Could a strapping prep school athlete have been so afraid for his life that he strangled his sex partner as an act of self-defense during a late-night tryst? That was the question posed to jurors the winter of 1988 during the 'Preppy Killer' murder trial in New York City.
What happens to a young child who murders? The answer largely depends on whether they're tried as a juvenile or as an adult. And, in 33 of the 50 states, there's no minimum age for prosecuting child offenders, which means you can prosecute 3-year-olds.
A&E True Crime spoke with Tom Morris Jr. about his unexpected career path and how he landed as the host of a third show that brings together TV viewers and the law enforcement: Live PD: Wanted.
Most people know Amber Alerts as child-abduction emergency notifications that help law enforcement find missing kids. But the tragic abduction and murder case behind the notorious alert system was never solved—and police are still looking for clues.
Before they're caught, serial killers often fly under-the-radar. But just because police and the public aren't aware of a killing spree, doesn't mean it isn't happening. We look at five unsolved serial killer cases, the murders connected to them and some of the information we do (and don't) know.
Lee Boyd Malvo, part of the D.C. Sniper duo who terrorized the D.C. area in a series of murders, is serving life in prison without parole. But Malvo, who was 17 at the time of the killing spree, may be up for parole in 2022 due to a new Virginia state law.
After escaping a Colorado jail in December 1977, serial killer Ted Bundy fled to Tallahassee, Florida, and went on a rampage, attacking and killing sleeping coeds at the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University. One of the survivors of that attack, Kathy Kleiner, spoke with us about getting over her mistrust of men and how authorities can help victims.
In May 1980, Mary Stauffer and her young daughter were kidnapped by Stauffer's former student, Ming Sen Shiue. Over the next 53 days, Shiue held them at his house, repeatedly raping Stauffer and threatening Beth until they finally managed to escape.
In the mid-2000s, girls and women started disappearing. A few years later, their bones turned up in a grave—but some are still missing.
Derrick Jamison, who spent 20 years in prison for murder before being exonerated on his execution day, and Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, tell us what it's like in the final hours leading up to an execution.
