In October 2023, one of Britain's most recognisable television presenters suddenly disappeared from screens amid reports of a serious security threat. Behind the headlines was a disturbing investigation involving police forces on both sides of the Atlantic, covert communications, and a terrifying obsession…
Read moreMurder For Hire / Attempted Murder At Sports Direct
The website wasn’t indexed on any search engines, and for obvious reasons. The administrators of the site’s forum claimed to be members of the Sinaloa drug Cartel, an infamous crime syndicate based in Mexico. Services offered on the website ranged from drug deals to contract killings. Even though the forum appeared to be based in South America, there was an advertisement seeking someone to carry out a service in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. It read, “I am looking to hire for the murder of a woman”...
Read moreThe Dark Web & The Online Killers Market / Helen Hewlett
The dark web is part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines. It’s rife with criminal activity, from drug sales all the way to targeted attacks. In August 2022, a man was browsing the dark web when he came across a website claiming to provide hitmen for a fee. Curiosity got the better of him, and as he scanned through the forum, one post piqued his interest; a request seemingly from a female asking for a man to be killed in Norfolk…
Read moreExecuted For Immorality? / Percy & Edith Thompson / Frederick Bywaters
Proving once again that true crime is not just a modern fascination, a crowd had amassed early at 4 am on that winter morning of December 6, 1922, desperate to witness the trial. Members of the public pushed and prodded as they fought to get in. Every spectator was hopeful of gaining a ringside seat in the courtroom. Some people paid for the privilege, handing over large sums of cash, which would be £250 in today's money…
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