time that Officers arrived.

“He died being the person we all knew him as, The protector”

The suspect was later arrested on the 7th of July by US Marshalls, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Thursday that a grand jury had indicted Rahnique Usef Jackson, 24, on three charges relating to Smith’s death: murder in the second degree, unlawful use of a weapon and bias crime in the second degree.

June 9th 1995 Morgan Nick and her mother Colleen Nick travelled to a little league baseball game in Alma, Arkansas. Around 10:30pm Morgan asked her mom if she could go catch some fireflies with friends her mom was reluctant at first but other parents said it was a safe area and she could be seen from where she was sitting, so she relented and made sure to turn round and check o them all 4 or so times.

Morgan was last seen at 10:45 leaning against her moms car as she shook sand out of her shoes her friends stood a little way away from her and cleaned out their shoes they noted that a ‘creepy’ man was chatting to Morgan while this was happening they headed back to their parents after this and told Morgan's mom that she was at the car waiting for her. When Colleen got back to her car tho Morgan was nowhere to be seen.

Colleen desperately searched the parking lot for Morgan and a coach say her worried searching and called local authorities. Six minutes later deputies had arrived and while they started to look around, they thought Morgan had just wondered off they soon began to share the worry Colleen was having. The Alma PD immediately started to search and began an investigation asking for help from the FBI and Arkansas PD. Also reaching out to the media. The town Courtroom was turned into a call centre for tips and the FBI set up a mobile command centre in the parking lot. While the Nick family moved into the local Fire Department it became the HQ for all volunteer searches.

People came forward to share that they had seen an unidentified male looking at Morgan a lot while she was playing and may have approached her friend also verified that there was a ‘Creepy’ man talking to Morgan while she was emptying her shoes out at her mom's car.

Police release a sketch of him to the public he was described as 23-38, medium to solid build, 6’0, 180 pounds with black salt and pepper hair combed back full facial hair and a hairy chest. He was said to have spoken with a ‘hill billy’ accent and was wearing just blue jean shorts. His vehicle was a red pickup truck with a white camper shell with curtains covering the windows it was seen leaving around the time Morgan went missing.

Many tips and leads have come in over the years a couple of properties have been searched but nothing has come from those as far as we have been told. Recently a link may have been made between Morgan and a man called Bill Jack Lincks who owned a red pickup and was arrested for an attempted kidnapping of another young girl shortly after Morgan went missing, when arrested his truck was impounded and kept by the police for a good while and according to a documentary called ‘still missing Morgan' the police have searched the truck and found blood, blonde hair matching the colour of Morgan's hair and blue/green Fibres.

I am going to leave this write up here at this point but am going deeper in to the latest findings which will hopefully bring some closure and help put this horrible case to bed. I'll add to this post when I have a write up of those findings.

Not read to much about this but this sounds promising an arrest in the Gilgo Murders will definitely be keeping up on this as it unfolds.

https://tinyurl.com/2erqp2hr

The cases of the Las Cruces Bowling massacre and the Austin Yoghurt Shop Murders both occured within about a year of each other, were violent far in excess of a normal robbery and remain unsolved. That said, I'm hopeful one or both can be cracked (even if it's a deathbed confession).

Any thoughts on whether these were accidental escalation of a robbery or were full intended chaos from the start? Do you think justice can be still served now?

Maddie Clifton was born in Jacksonville Florida in 1990 on the 17th of June she had a sister called Jessie and her parents were Steve and Sheila. on the 3rd of November 1998 she came home at around 4:30 and practices on the piano for a short while and then bounded out of her home calling to her mum that she will be back for dinner. She was seen hitting some golf balls and then spotted heading back home to gather some more golf balls. A neighbour did claim to have seen a boy named Joshua Phillips "creeping up" to her but these are the last sightings.

At 6:20 her mum started to call for her and try to bring her back for dinner but after some searching and asking around she became worried and called 911 at 6:33. She was last seen wearing a red YMCA basketball shirt with maddie and the number 5 on the back of it, blue shorts and black tennis shoes. For the next six days many police and neighbour and other volunteers searched tirelessly joining the search was the boy that lived across the street Joshua Phillips, he was born in March 1984 in Allentown Pensylvania and was later moved to Jacksonville by his parents Steve his father who it was said he was very scared of as he was abusive to Joshua and his mother Melisa his father did not allow anyone over to play while he was out and also was said to have a hatred for girls a contrast to Joshua who was know as quiet and friendly.

