Today in True Crime
There’s never an ordinary day in true crime history. Flip back the calendar and see how one fateful day can ripple through time. Today in True Crime is a Spotify Original from Parcast.
551
Feb 25, 2015: Shooting in Sejong, South Korea
Even with South Korea’s strict gun laws, a jilted lover decided to exact revenge on his ex-lover’s family, with deadly results.
11 min
552
Feb 24, 1986: Sherri Rasmussen Murdered
Newlywed Sherri Rasmussen was murdered in her Van Nuys home. Her killer was an LAPD officer.
12 min
553
Feb 23, 2002: Betancourt and Rojas Kidnapped
Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and her campaign manager Clara Rojas were kidnapped by the guerrilla group known as FARC.
11 min
554
Feb 22, 1978: Jean-Bedel Bokassa’s Birthday
The Emperor of Central Africa turned 57 on this day in history — his first birthday since his coronation two months earlier.
14 min
555
Feb 21, 1994: Aldrich Ames Arrested
After years of suspecting a spy, the FBI arrested CIA agent Aldrich Ames and charged him with multiple counts of espionage and tax fraud.
12 min
556
Feb 20, 1998: Chevie Kehoe Pleads Guilty
In Spokane, Washington, white supremacist Chevie Kehoe pleaded guilty to charges related to a prolonged shootout with police.
12 min
557
Feb 19, 1983: Wah Mee Massacre
Three men robbed Seattle’s underground Wah Mee Club and killed nearly everyone inside. One man survived to seek justice.
12 min
558
Feb 18, 1949: Gary Ridgway Is Born
One of history’s most prolific serial killers, known as “The Green River Killer,” was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
12 min
559
Feb 17, 2014: Breck Bednar Murdered
Shortly after 14-year-old Breck Bednar went to meet a friend he had made online, images of his dead body were circulated online.
13 min
560
Feb 16, 1929: Ned Doheny Jr. Murdered
The son of an infamous oil tycoon died in a mysterious murder-suicide.
11 min
561
Feb 15, 1933: Giuseppe Zangara Attempts to Assa...
A 32-year-old bricklayer mortally wounded Anton Cermak, the Mayor of Chicago, at a rally — though his intended target was President-Elect Franklin D. Roosevelt.
12 min
562
Feb 14, 1530: Last King of Michoacán Executed
Indigenous Purépechan monarch Tangaxuan II was burned at the stake by Spanish conquistador Nuño de Guzmán.
11 min
563
Feb 13, 1917: Alleged WWI Spy Arrested
French authorities arrested a sex worker known as Mata Hari in Paris, believing she was a spy for Germany during World War I.
14 min
564
Feb 12, 2010: University of Alabama Shooting
Fifty minutes into a routine faculty meeting, assistant professor Amy Bishop opened fire on her colleagues.
10 min
565
Feb 11, 2011: Brooklyn Slasher Begins Killing S...
Driven by paranoia and rage, small-time drug dealer Maksim Gelman killed four people and injured five more.
11 min
566
Feb 10, 2013: The Whereabouts of Christopher Do...
The LAPD posted a $1 million reward for information on an ex-cop whose revenge-fueled shooting spree claimed four lives.
12 min
567
Feb 9, 2015: David Messerschmitt Murdered
While preparing for a hotel rendezvous with a man he met online, David Messerschmitt was instead accosted by a woman and stabbed to death.
13 min
568
Feb 8, 1587: Mary Queen of Scots Beheaded
A crowd of people gathered to witness the execution of the one-time Queen of Scotland and France.
15 min
569
Feb 7, 2012: Somali Pirates Capture “Free Goddess”
The Greek cargo ship and its crew of 21 Filipino sailors were held captive for eight months as Somali pirates negotiated for ransom.
12 min
570
Feb 6, 1577: Beatrice Cenci Is Born
The Italian noblewoman was later convicted in the murder of her abusive father, and sentenced to death by Pope Clement VIII.
11 min
571
Feb 5, 2012: The Powell Family Murders
Three years after their mother disappeared, 5-year-old Braden and 7-year-old Charlie were murdered by their father during a custody visit.
12 min
572
Feb 4, 1974: M62 Coach Bombing
In Northern England, a 50-pound bomb exploded on a bus that was carrying British Armed Forces personnel and their families on the M62 motorway.
11 min
573
Feb 3, 1971: Frank Serpico Is Shot
In what many believe was a set-up meant to silence him, NYPD Detective Frank Serpico was shot while making a drug bust.
12 min
574
Feb 2, 2013: American Sniper Murdered
At a gun range in Texas, ex-Marine Eddie Routh shot and killed former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield.
13 min
575
Feb 1, 2012: Israel Keyes Kidnaps Samantha Koenig
Keyes kidnapped 18-year-old Samantha from where she worked in Anchorage, Alaska.
11 min