BEYOND THE HEADLINE
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Explore our own articles and outside writing, organized by case. The descriptions here help you choose what to read; outside articles open at their original source. Some publishers require a subscription. Commentary reflects its author’s perspective.
Choose a caseAll cases Abigail Williams & Liberty German ACT UP & the AIDS treatment activists Adam Walsh Adrianne Jones & the Texas cadet case Aileen Wuornos Alajawan Brown Alan & Diane Johnson Alan & Terra Bates Alan Canty Albert DeSalvo & the Boston Strangler case Albert Fish Alex Algeri — the Reidel murder plot Alexis Murphy Alice Crimmins & her children Alissa Blanton Aliza Sherman Alonzo Brooks Alvin & Virginia Ridley Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus & Michelle Knight Amber Hagerman Amy Bishop Amy Fisher & Mary Jo Buttafuoco Amy Lord Amy Mihaljevic Andrew Nesbitt Angie Dodge Anita Hill & the 1991 confirmation hearings Ann & Billy Woodward Ann Atwater & C. P. Ellis Anna Sorokin Anne Marie Fahey & Thomas Capano Anthony Robles Apollo 13 & the mission-control rescue Appalachian communities & the opioid crisis Ashley Flynn & Caleb Flynn Ashley Freeman & Lauria Bible Atlanta child murders Audrey Marie Hilley Barbara & Russ Stager Bayard Rustin & the March on Washington Ben & Nikki Goeser Bennet Omalu & football brain injuries Bernie Madoff Betty Broderick Betty Gore & Candy Montgomery Betty Jones & Kathryn Crigler Betty Lou Beets Betty Williams Bianca Carrasco Billie Jean King & the fight for equality in tennis Billy Connole Blanche Taylor Moore Bobby Franks — Leopold & Loeb Bobby Greenlease Bobby Kent Brandon Burlsworth Brandon Teena, Lisa Lambert & Philip DeVine Brenda Gere Brenda Spencer Brenda Sue Schaefer & Mel Ignatow Brian Banks Brian Thompson & Luigi Mangione Brianna Foisy, Jason Netter & the Anchorage killings Brianna Maitland Brooke & Jean Ellison Brookey Lee West Candy & Jacques Mossler Carl Starke Carlesha Freeland-Gaither Carol & Charles Stuart Carol & Dan Montecalvo Carol Thompson Carolyn Warmus & Betty Jean Solomon Carrie Ann Williams Casey Anthony & Caylee Anthony Casey Crowder Cassie Jo Stoddart Cassy Farrington Catina Rose Salarno Celina Petersen Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta & the farmworker movement Chandra Levy Charles Cullen / Amy Loughren Charles Manson & the Tate–LaBianca murders Charles Starkweather & Caril Ann Fugate Cheryl Keeton & Bradly Cunningham Cheryl Perveler Chris Smith & Edward Shin Christa Pike & Colleen Slemmer Christian Aguilar Christina Morris Christopher Duncan Christopher Gray Cindy Mudd Clarence Earl Gideon Clint Greenwood Colleen Stan Conbino Crasto Crystal Champagne & Damon Thibodeaux Crystal Lee Sutton & the textile workers Curtis & Marjorie Chillingworth Cynthia Langrall Dahyabhai Kalidas Chaudhari Dan Markel Dana Beatty Daniel Anderl & Judge Esther Salas Daniel Ellsberg & the Pentagon Papers David Berkowitz David Fouts Davis McClendon Dawn & Nick Hacheney Dawn Meade Debora Green & the Farrar children Dee Dee & Gypsy Rose Blanchard Dee Warner Dennis Rader Derek & Nancy Haysom Devon & Damon Routier Diane Borchardt Diane Downs Diane Kyne Diane Staudte Dion Smith Dioneth Lopez Dixie & Scott Shanahan Dolly & Fred Oesterreich Donna & Dennis Yaklich Doreen Erbert Dorothea Puente’s boarding house Dorothy Stratten Ed Gein Edmund Kemper Edward Lowry Elena & Borys Kiejliches Elizabeth Holmes / Theranos Elizabeth Shoaf Elizabeth Short Elizabeth Smart Ellen Boehm Emma Walker Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Enron’s employees, investors & whistleblowers Erika & Benjamin Sifrit Erin Brockovich & Hinkley Ervin Holton Francine Hughes Frank Serpico & police corruption Franklin Bradshaw Gabriel Perez Gary Lauwers & Ricky Kasso Gary Ridgway George Joseph Cvek Gina Marie Nueslein Gretchen & Wendy Fritz H. H. Holmes Hannah Pettey Harold Allen Harvey Glatman & His Victims Harvey Milk Heidi Firkus Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan Helene Pruszynski Helle & Richard Crafts Henrietta Lacks & the HeLa cells Holly Bobo Homer Hickam & the Rocket Boys Hufracio Arteaga Ian Campbell & Karl Hettinger — The Onion Field Ilene Gowan Imran Ashgar Ina Clare Richardson Irene Silverman & the Kimes case Ivanice Harris Jack Davis Jackie Robinson Jacob Wetterling James “Jimmy” Michael James & Virginia Campbell James Byrd Jr. Jan Broberg Janet Downing & Eddie O’Brien Jared Bridegan Jasmine Fiore Jasper “Jack” Watkins Jaycee Dugard Jayne & David Miller Jeanne Clery Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & Manzanar Jeff Zack Jeffrey Dahmer Jeffrey MacDonald & his family Jennifer Asbenson Jennifer Dulos Jennifer Ertman & Elizabeth Peña Jennifer Kesse Jennifer Krajnak Jennifer Levin & Robert Chambers Jeremy Bell Jerry Sternadel Jessica Lunsford Jessika Kalaher Jill & Bill Rockcastle Jodi Arias & Travis Alexander Jodi Huisentruit Joe Metheny John Lewis & the Selma voting-rights campaign John List & his family John McCabe John O’Keefe & the Karen Read trials John Orr & the California arson fires John Scopes & the evolution trial John Wayne Gacy Johnny Soekhies Joleen Cummings JonBenét Ramsey José Hernández Joseph “Joe” Andriano Joseph James DeAngelo Josh Richards Joshua Webb Joyce & Stanley Cohen Judy Buenoano Judy Heumann & the disability-rights movement Julissa Brisman Justine Vanderschoot Karen Silkwood Kari Hunt Karla Faye Tucker Katherine & Sheila Lyon Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson & NASA’s Hidden Figures Kathleen & Michael Peterson Kathleen Savio & Stacy Peterson Katie Beers Kelly Dwyer Kelsey Berreth Kenneth Waters Kenny Fandrich Kent Heitholt & Ryan Ferguson Kevin & Alison Davis Kimberly & Stephen Hricko Kira Steger Kirsten Costas & Bernadette Protti Kitty Genovese KJ Taylor Kristen Gilbert Kristin Rossum & Greg de Villers Kristin Smart Laci Peterson Lana Clarkson & Phil Spector Larry Howse Larry McNabney Laura Pietscher Lauren Spierer Laurie Bembenek & Christine Schultz Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting Laurie Kellogg Laurie Show Lee Roy Martin Leona O’Loughlin Lieth & Bonnie von Stein Linda & Cinnamon Brown Lindsay Clancy & Her Children Lisa McVey Liz Murray Lizzie Borden Lois Jenson & the Eveleth women Lorena Bobbitt Lori Vallow & Chad Daybell Lucille & Cork Miller Lyle & Erik Menendez Mackenzie Shirilla Maggie & Paul Murdaugh Makayla Meave Mamta Kafle Bhatt Mandi Gordon Manuela Garcia Margaret & Ron Rudin Maria & Robert Marshall Maribel Ramos Marie / The Unbelievable Investigation Marie Noe Marilyn & Sam Sheppard Martha Gail Fulton Martha Moxley Mary Burge Mary Kay Letourneau & Vili Fualaau Matt Restelli Matthew Shepard Matthew Winkler Maura Murray Medgar Evers & the long pursuit of justice Megan Kanka Melinda Loveless Melissa James Merrilee Cox-Lafferty Michele “Missy” Avila Michelle Carter & Conrad Roy Michelle Hadley Michelle Warner Michelle Young Mildred & Richard Loving Mindi Kassotis Mollie Tibbetts Molly Bish Molly Bloom Morgan Harrington & Hannah Graham Nancy & Richard Lyon Nancy Dunning, Ronald Kirby & Ruthanne Lodato Nannie Doss Nathaniel Ayers & Steve Lopez Nellie May & Eric Madison Nicole Brown Simpson & Ron Goldman Omar Medina Pamela & Gregg Smart Pamela Hutchinson Pamela Zimmerman Patrice Endres Patricia “Patti” Wheelington Patty Hearst & the Symbionese Liberation Army Paul Bernardo & Karla Homolka Paul Michael Stephani Paul Skalnik & Jailhouse-Informant Evidence Paula Sims Pauli Murray Penny Chenery & Secretariat Prisma Contreras Rachel Carson & Silent Spring