All posts tagged: serial

Woman killed by serial rapist ‘unlikely to be his first victim’

Woman killed by serial rapist ‘unlikely to be his first victim’

Published by Sam Flores

A woman killed by a serial rapist was unlikely to be his first victim, an expert has claimed. Emma Caldwell, 27, was killed in 2005, but it was not until 2024 that Iain Packer was convicted of her murder, along with a string of sexual offences against other women. Stuart Hall, a retired detective constable who was involved in the initial murder investigation, told a podcast he believed Packer carried out further offences. Asked whether the full extent of his crimes had come to light, he said: “No – short answer. I think there’s a lot more to be found out about Iain Packer. “Personally, I don’t think it was his first murder. I think there’s going to be more found out in the future. I’d love to be involved in something to do with that, but I think there’s far more to it.” Police questioned Packer in the weeks after Ms Caldwell’s murder, but in 2007, a group of Turkish men were charged in relation to her death. The case against them later collapsed. …

‘Serial arsonist’ in Hollywood was under investigation before deadly blaze

‘Serial arsonist’ in Hollywood was under investigation before deadly blaze

Published by Sam Flores

The mysterious arson fires in a Hollywood neighborhood started small. Burning bus benches and a mattress near homes and vehicles. One inside an elevator vestibule and another in a parking garage. Then on Feb. 4, flames engulfed the Vista Del Mar Avenue home of Maria “Chelo” Vazquez, 76, who was recovering from a hip surgery following a bad fall. Her sister, Yolanda “Yola” Honda, 82, was staying at the house and helping her with the recovery. It was the middle of the night. The women died. Now, authorities allege that that fire and 13 others in the area were started by Jovan Duverne, 39. Two criminal complaints filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors outline what authorities said was an arson spree that ended with the killings of the women. The attack rocked the neighborhood as friends and family mourn the death of the sisters. Officials have not issued a motive for the fires. Records show Duverne has a previous conviction for arson in 2015, when he set fire to city property less than two miles …

Serial abuser handed life sentence for attacking women in Scottish Highlands | UK News

Serial abuser handed life sentence for attacking women in Scottish Highlands | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

A serial abuser who throttled women during a campaign of violence that spanned more than three decades has been sentenced to an order for lifelong restriction. Bruce Buchanan, 61, subjected one woman to rape three times, and during an attack squeezed her throat and forced his hand into her mouth. He also verbally and physically abused the victim at addresses in the Scottish Highlands. A court heard how Buchanan threatened the woman while armed with a knife and also sat on her and pressed his thumbs into her eyes during his abuse. Jurors were also told of how he grabbed a second woman by the nose, compressed it while threatening her, and forced her to the ground during an attack. During an assault on a third woman, Buchanan pinned her arms behind her back and gripped her by the throat, restricting her breathing. The abuser, formerly of Croy in the Highlands, denied any wrongdoing but was convicted of seven offences following a trial. His crimes included four assaults, two rapes, and a single count of …

The new Serial is here! Best podcasts of the week | Television & radio

The new Serial is here! Best podcasts of the week | Television & radio

Published by Sam Flores

Pick of the weekThe Idiot “Anyone’s first cousin could be plotting murder …” New York Times columnist M Gessen is the reporter and host of this leftfield five-parter released under the NYT/Serial Productions banner, with shades of its previous series such as We Were Three and S-Town. A braggart with a problematic habit of kidnapping his own son, M’s “idiot” cousin Allen is charged with ordering a hit on his ex-wife, Priscilla. Hannah J DaviesWidely available, episodes weekly Friends Keep Secrets Mr Selena Gomez and top record producer Benny Blanco teams up with rapper and actor Lil Dicky and his wife Kristin Batalucco for this podcast, which hovers dangerously close to intolerable brain rot territory. But if you’ve ever wanted to hear an interview with Ed Sheeran that also features vomit, poo and body odour then this is the place to be. HJDWidely available, episodes weekly Screwed By AI Avantika Chilkoti hosts Screwed by AI. Photograph: The Economist “Where porn leads, other industries follow.” The Economist’s Avantika Chilkoti travels to the Adult Video Network expo …

A Serial Killer Used ChatGPT to Plan Murders, Police Say

A Serial Killer Used ChatGPT to Plan Murders, Police Say

Published by José Betancourt

An accused serial killer in South Korea used ChatGPT to help plan a string of murders, investigators alleged Thursday. The 21-year-old woman, identified by her surname Kim, is accused of killing two men by giving them drinks laced with benzodiazepines that she was prescribed for a mental illness, according to reports from The Korea Herald and the BBC.  Investigators found that, before the men’s deaths, Kim had asked ChatGPT about the risks of administering the drugs. “What happens if you take sleeping pills with alcohol?” she allegedly prompted the AI chatbot. “How much would be considered dangerous?” And, “Could it be fatal?” Kim was initially arrested on February 11 on the lesser charge of inflicting bodily injury resulting in death. But she’s now being charged on two counts of murder, after investigators determined she had intent to kill based on her online activity, per the Korea Herald. “Kim repeatedly asked questions related to drugs on ChatGPT,” an investigator said, as quoted by the newspaper. “She was fully aware that consuming alcohol together with drugs could …

