West

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.

This WWII true crime history reveals a shocking story of murder inside an Arizona POW camp—and the U.S. military’s controversial response.

Though Arizona was far from any theater of battle during World War II, the grim realities of combat were brought home with the construction of POW camps. Located outside Phoenix, Camp Papago Park became famous for its prisoners’ attempted escape through the Faustball Tunnel, but it also had a dark reputation of violence among its prisoners.

One casualty was Werner Drechsler, a prisoner who supplied German secrets to U.S. Navy authorities. Nazis held at Papago Park labeled him a traitor and hanged him from a bathroom rafter. Controversy erupted over whether the killing was an act of war or murder. Some also questioned the lack of protection Drechsler received for aiding in espionage. Ultimately, seven POWs were hanged for the crime.

Author Jane Eppinga examines the tangled details and implications of America’s last mass execution.

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.

American’s First Drug Runner

In 1886, five men met at San Francisco’s luxurious Baldwin Hotel to discuss a most profitable business: opium smuggling. The exploits of Will Whaley and his partners became the stuff of legend, with tales of landing contraband on deserted shores by the light of the moon, voyages across the Pacific, typhoons, and shipwrecks. Their co-conspirator was the notorious Halcyon, a schooner that novelist once Jack London admiringly wrote “sailed like a witch”.

Join author and career law enforcement agent John Madinger as he uncovers the danger, betrayals, and mysterious deaths of America’s first organized drug trafficking ring.

Crime and Punishment

In the fall of 1920, two couples pulled into a campsite just off the famous Yellowstone Trail. A few weeks later, one couple drove away, while the other simply vanished. The identities and fate of the couple left behind didn’t hit newsstands until three years later. In one of the most sensational murder cases ever played out in a Montana court, Seth Orrin Danner put up a fight for his life and lost. The state executed Seth on July 18, 1924, at the Gallatin County Jail, but did he commit the crimes?

Historian Kelly Hartman follows the trail of the Danner family from Kansas to Montana and details the trial of the century, trying to decipher what truly happened in Central Park on that grisly day.

Capturing Montana’s Most Elusive Fugitive

During an intense spring blizzard in 1951, affable Clarence Pellett picked up a teenaged hitchhiker along Montana’s Hi-Line. Soon, blood from seven bullet holes in Pellett’s back stained the snow-covered prairie. Following a brief manhunt and confession, a heated debate ensued over capital punishment as Communist attorneys swooped in “to save this poor friendless boy.” Frank Dryman, twice sentenced to hang, escaped the noose when a sympathetic Montana Supreme Court stayed each execution. The “permanently insane and mentally deficient” killer was paroled into the custody of his brother in California after serving thirteen years of a life sentence. Eighteen months later, he vanished. Using a series of aliases, Dryman hid in plain sight for forty years despite state and federal warrants. Clem Pellett recounts the enthralling twists and turns of his hunt for his grandfather’s absconded murderer—the longest in state history.

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.

Burbank is known as a haven from the craziness of nearby Hollywood, but the city has a dark underbelly.

Nellie May Madison shot her husband to death at their home in 1934 and became the first woman to be condemned to death in California. The brutal 1953 murder of Mable Monohan inspired an Oscar-winning movie, but that didn’t save Barbara Graham and her killer collaborators from the gallows. In the decades that followed, infamous and violent offenders such as the “Dating Game Killer,” the “Toolbox Killers,” and “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez hunted for victims in the area, while slayings of detectives, private eyes, bookies, and secret gamblers piled up in the cold case files of the police department.

Award-winning author and journalist James T. Bartlett explores the sinister side of Burbank history.

“An in-depth look at the 1971 trial of a serial killer who’s been mostly forgotten — except to those who were forever impacted.”-The Seattle Times

In 1969, the body of a young woman was discovered in the woods of Renton, rocking the communities along Puget Sound.Three more brutal murders followed, drawing the attention of multiple police agencies as they tried to piece together the meager clues left behind.The seemingly unrelated cases challenged detectives, who struggled to realize they were all connected to one man: Gary Gene Grant.Before the term “serial killer” was even coined, Grant stalked his prey, destroying lives and families while walking unseen among the masses.Decades later, his crimes have all but been forgotten.

Join author and homicide investigator Cloyd Steiger as he uncovers the story of the murderer who slipped through the cracks of history.

One chill January night in 1867, a Virginia City prostitute was strangled to death in her bed.

The murderer was caught and hanged in front of a crowd of thousands, and the citizens of the Comstock considered the matter closed. More than 150 years later, the murder of Julia Bulette has become a local legend.

The man accused, John Millain, was suspected of killing before, but there would be no justice for those victims. Reduced to vague mentions in newspaper articles, little was left to tie their unsolved murders to that of Julia’s. Did John Millain leave a trail of tragedy that stretched from San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood to Julia’s untimely end in Virginia City?

