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In this July 7, 2002 file photo, Barry Minkow, a convicted con artist and the co-founder of the for-profit Fraud Discovery Institute, wears a prison jumpsuit costume as he delivers a sermon on materialism at the Community Bible Church in San Diego. Minkow, who went from teenage millionaire to convicted con artist to professional fraud fighter and pastor, was convicted Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014 of cheating his San Diego church congregation out of some $3 million.

5 Things To Know About Con-Man-Turned-Pastor Barry Minkow

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Tina Faelz smiling in front of a blue/green background

Inmate Confesses To Murdering His 14-Year-Old Classmate In 1984: ‘I Was Living In Denial’

By: Aaron Rasmussen
Zaylee Fryar is a biracial girl with brown eyes and black hair. An image on the left shows her as a baby with very short hair and an image on the right shows her age-progressed to 5 years with a side ponytail that is braided.

Zaylee Fryar Was 3-Months-Old In May 2011 When She Vanished, Mother Found Dead

By: Michelle Sigona
Retha Stratton is a white female with blonde hair who was murdered in 1982. In this sepia toned photo, she's wearing a red cheerleading outfit and is standing in front of a brown wood door.

Classmate Charged In Cheerleader's 1982 Stabbing Death

By: Beth Braden

On discovery+

John Walsh tracks down fugitives from justice and finds missing children.

Matchmaker Chelsea Holmes connects inmates with clients searching for love.

A decade-long search for a missing woman uncovers a town's dark secrets.

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True Crime News Roundup: Prince Andrew Stripped Of Military Titles After Judge Allows Sex Abuse Case To Proceed

by Aaron Rasmussen
Plus: A Chicago mother is arrested in connection to the murder of her 6-year-old son; the convicted killer Robert Durst dies at age 78; Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ sentencing date is set; and an LGBTQ+ rights movement hero is found dead in a Florida landfill.

Brendan Santo Vanished Without A Trace From Michigan State University Campus

by Michelle Sigona
Brendan Santo, a freshman at Grand Valley State University, was visiting friends for the Michigan State vs. University Of Michigan football game. He was last seen on October 29, 2021.
Three images of Brendan Santo who went missing on October 29, 2021. Brendan is a white male with brown curly hair. He stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, gray sweatpants, black Red Wings baseball hat, and white Converse shoes.

How Boxer Christy Martin Had To Fight To Save Her Own Life

by Beth Braden
Christy Martin was a breakout star in women’s boxing, but the greatest fight of her life was the fight to save herself.
A photo of boxer Christy Martin, a woman with blond hair and bangs. Martin is wearing a collared shirt.

‘Co-ed Killer' ‘Happy’ Behind Bars: ‘Society Is Not Ready In Any Shape Or Form For Me’

by Aaron Rasmussen
“He's a demented super-genius of a sociopath,” convicted serial killer Edmund Kemper’s half-brother says.
(L-R) 24-year-old U.S suspect Edmund Emil Kemper III is is seen here on April. 25, 1973; U.S Edmund Emil Kemper III, 24, is taken to court in Pueblo, CO, April. 25, 1973.

5 Things To Know About Con-Man-Turned-Pastor Barry Minkow

by Beth Braden
Barry Minkow has been a prisoner, a pastor, and a few things in between.
In this July 7, 2002 file photo, Barry Minkow, a convicted con artist and the co-founder of the for-profit Fraud Discovery Institute, wears a prison jumpsuit costume as he delivers a sermon on materialism at the Community Bible Church in San Diego. Minkow, who went from teenage millionaire to convicted con artist to professional fraud fighter and pastor, was convicted Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014 of cheating his San Diego church congregation out of some $3 million.

How The Abduction And Murder Of A 9-Year-Old Led To The AMBER Alert System

by Beth Braden
The AMBER alert system first debuted in 1996 as a collaboration between news media and police in Arlington, Texas. Named for Amber Hagerman, the alerts have helped find more than 1,000 abducted children.
Amber Hagerman missing poster, professional portrait of Amber

True Crime News Roundup: George Floyd’s 4-Year-Old Grandniece Shot While Sleeping In Bed

by Aaron Rasmussen
Plus: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is found guilty of fraud; investigators crack the 1995 cold case murder of a Georgia schoolgirl; police name a suspect in the shooting death of Memphis rapper Young Dolph; and a judge overturns a Pennsylvania man’s murder conviction after 37 years.
George Floyd’s niece Arianna Delane smiling wearing a pink and blue tracksuit top and matching jacket standing on a sidewalk sunny grassy area

7 Greatest Con Artist Shows And Movies Of All Time

by Beth Braden
Some con artists manage to avoid detection for decades before their cons are found out. Sometimes the stories about their cons are cons themselves.
Con Man extraordinaire Barry Minkow wears an orange prison jumpsuit, stares through prison cell gates, sunlight shines through

Ghislaine Maxwell: From Socialite To Jeffrey Epstein’s Alleged Co-Conspirator

by Aaron Rasmussen
“Her victims live with the trauma inflicted upon them years ago,” an FBI official says.
In this July 2, 2020, file photo, Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell during a news conference in New York. Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, claims a guard physically abused her at the federal prison in Brooklyn where she's being held. Maxwell's lawyer told a judge in a letter Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, that British socialite who has pleaded not guilty to recruiting girls for Epstein to sexually abuse in the 1990s, is losing weight, hair and her ability to concentrate and prepare for trial.

