Hamtramck's population bulged to 56,000 from a mere 3,500 in the early twentieth century, a sixteen-fold increase that created the perfect environment for crime and corruption to flourish. Post-Prohibition, bars sprang up in quick order, until there were at least two hundred within this wide-open town's 2.1 square miles, giving it more bars per capita than any other city in America; even the Dodge brothers served barrels of beer to their workers. Follow local historian Greg Kowalski through the underbelly of Hamtramck, from the "painted women openly flaunting their tainted charms from undraped windows" to the nefarious plots crafted behind the walls of the International Workers Home on Yemens Street. Welcome to the height of Hamtramck's infamy, where anything could happen--for a price.

In Black Dahlia Avenger II, bestselling author and veteran homicide detective Steve Hodel presents his six-year follow-up investigation 2006-2011] into Los Angeles's 1947 Black Dahlia and other serially connected 1940s Lone Woman Murders. After the 2003 publication of his NYT bestseller and MWA Edgar nominated true-fact crime book, Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder, and receiving a "CASE SOLVED" legal opinion from many of LA's top law enforcement officials-which included a then active Head Deputy District Attorney and LAPD's Chief of Detectives-Hodel didn't stop there. In this investigative sequel he presents his careful deconstruction of the Dahlia Legend-exposing and correcting the Black Dahlia Murder's Three Greatest Urban Myths: Myth No. 1-"It was a standalone murder." Myth No. 2-"There was a 'Missing or Lost Week'" Myth No. 3-"The case was never solved." Some of BDA II's new investigative findings: The obtaining of the killer's full DNA PROFILE which can now be made available for law enforcement testing and comparison to multiple Cold Case unsolved crimes. Discovery of the Hollywood residence where the BLACK DAHLIA MURDER was committed along with physical evidence connecting the killer to the house and to the vacant lot where he later transported and posed the victim's body. Identification of "The Baron," George Hodel's house guest and an accomplice overheard and tape-recorded by detectives discussing "crimes and payoffs" on the 1950 DA/LAPD bugging tapes. New expert medical testimony and evidence photos proving-"A Doctor Did It." Complete original and unabridged 1950 DA-Hodel Black Dahlia Bugging Transcripts. 146 pages.] THE HUSTON LETTERS- Personal correspondence between famed film director, John Huston and his ex-wife, Dorothy Huston Hodel the author's mother] covering the years 1948-1957. In these private letters Dorothy shared with John the day to day personal fear and terror she was experiencing living with George Hodel, as the doctor threatened her and the children with physical harm in the months just prior to his fleeing the country. A World Class Surrealist Photographer reveals his first-hand knowledge of the murders. Over 300 photographs and crime exhibits including the 1969 Sowden House 17-Photo Historical Survey About the Author: STEVE HODEL is a retired LAPD homicide detective and a licensed P.I.and has specialized in criminal investigations for the past 49-years. During his twenty-four years service with LAPD he was assigned to Hollywood Homicide where for eighteen-years he worked on more than three hundred murder cases and achieved one of the highest "solve rates" on the force. He retired as a Detective III the highest attainable rank in the Detective Bureau] and resides in his hometown of Los Angeles. Show less

AS FAR AS FITTING THE STEREOTYPES bestowed to infamous chain-link murderers that exist outside African American culture, there was a time when black serial killers were recognized, to some extent, implausible by purported experts who probably cared not to explore the primary nature of the slayers' transgressions. Nevertheless, the obscured story of handyman Morris Solomon Jr. has to be one of the most interesting tales untold as it is one of the most horrific yarns in the annals of American crime. The handyman's misdeeds, when briefly brought to the public's attention, virtually reminded society that killers continuously come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Solomon was convicted of killing six young women, ages 16 to 29, in the Sacramento, California, neighborhood of Oak Park between 1986 and 1987. The handyman's grisly method of murder left detectives and medical examiners mystified. The identification process of his victims' remains was distinctly a laborious assignment, too. The victims -drug addicts, prostitutes, and devout mothers - were stuffed in closets, hidden under debris, and arguably, one court judge strongly considers, buried alive. In retrospect, the handyman was first accused of murder in the mid-1970s; and authorities suspect him to be linked to four more homicides in Sacramento. Solomon - once declared as a "Mentally Disordered Sex Offender"- is now on death row in Northern California's San Quentin State Prison awaiting execution. The unassuming handyman's 18-year reign of terror includes a record of sexual assaults, attempted kidnappings, and separate despicable sex acts performed strictly for humiliation. In The Homicidal Handyman of Oak Park: Morris Solomon Jr., author and journalist Tony Ray Harvey recounts the black serial killer's dysfunctional upbringing, atrocious crimes, and hardly noticeable court trial. Harvey's book also provides explicit crime scene photos, the history of the death penalty system in the state of California, the city of Sacramento's drug culture in the mid-1980s, and exclusive prison interviews of the mild-mannered handyman.

