Convicted killer Jodi Arias whose case triggered a flood of public involvement and social media activity. This past April, Arias was sentenced to life in prison without parole having been found guilty of shooting and stabbing her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, to death in the shower. The premiere episode dives into Arias’ transgressions and includes interviews with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and veteran AP journalist Brian Skoloff, whose book Killer Girlfriend: The Jodi Arias Story presents a comprehensive account of the investigation and events leading up to this dramatic trial.
In a case that unfolded like a Hollywood script, millions were engrossed in the investigation of Peterson’s missing wife, Laci, only to find that confident and charismatic Scott was also a cold-blooded killer who had everything to do with her disappearance.
When their parents were killed in their Beverly Hills mansion, Erik and Lyle Menendez took the public on a ride with a tale full of mobsters and mystery but the pieces didn’t add up and the brothers became a national sensation when they confessed their guilt and claimed years of sexual abuse.
The trial that sparked creation of an Illinois law dubbed “Drew’s Law” allowing hearsay evidence to be used in court, in 2007, the former police sergeant became a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, leading police to re-open the case surrounding the death of Kathleen Savio, Peterson’s third wife who was murdered three years earlier.
One of the most notorious criminals of the late 20th century, serial killer Ted Bundy used his good looks to charm his victims. He was put to death in 1989 after being convicted of murdering two college women and a young girl—although before his execution, he confessed to dozens more.
The Dutch citizen made U.S. headlines for his involvement in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, an Alabama teen vacationing in Aruba, as well as for the murder of Stephany Flores Ramirez in Peru on the exact same day, five years later.
The true story behind the killings masterminded by notorious cult leader Charles Manson in 1969.
Steven Avery's trial for the murder of Teresa Halbach garnered both worldwide interest and controversy when it became the subject of the Netflix series Making a Murderer.
In 1986, 19-year-old Robert Chambers was charged with murdering 18-year-old Jennifer Levin which led to a new light being shed on the affluent, prep school students in New York City.
Con man Joe Hunt forms an investment club with wealthy young men who trust him with their families' money, but the Ponzi scheme leads to murder when Hunt gets involved with Ron Levin, a notorious con man, himself.
The 1980 murder of Scarsdale diet doctor Herman Tarnower shocks the nation when his lover, the headmistress of a prestigious girls' school, gets arrested and convicted in a sensational trial in the suburbs of New York City.
The horrific murder of 24-year-old Gregg Smart becomes a national media event when details emerge about his wife's affair with the 15-year-old killer.
Philip Markoff, a 23-year-old preparing for a promising future as a doctor, hides a secret that ends up in murder.
Former high-profile real estate tycoon Robert Durst first gains media attention with the disappearance of his wife in 1982, but his wife's body is never found and he becomes charged with two other murders as well.
Betty Broderick, a former suburban housewife, skyrockets to fame when she murders her ex-husband and his new, much younger, wife in their bed in 1989.
Serial killer Kenneth Bianchi terrorizes Los Angeles between October 1977 and February 1978, but the cops don't know that his own cousin serves as his accomplice.
Known for his extreme beliefs on Christianity, socialist politics and racial equality, Jim Jones becomes infamous for leading a mass murder-suicide of over 900 of his followers in Jonestown, Guyana.
Paul Snider, the ex-husband of Playboy model Dorothy Stratten, harbors a jealousy over Stratten and her new lover that ends in murder-suicide.
In the span of only two years, Richard Ramirez became known as the Night Stalker for breaking into the homes of more than 13 people in Los Angeles and viciously raping, torturing and performing Satanic rituals on many of his victims.
John Gotti was the invincible crime boss that ruled the streets of New York as head of the notorious Gambino family; Gotti quickly rose to prominence by leading his crew of mafia mobsters towards violent acts.
With estimates that run as high as 130 murders, Rodney Alcala's ruthless spree of murder, rape, and sexual assault throughout the 1970s has been widely compared to that of Ted Bundy's.
As the head of the Branch Davidians religious cult, David Koresh became known for leading his Army of God in a 51-day standoff against the federal government that resulted in the deaths of four ATF agents and more than 80 Davidians.
Blinded by her obsession for a man who has no interest in women with children, Susan Smith does the unthinkable -- she pushes her car into a lake, killing her two young sons.
