Crime

The 1980s were a time of lost innocence in America. Things had been trending that way for a while, of course. The tumultuous social upheavals of the 1960s and the difficult economic climate throughout the 1970s both pointed the United States toward adversities. But in the 1980s, the focus turned to…

Before the rise of modern humanism in the mid-17th century, offending the ruling class throughout Europe and Asia could result in a man being sentenced to a horribly brutal execution. These days, most of the civilized world denounces such “cruel and unusual punishments,” and they are outlawed. But…

The death penalty has been a controversial aspect of American history for centuries. With it, California’s San Quentin State Prison has been the country’s most well-known death row for many years. The first execution of a prisoner took place in the prison way back in 1893. For the next several…

From the classic play Arsenic and Old Lace to a whole surfeit of Agatha Christie novels, death by poison is a staple of the mystery genre. It is also frequently an incredibly unpleasant way to die. Cyanide poisonings can cause violent seizures and heart attacks, and strychnine can cause painful…