The true identity of the psychotic ZODIAC killer has been known by the Mandamus Seven (group of retired law enforcement officers, federal agents, a minister, and a District Attorney) since March 15, 1971. This true story is now being told for the very first time. Official corruption and political intervention forced the investigation into a top-secret, covert status, giving the insane ZODIAC killer immunity and a license to kill. Of the over 2,500 suspects cleared by the local authorities and the Department of Justice, this man is the only suspect who had the uncontrollable and powerful motive adultery Mind and body ravaged by years of severe alcoholism, his blood-lusting revenge turned him into the most shocking and vicious killer in our 20th century. Through his tauntings of the police, his codes, ciphers, and letters, he was on a mission to redeem his shattered ego, to prove that he is better, smarter, and more clever than all the judges and police put together. With lordly arrogance and jealousy, and with the assistance of the police, he continued his killing spree until he claimed a total of 37 victims. Lips sealed by secret oaths and federal obstructions of justice, the investigation was further impeded by personal associations with the suspect and his tenacious, intrepid wife, placing family members in imminent danger. The evidence is overwhelming and given the totality of the facts, it is the author 's opinion that there is no jury in the world that would not find the suspect guilty of being the criminal genius, ZODIAC. Author 's Bio: Lyndon E. Lafferty is an passionate outdoorsman who hiked to the top of Mt. Lassen three times and once to the top of Mt. Fujiyama, Japan during the Korean War. He also made two attempts each to climb Mt. Shasta and Mt. Whitney. Lyndon holds a U.S. patent and two patents pending. He loves to write and is currently working on two more novels. Lyndon has an excellent record with the California Highway Patrol with many commendations devoting 27 years to law enforcement. He is best known for crushing the hood and top of a patrol car as he and fellow officers used it as a platform to rescue 38 injured and trapped passengers on a commercial bus in November 1976. Inheriting the Zodiac investigation has been both a blessing and a curse. Bound by oaths of secrecy to a highly respected homicide detective, his lips were sealed until the death of the detective in 1977.

THE CRIMES. THE STORIES. THE LAW 'Fascinating' - Sunday Times 'Masterful' - Judith Flanders 'A page-turning read' - Prof. David Wilson Totally gripping and brilliantly told, Murder: The Biography is a gruesome and utterly captivating portrait of the legal history of murder. The stories and the people involved in the history of murder are stranger, darker and more compulsive than any crime fiction. There's Richard Parker, the cannibalized cabin boy whose death at the hands of his hungry crewmates led the Victorian courts to decisively outlaw a defence of necessity to murder. Dr Percy Bateman, the incompetent GP whose violent disregard for his patient changed the law on manslaughter. Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in England in the 1950s, played a crucial role in changes to the law around provocation in murder cases. And Archibald Kinloch, the deranged Scottish aristocrat whose fratricidal frenzy paved the way for the defence of diminished responsibility. These, and many more, are the people - victims, killers, lawyers and judges, who unwittingly shaped the history of that most grisly and storied of laws. Join lawyer and writer Kate Morgan on a dark and macabre journey as she explores the strange stories and mysterious cases that have contributed to UK murder law. The big corporate killers; the vengeful spouses; the sloppy doctors; the abused partners; the shoddy employers; each story a crime and each crime a precedent that has contributed to the law's dark, murky and, at times, shocking standing.

Previously published as Becky, this is the heartbreaking story behind the murder of 16-year-old Bristol schoolgirl Becky Watts, a crime that shocked the nation and tore a family in two. A vulnerable and shy girl, Becky Watts was brutally murdered and dismembered by her own step-brother on 19 February 2015. As her father Darren discovered the horrific details of what happened to his darling girl, his world fell apart. Writing about the darkest hours, Darren uncovers what Becky's relationship with her step-brother Nathan, a child he had raised as his own son, was really like. He recalls the devastation of discovering the truth about the depravity with which Becky was torn from him in the safety of her own home. And he recounts the torment of the legal battle to see his step-son sentenced to life behind bars. Both heartfelt and haunting, searingly honest and unflinching, this is the ultimate story of a family tragedy.

