Feeling lazy today, your correspondent thought to share some fascinating links on true crime and other subjects not unrelated to same. So, with no further ado, let me introduce these interesting stories and sites I've stumbled across lately -- you might like these as much as I do:
The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun tells of an intriguing new effort to solve old crimes. Since cold case squads are short on manpower and long on unsolved murders (see Stacy Horn's excellent new book, The Restless Sleep, which gives the lowdown on why), some advanced criminal justice students at St. Leo University have decided to tackle an unanswered string of murders that took place in their corner of Florida in 1975-77. It's thrilling to see enthusiastic amateurs get access to the files and a chance to take on the cases that police officials lack the resources to tackle. If they manage to find some answers -- and they've already sent some evidence to a DNA lab -- that could herald something revolutionary on the cold-crime-fighting front. Go, St. Leo!
Mysterious People is a website that tells the stories of psychics, mediums, feral children, impostors, eccentrics, and other occult and curious figures in (primarily British) history.
The Serial Killer True Crime Library has a very long list of the worst of the worst, organized by name, country, and/or date (you choose). What sets this site apart from the many others devoted to serial killers is its sheer breadth and respectful approach to the subject matter.
Famous Trials, written by Professor Douglas Linder, relays the stories of dozens of the most well-known trials in legal history, with links to original materials.
Meanwhile, I'm digging into some then-famous-now-thoroughly-forgotten trials myself. I think I'll next tell the tale of a fascinating murder case from Kansas in 1901 with facts and an outcome that beg credulity. I'm also reading some pretty good books lately, so... more to come.
As always thanks for stopping by.
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