True Crime

Cursed awards, haunted estates, and deadly sets.   Hollywood is supposed to be the place where dreams come true, but it's also where nightmares come to life. Spirits haunt the halls of renowned studios, legendary cafes, and lavish estates, while rumors of curses lurk in the shadows of the rich and famous. It's said that stars like James Dean, Carrie Fisher, and Prince once predicted their own deaths, while slain screenwriter Paul Bern tried in vain to warn Sharon Tate about her own fate. Ghosts reportedly linger in the corners of the El Coyote Café and the Falcon Lair boasts sightings of Rudolph Valentino long after his death./ Join author and paranormal historian Brian Clune for a star-studded tour of the dark side of Hollywood.

How Long Beach caused the death of John A. Lamb.

Immediately after his 1914 election as mayor of Long Beach, Louis Napoleon Whealton fired the chief of police and raided the city treasury. To replenish the funds, Mayor Whealton concocted a scheme to collect fines from any male “who made advances toward other men.” Two special police officers entrapped and arrested thirty-one men, dragging them before a judge to pay up or risk a public trial. When one victim refused to play along, newspapers were quick to publish the names of everyone accused, including local pharmacist and popular churchman John A. Lamb. His suicide made headlines, but the city continued to target gay men well into this century.

Author and historian Gerrie Schipske uncovers the story of a tragic death with far-reaching consequences in Long Beach.

As one of America's most notorious prisons, Alcatraz has been a significant part of California's history for over 155 years.

The small, lonely rock, known in sea charts by its Spanish name Isla de los Alcatraces, or Island of Pelicans, lay essentially dormant until the 1850s, when the military converted the island into a fortress to protect the booming San Francisco region. Alcatraz served as a pivotal military position until the early 20th century and in 1934 was converted into a federal penitentiary to house some of America's most incorrigible prisoners. The penitentiary closed in 1963, and Alcatraz joined the National Park Service system in 1972. Since then, it has remained a popular attraction as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Experience the complex and dark history of San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island in 15 historic black-and-white postcards.

Rare images provide a glimpse into the notorious lives and events of one of America's most infamous organized crime syndicates.

From the blackhanders and bootleggers of the early 20th century to political corruption and the rise and eventual toppling of a Mafia family, the history of organized crime in Los Angeles visually chronicled within this work possesses the same level of intrigue, glamour, and murder as the films that made the City of Angels iconic. Los Angeles Underworld showcases an extraordinary collection of rare and previously unpublished images pulled directly from family photo albums and top secret police files.

Avi Bash is an organized crime historian and researcher who has curated one of the largest and most recognized collections of organized crime photographs and artifacts. Parts of his collection have been displayed at multiple museums and exhibitions across the county. He is also the author of Organized Crime in Miami, a photographic book within this same series chronicling the history of organized crime in South Florida. Dr. J. Michael Niotta, PhD, specializes in Los Angeles. The great-grandson and biographer of Los Angeles godfather Jack Dragna, he has lectured at the Las Vegas Mob Museum, appeared on the Travel Channel and Nat Geo, and authored two nonfiction titles. The National Crime Syndicate features his column Early Days of Los Angeles. Present projects include a Dragna biography and an extensive history of California crime with Richard Warner..

One candy heiress, two bullets and three suspects.

The small Southern California island of Coronado rarely makes news for violent crime. But in the spring of 1975, World War II widow and retired librarian Ruth Quinn was murdered, execution-style, in her cottage. Her death sent a shock wave through the community. The granddaughter of Jujubes and Jujyfruits creator Henry Heide, Ruth was found fully clothed with her shoes on, in her bed, dead from two gunshot wounds. To this day, her murder has never been solved, but whispers about her brother, her son and even a local petty thief still swirl.

Author Taylor Baldwin Kiland sifts through the dirt for the facts about Ruth’s life and her untimely end in Coronado.

On July 27, 1903, spurred into action by inmate Richard ‘Red’ Gordon, thirteen men attacked their jailers and made a run for freedom.Folsom Prison had only been open for 20 years and was already one of the toughest and most brutal prisons in the country. It had one major flaw—no walls. A statewide manhunt ensued, following a deadly trail of attacks, kidnappings, and murder. Among the escapees were Joseph Theron and Frank Case, both sentenced to life in prison for robbery, and Joseph Murphy, burglar and poet. Sightings were reported from San Franciso to Reno and in the end, five of the prisoners were never found.Join author Josh Morgan as he recounts the violence and heroism of Folsom Prison’s biggest breakout.

In 1974, one of San Francisco’s most horrific unsolved serial murder cases began.

In less than two years, the man police called “The Doodler” took at least five lives, terrorized the LGBTQ community, and left three survivors forever changed. Initial reports claimed the murderer didn’t approach his victims with the knife he used to kill them, but that the suspect shared skilled drawings—sketches of faces and animals—before leaving a string of gay men to bleed out on the sands of Ocean Beach. Police investigations and activist efforts to uncover the killer led to several suspects, but no definitive identification of the artist of death.

Author Kate Zaliznock shines a light on this riveting cold case.