Inmate Confesses To Murdering His 14-Year-Old Classmate In 1984: ‘I Was Living In Denial’

by Aaron Rasmussen
Steven Carlson said he was 16 and “full of rage” when he stabbed Tina Faelz 44 times.
Tina Faelz smiling in front of a blue/green background

Classmate Charged In Cheerleader's 1982 Stabbing Death

by Beth Braden
The high school football captain dating a beautiful cheerleader is a stalwart of small-town tradition, but what happens when a handsome athlete harbors evil in his soul?
Retha Stratton is a white female with blonde hair who was murdered in 1982. In this sepia toned photo, she's wearing a red cheerleading outfit and is standing in front of a brown wood door.

Zaylee Fryar Was 3-Months-Old In May 2011 When She Vanished, Mother Found Dead

by Michelle Sigona
If you have any information about Zaylee Fryar and this case, please contact: 1-800-THE-LOST or the Millersville Police directly: 615-859-2758
Zaylee Fryar is a biracial girl with brown eyes and black hair. An image on the left shows her as a baby with very short hair and an image on the right shows her age-progressed to 5 years with a side ponytail that is braided.

Woman Who Helped Find Missing People Disappears, Family ‘Still Hopeful’

by Aaron Rasmussen
“In fifty years, this is the most complicated case I’ve ever been involved in,” an investigator says of the search for Andrea Knabel.
Andrea Knabel before she vanished August 19, 2019

Aspiring Drug Kingpin Fatally Shot Newlyweds, Plotted Murder-For-Hire Scheme

by Aaron Rasmussen
James Charles Tooley was connected to the 2008 double homicide after his cousin turned him in.
(L-R) Anthony Cooper wearing a blue t shirt and Melinda Hotkins hugging Anthony both smiling in front of a white wall

11 People Were Executed In 2021, Fewest In Three Decades

by Beth Braden
Of the 11 people executed in 2021, three were federal inmates, three were from Texas, two were from Oklahoma, and there was one each from Missouri, Mississippi, and Alabama.
This undated photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Bigler Jobe "Bud" Stouffer II.

Man Charged With Murdering Wife Cast Spells On Her Before She Went Missing: Police

by Aaron Rasmussen
Larry Millete allegedly wanted May Millete “to become incapacitated” so she couldn’t end their marriage.
Maya Millete wears a navy blazer in front of a white background

Indiana Woman, 20, Found Safe One Month After She Flew To California And Vanished

by Aaron Rasmussen
Lateche Norris said she saw a missing person flyer featuring her photo and contacted her worried mother.
Lateche Norris (left) and her boyfriend, Joseph “Joey” Smith (right). Sitting in front of a green grass background, Lateche looks at her Joey smiling wearing a black jacket and a tan top. Joey smiles wearing a green sweatshirt.

‘It Doesn’t Add Up At All’: FBI Joins Investigation Into Grad Student Jelani Day’s Death

by Aaron Rasmussen
Officials say agents are searching for new leads to better understand the case’s facts and circumstances.
Jelani Day

Was Former Death Row Inmate Julius Jones Framed For A Murder He Didn’t Commit?

by Aaron Rasmussen
Oklahoma’s governor recently commuted the prisoner’s death sentence to life in prison without parole.

11 Chilling Christmas Murders You Probably Haven't Heard About

by Beth Braden
Two mysteries, estranged lovers, and revenge all play a part in these Christmastime murders.

True Crime News Roundup: Larry Nassar Abuse Survivors Agree To $380 Million Settlement

by Aaron Rasmussen
Plus: Atlanta officials memorialize the young victims of a prolific serial killer; searchers have found multiple sets of human remains while looking for a missing geologist; and Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin pleads guilty to violating George Floyd’s civil rights.
Michigan Assistant Attorney General Angela Povilaitis (R) stands as former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar listens during impact statements during the sentencing phase in Ingham County Circuit Court on January 24, 2018 in Lansing, Michigan. More than 100 women and girls accuse Nassar of a pattern of serial abuse dating back two decades, including the Olympic gold-medal winners Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney -- who have lashed out at top sporting officials for failing to stop him.

