Casual Criminalist https://casualcriminalist.pub en-us Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:14:57 GMT https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/how-a-podcast-helped-to-find-justice-for-kristin-smart https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/how-a-podcast-helped-to-find-justice-for-kristin-smart Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The story of Kristin Smart's 1996 disappearance, the decades-long investigation, and how musician Chris Lambert's podcast "Your Own Backyard" helped bring her killer to justice after 26 years. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/jazzin-it-out-with-the-axeman-of-new-orleans https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/jazzin-it-out-with-the-axeman-of-new-orleans Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The bizarre true story of the Axeman of New Orleans, a serial killer who claimed to be a demon from Hell and demanded jazz music be played to spare lives. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/a-crime-to-remember-the-case-of-nicole-gordon https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/a-crime-to-remember-the-case-of-nicole-gordon Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of Nicole Gordon, who discovered she had been shot in the head by her boyfriend only after doctors found a bullet lodged in her brain—an attack her damaged memory had erased entirely. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/bernie-madoff-65-billion-ponzi-scheme https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/bernie-madoff-65-billion-ponzi-scheme Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How Bernie Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history for over 40 years, stealing $17.5 billion from 37,000 victims while the SEC ignored repeated warnings. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/billy-milligan-man-of-24-faces-or-violent-conman https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/billy-milligan-man-of-24-faces-or-violent-conman Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT In 1977, Billy Milligan became the first person to use multiple personalities as an insanity defense. But was he truly suffering from dissociative identity disorder, or did he exploit the zeitgeist of 1970s clinical psychology to escape justice? Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/bizarre-case-paul-warner-powell-man-who-sent-himself-electric-chair https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/bizarre-case-paul-warner-powell-man-who-sent-himself-electric-chair Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How convicted murderer Paul Warner Powell escaped death row through a legal technicality, then wrote a taunting letter to prosecutors that placed himself back on Virginia's electric chair. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/braemar-hill-murders-double-murder-hong-kong https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/braemar-hill-murders-double-murder-hong-kong Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The brutal 1985 killings of two British teenagers on Hong Kong's Braemar Hill exposed colonial policing double standards and became one of the territory's most infamous criminal cases. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/burke-and-hare-anatomy-killers https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/burke-and-hare-anatomy-killers Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The dark true story of William Burke and William Hare, who murdered at least 16 people in 1828 Edinburgh and sold their corpses to medical schools for dissection. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/carl-tanzler-the-depraved-man-who-lived-with-a-corpse-for-7-years https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/carl-tanzler-the-depraved-man-who-lived-with-a-corpse-for-7-years Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The disturbing true story of Carl Tanzler, a radiology assistant who became obsessed with tuberculosis patient Elena de Hoyos, dug up her corpse after her death, and lived with her preserved body for seven years. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/caught-in-the-act-the-lululemon-murder https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/caught-in-the-act-the-lululemon-murder Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of the Lululemon murder, where employee Brittany Norwood staged a violent robbery after killing coworker Jayna Murray—only to be undone by forensic evidence that never left the store. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/columbine-mass-murder-high-school https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/columbine-mass-murder-high-school Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT A detailed account of the Columbine High School massacre, exploring the warning signs, the attack itself, and the lasting impact on American society. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/darts-of-death-bullseye-serial-killer https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/darts-of-death-bullseye-serial-killer Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of John Cooper, the Welsh serial killer who appeared on the UK game show Bullseye just weeks before committing murder, and how his television appearance became crucial evidence in his eventual capture. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/david-parker-ray-toy-box-killer https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/david-parker-ray-toy-box-killer Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying story of David Parker Ray, the Toy-Box Killer who tortured women in a custom-built trailer for decades, and how one victim's escape finally brought him to light. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/dunblane-hungerford-uk-gun-reform https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/dunblane-hungerford-uk-gun-reform Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT How the Hungerford and Dunblane massacres led to sweeping gun reform in the United Kingdom, banning handguns and assault weapons after two of Britain's worst gun crimes. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/five-hundred-million-dollar-inspector-history-most-corrupt-police-officer https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/five-hundred-million-dollar-inspector-history-most-corrupt-police-officer Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The incredible true story of Lui Lok, the Hong Kong police detective who amassed half a billion dollars through corruption, controlled the city's entire underworld, and got away completely scot-free. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/gary-ridgway-green-river-killer https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/gary-ridgway-green-river-killer Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of Gary Ridgway, the unremarkable truck painter who became America's second most prolific serial killer, murdering at least 49 women over two decades while eluding capture through sheer ordinariness. