Category Archives: True Crime StoriesI 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
In recent years, there have been numerous reports of female teachers having sexual relationships with their underage male students. One of the most infamous cases involved Mary Kay Letourneau and a fifth grade student, 11 year old Vili Fualaau. Mary Kay was pregnant with Fualaau’s child and her husband, Steve, reported the affair to authorities. [...]
Some children are capable of unthinkable acts, showing no remorse or fear of consequences. Sometimes the victims are the children’s own parents or family members. Consider the frightening implications if the villain of your story is not a sinister stranger, but a damaged child.
A nine year old boy poisoned his three stepsisters and brother by [...]
Cult members commit crimes, sacrifice friends, families; even take their own lives, at the urging of their leaders. How could a person gain such control over others? I don’t know, but it would certainly be interesting to explore if you had a villian or victim who were involved with a cult.
The following notes, taken from History [...]
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