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Most recently published stories in Criminal.
Criminals: Where Are They Now?
They achieved notoriety through their crimes. We were privy to every moment of their lives when they were arrested, became media sensations, and were tried and convicted. These criminals paid their debt to society and then got out of jail. What happened after prison?
By Monica Bennett8 years ago in Criminal
Are Prisons Effective?. Top Story - April 2018.
To diminish crime, what should we do? Should we throw the criminal in prison so that when they get out, they will think twice before committing another crime? Having criminals in prison keeps them off our streets, which makes society feel safe. But is prison the only solution for preventing crime? Or is there an alternative to it? Research has shown that prison is not effective, as it does not reduce crime, despite placing criminals in prison. It may be that offenders are encouraged to reoffend after finishing their sentence. However, do they reoffend because of what they are surrounded by, more crime? What causes criminals to step forward and end their lives in prison? A tragic trend which has increased in recent years.
By Krishna Bhandari8 years ago in Criminal
Top Classic True Crime Books You Must Read
True crime will always be one of the most popular genres to involve real history. It's dramatic, morbid, extreme, and always manages to show sides of humanity that we don't always see. This genre also tends to be one of the scariest out there, simply because it's 100 percent real and actually has happened.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart8 years ago in Criminal
The First One
The Last One I sat at the table, waiting patiently for the cop to walk in. For the questions to start. Why did I do it? How many? When, where, what time? I wasn’t afraid. I knew what I’d done. I knew it was wrong. I knew none of them deserved it. That it should have been him, and only him. But when it came to him, I couldn’t. The interrogator walked in then. He was tall, handsome, clean shaven, had unmistakable green eyes, a confident stride, as if he knew exactly what he was doing. His hair was long for a man but not too long and he never looked at the ground, always straight at me. Straight into my piercing grey eyes. Making sure I knew he was in charge, not me. I had no control. I turned myself in, making it clear I was putting my life in their hands.
By Alyssa Martin8 years ago in Criminal
Real Life Detectives
MARY DOYLE Often described as a feisty redhead, Mary Doyle is the Chief Superintendent of Britain's Manchester Police Force. Doyle joined the force at age twenty and has had a celebrated career of 24 years so far. She has tread a path that few women in this country have been able to. Manchester is a large city, with the problems of all big cities. Doyle will now be firmly butting heads with organized crime. Manchester has between 27 and 40 of them. She was involved in the investigation into the murder of Indian student, Anuj Bidve, which made international news. Bidve's murderer, Kiaran Stapleton, gave his name as "Psycho Stapelton" at one of his hearings. Doyle found his sentence of 30 years without parole to be "satisfying." It was a high-pressure case and her response to being chosen to investigate it was “They knew that because of the circumstances of it and the potential impact it could go worldwide and would be in the international spotlight, so they wanted someone reasonably qualified." Mary was also involved in the investigation of Dale Cregan who murdered a criminal father and son, and two police officers as well. Doyle has taken over a hornet's nest of controversy after some high profile blunders under her predecessor, but she is resolved to bring greater consistency to how police departments deal with cases.
By Monica Bennett8 years ago in Criminal
Escape
You walked in and my world stopped. Not in the good way that you'd think. Not because I was so in love with you that setting my eyes on you once again would make me melt in your presence. It stopped, because I had finally escaped you and now... now you found me. You didn't lay your eyes on me yet as I pressed myself into the booth of the diner. You were slowly looking around and I knew if I make a dash for it at that moment, I would be caught for sure. I glanced around for a low key escape route, every other glance I would look at you. Your face slowly started to reach my section, I could see the scowl on your face and eyebrows furrowed as you concentrated, searching for me. I only had a matter of seconds before you'd finally see me. Desperately, I slid under the table out of sight from at least where you were standing. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds around me, trying to calm myself down. Through the clinking of silverware on plates, lively chatter, and sizzling of the grill, I hear you, your footsteps as they approach my table. I quickly open my eyes and see your shadow from the sun shining through the window come into view. I tuck my feet as close to my body as possible, hoping that you didn't know I was there. As you slowly passed by my table, I could feel my shoulders get less tense and I knew I had to make a run for it. I got down on my knees and peaked out to see where you were, to make sure I had enough time to make it to my car and go. You were still strolling down the aisle slowly. I quickly slid myself out from under the table and ran towards the door, not looking back. I ran quickly to my car, unlocking it as I scurried through the parking lot. I heard the diner door open and shut quickly and fast footsteps behind me. As I reached my car I swung open the door and threw myself in before slamming the door shut and locking it. I placed the key in the ignition and started the engine, quickly throwing my car into reverse and backing out, hoping no one was behind me. I backed out and started racing through the parking lot. When I reached the exit, I saw you for the last time standing in the middle of the only way in/out of the parking lot, smirking at me. I knew in your head you were thinking that you had won, because you always did in the past, that I wouldn't dare hit you with my car, even if that meant going back to your hurtful hands and harsh words. I wouldn't do it because I am weak, a coward, stupid, but you were awfully wrong. I slowly lifted my foot off the break and before even blinking I slammed my foot on the gas and accelerated forward. You didn't have time to think before the front end of my car came crashing into your body, throwing you over my car and onto the asphalt. With tears in my eyes, I was the only one smiling now as I sped out of the parking lot.