Chilling explanation made by UK serial killer after killing 13 women | UK | News

Chilling explanation made by UK serial killer after killing 13 women | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Peter William Sutcliffe was born in Shipley, West Yorkshire (Image: Getty) In 1975, a sinister predator prowled the streets of northern England, claiming the lives of 13 women in a wave of brutality that horrified the nation. Over five years, terror steadily mounted as he escaped justice, attacking repeatedly whilst police fought to apprehend him. When he was ultimately detained in 1981, investigators revealed a disturbing explanation of how he rationalised his actions. Concealed in full view as a husband and lorry driver within a tight-knit community was Peter Sutcliffe, the serial murderer dubbed the “Yorkshire Ripper”. Read more: True crime doc perfect for fans of 24 Hours in Police Custody fans airs tonight Read more: killer’s 3-word reply as he’s jailed for arson attack on elderly couple ‘The Yorkshire Ripper’ in police custody (Image: Getty) Who is Peter Sutcliffe? Peter William Sutcliffe was born in Shipley, West Yorkshire, on June 2, 1946, to parents John William Sutcliffe and Kathleen Coonan and was one of six siblings. According to The Standard, “Sutcliffe’s parents had an …

I Opposed The Death Penalty. Then I Got A Serial Killer Case.

I Opposed The Death Penalty. Then I Got A Serial Killer Case.

Published by Sam Flores

I was 14 the first time I really thought about the death penalty. Every day in freshman English, our teacher wrote a new question on the whiteboard. Before class began, we had to write a short essay on the topic. One day, the prompt read: “What is your opinion on capital punishment?” Until that moment, I hadn’t given it much thought. Whenever I heard that someone had been sentenced to death, I just assumed they probably deserved it. But I’d never been asked to consider whether it was morally right. I wrote my first sentence with a No. 2 pencil: “I believe the death penalty is appropriate when a serious crime has been committed.” Then I stopped. I picked up the eraser and erased it. I realised I couldn’t, in good faith, justify capital punishment. Unlike my answer to the question on the board, death wasn’t a decision that could be undone just by picking up an eraser. Death was final. So, from that moment forward, I knew where I stood: I was against the …

Jacques Leveugle, the serial sexual predator accused of abusing at least 89 minors

Jacques Leveugle, the serial sexual predator accused of abusing at least 89 minors

Published by Sam Flores

A public wanted notice was issued on February 10, 2026, by the Gendarmerie nationale [French national police force], accompanied by images of Jacques Leveugle, the 79-year-old man charged in 2024 with aggravated rape and sexual assault of 89 minors. GENDARMERIE NATIONALE/AFP At least 89 teenage victims of rape or sexual assault identified across nine countries; USB drives that contained “Memoirs” recounting an unthinkable criminal journey that spanned more than five decades and five continents; the murders of two members of the man’s family. On Tuesday, February 10, the Grenoble prosecutor’s office made public an extraordinary case at a press conference: that of a sexual predator and drifter, now 79 years old, who has been charged and remanded in custody since February 2024. After two years of investigations, Grenoble prosecutor Etienne Manteaux decided to reveal the suspect’s identity – Jacques Leveugle, born in 1946 – in an effort to launch a wide-ranging appeal for witnesses in order to identify further victims before closing the investigation (even though some of the acts, committed prior to 1993, may …

Emma Caldwell: Family of woman murdered by serial rapist say there must be ‘no attempt’ to shut down evidence at public inquiry | UK News

Emma Caldwell: Family of woman murdered by serial rapist say there must be ‘no attempt’ to shut down evidence at public inquiry | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

The family of a woman who was murdered by a serial rapist more than 20 years ago said there must be “no attempt” to shut down evidence at the public inquiry into the police’s handling of the case, as they met the chairman for the first time. Iain Packer murdered Emma Caldwell, 27, in 2005 and evaded justice for almost two decades. In February 2024, he was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 36 years behind bars after being convicted of a string of violent offences. Following the killer’s conviction, Sky News heard testimony from several former sex workers who raised concerns to police about his dangerous sexual behaviour years before Ms Caldwell was murdered. Image: Iain Packer. Pic: Police Scotland The Scottish government subsequently ordered a judge-led public inquiry into the police handling of the case, with work ongoing ahead of future proceedings. Margaret Caldwell, Ms Caldwell’s mother, has never given up on her pursuit of the truth and on Monday met inquiry chairman Lord Scott in Glasgow. She was …

This Week in History: Monica Lewinsky, deadly storms and Britain’s most prolific serial killer

This Week in History: Monica Lewinsky, deadly storms and Britain’s most prolific serial killer

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more A week of extremes plays out across the headlines. Thirty-eight people are killed when hurricane-force winds tear through Britain; the UK’s most prolific serial killer, Harold Shipman, is finally jailed. In Washington, President Bill Clinton fights for his political survival, issuing a now-infamous denial that he “did not have sexual relations” with Monica Lewinsky. Beyond the world of scandals and storms, a milestone in technology arrives as Apple unveils the iPad, described by The Independent as the most eagerly awaited tablet “since Moses”. And in sport, the “fairytale continues” as Roger Federer claims his 20th grand slam title aged 36 at the Australian Open. All are captured on our front pages … 1 February 1988 – SDP backs merger with Liberal Party A new …