On the 10th of November 1998 Maddie's parents were recording a TV interview when across the street Joshua's mum was heading up to her sons room to clean up as she had noticed a smell coming from there, she thought it to come from the birds kept in his room. In the room she noticed a puddle of liquid just below the waterbed and knelt down to take a closer look on doing so she noticed that the side of the bed was taped up and appeared to be broken, she noticed that inside the broken part were what appeared to be socks on feet she realised that it was the body of Maddie and rushed across the street to alert some police that were canvassing the neighbourhood. The police entered Joshua's room and noticed a large amount of air fresheners some rolls of tape, a baseball bat hidden behind the dresser and a leatherman knife. Maddie's body was removed from the bed and it was noted her shirt was pulled up and her underwear was beneath her.

Police headed to Joshua's school and arrested him on bringing him to the station he confessed to murdering Maddie, He claimed that they we playing in the back yard and he accidently hit a ball to hard and it hit Maddie near her left eye she was bleeding and crying loudly so her took her upstairs to his room as time went on and she was still being very loud he became worried that his dad would come home and he would be in a lot of trouble for having Maddie over so he hit her on the head 2/3 times with a bat to make her stop crying. Instead of becoming quiet she started moaning loudly and he took his knife and cut her throat he stuffed her in the bottom of his waterbed but again a short while later noticed that he could hear her breathing again worried his dad, who was home by now, would hear he pulled her back out and stabbed her lungs repeatedly to kill her and stop the noise. He claimed that the clothes got all messed up when he was getting her in and out of the bed. In trial the coroner stated that she was hit on the head 3 times which would have killed her in 30mins but then in a separate attack her windpipe was perforated and she would have bleed out or drowned on the blood from that and then it was another separate attack that 9 stab wounds occurred and that 2 of these 9 stab wounds occurred after her death a detail confused me that it was said she was found gripping a support in the bed frame but if two wounds occurred when she was dead im unsure how she could have then be put back in the bed and then while dead she grabbed part of the framing. Maybe i misread or misunderstood this point but it is stated in more that one article/story about her death.

Joshua was tried as an adult but due to his age could not be given the death penalty his attorney called no witnesses and his case was trying to get him convicted for manslaughter and not murder. The jury deliberated for 2 hours and he was found to be guilty of 1st degree murder and given a life sentence.

I am hoping this may be a more welcoming community then over on that "R" network.

What are some of your controversial theories about True Crime cases?

One of mine is that Kyron Horman wasn't kidnapped. No one saw him being taken from the school, even though there were a lot of people in the parking lot. There isn't any evidence that the stepmother is guilty, she never refused to speak with the police, and the police have never named her a suspect. His childhood friend said he was headed to the basement of the school building. Maybe he got into a gap in the walls or ceiling of his school, was trapped there and suffocated.

I think Sabrina Aisenberg was kidnapped, and that her parents had nothing to do with it.

Sandra Riley had a troubled early life, she was abandoned by her parents at two months old and was a known child to social services, Macclesfield. In 1973 she gave birth to a girl who she decided to give up for adoption, the next year she gave birth again this time to a boy who mysteriously died shortly after birth which was recorded as a cot death/SIDS.

December 1976 saw the birth of another boy Andrew, with her recent husband Stanley a few days later they rushed him to hospital and he was found to have a skull fracture, authorities thought it was accidental but to be sure he was placed on the at risk register to keep an eye on things for a while.

Three years later Andrew was taken off of the at risk register and a few months later in January 1981 she gave birth again to Christopher another son. Again within a few months he was found dead in his cot for Cot death/SIDS. In march 1983 Riley's 3rd son born just a couple of months before was also found dead, this time though Riley admitted to smothering him with a pillow, when she was being questioned about this she admitted that she also had killed Christopher and she was then convicted to two counts of infanticide but experts concluded that she was not a risk to her other son Andrew on any subsequent children so she was only given a two year probation order.

Her husband allowed her to move back in with them as it was claimed that there were no psychiatric indications that she would harm Andrew, her husband said that this decision haunts him still. April 1985, while still on probation, Riley was left alone to care for Andrew, she took him into the bathroom where he asked 'is it my turn to die, mummy' and as she forced his head under the water he begged 'please don't kill me mum' She was arrested and plead guilty to this murder and an arson charge that occurred a year earlier where she set fire to the family home while her son and a friend were playing. She was committed to Moss Side mental hospital indefinitely.

Louise Porton born in the UK, 1996, Had two children 3 year old Lexi and 17 month old Scarlett and lived in Beechwood Court, Rugby, Warwickshire.

