True Crime Zine

No one is really certain when Jill Lonita Billiot was born. She was prone to lie so frequently about the date and her age that it makes it difficult to know for sure; but most are certain that she was born on June the 11th of 1943 or 1944. Jill experienced a normal American childhood. [...]

The post Bigamist and Murderess: The Story of Jill Lonita Billiot Ihnen Moore Coit Brodie Dirosa Metzger Steely Boggs Carroll appeared first on True Crime Zine.

There’s been so much information tossed at followers of the Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito case that, at times, it’s been overwhelming. Guilty or not guilty? Should the United States government get involved or allow the Italian courts to determine justice? There was valid arguments for both sides but somehow the story just never seemed, [...]

The post Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Back with Amanda Knox by Raffaele Sollecito and Andrew Gumbel (September 2012) appeared first on True Crime Zine.

It’s all too common in America today, the cheating spouse who murders their wife or husband to be with their new lover. Although the percentages of men and women who cheat are becoming almost equal, for now the men are still the majority of those practicing infidelity. Men also outdo women in committing spousal homicide. [...]

The post 5 True Crime Short Stories of Cheating Men Who Murdered Their Wives appeared first on True Crime Zine.

On December 28, 1992, Katie Beers was eagerly anticipating her tenth birthday. She would hit the double digits in only two days when her godmother, Linda Inghilleri, told her family friend John Esposito was taking her for a special outing as an early birthday gift. Katie was hesitant and reminded Linda she wasn’t allowed to [...]

The post Buried Memories: Katie Beers’ Story by Katie Beers and Carolyn Gusoff (January 2013) appeared first on True Crime Zine.

When Anjette Donovan married Ben Franklin Lyles, Jr. in 1948, she went to work in his family’s Macon, Georgia, restaurant on Mulberry Street. Lyles’ Restaurant was a hopping diner near the Bibb County Courthouse. Serving lawyers, judges, and many of the area’s politically connected folks, Anjette’s charismatic personality and beauty quickly made her a favorite [...]

The post Murder À La Carte: Anjette Donovan Lyles and The Murder of Two Husbands, A Daughter, and A Mother-in-Law appeared first on True Crime Zine.

Donna Trapani was in love with married business associate George Fulton and he had, at one time, said the same about her. But when push came to shove, George had returned to Michigan and decided to work on his marriage. Donna was outraged. Her lies about being pregnant and dying of cancer had done nothing [...]

The post Kiss of the She-Devil by M. William Phelps (March 2013) appeared first on True Crime Zine.

Clint Bobo looked out the window on the morning of Wednesday, April 13, 2011, to his sister, 20 year-old Holly Lynn Bobo walking into the woods with a man wearing camouflage. Being as his sister was the outdoorsy type and camo-clad men weren’t uncommon in the rural area of Darden, Tennessee, Clint didn’t give it [...]

The post Missing Monday: Holly Bobo of Darden, Tennessee appeared first on True Crime Zine.

During the quiet, predawn hours of June 10, 1982, attorney James “Snake” Campbell and his wife Virginia Campbell lay soundly sleeping in their Houston home when intruders slipped quietly through a window, slithered to the master bedroom, and fired six rounds into their bodies; their young grandsons camped out at the foot of the grandparents [...]

The post Cynthia Campbell Ray, David West, and the Cold Blooded Murder of James and Virginia Campbell appeared first on True Crime Zine.

In 1982, Beverly Simcic and Christine Casilio were friends. Sort of. The pair had been roommates for a while but Christine’s lifestyle was a bit more risky than Beverly liked, especially with a young son in her care and she’d parted company with Christine. But in May 1982, when Christine presents Beverly with the idea [...]

The post Who Killed Chrissy?: The True Crime Memoir of a Pittsburgh girl’s Unsolved Murder in Las Vegas by Beverly Simcic appeared first on True Crime Zine.

