The Man in the Attic: A Forgotten Crime of Passion from Los Angeles’ Roaring Twenties

In the heart of 1920s Los Angeles—an era of silent films, speakeasies, and seismic social change—a shocking crime unfolded behind the closed doors of a quiet suburban home. What seemed like a typical domestic dispute between a husband and wife turned out to be the final act in a chilling secret that had been hiding just above their heads.

For years, unbeknownst to her husband, Dolly Oesterreich had harbored a secret lover in their attic. When tensions in the household reached a breaking point, the hidden man descended from the rafters—gun in hand—and forever altered the lives below. This is the true story of love, deception, and murder in the shadows of Los Angeles’ golden age.

Continue reading →

Blindfolded, Bound, and Walked into Traffic: The Bizarre Death of Stephen Melkey

On December 22, 1939, William Joyce was driving down highway U.S. 20 between South Bend and Mishawaka, Indiana. At around 3:00 in the morning, a figure stumbled out onto the snowy roadway ahead of him. Unable to stop in time, Joyce hit the person, sending him flying 40 feet down the road. Joyce jumped out of his vehicle to give aid. When he saw the state of the man, he knew there was nothing he could do but find a phone to call police.

When the police arrived, they found that this wasn’t simply a case of a vehicle versus pedestrian accident. The gravely injured man before them was blindfolded, gagged, and bound. This obviously led to many questions, the main one being…who tied up Stephen Melkey and left him by the highway?

Continue reading →

5 Creepy Houses and the Horrific Stories Behind them

It’s almost Halloween and what better way to get in the spirit than to read about these creepy houses and the terrifying things that happened there. Even better, many of these houses are reportedly haunted and have their own ghost stories.

1. The Chop-Chop House in Boise, Idaho

The “Chop-Chop” house is located at 805 W Linden Street in Boise, Idaho. It got it’s nickname from the horrible murder that took place there on June 30, 1987.

creepy houses: Chop Chop house Boise, Idaho — Chop-Chop House: Boise, Idaho

On this summer night, Daron Cox, Daniel Rodgers, and Preston Murr had been hanging out together. Recently, someone had stolen guns from Rodgers. The three men were out driving around looking for the person they believed had taken them.

Around midnight, the three of them returned to the house at 805 W Linden Street. An argument broke out between them, though it’s unclear what the disagreement had been about. Murr ended up being shot in the shoulder, but was able to escape. He ran to a neighboring house for help. He banged on the neighbor’s door, but no one answered.

The next morning, the neighbor called the police when he noticed blood on his front door. When the police arrived, they also noticed a trail of blood on the street leading to house 805. This was enough for them to be able to obtain a search warrant for the house.

Continue reading →

The Boy in the Box-Unsolved Murder

UPDATE: On December 8, 2022, police announced they have identified “the boy in the box,” as Joseph Augustus Zarelli. More details at the end of this post.

“The boy in the box,” is one of the most heartbreaking unsolved murder cases in the United States. A beaten and bruised child left in a cardboard box among the trash of a dumping ground. The boy’s age had been between three and seven years old. Due to the child being malnourished, it was difficult to determine a more exact age.

Now, over 65 years later, the case remains unsolved. The boy’s identity and who murdered him are still unknown. We will delve into the location that he was found, how he was found, and theories about who he may have been. Please be aware that this post contains post-mortem photos, which may be upsetting to some.

This is the story of “America’s unknown child.”

the boy in the box facial reconstruction — “The boy in the box” facial reconstruction

Continue reading →

The Strange Disappearance of Mary Little

Mary Little was a newlywed who vanished from a shopping center parking lot in Atlanta, Georgia on October 14, 1965. Her husband of six weeks had been out of town and was expected back home the next day. Mary had went to the grocery store to purchase items for a ‘welcome back’ dinner she was planning for him.

The next day, her car was found abandoned in the same grocery store parking lot. The groceries were still in the car, but the only sign of Mary were smears of her blood and underwear that had been folded neatly and left between the front seats.

