Dark and Devious

Austin, Texas in 1991 seemed to be an idyllic place to raise a family; a mid-size, cosmopolitan city with a relatively low crime rate. But that image was shattered when four teenage girls lives were taken under strange and suspicious circumstances. This is the unsolved case of the deaths of Jennifer Harbison, Sarah Harbison, Eliza Thomas, and Amy Ayers. If you have any information on this cold case you can call in a tip to 512-472-TIPS.

Dru Sjodin, a vibrant 22-year-old student was attending the University  of North Dakota in the fall of 2003. She was well liked, caring,  ambitious, and above all else, responsible. On November 22, Dru didn't show up for her shift at a local bar and lounge in Grand Forks, North  Dakota, so everyone knew right away that something was wrong. She had vanished, and over the next several months the local community and even  the nation would become captivated by the search for her, and the depraved man responsible for her disappearance.

July 15, 1976, was supposed to be a perfect day for the children of Dairyland Elementary in Chowchilla, California. Twenty-six children, ages 5 to 14 were being brought back from the community pool when the bus was stopped by three armed men blocking the road. What resulted was one of the largest mass kidnappings in U.S. history. Once they were taken, it was a race against time to save the 26 children and their bus driver from a terrifying and uncertain fate. 

In 1924, Chicago was shook by the disappearance of 14-year-old Bobby Franks from his well-to-do south side neighborhood; but what was even more shocking was who took him, what they did, and why. Bobby's cousin, Richard Loeb, and his companion, Nathan Leopold, two intellectual college boys from prominent families, kidnapped the boy and murdered him for the thrill of it. The resulting trial was a media sensation and their actions were dubbed the "Crime of the Century." Tune in and find out how two teenage boys went from school yard chums to partners in crime.

On the evening of March 31, 1922 the inhabitants of the Bavarian farmstead of Hinterkaifeck were brutally struck dead. In addition, the killer seemed to have lived on the farm for several days without being detected, all while their victims lay stacked close by. The resulting investigation proved to be one of the most mysterious and puzzling crime cases in German history. 

In the 1920s the Osage Tribe in Oklahoma was one of the wealthiest groups of people in the world. They were making millions from the booming oil industry when the average worker took home about $3,200 a year.  But the extreme wealth acquired by the Osage people made them prime targets for sinister plots orchestrated by those who hoped to line their own pockets. For the better part of a decade, tribe members were poisoned, shot, or even blown up in hopes of cashing in on their demise. When local officials found themselves unable to bring about justice the Federal Government sent agents to solve the killings. The sensational case pitted the network of agents against a deadly web of outlaws, and it will no doubt shock you as to who the perpetrators were. 

Jennifer Pan had it all; a loving boyfriend, academic success, and a family that loved her and pushed her to always do her best. But beneath the veneer of perfection was a tangled web of lies. Jennifer had a secret life that slowly spiraled out of control until she felt forced to do the unthinkable. Tune in to find out just how far she was willing to go to achieve her dreams and get what she wanted.

Last year, a book was released called We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper. It details the 1969 murder of a promising, young woman who was studying in the anthropology department at Harvard. Her death made national headlines, but despite the high profile case, her murder went unsolved for decades. The details faded from the public's mind, but the echoes of rumors continued on to modern day. Was there a coverup by Harvard to save the reputation of a rogue professor? Or was her death the result of something darker and more devious? The answer is certain to surprise you!

Hawaii: land of sun, sand, and... murder? In 1931 a U.S. Naval officer's wife was allegedly assaulted in a Honolulu park. Five suspects emerged and the resulting trial drove a wedge between the white and non-white communities at a time when tensions and were already high. The question on everyone's mind was, are these men guilty, or are they convenient scapegoats? The case heats up even more when murder is introduced to the mix. Tune in to hear all about one of the most shocking cases to ever rock the Hawaiian Islands.

The year is 1991 and Minneapolis is battling some of its toughest years of violent crime on record. And amidst the crime wave the LGBT community is suffering greatly at the hands of the AIDS crisis and an increase in harassment. Two murders at popular gay cruising spots shocked the community that had already been suffering for years. The stakes are high to find a possible serial killer intent on terrorizing the gay community. Until the culprit is found, no one is safe!