By Skyler Blasingame8 years ago in Criminal
Best Female Crime Thriller Writers to Read Right Now
A good murder mystery is always exciting, isn't it? Whether it be captivating novels, mystery podcasts, or films, the genre always keeps us coming back for more. When most people think of crime thrillers and mystery novels, we tend to think of them as being a male-oriented genre. However, this isn't really that true. Both men and women are known to enjoy thrilling books filled with mystery, murder, and mayhem.
By Mackenzie Z. Kennedy8 years ago in Criminal
Cybercrime
One only has to watch Mr. Robot to get a clue about cybercrime. Elliot's Fsociety is a group of hacktivists who cancel everyone's debt everywhere and chaos ensues. How real is this kind of threat? In the dark world of hacking and the sinister workings of internet fraud, it is a possibility. Right now. It's like the nothing of The Neverending Story; the nothing is coming and it will find you. Hackers like the Shadow Brokers, who first broke to the surface in 2016, are gunning for us all. They successfully stole from the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013 and held onto the material for three years. The debate about who the Shadow Brokers are rages on. North Korea, Russia, China, a gang like Mr. Robot's—your guess is as good as anybody else's. WannaCry was a ransomware hack that hit like a tsunami especially in the UK. It shackled the National Health Service affecting emergency rooms and operating rooms throughout the country. Security experts found a flaw in the program and used it as a kill switch. They got a total of $139,000 in bitcoins, and it is believed the North Koreans were responsible. The massive extent of WannaCry was possible thanks to the Shadow Brokers, who leaked Windows flaws. Another ransomware attack was enabled by leaks from the Shadow Brokers. Known as Petya, NotPetya, and several other names, it infected the pharmaceutical giant Merck in this country, a Danish shipping company and a Russian oil company. The program had a flaw used to disable it. Investigators determined that these companies were merely a distraction to enable the hackers to hobble Ukraine. It succeeded; the airport, central bank, transit, and the power company were crippled. Kudos to the Shadow Brokers for that malfeasance.
By Monica Bennett8 years ago in Criminal
Safety
The world is not a safe place. It was the one thing I learned when I lived in Winnipeg for a short period of time. Of course I used to travel to the city, even stayed in hotels around Portage area, and bravely walked the streets in the daylight. But when you actually live there, it has a way of showing its scars underneath the shiny, colorful makeup after a while. There are men leering at you on the bus like dogs hungry for meat. There are even women who sneer or glare down at your body moving through the aisles of Shopper's Drug Mart. Then there are the police who slow down as you try to make it to your room after a long day at school. It isn’t a month until you start to observe your surroundings like a hawk, keep your hair in a tight bun so that no one would use it as a weapon against you, and you buy a switchblade knife for twenty dollars, tucked nicely in your boots. You’re good as golden to roam the streets as safe as anybody can be. Even for a native girl.
By Brianne Morris8 years ago in Criminal
Spy in the Sky. Top Story - April 2018.
Do you ever get the feeling someone is watching? It's not your imagination, especially if you are in the UK or China. While China has the global record for the most cameras, the UK wins if you count per capita. With an approximate number of 500,000, a typical Brit is on camera 300 times a day. The topic is controversial wherever you go. Is privacy being invaded? CCTV is restricted to public areas where people are not supposed to expect privacy. If people can see you, why not cameras? If you've got nothing to hide, what's the difference, right? Some Americans might take issue after the April 15, 2013, bombing of the Boston Marathon. Brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were known simply as Black Hat and White Hat. CCTV followed their blurred images before, during, and after the two bombs went off, and it led to their arrest.
By Monica Bennett8 years ago in Criminal
Criminal Justice System: Better or Worse
When I think of our criminal justice system, I think about the children our law-enforcement puts down. I think about Eric Garner who was suffocating and practically begged to get a gasp of air. Or about the time when a man was shot right next to his girlfriend because of a broken taillight. “Stay with me. We got busted because of a busted taillight in the back,” she said while the man was bleeding to death with the officer pointing his gun at him.
By Angel Tapia8 years ago in Criminal
Why Missing Children Never Return Home
The Lindbergh Law, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and The Amber Alert have all been proven successful ways to return thousands of missing children home safe and alive. Sadly, these methods of locating missing children have been enforced after a child has been senselessly murdered by their captor. However, since the inception of these methods, a lot of cases involving missing children still go unsolved and perpetrators are never caught. What follows are a few possible explanations as to why a lot of cases of missing children have gone cold and unsolved. Leaving the public baffled and heart-broken. Not to mention bringing every parents' and relatives' worst nightmare to life. I hope to provide at least some insight into why and how this tragedy unfolds to prevent such miscarriages of justice from happening again and again. The first second when a child goes missing time is of the essence to make sure that they are found safe and alive, and that their captors are apprehended and brought to justice for their crimes. Crimes against the most innocent of all victims: Children. What follows are a few plausible explanations as to why missing children cases go unsolved despite every exhausted effort by the police, the FBI, the mass media, and the public alike. It seems education and prevention are key to protecting innocent children from predators. To protect their safety and security is more crucial than ever in a world that is dominated by greed, blood lust and political corruption. Kids need to know that predators are everywhere. Online, in schools and in political offices. Call 911 and keep telling until you are believed. If approached by a person who tries to harass or intimidate you, know that this is never your fault and help is available.
By Janelle Ouellet8 years ago in Criminal
