Topic

Law, Crime & Justice

A collection of 11 issues

A Deadly Cure: The US Government's Poisoned Alcohol Program During Prohibition

During Prohibition, the U.S. government fought bootlegging by ordering poisonous chemicals, like methanol, be added to industrial alcohol. This "chemist's war" aimed to make the alcohol undrinkable but caused a public health crisis, killing an estimated 10,000.

Weaponizing the Mind: The CIA's Secret Quest for Control with Project MKULTRA

From the 1950s onward, the CIA's top-secret MKULTRA program used drugs, hypnosis, and torture on unwitting subjects to explore mind control. Surviving documents reveal a chilling, real-world quest to create programmable assassins and weaponize the human mind.

What the FDA's Food Defect Handbook Reveals About Mold

The U.S. FDA permits natural or unavoidable defects in food, including mold, through its Food Defect Levels Handbook. For example, frozen strawberries are only considered adulterated if the average mold count exceeds 45%, a standard reflecting mass production realities.

The Notorious Cheating Scandal of the Coughing Major

In 2001, Army Major Charles Ingram won £1 million on 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' but his victory was voided due to suspicion. An investigation uncovered a scheme where accomplice Tecwen Whittock coughed from the audience to signal correct answers.

The Canoe Man's Ghost: How a Faked Death and a Panama Photo Unraveled a Bizarre Lie

In 2002, British prison officer John Darwin faked his death in a canoe accident to escape debt. For years, he lived secretly next door to his wife, Anne, who claimed his life insurance. Their new life in Panama unraveled when a 2006 photo of them surfaced, exposing their audacious lie.

Forgotten for 18 Days: The Impossible Survival of Andreas Mihavecz

In 1979, an 18-year-old was arrested and forgotten in an Austrian police cell. He survived for 18 days without food or water, a feat of endurance that set a world record and exposed a shocking case of institutional negligence. His survival hinged on licking condensation from the walls.

More Than a Song: The Stalker, Lawsuit, and Tragedy Behind Sarah McLachlan's 'Possession'

Sarah McLachlan's song "Possession" was written from the perspective of her stalkers, using their own words. This artistic choice led to a chilling lawsuit from one obsessed fan who claimed creative credit. The story ended tragically when he died by suicide before the case went to trial.

Beyond Bigamy: The Calculated Deception of Giovanni Vigliotto, Husband to 105 Women

Giovanni Vigliotto holds the Guinness World Record for most bigamous marriages, conning 105 women across the globe between 1949 and 1981. His scheme was simple: marry, convince his new wife to sell her assets, and vanish with the money. His decades-long spree ended when one victim turned detective.