Articles Index
Criminal Case News and Headlines
The latest updates on current criminal cases in the news, including background information and chronological events.
The Susan Cox Powell Case
On Dec. 7, 2009, Susan Cox Powell, a mother of two sons, was reported missing when she failed to show up for work and her children were not dropped off at daycare.
The Crimes of Joran Van der Sloot
Joran Van der Sloot, the chief suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba, has been accused of killing a 21-year-old Peruvian woman in his hotel room.
The Jennifer Hudson Family Murders
On October 24, 2008, the bodies of Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found in the family's home on Chicago's South Side. Shot to death were Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson.
Kimberly Saenz
Vocational nurse Kimberly Saenz killed and injured eight dialysis patients with a common cleaning chemical.
Robert Diaz
Robert Diaz was an American serial killer that used his position as a nurse as a way to get to at least 13 of his victims.
The Lauren Spierer Case
On June 3, 2011, 20-year-old Indiana University student Lauren Spierer, a native of Greenburgh, New York, was last seen walking home to her apartment from a friend's home after a night of partying with friends at Kilroy's Sport Bar in Bloomington.
The Dougherty Gang
On Aug. 2, 2011, a nationwide manhunt was launched for three members of the same family after they shot at a police officer in Zephyrhills, Florida and later robbed a bank in Valdosta, Georgia.
Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog
Herzog and Shermantine, known as the "Speed Freak Killers," were convicted of four murders between 1984 and 1999, but were suspected in as many as 24 killings.
The Myths About Serial Killers
Much of the information that the public knows about serial killers has come from Hollywood movies and television programs, which have been exaggerated and dramatized for entertainment purposes, resulting in a significant amount of misinformation.
Missing Toddler Trenton Duckett
The case of missing Trenton Duckett has had many unexpected turns, yet none have led investigators any closer to finding the missing toddler.
Charles Manson and the Manson Family
The horrific crimes of Charles Manson and members of the Manson Family is thoroughly reviewed with complete biographies of Manson and key family members, the Tate and LaBianca murders and a photo gallery of some of the less known Manson followers.
Donald Harvey - The Angel of Death
Serial killer Donald Harvey is responsible for killing 36 to 57 people, many of who were patients at hospitals where he was employed. Called the "Angel of Death" Donald Harvey killed for 17 years before he was arrested and confessed to the murders.
Brian Nichols: Atlanta Courthouse Killer
On March 11, 2005, Brian Nichols was on trial for rape at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta whten he overpowered a female deputy, took her gun, and went into the courtroom where the trial was being held and shot the judge and a court reporter.
The Trial of Michael Jackson
Pop singer Michael Jackson faces charges of conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion, three counts of committing lewd acts upon a child, attempted lewd acts upon a child, and four counts of administering intoxicating agents to assist in the commission of a felony.
Nannie Doss
Nannie Doss was a serial killer who earned the monikers "The Giggling Nanny", "The Giggling Granny" and "The Jolly Black Widow" after killing several family members from the 1920s to 1954.
Natalee Holloway: Missing in Aruba
Natalee Holloway, an 18-year-old graduate of Mountain Brook High School in Birmingham, Alabama, traveled to the Caribbean island of Aruba with 125 members of her senior class. On Monday, May 30, 2005, she did not show up for her flight back to the United States.
Celebrity Mug Shots
These are the official police mug shots of famous people and celebrities -- sport stars, music icons, television personalities, models, and more. Find out what they did to get arrested and their photo taken by police.
Prostitution: A Victimless Crime?
Prostitution is listed among the crimes some refer to as victimless or consensual crimes, because no one present at the crime is unwilling, but research shows that may not be the true picture of prostitution.
Female Criminals, Murderers, Rapists, Kidnappers and Thieves A - Z
An alphabetical listing of female criminals, murderers, rapists, kidnappers and thieves profiled on Crime and Punishment.
U.S. Prisons: How Crowded Are They?
Mandatory sentencing guidelines and a growing number of drug-related convictions are factors in a continued growth of inmates held in federal, state and local prisons and jails in the United States.
Susan Smith - Profile of a Child Killer
Susan Vaughan Smith of Union, S.C. was convicted on July 22, 1995, and sentenced to life in prison for murdering her two sons, Michael Daniel Sith, 3, and Alexander Tyler Smith, 14-months-old.
Women Who Kill Their Children
The nation is always shocked by criminal cases such as Andrea Yates, a mother of five who methodically drowned all of her children in a bathtub then calmly called police, but mothers killing their children are more common than we might think.
The Trial of Joseph Edward Duncan
Joseph Edward Duncan III was out on a $15,000 bond in Minnesota for molesting a 7-year-old boy, when three people were killed in an Idaho home and their two children kidnapped. Six weeks later, Duncan was arrested after he was spotted in a restaurant with eight-year-old Shasta Groene.
The Elizabeth Smart Case
Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her Salt Lake City home on June 5, 2002 and was found nine months later with the man and wife, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, who have been charged with her abduction.