5 Disgraced Football Players Accused Of Killing People

by Aaron Rasmussen
Inside the crimes connected to professional, college and high school football players.
In this handout image provided by the NFL, Phillip Adams of the San Francisco 49ers poses for his NFL headshot circa 2011 in San Francisco, California.

Texas Mother Seeks Justice For Son Murdered In 2015 Near Prairie View A&M Campus

by Aaron Rasmussen
“Never did I think I’d have to prepare myself to live without him,” Anissa Norice says of losing her only child, LaDarius Valentine.
A photo of Ladarius Valentine who was murdered near his off-campus apartment in 2015. Ladarius is a Black male. In this photo he is sitting down. He is wearing a white t-shirt and jeans and is posing with a football helmet under one arm.

It's Been More Than 15 Years Since Bianca Piper Vanished At Age 13

by Michelle Sigona
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a hotline dedicated to finding missing kids. If you know where Bianca "B" Piper is today, please reach out directly: 1-800-THE-LOST
A side-by-side photo of Bianca "B" Piper who went missing in March 2005. The photo on the left is Bianca around age 13 and the photo on the left is age-progressed to 24 years. Bianca is a white female with brown hair and brown eyes.

Infamous Canadian Couple Known As The Ken & Barbie Killers Videotaped Their Crimes

by Aaron Rasmussen
Canadians Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka were arrested for slaying schoolgirls in the early ‘90s, including her teenage sister.
Side-by-side photos of Paul Bernardo with brown wavy hair and a trench coat and Karla Homolka with blond hair wearing a white shirt.

True Crime News Roundup: ‘Considerable Doubt’ Remains In Emmett Till Murder Case Despite DOJ Closing File

by Aaron Rasmussen
Plus: The body of a missing Florida woman is found near her boyfriend’s home; Scott Peterson is resentenced for his wife Laci Peterson’s 2002 murder; and former Empire actor Jussie Smollett found guilty for falsely reporting a hate crime.
(left) Young Emmett Till wears a hat. Chicago native Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi after flirting with a white woman. (right) Mamie Bradley, mother of lynched teenager Emmett Till, cries as she recounts her son's death, Washington DC, October 22, 1955.

10 Of The Most Horrifying Serial Killer Couples

by Beth Braden
Many families are still demanding answers to what happened to their loved ones.

Power Couple Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide Case, Police Say

by Aaron Rasmussen
‘Sometimes you gotta reach out and tell people that you need love,” Keianna Burns said on Facebook Live weeks before shooting her husband, Ronnell.
Ronnell and Keianna Burns side by side photos

Families Suspect Drugging After Model, Friend Found Dead Outside LA Hospitals

by Aaron Rasmussen
Christy Giles was dead and her friend, Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, unresponsive when masked men wearing all black left them outside separate hospitals.
(left) selfie of Christy Giles with reddish brown hair wearing a yellow tank (right) Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola smiling in front of a white building sunglasses on her head and wearing a black t shirt brown hair sunny day

17 High Profile Cases That Captivated Us During 2021

by Beth Braden
These compelling cases sparked national conversations around issues of justice, domestic violence, abuses of power and more.
Jelani Day

True Crime News Roundup: Father Fatally Shoots Ex-Football Player Son During Dog Bite Argument

by Aaron Rasmussen
Plus: The remains of Wisconsin mother Ashley Carlson were found in Minnesota; An arrest has been made in connection to the deadly home invasion of music legend Clarence Avant’s California home; and a Las Vegas college student died from injuries he sustained during a “school-sanctioned amateur fight.”
Central Florida running back Otis Anderson (2) carries the ball during an NCAA football game against Houston on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 in Houston.

Chicago Strangler: Could A Serial Killer Be Responsible For The Unsolved Murders Of Dozens Of Women?

by Aaron Rasmussen
“They were human beings and they have a story to tell,” says a professor whose students looked into the lives of the victims.

New Cold Case Unit Investigates Case Of Teenager Found Dead Years After He Vanished

by Aaron Rasmussen
“This unit is a first step in getting closure for many families across our state,” the Texas attorney general says.
Thomas Brown smiling in front of gray background professional photo wearing glasses short brown hair bowtie tux

15 Celebrities Who Have Been Victims of Burglary

Celebrities and their high-dollar tastes are often the target of thieves hoping to make some easy money.
Dorit Kemsley attends 'A Parisian Night In LA' - New SUTTON Collection Showcase at SUTTON on November 10, 2021 in West Hollywood, California.

