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.
976
December 28, 1956: Grimes Sisters Disappear
On this day in 1956, 12-year-old Patricia Grimes and her 15-year-old sister Barbara left the movies and never returned home.
14 min
977
December 27, 1985: Dian Fossey Found Murdered
On this day in 1985, primatologist Dian Fossey was found murdered at her research camp in Rwanda.
12 min
978
December 26, 1976: Jill Robinson’s Body Found
On this day in 1976, police in Michigan received a tip about a body lying on the side of the road. Upon investigation, they identified it as 12-year-old Jill Robinson.
13 min
979
December 25, 1996: JonBenet Ramsey Murdered
On this day in 1996, JonBenet Ramsey was murdered. The death of the 6-year-old beauty queen captivated the nation and dominated headlines; it’s one of the most notorious unsolved murders in American history.
15 min
980
December 24, 1945: Sodder Family Tragedy
On this day in 1945, George and Jennie Sodder’s West Virginia home caught on fire. Five of their nine children were trapped inside the house as it burned to the ground.
15 min
981
December 23, 1996: Sophie Toscan du Plantier
On this day in 1996, the body of 39-year-old French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier was found at her vacation home in County Cork, Ireland.
13 min
982
December 22, 1984: 1984 New York Subway Shooting
On this day in 1984, Bernhard Goetz shot and wounded four young Black men in a subway car in New York City.
12 min
983
December 21, 1978: Gacy’s Home Searched
On this day in 1978, police obtained a second search warrant to enter the home of suspected serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
14 min
984
December 20, 1973: Luis Carrero Blanco Assassin...
On this day in 1973, Spanish Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco, the heir apparent to dictator Francisco Franco, was killed by a terrorist group.
12 min
985
December 19, 1983: Jules Rimet Trophy Theft
On this day in 1983, the Jules Rimet FIFA World Cup Trophy was stolen from the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio de Janeiro.
13 min
986
December 18, 1987: Ivan Boesky Sentenced
On this day in 1987, Ivan Boesky was sentenced to three years in prison. When he was found guilty of insider trading.
15 min
987
December 17, 1938: Margaret Martin Disappears
On this day in 1938, Margaret Martin went to meet a mysterious man for a job interview.
10 min
988
December 16, 1989: Judge Robert Vance Killed
On this day in 1989, Federal Judge Robert Vance opened a mail bomb delivered to his house; the explosion killed him instantly.
12 min
989
December 15, 1946: Black Dahlia Origins
On this day in 1946, Robert Manley decided to cheat on his wife—setting off a chain of events that led directly to Manley’s arrest as a suspect in one of the most gruesome murders in American history: The Black Dahlia.
15 min
990
December 14, 835 CE: The Sweet Dew Incident
On this day in 835 CE, a plot hatched by China’s Emperor Wenzong to kill the court eunuchs backfired.
13 min
991
December 13, 1961: The Eichmann Verdict
On this day in 1961, the widely publicized trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann reached its conclusion in Jerusalem.
12 min
992
December 12, 1982: Corpsewood Manor Murders
On this day in 1982, 56-year-old Dr. Charles Scudder and his partner, 44-year-old Joseph Odom, were murdered in their house in rural Georgia.
15 min
993
December 11, 1978: Lufthansa Heist
On this day in 1978, over $5.8 million in cash and jewelry were stolen from the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
13 min
994
December 10, 1934: Brighton Trunk Murders Trial
On this day in 1934, Tony Mancini began his trial for the Brighton Trunk murders.
13 min
995
December 9, 1963: JFK’s Assassination Findings
On this day in 1963, the FBI released a five-volume report on the JFK assassination to the Warren Commission: the agency’s first official investigative statement on President Kennedy’s death.
9 min
996
December 8, 1982: Washington Monument Standoff
On this day in 1982, nuclear disarmament activist Norman D. Mayer brought Washington D.C. to a stand-still when he claimed to have a truck full of explosives at the Washington Monument.
12 min
997
December 7, 1992: Menendez Brothers Indicted
On this day in 1992, a Grand Jury indicted Lyle and Erik Menendez for murdering their parents in Beverly Hills over 3 years earlier.
12 min
998
December 6, 1967: “Tent Girl” Murdered
On this day in 1967, 24-year-old Barbara Ann Taylor was murdered. For 30 years, her body remained unidentified, and she was simply referred to as “Tent Girl” — due to the material covering her corpse.
11 min
999
December 5, 1873: Boston Belfry’s First
On this day in 1873, Bridget Landregan was found beaten and strangled to death in Boston.
13 min
1000
December 4, 1997: Moses Sithole Found Guilty
On this day in 1997, Moses Sithole was found guilty of 38 counts of murder and 40 counts of sexual assault, making him one of the most notorious serial killers in South African history.
10 min