This article outlines 10 notorious crimes and the grisly details behind them. These include the Manson Family Murders, in which Charles Manson led his followers to kill actress Sharon Tate and four others; the Columbine High School Massacre, in which Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 students and one teacher before taking their lives; and the Jack the Ripper Murders in which at least five women were mutilated and killed in the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. Other infamous crimes include the Zodiac Killer, the Unabomber, and the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping.
10 Notorious Crimes and Their Heinous Details
1. The Manson Family Murders
In the 1960s, Charles Manson led a cult known as the Manson Family. On August 9, 1969, members of the cult entered the home of actress Sharon Tate and murdered her, along with four others. The following night, the group killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Manson and several of his followers were convicted of the gruesome crimes, which included stabbing victims multiple times and writing messages in their blood.
2. The Columbine High School Massacre
On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. They killed 12 students and one teacher before taking their own lives. Prior to the shooting, the two had planned to bomb the school, but their explosives failed to detonate.
3. The Oklahoma City Bombing
On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The attack killed 168 people, including 19 children who were in the building’s daycare center. McVeigh was later executed for his role in the bombing.
4. The Boston Marathon Bombing
On April 15, 2013, brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev set off two bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The attack killed three people and injured more than 260 others. Following a massive manhunt, Tamerlan was killed in a shootout with police, while Dzhokhar was eventually captured and sentenced to death.
5. The Jonestown Massacre
In November 1978, Reverend Jim Jones led his followers to a remote jungle in Guyana, where they established the Peoples Temple agricultural project. On November 18, more than 900 members of the cult committed mass suicide by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid. The incident remains one of the largest mass killings in American history.
6. The O.J. Simpson Trial
In June 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were found murdered outside Brown’s home in Brentwood, California. O.J. Simpson, Brown’s ex-husband and former football star, was tried for the murders. Despite overwhelming evidence against him, Simpson was acquitted in a highly controversial trial.
7. The Unabomber
From 1978 to 1995, Ted Kaczynski sent a series of bombs through the mail to targets including universities, airlines, and computer stores. He killed three people and injured 23 others before being caught in 1996. Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, is currently serving a life sentence.
8. The Zodiac Killer
From 1968 to 1969, the Zodiac Killer terrorized Northern California by killing at least five people and sending taunting letters to the media. The case remains unsolved, and the killer’s identity is still unknown.
9. The Jack the Ripper Murders
In 1888, Jack the Ripper killed at least five women in the Whitechapel district of London. The brutal murders were characterized by mutilation and the removal of organs. Despite numerous suspects and theories, the case remains unsolved to this day.
10. The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping
In 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr., the son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family’s home in New Jersey. The boy’s body was later found, and Bruno Hauptmann was convicted of the crime. The case remains one of the most high-profile kidnappings and murders in American history.