In 1995, Yolanda Saldivar, the president of Selena Quintanilla's fan club, shoots her in a Corpus Christi hotel; Saldivar receives a life sentence in prison and becomes the most hated woman in the Latin American community.
With a total of 49 confirmed murders, Gary Ridgway, otherwise known as the Green River Killer, is one of the most prolific serial killers in American history.
A former Texas music teacher and choir leader, Marshall Applewhite was the founder of Heaven's Gate, a religious group which organized the largest American mass suicide since Jonestown.
A mathematical prodigy and former professor at Cal Berkeley, Ted Kaczynski became widely known as the Unabomber after mailing bombs to universities and airlines between 1978 and 1995.
From All-American to murderer, Aaron Hernandez's early career success as tight end for the New England Patriots becomes shockingly overshadowed by his violent life as a killer; Hernandez is charged with the first-degree murder of friend Odin Lloyd.
Pregnant 18-year-old Melissa Drexler gives birth to her son in a bathroom stall during her prom; the miraculous moment turns into murder when the teen suffocates the child, wrapping him in a plastic bag and discarding her baby in the trash.
Whitey Bulger is one of the most prominent figures in Boston's organized crime scene; from 1975 to 1990, Bulger serves as an informant to the FBI and tips off police of other crime families while simultaneously building his own crime network.
The case is undoubtedly the most infamous murder mystery in history; Jack the Ripper is the name given to the unidentified serial killer that murdered and mutilated five female prostitutes in London in 1888.
Responsible for killing and dismembering 17 young men between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer is arguably one of the most gruesome serial killers the world has ever seen. Mostly targeting African-American men at gay bars, Dahmer would lure his victims to his home and drug them before strangling them to death. He would then engage in sexual acts with their corpses and often keep their genitals or skills as souvenirs. Dahmer’s rampage came to an end in 1992 after he was captured and given 15 life sentences.
Although a seemingly average husband and father of two, Dennis Rader lived a double life as a serial killer who terrorized the Wichita, Kansas area from the 1970s to the ‘90s. In letters to police and local news outlets that detailed his murders, Rader would sign them as the BTK Killer, AKA: Blind, Torture, Kill). During all ten of his murders, Rader lived a normal working life and was an active member of his church until he was arrested in 2005. He is currently serving 10 consecutive life sentences.
For three weeks in 2002, the streets of Washington D.C. are terrorized by 17-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo and 42-year-old John Muhammad who hunt random civilians in broad daylight with a rifle.
John Wayne Gacy, widely thought to be the inspiration for Stephen King's character Pennywise the Clown, murdered 33 young men and teen boys, most of whom he buried in the crawl space beneath his home.
Three years after five brutal and disturbing murders in Gainesville, Fla., Danny Rolling is called to trial, but he unexpectedly pleads guilty to each charge and claims he wanted to become a superstar like Ted Bundy.
Hitchhiking sex worker Aileen Wuornos garnered national attention after she was charged with murdering at least six men in less than a year by shooting them at point-blank range.
Canadian serial killers Karla Homolka and her husband, Paul Bernardo, drugged, raped and murdered three teens, including her younger sister.
Ruthless drug lord Pablo Escobar turns Columbia into the murder capital of the world and may have been responsible for 4,000 to 5,000 murders.
David Berkowitz, aka the Son of Sam, goes on a yearlong murderous rampage killing six people in 1976 and bringing New York City to its knees.
Known as the Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo's murder spree claims the lives of 13 women, many of whom he strangled to death with their own nylon stockings.
Police officer turned killer Laurie Bembenek is convicted of murdering her husband's ex-wife, Christine Schultz; Bembenek claims she was framed for the savage murder, but the evidence included her husband's police revolver and fibers from her wig.
On the FBI's Most Wanted list for more than a decade, Al Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden orchestrates an attack against the United States, using 19 militants to hijack four airplanes with which to carry out suicide missions on Sept. 11, 2001.
In 1966, mass murderer Richard Speck systematically tortures, rapes and murders eight student nurses from South Chicago Community Hospital.
Prison interview special include commentary and revealing details from those closest to the case including Gregg Smart's brother, Dean, Pamela Smart's defense attorney Mark Sisti, prosecutor Paul Maggiotto and crime reporters Bill Spencer and Tami Plyler who covered the case