The case of the missing Jamison family who disappeared from Red Oak, Latimer County, Oklahoma, on October 8, 2009, is very strange. Mind-boggling might actually be a better word to describe it. Before their disappearance, Bobby Dale and Sherilynn Jamison had been acting very peculiar. One minister reported that Bobby had approached him to ask [...]

The post Missing Monday: The Missing Jamison Family of Eufaula, Oklahoma appeared first on True Crime Zine.

Pastor Robert “Bob” Lee Pelley and his wife Dawn M. Pelley were doing the best they knew how blending their families. Both widows, Bob had brought his son Jeff Pelley and daughter Jacque Pelley into the marriage, while Dawn had brought three daughters, Jessie, Janel, and Jolene. In an effort to unify the family, Bob [...]

The post When Dad Says No: Jeff Pelley and the Murders of His Father, Stepmother, and Stepsisters appeared first on True Crime Zine.

Awhile back I did an interview with True Murder host Dan Zupansky and was asked what was the first true crime book I ever read. My answer was Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule, which I realized I had never reviewed because, of course, that was long before my reviewing days. When I heard Small Sacrifices [...]

The post Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule (July 1988) appeared first on True Crime Zine.

Alicia Amanda Stokes, or Mandy as she preferred to be called, had argued with her brother on the morning of Saturday, November 25, 2007, but according to Aaron Stokes everything was fine when the 33 year-old psychology major left their apartment to run errands. “I yelled from the shower ‘I love you …’ She just [...]

The post Missing Monday: Alicia Amanda Stokes of Oakland, California appeared first on True Crime Zine.

Born in a small Indiana town to well-to-do parents who thought they could never have children, Diane Jackson Whitmore always dreamed of shedding her heartland roots and finding success in the big city. After earning a degree from an all-girl college, Diane set off for adventures in the big city but living the lifestyle she [...]

The post Joseph Pikul, Wall Street Analyst, A Bitter Divorce, and The Murder of Diane Pikul appeared first on True Crime Zine.

Maria Marshall was what most American women dream of being: extraordinarily beautiful, extremely intelligent, and wealthy – with a successful husband and three healthy sons to boot. To outsiders, Maria had it all. Her life was perfect. But behind the closed doors of the Marshall home, it was anything but perfect. Maria knew her husband, [...]

The post Blind Faith by Joe McGinniss (January 1989) appeared first on True Crime Zine.

For 21 years, Dawn Marlene Allen had worked at the Carroll, Iowa, Subway without ever having missed a day nor being late. So when the 50 year-old woman failed to show up at work on the morning of May 5, 2011, her boss was very concerned and immediately contacted police after being unable to reach [...]

The post Missing Monday: Dawn Marlene Allen of Carroll, Iowa appeared first on True Crime Zine.

How well do you know your crime scenes in Texas?

The post True Crime Quiz: Famous (And Not So Much) Crime Scenes in Texas appeared first on True Crime Zine.

Regina Hartwell so desperately wanted to be loved. So much in fact she was willing to buy the love of any willing friend or lover. And since her mother had died in a horrific accident when she was twelve, from which Regina had a trust fund, there was plenty of money spend. Or maybe not. [...]

The post Wasted by Suzy Spencer (December 1998) appeared first on True Crime Zine.

It’s not something anyone wants to discuss.   Mothers who kill their children are a depressing, horrifying thought.  But it does happen and, sadly enough, will continue to occur as long as (wo)mankind exists. Sometimes a mother’s urge to kill her child is the result of an untreated medical condition such as Postpartum Depression. Other times [...]

The post 5 True Crime Short Stories of Mothers Who Kill Their Children appeared first on True Crime Zine.

Dianne Turner Mueller was a married woman when she met Alan Masters in January 1969. Her husband Ronald Mueller was serving in Vietnam when she met with the divorce attorney. She’d already had a few affairs while Ronald was away – undoubtedly a large reason for the divorce, but none would become so serious as [...]

The post Mastermind of Murder: The Volatile Marriage of Alan and Dianne Masters and Its Tragic Ending appeared first on True Crime Zine.