On May 18, 1871, John Rulloff was taken to the gallows. It was the last public hanging in the state of New York. John was a very intelligent and learned man, but was also a cold-blooded killer who murdered his wife and daughter when they became an inconvenience. .

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An examination of this brutal form of mob justice, in which angry citizens assume the role of judge, jury and executioner.

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Six beautiful young women who committed the ugliest of acts.

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On May 27, 1995, actor Christopher Reeve, who’s career was launched by his film portrayal of Superman, was paralyzed from the neck down in a horseback riding accident. In light of the mysterious death of George Reeves, TV’s first Superman, fans began to question whether or not the role was cursed.

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Popular film and stage actor Kelly was having an affair with successful actress Dorothy Mackaye. When her husband turned up dead, she explained that the relationship was “clean, beautiful and platonic,” saying, “Hollywood is different. We accept violations of convention because it is all right for us—that is, professional people are less conventional, more sophisticated.”

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On July 11, 1995, the remains of a female victim were discovered in East Caln Township in Chester County Pennsylvania. The victim is believed to have been 17 to 25 years of age at the time of death. Authorities believe that the estimated date of death is 3-7 days prior to discovery. Cause of death was homicidal violence.

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Though it’s unusual for a woman to be sentenced to death and even more unusual for execution to be carried out on a woman, it does happen. Fifteen women who have been sentenced to death and executed in the United States, from 1955 to 2010.

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Fans of Caleb Lawrence “Kai” McGillvary, the self-proclaimed “home-free” hitchhiker that became an Internet sensation after saving two people in Fresno, California, with his handy hatchet, from a giant racist are having trouble believing that the same heroic young man is now being charged in a New Jersey murder.

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Authorities in Swaziland, who are very serious about their witches, have enacted revolutionary new legislation intended to regulate all witch air traffic over their country.

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This week, Crime Library is cooking recipes created by inmates. Most of the involve creative uses of Ramen noodles, potato chips and other dry goods. Today, we made Correctional Cake, a sweet treat for commemorating those precious moments.

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