Ramon Sosa Ray & Fahmarr McElrathbey Rebecca Schaeffer Reet Jurvetson Reggie Ward Regina Hartwell Reginald Daye & Crystal Mangum Richard Jewell & the Olympic bombing investigation Richard Ramirez Richard Speck Rick Chance Rita & Yakov Gluzman Robert & Kathryn Swartz Robert Bilott & the DuPont/PFOA case Robert Durst Robert Kearns & the windshield-wiper patent Rodney Alcala’s victims & Woman of the Hour Roland Younce & the Moore family Rolf & Ruth Neslund Ronda Reynolds Rosa Parks & the Montgomery bus boycott Roseann Quinn Rozanne Gailiunas & Joy Aylor Ruby Bridges Ruby McCollum & C. Leroy Adams Ruth Bader Ginsburg & the fight against sex discrimination Ruthann Aron Ryan White Sally & Ray McNeil Samantha Josephson Samuel Little Sandra Rozzo & Ashley Humphrey Sarah Ludemann & Rachel Wade Sarah Stern Sasha Samsudean Sean Dugas Seath Jackson Selena Quintanilla-Pérez Shanann Watts & her daughters Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby Sheila Bellush Sheri Coleman & her sons Sherri Papini Sherri Rasmussen & Stephanie Lazarus Shirley Chisholm Shirley Shell Skylar Neese Stacey Castor Stacy Hunsucker Stella Nickell & the Excedrin poisonings Stephanie Bryan Stephanie Roper Steve Banerjee / The Chippendales Murders Steve Tauzer Steven & Celeste Beard Steven Avery & Teresa Halbach Steven Cozzi & Tomasz Kosowski Steven Stayner Surya Toha Susan & Jeff Wright Susan & Jimmy Grund Susan Cox Powell Susan Smith Suzanne Morphew Sylvie Cachay Tanya Hillerud Tanya Kach Ted Bundy Temple Grandin Tequila Suter Teresa & Kenneth Taylor Terry Porter The 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team The Attica prisoners, hostages & families The Austin serial bombings The Boston survivors & Spotlight investigation The Branch Davidians & the Waco siege The Britton family & survivor Sherry Shafer The Caneiro Family The Career Girls Murders The Central Park Five The Challenger crew & the launch decision The Chicago Tylenol poisoning victims The Clutter family The Columbine victims, survivors & investigation The D.C.-area sniper victims The DeLisle children & Larry DeLisle The Eastburn family murders The Eddie Lee Sexton family case The Ewell family murders The families behind Brown v. Board of Education The Freedom Riders The Gilgo Beach Murders The housing crash & The Big Short The Lillelid family The Little Rock Nine The Lynch–Newsom family case The Mark family murders The Massie case The men harmed by the Tuskegee syphilis study The Michigan co-ed murders The Nickel Mines schoolgirls & Amish community The Ohta family murders The Oklahoma City bombing victims & survivors The Radium Girls The Rosewood survivors The Scottsboro Nine The Springfield Three The Stonewall uprising The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory workers The University of Idaho Students The University of Texas tower shooting The West Memphis Three The women who spoke out & the She Said investigation The Yosemite murders Theresa Knorr & her daughters Theresa Saldana Tina Biggar Tina Louise Foster Tom & Jill Estes Tong Shao Torrance Cheeves Tosha Lampkin Tracey Thurman Tupac Shakur United Airlines Flight 629 Velma Barfield Veronica Gedeon and the Easter murders Virginia & Norman Larzelere Walter McMillian & Bryan Stevenson Wanda Holloway Waneta Hoyt Watergate & the reporters who pursued it William “Bill” McGuire Woburn families & A Civil Action Yingying Zhang Zodiac killings Search articles 1 article or reading resource for Shanann Watts & her daughters
Shanann Watts & her daughters My complicated relationship with true crime, and the cost of bearing witness Sara Foster · Substack
A novelist reflects on watching coverage of the Watts family murders and the emotional costs of consuming true crime.
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