I once wrote a character who believed in racial separation, warping the ideals of cultural diversity and hiding his hate beneath a veneer of respectability. It can be interesting to peel away the layers and expose an ugly core, especially when the ugliness is so relevant to our lives. I really wanted to portray a [...]
The writers of fiction often take elements from true crime stories and apply them to their stories. It is more frightening and horrific to know the monster is real, not an alien from another world or apparition.
Ed Gein has inspired fictional killers in some Hollywood’s most shocking and terrifying films: Norman Bates in Psycho; Buffalo [...]
Vampire legends date back to the earliest cultures. Even Jesus Christ rose from the dead, though his reincarnation was a sacred event which proved his righteousness, not an evil curse.
Murderer James Spalding was executed by hanging. He was buried alive and crawled from his grave. His reappearance frightened townspeople and they attributed it to supernatural [...]
Schizophrenia strikes without warning, destroying typical families, yet the horror endured is anything but typical. Days are filled with frightening hallucinations and paranoia. If diagnosed it can be managed with medications, but often the disease goes untreated with dire consequences. Deinstitutionalization has lead to an untreated mentally ill homeless population. Beneath the city streets, the [...]
The most horrific true crime stories are those in which a mother harms her child, instead of offering love and protection. In fact, they are so shocking, stories of mothers murdering or making their children ill, capture our attention. “Parental hazard carries no gender distinction: Mothers kill their children with nearly the same frequency as [...]
As you’re writing your crime novel, don’t underestimate the depravity of the human criminal. While you may not want to go to the extreme detailing crimes against children, it is interesting to investigate the aftermath of such acts. Communities unite, families recover and time heals. An excellent example of mankind’s ability to give meaning in [...]
Cynthia Bigge awakes one day to find her family, father, mother and brother, have vanished. Both family cars are gone and there is no trace of violence. Twenty five years later, Cynthia agrees to have her story told on news show, Deadline, still hopeful someone will come forward with information. After the show airs, strange [...]
One of the most notorious haunted houses is in Amityville, New York. Tourists flock to 112 Ocean Avenue to see the famous home, with its eerie windows that seem to look across the water with sinister intent. Residents of the town insist there is nothing to see, the house is not haunted and they haven’t [...]
The following notes were taken from History Channel Documentary: Gangland: Aryan Brotherhood, November 2, 2007.
The Aryan Brotherhood is among the worst offenders of prison gang violence. The more vicious the violence the stronger the message sent to others. The Aryan Brotherhood demands murder to be indoctrinated.
Violence in prison is part of daily life. In a [...]
The following notes were taken from History Channel Documentary: Street Gangs, A Secret History, November 2, 2007.
Street Gangs represent the dark side of the American Dream, created by immigrants craving inclusion in a new country. Orphaned and homeless youths banded together to survive. On the streets, they found protection in numbers and formed a surrogate [...]
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