True Crime Black
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The True Crime genre doesn’t always include equity in its storytelling. WE need to shine a light on our victims of color.
Stories (26)
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The Case of 17-Year-Old Found In School's Gym Mat Still Unsolved
On January 11, 2013, the body of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found in of the most unusual of circumstances: Kendrick was found upside-down and rolled up in his school’s gym mat. In what would be seen as a controversial ruling, Kendrick’s death was ruled an accident by law enforcement. The initial autopsy report showed that Johnson died due to “positional asphyxia” — meaning that he suffocated from being stuck upside-down in an enclosed space for a long period of time.
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
These Parents Haven’t Seen Their Children In Over 30 years
When Unsolved Mysteries rebooted on Netflix in the summer of 2020, the country saw a renewed interest in several different cold cases. As mentioned before, the death of Alonzo Brooks was basically reopened because of the attention that the show brought. Another story that has gotten renewed attention centers around the disappearance of Christopher Dansby and Shane Walker. Both kids were abducted from a Manhattan playground in 1989. Both kids have not been seen since.
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
Why Don’t We Know More About D.C.’s First Serial Killer?
The Freeway Phantom was a moniker given to a serial killer who operated from April 1971 to October 1972. The Freeway Phantom was Washington D.C.’s first serial killer who murdered six young girls during his spree. What was a key commonality all of those girls had? They were black.
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
Will Jayson Artis Ever Get Justice?
This case centers around 22-year-old Jayson Artis. Jayson had just made the move from his home in Virginia to Los Angeles so that he could attend college there. Before starting his classes, Jayson decided to enjoy his new home. In July of 1998, he brought his brother Steven to Los Angeles for a visit. The two took a trip to Tijuana, Mexico for some partying. On August 1st, Jayson’s friend Michael met them at Avienda Revolucion. Jayson supposedly had a reputation for being a more rowdy person when he would drink, which made this night of partying a potentially bad combination. That was starting to show itself when Jayson became upset with a bartender. He was annoyed that the tequila he was drinking was $6 a shot and he initially didn’t want to pay for it. Michael was able to convince him to pay it and leave — which is exactly what happened.
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
What Happened To Andre Jones?
This story centers are 18 year old Andre Jones of Jackson, Mississippi. The young high school graduate was looking forward to starting college in the Fall of 1992. Andre’s mother — Esther — was the president of the Jackson branch of the NAACP. His stepfather (Charles) was a Nation of Islam minister. Andre also had a girlfriend named Tanisha Love. On the night of August 22nd, 1992, Andre and Tanisha were driving together. At around 1 am, they had to stop at a routine sobriety checkpoint in Brandon, Mississippi. At 1:30 am, Andre’s parents received a call from Tanisha.
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
Was The Death Of Terry Lucas A Coverup?
The Background The story of Terry Yvonne Lucas took place at Frontera Prison in California. The penitentiary is one of the largest women’s prisons in the United States. Some of California’s most violently dangerous women can be found in its maximum-security wing. However, the criminal activity in Frontera extends far beyond the inmates. Allegedly, the prison guards (and other employees) have established their own drug trafficking ring right in the heart of the facility. Where does Terry Lucas come into this story?
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
What Happened To LaVena Johnson?
LaVena Johnson was an Army Private deployed in Iraq. While she was away, LaVena called home every day to make sure she was in touch with her family. Her last call to them was on July 17th, 2005. She was excitedly updating them on her plans to come home for Christmas. “She told us not to decorate the tree until she got home,” LaVena’s mother, Linda Johnson, said of her daughter. “We said we’d wait for her, of course. She was so happy to be coming home.”
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
Police Officer Last Person To See Missing Men
Back in 2004, a family had to endure a familiar tragedy. On January 12th of that year, 27-year-old Terrance Williams moved to Florida. The young father of four traveled there to take care of his mother in need. While she was resting, Terrance decided to attend a party. Unfortunately, he decided to make the drive while having a suspended license.
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
Was Keith Warren Lynched?
The Case One summer afternoon, a family in Silver Spring, Maryland would face a tragedy that no family should endure. On July 31st, 1986, Keith Warren’s body was found hanging from a tree in a wooded area not too far from his home. Keith was slated to start college in just one short month. Keith’s immediate family at the time consisted of his mother (Mary) and his sister (Sherri). In the beginning, both his sister and his mom had a belief in line with that of the local police. That belief was that Keith had committed suicide by hanging. While the police would stick with that theory, Keith’s family would soon start to change their minds about how he died. For starters, two ropes were used to hang Keith. The tree was also too small for him to have killed himself by hanging. Lastly, Keith’s family was not even officially notified of his death, there was no autopsy done, and his body was almost immediately sent to a funeral home.
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
What Happened To Alonzo Brooks?
When Unsolved Mysteries returned to our tv screens in July 2020, one of their first cases was a doozy. The Netflix reboot of the show featured the case of a mid-twenties partygoer who may have been the victim of a series of hate crimes that ultimately lead to his death. If it wasn’t for the reboot, however, his case would still be closed.
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
Which Twin Do You Believe? The Case of Frederick and Cedric Young
While there are certainly exceptions, I think it’s safe to say that we’re all raised with a single concept: family. Your family is an important component of your life that is permanent and impactful. Most importantly, though, they’re supposed to be something that you can rely on. The bond between family members is seen as one of the only forms of unconditional love that exists. But what happens when you can’t trust your family? What happens when the family member that betrays you is your own twin brother? Well, that depends on what side of this case you find yourself.
By True Crime Black3 years ago in Criminal