The landlady at the property said to have spent more and more time caring for Louise's children so she could go out socialising. Testifying that Louise would do whatever she could not to spend time with her own children. The children's father was not in their lives and had in fact never met Scarlett, Louise admitted that she found parenting harder than she thought it would be.

January 2018 Lexi was admitted to the hospital multiple times she was taken to the hospital on the 2nd and again of the 4th of January suffering from breathing difficulties, thanks to the work of the paramedics, Lexi was able to be saved Her symptoms suggested deliberate airway obstructions the doctors believing it was caused by a chest infection, all the while Lexi is very ill and in hospital, Louise showed very little care or concern, sending nudes to a photographer from the toilets in the hospital and offering sex in return for money. Just a few days after the last hospital visit Louise once again called 999 stating that her daughter was ill again when asked if the daughter was breathing Louise just said 'no'. When help arrived it seemed that Lexi had been dead for a while before Louise rang 999. Again Louise seemed to not care seemingly unfazed by her daughters death spending the next day swiping through a dating site and messaging men on other sites arranging to meet them and casually mentioning to one that her daughter passed away yesterday while having a casual chat about tattoos. At the funeral parlour two weeks after her daughters death she was heard to be laughing on face time chatting with a man. Only two days after that Louise's other daughter suddenly passed away Louise called 999 telling the operator that her daughter was unwell but that she didn't think it was urgent. Upon arrival the paramedics found the toddler dead and again it seemed she had been dead for a while before calling for help. This death also seemed consistent with deliberate airway obstruction and Louise still seemed very unconcerned by her second daughters death. The doctor could not find a natural reason for withers death and due to this and Louise's demeaner the suspicion fell on Louise, police soon discovered that she had made a string of incriminating internet searches through January seeming to suggest she had killed her children and covered it up. She had searched death, breathing and drowning and researched how long it took for a body to go cold up to the shoulder. After Lexi had been discharged she searched 'can you die if you have your nose blocked and cover mouth with tape?' and other searches about toddlers drowning. She was tried in 2019 and found guilty of both murders she was sentenced to a minimum of 32 years.

Hippolyte Visart de Bocarme a Belgian nobleman who was convicted in 1851 by using forensic medicine of the first recorded murder by nicotine poisoning.

Visart married Lydia Fougnies in 1843 although he owned a castle in Bitremont and being part of a noble family he had constant money worries. Lydia's father left his large estate to her older brother, Gustave. Hippolyte hopped that Gustave would pass quickly to his declining health issues and he and lydia would inherit everything but their hopes were dashed upon hearing that Gustave planned to marry and they realised that the only way they could get their hands on the Fougnies' fortune would be if her brother died before he married.

So on the 20th Nov 1850 they invited Gustave to thier chateau where he later died druinning dinner apparently apoplexy. An examination showed that Gustave was forced to swallow something that was corrosive before dying. Belgian chemist was asked to consult on the case and for the first time Jean Servais Stas was able to deproteinize organic tissue from Gustave's organs he then identified nicotine thus proving that Hippolyte poisoned his brother in law with nicotine extracted for tobacco leaves. A method that is still used to this day. After a three week trial Hippolyte was sentenced to death and was killed by guillotine on 19th July 1851 at Grand-Place in Mons his wife was acquitted.

Sophie Charlotte Elisabeth Weingarten born in Glatz, Prussia, on May 5th, 1760. Her father was the secretary of the Austrian legation, and after he lost his position, she got married 19, to an older counsellor of the supreme court - Theodor Ursinus

They both lived in a town called Stendal up until 1792 and then relocated to Berlin. Then on Sept 11th 1800 just one day after his birthday Ursinus passed away suspicion was on Sophie as she didn't call the doctor and whatever she used to treat him juat made him worse. While they were married, Sophie started an affair with an officer named Rogay which may or may not have been okayed by her husband. Rogay had left Berlin for a while he came back roughly 3 years before her husband died and he him self died which was reported to be from Tuberculosis. Around the death evidence shows Sophie brought some arsenic. January 24th, 1801 her aunt Christine Witte suffered a brief illness and died in Charlottenburg leaving Sophie with a large inheritance again evidence shows she brought arsenic just before this death.

In February 1803 Benjamin Klein who worked for her and had recently been in an argument with her got ill. She gave him an emetic and then soup which only made him feel worse. When she gave him some plums he had them secretly examined by a chemist who found they contained arsenic.

