New York: Graduate student Imette St. Guillen’s murder, bouncer Darryl Littlejohn charged, trial upcoming. Issues: suspect’s double life, society’s double standard in judging women’s behavior, sexually charged violence in society.
Los Angeles: Actress Lana Clarkson’s shooting death, music producer Phil Spector charged with murder. Trial: Spring, 2007 Issues: fetish for firearms, how wealthy suspects are treated, Hollywood’s dark side.
Massachusetts: Rachel & Lilly Entwistle’s murder, British citizen/husband/father Neil Entwistle charged. Issues: Debt, Internet porn.
Florida: 9-year old Jessica Lunsford’s murder, registered sex offender John Couey charged. Issues: tracking of convicted sex offenders, addiction, change of venue, inadmissibility of confession.
Wisconsin: Photographer Teresa Halbach’s murder, Steven Avery charged, trial underway. Issues: Avery previously freed for wrongful rape conviction.
Alabama: High school cheerleader Natalee Holloway’s disappearance while on a school graduation trip to Aruba. Case remains unsolved. Issues: foreign criminal investigations, corruption, agony of not knowing.
Connecticut: Honeymooner George Smith’s disappearance aboard the Brilliance of the Seas during cruise around Mediterranean with new bride. Case remains unsolved. Issues: foreign criminal investigations, alcohol, cruise ship safety.
Texas: Andrea Yates, Dena Schlosser, Deanna Laney, 3 Texas moms who killed their children found not guilty by reason of insanity. Issues: fundamentalist religion and mental illness.
Indiana: Kim, Bradley and Jill Camm murdered, husband/father/former Indiana State Trooper David Camm convicted twice, accomplice/ex-con Charles Boney also convicted. Issues: infidelity, blood spatter controversy.
Modesto, California: Scott Peterson case. Fertilizer salesman convicted of murdering his wife Laci Peterson and unborn son. Sentenced to death. Issues: husbands and pregnancy, causes of pathological lying.
Los Angeles: Actor Robert Blake acquitted of murdering wife Bonny Lee Bakley, later found responsible for her death in a civil trial. Issues: impact of fame on criminal trials, victimology, i.e. victim’s role in crime.
San Francisco area: Troubled Goth teenager Scott Dyleski was convicted of the savage murder of Pamela Vitale, the wife of prominent defense attorney Dan Horowitz. At the time of the murder Horowitz had been defending local housewife Susan Polk, who later represented herself and was eventually convicted of killing her husband. Issues: out of control teenagers, Polk family secrets involving mental illness and therapy.
New Mexico: 16-year old Cody Posey was convicted in the shotgun slayings of his father, step-mother and step-sister, but sentenced as a juvenile. Could get out in a few years. Issues: child abuse, sexual abuse, Internet incest porn.
Pennsylvania: David Ludwig was 18-years old when he executed his underage girlfriend’s mother and father. After a plea deal, he is serving life without possibility of parole. Issues: apocalyptic obsessions, massive gun collections, home schooling.
Jane Velez-Mitchell releases new book "Secrets Can Be Murder" with foreword by Nancy Grace.
New York, Los Angeles, Texas: Real estate heir Robert Durst acquitted of murdering Texas neighbor despite admitting he killed him, chopped up his body and disposed of the remains. Never charged in the disappearance of his first wife in New York in 1982 or the unsolved murder of his best friend Susan Berman in Los Angeles in 2000, although he’s complained of living under a cloud of suspicion.
Florida: 11-year old Carlie Brucia’s murder. Father of three/mechanic/drug addict Joe Smith convicted. Sentenced to death. Issues: drug addiction, camera surveillance, amber alerts.
Jane Velez-Mitchell's new book "Secrets Can Be Murder" with foreword by Nancy Grace.