True Criminal

In his 26 years in the field, Richard Taylor has worked on well over a hundred murder cases, with victims and perpetrators from all walks of life. In this fascinating memoir, Taylor draws on some of the most tragic, horrific and illuminating of these cases - as well as dark secrets from his own family's past - to explore some of the questions he grapples with every day: why do people kill? Does committing a monstrous act make someone a monster? Could any of us, in the wrong circumstances, become a killer?

Escape from Dannemora examines the strange case of Joyce Mitchell, the long-time prison employee who had a sexual relationship with at least one of the killers, and who smuggled them tools and aided in the escape, while they cooked up a plan to kill her husband. In the end, Benson looks closely at conditions at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, a crumbling Gothic pile now under investigation for charges of drug trafficking and brutality.

Behind the whitewashed walls of a quiet Sacramento boarding house, an elderly woman served homemade meals, offered warm smiles—and buried bodies in her garden. Dorothea Puente appeared to be the perfect landlord: nurturing, soft-spoken, and devoted to caring for the elderly and disabled. But behind her grandmotherly façade lurked a manipulative killer who preyed on society’s most vulnerable for money, power, and control. For years, she murdered her tenants, forged their signatures, and continued cashing their Social Security checks—all while the system turned a blind eye. Death House...

Serial killers: Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer are often the first names that spring to mind. Many people assume serial killers are primarily an American phenomenon that came about in the latter part of the 20th century. But such assumptions are far from the truth. Serial killers have been around for a very long time and can be found in every corner of the globe - and they're not just limited to the male gender either. Some of these predators have been caught and brought to justice whereas others have never been found, let alone identified.

**Australian Killers: 15 Shocking Cases from Down Under**In the land Down Under, a vast and sunburnt continent that harbors untold mysteries, a shadowy underbelly exists—a realm where the most sinister tales of human malevolence reside. "Australian Killers: 15 Shocking Cases from Down Under" beckons you to venture into this dark, gripping world, where reality eclipses the most chilling fiction. **A Dark Journey Across Australia's Criminal Landscape** This eBook is a portal into the annals of Australian criminal history, a compelling exploration of fifteen harrowing true crimes that have ...

America loves him. The FBI hates him. His life depends on one last daring escape. It's 1934, and America is in the middle of a crime wave. John “Jackrabbit” Dillinger has become America's first celebrity criminal. Many Americans view him as a modern-day Robin Hood, exacting revenge on the banks responsible for the misery of the Depression. Having achieved the fortune and fame he's always desired, the Jackrabbit realizes that it has come at an enormous price. Now, all he wants to do is settle down with his girlfriend Billie and live a normal life. That will be tough to do with the FBI ...

All Diane Bertalan really knew of her new husband, John, was that he was a widower, he lavished her with gifts, and he preferred to keep his past a secret. What she didn't know was that the FBI had been watching him for years. In the fall of 2000, she found out why - it was a crime that had been haunting authorities for decades. They called it the mystery of the Lady in the Box.

Pittsburgh’s mafia may not have been as infamous as New York’s Five Families or Chicago’s Outfit, but for nearly a century, the LaRocca Mafia Crime Family ruled Pittsburgh’s underworld with an iron fist. This is the untold story of power, betrayal, and survival, from the blood-soaked streets of Wylie Avenue to the backroom deals that shaped the Steel City’s economy. This book uncovers the full story of Pittsburgh’s organized crime history, from the first dons to the final days of the once-mighty LaRocca family.

The principles and strategies in this book derive from my aim to assist you with obtaining the most rewarding information related to the criminal investigator and criminal investigations. By way of simple easy-to-follow novels, my aim is to help you to understand the procedures, protocol, and practices needed to conduct a successful criminal investigation.

One of the most savage gang wars in Miami's bloody history occurred during the 1990s between the Boobie Boys and Vonda's Gang. Embroiled in a dispute over drug turf, these two narcotics organizations were responsible for over 40 murders and 100 non-fatal shootings. The gang leaders, one a man and one a woman, were ruthless and the streets of Miami ran red with blood. Innocent bystanders were murdered and maimed at an alarming rate. A five-year-old boy and his mother were killed when they were caught in the crossfire. Double and triple victim homicides were occurring with frightening ...

