Greedy Lovers Kill a Once-Famous Singer‘The Cheater,’ Forensic Files Forensic Files went all in on “The Cheater,” the episode about the rise and fall of vocalist Walter Scott. The producers scored interviews with the victim’s mother and father — plus Bob Kuban, the leader of the group that Walter helped to land on the Top … The post Walter Scott: A One-Hit Wonder Silenced appeared first on Forensic Files Now ..read more

Update and Timeline for the Mitchell Brothers’ Pornography Palace (‘Sibling Rivalry,’ Forensic Files) The last post covered the story of Jim and Artie Mitchell, the California brothers who progressed from small-time pornographers to famous showmen before becoming tragic figures. Much of the Mitchells’ glory centered on San Francisco’s O’Farrell Theatre, where they staged the most-graphic ..read more

Adult-Entertainment Kings Clash(‘Sibling Rivalry,’ Forensic Files) In the 1970s, the world’s most famous purveyors of adult entertainment were Hugh Hefner, owner of Playboy magazine and clubs, and Bob Guccione Sr., founder of Penthouse magazine. Around the same time, another pair was making a splash in the industry. The Mitchell brothers didn’t lounge around in silk ..read more

Titles You’ll Recognize And Some You Won’t A good true-crime book takes you inside a world you’ll probably never enter and acquaints you with people you might best avoid. Here are six that I’ve read more than five times each and think that you’ll enjoy at least once. 1. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote ..read more

Larry Bruce Goes Unpunished — But Only for Two Decades(‘Soiled Plan,’ Forensic Files) Stories about people who overcome obstacles a bit later in life offer hope to others. Such was the case with Judy Bruce, who had a severe speech impediment. It didn’t stop her from getting married or having children, but she stayed close ..read more

Kathleen Lipscomb Dies for Learning a Secret(‘True Lies,’ Forensic Files) Kathleen Lipscomb’s life was going off-kilter. A respected nurse, Kathleen had separated from William T. Lipscomb, an Air Force sergeant with whom she shared custody of two children. That wasn’t going particularly smoothly. To complicate matters, the attractive platinum-haired Kathleen had fallen in love with ..read more

Elwood Jones Surprises a Hotel Guest(‘Punch Line,’ Forensic Files) Back in 1996, the case against hotel worker Elwood Jones seemed as solid as cast iron. The handyman had prior convictions for theft and possessed a master passkey for rooms at the Embassy Suites in Blue Ash, Ohio. Two years after guest Rhoda Nathan was discovered ..read more

Ken Otto Tries to Obliterate His Victim(‘Best Foot Forward,’ Forensic Files) A disheartening aspect of updating Forensic Files cases is finding out that, between the time the episode was produced and the present day, a person who committed a gruesome murder has been released from prison. Take Richard Crafts (please). In a case that made ..read more

A Love Rectangle Turns Lethal(‘Buried Treasure,’ Forensic Files) What could be more innocent than a square dance? No grinding, no twerking, just wholesome family-friendly fun. Unfortunately, at just such an event in 1984, a couple of participants from Franklin County, Pennsylvania got a little too friendly amid the do-si-dos and allemande lefts. Their ensuing affair ..read more

A Singer Dies in Seattle, But Not in Vain(‘The Day the Music Died,’ Forensic Files) Mia Zapata might have joined the 27 Club, but her death at age 27 was different from those of Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, and the rest: It had nothing to do with drug or alcohol abuse. The lead ..read more