BASED ON A TRUE STORY A brilliant police officer and a brilliant killer are at odds as the bodies pile up in Vanderburgh, and Posey County in Indiana, and also in Kentucky's HendersonCounty. You can get in the minds of both men and feel the frustration as they play cat and mouse throughout the Christmas season of 1954 and into April of 1955. Watch the killer as he is caught, tried, sentenced to die, and escapes from an escape proof jail. He runs to California and the FBI gets involvedand joins the chase. It's a chase to be remembered. Endorsements"I have truly enjoyed reading this book Being from Evansville Indianaand presently living and working in Posey County Indiana, I am familiarwith the locations, victims, and their families that were involved in thistragic story. I highly recommend this book It is accurate in its details, and interesting in its content. "Chief Deputy Sheriff Mike Alexander, Posey County, Indiana"Research has clearly been done on this work. It is a very interesting read, and will hold your attention throughout. I am certain you will appreciate the unique presentation as did I." Larry A. Dever, Sheriff, Cochise County Arizona"This book is a great read I really enjoyed it Ithought it read like a movie script, and should bemade into a movie." Judge David Morales, Cochise County, Arizona.

This work provides readers with an authoritative resource for understanding the true extent and nature of gun violence in America, examining the veracity of claims and counterclaims about mass shootings, gun laws, and public attitudes about gun control. This work is part of a series that uses evidence-based documentation to examine the veracity of claims and beliefs about high-profile issues in American culture and politics. Each book in the Contemporary Debates series is intended to puncture rather than perpetuate myths that diminish our understanding of important policies and positions; to provide needed context for misleading statements and claims; and to confirm the factual accuracy of other assertions. This particular volume examines beliefs, claims, and myths about gun violence, gun laws, and gun rights in the United States. Issues covered in the book include trends in firearm violence, mass shootings, the impact of gun ownership on rates and types of crime, regulations and Supreme Court decisions regarding gun control and the Second Amendment, and the activities and influence of organizations ranging from the National Rifle Association to Everytown for Gun Safety. All of these topics are examined in individualized entries, with objective responses grounded in up-to-date evidence. Easy-to-navigate Q&A format Quantifiable data from respected sources as the foundation for examining every issue Extensive Further Reading sections for each entry providing readers with leads to conduct further research Examinations of claims made by individuals and groups of all political backgrounds and ideologies

Paul Alexander had it all. He was a war hero in Israel, a man with a $100 million dollar fortune with operations in Brasil, the US and Monte Carlo. He collected $1 million a year from the CIA. All of that money was not enough! He helped to smuggle over $9 billion worth of cocaine into the USA and Australia. He almost became a billionaire before he was 35. His greed destroyed him.

The Federal Trade Commission's yearly report for 2007 stated that over 30 million people in the United States were victimized by some type of fraudulent crime. Over 9 million people saw their personal identities stolen and used by a fraud perpetrator. Millions of others---including businesses---saw their financial accounts compromised by a fraud perpetrator. Strictly speaking, fraud is big business. Are you one of its customers?

Everyone is vulnerable to some type of fraudulent crime, but you can take the steps necessary to avoid becoming a victim. Based on actual events, cases, and investigations, "Stealing You Blind," describes numerous fraudulent criminal activities taking place today in the United States and throughout the rest of the world, and offers you important tips and advice on how to reduce your susceptibility to such crimes.

Drawing upon years of experience as a fraud detective, K.A. Farner reveals some key components of many fraud schemes. The crimes discussed include: Identity theft Internet loan scams Credit card theft Internet auction scams Check fraud And much more Remember: knowledge is power Arm yourself with the facts and minimize your chances of falling for one of these crimes with "Stealing You Blind."

AUTHOR BIO
Detective K.A. Farner is a retired Atlanta Police Department fraud detective and a former member of the United States Secret Service Organized Fraud Task Force. He has participated in joint investigations with the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs, Federal Bureau of Investigations, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Postal Inspections, and the United States Secret Service.

On Christmas day in 1956, a woman gave birth to a baby girl without ears. She was the first living victim of the notorious Thalidomide epidemic, of which there would go on to be over 10,000 more in forty-six countries across the world. By the time Frances Kelsey received the New Drug Application at the Food and Drug Administration, pregnant women had been taking Thalidomide for almost three years to cure nausea and insomnia, and sales had soared into the millions. Yet Kelsey was sceptical about the potential toxicity of this this 'wonder drug,' and so began a fastidious nineteen-month-long battle to block its approval. A tale of recklessness and greed, courage and heroism, The Gatekeeper is as timely now as it was sensational then. It documents a dramatic moment in history when countless lives were saved - not by governing bodies and elected officials, but by a lone female scientist who fought against powerful interests to expose the truth and prevent such a tragedy from ever recurring. The story of Thalidomide marks a key turning point in the $1 trillion industry that still underpins our lives today and is emblematic of the seemingly endless battle between corporation and consumer protection.