The investigation into her case led to many bizarre clues, both leading up to and following her disappearance. There were unwanted calls and gifts that she received in the weeks before she went missing. In the weeks after, there were two credible sightings of her in North Carolina. Witnesses reported that she was bloodied and accompanied by men.

This may at first seem like a clear case of abduction, but there are some investigators who have reason to believe it may have been a staged disappearance. So, which was it?

Well, the case remains an unsolved mystery. As you read about the circumstances surrounding Mary’s disappearance, you can draw your own conclusions as to what you believe may have happened to her.

Continue reading →

Jane Toppan, An Unusual Type of Female Serial Killer

“Jolly” Jane Toppan was quoted as saying that her goal in life was “to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who ever lived.” Her career as a nurse gave her the perfect opportunity to carry out that mission. She had access to drugs that were lethal if given at wrong dosages and elderly patients, whose deaths may not raise much suspicion. Eventually “Jolly” Jane became too enthusiastic with her killings, murdering four members of a family she was supposed to be caring for, causing authorities to take notice.

When she was arrested, she claimed to have killed as many as 31 people, though only 12 were proven to have been connected to her. What made Jane Toppan’s case unusual is her motive. The majority of female serial killers commit their murders for financial gain, maybe even for attention, but not “Jolly” Jane. She did it for the sexual thrill she gained from holding and caressing them as they died.

Continue reading →

Leslie “Mad Dog” Irvin, Serial Killer from the 1950s

Leslie “Mad Dog” Irvin received his nickname due to the ruthless murders he committed and the way he was led into the courtroom for his trial chained like a dog. The prosecutor in the case even referred to Irvin as “Mad Dog” in his closing arguments. How many people fell victim to the hands of Leslie Irvin? How did he carry out the murders? Was he found guilty? If so, was he sentenced to death? Read on as we explore the life and crimes of Leslie “Mad Dog’ Irvin.

Continue reading →

The Top 10 Greatest Last Words of Forgotten Criminals

This is a collection of some of the greatest last words spoken by criminals before execution. They range from disturbing, chilling, sad, awesome, and even funny.

Wallace Wilkerson's last words — Wallace Wilkinson

Name: Wallace Wilkerson

Crime: Shot and killed William Baxter after an argument about cheating in a game of cribbage.

Sentence: Death by firing squad on May 16, 1879

Last Words: “Oh my God! Oh my God! They have missed!”

The firing squad missed shooting his heart and it took 15-27 minutes for him to die from blood loss.

Continue reading →

The Frightening Icebox Murders: Elderly Couple Found in Freezer

The police arrived at the home of Fred and Edwina Rogers on June 23, 1965. The elderly couple’s nephew contacted them to do a welfare check after his phone calls had gone unanswered for days. At first, the officers didn’t notice anything too unusual in the home… until they opened the freezer. There they saw pieces of hog meat on the shelves which they thought nothing of. But as they were shutting the freezer door, they got quite a shock. The head of Edwina Rogers stared up at them from the vegetable bin. And those pieces of hog? Upon closer inspection they were actually the limbs and torsos of the couple, thus earning this case the moniker “the icebox murders.”

Fred and Edwina Rogers the Icebox Murders — Fred and Edwina Rogers

Continue reading →

The Lonely Hearts Killers: A Match Made for Murder

Martha Beck and Raymond Martinez Fernandez are a couple better known as “The Lonely Hearts Killers.” Raymond had gotten a head start on his criminal career before meeting Martha. He mainly committed petty crimes such as theft until 1947 when it’s believed he committed his first murder. In 1947 when Raymond responded to Martha’s lonely hearts ad in the newspaper, she was to be his next victim. Instead the couple ended up falling in love. When Martha found out about Raymond’s criminal past she thought it was a brilliant scheme. She joined him and together they used the personal ads to search for their victims. Those unfortunate women who were only looking for love were instead conned, robbed, and murdered. The lonely hearts killers are known to have killed four people, but may have had has many as 20 victims.