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.
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October 23, 1982: Christ Miracle Healing Shootout
On this day in 1982, police in southern Arizona engaged in a deadly shootout with members of the Christ Miracle Healing Center and Church.
13 min
677
October 22, 1934: Pretty Boy Floyd Killed
On this day in 1934, Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd died after a shootout with the police.
12 min
678
October 21, 2009: Elizabeth Olten Murdered
On this day in 2009, Alyssa Bustamante killed her 9-year-old next-door neighbor, Elizabeth Olten.
13 min
679
October 20, 2003: Man Illegally Jumps Over Niag...
On this day in 2003, 40-year-old Kirk Jones threw himself over Niagara Falls... and miraculously survived.
11 min
680
October 19, 2000: Robert Lee Yates, Jr. Pleads ...
On this day in 2000, serial killer Robert Lee Yates, Jr. pled guilty to thirteen murders.
12 min
681
October 18, 1985: Benjamin Moloise Hangs
On this day in 1985, South African authorities executed Black activist Benjamin Moloise after he was convicted of murdering a police officer.
16 min
682
October 17, 1931: Al Capone Convicted
On this day in 1931, 32-year-old gangster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion, finally ending his violent reign as ‘Public Enemy Number One.’
14 min
683
October 16, 1965: Lesley Ann Downey Found Dead
On this day in 1965, British police found the body of missing 10-year-old girl, Lesley Ann Downey. Lesley was one of the five young victims of serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.
15 min
684
October 15, 1991: Clarence Thomas Confirmed to ...
On this day in 1991, Clarence Thomas was narrowly confirmed to the Supreme Court — despite allegations of sexual harassment by Thomas’s former aide, Anita Hill.
12 min
685
October 14, 1912: Theodore Roosevelt Assassinat...
On this day in 1912, saloonkeeper John Schrank shot U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
12 min
686
October 13, 54 CE: Death of Emperor Claudius
On this day in the year 54 CE, Roman Emperor Claudius was poisoned by his wife Agrippina.
13 min
687
October 12, 1978: Sex Pistols Girlfriend Found ...
On this day in 1978, 20-year-old Nancy Spungen — the girlfriend of former Sex Pistols’ bassist Sid Vicious — was found dead.
12 min
688
October 11, 2002: Ken Bridges Shot While Gassin...
On this day in 2002, a Black businessman named Kenneth Bridges died in a random shooting. His murderers came to be known as the Beltway Snipers for their senseless three-week killing spree.
12 min
689
October 10, 2003: A.P. Report on the Zetas
On this day in 2003, the Associated Press first reported on a dangerous Mexican drug cartel known as the Zetas.
12 min
690
October 9, 2002: Aileen Wuornos Executed
On this day in 2002, serial killer Aileen Wuornos was executed by the state of Florida. Twelve years earlier, Aileen murdered as many as seven men in cold blood.
12 min
691
October 8, 1987: Hungerford Memorial
On this day in 1987, the town of Hungerford in Berkshire, England held a memorial service for 16 residents—all of whom were slain in a vicious shooting spree.
13 min
692
October 7, 2019: Secondary School Student Stabb...
On this day in 2019, four students attacked their classmate, 14 year-old Devan Bracci-Selvey.
11 min
693
October 6, 1866: Reno Brothers Train Robbery
On this day in 1866, the notorious Reno Brothers and their gang committed the first successful peacetime train robbery in history.
12 min
694
October 5, 1945: Hollywood’s Black Friday
On this day in 1945, police clashed with striking workers outside of the Warner Brothers Studio.
11 min
695
October 4, 1936: Battle of Cable Street
On this day in 1936, the British Union of Fascists violently clashed with antifascist organizations. Over 150 people were injured in the confrontation.
11 min
696
October 3, 1981: Irish Republican Army Ceases H...
On this day in 1981, Northern Ireland’s H-Block Hunger Strike ended after 217 days. The movement sought better treatment for inmates at Long Kesh Prison.
12 min
697
October 2, 1780: John André Hanged
On this day in 1780, a British spy named John André was hanged by American revolutionaries. He had been caught conspiring with the notorious Benedict Arnold.
11 min
698
October 1, 1982: The Tylenol Murders
On this day in 1982, the seventh victim of the Tylenol Murderer was found dead in her Chicago, Illinois home.
12 min
699
September 30, 1986: U.S. Releases Soviet Spy Za...
On this day in 1986, Gennadi Zakharov, a Soviet spy, spent four minutes in a Brooklyn Courtroom before promptly being let go.
13 min
700
September 29, 1979: Francisco Macis Nguema Exec...
On this day in 1979, Francisco Macías Nguema, the brutal dictator of Equatorial Guinea, was executed for crimes against humanity.
15 min