In the shadows of Northeastern Pennsylvania, a clandestine empire emerged—one that would become synonymous with the essence of organized crime. The Bufalino Mafia Crime Family takes you on a gripping journey through the tumultuous history of the notorious Bufalino crime syndicate. This meticulously researched and fascinating narrative unveils the hidden layers of a mafia family that left an indelible mark on American criminal history.

The model for The Great Gatsby's Meyer Wolfsheim and Nathan Detroit from Guys and Dolls, Arnold Rothstein was an underworld genius, racketeer, rumrunner, and mastermind who, as F. Scott Fitzgerald observed, played "with the faith of 15 million people with the single-mindedness of a burglar blowing a safe."

Drawing on a trove of sealed files and previously classified material, Whitey digs deep into the mind of James J. "Whitey" Bulger, the crime boss and killer who brought the FBI to its knees. He is an American original - a psychopath who fostered a following with a frightening mix of terror, deadly intimidation, and the deft touch of a politician who often helped a family in need meet their monthly rent. But the history shows that despite the early false myths portraying him as a Robin Hood figure, Whitey was a supreme narcissist, and everything was always about him.

A murder shook a border town in northern Spain. Initially, all signs pointed to a crime of passion, and the main suspect had already been identified. The evidence seemed undeniable, and society was demanding a swift response from the police. However, years later, many doubts arose regarding the investigation and the guilt of the supposed murderer. An engaging story that continues to stir Basque society, revealing deeper and more surprising layers than originally thought.

Virginia Hill, known as the Mafia Queen, consorted with the countries most notorious gangsters. From Chicago to New York, Los Angeles to Las Vegas, she conspired with and against some of the most dangerous men in the underworld. Her infamous affair with Benjamin Siegel is only part of the story. Hill was in cahoots with the likes of Joe Adonis, Lucky Luciano, and Meyer Lansky. For most of her life, she played both sides against the middle. Virginia Hill: Mafiosa is a quick look at her life and times with the Chicago Outfit and New York Mafia.

The extraordinary life and crimes of heiress-turned-revolutionary, who in 1974 became the only woman to pull off a major art heist, The Woman Who Stole Vermeer is Rose Dugdale’s story, from her idyllic upbringing in Devonshire and her presentation to Elizabeth II as a debutante to her university years and her eventual radical lifestyle.

The American legal system changed dramatically when the OJ Simpson trial became a television-ratings bonanza. Now it's all crime, all the time, from tabloid news to police procedurals. Americans now know more about the criminal justice system than ever before. Or do they?

Eliot Ness presents the first complete picture of the real Eliot Ness. Both fearless and shockingly shy, he inspired courage and loyalty in men twice his age, forged law-enforcement innovations that are still with us today, and earned acclaim and scandal from both his professional and personal lives. Through it all, he believed unwaveringly in the integrity of law and the basic goodness of his fellow Americans.

The Thunderbird Motel, 1977. J. J. Wedick and Jack Brennan - two fresh-faced, maverick FBI agents - were about to embark on one of their agency's first wire-wearing undercover missions. Their target? Charismatic, globetrotting con man Phil Kitzer, whom some called the world's greatest swindler. From the Thunderbird, the three men took off to Cleveland, to Miami, to Hawaii, to Frankfurt, to the Bahamas - meeting other members of Kitzer's crime syndicate and powerful politicians and businessmen he fooled at each stop.

Though always popular, television shows and movies about law and order do not provide the true story of what it’s like to catch a criminal, to walk the beat every day, to be a part of that thin blue line between peace and criminal mayhem. Ben Celano and his fellow officers know what that life is really like, and in book two of his Beat Cop: Chicago Blue series, he gives readers a chance to see the world from their point of view. With twenty-two years of experience patrolling one of the busiest areas in Chicago, Celano can give you a real glimpse into what you don’t see on TV and what ...