New Discovery+ Special 'The Hunt for the Chicago Strangler' Showcases a City in Crisis and Seeks Justice for at Least 51 Murdered Women

Three-Part Docuseries Begins Streaming on discovery+ on Friday, December 3
silhouette figure of a man over a white silhouette with chicago skyline in the background

‘Devoted’ Mother Mysteriously Vanishes After Attending Son's Football Game; Police Search Landfill

by Aaron Rasmussen
Heidi Planck seemed “a little bit antsy” before departing the game at halftime, her ex-husband says.
ID photo of Heidi Planck smiling in front of a light blue background (left); Security footage shows Heidi Planck leaving her home with her dog prior to arriving at her son's football game. (right)

The Ken & Barbie Killers: Where Is Karla Homolka Today?

by Leigh Egan

Unsavory Surprise: Executive Embezzles Almost $17 Million From Famous Fruitcake Bakery

by Aaron Rasmussen
Sandy Jenkins and his wife Kay’s lavish spending sprees included getting a new luxury vehicle “every time they needed an oil change,” prosecutors say.
Kay and Sandy Jenkins smiling on a private plane in front of a white and brown background. Kay (left) wears a black top. Sandy (right) wears a light blue collard shirt.

UPDATE: Fugitive From Texas Wanted For Murder And Rape Arrested

by Michelle Sigona
Hector Ramirez-Lopez is in custody and faces felony charges for murder and sexual assault-rape.

Undercover Cop Uses Alter Ego ‘Missy’ To Capture Suspected Wife Killer

by Aaron Rasmussen
“I came in like a fresh friend,” Joan Bauer says of getting Philip Snider to open up during their chats over coffee at Burger King.
A photo of Phiiip Snider who is a white male. He is pictured with a baseball cap and a blue hooded jacket.

U.S. Marshals Top 15 Most Wanted Found Dead In South Carolina

by Michelle Sigona
Frederick McLean was on the U.S. Marshals Top 15 Most Wanted since 2006. Investigators said McLean lived in Poughkeepsie, NY and Anderson, SC. He used a number of alises over the years and investigators are concerned other victims are still out there.

True Crime News Roundup: Judge Clears Two Men Convicted Of Killing Malcolm X

by Aaron Rasmussen
Plus: Chinese tennis player missing after making allegations of sexual assault; Britney says supporters saved her life; closing arguments set to begin in Ahmaud Arbery murder trial; two teenagers charged with killing girl police fatally shot.
Muhammad Aziz poses outside the courthouse after his conviction in the killing of Malcolm X was vacated, on November 18, 2021 in New York

The FBI Is Hoping You Can Help Identify This Male In Alleged Sexual Exploitation Case Involving Infant

by Michelle Sigona
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is hoping someone can identify a man they are calling, "John Doe 45." The suspect may have critical information about helping to identify an infant victim in a sexual exploitation investigation, agents said. If you know anything, please contact the FBI directly: 800-CALL-FBI.

Arapaho Mother Loses 2 Daughters 1 Year Apart: ‘They Had A Face, They Had A Life’

by Aaron Rasmussen
“What can we put in place to help this epidemic that is occurring for both genders on our reservation?” Nicole Wagon asks.
selfie of Jocelyn Watt smiling (left); selfie of Jade Wagon smiling (right)

Astroworld Tragedy: Hundreds Injured, More Than 100 Lawsuits, And At Least 10 Deaths

by Beth Braden
A Houston music festival took a deadly turn when a crowd surge trampled hundreds of people during a performance by rapper Travis Scott on November 5.
Travis Scott performs during 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas, flames shoot up in front of the stage, fans hold up cameras in the crowd

Bobby Joe Long, 'The Classified Ad Rapist,' Caused Tampa's Murder Rate To Skyrocket

by Terri Osborne
Bobby Joe Long, who some reports claim is a distant cousin of Henry Lee Lucas, had a troubled childhood prior to his life as a violent offender.

The Murder-For-Hire Case That Almost Ended The House Of Gucci

by Aaron Rasmussen
Italian socialite Patrizia Reggiani was sentenced to 29 years behind bars for her part in Maurizio Gucci’s 1995 shooting death.

ID Serves Up Television Premieres Of Hit True Crime Specials This Thanksgiving Weekend Featuring Queen Of Meth, When Philip Met Missy, And Doctor’s Orders

Specials to air Back-to-Back Beginning Black Friday, November 26 at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery
(left) Queen of Meth Lori Arnold, (middle) When Philip Met Missy, (right) Doctor's Orders

True Crime News Roundup: Mother Allegedly Bound, Restrained Her Kids Before Smothering Them To Death

by Aaron Rasmussen
Plus: Woman murdered after judge rejects her request for restraining order; New Jersey teenager found one month after she vanished; judge denies Ghislaine Maxwell’s bail request; and parole board recommends Charles Manson follower be released from prison.
Yuhwei Chou photo in front of a blue background

The Long Criminal History Of The 'Death House Landlady'

by Catherine Townsend
Gray-haired landlady, Dorothea Puente, made headlines as one of the most shocking serial killers in Sacramento history.
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