In the middle of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island seemed the perfect place for the "escape proof" prison. It was considered the most secure penitentiary in 1934, until it closed in 1962. All 36 escapees were caught or killed, except the three who attempted escape on June 11, 1962. Their fate remains a mystery.

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What atrocity happened in your neck of the woods? A look in photos at the most notorious murders in America’s major cities.

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Somewhere between drug and larceny arrests, Florida man Stephen Banta, 28, lost his nose.

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Eighteen-year-old Jeremy Strohmeyer wasn’t planning to molest and kill a little girl when he headed to a casino for a night of gambling–it just happened.

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The Kiss Nightclub, a popular venue in the college town of Santa Maria in southern Brazil, was filled with a boisterous, happy crowd in the wee hours of Sunday morning on January 27, 2013. About 1,200-1,300 people packed the club. A fire, believed to have been started by sparks from a pyrotechnic display, tore through the club, killing more than 200 people.

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Artist Anji Marth, who has painted a series of striking serial killer portraits, spoke to Crime Library about her work, her favorite true crime stories and why she’s fascinated by the dangerous and depraved.

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On his 2005 album Illinoise, Detroit-born indie singer Sufjan Stevens pays tribute to the best and the worst of the 21st state. The fourth track, titled John Wayne Gacy Jr. is a melancholy tune that visits the life of infamous Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy.

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From famous brothels to serial killers who target those in the sex trade — a comprehensive look at prostitution in your city.

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At 16 years old, Paula Cooper became the youngest person on death row in America. She, along with three other teenage girls, was convicted of killing 78-year-old bible study teacher Ruth Pelke in 1985.

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If you only find children tolerable when they’re asleep, you probably shouldn’t be running a daycare out of your home.

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