Author and award-winning journalist Robin Flinchum searches for the truth behind a string of murders in two of the richest cities in the early American West.

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.

Taming a Tumultuous Territory

Hollywood westerns of the twentieth century brought a history of raucous frontier justice to life, but 1800s Colorado was anything but fiction. Bandits held up the Denver and Rio Grande train at Unaweep Switch, while another gang stole $50,000 from the express car at Cotopaxi. “The Bloody Espinosas,” who left mutilated bodies along lonely mountain trails, terrorized southern Colorado. The Reynolds Gang held up South Park stagecoaches, while Tom McCarty and Matt Warner robbed banks. These unruly times demanded a society where the law prevailed. Dave Cook started the Rocky Mountain Detective Association and improved crime fighting methods. Tom Tobin tracked down two serial killers using his wilderness skills. Doc Shores, who always got his man, earned his nickname, “the Bloodhound.” Author Nancy K. Williams hunts down the good, the bad and the ugly characters who color Colorado’s past.

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.

Does Charles P. Stanton deserve the title of Arizona’s Most Notorious Villain?

For generations, Arizonans have been fascinated with the story of Charles P. Stanton. The alleged crime boss and mass murderer oversaw a reign of terror in the small mining town that bore his name. Driven by greed, he stole ore, swindled mines away from their owners and bribed his way out of justice. Those who crossed him usually ended up dead. But are the legends actually true? Relying on original source material, including court documents and newspapers, Arizona historian Parker Anderson reveals the true story of Stanton for the first time and broaches the possibility that the mysterious Irish Lord may not have been guilty of the terrible crimes that folklore has attributed to him.

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.

Explore Boise’s Bloody History!

Shortly after the nearby discovery of gold in 1862, outlaws and ruffians from all over began to congregate in newly platted Boise City.  One of the city's only recorded pistol duels settled a dispute between a covetous husband and the lover of a young damsel--both happened to be lawyers. After getting busted running a long con, the King of Boise's Underworld was sent to the penitentiary. What could be called the area's first mass shooting occurred when an Alaskan gold miner sought revenge against the young woman who stood him up. A local postmaster found himself in a notorious case of a love triangle gone wrong. And, a death cult returned the mummy of one of its followers to Boise. Authors Mark Iverson and Jeff Wade go beyond the traditional histories to gain an appreciation for the lives often willfully removed from history's pages and thus forgotten.

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.

“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 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.

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.

Revel at the tales of these locals boys from Southwestern Pennsylvania going west to seek their Sin City dreams.

As turmoil rocked New Castle in the 1970s, a group of young men completed their military service and came home to a bleak future. Without college degrees or marketable skills, they found few options in Western Pennsylvania. Looking for a better life, they turned their eyes west.

Las Vegas promised women, gambling, excitement, and the chance to make a buck. Over their decades on the floors of Sin City’s casinos, they would rub shoulders with gangsters and stars and keep a sharp eye out for opportunity—and for card counters.

Based on hours of exclusive interviews, author Dale Perelman unfolds this cavalier group’s frolicking adventures as they navigated their way from the belly of the downtown Golden Gate to some of the Strip’s premier casinos, all while teetering along the right side of the law.

Before Butch Cassidy, there was Patrick Coughlin.

It began with the theft of some strawberries from a street peddler in Park City, Utah Territory, in 1895. By the time it was over, two lawmen were dead, and Patrick Coughlin was facing a firing squad. The young gunslinger, in a desperate bid to escape the punishment for his initial crime, caused one of the most thrilling manhunts in the state’s history. The outlaw and his sidekick went on a crime spree, escalating from stealing horses to gunfights, all with the posse tailing them, ending in a shootout at a remote cabin. When Patrick Coughlin was finally recaptured and tried, he would become the first prisoner sentenced to death in the state.

Join author and lawyer Brian Craig as he recounts the thrilling story of Patrick Coughlin, Utah’s original desperado.

Politics and power in Gold Rush California

At the north end of a quiet neighborhood in Daly City lies a historical marker noting the site of California's most infamous—and deadly—duel. The San Francisco of 1859 had grown rapidly, with treasure seekers from all corners of the globe converging to find their own fortune, either through prospecting or, more lucratively, catering to the needs of those prospectors. 

Out of the muddy streets and the chaos, two leaders emerged whose actions would have an outsized influence on the course of American politics for decades. David S. Terry, the chief justice of the California Supreme Court, and U.S. Senator David Broderick were both determined to steer the fate of the new state, but in very different directions. At the heart of their rivalry lay the fight against slavery, with Senator Broderick advocating for California to remain a free state. 

On September 13, 1859, their arguments came to a head in a duel that ended with Senator Broderick shot and mortally wounded. He died three days later, but the outcome would haunt David Terry for another thirty years. 

Author William E. Hammonds explores the twists and turns of the duel for the future of Gold Rush California.

“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.