She was arrested for poisoning her husband, whose body was then exhumed but the examiners were unable to confirm whether he was poisoned but everyone still remained suspicious. She was next charged with the murder of her aunt and upon examination there was no doubt that she was killed by arsenic. The trial ended on Sept 12th 1803 she was found guilty and sentenced to life She was allowed to have a certain amount of comforts while in prison, and was even allowed to have parties with outside guests and dress in fine clothing.

In 1989 a popular radio D.J. named Debbie Dicus was killed and rape was attempted but she fought enough that he could not do it. It happened in Virginia at a community garden, where she spent a good amount of time, miday. The police brought in a dog to track using the weapon used which was a garden hoe. The dog then went immediately to the crowd of on-lookers up to a man who had a flannel shirt on over a t-shirt and began barking at him. After being asked to remove his shirt his T-shirt had blood all over it Police did a blood test and it was Debbie's. Murder solved in a couple of hours thanks to the good boy i hope he got all the treats and pets that day!

Seems rare to find any super quick solved crimes so if you know of any others please post and let me know.

On December 17, 2020, Kristofer Erlbacher, Caleb, and another person were hanging out in a bar, having a meal and a few drinks when their night took a dark and scary turn.

Apparently, Erlbacher put some mayo in a meal Solberg was eating. Solberg then became very angry and started to punch Erlbacher, which started a fight between the two of them. Erlbacher left in his truck and drove to a nearby cafe. While driving, he called Solberg's half-brother twice and informed him of what had happened that evening. He also threatened him and Solberg. It is claimed that Erlbacher stated he was going to set the house on fire and shot Solberg with a shotgun he owned on his way out after starting the fire.

Solberg and his half-brother went to the cafe, and reportedly, another fight broke out. After the fight, someone said they heard Erlbacher say, "I'll take care of this," and he got into his truck and slammed into the half-brother's vehicle, then drove off. He drove down the street briefly but saw Solberg outside a bar. He then drove into him and hit him with the truck. Solberg started screaming while Erlbacher drove away but turned back soon after and ran him over a few more times before fleeing or attempting to, but his truck broke down. He called his dad to help, who immediately picked him up and returned him to the crime scene where Erlbacher was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was found guilty in December 2021 and sentenced to life.

All this over mayo! I mean, yeah, don't mess with my food. It's a shitty thing to do, but this is just so out of proportion. I'm so sorry for the family and hope they are doing as well as they can.

Jean Townsend, born on March 11th, 1933, was the victim of an unsolved murder in Ruislip, England. She was a 21-year-old woman who was murdered in September 1954. Despite an extensive police investigation, the case remained unsolved. It was reopened in 1982 following a few anonymous tips, but no conclusion has been reached so far.

She lived with her parents in Bempton Drive, South Ruislip, and worked in the West End of London. On the evening of September 14th, 1954, she attended a social function in the West End and then took the central line train back. She left the station at 11:45 PM and walked down Victoria Road. The next morning, her body was discovered on waste ground to the north side of Victoria Road, near the Angus Drive junction. St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church now stands there (opened in April 1967).

The autopsy revealed that she had been strangled with her own scarf. Despite several items of clothing being removed, there was no evidence of sexual assault. The coroner expressed surprise during the inquest that, apart from the obvious cause of death, there were no signs of struggle or physical resistance from the victim.

While there were suspicions that her murder might be connected to the nearby American Soldiers who had a base at the South Ruislip Air Station, no concrete evidence was found. Rumour's intensified when a resident living near the crime scene reported hearing a woman cry for help, and two male voices were heard arguing, one of which seemed to have an American accent. Allegedly, the United States Air Force (USAF) was reluctant to cooperate with the Metropolitan Police. Many women came forward to report being approached or accosted by strange men. In response to the murder and the publicity surrounding the assaults, local residents formed patrols to escort women from the station to their homes every night.

Side note: Although it is unfortunate that such circumstances require their existence, it is heart warming to witness how communities come together to support one another in the wake of such horror.

Investigators found some possible connections to a few cases of harassment and attacks on nearby women, including the possibility that the murder of another woman in London around the same time was related. There were suspicions that the Townsend murder was connected to an attack on another woman and the 1957 murder of a young mother. Both of these cases occurred a short distance from where Townsend's body was found. Additionally, in 1971, another murder involving strangulation with a scarf took place very close by. The press at the time highlighted these similarities and attempted to establish a connection.

In 2005, a family friend applied for access to the files under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, but the request was denied, and the files will remain withheld from the public until 2031. Due to this publicity, a new theory emerged mentioning an expatriate Italian nobleman; however, the police stated a lack of evidence and dismissed the idea.

