When Jack and Paul received a text from their father inviting them over to play with the new train set he'd bought, they were filled with excitement. It seemed, for once, that Darren Sykes was making an effort to bond with his sons.

But when the boys arrived for their custody visit, what started as a seemingly innocent gesture quickly turned sinister.

Darren led his sons to the attic, where the train set awaited - but once all three were inside, he sealed the hatch, trapping them.

Moments later, flames erupted, rapidly consuming the house and creeping toward the attic where the boys were held captive.

What could have driven Darren Sykes to lure his own children into such a horrifying trap?

And would any of them make it out alive?

On Friday, January 30, 1976, in Troyes, France, 7-year-old Philippe Bertrand left school, ecole pont-saint-marie at midday. He walked a short distance with his friends before they parted ways.Every day, Philippe would pick up his younger brother, Christophe, from a nearby school just around the corner, and together they would wait at a florist just 50 meters away for their father, Gérald Bertrand, to pick them up for lunch.But on this day, something was wrong.When Gérald arrived at the florist, expecting to see both boys, they were nowhere to be found. The florist told him they had never arrived. Rushing back to the school, he found Christophe—but there was no sign of Philippe.

Concern quickly turned to fear. Gérald took Christophe home, hoping for answers. Just minutes later, the phone rang.On the other end of the line was a man demanding a ransom of 1 million French francs. His chilling instruction: Do not contact the police.In the span of just 20 minutes, Philippe Bertrand had vanished without a trace.

On the evening of July 13, 2020, Corinna Smith seemed like any other wife returning home after a day out with her daughter. But beneath the surface, something had shifted.

After a tense conversation, a long-buried family secret had been revealed — one that would change everything.

Consumed by emotion, Corinna made a phone call, then another. Her mind raced as she tried to piece together the past and the horrifying implications of what she had just learned.

As the hours passed, she grew more agitated. Then, just before midnight, she walked into her kitchen, filled a kettle, and turned it on.

Twice, she boiled the water. Then, with a steady hand, she poured in bag after bag of sugar, creating a thick, scalding syrup mixture.

When it was ready, she carried the bucket into the bedroom where her husband, Michael, lay sleeping — completely unaware of what was about to happen.

When 26-year-old Anna Repkina met Will Hargrove on a dating site, she believed she had found the love of her life. She had recently ended a seven-year relationship and was eager for a fresh start.Without hesitation, Anna left her life in back home and moved to Oregon to be with Will, convinced they would build a future together.However, what awaited Anna was not the fairy tale she had envisioned. Instead, a tangled web of love and betrayal led to her tragic fate.On Monday, April 17, 2017, in Alsea, Oregon, a local caretaker and timber company groundskeeper was walking his dog along a remote, dead-end logging road when he noticed Anna lying on the ground.Her feet were facing the road and her torso angled toward the forest. Anna was wearing blue jeans, black running shoes, a grey hoodie, and a black jacket.Police arrived shortly after and began their investigation. Near the body, officers also found scattered trash, including empty cans and papers.What had happened to Anna Repkina? And how did Anna end up alone on a desolate road?

On January 5, 2023, the quiet neighbourhood of St. Thomas Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma, became the site of an unthinkable tragedy. Just before midnight, a 12-year-old girl woke her mother, April Lyda, with a chilling confession: she had attacked her 9-year-old brother, Zander Lyda, three times.

On the morning of the 15th August, 1975, 8 year old Gretchen Harrington, left her home, heading to summer vacation Bible school class.

The Trinity Chapel Christian Reform Church was less than half a mile up the road and she had done this walk many times, but unfortunately, on this fateful day Gretchen never made it.

2 months later, on the 14th October 1975, skeletal remains were found by a passing jogger in Ridley Creek State Park and they were devastatingly identified as Gretchen’s.

Her clothes were found neatly folded nearby and her underwear was found hung in a tree branch.

Her death was ruled a homicide as it was found that she had injuries to her head, but with no other leads, Gretchen Harrington’s murder case remained unsolved for nearly 48 years.

That was, until 2023, when somebody came forward with knew information, implicating none other, than one of the towns Pastors.

On Christmas Eve 2014, around 10 p.m., 35-year-old Dustin Lee Klopp and his wife, 34-year-old Stephanie Kilhefner, became involved in an argument at their Paradise Township home in Pennsylvania.

It began with what seemed like a chance encounter—two young people meeting on a dating app, exchanging messages, and agreeing to meet in person just before Christmas.

When a chilling 911 call came in at 11:34 AM on Christmas Day in 2011, it immediately set off alarm bells for the Grapevine, Texas police.

The voice on the other end was faint, muttering what sounded like “Help me, help me” before the line went dead. Concerned for the welfare of whoever was inside, officers were dispatched to the home where the call originated.

When officers arrived at the apartment, they were met with an eerie silence after their knocking yielded no response.

When they forced the door open, they were unprepared for the horrifying scene awaiting them.

Inside the living room, surrounded by Christmas presents and torn wrapping paper, lay the bodies of seven people, all shot to death.

The victims, all family members, ranged in age from teenagers to seniors. This was no random act of violence — it was a massacre.

But who were these victims? And what kind of darkness could drive someone to commit such an unspeakable act on Christmas Day?

On Christmas Eve in 2013, 18-year-old Alexis Valdez was simmering with anger.

Six months earlier, he had moved into his aunt’s basement apartment on North Kildare Avenue in Chicago, sharing the home with her and her boyfriend, 41-year-old Sylvester Diaz-Hernandez.

The arrangement came with clear expectations: Alexis was to go to school, work, and contribute to household expenses. But Alexis had quickly abandoned these responsibilities, igniting tensions that escalated into frequent arguments.

By December, his aunt and Sylvester had reached their limit, and they told Alexis he had to move out. This ultimatum sent him into a rage.

His fury boiled over on Christmas Eve, leading him to commit an unspeakable act of violence. What Alexis did that night would not only shock his family but also leave a community horrified and searching for answers.

In his twisted mind, he believed his actions would serve as the ultimate message — a horrific “present” for his aunt to discover on Christmas Day.