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/hh-holmes-ladykiller-child-murderer https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/hh-holmes-ladykiller-child-murderer Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Detective Frank Geyer's eight-month hunt for H.H. Holmes, the conman-turned-murderer who built Chicago's infamous "Murder Castle" and slaughtered the Pitezel children in 1894. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/how-a-daughter-was-tricked-into-killing-linda-bailey-brown https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/how-a-daughter-was-tricked-into-killing-linda-bailey-brown Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying true story of how 14-year-old Cinnamon Brown was manipulated by her own father into murdering her stepmother Linda Bailey Brown, and the years-long fight for justice that followed. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/israel-keyes-phantom-psychopath https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/israel-keyes-phantom-psychopath Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The chilling story of Israel Keyes, a methodical serial killer who buried "kill kits" across America, murdered without pattern, and evaded capture for over a decade before a final, fatal mistake. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/john-edward-robinson-internet-first-serial-killer https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/john-edward-robinson-internet-first-serial-killer Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of John Edward Robinson, the conman turned serial killer who used the early internet to lure victims as "SlaveMaster" in BDSM chat rooms. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/larry-nassar-olympics-most-prolific-predator https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/larry-nassar-olympics-most-prolific-predator Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of Dr. Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics physician who sexually abused over 250 young athletes, and the institutional failures that enabled his crimes for decades. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/leonarda-ciancuilli-cannibal-of-correggio https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/leonarda-ciancuilli-cannibal-of-correggio Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying true story of Leonarda Ciancuilli, the Italian serial killer who murdered three women, made soap from their remains, and allegedly fed their blood to neighbors as pastries during World War II. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/lucy-letby-serial-killer-nurse https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/lucy-letby-serial-killer-nurse Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of Lucy Letby, the neonatal nurse who murdered seven babies and attempted to murder six more at the Countess of Chester Hospital, and how systemic failures allowed her killing spree to continue for nearly a year. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/luis-garavito-most-prolific-serial-killer-history https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/luis-garavito-most-prolific-serial-killer-history Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying story of Luis Garavito, Colombia's "Beast," who murdered at least 193 children and may soon be released from prison after serving just 22 years. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/midnight-sun-killer-terror-anchorage https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/midnight-sun-killer-terror-anchorage Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The chilling story of James Dale Ritchie, the Midnight Sun Killer who terrorized Anchorage, Alaska in 2016, murdering five people before his dramatic confrontation with police. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/mikhail-popkov-83-and-counting https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/mikhail-popkov-83-and-counting Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The chilling true story of Mikhail Popkov, the Angarsk Maniac who murdered at least 81 women across Siberia, evading capture for two decades through police incompetence and corruption. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/paul-bernardo-karla-homolka-ken-and-barbie-killers https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/paul-bernardo-karla-homolka-ken-and-barbie-killers Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying true story of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, Canada's infamous "Ken and Barbie Killers," whose picture-perfect appearance masked a reign of sexual violence and murder. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/pedro-lopez-monster-of-the-andes https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/pedro-lopez-monster-of-the-andes Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying true story of Pedro Lopez, the Monster of the Andes, who confessed to murdering over 300 young girls across Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador — and was released after just 14 years in prison. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/peter-kurten-vampire-of-dusseldorf https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/peter-kurten-vampire-of-dusseldorf Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying true story of Peter Kürten, the "Vampire of Düsseldorf," whose blood-fueled killing spree terrorized Germany in 1929 and left at least nine victims dead. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/richard-kuklinski-iceman-real-assassin-or-perpetual-liar https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/richard-kuklinski-iceman-real-assassin-or-perpetual-liar Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Explore the dark life of Richard Kuklinski, the notorious "Iceman" hitman. Was he a prolific mafia assassin with 200+ victims, or a pathological liar who exaggerated his crimes for fame? Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/richard-ramirez-the-night-stalker https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/richard-ramirez-the-night-stalker Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The disturbing story of Richard Ramírez, the Night Stalker, from his abusive childhood and Vietnam War veteran cousin's influence to his brutal murder spree across California in 1984-1985. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/roscoe-fatty-arbuckle-tragic-trials-tribulations-forgotten-silent-movie-star https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/roscoe-fatty-arbuckle-tragic-trials-tribulations-forgotten-silent-movie-star Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Discover the tragic story of Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, the pioneering silent film comedian whose career was destroyed by scandal, three trials, and Hollywood's first blacklist—despite his eventual acquittal. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/sherri-papini-woman-who-allegedly-faked-kidnapping https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/sherri-papini-woman-who-allegedly-faked-kidnapping Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of Sherri Papini, the California mother who disappeared in 2016 and claimed she was kidnapped by two Hispanic women—only for investigators to uncover a stunning hoax years later. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/son-of-sam-boogeyman-1970s-new-york https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/son-of-sam-boogeyman-1970s-new-york Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The terrifying true story of David Berkowitz, the .44 Caliber Killer who terrorized New York City for a year, leaving six dead and eleven injured in his satanic killing spree. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/springs-house-of-horrors https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/springs-house-of-horrors Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of the Springs House of Horrors, where five children endured years of torture, neglect, and abuse at the hands of their parents in South Africa. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/strange-disappearance-maura-murray-unsolved-mystery https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/strange-disappearance-maura-murray-unsolved-mystery Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The baffling 2004 disappearance of Maura Murray, the nursing student who vanished after a car crash in rural New Hampshire, remains one of the internet age's most enduring mysteries. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-assassination-of-beverly-van-schoor https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-assassination-of-beverly-van-schoor Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of how Sabrina van Schoor hired a hitman to murder her mother Beverly, revealing the dark history of South Africa's most notorious family. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-boy-in-the-box-joseph-augustus-zarelli https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-boy-in-the-box-joseph-augustus-zarelli Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT After 65 years, Philadelphia's most famous cold case victim finally has a name. Learn how DNA technology identified Joseph Augustus Zarelli and why his murder remains unsolved. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-brutal-slaying-of-shad-thyrion https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-brutal-slaying-of-shad-thyrion Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of Taylor Schabusiness, who murdered and dismembered her high school friend Shad Thyrion in a Green Bay basement, sparking one of Wisconsin's most gruesome criminal cases. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-butcher-baker-alaskas-most-dangerous-game https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-butcher-baker-alaskas-most-dangerous-game Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying true story of Robert Hansen, Alaska's most sadistic serial killer who hunted women like animals across the Alaskan wilderness for over a decade. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-cleveland-strangler-house-of-horrors https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-cleveland-strangler-house-of-horrors Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying true story of Anthony Sowell, the Cleveland Strangler, who murdered 11 women in his Imperial Avenue home and the shocking police failures that allowed him to continue killing. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-las-vegas-shooting https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-las-vegas-shooting Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT A comprehensive account of the October 1, 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, examining the attack, investigation, victims, and aftermath. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-lipstick-killer-shocking-true-story-serial-killer-lipstick-message https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-lipstick-killer-shocking-true-story-serial-killer-lipstick-message Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of the Lipstick Killer murders in 1940s Chicago, and the disturbing questions about whether William Heirens was wrongfully convicted for crimes he did not commit. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-monster-of-malherbe-street https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-monster-of-malherbe-street Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying true story of Gert van Rooyen and Joey Haarhoff, South Africa's first confirmed serial killer couple, and the six missing girls whose fates remain unknown three decades later. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-perfect-daughters-dark-secret-the-jennifer-pan-story https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-perfect-daughters-dark-secret-the-jennifer-pan-story Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The shocking true story of Jennifer Pan, who orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot against her own parents after years of deception about her academic achievements came crashing down. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-pusher-canal-killer-manchester https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-pusher-canal-killer-manchester Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Investigating the Manchester Pusher, an alleged serial killer blamed for dozens of deaths in Manchester's canals. Are these murders, accidents, or something else entirely? Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-rare-case-of-ellen-friar https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-rare-case-of-ellen-friar Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The disturbing true crime case of 15-year-old Ellen Friar, who conspired with her older boyfriend and his friend to murder her father Aaron Friar in Medford, Oregon in 2017. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-watts-family-disappearance https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-watts-family-disappearance Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The disturbing true story of the Watts family murders, where social media perfection hid dark secrets that led to tragedy in Frederick, Colorado. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-weepy-voiced-killer-calls-of-regret https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-weepy-voiced-killer-calls-of-regret Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Explore the chilling case of Paul Michael Stephani, the Weepy-Voiced-Killer, whose tearful 911 calls confessed to brutal murders across Minnesota in the early 1980s. Dana Ortiz https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/twisted-tale-lyin-randall-appalachian-wanderer https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/twisted-tale-lyin-randall-appalachian-wanderer Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The horrifying true story of Randall Lee Smith, a pathological liar who murdered two hikers on the Appalachian Trail in 1981 and attacked two more men nearly three decades later. Dana Ortiz