USA Today True Crime
Covering Crime • Unearthing critical details and getting to the truth demands hard work. It can lead to storytelling as remarkable as it is important.
STORIES OF SURVIVAL • With courage and perseverance, victims of crime look to move past the horrors of what others do
Police Gunfire Killed Their Dreams. The Jersey Four Built New Ones. • Four men traveling to a college basketball tryout were pulled over by New Jersey state troopers. The moments that followed would change lives and spark a political uproar.
To Catfish a Killer • Khalil Wheeler-Weaver murdered three women and targeted a fourth before he was caught in his own trap
Resources for Victims of Crime • If you or someone you know has been a victim of a crime, many options are available to get help and support. Most states have amended their constitutions to guarantee certain fundamental rights for crime victims. Here are some ways to get positive results, according to the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).
‘He Came to Kill Me’ • Sara Pitcher was brutally attacked by her husband—stabbed in the eye and nearly suffocated. She now helps other victims of domestic violence.
PREDATORS AT LARGE • Killers. Rapists. Con artists. The evil of their deeds spreads fear in their communities.
The Michigan Murders • Eight women and girls were slain decades ago. New details shed more light on the crimes and the suspect who never fit anyone’s image of a killer.
‘The Monster No One Sees Coming’ • A suspicious death at a VA hospital leads to a shocking discovery
Other Notorious Cases • In various states, in various decades, these violent criminals left their horrible mark
CRIMES SO SHOCKING • What drives people to do such unfathomable, unexpected things?
Did Medication Lead to Murder? • Neal Jacobson was struggling mentally. Then he reached for a gun.
‘Mr. Fuller Has Shot His Men’ • The horrific 1960 killing of four Black men in Louisiana leaves unanswered questions
The Spies Who Blundered • A naval engineer and his wife stumbled in selling secrets
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING • People who disappear are often presumed dead. But grief, anxiety and suspicion can haunt family and friends for years as uncertainty lingers.
A Painful, Baffing Mystery • An Indiana University sophomore was enjoying a night out with friends in Bloomington. And then she was gone.
A Quiet Disappearance • Alexis Patterson has been missing since 2002. Her story has been overshadowed from the start.
Missing or Murdered? • In Alaska, one of America’s deadliest states for women, one family is still searching for answers
Two Missing Sisters, One Bizarre Note • For 20 years, a family has asked: Where are our girls?
DNA REVELATIONS • Advances in forensic science can solve cases long gone cold, as well as exonerate the wrongfully accused
Caught by Family-Tree Forensics • A Wisconsin campground killer evaded police for nearly 43 years—until genealogy advancements broke open the case
Genetic Clues Reveal a Killer • A teenager’s death went unsolved for more than 30 years
Fighting to Clear His Name • A DNA test says an Ohio man isn’t the rapist, but getting a new trial has proven elusive
HEROIC EFFORTS • In some cases, heroes solve the case or save the day. In others, they drive lasting change.
A Girl Is Dead. A Quest Begins. • Cassandra Castens fell out of her high chair and hit her head, said her mother’s boyfriend, a Marine. The 17-month-old later died. The girl’s grandmother did not believe the story. Neither did a Navy investigator.
Kidnapped Before Christmas • When 11-year-old Sarah Foxwell was taken, thousands...