Delve into a world of cold cases, serial killers, and false confessions pulled straight from the archives of the San Diego Police Department.

From a rash of attacks in Balboa Park to the slayings of two police officers that remain unsolved to this day, detectives have investigated several vexing and violent cases over the years. In 1931, the murder of ten-year-old Virginia Brooks was initially linked to serial slayer Gordon Stewart Northcott, later hung for his crimes, while the mysterious death of young Dalbert Aposhian languished for seventy-two years before modern forensics closed it.

Join author Steve Willard as he pulls back the curtain on San Diego’s dark side.

Murder, mystery and misdemeanors in Solano County’s seat.

From the very beginning, Fairfield hosted its fair share of criminal activity. City founder Robert Waterman, a famed sea captain accused of beating his own crew during the “hellship trials,” walked away a free man, but the fallout paved the way for seamen’s rights. A spree killer set the state mass murder record in the 1920s, and several decades later, Fairfield was chosen as the location for serial killer Juan Corona’s trial. Mass murders, missing children, political scandals and even a case involving an Armijo High School graduate turned Russian spy all have their roots in this California town.

Author and accidental historian Tony Wade shines a light on the dark past of Fairfield, California.

The Ponzi scheme that devastated Napa Valley.

In 1988, a daring San Francisco drug bust led investigators straight to a massive financial fraud scheme in the Napa Valley. Hundreds of residents, many of them elderly, had entrusted their life savings to respected businessman David Hanson only to lose everything as his scheme unraveled. The destruction spread like ripples in a pond, with victims losing retirement savings, houses, and more. Multiple arrests were made, and every trial revealed another twist.

Join author and retired Napa Superior Court judge Raymond A. Guadagni as he tells the story of the pursuit of justice for the citizens of Napa.

In 1974, the brutal murder of Anita Fagiani Andrews shook the small working-class town of Napa.

Detectives, criminalists, and forensic experts raced to identify who’d struck down Anita, a 51-year-old ex-beauty queen and mother of two, in her own bar to no avail. Despite their best efforts, the case went cold. Decades passed, during which the town grew into a world-renowned wine region and tourist destination, but the case remained an open question. After 37 years, thanks to DNA evidence, the killer—imprisoned for another murder—was finally found and brought to justice.

Join author and retired judge Raymond A. Guadagni as he tells the story of the shocking murder, the investigation and the subsequent trial over which he presided in 2011.

“The book includes parts of Campbell’s history at the turn of the century, theories of what may have provoked the killings and the manhunt that never led to Dunham’s capture.”—The Mercury News

On the morning of May 27, 1896, the peaceful township of Campbell awoke to shocking news. Six people were brutally murdered at the home of Colonel Richard P. McGlincy, one of the town’s most respected citizens. The suspect, James Dunham—the colonel’s son-in-law—fled the scene and disappeared into the hills of Mount Hamilton overlooking Santa Clara County. This heinous crime triggered a massive, nationwide manhunt while investigators pieced together the details.

Author Tobin Gilman examines the mind and motives of the killer, the sensational media coverage and the colorful personalities associated with the protracted and unresolved pursuit of justice.

In this intimate true crime biography, the author recounts his great grandfather’s journey from local grocer to Prohibition-era crime boss.

Sicilian immigrant “Big George” Niotta did exceptionally well for a grocery wholesaler. That’s because his biggest clients were bootleggers. He delivered hundreds of pounds of sugar to illegal liquor operations across California, supplying an essential ingredient and making sweet profits. But his criminal operations didn’t end there.

Niotta rose to prominence thanks to his magnetic charm, collaborating with infamous bootlegger Frank Borgia and influential gambling baron Jack Dragna. Dogged by the IRS, Niotta expanded his enterprise into ringer horses, a multimillion-dollar lottery, and a notorious gambling parlor. Through extensive research and interviews with family members, J. Michael Niotta explores three decades of L.A. crime, including a rare insider's look at the Eagle Brewing Company and other survivors of Prohibition.

Well known for its picturesque setting, Napa Valley is also home to crimes perpetrated in the name of greed, love and rage.

Shocking incidents have rocked the small communities nestled among the vineyards, like that of greedy young Billy Duvall, who killed his parents as they slept, and Bob Edwards, who suffocated his beloved wife in a misguided attempt to keep a promise. Two victims of domestic violence came to very different ends--one murdered and the other offered a second chance at life after a jail sentence.

Join author and retired Napa Superior Court judge Raymond A. Guadagni as he offers his unique perspective on these notorious court cases and the criminal justice system.

“Recounts all the twists and turns of the case . . . two jury trials, a surprising appellate court ruling . . . and, decades later, a shocking development” (Visalia Times Delta).

One October morning in 1979, a stamp and coin dealer was gunned down in his Visalia shop. There were no witnesses. Persistent police efforts across jurisdictional lines connected it to another death. Two months earlier, the body of a Fresno coin dealer was found locked in the trunk of his car. The trail of evidence led to a most unlikely suspect.

Author Ronn M. Couillard, retired judge and former Visalia district attorney, lays out the facts in this compelling case from the investigation to the court proceedings and the surprise that almost derailed the conviction.