A University Murder: What Happened to Betsy Aardsma? The Story that Haunts Penn State On November 28, 1969, Pennsylvania State University student Betsy Aardsma, went to the library to find research material for her English paper. She had just returned from celebrating Thanksgiving with her boyfriend’s family, and walked with her roommate, Sharon Brandt to…
The Crimes and Legacy of a Craigslist Killer He lived a double life and used Craigslist’s online marketplace to find his victims. Philip Markoff’s story filled headlines for months and was the subject of a Netflix movie. All it takes is a Google search to learn about this Craigslist Killer- but what about the women…
The Murder of a Playboy Bunny: The Rise and Fall of Dorothy Stratten She’s the beautiful young girl who dazzles Hollywood. He’s the bitter husband who can’t stand her success. In three years, they’ll both be dead. 1977 By most accounts, Dorothy Stratten is a typical teenager who works at her local Dairy Queen and…
Identifying the St. Louis Jane Doe As a true crime writer, I spend a lot of time researching cases, especially ones that are unsolved or where the press or law enforcement misrepresented the victims. While all of these stories stick with me, the one that has lingered in my mind the most is the St.…
The Killer Who Warned Us: John Albert Gardner III John Albert Gardner repeatedly admitted he was a danger to society. It took two murders to confirm he was telling the truth. On February 25th, 2010, 17-year-old Chelsea King went for a run at Rancho Bernardo Community Park in San Diego, California. Her plan was to…
The Growth of the Incel Movement and the Isla Vista Killings The ‘Day of Retribution’ On May 23rd, 2014, Elliot Rodger went on a killing spree in Isla Vista, California, that left six people dead and fourteen others injured. The rampage would be dubbed the 2014 Isla Vista Killings and be forever connected to the…