A Pittsburgh woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico.

Patricia Kopta left behind a husband and siblings and meandered through northern Puerto Rico for a while before she was taken as a person "in need" to the adult care home in 1999, according to details announced at a news conference this week in Ross Township, where she once lived.

Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said.

Kohlhepp said those who knew her in Puerto Rico finally made the connection and contacted Ross Township police, CBS Pittsburgh reported.

Patricia Kopta, a well-known Pittsburgh street preacher known as "The Sparrow," was found alive in Puerto Rico more than three decades after she went missing.

Last year, a social worker at the home alerted authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman. A DNA test has confirmed her identity, Kohlhepp said.

Her husband, Bob Kopta, and her surviving sister, 78-year-old Gloria Smith. filled in details of Kopta's life at the news conference and in telephone interviews Friday with The Associated Press.

"Shock. I didn't believe it. Total shock," Gloria Smith said of learning the news.

Patricia Kopta had been nicknamed "The Sparrow" because of her slight build, and often frequented parking lots and busy roads in the largely residential community of about 31,000 north of Pittsburgh, where she would caution passersby and motorists about the end of the world. Her family said she suffered from mental health issues and feared being institutionalized, CBS Pittsburgh reported.

"She would always hang out down in Pittsburgh where things were going on. When there was a baseball game going on, when a concert was going on, she would be talking to people," Bob Kopta said about his wife.

But before she began preaching, Kopta was a straight-A student who became a model and dance instructor. After graduating high school, she worked in finance at a Pittsburgh plate glass company and would attend ballroom dancing events weekly, according to her family.

She would vacation often in Puerto Rico with her friends before she got married, Smith recalled.

"She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine," Smith told the AP.

Smith said her sister quit her job at the glass company after 10 years because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress. She then got a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

That's when family members noticed a change in her.

"She said something about seeing an angel there," Smith recalled.

Shortly afterward, Kopta began preaching and was briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with "delusions of grandeur" and said she had signs of schizophrenia. Upon her release, she kept preaching until she vanished in 1992.

"I come home one night, and she's just gone," Bob Kopta told the AP.

They had been married for 20 years.

Kopta, now 86, recalled how they met near a river in Pittsburgh where he had a boat. He gave her and her friends a ride and fell in love. In 1972, they married.

The disappearance stumped authorities and family alike. Police went as far as to consult a psychic, while Kopta recalled his wife once mentioned she would like to go to Puerto Rico because of its balmy weather. So he published ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, but never got a response.

Years went by with no sign of her. He obtained a death declaration about seven years after her disappearance.

"I went through a lot," said Bob Kopta, a retired truck driver. "Every time they'd find a body somewhere (I wondered), 'Is it Patricia? Is it Patricia?'"

Meanwhile, Patricia Kopta apparently was wandering the island's northern towns of Naranjito, Corozal and Toa Alta, located just southwest of the capital of San Juan. When she first was taken in at the adult home, she had hinted that she had arrived in Puerto Rico via a cruise ship from Europe, Kohlhepp said.

After a social worker contacted police in Pennsylvania, it took almost a year for DNA samples to confirm that the woman was indeed Patricia Kopta.

"It's a sad thing, but it's a relief off my mind," her husband said. "When your wife goes missing, you're a suspect."

Bob Kopta, who did not remarry, said he doesn't plan to visit, and that he's now trying to forget the past, though he's glad to know she's being taken care of.

"She could have come home at any time. She always said she wanted to go to a warm climate," he said.

Smith, on the other hand, wants to go to the island to see her older sister. She says she's been unable to speak to the elder sibling on the phone because she cannot hold a conversation, given her dementia. A twin sister of Patricia Kopta died without knowing her fellow twin was still alive.

"Whether she knows me or not, I still want to see her and give her a hug and tell her I love her," Smith said. "I thought maybe she had died."

What post do you just have to keep reading and searching about, maybe hoping for an update or convinced the official judgement is wrong and you feel there is another suspect out there. For me I come back to the West Memphis 3 and still keep trying to get more information to try and figure out the right suspects. Also the The Springfield 3 what happened to them, how did they get all 3 out of the home, will we ever get to the bottom of it? Please share your cases or theories.

Welcome to True Crime, I'm hoping to build a community to share news and case write ups and help bring awareness to all cases. I really hope to see many different types of cases and latest news on ongoing cases. I will be gathering some of the cases that interest me over the next few days and posting some of them I hope we can all respectfully come together to discuss mine and any of your own.